Game News Final Fantasy IV Released on Steam; XIII Announced for PC, Available for Pre-order

[Soilent Green]

But yeah, couldn't they just release X or XII, which are somewhat decent? X remake runs on the same gaming system as XIII, how hard would it be to port this instead.

This. I'm hoping that this is what they'll eventually do.

How the fuck I still have hope after two+ freaking decades of disappointment, I don't know, but...

 

[Jaesun]

If they released a FF X where I could finally fucking win that fucking Chocobo race and get Tidus' Ultimate Weapon™ I'd probably get it...

 

[Morality Games]

Calling XIII terrible is not only an insult to the word but to kind on the game as well.

For me, if X and X-2 were the coffin and the lid for the Final fantasy series then XIII is the nails.

Final Fantasy X was still good FF when it came to the essentials, turn-based combat, grid, a world full of secrets, and fun mini games. A little odd in art direction, but they were trying to re-define the visual look of the series in order to prevent it from getting stale -- they did the same thing during the transition from SNES to PlayStation (less Steampunk more Cyberpunk).

Of Tidus's character and the Yuna romance I offer no defense.

I never understood the adoration for FFVI, that was utter shit, at least FFV had a decent class system (for a jrpg) and IV was a bit charming, but good god, VI was just annoying

What, really? Think about it.

It had the biggest, most elaborate, and most interactive open world with the most treasures, side quests, and powers, a cast full of charming characters that felt like (1) they were part of the world they were trying to save (2) were actually friends with each other, the most and the most colorful set, scenario, and character designs on the SNES generation, with some scenarios allowing you to control several parties at once in order to advance. As if that wasn't enough, they allowed the villain to succeed in his master plan of destroying the world and becoming a god; the only time in the Final Fantasy series where a villain makes that kind of blow against the good guys. As a consequence of that choice, the biggest and elaborate open world in the series was cracked to pieces like an egg and stuffed to the brim with even more treasures, side quests, and powers (when it already had -- and still has -- the most).

In short, ambitious and successfully implemented narrative and game play design decisions.

 

[GarfunkeL]

I never understood the adoration for FFVI, that was utter shit, at least FFV had a decent class system (for a jrpg) and IV was a bit charming, but good god, VI was just annoying

3edgy5me

Morality Games you forgot the customization options with weapon types and especially espers or the possibility of doing no/low-magic playthroughs.

 

[CyberP]

Much love for VI, you back off haters. Gameplay, story, music, exceptional stuff (for a SNES JRPG). It's IV that's genuinely shit for the mindless gameplay. V is the strangely awesome little gem between the two.

 

[Jasede]

Can you all stop being faggots, clearly 4, 5, 6 are all amazing in different ways.

This is ridiculous; like arguing which browser is better. They all do their job, differently. Some with massive memory leaks and low performance, of course, like Firefox. But that's some people's fetish.

 

[CyberP]

No. 4 is the odd one out of the as far as I am concerned. 1 has an excuse for being shit. By 3 the series was steadily evolving. 4 was one step forward, two steps back.

 

[CyberP]

You don't substitute gameplay with plot, this I never forgive. Thankfully the same can not be said for V & VI because they both had good gameplay and a good narrative.

Can you imagine if Dark Souls 3 turned out to feature linear, simple gameplay in favor of story faggotry? I welcome a more in-depth story in a hypothetical DS3, but not if they took out everything that makes DS interesting gameplay-wise.

 

[Grauken]

I never understood the adoration for FFVI, that was utter shit, at least FFV had a decent class system (for a jrpg) and IV was a bit charming, but good god, VI was just annoying

3edgy5me

Nothing edgy about it. It didn't felt like I had control of a group of characters, more like a was playing someone else's retarded high fantasy story and couldn't change anything about where it was going. Sure, nearly all jRPGs are railroaded like this, but in FF6 it felt much more annoying because not just the story but also my own group composition was railroaded to the extreme. The game starts strong with an atmospheric sorta steampunky intro, but once it gets going never does anything interesting with those elements beyond superficial nods in the backstory, the plot itself loses steam until it reaches the middle half and completely peters out. Felt like they had run out of ideas. Second half of the game, despite its occasional nod to non-linearity is utterly tedious and boring. Also the moment you enter the world of the espers felt like they had no more money or time to implement something proper, and what they did instead was the most half-arsed excuse for what they could have done.

 

[GarfunkeL]

4edgy6me

Dudebro, just quit already. You're posting utterly banal troll-bait. Please explain how V or IV allowed you to change anything about where the retarded high fantasy story was going? Oh dear, I'm falling for it, engage proper mature & civil response

 

[Grauken]

they didn't, ff6 just made it more obvious

can you genuinely not believe that someone didn't like ff6 and must be a troll?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Sure, nearly all jRPGs are railroaded like this, but in FF6 it felt much more annoying because not just the story but also my own group composition was railroaded to the extreme.

FF6 is probably the one that gives you the most freedom to create a group you like. The espers and relics allow customization similar to jobs (stat growth, spells, etc)

 

[GarfunkeL]

they didn't, ff6 just made it more obvious

can you genuinely not believe that someone didn't like ff6 and must be a troll?

No, you can hate on FF6 as much as you want but don't try to base it on any sort of objective evaluation of the game. And if you seriously think that the illusion of freedom was less in VI than anything before (or after!) it, you must have been brain damaged when you played IV and suddenly cured before playing VI.

Only thing that VI took a step back when compared to IV is that it slightly limited the weapons/armor characters could equip.

 

[Grauken]

well, I argue the brain damage came after playing FF6

 

[CyberP]

well, I argue the brain damage came after playing FF6

Did you play the whole game? It starts off railroaded but just keeps branching. More depth as you progress. The same cannot be said for 4 at all.

 

[CyberP]

Did you play the whole game? It starts off railroaded but just keeps branching. More depth as you progress. The same cannot be said for 4 at all.

 

[Grauken]

yes, 2 times (second time a few years later to see if my first playthrough was just off, but no, didn't like it either)

 

[CyberP]

And I mean branching in both gameplay and plot.

 

[CyberP]

yes, 2 times (second time a few years later to see if my first playthrough was just off, but no, didn't like it either)

"And if you seriously think that the illusion of freedom was less in VI than anything before (or after!) it, you must have been brain damaged when you played IV and suddenly cured before playing VI."

 

[Grauken]

ok I try to explain that, as I agree, badly worded on my part

FF4/5 like typical jRPGs had next to none freedom, you just followed the story along and if the story worked for you, you didn't think about freedom of choice in those games

FF6 tried to implement some more degrees of freedom, but still couldn't abstain from the occasional railroading, which in contrast made the limits of true choice much more obvious to me

maybe that clears it up

 

[CyberP]

FF4/5 like typical jRPGs had next to none freedom, you just followed the story along and if the story worked for you, you didn't think about freedom of choice in those games

No, 5 was not particularly railroaded gameplay-wise also, not in comparison to IV anyway. It was in plot (mostly), but the gameplay gave you plenty enough freedom.

 

[Grauken]

I meant plot, FF5 is my favorite by long shot because of the job system

 

[Pots Talos]

One of the things I hated most about FFIV was how the story made you think characters died during the journey but at the end were all better. FFVs only saving grace was the job system, everything was pretty shit and while FFVI had a few minor problems it is still the best of the series.
I think this explains it best - http://thegamedesignforum.com/features/reverse_design_ff6_1.html

 

[CyberP]

FFVs only saving grace was the job system, everything was pretty shittl

Music!
World/level design was pretty cool. Loved the Ronka Ruins for example.
I liked the characters also despite acknowledging that they don't have a great deal of depth.

 

[GarfunkeL]

ok I try to explain that, as I agree, badly worded on my part

FF4/5 like typical jRPGs had next to none freedom, you just followed the story along and if the story worked for you, you didn't think about freedom of choice in those games

FF6 tried to implement some more degrees of freedom, but still couldn't abstain from the occasional railroading, which in contrast made the limits of true choice much more obvious to me

maybe that clears it up

Ah, I think I see. It's like my disappoitment with Shadowrun Returns - not because it's a shit game but because it reminds me so much of SNES Shadowrun and JA2 and then I get pissed that it isn't more like JA2. Irrational but there you go.