What are Square-Enix Doing?

[Dark n Disturbed]

I agree some-what. I LOVED Final Fantasy XII. My favorite FF was VII, however, I was very surprised with XII. I had a blast with it. I thought the stroy-line was great, and the gameplay and graphics were amazing. However, I agree that I miss the way they were with FF VII and VIII and IV. What I really want, more than anything, is a FF VII remake. I would spend as much as they asked for if they made a FF VII remake. I would put myself into debt, just to by a PS3 and the game, LOL. I have been begging for a remake for so long, and I would just be estatic to see one. I want one much like they did with Metal Gear Solid, another GREAT game. They took the same storyline and play, and put it into Gamecube for better graphics. If they did that with FFVII, I would never put the game down. The only reason I don't play FFVII anymore, is the fact that I am so used to better graphics that it's hard to switch from XBOX 360 graphics back to PSONE graphics. So yes, I agree with you somewhat but rather than a new game I want them to remake the old ones. Just my thoughts.

 

[Sylvanius]

Well..I started with X and absolutely loved it....then I played VII and loved it..VIII and loved it...IX..and..definitely not my favorite but still good (although I lost my memory card right before I went to Ispen's castle..and havn't finished which makes me want to cry) and then after that I played XII...which I didn't like. I mean, I played it...it wasn't HORRIBLE...but to me it wasn't Final Fantasy ..I thought the characters were way underdeveloped and that the storyline focused more on the politics of it all than the characters..which should have been the driving force of the story. I mean...the FMV's were all spent looking at airships instead of characters...how obvious can it get that the characters were basically secondary?

Personally I am excited...and very sceptical about XIII..mostly because I know that it won't go back to turn system. I understand the point about people liking faster gameplay but hasn't FF proved that turn based doesn't have to be really slow? Yes...X could be pretty slow...cause it was set turns..but others were faster because you didn't know when the enemies attacked...and as far as I remember in X-2 that the turn based system went pretty fast...I just turned it on to play the other day after playing X and went 'what the hell?' cause I forgot how much faster it was. The biggest thing I need them to do so that I can keep my faith in the series is for them to make it character driven again. In my opinion the best games for that, for me, were VII and X....loved the characters in those and how they interacted with eachother.

I liked VIII too..but it was so focued on Squall and Rinoa that the others got kind of lost...which has sad, but overall it was good. IX well, I just didn't like any of the characters...but that game was still character driven so it does still have that.

Overall as long as they have good characters and good stories I will stick with it..although I miss turn-based....they said XIII was going to be kind of like KH though, and I am okay with that battle system..althouth it's not very FF...as long as they never EVER EVER use the same one they had in XII. I hated that thing. With a passion....it was some kind of offspring of real time and turn based gone horribly wrong. I miss being able to always control all my characters!

 

[Ashe B'nargin]

The only reason I don't play FFVII anymore, is the fact that I am so used to better graphics that it's hard to switch from XBOX 360 graphics back to PSONE graphics. So yes, I agree with you somewhat but rather than a new game I want them to remake the old ones. Just my thoughts.

You just want a Final Fantasy VII remake, just because of GRAPHICS ??!

Think that the new SE games just split up the fans, some people like it, while some others hate it with grudge. XII really split up the fans with adding a new battle system and a different touch and outlook on storyline, some loved the new battle system and the whole governmental storyline, while on the other side of the coin others thought that it was a horrible idea.

But think ( not sure ) that SE are doing things for newer fans ? Like the graphics context and change in storyline seems to be going towards the newer fans rather than the older ones ?? ( just guessing, assuming XD )

But think that FF13 is looking well, because it seems to have a FF7 and FF8 touch which the older fans, remembered and enjoyed ?

So guessing here, and could be totally wrong, but yeah- just making a guess.

But think when Nintendo fans saw Final Fantasy VII for the first time, the change from FF6 from FF7 some would be thinking what some of us are thinking now, ''what are they DOING ?"

Think that change is something that can be sometimes hard to deal with it, and it's the change that the Final Fantasy series is going in, is testing some of the FF Fans ??

 

[Dark n Disturbed]

You just want a Final Fantasy VII remake, just because of GRAPHICS ??!

In a way, yes. I feel like if they were to add better graphics, we would have a chance to see a lot more things than we do now.

Think of it as switching from regular television, to HDTV. Think of how much you miss out on when you aren't watching HD. Or, for those who need prescription glasses and/or Contacts, think of when you first put on those glasses or contacts. The world came to life and everything became more clear.

THAT is why I want a FFVII remake. For us fans who have been with the game since day one, we have already played the game using those graphics and back then we didn't mind it. However, I want people of this era to have a chance to play the game, with the same graphics that they are used to now.

Think of all the things we missed with FFVII. We didn't get to see how the characters actually looked, how all of the bosses actually looked. There were parts that weren't even clear enough to figure out what it was.

The reason I only want better graphics, is because I don't want them to change FFVII too much. I think the game is perfect the way it is, except for the graphics. If I had to rate it on a serious scale of 1-10, I would give it a 9.5, deducting that .5 for the lack of outstanding graphics. If they were to remake the game, same storyline same battle system, but added some great graphics to go along with it, I would easily give it a 10 out of 10. Just my thoughts though.

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

There's not really a lot that Square Enix could with FFVII really anyway apart from update the graphics, add things and the older fans and hardcore fans of FFVII will just moan, don't add things and keep it exactly as it was (bar graphics) newer fans would most likely moan. It's more of a lose-lose situation in terms of content, however, it would still be bought and SE would gain a large amount of profit, nevertheless, at the same time PS3 games are harder to develop for than other consoles and it'd cost a lot of money to do so.

I'd just stick with XIII and hope SE don't mess it up.

 

[Sephiroth2k]

if they remade 7 i would not mind seeing a new dungeon or new bosses, new fmvs etc.

i have been with Final Fantasy since i got my first ps1 i am not sure what i would be classed as (hard core final fantasy fan,just a fan what ever) but i like to keep my mind open to new concepts while also keeping the old ways in play.

:tooweird:

 

[CloudReaper656]

ok when i said the story lines have been awesome i didnt just mean ff i meant kh and such kingdom hearts dont get me wrong is blood brilliant but if square-enix decide to mess that up like they have ffx and are ruining ff7 it will probably be the end of ff for me... the storylines in ff12 and 13 probably would have been awesome if they had a 'classic' feel to them... if Square-Enix dont stop killing the best they are digging their own graves! Most of the new ff or kh or possibly remakes in the future for example say a remake of FINAL FANTASY VII will be completely terrible in all honesty because all Square-enix care about is shiney things and hack and slash now. I'd love a high def ff7 just as much as the next guy but i really cant see it being the same... as for the people that say 'i wont play the old games coz im used to better graphics' thats crap coz if you were true fans of a series you go back and fourth all the time... i still play the snes versions of ff and always will as long as my snes works lol... ive always loved the series and kh but if they change too much y call it ff at all? call it the last remnant 2 or infinite disovery 2 please!!!!!

 

[Shyne]

You just want a Final Fantasy VII remake, just because of GRAPHICS ??!

So do i. For those of us who have upgraded to a HD TV , although FFVII is one of the most gorgeous of the early FF's with it's gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds, it wasn't made for a HD TV and you can change the resolution but if and when they make FFVII in HD, it'll be a dream come true for the FFVII fans imo

ok when i said the story lines have been awesome i didnt just mean ff i meant kh and such kingdom hearts dont get me wrong is blood brilliant but if square-enix decide to mess that up like they have ffx and are ruining ff7 it will probably be the end of ff for me... the storylines in ff12 and 13 probably would have been awesome if they had a 'classic' feel to them... if Square-Enix dont stop killing the best they are digging their own graves! Most of the new ff or kh or possibly remakes in the future for example say a remake of FINAL FANTASY VII will be completely terrible in all honesty because all Square-enix care about is shiney things and hack and slash now. I'd love a high def ff7 just as much as the next guy but i really cant see it being the same... as for the people that say 'i wont play the old games coz im used to better graphics' thats crap coz if you were true fans of a series you go back and fourth all the time... i still play the snes versions of ff and always will as long as my snes works lol... ive always loved the series and kh but if they change too much y call it ff at all? call it the last remnant 2 or infinite disovery 2 please!!!!!

I don't think Square-Enix are ruining FFVII, in fact, they're keeping it alive, revealing MORE of the DEEP storyline for fans, whilst attracting new fans so when they release FFVII, it'll end up being the fastest selling game in history.

And i think some people genuinely just dont like old graphics. It does p1$$ me off when people are ignorant and say FFVII has bad graphics. It was made in 1997 for goodness sake and back then, it was the equivalent of Call of Duty 5 and Killzone 2 now, it looked STUNNING !!! Maybe in 12 years COD5 and Killzone 2 wont look as sweet.

But i understand people dont like going from the graphics of today to an older game, so again, i hope FFVII is remade in HD (why wouldn't it be in HD!?). It'd be amazing

 

[Kitab]

It is a good point - if the game changes too much, then it might not be worthy of the same name, 'Final Fantasy'. However, if it does not change enough, then there's not much point. In an interview with someone (I think it was on an FFX bonus disc), it was said that when Sakaguchi was asked what the defining feature of Final Fantasy was, he said something like 'as long as we have those blue text boxes at the bottom, we'll be OK'.

Personally I think the developers have very commendably balanced the need for innovations with the need for consistency... the problem, I suppose, is that with the quickening pace of technology, the changes in the last three games were particularly big. X came onto a new platform, completely replaced the battle system, completely innovated the setting. Then XI was an online game, and arguably should not have been called XI. And then XII changes the game-play mechanics and setting again. But I think X and XII still have the core FF elements: controlling a party of ambitious people who are out to save the world in some way, to resolve conflicts between magic and technology, tradition and progress, to stop people from abusing the resources of their world; they learn magic and summoning and they get stronger as the game progresses. Eventually they acquire an airship and we get to explore an entire sci-fi/fantasy world doing various subquests until ready to face the final villain. Etc.

 

[Misty]

"I don't think Square-Enix are ruining FFVII, in fact, they're keeping it alive, revealing MORE of the DEEP storyline for fans, whilst attracting new fans so when they release FFVII, it'll end up being the fastest selling game in history."

They could have just done it in the original game, or maybe one more title. DoC was somewhat unecessary. If we wanted to know more about Vincents story, should have made it more apparent in the original game. CC, they bring in some Sephiroth wannabe. I don't think I have an issue as such with these spinoffs as long as they explore the original content, just don't keep adding these new characters which come off as being a bit shoddy.

 

[Scarlet]

I don't think Square-Enix are ruining FFVII, in fact, they're keeping it alive, revealing MORE of the DEEP storyline for fans,

And disappointing fans. Most FF fans are getting really sick of FFVII from what I've gathered.

I wouldn't count as the spin-offs as an addition to the original storyline. The development team is different from the original team who worked on FFVII. I just see as two different things. The original FFVII story, and the additions to the original FF story that written by some other team. I view it as a fanfiction that was made into a game.

whilst attracting new fans so when they release FFVII, it'll end up being the fastest selling game in history.

Attracting new fans? The only time I saw FFVII gain new fans was through the release of Advent Children. That was because it attracted many anime fans since I was talked about among other anime-JRPG fans.

Crisis Core was not a welcoming game either. To really understand Crisis Core you need to have played FFVII first.

I wouldn't jump into conclusions that FFVII will be the fastest selling game. I highly doubt it considering that many gamers are done with JRPGs.

 

[Totoro]

I think that althought XII was panned by a lot of people, it was a step in the right direction. The free roaming battles are much better than the random encounters, meaning that you can pick your way through if you don't want to fight. The only problem is the battle system with the gambits sometimes makes it a bit easier and lessens the involvement.

But i feel as if this will improve in XIII and it will because they've had more time to sort it out and on a much better system. And again people wont like things straight away or some parts at all (like VIII's drawing system) but I think that overall the games need to be developed in this way, to compete with other games on the market and to satisy their popular and probably starting to age, fanbase! (myself included)

 

[Shyne]

sometimes i wonder if im the only guy who likes FF on this forum...

I'd hardly say we're done with JRPG's. Western RPG's SUCK imo. Over-rated tosh like Oblivion gets all the praise whilst good J-RPG's don't anymore.

There are obviously two types of RPG fans and i'm a JRPG fan. I think Western stuff LACKS the fantasy and foundation for a GOOD RPG.

I think alot of new people to the genre prefer W-RPGs

 

[Scarlet]

sometimes i wonder if im the only guy who likes FF on this forum...

Sorry to let you down like that dude. D: We're all FF fans here it's just were upset with Square Enix atm.

I'd hardly say we're done with JRPG's. Western RPG's SUCK imo. Over-rated tosh like Oblivion gets all the praise whilst good J-RPG's don't anymore.

I still have a heart for JRPGs and I'll probably continue playing them but not as much. As Shu pointed out, they're getting really repetitive. =/ As for Western RPGs, well, *shrugs* they are getting quite a lot of praise lately.

There are obviously two types of RPG fans and i'm a JRPG fan. I think Western stuff LACKS the fantasy and foundation for a GOOD RPG.

Without western mythology, J.R.R. Tolkien's works, and Dungeons and Dragons Final Fantasy wouldn't exist. Most ideas for JRPGs are directly from Western fantasy works.

 

[Franice]

The best thing Square could ever do is combine the game play elements from WRPGs with the story elements from JRPGs(without the sucky parts), and produce something like Knights of the Old Republic(which, despite all of it's problems remains one of the most engrossing, blissful gaming experiences I've ever had). And, I think that's what they've been attempting to do.

Expansiveness is good, but worthless without story. At the same time, an excellent story with narrow, linear gameplay isn't any better, because I could pick up a good novel and not spend 100+ hours of my life to get to the end of it. Combining the two is key, and if Square ever manages to nail it, it'll be awesome. And if they choose to regress, and jam themselves into the shitty little JRPG mold, it'll suck. Like hell.

 

[Kitab]

Another point worth making is that Enix is not to blame. Final Fantasy X-2, as far as I can tell, was completed before the merger, and it was published in Japan by Square. The NA and EU releases were well after the merger and so they were published by Square-Enix. S-E is the publisher of all new FF games, but Square, or rather, some variable team of people from Square, are still the developers.

Also, the battle system seems to be a point of contention. Although ATB was used in 6 FF games, it was not the first system - the first three FFs were entirely turn-based. Maybe some people lamented FFIV for introducing real-time elements into a turn-based RPG or maybe not, but changing the battle system is not a recent phenomenon.

 

[Guernsey]

I don't play (yet alone own) that many games nowadays but it seems to me like a large majority of fans here are either for this change or not for the change. I had played some old school FF games and it just gives that nostalgic feel of the 90's that I missed so much but with new FF games, I compare with the "new" fighting games of the last decade where it used to be anyone can play but now with the whole new combo system, not a lot of people can play it anymore without getting laughed at or alienated from the "new" system. Except in this case, it use to be all I had to worry about was what "spell" or "attack" should I use but now that some JRPGS are action oriented, I really feel alienated from playing due to the sheer depth of gameplay and the story being somewhat narrow. I just with FFXIII that they don't stray to far from what made the series a success in the first place.

 

[Davey Gaga]

And disappointing fans. Most FF fans are getting really sick of FFVII from what I've gathered.

Reading comments like this in reference to remakes and spin-offs makes me seethe. If I had to guess, you're one of the people who don't like the original stories being spoiled, you think that spin-offs ruin the entire concept and are unnecessary, correct? I can't be bothered with that attitude...if you don't like it then don't play it or think about it, it's as simple as that. Sure, you might be disappointed with a new addition but you have your precious original so, really, you have nothing to complain about, because they're not taking anything away from you, they're only giving the rest of us something else.

Also, I don't hold that attitude against them: if I worked for a massive company like that, and had the potential to milk much-loved stories for bags of money, I'd jump on the chance quicker than you could even think to argue with me. It's business for them and it's entertainment for (the majority of) us; if it doesn't appeal to you then you know where the eject button is.

 

[Scarlet]

Reading comments like this in reference to remakes and spin-offs makes me seethe. If I had to guess, you're one of the people who don't like the original stories being spoiled, you think that spin-offs ruin the entire concept and are unnecessary, correct?

Not necessarily. I don't mind spin-offs as long as it was written by the original creators. If they weren't, like I said before, I just see it as a fanfiction.

Now I didn't say I myself was disappointed with spin-offs. What I've heard from Square fans say (that I've talked to) have said that they're sick of seeing VII getting milk, dislike spin-offs etc. Actually, I was quite satisfied with Crisis Core. So no, I'm rather opened to spin-offs but I rather see Square Enix move on to something more original.

Also, I don't hold that attitude against them: if I worked for a massive company like that, and had the potential to milk much-loved stories for bags of money, I'd jump on the chance quicker than you could even think to argue with me. It's business for them and it's entertainment for (the majority of) us; if it doesn't appeal to you then you know where the eject button is.

It is. I don't really blame them for milking VII so much. It has brought them a new fan base and cash, so it is a win-win situation. After a while you can only milk so much.

 

[L]

To me, feels like the ATB battle system is outdated. It's too annoying to play with it unless you're feeling nostalgic, really.

But I agree that a lot of the new SE games blow hard. FFXII wasn't good, but it wasn't bad, it being my only exception out of the new SE shithole.

I really want them to drop the compilation and fuck off, though. No one cares, and it's a dead horse that's been beaten beyond recognition that has absolutely fuck all to do with the original game, barring crisis core.

But the reason they're moving into free run hack and slashers is because that is what's popular and gets players excited now days, I think. I personally prefer it, because I play warcraft a lot.