Sequels and Innovations

[Wolf Kanno]

I think we can blame the general financial position Square was left in after The Spirits Within for them falling back on remakes and whoring the FF series. I mean, I understand they were in a tough spot financially, and I even encouraged some of what they were doing to help them get back on their feet so they could start taking some risks every now and then. I just expected them to start taking risks sooner. I suppose they kind of are now with new titles like The Last Remnant, but it's just not enough, and I agree with you that it isn't as awesome as some of what they did in the SNES and PSX days. Maybe it's just that they need someone other than Nomura and Kitase to step up and make an awesome game that nobody saw coming and snaps them out of this rut for a bit.

I concur actually, and I mostly agree that SE just didn't bounce back as much as I had hoped they would have. Granted the PS2 era had alot of issues itself. I'm certain if Sony had supported their online better, we may have seen FMO at least. We also saw alot of new genres take hold. The RPG fad of the PS1 generation was over by then. I just wish they would hire someone else to write for them

I liked Ehrgeiz. Kanno, I'm not surprised most of your friends didn't like it, I seem to recall you saying how "most of your friends" didn't like FFVII either, so what's the story?

I never said my friends hated Ehrgeiz Bolivar, most of my friends don't play fighting games like I do. I'll be honest and say that Ehrgeiz can be fun, but its a terrible fighting game. Powerstone took the concept later and made it work a little but I've always had issues with 3D fighters cause they lack speed. Most feel too slow for my taste.

Yes, my friends and I didn't care for VII. One of them considers the game to be the weakest in the franchise, another felt it was ok but he genuinely feels the whole FF series is overrated and mediocre. I was disappointed cause I came into the game with too high of expectations. I consider myself a reformed "hater" cause I feel the game is good (though its not because of story or characters mind you) but it hardly deserves the praise it gets in my book but this is my opinion and I know nothing will change. I dislike the Compilation cause it is poorly done from an artistic and story point of view.

My dislike of VII stems more from the obnoxious fans than the game itself. Until I came to this forum, I never met a VII fan who could give logical and plausible reasons for liking the game and why one should consider it great. I've met perhaps three on this forums including yourself that can hold your own beliefs with sound intelligence, yet it still doesn't change the fact that I really deep down feel it was a mediocre game. I honestly feel the game's only worthwhile revolution to the series was the introduction of the run button.

Edit: If you really want to discuss my problems with VII that led me to dislike it. PM me and I'll explain. I don't want to derail the thread anymore than I have.

I think Ehrgeiz gets hated on for much of the same reason why FFVII spinoffs get hated on in the present-day - it's carried out mostly by people who have a problem with FFVII being so popular to begin with.

The combos were simple, the 3d movement not as good as it could have been, but i had a good time playing it and so did my gamer friends, even one who was a "true-FF" and a real fighter-connoisseur like so many trendy-game-bashers on this site claim to be.

No, I actually feel it was just a poor fighter. I actually liked the idea of playing as VII characters (Zack player actually ) and it really doesn't bother me. Its not as bad as Tobal which is downright unplayable but its not so great that people should fawn over it as a great triumph either.

Ergheiz did not have the development time nor the funding to be a well-received game.

I think it is interesting that these types of games were tried by Squaresoft in the past because it is rarer to see that type of innovation and risk-taking from Square Enix these days; however, we have made some progress: The World Ends With You and Last Remnant are two Square Enix games without a series label.

I'm still not sold on Last Remnant but I'm just not as easily impressed as I once was. But I agree that SE has been doing rather remarkable lately and though I don't care for the sequels and spin-offs, they have had the wonderful benefit of allowing SE to try new game styles which is good. At this point I don't feel its completely SE's fault and more of the jaded industry to be honest. Though I feel SE's reliance on spin-offs, sequels, remakes, and ports, though financially beneficial, has done much to tarnish the company's image in the eyes of the gaming community in recent years.