Which Console should I buy?

[Tsyr]

Most of the FF games have been released for the Playstation... the ones that havn't, well... emulator, man. If it makes you feel better, buy the game off e-bay first.

 

[LightPhoenix]

FF9 was my favorite game in the entire series. I was especially happy that the protagonist (Zidane) wasn't a brooding, angsty whiner (Squall, anyone?). The only ones I haven't played are FF10 (due to not having a PS2), FF2, and FF3 (Those last two were NES titles that were released in Japan only).

I would have liked FF9 more (and did) until spoiler Disc 3, with all the Garland/clone/world-merging crap that just came out of nowhere. FF5 did multiple worlds and world-merging too, and did it much better.

There's a formula to the SNES RPGs that Square (and others) made that I think appeals to a lot of people and reaches a happy medium. The first half or so of the game is fairly linear, but then about halfway through it becomes fairly open-ended. You see this with other Square RPGs too - Chrono Trigger especially. FF5 is really the notable exception - though it had the best storyline of that era, IMO.

I mean, who hasn't wanted to beat FF6 with just Celes, Edgar, and Setzer?

FF10 especially just really railroads you down the plot. And it goes by really quick - I was at the end of the game after fifteen to twenty hours (not sure the exact time, been a while). True, I didn't do any of the annoying "side quests" which are just dumb and frustrating, and do nothing to further the story. But that's because they're dumb, and frustrating, and pointless.

I've been a fan of the Final Fantasy games for about 13 years now (ever since I played FF1 on the NES). Although they tend to be extremely linear and don't give you many chances to affect the plot, they almost always have memorable characters, deep and involving storylines, awesome soundtracks, and fun gameplay.

Yeah, memorable like Rikku or Yuna, or Rinoa, or Squall, all of whom I wanted to die. Not to mention the goofy guys like Quina, and Amarant, the blackhole of 2D character development, let alone 3D.

But there have been a few memorable ones.

I too have played FF since the beginning, and have even played fan-translations of FF2 and FF3. By the way, FF2 blew, FF3 wasn't too bad though. My problem is that after 13 or so years of FF, there just isn't anything innovative about the game any more. Battles remain the giant click-fests they were 13 years ago with very minor permutations (ATB being the most significant). Strategy in the game is almost non-existant. Random battles are nothing but a frustrating hold-over from the NES days when there wasn't enough memory to have enemies you see (a la Chrono Trigger, for example). I've seen all the permutations of levelling systems (and FF5's remains my favorite, though I don't think any have gotten it perfect yet). Chocobos and Moogles are nothing new. Bishonen bad guys are nothing new. Self-sacrificng female leads are nothing new. Hell, they didn't even bother changing the general appearance of the main female lead from FF8 on. The storylines have all been relatively the same, and relatively simplistic. And I'm really sick of bad guys who aren't bad. Kefka kicked major butt because he was evil and sadistic, and you got to take him down. Everyone else is a pale imitation.

For all that Square claims to be trying new things with the FF series, they're really not innovating at all. The sense of wonder and excitement I had playing FF1 is gone. It's because I look at the main ten games, and I realize I'm playing the same game I was playing when I was ten years old.

Now, I have some hopes for FF12, because the lady (I think it's a lady) from Vagrant Story, FFT and FFTA is now in charge of development. If nothing else that promises to be at least a more involving story. I'm hoping they finally do away with random battles (though I doubt it) and I'm hoping they finally make battles challenging by requiring strategy, and not just uber-stats.

 

[RyanL]

As an interlude to the Final Fantasy bashing, there is a new FF game "Crystal Chronicle" coming out for Gamecube early next year. It looks to be a big departure from the standard FF format. Who knows, it may be good. Though, I've read that the focus is on coop multiplayer, which isn't really my bag.

-Ryan

 

[Shard O'Glase]

FF9 was my favorite game in the entire series. I was especially happy that the protagonist (Zidane) wasn't a brooding, angsty whiner (Squall, anyone?). The only ones I haven't played are FF10 (due to not having a PS2), FF2, and FF3 (Those last two were NES titles that were released in Japan only).

I've been a fan of the Final Fantasy games for about 13 years now (ever since I played FF1 on the NES). Although they tend to be extremely linear and don't give you many chances to affect the plot, they almost always have memorable characters, deep and involving storylines, awesome soundtracks, and fun gameplay.

Squall is like the perfect exmple of where I feel the FF series has gone wrong. Zidane was a good character but I don't think he could save the story. And don't wory about FF10 or 10-2, if you didn't like squall's broodng, angsty, whiner crap you wont like FF10 characters.

I want to see what FF chronicles is about, and if they changed the team lead for FF12 who knows it may be good. Though the main character looks way to effeminite and from just looks I get a stronger whiner, ansty feeling than even with squall.

 

[WizarDru]

So, to summarize then, the reason that Final Fantasy I-VI are better is because of the story, and not mechanical reasons (other than a lack of new design elements or features), is that it? Because it sounds like a dislike for individual characters and for story turns is the main complaint....which is fine, I just want to make sure that I'm not missing some major game element problem.

 

[Alcareru]

Just to steer back to NWN, i dint really like it. Being a lone hero didnt do it for me after BG1 and 2.

However, KOTOR is alot like BG in spirit even if it uses a modified NWN engine. Its not the prettiest game but nice looking and the NPC and party members are all interesting with plenty of Baldurs Gate inter party bickering.

And to add my 2 cents on FF, I got hooked with FF7. I never really owned a SNES. I dont particulary like the angsty stuff, or sometimes overly melodramatic themes in FF and other Japanese rpgs. But i love the charm and uniqueness of FF which brings me back again and again.

I also dislked FF8- there wasnt any protaginist I got hooked by.

 

[drothgery]

So, to summarize then, the reason that Final Fantasy I-VI are better is because of the story, and not mechanical reasons (other than a lack of new design elements or features), is that it? Because it sounds like a dislike for individual characters and for story turns is the main complaint....which is fine, I just want to make sure that I'm not missing some major game element problem.

I rather hope no one's saying that. Because FFI didn't have much of a story (and II and III, though I haven't played them, were also NES games, so I don't think they had much more of a story than I), and IV was suprisingly deep for a game that could be finished in less fifteen hours (I'm no expert, and I managed it) ... but it's still a very short, and rather linear game.

 

[Welverin]

down with smilies

Nemesis, what did I do to deserve that?

Anyway, the point of that post wasn’t FF sucks or the PS2 isn’t worth getting, but that pc and console rpg’s are significantly different and liking one doesn’t mean you’ll like the other, therefore JRRNeiklot shouldn’t base his purchase on that fact. You might as well say BG2 is a good game so you should get Rayman 2, another good game.

 

[John Crichton]

Nemesis, what did I do to deserve that?

I was just joshin' with ya, man.

Anyway, the point of that post wasn’t FF sucks or the PS2 isn’t worth getting, but that pc and console rpg’s are significantly different and liking one doesn’t mean you’ll like the other, therefore JRRNeiklot shouldn’t base his purchase on that fact. You might as well say BG2 is a good game so you should get Rayman 2, another good game.

I totally got what you were saying. However, that the RPGs were good wasn't my entire point. I would not base purchasing a console on one genre (or suggest one). I said PS2 was my suggestion because while it is getting a little old it has the best selection of quality games and the most comfy controller along with a flexible online system.

And yes, the RPGs for consoles and PCs are different but they are similar in that they are in the same genre. Add in different parts of that genre, namely strategy RPGs (which the GBA is getting a nice library of I've started to notice) and you have elements of the games decribed by the initial poster that are close to games he already likes.

 

[WizarDru]

Just to steer back to NWN, i dint really like it. Being a lone hero didnt do it for me after BG1 and 2.

Any game that I'm still playing after a year is pretty good, IMHO. I assume when you say "lone hero", you mean playing alone without total control of your henchman, correct?

Because I can barely think of playing NWN by myself, the same way that I thought the main campaign provided was terrible, story-wise. Some of the community modules made Bioware's efforts look pathetic by comparison (which led to some of them being hired). Playing multi-player is, to me, what makes NWN so great.

A question I might ask is: does JRRN actually want a console at all? All of the games he listed have little or no analog on the console world, other than maybe Deus Ex 2, Morrowind (which he didn't like) and KOTOR (which it sounds like he won't like, as well). In short, I'm not sure if getting a console is worth his money in the same way that, say, a new video card might be. If he isn't enamored of any of the types of games that consoles do best, it sounds like he may be unhappy, no matter which console he gets.