Contempory FF games: Over criticised?

[Vyk]

I want to post big tooooo (: First off, you're saying that the recent games are getting more criticism. It seems to me that they also get a lot more praise as well. Why? Because those are the only ones half the people are playing. Sadly very few of us actually played the Final Fantasies in order (or at least in as much order as we could since some weren't released). Or forgoeing order not many of us started with pre-32bit games. FF7 was the first for a lot of people, same with FFX. They either ignore the older games, or ignore their distaste for it, realizing they're older games and aren't meant to be just like the newer ones.

Again, on FF7's popularity. For a lot of people it was their first. And we know a lot of people equate their first (if they like it) as the best (which might also be argued for FF1 ;P) But... going back to the FFX stuff... People have the right to criticise FFX, not for doing what it does so very well. But for doing what it does... in a non-FF manner? It is perhaps a conservative view, but a lot of people felt FFX strayed too far from its roots, and therefor, too far from expectations. The Spirits Within fell victim to this mindset as well. As a stand-alone RPG FFX is one of the best. But as a FF... it's too digressed. There was a method to the FF madness set up in is previous installments that seemed slightly ignored in this game. It almost makes people feel cheated, or even lied to. :/

FF6 has always been one of my top favorites. I don't consider myself a fanatic. I've always been a niche gamer. I used to adore RPGs when the rest of the world hardly knew what those letters stood for. I'm not afraid to say I like FF7 better than 6. But I know, and always knew what 6 had going for it. But then I'm not even sure I'm in a good position to argue the case, because I'm not one of those people that chose 6 because of its convenience and lack of fanboys. I truely did enjoy the game. Before 6, the FFs I did play were just any other RPG to me. When 6 came along I was astounded, to say the least. I can't say much more, except I feel that 6 worked as a bridge between Classical and Modern. It was a keen mix of magic and technology. It's plot even revolved around the concept.

I probably look like one of those people that "simply hate newer FFs" because I didn't like 8. Not because of what was going for it. My main reason was it hit me in a time when I was falling out of video games. And Squall reminded me of everything I hated about myself at the time. I never talked, and when I did, I felt that whatever I had to say wasn't important anyway. I was alone, and I hated him for not taking advantage of everything he had around him. Friends he didn't care about, and a girl he treated like crap for half the game. I'm glad he came to his senses, but I couldn't shake the feeling of resentment he'd already instilled in me. If they had put at least a little more focus on the other characters I might have been able to shrug it off (I hated Tidus too, but at least I could take pleasure in scenes with Rikku). But what I hated about 8 in a gameplay aspect was it's requirement for magic and sidequests to be any good by the end of the game. You HAD to hunt down insane spells on far corners of the planet and junction them to your stats to get a decent rating. And for what? So you could do mildly okay in a melee attack? Honestly I realized the only thing you really need is Deffensive stats. You never need to attack because the damn game's battle system is based on ABUSING GFs to win any significant battle. I spent WAY too much time trying to find the right combination to junction to make my people decent fighters. It had nothing to do with their levels. Bottom line was there was a huge learning curve and a requirement for a lot of patience for very little results. In every other FF before it, you could ignore the extras and be fairly badass (not completely, but not bad either) by the end of the game no matter what. In 8 if you ignore this stuff, you're dust halfway through the game. When I beat the game I was done. There were things I liked (like Rinoa XD) but seriously not worth going back for and put up with that stuff again. I don't care how much more fleshed out him and her were than other FF characters before them.

To me Celes and Locke went through a lot of the same stuff. Their emotions just weren't put on display in front of the camera, but if you use your imagination, Squall and Rinoa aren't that much more fleshed out, and certainly aren't that much different.

I don't know why the newer games can't seem to appeal to me... 8 and onward have conssistently put something in to completely turn me off. I forced myself to stomach all of 9, and that was actually a pretty damn good game. But it was a chore to me. I never even bothered to finish X. I'm at the last battles. My save is like 2 years old. Haven't touched it since. Just not bothered... I just don't know. I've typed enough though. So I'm not going to analyze my feelings on recent FFs and try and find an answer XD Square isn't loosing money on me.

Edit: One more thing ;P I'll see youre "FF1 is crap" when compared to RPGs as a whole. But I never saw it as that. It was a repetitive adventure game where the repetitive parts you either love or hate. Somehow I didn't (and still don't) mind them. Don't know why. But it's no different than playing Tetris or Bomberman for a couple hours to me. But seriously, you at least have to respect FF1. If it hadn't happened, then very likely the FF games you love so much would have never been spawned (: