What is going on Square Enix?

[kratoscar2008]

As good as SMT are, it never rivaled the popularity of FF. Ask many gamers about RPG games and the first thing on their mind will be FF. And how old is Nocture? It's 8 years old already. Not that new of a game. I prefer that you use Persona 3 or 4 as an example.

As much as I love the turn-based system, it has to go now. XII isn't really a turn-based, it's more of a MMO style of play. We, the JRPG fans will always love the turn base but I think the SE is targeting the casual audience to broaden up the sales.

And as for newer generations, like I always say, prefer flashy, action-packed, fast paced games. Hate it or love it, they now dominate today's gaming population. Look at Skyrim, it have those shooter games vibe with that first/third person view. I even heard that the next FF is heading towards that direction.

Go to gaming centers and see what I mean. Go find a gamers that plays JRPG and you will find few to none. It's not that JRPG's quality is going downhill, it's just a matter of taste. Fast paced or slow one? And this generation prefers the former.

Nah Nocturne press turn system is way better than persona because in Persona you arent as penalized as in Nocturne, like try to use a magic attack on all enemies and just one being immune/absorb/repel in Nocturne and you wasted a whole turn where in Persona you get an additional turn. Nocturne showed that Turn Based gameplay allow to more strategies than action based where its only flashy.

A shame this generation is so shallow about things now it kinds of turn me off from today RPGs.

 

[Styx]

Yes, I'm saying Square has always targeted the teenage group and that outgrowing this group is a factor in not liking the newer games since we didn't grow up with them and are more critical.

That's probably not the case at all. A lot of the people who hated FFXIII are raving about Ni no Kuni.

 

[black_eclipse]

Nah Nocturne press turn system is way better than persona because in Persona you arent as penalized as in Nocturne, like try to use a magic attack on all enemies and just one being immune/absorb/repel in Nocturne and you wasted a whole turn where in Persona you get an additional turn. Nocturne showed that Turn Based gameplay allow to more strategies than action based where its only flashy.

A shame this generation is so shallow about things now it kinds of turn me off from today RPGs.

Flashy? maybe. But no strategy, I disagree. Some action games required strategy. Example of it is Chaos Legion. You can't just hack your way in to the end, especially against the boss. You need to learn the timing and the movements of your enemy or you will go nowhere. The Kingdom Hearts was also action based. But the first title require strategies and wise decisions.

 

[kratoscar2008]

Flashy? maybe. But no strategy, I disagree. Some action games required strategy. Example of it is Chaos Legion. You can't just hack your way in to the end, especially against the boss. You need to learn the timing and the movements of your enemy or you will go nowhere. The Kingdom Hearts was also action based. But the first title require strategies and wise decisions.

I would be playing an Hack and Slash game better, seryously thats why i dont like action RPGs i better going to play God of War instead. In RPGs turn based gameplay it kinds of set appart from other genres.

 

[C i d]

A reminder to go back on topic soon, as you guys seem to start losing focus on the subject
Thanks!

 

[Jack Lias]

The fact that Final Fantasy XIII was so liner just wrecked it for me, although I wouldn't necessarily call the game bad. It would have done perfect as a spin-off, but part of the main series? They could have done better in that regard. Still, I like the paradigm and crystarium systems. The characters were a bit off. I felt they were either overly wimpy, or trying too hard to sound tough and be a bad-ass. There was no middle ground.

 

[Tmoo]

That's probably not the case at all. A lot of the people who hated FFXIII are raving about Ni no Kuni.

It isn't a factor for everyone, but it does play into why some might not like the newer games, not excluding their own preferences for RPGs. There's more than one cause for the divisiveness of the current gen FF games and it isn't all that simple to pinpoint. My comments really only cover a few of those at most. I haven't read much about Ni no Kuni.

 

[JasonsBasement]

I think Square is becoming "Hyper-Story-Driven". This is the best thing I can come up with to describe my thoughts. There was an overwhelming amount of complaints about the linear feel of FFXIII. So they reacted by creating FFXIII-2. I would argue that a small majority (ie. a little over 50% of players) would agree that FFXIII had a compelling story line. The amazing pre-rendered cut-scenes only add to this argument, coupled with a rigid game play style, this entire game is basically a "Press a button Movie". I've said it before, but almost all other FF games are linear, they just do a really good job of disguising it. No FF, (except for MAYBE FFXII), is Open-world, they are all linear games. With FFXIII I feel they stripped out the mindless running around the world map exploring, (mind you most areas load one screen at a time, much like a linear corridor) and just gave the player the bare-bones of the game. Below are a few screens to illustrate my point:

Ice Cavern from FFIX

Northern Cave from FFVII

Figaro Cave from FFVI

What am I saying here? I'm saying all these environment are linear - they have one entrance and one exit. Some, like Figaro Cave, have different corridors to go down and explore. Some have maze like qualities, some have tricks and short cuts, but they all load at one screen, and you exit to another screen. FFXIII streamlines this idea, to a fault. I'm not saying that every environment doesn't feel like a giant oneway hall, because they do, but I'm pointing out that a lot of other FF environments would feel the exact same way if presented in the perspective of FFXIII. I didn't put any screens from FFX because FFX and FFXIII are so similar in linear feel that I feel it would be redundant to post.

SO - The point I'm trying to make is FF games have always had great stories. It's a big reason why the series has continued for so long, people attach to the characters and the game becomes bigger than itself. Look at this site! There are ENTIRE threads debating favorite characters, stories, love stories, costumes, attitudes, etc - These are just the Characters from 60+ hour games! They have entire universes created around them now - lore, back-stories, emotions, costumes. Many of these things are superimposed on the characters by us, the players of the game. So Sqaure took this passion and completely exploited it - they gave the world a completely attached to the rails, freight-train of an RPG. They extracted the story and made you follow it, no more diverting off and leveling up for 40 hours and forgetting what you were supposed to do next. No more mining enemies to convert to Cards to max your weapons out on the first disk. No more exploring a world map to get the same responses from the NPC's over and over again. No more mini games, no more - Just pay attention to the story, and go to the end of this hall.

"Hyper-Story-Driven-Streamlined-Gameplay"