XV: why CAN'T we finally have a return to the old flavor?

[Bastian]

I JUST watched the trailers for XIII. Ugh. SO futuristic and tech-y looking.

Why CAN'T we have a big ol' consul game that hearkens back the good ol' days of castles, swords, and other such medieval flavors?

Yes, I know a good portion of you out there LIKE the more future-y stuff. I know that VII and beyond is what a lot of you grew up on. But some of us found VII a shock to our systems. And then VIII and complete parody of what FF meant to us.

Yes, there was IX. And as awesome as IX was, that's just one in a series of SEVEN games to return to the true "fantasy" flavor that has long since passed.

Surely XV isn't too soon to return to that style?

And how about this time not rely on such a cutesy design but something as realistically proportioned as other major consul FFs.

Don't worry, you tech-loving scifi geeks will get another seven scifi-esque games.

[Bolivar]

Well the games seem to really mix the two. Even in FFVIII, you're still slaying dragons and summoning phantom beasts.

And I think FFXII seemed a lot like the game you're looking for.

But I agree, I really hope they get their act together for their next "next-gen" effort and get back to what Final Fantasy does best.

[charliepanayi]

Because Square Enix aren't interested in that avenue anymore. I'm not saying it's right for them to take that attitude, but you're in a dreamland if you think they're going to be appeasing your wish for a world like FFVI anytime soon.

And some of us like the settings of games like FFVIII. Besides FFX/X-2 and FFXII were hardly completely futuristic in tone.

[Mirage]

FF14 isn't sci-fi.

[Goldenboko]

At the moment futuristic stuff sells. Look at Mass Effect 2. When a game comes out and blows away critics and sells ridiculously that appears to be approaching that old school fantasy feel (no, Dragon Age was not that game) Square will decide whether Old Skool Fantasy sells again.

[Levian]

FF14 isn't sci-fi.

It's also not a real Final Fantasy game

[Depression Moon]

At the moment futuristic stuff sells. Look at Mass Effect 2. When a game comes out and blows away critics and sells ridiculously that appears to be approaching that old school fantasy feel (no, Dragon Age was not that game) Square will decide whether Old Skool Fantasy sells again.

Wasn't XIII in development way before Mass Effect came out?


I don't see any harm in the sci-fi esque FFs. they do not outweigh the other kinds and I like the scenery to change from time to time. Makes things more interesting. I do wish that XIII was even more techy though. I was looking forward to an android or robot playable character.

[Goldenboko]

At the moment futuristic stuff sells. Look at Mass Effect 2. When a game comes out and blows away critics and sells ridiculously that appears to be approaching that old school fantasy feel (no, Dragon Age was not that game) Square will decide whether Old Skool Fantasy sells again.

Wasn't XIII in development way before Mass Effect came out?

Yeah, I'm just showing the trend of late. Sci-Fi/Futuristic games appear to be "in".

[Jessweeee♪]

FFXIII seems to be just what I was looking for! FFVII and FFVIII felt a little more like it was meant to be just three or four decades away. After playing FFX I was like, "y'know I really wanted to play around in Zanarkand more "

So I'm happy with this anyway. Maybe you should give FFXII a try?


(Also I am very happy with FFVIII, it was my first Final Fantasy so it pretty much defines the series for me xD)

[Mirage]

FF14 isn't sci-fi.

It's also not a real Final Fantasy game :D

You're also not a real human.

[Bastian]

Well the games seem to really mix the two. Even in FFVIII, you're still slaying dragons and summoning phantom beasts.

But I don't want a "mix of the two" . . . FF1-FF5 wasn't a mix of the two. They were utter fantasy. VI pushed the envelope of that a bit . . . and then the floodgates opened. I want a return to pre VI days in in-game technology and setting. IX gave it to us, but with a cutesy art direction that was acceptable, but . . . I would REALLY love to see a more realistic art style. Or even something unique like a cel-shaded 2.5D style based on Yoaka Amano art.

And I think FFXII seemed a lot like the game you're looking for.

I've never given it much of a look because I remember thinking the gameplay looked weird. I'll have a look at some youtube clips.

And some of us like the settings of games like FFVIII.

Sure. And I'm sure some people would love to see a Final Fantasy game take place in the setting of a set of intestines. I'm just saying that FF1-5 had a similar setting and I haven't really liked any FF game since (apart from IX) and so would like a return to that style of setting.

Besides FFX/X-2 and FFXII were hardly completely futuristic in tone.

I'm not familiar with XII just yet, but as far as X/X-2 goes . . . I forgot to specify "Eurocentric" in my "medieval fantasy" descriptor. :P

At the moment futuristic stuff sells. Look at Mass Effect 2. When a game comes out and blows away critics and sells ridiculously that appears to be approaching that old school fantasy feel (no, Dragon Age was not that game) Square will decide whether Old Skool Fantasy sells again.

WarCrack isn't an RPG per se, but it is super commercially popular and takes place in such a setting.

[Goldenboko]

And I think FFXII seemed a lot like the game you're looking for.

I've never given it much of a look because I remember thinking the gameplay looked weird. I'll have a look at some youtube clips.

If you want the gameplay to stay exactly the same throughout the series, you just can't expect Square to do that. Even from I-VI they had to improve it, taking it from turn-based, to ATB, to a more customized ATB. If Square kept the same gameplay, the series would quickly become bland and lose fans quickly.

[Levian]

Bastian:

I agree with you that XIII from the looks of it, looks too techy and futuristic, especially for my taste. However, I personally didn't think FFVII through X were very techy, so I imagine FFXIII must look like friggen Star Wars to you.

VII only really had Midgar, once you got outside that place, there weren't really any developed places around.

X only had Zanarkand for about 10 minutes, after that you were shoved away to a world that wouldn't even touch machines, how can that be a futuristic game?

I wouldn't say VIII was futuristic, it was definitely modern however. I wouldn't say a flying garden is much more futuristic than a MagiTek Factory anyway.

At the moment futuristic stuff sells.

Ugh, I've noticed.

[Mirage]

I'm personally a big fan of near-future settings.

[Bastian]

If you want the gameplay to stay exactly the same throughout the series, you just can't expect Square to do that. Even from I-VI they had to improve it, taking it from turn-based, to ATB, to a more customized ATB. If Square kept the same gameplay, the series would quickly become bland and lose fans quickly.

Well, I see how that would bore some people. But I have friends who can't even stand ATB and turn those features off because it was too much of a change from turn-based. I prefer ATB myself.

VII only really had Midgar, once you got outside that place, there weren't really any developed places around.

I wouldn't know. I was totally turned off by the tech-y setting for the first few hours or however long and stopped playing VII.

X only had Zanarkand for about 10 minutes, after that you were shoved away to a world that wouldn't even touch machines, how can that be a futuristic game?

No idea. All the trailers back in the day made it look super tech-y so I never played it.

I wouldn't say VIII was futuristic, it was definitely modern however. I wouldn't say a flying garden is much more futuristic than a MagiTek Factory anyway.

By "futuristic" I meant post-medieval. :P That's not a good usage of the term, I'll give you that.