Favorite Final Fantasy?

Have a video game or or VG review? This is the place to to discuss it! We also accept discussions of board games and the like, but SHHH! Don't tell anyone, OK?

Favorite Final Fantasy?

Postby Slytherine » Tue Apr 01, 2008 4:27 pm

So, which Final Fantasy game is your absolute favorite?

[This has probably already been done, but I figured I would post anyway. ^_^]

I know mine is FFX, closely followed by FFVII. Just saying...^_^



~Slytherine
User avatar
Slytherine
 
Posts: 123
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:37 pm
Location: Where do you THINK I live...?

Postby Jingo Jaden » Tue Apr 01, 2008 4:46 pm

FF VI on my part.

FF IX comes close.
Of two evils, choose neither - Charles Spurgeon.

Image
User avatar
Jingo Jaden
 
Posts: 2175
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 2:26 pm
Location: Norway

Postby Radical Dreamer » Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:37 pm

I know I'm mostly alone in this, but Final Fantasy VIII. XD Not only was it the first FF I played, but it's also got a pretty good storyline with characters that I liked at the time. I actually own IV-VIII, X and XII of the numbered Final Fantasies, but as I've only completed VII and VIII, I don't feel qualified to say much else. XD I have been enjoying VI, though, and I love what I finished of IV, which was actually quite a bit. XII has also been a lot of fun, when I've had the time to actually sit down and play it. XD
[color="DeepSkyBlue"]4 8 15 16 23[/color] 42
[color="PaleGreen"]Rushia: YOU ARE MY FAVORITE IGNORANT AMERICAN OF IRISH DECENT. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR POTATOES.[/color]
[color="Orange"]WELCOME TO MOES[/color]

Image

User avatar
Radical Dreamer
 
Posts: 7950
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Some place where I can think up witty things to say under the "Location" category.

Postby LadyRushia » Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:10 pm

FFX is the only one I've played, but I like it (though I haven't touched it in a couple years).
Fanfiction (updated 1/1/11)-- Lucky Star--Ginsaki ch. 4
[color="Magenta"]Sometimes I post things.[/color]
Image Image Image
User avatar
LadyRushia
 
Posts: 3075
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:38 pm
Location: In a dorm room/a house.

Postby Haruhiko » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:13 pm

Final Fantasy X. I haven't played to terribly many of them, but I've played enough to say that Final Fantasy X is probably one of the best ones out there. Just a tad on the easy side, though. :/
[SIZE="4"][color="DarkOrange"]Haruhiko, CAA's resident lurker.[/color][/SIZE]

Image
User avatar
Haruhiko
 
Posts: 169
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:04 am
Location: U.S., Northern Hemisphere, Earth, The Milky Way.

Postby uc pseudonym » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:42 pm

Should I-VI really be together like that? FFVI is one of the most popular, FFIV is a cult hit, and personally I'm fond of FFV. If anyone wants these options separated, I'll edit the poll.

Myself, I have to say FFX. The story is excellent (the beginning hits you with eight or so McGuffins, but every single one pans out in the end), the battle system is polished and fun, the characters are overall good (Tidus being a weak point), and the growth system provides a serious challenge if you're interested.

Not to say that the others are bad, but this one stands out to me. In any effort to spark discussion over everyone just listing their favorites, I'll add some comments.

I-III: Foundational, but only that.
IV: The series comes into its own here, but later games play the same elements better.
V: Though I like the growth system, the story and characters are pretty weak.
VI: Great game (and I wish more of them forced you to balance characters like this) but in the end I didn't enjoy it quite as much as some others.
VII: Also a pretty decent title, but with definite flaws. Given my avatar, I have to point out that Sephiroth wasn't all that great of a villain.
VIII: I have to be honest, I didn't finish this one. The story seems good, but I don't enjoy the system. Being punished for leveling up isn't my style.
IX: Solid title with a lot going for it. I also like the lack of technology, which has always felt out of place to me.
XI: I still feel an MMO was a bad idea.
XII: Decent system and a politically-involved storyline. Forcing you to farm for legendary weapons or kill 50,000,000 HP monsters is not cool, though.
Crystal Chronicles: Never got a chance to play this extensively, but it didn't exactly motivate me to pursue it.
Tactics: Lots of people like this, but I am not one of them. Not at all.
User avatar
uc pseudonym
 
Posts: 15506
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
Location: Tanzania

Postby Mithrandir » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:36 pm

uc pseudonym (post: 1212736) wrote:Tactics: Lots of people like this, but I am not one of them. Not at all.


Dude. You need to come over again. You just went up the cool ladder about five rungs in my book.
User avatar
Mithrandir
 
Posts: 11071
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2003 12:00 pm
Location: You will be baked. And then there will be cake.

Postby Rocketshipper » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:30 pm

How many times have we had this topic? ^^ Anyway, here's my prefrence list for the final fantasy games, in order from favorite to least favorite.

7
8
9
10-2
5
Dirge of Cerberus
12
10
12: Revenant Wings
1
4
6
3
2

Hanv't played Tactics, Chronicles, or Crisis Core.
Jessie and James, together forever!

AAML forever!

Colorado is EVIL!! Save me!!

Eternal Defender of Tracey Sketchit. If you are a Brock lover, beware ^_^

"Like the moon over
the day, my genius and brawn
are lost on these fools"-Bowser, Super Mario RPG

Confused about the meaning of the screen name??

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/RocketShipping

Go here and be enlightened ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

Click the above link...I dare you.

http://community.livejournal.com/ship_manifesto/87185.html

The best essay on Junzumi shipping ever ^^.

http://myanimelist.net/profile/Rocketshipper
User avatar
Rocketshipper
 
Posts: 1126
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:19 am
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Postby Scarecrow » Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:40 am

I really haven't played any in quite a while so I'd have to go back and check which ones are which but its the two from the SNES. I have both of my favorites on GBA but I can't think of the numbers cause I knew them as FF II and III on the SNES but I believe they are IV and VI on the GBA?

My favorite of those two was the one with the Opera (I never kept the numbers straight but I believe it was FF III on the SNES)... it reminded me of the trial part from Chrono Trigger (my all time favorite video game)

I also really enjoy Chrystal Chronicles ^_^ Ya I know its not a popular one but I thought it was great. I didn't care for the rest. Not a big RPG fan but I really liked the SNES ones for some reason. And Crystal Chronicles was cool cause it was multi-player.
"Take me down, shake me out. Give me a brain, that I might know You better"
User avatar
Scarecrow
 
Posts: 1354
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: California

Postby ich1990 » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:24 am

As a person who has never owned a system from a brand other than Nintendo (partly from Nintendo elitism, and partly because I don't have the cash), my Final Fantasy playing has been limited to I-VI and Crystal Chronicles. Out of those, I like Final Fantasy 3/6 the best (the one with Kefka and the opera). I really liked the ability to switch out different members of your party, which is something that 1, 2, 4, and 5 didn't offer. Crystal Chronicles was fun, but only if you had a lot of people with gba's.

I did get a chance to play FFX for a little while with a friend. From what I played of it, I really liked it..... Except for one boss battle that we kept dying at. Every time we lost we had to watch the stupidly unskippable cutscene over again. Still, the skill map seemed quite original.

Final Fantasy I-VI gets my vote.

EDIT: Oh, yes, I forgot tactics. I played the one for the GBA through, twice. Ultimately, it seemed extremely unbalanced; the Viera race was extremely overpowered with the assassin, sniper, and elementalist classes. Also, the story didn't really interest me at all. I ended up playing it again just because I wanted to try playing it through without using a Viera.
Where an Eidolon, named night, on a black throne reigns upright.
User avatar
ich1990
 
Posts: 1546
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:01 pm
Location: The Land of Sona-Nyl

Postby uc pseudonym » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:44 pm

It occurs to me that I didn't mention FFX-2 in my previous post. While I'd like to say that's a pointed move, the truth is I forgot. Though I played and beat it, I didn't think it was all that great of the game (not majorly flawed, just not exceptional). Also, though I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, it still felt like a needless sequel.

Mithrandir wrote:Dude. You need to come over again. You just went up the cool ladder about five rungs in my book.

Yeah, we could have a not-Tactics party!

Seriously, that's good to hear. I half-expected to get criticism for that comment.

Rocketshipper wrote:[list]

That's an interesting list. I tried to analyze what you prioritize in gameplay in order to get that list, but didn't come up with anything immediately. Out of curiosity, what made you rank VI so low and X on mediocre?

Scarecrow wrote:My favorite of those two was the one with the Opera (I never kept the numbers straight but I believe it was FF III on the SNES)...

You're correct. That's FFVI for those of us using Japanese numbering, which I prefer because it reduces confusion.
User avatar
uc pseudonym
 
Posts: 15506
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
Location: Tanzania

Postby Mr. SmartyPants » Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:27 pm

VI is my favorite. :D
User avatar
Mr. SmartyPants
 
Posts: 12541
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:00 am

Postby Fish and Chips » Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:57 pm

IX is decidedly my favorite. Might be a case of "First love," since it was my first Final Fantasy, but I think I find it genuinely enjoyable; the cast, the world, down to the plot. I also prefer the Medieval steampunk vibe it gives off to the overly technological VII and VIII.

Second is VI, though it lost some steam in the second half for being a little too open ended. I still haven't finished it.

I also enjoyed Tactics Advance, despite some glaring flaws. And Marshe is a loser.

Not really up to speed on the rest of the series, actually.
User avatar
Fish and Chips
 
Posts: 4415
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:33 pm
Location: Nowhere.

Postby KeybladeWarrior » Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:19 pm

This is a tough one. I cant decide between VI, VII, and X. All are fun and have great stories. Hmmm, I will go with X since it was the first one I played and enjoyed the most the first few plays.
@)}~`,~ Carry This Rose In Your Sig, As Thanks, To All
The CAA Moderators.

"YEAH TOAST! TOCAA!"
User avatar
KeybladeWarrior
 
Posts: 1176
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:04 pm

Postby TriezGamer » Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:58 pm

I love how people get up in arms about FFXI being an MMORPG as if the title actually means something. Especially people who haven't played it (or refuse to play it). Regardless of one's opinions of MMORPGs in general, FFXI's world and storyline are absolutely epic.


As for me:

Final Fantasy VI. Hands down, my favorite. Nothing else really even compares. While it might pale in comparison to recent offerings in terms of depth, FFVI was perfection for it's time, and the story itself is extremely well done.

Final Fantasy IX. Despite one of the most senseless final battles in videogame history, gameplay innovations and lovable characters combined with a return to actually unique character abilities took this game toward the top of my list.

Final Fantasy IV. Second only to FFVI in the SNES era, the first game in the series to take storytelling to a semi-modern level. Characters were unfortunately shallow and predictable.

Final Fantasy XII. A brave move in a new direction for the series, the new combat engine proved to be interesting. At first. Once you figure out the gambit system, it gets a bit too simple. Good story, great characters, so-so gameplay.

Final Fantasy Tactics. People worship the story. I think the story is above average, nothing spectacular. The gameplay made this game awesome.

Final Fantasy XI. Despite being an MMORPG, the world and it's history are an absolute epic to behold. It's major flaw? Being an MMORPG, it takes WEEKS OF ACTUAL GAMEPLAY to get through the story. New expansions continue to improve the game and expand upon it's universe.

Final Fantasy V. The Job system returns! The almost tongue-in-cheek story however leaves a lot to be desired.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. What made this game fun was the multiplayer. What made this game tedious was the multiplayer. If you've played it, you might know what I mean. A curious little game with a cute style, but ultimately rather shallow.

Final Fantasy VII. Possibly the most over-rated game of all time. While it's not bad, by any means, the plot holes are large enough to drive a car through. The materia system is a nice concept, but poorly executed and far too easy to abuse.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Probably the shortest entry in the series, but I enjoyed it a lot. Rather obscure title these days though.

Final Fantasy X-2. I actually find myself enjoying this a lot despite my general loathing of FFX, as the battle engine is quick and entertaining. Go figure.

Final Fantasy III. The Job system debuts! And that's about the only positive thing I can say about it.

Final Fantasy I. The game that started it all. It's really nothing special, but it doesn't suffer any particularly glaring flaws.

Final Fantasy VIII. I'm not even sure where to begin. The gameplay was miserably bad, the characters were actually interesting (aside from Squall), and the story ... didn't make a lick of sense.

Final Fantasy II. Whoever designed this system of levelling up needs to be shot. When it's more effective to kill MYSELF to get stronger than it is to kill enemies ... there's something fundamentally wrong with the engine.

Final Fantasy X. I hated almost everything about this game. Sadly, I have more hours invested into it than any other Final Fantasy. Blitzball is a curse.
Embraced by a gentle breeze, my heart breaks as I think of you.
All alone at the top of the hill, I watch as the seasons go by.
--
Wishing for courage softly, I pray.
There's no going back now, to those tender days when you held me in your arms.

MOES "I can has Sane Sig now?"
User avatar
TriezGamer
 
Posts: 590
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:54 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Postby Fish and Chips » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:10 pm

TriezGamer (post: 1213033) wrote:Final Fantasy IX. Despite one of the most senseless final battles in videogame history

I enjoy being one of the only three people in North America to realize Necron actually has plot significance. Where were the rest of you?
User avatar
Fish and Chips
 
Posts: 4415
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:33 pm
Location: Nowhere.

Postby Radical Dreamer » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:22 pm

TriezGamer (post: 1213033) wrote:Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. What made this game fun was the multiplayer. What made this game tedious was the multiplayer. If you've played it, you might know what I mean. A curious little game with a cute style, but ultimately rather shallow.

Final Fantasy VIII. I'm not even sure where to begin. The gameplay was miserably bad, the characters were actually interesting (aside from Squall), and the story ... didn't make a lick of sense.



I'm surprised that you put Crystal Chronicles above FFVIII. I actually found Crystal Chronicles to be completely void of any story or character development to speak of, and was terrifically bored with it. Then again, I'm fairly certain that I'm the only person alive who actually fully understood and enjoyed the Junction system, not to mention the only person who didn't really care about monsters leveling up with you. XD Either way, though, I still find FFVIII to be far superior to something like Crystal Chronicles.

Also, unrelated thought, I also vastly enjoyed FF Tactics Advance. I have yet to play the original Tactics, but I have a feeling I would enjoy it if it's anything like, or better than, FFTA. And since my first post only consisted of a few of the games I liked...

FF VIII
FF VI (though I'm still in the process of finishing. I love the characters, though.)
FF X (excluding Tidus because he's so ridiculously annoying. XD)
FFXII (I loved the gambits and the new battle system, even if it was just a mobile ATB system. XD)
FF IV
FF VII (fun game, obviously groundbreaking as the first 3D FF game, but it absolutely does not deserve all of the attention it gets. XD)
FF V (I actually haven't played as much of this as I'd have liked. One day when I have time, I guess. XD)

Have not played:

FF I
FF II
FF III
FF IX (this will be remedied as soon as possible. XD)
FF XI (this, on the other hand, will not be remedied ever. Because MMORPGs are just not what I'm into. XD Also, I think they should have called it "Final Fantasy Online," giving another FF game the XI slot.)
[color="DeepSkyBlue"]4 8 15 16 23[/color] 42
[color="PaleGreen"]Rushia: YOU ARE MY FAVORITE IGNORANT AMERICAN OF IRISH DECENT. I LOVE YOU AND YOUR POTATOES.[/color]
[color="Orange"]WELCOME TO MOES[/color]

Image

User avatar
Radical Dreamer
 
Posts: 7950
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Some place where I can think up witty things to say under the "Location" category.

Postby Debitt » Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:23 pm

Fish and Chips (post: 1213040) wrote:I enjoy being one of the only three people in North America to realize Necron actually has plot significance. Where were the rest of you?

Wow, you mean I wasn't the only one to understand he actually served a rather logical function? I'll be.

Uh, yeah. IX's my favorite, far and away.
Image

[SIZE="5"](*゚∀゚)アハア八アッ八ッノヽ~☆[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]DEBS: Fan of that manga where the kid's head is on fire.[/SIZE]
User avatar
Debitt
 
Posts: 3654
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2004 10:00 am
Location: 並盛中学校

Postby TriezGamer » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:26 pm

Radical Dreamer (post: 1213043) wrote:I'm surprised that you put Crystal Chronicles above FFVIII. I actually found Crystal Chronicles to be completely void of any story or character development to speak of, and was terrifically bored with it. Then again, I'm fairly certain that I'm the only person alive who actually fully understood and enjoyed the Junction system, not to mention the only person who didn't really care about monsters leveling up with you. XD Either way, though, I still find FFVIII to be far superior to something like Crystal Chronicles.


Crystal Chronicle was simply FUN when you had 4 people playing. Which, granted, I think a lot of people never got the chance to do -- 4 GBAs is kinda expensive. As far as the Junction system, I understood it just fine, and I didn't mind enemies levelling up with you either. I just felt that the Junction system was a failed experiment that really didn't pan out well in the end.

For me, CC beats FFVIII because I think both of them are lousy games, but CC was at least fun in a group setting.
Embraced by a gentle breeze, my heart breaks as I think of you.
All alone at the top of the hill, I watch as the seasons go by.
--
Wishing for courage softly, I pray.
There's no going back now, to those tender days when you held me in your arms.

MOES "I can has Sane Sig now?"
User avatar
TriezGamer
 
Posts: 590
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:54 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Postby Ingemar » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:05 pm

TriezGamer (post: 1213033) wrote:Final Fantasy XI. Despite being an MMORPG, the world and it's history are an absolute epic to behold. It's major flaw? Being an MMORPG, it takes WEEKS OF ACTUAL GAMEPLAY to get through the story. New expansions continue to improve the game and expand upon it's universe.
Really? I've been playing on and off for MONTHS and I've still yet to find anything resembling a storyline.

Grinding is hard!

Now excuse me while I go LFG.
Job 7:16

I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, for my days are but a breath.
User avatar
Ingemar
 
Posts: 2244
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2004 12:43 pm
Location: A Dungeon

Postby Scarecrow » Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:31 am

uc pseudonym (post: 1212907) wrote:
You're correct. That's FFIV for those of us using Japanese numbering, which I prefer because it reduces confusion.


Actually... I found my GBA versions and FF III on SNES is FF VI (or Japanese Numbering or whatever).

FF II on SNES is FF IV... But whatever it doesn't matter xD And I agree about this being confusing. I've always known the SNES versions and my brother bought me the GBA versions for my birthday a year ago or so. I was like "IV and VI?" He's all "its II and III"

ANYWAY...
"Take me down, shake me out. Give me a brain, that I might know You better"
User avatar
Scarecrow
 
Posts: 1354
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: California

Postby TriezGamer » Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:25 am

Ingemar (post: 1213124) wrote:Really? I've been playing on and off for MONTHS and I've still yet to find anything resembling a storyline.

Grinding is hard!

Now excuse me while I go LFG.


Well, for starters, it's VERY easy to FORGET that FFXI has a story, because it's often times a few weeks between developments if you're moving at a casual pace. However, it may simply be that you aren't far enough yet.

What level are you, and are you bothering with the missions? The original story kicks in when you start ... I think the Rank 4 missions, it might be Rank 5 -- it's been a while. Although Windurst's missions actually add quite a bit of lead-in before that, starting as early as Rank 2, it doesn't really seem like much of a story at that point -- it's more something of interest looking back on it. Each expansion has it's own story that is started in a different fashion. I personally like the Chains of Promathia storyline.

For that matter, what server are you on? I'm on Midgardsormr. If you happen to be there and need help ...
Embraced by a gentle breeze, my heart breaks as I think of you.
All alone at the top of the hill, I watch as the seasons go by.
--
Wishing for courage softly, I pray.
There's no going back now, to those tender days when you held me in your arms.

MOES "I can has Sane Sig now?"
User avatar
TriezGamer
 
Posts: 590
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:54 am
Location: Seattle, WA

Postby Rocketshipper » Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:54 pm

That's an interesting list. I tried to analyze what you prioritize in gameplay in order to get that list, but didn't come up with anything immediately. Out of curiosity, what made you rank VI so low and X on mediocre?


7: Was the first FF game I played, has my favorite battle system, I loved the storyline and characters, and the well directed cutscenes, and the music was awesome. "Aeris' Theme" is probably my all time favorite instrumental music piece.

8: The graphics were awesome at the time, and I enjoyed the battle system fairly well, although I never junctioned much. I liked that I didn't have to level grind in order to be suscessful, and stealing spells was amusing. The summons were all impressive. I loved the card mini game ^^. I liked the storyline and characters a lot, and "Eyes on Me" is among my top 5 songs of all time, and is my favorite video game theme song.

9: Great graphics, amusing characters and a very intersting storyline, and probably the best ending out of all the FF games. The music was good too. The different character abnilities were cool, but I didn't like the "learn spells from items" system.

10-2: I liked the more non-linear mission based gameplay and the wacky over the top humor. I loved how they incorporated the two main theme songs into the actual storyline, sorta like a musical ^^. The plotline interested me a lot more than 10's and Nooj, Bareli, and Shuuyin were much more interesting antagonists than Seymour and his scary hair. I like being able to do a "new game plus" and keep leveling my dress spheres on later playthroughs, as well as carry over my items. The large selection of jobs was great too. And Tidus isn't the main character ^^.

5: 5's job system is my second favorite battle system, next to 7's. I loved it. And I actually think this game had a great story, there were certainly a few things in it that surprised me. I liked the ending too. Definitly my favorite pre-playstation FF game. And I'm a fan of "Legend of the Crystal" the anime OVA sequal to this game.

Dirge of Cerberus: Awesome graphics and some kick-butt cinemas in the later part helped bring a great story that expanded on the world of FF7 to life. Its one of the few FPS games I can stand. At times it did get bogged down with repetitive lenghthy cutscenes though, sorta like Xenosaga (how many times do we have to see Vincent and that girl sitting on a grassy hill under that tree?) The final level was truly awe-inspiring and epic though. And it has Gackt.

12: Awesome graphics and a very intriguing "epic" political story. The battle system took a while to get used to, but I found it very refreshing and challenging in the end. However, it loses points for having weak character development for certain people, and the actual storyline was waaaAAAy too short (over 50% of the game is optional content, the main plot couldn't have taken up more than 20 to 25 hours of actual play)

10: Great graphics, as always, and some interesting characters and plot elements, and I liked the sphere grid. I also LOVED how you could switch your characters at will. All RPGS should do that, makes balancing your levels much easier. It is the easiest FF game though, and I thought it was waaaaay too linear, and the plot seemed to reveal its twists much too early (For instance, The revelation about Sin's identity came so early and with such little fanfare that I barely cared.) I also don't like the main theme song. For some reason, it just didn't really feel like a Final Fantasy game; maybe it was because it was the first FF to have fully voiced cutscenes, and I wasn't used to it yet. I felt like I was playing a really long MGS game with turn-based battles. And Tidus is annoying.

12: Revenant Wings: It had a much better story-to-sidequest balance, relative to 12, and managed to distribute the character development much more effectivly than its predecessor. The storyline was good, and had a few surprise twists, but wasn't incredible. I didn't like the battle system at first AT ALL, but eventually got proficient enough at it to complete the game. My biggest complaint though is that the final boss was insanely hard, especially if you were going for 100% completion in order to unlock the hidden ending, in which case he powers up to lv. 99. Only an airtight stratigy with a bunch of luck, or 20+ hours of solid level grinding, can put you in a position to beat him then. (My victory came after 15 or so hours of level grinding, + the stratigy and luck combo. And it took like 30 minutes to kill him too ><)

1: I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. I expected that, being the very first game, I would probably find it boring, but it was actually pretty good. The battle system was simple, yes, but the battles and everything were pretty challenging, and the storyline worked well enough as a motivation to go from place to place. Of course, it doesn't compare to the its more complex follow-ups, which is why its still pretty low.

4: I liked the cast of characters, and having the simple "level up to gain new abilities" system was sorta refreshing and classic after all the other somewhat bizarre and unique magic systems of the later games. But I didn't think the story as a whole stood out much, and I got very irritated by how SLOW my characters seemed to level. I eventually got so impatient that I activated a "quick level" code with my gameshark.

6: I think my main problem with 6 is just that I don't think it lived up to the hype at all. I'd heard so many people talk about how great and amazing and wonderful it was, so I looked forward to playing it; but when I finally did I was like "this is it?". The story didn't grab my attention like the previous FF games I'd played, I didn't like the magic learning system, and I really didn't like having such a huge cast. There were a few characters I got attached to, like Locke and Ceres, but there were so many others competing for attention that they never got the amount of development that I wanted. The game was just too crowded.

3: I was pretty underwhelmed by this one. The job system was ruined by the fact that the game punished you everytime you changed jobs by reducing your stats for X number of battles. The plot was pretty generic, with only a few interesting elements. I did like the guest party member system though, and having a few dungeons that forced you to cast statis spells, like mini, on yourself were cool. I thought the updated DS graphics were butt-ugly most of the time; I'd have preffered them to just update the NES graphics to more modern ones, like they did with 1 and 2. And the final part of the game was just insane, seriously. Two full length dungeons, with SIX bosses and no save point is over the line. And the last boss is insanely hard too.

2: I really really don't like this one much. The battle system sucks, I hate the whole "use your attacks/weapons/spells more to level them up" system, its so tedious. The storyline was also so uninteresting to me that today I can barely even remember what it was about.
Jessie and James, together forever!

AAML forever!

Colorado is EVIL!! Save me!!

Eternal Defender of Tracey Sketchit. If you are a Brock lover, beware ^_^

"Like the moon over
the day, my genius and brawn
are lost on these fools"-Bowser, Super Mario RPG

Confused about the meaning of the screen name??

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/RocketShipping

Go here and be enlightened ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

Click the above link...I dare you.

http://community.livejournal.com/ship_manifesto/87185.html

The best essay on Junzumi shipping ever ^^.

http://myanimelist.net/profile/Rocketshipper
User avatar
Rocketshipper
 
Posts: 1126
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:19 am
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Postby Fish and Chips » Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:14 pm

I enjoyed Final Fantasy VI, but because I don't think it's the best thing since sliced bread and could use a reality check, so allow me to chime in with Rocketshipper.

Large casts are usually my forte, but for RPGs, I'm geared a bit differently, as I prefer a more conveniently travel sized group of heroes (Population boom everyone else, though). Having a lot of playable characters is fine, but leveling up all of them can grow tedious, and there were certain characters I preferred over others. However, the last half of the game forced you to play with everyone, and if you hadn't grown accustomed to everyone by then, it was a bit too late to complain about it. When the last dungeon asked me to split into three parties, I knew I was hosed, and lost the incentive to continue. Similarly, the open ended nature of the second half overwhelmed me. I liked the tightly plotted first act, but the second act sandbox mode with a final boss left me with little to do but level grind (and find the remnants of my old party).

This isn't some kind of inherent flaw though. I'm fairly sure a lot of people didn't mind having 14 characters to all level up in an open world; this is just me talking here.
User avatar
Fish and Chips
 
Posts: 4415
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:33 pm
Location: Nowhere.

Postby uc pseudonym » Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:35 pm

Triez Gamer wrote:I love how people get up in arms about FFXI being an MMORPG as if the title actually means something. Especially people who haven't played it (or refuse to play it). Regardless of one's opinions of MMORPGs in general, FFXI's world and storyline are absolutely epic.

Triez Gamer wrote:Being an MMORPG, it takes WEEKS OF ACTUAL GAMEPLAY to get through the story.

Triez Gamer wrote:Well, for starters, it's VERY easy to FORGET that FFXI has a story

I don't know if you were referring to my comment, but you just identified one of the reasons I believe the form is significant. I'll grant you the world is probably more involved than a normal game, but I doubt I could ever be satisfied with the story. In addition to the issue of pacing above, I have three objections I think are tied into the genre:
- One of the most important parts of a story, in my mind, is the characters. I'm not interested in a mute main character as a stand in for me, I want complex characters that someone else has interwoven into a storyline. You can see how MMOs do not appeal.
- Of the traditional parts of the story, I think the most important is the ending. If there is actually a terminal point in FFXI I will be immensely impressed.
- Episodic plots do not appeal to me. Again, developers are bound by the necessary form of releases and would be hard-pressed to do anything else.

Fish and Chips wrote:I enjoy being one of the only three people in North America to realize Necron actually has plot significance. Where were the rest of you?

[spoiler]Spiritual form of the Iifa tree or some such? I got that he's the entity manipulating souls between Gaia and Terra, but I have to admit I'm a little fuzzy on the details.[/spoiler]

Radical Dreamer wrote:not to mention the only person who didn't really care about monsters leveling up with you

I'm fairly particular about leveling effectively, so the proportional disadvantage this system creates bugged me to no end. When the most effective strategy is to steal 99 of every spell from the first enemy you encounter, it creates a conflict of interests for me.

Scarecrow wrote:Actually... I found my GBA versions and FF III on SNES is FF VI (or Japanese Numbering or whatever).

I transposed the characters, sorry.
User avatar
uc pseudonym
 
Posts: 15506
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
Location: Tanzania

Postby Slytherine » Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:58 pm

*-*-*
NOTE: I'm REALLY sorry for not separating FFI-VI. I just lumped them together because, even though I haven't played 3-6, I had heard from most of my Final Fantasy Fanatic Friends [LOL] that they were a waste of time. Sorry!! ^_^;;;
*-*-*

Anyway, I figured I would include my order and reasoning.

FFX: AMAZING GRAPHICS! I'm sorry, I really like pretty things, and the graphics pretty awesome. Also, I loved the story line, and the characters. Oh, and the Sphere Gird was pretty sweet too. The aeons were amazing, the gameplay was amazing, the weapons were amazing, and of course, I really loved the background on the characters. My only real problem with the game was the ending. The final battle was a joke. And even though a lot of people call him annoying [which he is], I still think that, if trained properly, Tidus can EASILY be one of your strongest players.

FFVII: Great story line. Amazing characters. Great gameplay. 'Nuff said!

FFVIII: I know a lot of people tend to not like this FF that much, but junctioning isn't too hard once you get used to it, and the story really is quite interesting if you can figure it out. And I really like the GFs.

FFX-2: I actually really liked this FF, even though a lot of people though t it was a waste of time. If you beat the game 100%, the ending is really sweet and adorable! Three characters are easier to manage then 7+, and the whole dressphere idea was pretty cool. Great graphics too! I think the outfits weren't very...conservative...as they probably should have been, but I really liked it either way.

FFIX: ABSOLUTELY AMAZING CHARACTERS. Great story line. Great gameplay. Only problem: when I first started playing the game, I didn't know how/where to save. It got VERY complicated.

FFI: Didn't get really that into it, really. Not my thing. But it was first...

FFII: Didn't like it. At all.

FF Tactics: A waste of my life.

FF Crystal Chronicals: Also a waste of my life

FFIII-VI: Never played them. Can't say for sure.

FFXI&XII: Also never played them. I probably should though...LoL.

Well alrighty then! ^_^


~Slytherine
[color="Magenta"]"The trouble with real life is that there's no background music." -Anonymous[/color]

[color="Lime"]"A rose by any other name would be "deadly thorn-bearing assault vegetation."" -Robert Bullock[/color]

[color="Cyan"]"Ok, I'm weird! But I'm saving up to become eccentric." -Anonymous[/color]
User avatar
Slytherine
 
Posts: 123
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:37 pm
Location: Where do you THINK I live...?

Postby Fish and Chips » Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:12 pm

uc pseudonym (post: 1213286) wrote:[spoiler]Spiritual form of the Iifa tree or some such? I got that he's the entity manipulating souls between Gaia and Terra, but I have to admit I'm a little fuzzy on the details.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Basically. The Iifa Tree was an anchor for Terra to Gaia]
[quote="Slytherine (post: 1213293)"]*-*-*
NOTE: I'm REALLY sorry for not separating FFI-VI. I just lumped them together because, even though I haven't played 3-6, I had heard from most of my Final Fantasy Fanatic Friends [LOL] that they were a waste of time. Sorry!! ^_^]
Their first Final Fantasy was VII, wasn't it?
User avatar
Fish and Chips
 
Posts: 4415
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 2:33 pm
Location: Nowhere.

Postby Kkun » Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:18 pm

I love all of them for different reasons, though some more than others. I'd say at the top of my list are VIII, IV, VI, Tactics, and XII. Really, though, having played them as they've come out since VIII, I've gotten to spend a lot of time with each of them. I always wind up enjoying something about each.

VIII is probably my favorite to this day. I associate it with a positive time in my life, and to this day, I can still play through it fondly for the nostalgia alone. I dearly love the game itself, though. I enjoyed the characters greatly and I love the turn the story takes by disc 2. I don't see what the big deal is about the enemies levelling up with you, though. I never had a problem with that. The only time it gave me any trouble was in one or two boss fights. Different strokes, I guess.

I love the older ones, also, because they hearken back to a simpler time in gaming. The original Final Fantasy on NES was the first one I'd ever played, and I remember being ten or eleven years old and unable to afford a PS1 to get FF7, so I played FF1 in lieu of my lack of expendable cash. I still enjoy playing FF1 now and then.
I'm a shoe-in for hater of the year.
User avatar
Kkun
 
Posts: 3604
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2004 9:00 am
Location: The Player Hater's Ball.

Postby TalKeaton » Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:21 pm

I loves FFTA, which isn't on the list. I'm getting around to the original FFT, but not yet.
User avatar
TalKeaton
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:23 am
Location: Burlington, VT

Postby Slytherine » Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:11 pm

TalKeaton (post: 1213299) wrote:I loves FFTA, which isn't on the list. I'm getting around to the original FFT, but not yet.



I have heard that FFTA is better then FFT. I really should try FFTA, even if FFT wasn't really my thing. Unfortunately, lack of funds tends to be a big problem...*sigh* OH WELL! ^_^;

~Slytherine
[color="Magenta"]"The trouble with real life is that there's no background music." -Anonymous[/color]

[color="Lime"]"A rose by any other name would be "deadly thorn-bearing assault vegetation."" -Robert Bullock[/color]

[color="Cyan"]"Ok, I'm weird! But I'm saving up to become eccentric." -Anonymous[/color]
User avatar
Slytherine
 
Posts: 123
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:37 pm
Location: Where do you THINK I live...?

Next

Return to Video Games and VG Reviews

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 55 guests