Final Fantasy

[Lowkei]

Hay are any of you guys final fantasy fans because i have been meanin to ask for a wile. It just thought it was weird that you haven't got any forums for it since it's suck a big RPG. I mean it involves training charectors and learnin new abilities. I would have thought that that would have been somthing you guys would be well into. Any way i was just wonderin so if any one wants to chat bout it then by all means reply because i have just started 9 again for the first time in years and i gettin back in to it again. Im lookin for for steiner's excaliber sword if anyone knows were it is or how to get it, thats one thing i never found in all the times i completed it.

[Ideal Maxima]

hmm... the only final fantasies i've played are 8 (my favorite one [still didnt beat it though ] and 10

[The Great Hairy]

I haven't seen any of the FF games for PC around here. The few games shops around Sydney only seem to carry the console versions (which I don't play).

So, if I could get a hold of one, which would be the best to start off with? And how RPG are they? Are they technically straight console, or are they more PC-ish? (NB: I found KotOR to be RPG lite, to give you a standard to judge by.)

Cheers,
TGHO

[Yeltsu]

I've played FF7, FF8, FFX and FFX-2

All great games, (except for FFX-2 which was a bit of a dissapointment)

I really liked the badguys in the FF games: Sephiroth, Seifer and Seymour.
They were the coolest ever!!
What I also liked was the minigames, blitzball in particular....

And of course, one cannot forget the great story of them all, I was amazed at FFX, the story was just brilliant!

@TGHO

I would advise you to start of with FF7 (I don't think FFX comes on anything but PS2) FF8 is a bit hard to understand, so FF7 is probably best for a non-console newbie

[Fiberfar]

The only one i know that are made for PC is the new one, Final Fantasy XI. Which you Can (have to?) play on the net with other people....

I have heard several ways to get Xcalibur, but none of them seems serious.
- like defeating the Lich for the second time under 20 hours
- or moving your party in a way that you wont meet any monsters

[Aegis]

LEt's I've played 1 through X-2 (won't touch XI, for the very reason it's an MMO). Not to mention, I've played through all the Gameboy versions (to date), as well as Tactics. I haven't tried Chrystal Chronicles, but no Game Cube.

As for my ranking of them, it is definatly a declining arc. The games were, IMHO, far superior back in the days when they were on the SNES, and have become worse as they've come onto the playstation. The reasoning behind this, is that Squaresoft, and now Enix (which I hate with a fiery passion) seem to have the idea that a better game means it has better graphics, but lacks in other departments. Since Final Fantasy 3(6), I haven't found any of the stories that compelling, nor do I feel for any of them as much as I felt for the Dark Knight/Paladin Cecil, or his Dragoon companion, Kain. Or even the subtle, implied love story that made up two of the core characters in FF3/6, being Locke and Celes. As the games have progressed, I feel they have lost more and more of the story, with FF7 being passable, 8 losing quite a bit of credit, 9 putting it borderline, X making it too sappy/whiney, and X-2 ruining it.

[Galuf the Dwarf]

Originally Posted by Aegis

LEt's I've played 1 through X-2 (won't touch XI, for the very reason it's an MMO). Not to mention, I've played through all the Gameboy versions (to date), as well as Tactics. I haven't tried Chrystal Chronicles, but no Game Cube.

As for my ranking of them, it is definatly a declining arc. The games were, IMHO, far superior back in the days when they were on the SNES, and have become worse as they've come onto the playstation. The reasoning behind this, is that Squaresoft, and now Enix (which I hate with a fiery passion) seem to have the idea that a better game means it has better graphics, but lacks in other departments. Since Final Fantasy 3(6), I haven't found any of the stories that compelling, nor do I feel for any of them as much as I felt for the Dark Knight/Paladin Cecil, or his Dragoon companion, Kain. Or even the subtle, implied love story that made up two of the core characters in FF3/6, being Locke and Celes. As the games have progressed, I feel they have lost more and more of the story, with FF7 being passable, 8 losing quite a bit of credit, 9 putting it borderline, X making it too sappy/whiney, and X-2 ruining it.

Well well said about Final Fantasy 2/4 and 3/6, Aegis. I always felt something unexplainable about those games that gained my attention. Both of those games had the best soundtracks of all of them as well. Maybe that's why I'm hoping to get Final Fantasy Anthology for my birthday.

Me, I've completed Final Fantasy 1, 2^, 4*, 6*, 7, 8, 9, and Final Fantasy Tactics; that's about it because I don't have a PS2. I got the reissues of FF 1, 2, and 4 in Final Fantasy Chronicles (Birthday 2001, FF4 & Chrono Trigger), and Origins (Early last year, FF1 & 2).

Note: all numbers by Japanese & Sony Playstation continuity, * are reissued games, ^ is formerly unreleased on American consoles

The funniest thought of all is that practically all of the Final Fantasy games I've gotten except for Tactics were given to me on either my birthday (which was the case for 8, 9, and the FF Chronicles).

[Floyd_theBarber]

I've played FF3 (6 in Japan), 7 and 9, and I enjoyed 9 the most, closely followed by 3. In FFIX, death was much more likely in non-boss combat than the other games, and, for me, a major draw of any game is the actual possibility of death. In FF3 and 7 death was never a real possibility if you were half-competent with spells and attacks, and even if you weren't, the enemies rarely did enough damage to kill. However, even in FFIX death was fairly easy to avoid.

p.s. I'm itching to try FF8 out so if anyone has a copy they'd like to part with, pm me please

[Squee]

I have played all the ff games, and I think tha ff9 is the absolute best! Kuja, the bad guy is perfect and so are all the other characters as well! The story is great and the music is even greater! The best! On second place comes ff7 because it's also really great! All ff games are the best! (well, the BG series are better).

[Destroyed Eden]

mmm i think its true that older FF are the best (FF3,FF7). FF8 got a nice classic story but..stealing magic is so annoying (i got it for PC btw). FF9 is a nice and simple FF but nothing special compared to the others (specially the story, gameplay is good though, kinda like the old ones) FF-X is neverending...pointless the ony goal is to make your characters stronger to beat thoses stupid bosses,not enough items to equip.

[Bloodthroe]

While the quality of the graphics in the Final Fantasy games has been increasing. The quality of the gameplay has been decreasing.

[Tower_Master]

Originally Posted by Aegis

LEt's I've played 1 through X-2 (won't touch XI, for the very reason it's an MMO). Not to mention, I've played through all the Gameboy versions (to date), as well as Tactics. I haven't tried Chrystal Chronicles, but no Game Cube.

As for my ranking of them, it is definatly a declining arc. The games were, IMHO, far superior back in the days when they were on the SNES, and have become worse as they've come onto the playstation. The reasoning behind this, is that Squaresoft, and now Enix (which I hate with a fiery passion) seem to have the idea that a better game means it has better graphics, but lacks in other departments. Since Final Fantasy 3(6), I haven't found any of the stories that compelling, nor do I feel for any of them as much as I felt for the Dark Knight/Paladin Cecil, or his Dragoon companion, Kain. Or even the subtle, implied love story that made up two of the core characters in FF3/6, being Locke and Celes. As the games have progressed, I feel they have lost more and more of the story, with FF7 being passable, 8 losing quite a bit of credit, 9 putting it borderline, X making it too sappy/whiney, and X-2 ruining it.

AMEN!!! Just about as good a summing up of the series as I've heard. I'd especially agree with the 2(4) comment. That was the first game I ever played, and I've yet to find its equal in ANYTHING. I've never been able to figure out why, but there's just something about the 2(4) and 3(6) that just defined gaming. After those two, the higher the numbers get, the more useless the games themselves became. Yes, they're shinier, with prettier cutscenes, but the storylines degenerated into piles of brainless mush.

[Aegis]

Not only that, but the first series of Final Fantasy games were actually that, High Fantasy. Once 7 came about, it ruined the suspension of disbelief, and made it closer to home by including technology such as guns, cars andother such items that are out of place within the High Fantasy setting. It was Squaresoft begining to sell out, attempting to cater to the market that wanted these things, rather than staying true to what they had started off with, which was an amazing alternative to the fantasy provided by Dungeons and Dragons.

A mild attempt was made to return to their roots with projects such as Final Fantasy 9, Tactics and Crystal Chronicles, but aside from Tactics, those attempts, I feel, were poorly implemented, and it is reflected in the fact that they have not only returned to mixing of fantasy and machine, but they have created the first, ever, sequel to a game (which is another sad mark on the series).

I have loved the Final Fantasy games since their intial North American release (Yes, I played through them, as they were released, not after FF7, like so many, many people now interested in the series), and am saddened to see the decling of one of the greatest series of High Fantasy to ever grace a gaming platform.

[Robnark]

Originally Posted by Aegis

Not only that, but the first series of Final Fantasy games were actually that, High Fantasy. Once 7 came about, it ruined the suspension of disbelief, and made it closer to home by including technology such as guns, cars andother such items that are out of place within the High Fantasy setting. It was Squaresoft begining to sell out, attempting to cater to the market that wanted these things, rather than staying true to what they had started off with, which was an amazing alternative to the fantasy provided by Dungeons and Dragons.

in other words, damn them for daring to try to come up with an original setting. what the console really needs is a glut of generic fantasy RPGs of the kind that grace the PC.

humbug.

now, I can understand you not liking the change of setting, but there are plenty of technological thingummies in some of the earlier ones. frankly, I applaud their use of a more original setting, since I have had more than enough of bloody castles and all that in every SNES RPG ever. to be blunt, I always felt that the high fantasy of so many of the japanese RPGs was a bit cartoony and twee - which were my issues with FF9. and I know you really don't rate 7, but it is the only game in the whole series where the first few hours simply took my breath away. and maybe that doesn't make for happy fantasy fans, but that's not my problem. I like the feeling that they're making an effort.

innovation is not always a good thing - see the last few years of the series - but imagination is.

[Aegis]

There is nothing overly more original about the setting in the Final Fantasy games post 7 than there was in the original ones for the SNES. Not only that, but it is not the technology that makes an original setting (nor is that even the prime concern of mine when I play an RPG. For instance, I'm a huge fan of Square's Star Ocean games, which is highly futuristic). The thing is, though, look at the title of the series: 'Final Fantasy'. Square is selling the fantasy aspect of the game, yet moving away from the roots of high fantasy, to a more technocratic feel.

Now, that's not to say that high fantasy can't be mixed with technology, as Square has successfully done so, twice (and hopefully a third time), in my opinion. It was done quite well in Final Fantasy 3/6, and Final Fantasy Tactics (for Playstation), and hopefully, will be done again in Final Fantasy XII (which is set in Ivalice, the same setting as Tactics). Those three titles maintained the aspect of high fantasy (Swords and Sorcery), with intermingled technology (The Technocratic Empire in 3/6, the Engineers and lost technology in Tactics).

If it's a change of setting you want, though, there are other games that have done the more futuristic approach to RPG's, coincidently, some of them even produced by Sqaure. Not only that, but finding a true high fantasy RPG these days, that is not based around Dungeons and Dragons is becoming increasingly difficult. Even more so if you want a good one.

As for the innovation vs. imagination, yes, I agree. But innovation can be done with imagination, but I find very little imaginative when there is a level of development and civilization so closely linked to our own. Either go full out, or not at all. I don't like the feeling I'm merely playing a game world that merely has a different name, and some different worldly physics and miracles. (which is, coincidently, why I so hated playing Secret of Evermore, and to a lesser extent, Earthbound).