Why the Final Fantasy VII Obsession Needs to End...Now.

To be honest I've been seeing just as much or rather more Final Fantasy 6 love recently than Final Fantasy 7. A lot of top 10 Final Fantasy reviews on Youtube usually put FF6 first or their number one spot, saying that it's what they believe is to the best and much better than FF7.

I agree with the statement that Final Fantasy XIII actually has quite a huge fanbase. Just go onto Tumblr and you'll be surpised and happy how much fan support and love it has there and how much they're looking forward to the new Lightning Saga release.

Imo Final Fantasy XIII is not struggling in the fanbase department. FF VIII, FF IX, FF V however are and good luck finding a huge FF II fanboy/ fangirl.

However fans shouldn't be forced or told what they can and cannot like and if they don't want to look forward to the new Lightning saga then they have that right. Fans also have a right to cheer or not the like the idea of a remake for FFVII. If a Final Fantasy fan want's a remake to FF VII he/she has that right to desire for one.

Plus FF XIII despite it's hate is getting really spoiled. Just as much as FF VII did. It's getting sequels and now a upcoming saga. Where's my Final Fantasy IX-2 ?
But I highly disagree with your statement that FF fans dislike the newer games because they're not like FF VII. It's because they're hughy flawed.
 
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Thank you for that post, Luke. It seriously needed to be said. The complete obsession by some fans and the constant comparison of other FF games to VII diminishes the other FF games, which are for the most part, equally good if not better than VII. And it diminshes FFVII itself. Not to mention it makes the normal FFVII fans look bad.
 

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I know it probably seems weird that I just 'liked' your post, _Rabbit, but really what you just said isn't contradictory with what I was trying to say at all. :)

What I meant to say was not that there's a group of people who dislikes the newer FF games because they aren't like FFVII, but that the perceived flaws in the newer games have caused a certain group of people to latch onto one particular older title that was for them a great gaming experience. And there's nothing wrong with that unless it gets to the point that every new game that comes along is perceived as flawed simply because it's new and not like "the good ol' days of Final Fantasy." Whether retrospectively focused on FFVII or not, that does seem to be the general complaint about new titles: changes to long-running series standards. I see those as changes and features unique to individual titles rather than flaws, and I simply seek to encourage others to take a similar viewpoint so that they may enjoy the newer titles as I have. Will the new games work for everyone? Sadly, no, just like not all of the older games worked for everyone. I just don't like seeing reactionary hatred towards a game.
 
I disagree with the one qho maade this post. He is making too many assumptions and overall not really focused on ff7. Ff1-10 were great and satisfactory. It was until they merged with enix they no longer had a particular standard. Ff7 still ended with a cliff hanger and the same as those want ff13-3 for the sake of an ending there are those who want ff7 sequel and remake for similar reasons.

Plus the defense is sad. So we should lower our standards simply because ff7 was great. Granted it had its flaws but all games do. Unless you can prove the newer ff games are just as good as ff7 and even better. And im referring to games after ff10.

Overall the main point the person is saying thats its overrated and the love of ff7 is saying we dont want ff to evolve. But its not evolving. Every ff game except 13 had no restrictions. Yes we want ff to evolve and be better than ff7 or just as entertaining.
 
Ah I think I see where you're coming now Luke !

Final Fantasy fans do need realize that not every Final Fantasy is going to be the exact same. And no; you're no longer going to see another Final Fantasy VII again. Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy XVI are going to be totally different complete games. So if you're hoping that Final Fantasy XV is going to be another Final Fantasy VII stop right there, because it's not going to happen.

Final Fantasy I is based on freedom and adventre more so than story or character development.

Final Fantasy II is basically doing missions for a underground rebel group led by a stunning Princess

Final Fantasy III is about a group of young orphans choosen to be the ones to defeat evil.

Final Fantasy VI is about a young man choosing between his orders for his Kingdom and what's right


etc, etc, etc. No Final Fantasy is the same. So why should Final Fantasy XII- XV be like Final Fantasy VII ? Why should Final Fantasy VIII & IX be like Final Fantasy VII ?
Imo Final Fantasy IX & Final Fantasy VIII are ten times more amazing than Final Fantasy VII.

Though Enix needs to stop being so damn lazy and making up reasons on why not to add a World Map and not troll us like they did with Final Fantasy XIII-2. Enix needs to stop making lazy mistakes and stop milking the cow. :/

If Final Fantasy XIII-3 has a " Wait till Final Fantasy XIII-4 " ! ending I'm going to head down to Japan and slap the game in their face. :raye:



 
Yes, I think you've got it now :)
 
I think the title of the thread may have rubbed others the wrong way, especially fans of FF7. I love FF7 for what it was, flaws and everything, but that's because it brings sentimental values, something personal to me that no one can touch. It's not obsessive on my part, at least I've never thought of it that way, but FF7 was the reason why I'm into Final Fantasy now.

But I do understand what Luke is trying to say here. Granted, not all Final Fantasy are the same, and why should they be? I welcome any changes that Final Fantasy have gone through these past years, although I can't deny that I have been disappointed as well. I played FFXIII and just simply wasn't enthralled, especially with the direction of the gaming industry and its DLCs. I think that added more fuel and quite possibly one of the reasons why I just can't take FFXIII and FFXIII-2 as seriously. Not to say that I hate FFXIII. I don't. I thought it was decent, but it simply didn't meet my expectations.

Now, back to FF7 - I haven't actually came across someone that said, "Make another FF game exactly or similar to FF7 and its features." I'm not 'stuck in the past', but I also don't think there's anything wrong with wistful thinking and nostalgia. Would I prefer a game similar to FF7's gameplay, plot, and features? No, I would prefer something new; I always have. I started with FF7 and as I worked my way up to FFX (eventually I started working my way down the series too), each time I remember thinking, "I wonder what new features they have in this game!" And it was exciting. Part of the challenge with Final Fantasy is trying to figure out how things worked, and by the time you fully grasp the functions, you think, "Ohh I get it now" and happily restart the game. Now, do I ever look back and smile to myself as I reminisce those long days and nights that I played FF7, FF8, FF9, and FF10? Absolutely.

But one thing I know about myself when it comes to Final Fantasy - I welcome any changes it brings, but that doesn't mean I have to force myself to be fascinated with it. If it's not there, then it's not there. I leave the game for what it was and move on.
 
This isn't ff7 fanboys and fangirls' fault. This is just someone assuming no one can move on to something new because of final fantasy VII. it has nothing to do with final fantasy VII. The things Final Fantasy VII had are in alot of the final fantasy games. It onkly innovated by the excess of minigames and free roam and from there, Final Fantasy has used VII as a milestone.

However many people believe a final Fantasy VII remake and they always will thanks to the huge cliff hanger on crisis core (yes i know its not really a cliff hanger if we know where it leads to). So don't get mad at the whole fanbase because certain (alot of) fans want a f7 remake. It's not like we're demanding it at this very moment.

All in all, the series has turned for the worse, ff7 fan or not. It doesn't take an ff7 fan to not like the new things. I dont welcome change, because the series never fully changed. It only kept expanding. and thats many the reasons why i hate XIII a hundred times more over XII or V. because at least those games met the standard of final fantasy.

and i dont want Final fantasy innovating completely to a game where fans say "we don't need minigames to enjoy or freedom"
 
I dont spect new FF games to be as the others but i spect them to be enjoyable. FFXIII runs by the false assumption that jrpgs are ONLY known for its plot when in reality is a great blend of gameplay and story wich makes the journey enjoyable.

Assuming that the hate toward the new FF games is because of 7 is totally wrong, FF9 in my case is not very good because it lacks a new gameplay system like FFVII materia and FFVIII junction system not because is a new FF game wich is not like 7.

XIII hates is entirely XIII fault, nothing more.
 
I think VII has had more than enough attention, and still, people want more from it. It already has three spinoffs to the original series, plus a movie and 2 OVAs to it. I understand it if people liked it, but what the other series like VI (i know a lot of people like that game even better than VII). VIII was very good. IV was also good (yeah it had one sequel to it).

The game is already on PSN for those who have PS3 so they can play it. Why a remake is what I'm askin? The game good as it is, if SE starts thowin in their current up to date visual, how is the battle system gonna contemplate for the real-time action sequence? (Are the characters and enemies just gonna stand their and take turns attacking while we go through each character to control their actions?) The game is good just the way it is IMO.

But to comment on the person who created this thread, i think VII's obsession does need to end. There are two types of people in this world. One that love the game to the point of obsession, and the other who like the game but are annoyed and pissed off that there are so many fanboys/fangirls that keep hyping the damn game.

LOL i feel like i'll bashed if i even start mentioning XIII, let alone defending it. -_- but hey, it's all opinion. no need to get all butt hurt.
 
foevanimeboi said:
I think VII has had more than enough attention, and still, people want more from it. It already has three spinoffs to the original series, plus a movie and 2 OVAs to it. I understand it if people liked it, but what the other series like VI (i know a lot of people like that game even better than VII). VIII was very good. IV was also good (yeah it had one sequel to it).

The game is already on PSN for those who have PS3 so they can play it. Why a remake is what I'm askin? The game good as it is, if SE starts thowin in their current up to date visual, how is the battle system gonna contemplate for the real-time action sequence? (Are the characters and enemies just gonna stand their and take turns attacking while we go through each character to control their actions?) The game is good just the way it is IMO.

But to comment on the person who created this thread, i think VII's obsession does need to end. There are two types of people in this world. One that love the game to the point of obsession, and the other who like the game but are annoyed and pissed off that there are so many fanboys/fangirls that keep hyping the damn game.

LOL i feel like i'll bashed if i even start mentioning XIII, let alone defending it. -_- but hey, it's all opinion. no need to get all butt hurt.
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Dont start with the "theres only 2" im in the gray. And i say the first game needs a complete remake to be consistent to the spin offs.

You question it but you have the answer right there.

For the record. Its not an obsession. Its just ppl who enjoy ff7 even up to now.
 
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I would like to know the OP's definition of "obsession" in this context, because a lot of what I've read really seems like a generalisation. I like FFVII, although FFVIII is my favourite of the series. I'm not obsessed with FFVII and when I see something new (e.g. another spin-off, or the recent fan film trailer) I sometimes think to myself, "FFVIII has the better storyline, so where's the love for other games in the series"? FFVII has certainly received quite a lot of attention and has overshadowed other games, but wouldn't the same argument be valid for XIII? Why do fans of this game get the brownie points that allow an obsession, whereas FFVII fans don't? That's what I want to know. Financially, Square Enix is doing well, but they're milking the FFVII and FFXIII cash cows to do so. Take the recent 2012 PC release of FFVII for example.

You talk about the future of Final Fantasy. We already know that FFXIII-3 is on the horizon, so of course FFXIII is a very relevant part of this discussion. The fact remains that in the creativity department Square Enix is grasping at straws. Great, another MMO. And hey, look, an Android remake of Final Fantasy. They're well and good, but what's new? Oh, a new FFXIII game, like I said! Three cheers for Square Enix! :wink1: Don't forget that flashy new next-gen engine. The kids love those guns and flashy effects. Oooohhh. Aaahhhh.

tumblr_m7772p6K0Z1qdq433.jpg


This illustrates my problem with SE, but it also applies to a lot of modern gaming in general. They're catering to the mainstream, but what else are they doing? I'll put my hands up and admit: I wish Square Enix were like Squaresoft used to be. But that has nothing to do with FFVII. Nearly everything they release lately is either a spin-off or lacking substance. I won't deny that FFVII fanatics exist out there, but why should they have that right taken away from them? They love the legacy FFVII still has. Perhaps a little too much, but it was an excellent game. I couldn't be dragged away from the console during my childhood playing the older FF games. The FFXIII trailer just bored me. It wasn't because it's different. Take Chrono Trigger for example. It's very different in some regards; e.g. no random battles. Yet, it felt like a Final Fantasy to me in some ways. On the other hand, when I finally got FFXIII from the bargain bin, I sold it soon after. It was just a boring game.

The title that's slapped on the box shouldn't be what defines a game, but it's a real slap in the face that FFXIII is a part of the Final Fantasy franchise and Lost Odyssey which has nearly everything a FF game should is not.
 
This is sort of in response to Mantis ' childhood memories.

:hmmm: Whilst I certainly agree the Golden Age of FF was VI to X, a part of me wonders whether it's possible for games to hold the same charm they did back when we were young! The games I remember being most excited about are the games I played between the ages of 8 and 12: Spyro the Dragon, Pokemon Crystal, The Emperor's New Groove and Zelda: Wind Waker. :lew: Back then, absolutely everything awed me! The colours, the worlds, exploring, fun stories, random NPCs, minigames, engaging in a world! It was the experience of gaming! This new thing that felt so incredible! People had been gaming for years, but to me, gaming felt like an entirely new, fantastic invention.

I was introduced to Final Fantasy at the age of 15. Over the past 7 years, I have fallen in love with the characters, stories and gameplay, but I have never experienced the same excitement - nor the somewhat addictive behaviour - that I did when I was younger. Final Fantasy is without a doubt my favourite series - VIII, IX, X and XIII-2 are at the top of my alltime favourites list - but my appreciation of the games began when I was more mature. X means a lot to me because it set me on a personal journey. I have memories of these beautiful, complex stories, with incredible characters and interesting game mechanics (which I thoroughly disliked until the age of 19!) I don't have memories of rushing home to play a FF. I sometimes wish I did. ;)

Taking into account what I said above, I'm not sure it's a simple matter of VII = good and XIII = bad. I think it's more VII makes the fans feel nostalgic, but they're not young enough to be impressed by XIII. Children are far more easily awed than teenagers adults. ;) Were I to play Spyro, Pokemon or Zelda for the first time now, I'm not sure I would find the experience as awe-inspiring. Even if they were my first video games, I would be too mature to care about the little quirks in Spyro and Zelda, their minigames, their expansive world.

At the age of 11, I could spend an entire day gaming. Now, I find it difficult to play for more than an hour, and it's not because the games are more boring. I just have a whole load of other things on my mind! Books, things I want to write, food, exercise, work.

I personally feel VII and XIII are equally good. They're very different, though. I know I'm a bad FF fan for saying this, but I found the story in XIII more interesting. The gameplay in VII is certainly superior! but I prefer the overall concept in XIII. :hmmm: That's a matter of preference, though. I wouldn't say one is better than the other.
 
@Vin Venture
Well..Nostalgia while certainly being an important factor in the appreciation on the game it is used as a pure excuse to justify 7's success. I dont want to sound arrogant or anything but it seems like what you have said is a shield to try to defend XIII's failure. The thing is even today new people are discovering Final Fantasy 7 and they are not young and they are loving it quite possibly as much as nostalgic fans do.

Its quite easy to see when something is considered objectively good. When even after 15 years, Final Fantasy 7 has a ever growing fan base(not fanatic fanbase) and XIII had universal hate from the fans. Easy to see that are the sales difference between XIII and XIII-2 and take into account that even though some people dont like XIII-2 they still bought it for collection or SE "disease"(The games they would make in the future might be average or even mediocre but the powerful memories deep within me of their previous success will prevent me from ever boycotting their products) purposes.

Final Fantasy 7 is not just good it is outstanding as a game,its considered one of the most memorable games of all time and there are reasons for that besides nostalgia(not comparing to other Final Fantasies as there are arguably superior or equally good ones) and XIII is average to good at best as a game and mediocre as a Final Fantasy(considering the overall opinions of even the people who liked it).
 
Vin Venture said:
This is sort of in response to @Mantis ' childhood memories.

:hmmm: Whilst I certainly agree the Golden Age of FF was VI to X, a part of me wonders whether it's possible for games to hold the same charm they did back when we were young! The games I remember being most excited about are the games I played between the ages of 8 and 12: Spyro the Dragon, Pokemon Crystal, The Emperor's New Groove and Zelda: Wind Waker. :lew: Back then, absolutely everything awed me! The colours, the worlds, exploring, fun stories, random NPCs, minigames, engaging in a world! It was the experience of gaming! This new thing that felt so incredible! People had been gaming for years, but to me, gaming felt like an entirely new, fantastic invention.

I was introduced to Final Fantasy at the age of 15. Over the past 7 years, I have fallen in love with the characters, stories and gameplay, but I have never experienced the same excitement - nor the somewhat addictive behaviour - that I did when I was younger. Final Fantasy is without a doubt my favourite series - VIII, IX, X and XIII-2 are at the top of my alltime favourites list - but my appreciation of the games began when I was more mature. X means a lot to me because it set me on a personal journey. I have memories of these beautiful, complex stories, with incredible characters and interesting game mechanics (which I thoroughly disliked until the age of 19!) I don't have memories of rushing home to play a FF. I sometimes wish I did. ;)

Taking into account what I said above, I'm not sure it's a simple matter of VII = good and XIII = bad. I think it's more VII makes the fans feel nostalgic, but they're not young enough to be impressed by XIII. Children are far more easily awed than teenagers adults. ;) Were I to play Spyro, Pokemon or Zelda for the first time now, I'm not sure I would find the experience as awe-inspiring. Even if they were my first video games, I would be too mature to care about the little quirks in Spyro and Zelda, their minigames, their expansive world.

At the age of 11, I could spend an entire day gaming. Now, I find it difficult to play for more than an hour, and it's not because the games are more boring. I just have a whole load of other things on my mind! Books, things I want to write, food, exercise, work.

I personally feel VII and XIII are equally good. They're very different, though. I know I'm a bad FF fan for saying this, but I found the story in XIII more interesting. The gameplay in VII is certainly superior! but I prefer the overall concept in XIII. :hmmm: That's a matter of preference, though. I wouldn't say one is better than the other.
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The story of FFXIII is based on style, not substance. And thats why many of those who work on their tastes, later find how much substance it lacks.

FFVII is different. for one, the world is consistent and has a lot of substance. Thats why Compilation of FFVII was made. because it had alot of potential.

That and FFVII is much easier to appreciate back in the day. Its harder to enjoy a game you haven't played it at it's prime when there are better graphics, voice acting and CGI.
 
Razberry Knight said:
Its harder to enjoy a game you haven't played it at it's prime when there are better graphics, voice acting and CGI.
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That's certainly the case for some! which is saddening. :sad3: Luckily, I find this doesn't really affect my personal enjoyment. My favourite FFs are VIII, IX, X and XIII-2, very closely followed by IV and VI. Personally, I would argue that the older graphics add charm to earlier titles which current games often lack. I like XIII-2 for its story and characters. Aesthetically, however, there's no competition between (for example) VIII and XIII-2! VIII has a better world, a more imaginative design and more varied monsters/characters! This is very much a personal opinion, but I actually think older graphics are better. :lew: They allow for a little more imagination. I quite enjoyed the graphics in VII. ^_^ The lack of voice acting also permits the gamer to interpret the voice of each character. My interpretation of Steiner, for example, gives him a gruff yet still dignified accent; others have interpreted his accent as more ridiculous, if not a bit stuffy.

I think, in a way, older games are more akin to a book with visuals! You can interpret the story a little yourself and shape it ever so slightly. You build a small part of each character's personality yourself. The personality I see in Rinoa and Garnet is certainly more personal to me than the personality I see in Lightning (who, I feel, lacks one). I absolutely adore that! Newer games are a bit more like movies, which don't appeal to me as much as books. They're VERY visual and pretty much tell you who the characters are. It's therefore easier to dislike characters; they are annoying instead of having the potential to be annoying. Selphie in FFVIII is the peppy girl, but she doesn't have a voice like Vanille!! Imagine how irritating she would be if she did. As VIII stands, Selphie's great. =)

I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting current FF games to return to their roots, particularly when it comes to the battle system and exploration, which I feel has gone downhill. Perhaps if Square had presented us with a different battle system yet a better battle system, people would feel differently. If people truly dislike the story in XIII that's fair enough! I will admit, hands down, that the villain in XIII (whoever he is) holds absolutely nothing against Kefka, Ultimecia or Kuja. He's not intimidating. He's not interesting. He's not memorable... However, on the whole, I don't think XIII lacks the substance VII has. :hmmm:

What was interesting to me about XIII was the mythology, the relationships between the characters, the l'Cie and the story of characters on the run, trying to escape their fate and trying to discover an end to madness. I was interested by the society. They were essentially dominated by fear and any hope was washed out by Purges, which sought to control the masses. These Purges instilled fear as they served to remind the people of the threat (l'Cie), whilst simultaneously warning them about the consequences of rebellion. The fact all men were in danger, yet lacked empathy when their neighbours were transformed, was also very reflective. People who fear being affected will deny others help. They don't think 'I should help because if I were in their position I would long for it.' They think 'I really can't face going through that... I'm going to avoid them to protect myself.'


Anyway, I hold respect for people on both sides of the argument, and I can understand where people are coming from. I love the stories in XIII/XIII-2 and wouldn't trade them for another game. However, my love for XIII does not mean I want the series to change as a whole. I'm open to a new ideas, but I would still love to see more games in the old FF style. I'd love to see an updated version of the old battle system, world maps, open worlds and a medieval setting (like in IV, V, VI and IX)! If the direction of FF really does shift completely after XIII, I'll be upset too. I'll probably turn to the Tales series and older Dragon Quest games!
 
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I think that memories do help the love for Final Fantasy VII. But Final Fantasy VII today still holds up; it's not all just memories. Take Full House the show with Mary Kate and the other twin; I LOVED it when I was really little. But today looking back it's all a bunch of cheesy crap and embarrassing jokes.

You can go back to something that you loved in the past like I recently did with the Full House show and you can find out whether it stands the test of time or not; whether it's still good.

I also recently had a playthrough through Final Fantasy VII and you know what ? It's still really good. Not "super magical best game ever made " good; but it's still brilliant.

FF VII is more than just memories that holds it up. It's honestly a good game.
 
I think a lot of the love for VII stems from it being a lot of people's first FF game. X was my first FF game and nothing (other than VIII and IX) can compare to it. Maybe this is the same for VII? I don't think it's got much to do with nostalgia though because a lot of people play that game now and love it. I think it might have more to do with it being the very first FF game they played. Their first experiance of FF that they then expect other FF to live up to it. Maybe I'm wrong. It's hard for me to understand because I don't particularily love VII and I hate XIII. So I'm right bang in the middle wishing Square would leave them both alone and move on to something else.

I don't think that XIII is recieving the same treatement as VII. XIII was always meant to have lots of titles, Square knew that before they'd sold even one copy of XIII, they had a plan for it. VII was meant to be stand alone and all the stuff they've done for it has been fan service which is rediculusly unfair for the fans of other FF games. It's totally unnessesary, there's no need for another VII game, it's got far too much stuff already, way more than any other FF game and all FF games I think are great in their own respect. Just because some fans are fanatics doesn't mean they should deserve more from VII when other games are just as worthy of it. I'm sick of hearing about FFVII to be completely honest and I like the game, I don't love it, it's probably my least favourite FF game after XIII, but I'd rather listen to someone go on about how great XIII is rather than VII because I'm sick of hearing the same things over and over again about a game I really don't think deserves it that much.
 
You hear too much about FF7 because its the most popular but tbh to me it is a completely different story.
The game that gets annoying fanboysm is FF6 right now not 7. Both are great games but people really need to stop the piss contests between them. According to personal experience FF7 fanatics usually just say its the best game evah but they dont talk about the other the games, FF6 rabid fanboys usually come out as arrogant insolents with their superiority complex attitude.

Its not the obsession regarding one game that is hurting the newer final fantasies because by that logic the games up until 10 wouldnt have been successful. Its the attitude if the fans themselves that needs change. A little more humbleness, tolerance and respect. Do not blame a game that is outstanding just because the fanbase may be annoying. All in all I think that it is really a poor move to try to blame the overall fanbase disappointment with Square Enix on final fantasy 7..Its ridiculous if you ask me.
 
Omegadruid said:
Its not the obsession regarding one game that is hurting the newer final fantasies because by that logic the games up until 10 wouldnt have been successful. Its the attitude if the fans themselves that needs change. A little more humbleness, tolerance and respect. Do not blame a game that is outstanding just because the fanbase may be annoying. All in all I think that it is really a poor move to try to blame the overall fanbase disappointment with Square Enix on final fantasy 7..Its ridiculous if you ask me.
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I agree. I think it's the other way round. I think it's the dissapointment with the newer titles that has made fans call louder for remakes and sequels from the older games. If they were happy with the newer games I don't think they would long for what used to be near so much. If they liked what Square was doing now they'd be happy with them making new games instead of dissapointed they're not getting yet another installment for FFVII.
 
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