We do expect a fair bit from these games. Especially the fact that they have to cater to fans on opposite ends of the interest range.

I think I like FFX-2 a lot more than some fans did, simply because I didn't expect too much from it, and got something that was pretty decent.

I guess it just depends on what everybody asks.

I think it's fair to ask that the plots be more interesting that FFXII, because they've delivered better stories pretty consistently. This is one thing that a majority of fans will insist upon.

We could've learned a lot more about the characters than we did. Balthier's potential was interesting enough - but the fact that we don't really learn much more than a few teasing allusions to the past is a disappointment.

I don't think it's fair to ask things about the battle system, because of the splintered wishes. Some are die-hard traditionalists who want to return to turn-based, others are more experimental, others think hack'n'slash should be tried...

In general, I think it might be a good thing to expect a lot. If we begin to expect less, there's a chance of us being able to loosen up and enjoy these games more - but there's also a chance of game companies working at lower potential.

I agree with all the above. Square has given us some very good games in the past years, and in turn has produced a legion of very spoiled fans with entitlement issues (granted, this happens with nearly every long-running popular thing, be it a band, game, movie, etc.).

As every game is quite different (including direct sequels or spinoffs, the mechanics are most often very different), I tend to look at each one as a new game from a standalone series. I also pay close attention to the previews and press so I know what to expect and where to place my expectations. For example, I knew Dirge was getting mediocre to bad reviews, so I decided whether or not to buy it (which I did). Action-wise, it was decent, but I liked the story quite a bit. Same with X-2. I knew it wasn't going to be on par with X, but I liked it for what it was.

So, I don't mind Square tinkering with their "sacred" Final Fantasy series. Making a shooter (DoC) I thought was a great idea. They're just not up to par with the rest of the developers in that field. Same with hack 'n slash (FFvXIII), although I think they're quite good in that area, considering the KH games. I just look at it as S-E broadening their horizons, and in the end, it isn't up to us what S-E does with its franchise. We can only respond by choosing to buy it or not. Case in point, I have no interest in MMORPGs. Hence, no FFXI for me.

Yes, I think some people do expect too much. However… Me, personally, I at least expect the same level of quality as seen before. That’s not to say that I thought FFXII was an awful game, far from it. It had an excellent storyline (IMO), excellent graphics, and a completely different battle system which I did enjoy and so on...

My only gripe would be the level of character interaction and the absolute end of the game (just before the credits). I don’t know, I just expected a lot more from the ending that we’ve all come to expect. To me, it was fairly dull and dry, in my opinion.

As for the character interaction, it just felt more...... professional and cold than what I'm used to in past titles.

To answer your question though, I think FFXII stands pretty well on its own despite my gripes with it. If anything, I think the problem lies with the onslaught of sequels and spin-offs ruining the quality of the originals.

I think what happens is that some people are reluctant to change. For example, some people don't like XII just because there aren't random battles. I think this is close minded. Just because something is different, it doesn't mean it's bad. As for the story, I can't comment on that because I haven't played it. I will say, though, that we have the right to expect a great story. In my case, if the story isn't gripping, I won't have enough motivation to play through the game no matter how fun the gameplay is. Character potential shouldn't be wasted as well. What I mean is, a game should be judged on its own merits.

I don't think people "expect" anything in a way. It's just the same ignorant people wanting the same type of story as VII, the sphere grid from X, and various other components from previous installments.
But no, it's different every time, and there's always a collect group of dogmatic retards who want to complain about every aspect of the game just because it hasn't got any fucking materia.


So no, we don't expect too much. We just "expect" it to be identical to the last few games.