I wouldn't create mods for any other series, so what makes Final Fantasy different? And why has my love for it turned into frustration and despair? To answer this question, I will first need to explain a bit about my history with the series.
I first started playing games in the late '80s. My first console was the Atari 2600, and I knew from that point on that I had a close affinity with computer games. When I finally got a NES, I was stunned by the jump in quality compared to the Atari. I would come home every day from school and obsessively beat a given game. I vividly remember spending insane amounts of time mastering Mario 1—going through the game multiple times until defeating the game was more down to memory than it was to skill.
These games are still great today. Sure, the graphics are dated, but they're still enjoyable. You can really see and feel the effort that's been placed into them. I still rank Mario 3 as one of the greatest games of all time; it didn't need 720p, or any 'p', to be great (well, apart from the one that made Mario and Luigi fly). All it needed was solid game design and some catchy music. I am trying not to get to the crux of my argument before time, but you already know where I'm going with this. It is too obvious. Even so, it's necessary to explain WHY things are now the way they are.
Before I owned a Playstation, I mostly played platform games, like Sonic and Mario. I'd never even heard of an RPG.
So, my line to the Playstation was Atari2600 > NES > Megadrive > Playstation. Sadly, I did not own a SNES. Being from a poorer background I could not afford both SNES and Megadrive, so I had to choose. I think my friend's Master System was the reason I ended up opting for the Megadrive. As much as I liked Mario, there was something new and exciting about the Sonic series. I don't regret the decision, because I think that the Megadrive had far more going for it game wise. Due to never owning a SNES, I missed out on Final Fantasy VI. It's still a great game, and one that holds true to the classic Final Fantasy formula: Graphics that push the system, a story based journey, great game play, great music, good pacing, and exceptional replay value.
Before I owned a Playstation, I mostly played platform games, like Sonic and Mario; I'd never even heard of an RPG. That changed on December 22nd 1997, when I first saw Final Fantasy VII. The only reason I chose it was because it had a nice cover and came on three discs; I recall thinking 'Three discs equals longer game'. Luckily, that logic proved to be correct. I received the game at the same time as the console, so it was my first Playstation game, too. You can imagine my surprise having come from the Megadrive era. I loaded the game to be presented with a cinematic opening sequence that just blew me away. I had never imagined that that level of detail was possible. But, even back then, graphics did not make me believe that Final Fantasy VII would be any good. I remember being sceptical—especially about the random encounters (I escaped from so many that I had real trouble beating Materia Keeper
).
But, somewhere along the way, it dawned on me that this game was the greatest I had ever played. The story was great, the music was great, the game play was great. Hell, it even came with 2D mini-games! I had never seen anything like it. I was hooked for months. I am not a believer in guides, so I discovered 99% of the game for myself, which was satisfying. Every day was a new discovery—and THAT is what makes games last. A new item, a new weapon, a new cut scene, a new super boss, or a secret materia cave.
When Final Fantasy VIII came out, I preordered it. I had never preordered a game before and I was not to be disappointed. It was no fluke- I had finally found my gaming utopia. Final Fantasy IX was great, as was Final Fantasy X. It really did seem to me that the Final Fantasy franchise could not put a foot wrong. It never entered my mind that a main release could EVER be lacking, or something I would not like.
That changed with Final Fantasy X-2. You can't blame me really- I had been spoiled. In the time from Final Fantasy VII to Final Fantasy X, I had also played and completed VI. Final Fantasy was invincible. I preordered Final Fantasy X-2 and didn't have a shred of doubt in my naive mind that it was going to be just as good! I didn't even research it. I had deluded myself into believing the game HAD to be great, even when I saw the gun toting slut on the front cover (it sure wasn’t Yuna). I turned it on in wild anticipation, the same I had done with all the others, and...
What the f*ck!? What the f*ck was this? My jaw nearly dropped off. I didn't say or do anything, I just stared with amazement at this joke of an opening. And then I realized that the story was going to follow suit. But perhaps it wouldn't... so I played 2 hours. It went back in the box, never to be played again. I talked myself into believing it was a blip. Everyone makes a mistake, right? After all, this was a sequel...
When Final Fantasy XII was released, like a true fanboy (which I was), I went out there and preordered that too without doing a shred of research (again). The game seemed like it was going to be just as good as the other entries to the series that I had grown to love, but when I reached the end of the game, I couldn't believe how lacking the whole affair had been; from the brainless battle system right through to the one-line-wonder characters. It was Final Fantasy in name only. It was then that I started reading reviews and removed my head from my arse. What did I find? Glorious reviews, generally. I kept seeing, 'The story is deep!', 'The new battle system really does away with the old, tired model' and 'This game is an inspiration! Truly the greatest Final Fantasy!' Absolute bollocks. Anyone who thinks that about Final Fantasy XII is fooling themselves. Mixed in with these fanboy ratings I saw a few that actually had the game to a tee. They made it clear that if you were expecting Final Fantasy VI-X quality, you were going to be disappointed.
I racked my brain for days wondering how anyone could conclude XII was a masterpiece. So after Final Fantasy XII, I started thinking about possible reasons for the series seemingly going downhill. It couldn't be the new generation console, because Final Fantasy X is brilliant. I blamed the Enix merger for a long time. Then I thought it was because the team that worked on XII was not the team that had worked on previous entries. But no. Any illusions I had that that was the real reason were shattered by more obvious money making spin-offs. Final Fantasy XIII put the nail in the coffin for me. There are many reasons why Final Fantasy has taken a spiral downwards, and I will discuss some of them now:
1. Sakaguchi's disastrous Spirits Within movie, which was a massive box-office bomb. I think it would be fair to say that Square as a company needed a lot more money, and that the games which followed took a turn for the worse due to that need for money. The Enix merger, as far as I am aware, was necessary too, given the company was having financial problems. So perhaps the Enix merger has become the convenient scapegoat? I am not sure, but I personally think it did have an effect, even if you ignore Spirits Within.
2. Sakaguchi leaving. A lot of things happened in the time between Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, but I think it would be silly to dismiss this as inconsequential. Sakaguchi was the father of Final Fantasy, and must have had a large influence- especially in guiding the flock. Final Fantasy was his baby, and he wouldn't have wanted it to become a cash cow.
3. The merger. Again, as I said, perhaps this is too convenient an excuse, but there can be no doubt that the games after the merger are
lower in quality.
The current predicament may have been caused by greed to a large extent, but I think the biggest problem is the fact that people have bought into the Final Fantasy brand. I was open minded enough to jump off the train when I realized the games were never going to get better, but others have continued to buy into Final Fantasy. It has sent the company a clear message that they can do as they please.
Nothing would possess me to buy a game like Final Fantasy XIII. The only good thing I can say about it, compared to Final Fantasy VI-X, is that it has better graphics. And that's it. XIII has awakened a few from their fanboy stupor, as more have been willing to give the game a negative reaction in reviews, but it
still hasn't sunk in for some. I don't know how anyone can become
this stupid.
Final Fantasy continues to sell enough that 'Senix' are making a large profit, and if they can do that by pumping out spin-offs, graphic-fests, or remakes- they will (provided the remakes are easy to make, of course). Simply put, they are not only getting good sales from the fps generation of gamers, they are getting support from fans of the series who should have cast them aside after Final Fantasy XII, like I did. You cannot blame Senix for continuing to laugh in people’s faces when they are doing as they please, with no repercussions. They know that Final Fantasy XIII was negatively received compared to the other games, they have even made statements that the western gamers 'don't get it'. But we do get it. The thing is... they don’t care. And they won't care until people kick them in the pocket.
I know all too well that the Final Fantasy games after X are lower in quality. I know this to be true when I see mini-games disappearing, towns disappearing, exploration disappearing, a literal gauntlet play through, quantity of things to do disappearing, dialogue becoming verbose and ridiculous, character development becoming amateurish, and stories becoming convoluted and nonsensical. I can see these things. I can demonstrate these things. They are not my imagination. One of the most laughable things I have seen people doing is making excuses, such as: 'Oh well, I didn’t really like towns' , 'I didn't really care for NPC' and 'I didn't even play mini-games'. Am I the only person who realizes how useless that argument is, and how stupid it sounds? Senix are turning an RPG series into a dumbed down shooter-type series. The player is becoming an inconvenience to their graphic orgasms. They are selling out the same fanbase that got them where they are in the first place.
And it isn't just Final Fantasy that has this problem- Resident Evil, Command and Conquer, and Metal Gear Solid, have all gone worse in recent years. They are all about dazzling the audience with graphics, and to hell with quality game-play or decent pacing. Who cares, right? It sells. I despair at the number of people who have been sucked into this and buy these games on the back of nostalgia. They are deluding themselves like a religious fanatic would his religion. Nothing changes when one votes for the same political party, and nothing changes when one continues to buy a game on the back of graphics, hype, fanboyism, or nostalgia.
I know there are a number of people who genuinely like Final Fantasy XII, XIII, MGS4, Resident Evil 4/5. They can like them all they want, but those games are a shadow of what came before. They are lacking in the very things that MADE them what they are. When one tears out engaging puzzles, suspense, and a haunting soundtrack from Resident Evil- it isn't Resident Evil. When one makes a game a heap of nostalgia with 100 lengthy cut scenes, rips out all the fun sneaking aspects, and makes it a near first person shooter- it is no longer Metal Gear Solid. When one sacrifices tactics and brainpower, for graphics and explosions- it is no longer Command and Conquer. And when one f*cking well rips out what makes a jRPG a jRPG, it is no longer what I fell in love with.
People can like these 'new' games all they want, but don't tell me I should accept it, or see it as normal, or god-forbid- an 'innovation'. It isn't. It is just a simple, easy way for them to make money, and your enjoyment comes second. Now, the usual response to this is to point out that all companies care about money, and whilst that is true, there used to be a decent balance. There used to be a striving for creativity and quality. That balance has firmly shifted to the money side, and it is as plain as a pair of tits.
I have also realized that the next generation consoles have had a huge effect on the quality of games being released today. Once upon a time, graphics could be a talking point, but not usually a game seller. The media the games came on, and the power of the system itself, restricted what could and could not be done. Final Fantasy came on three CDs because of the FMVs. Those FMVs had to be carefully chosen for specific places, and the game had to have more going on than just video sequences. The graphics could not carry the game, they could only enhance it. Likewise, a DVD did not allow the game designers to do as they pleased with Final Fantasy X.
But then 50GB Blu-Ray discs and powerful processors arrived. Now you have a company that can do as it pleases- Amazing sequences can be so frequent that they end up thinking less about design. The term here is 'art from adversity', and this is a key factor in what is lacking in today's games. A company has to have responsibility when it is given that much freedom. It isn't as easy as you might think. It takes a balanced individual to realize that, sometimes, more is less. Hideo Kojima certainly doesn't realize that. He thinks that when you have a 50GB Blu-ray disc, it's really just a challenge to see how much of it you can fill up, even if the end user has to then spend half of their time installing compressed data from the disc.
Finally, we come to the 'professional reviewers'. When I saw that Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XII had gained so much praise, I naturally wanted to know why the professional reviewers missed massive, glaring issues with the games. Frequently, I see a tactic of completely ignoring the story in a story-based game, or filling up the review with verbose waffle. The only conclusion I can make is that either these companies are infested with fanboys themselves, or are scared of a negative backlash, or are in the pocket of big business. Possibly all 3.
What reviewer can gloss over the story like it doesn't matter to an RPG? What reviewer can give a game 40/40 or 10/10 when there is so much wrong with it? Very few games are '10/10', but most of these 'experts' don't have the balls to mention any of the issues, and the fanbase parrot along nodding. It seems that graphics, and the brand name, will get you far even with the professionals. Just slap in dazzling graphics, call it Final Fantasy, and watch it sell like hot cakes. Don't bother giving me a full, impartial break-down of how you arrived at those insane scores, instead, crap out verbose waffle about graphics, innovation, style and presentation.
Those are the main reasons I see for the demise of Final Fantasy and other game series. The phrase now is 'Quick buck. Don't give a f*ck.' Final Fantasy has become a victim of its own success.
DLPB
