Does Bravely Default count as a "Final Fantasy game"?

[Fynn]

Isn't the reason you don't consider FFXIII an FF because of its setting? Can you explain why you don't see it as one?

I think I've done it in that one big rant I had.

To clarify: it's not that I don't consider FFXIII an FF - it is very much an FF because it's released as one. I just think Bravely Default is much more FF-like on a spiritual level. XIII was its own thing with an FF brand slapped on it, while BD was the opposite - an old school FF without that brand. The setting is fine, and I actually think it's one of the coolest, most original things about XIII. Where it failed was the poorly executed story (that had so much potential that it was frustrating) and gameplay that was just uninteresting to me. Neither was it real time, nor turn base, nor anything we knew ATB to be before it. Granted, FFXII also had a new system, but it also had the setting of Ivalice which had already been introduced to FF beforehand, alongside the prelude being there, the victory fanfare, the Final Fantasy theme, etc. XIII gives us new, sci-fi sounding classes that are just abstract. Why is it Commando and not Fighter/Warrior, for example?

Bravely Default, on the other hand, uses the exact naming for the classes as the ones usually seen in FF, adds a new spin on the classic turn-based system, graphically looks similar (but superior) to the DS remakes of III and IV, has a story that is intentionally written to be a parallel to FFI/III/V, and then we have characters that are reminiscent of previous FF characters, with lots of conversations and the party chat function that really reminds me of the ATEs from FFIX. And as much as I love Hamauzu, Revo is a much more appropriate replacement for Uematsu due to the fantastic yet simple arrangements with strong melodies which is what made Uematsu's soundtracks stand out in the first place. For these reasons, Bravely Default felt much more like a Final Fantasy game to me, personally, than XIII. It's a love letter to old school FF fans much like FFIX.

[Formalhaut]

I can sort of see where Fynn is getting at. It's an FF in all but name, therefore he catalogues it as one. Makes sense.

I've not played BD, so I can't really comment. Although I'd say it isn't a Final Fantasy, it is definitely a spiritual successor to the 'classic' Final Fantasies.

[Shauna]

The term "spiritual successor" exists for a reason.

[Pheesh]

I've not played Bravely Default. So could someone tell me if it has moogles, chocobos, cactuars, a Cid, or anything that is a staple of an actual Final Fantasy game? If it doesn't that would be case closed for me.

[Fynn]

It has black mages, white mages, Fira, Thundaga, Curaga, and airships, though (those aren't as common as you'd think)

[Pheesh]

Airships is the closest thing to what I meant I guess, I associate those with Final Fantasy almost exclusively. But yeah, those other things don't cut it for me. That other stuff is just general RPG elements renamed in a Final Fantasy style. Even if this game took those names it's still just generic black and white magic to my mind, which is in basically every RPG. The things I mentioned are creatures designed for a Final Fantasy game and you can't think of anything else when you hear them. If you tell me Bravely Default has a Chocobo then yep, I'm right there with you saying it's a Final Fantasy game in everything but name (but also at that point, what would they have been smoking to not call it a Final Fantasy). Once again though, without at least 1 or 2 of those things it just isn't Final Fantasy enough to be considered part of the series for my mind. Especially considering that even with all those things technically it still wouldn't be a Final Fantasy game because it's not actually a Final Fantasy game (referring to the name).

[Loony BoB]

Huh, and here I was thinking airships were the least "oh, it must be FF" out of those things. xD Magic names aside (and that's really pushing the limits of what makes a series), I don't think of FF when I think of those things, I think of high fantasy.

[Mirage]

I think its like... Xenogears and Xenosaga

It's absolutely not like that

[Pheesh]

Huh, and here I was thinking airships were the least "oh, it must be FF" out of those things. xD Magic names aside (and that's really pushing the limits of what makes a series), I don't think of FF when I think of those things, I think of high fantasy.

If I think about it I'm sure they're super prevalent in, say, steampunk or something (?), but I don't read/play/watch anything like that so Final Fantasy is the only thing I can think of when i think airship. But I think you'd be more hard-pressed to find a fantasy rpg that doesn't feature some form of white/black mage that casts fire/thunder/ice/cure/revive than you would be to find a game that features airships.

EDIT: I thought of one! Bioshock: Infinite! Pretty sure the whole game was set on airships.

[Shorty]

The game creators do not consider it a part of the Final Fantasy series. No matter how many similarities it may have, it is not a part of the Final Fantasy series.

[Del Murder]

Literally, it is not part of the series since it doesn't have 'Final Fantasy' followed by a number in the title. But arguing over names and labels is dumb and probably not the intent of this topic. Like WK said, its 'prequel' was called FF Four Heroes of Light. SE throws the FF label around pretty liberally these days.

BD has a lot in common with the old school FFs and more in common with them than other FF spinoffs like Tactics or Crystal Chronicles. I would call it a series inspired by FF, like Mighty No. 9 is inspired by the Mega Man series and borrows heavily from it but is not a Mega Man game.

I like that they dropped the FF from this series' name because that label was getting overused and it is nice to see them take a crack at creating some new franchises.

[CimminyCricket]

It's a Final Fantasy game in everything but name, I think.

[Wolf Kanno]

Obviously it's not one of the core numbered games but could it be counted as a spinoff in the vein of, say, the Tactics games? There are many similarities present, such as item names and so on.

What do you think? Is it a Final Fantasy game or something different?

This thread brought to you by Fynn constantly adding this series to the FF-centric site polls.

[Fynn]

[Skyblade]

I don't think it's a Final Fantasy game. It's heavily influenced by the series, yes. But then, so was Chrono Trigger, and it is definitely its own IP. Bravely Default may be closer to the series in some ways, but both games are their own entities. Games that knew what to take from Final Fantasy, and what direction to take their own, unique charms.

And I enjoy both games more than the actual Final Fantasy series, so I don't see anything wrong with them being their own thing.