Final Fantasy Quality

by Adam vS

I'm getting a bit agitated. The reason is that there are so many people out there who keep complaining.

Up until the release of FFVIII, FFVII has been 'bad'. Why? Well, "cryptic story-line and no character development". Wasn't that right? I never did agree with these statements. They are false to the bone. FFVII had enormous character development - much more than previous FF's. It is true that it had a cryptic storyline, but what is wrong with that? It is a 'style', not a 'flaw'. Now, FFVIII is out. What do I hear? 'FFVII was so much better!! The storyline was much more involving and mysterious!!' and things like that. Note how the 'bad' things about FFVII are now the 'good' things that FFVIII lack. Think about it. ..... Are you done? It's silly, isn't it.

About FF music, there is not much to be said. Or actually, there is too much too be said. It's about personal taste. The fact is that the style of the music has changed - from fantasy to modern. Personally, I prefer fantasy-style music, but that is irrelevant. FFVII's and FFVIII's music fitted their respective stories. Just as the previous did. That is a fact. Now, which one is the better? Impossible to answer. It is not a fact. We all have opinions. I have one, which I have already stated. Every one of you has opinions. That is what determines which one is the better. Both are good, since they fit their stories. But which one can I sit down and only listen for the beauty of the music? Think about it, and you'll see what I mean.

About the settings, well...I have played FFIV, FFVI, FFVII, and FFVIII. I can only speak of those games. FFI, II, III, and V are unknown to me. FFA is not out yet, I believe.

FFIV - Fantasy setting. Pure fantasy setting. Very cheerful and happy. Almost too cheerful...
FFVI - Several elements of fantasy, mixed with technology. However, I would like to say only one word: 'gloomy'. That is the game in a nutshell.
FFVII - Dark, but not like FFVI - there is a difference between 'darkness' and 'tragedy'. Semi-futuristic - some things are more hi-tech, and vice versa. Almost no fantasy.
FFVIII - A happy atmosphere. It is extremely realistic. Aside from Esthar, which is the Utopia of futurism. There really isn't any fantasy at all here.

My OPINION on this matter is that the perfect setting and style would be 'diverse' and 'balanced'. By 'diverse', I mean an extremely varied world. There would be powerful magic and mysterious races, but there would also be spaceships and hi-tech-cities. By 'balanced', I mean that there should be the right amount of each side. Basically, FFVIII with a lot of fantasy. Fantasy is totally absent from FFVIII, and almost as much in FFVII. I can't think of one fantasy-like thing in FFVIII. Ok, I admit, there are 'some'. But 'some' is a key word here. If you want to find fantasy in FFVIII, you must think really hard. The same goes for FFVII. FFVII even had a semi-logic explanation to magic. Whether this is good or bad, is up to personal taste. I prefer 'diversity' and 'balance', but I have no problem with FFVIII's hi-tech world - even if the style is not your no.1 choice, the game may very well be your favorite - because it is so well made. The greatest joy is of course if it features one's own favorite style, but FF's are different from each other. I have the knowledge that all future FF's will not be like this. How do I know this? Final Fantasy doesn't stick to on style. It changes. That was one of the main objectives when they started the series, and that is why each FF has its own world and characters. We never know what to expect from what is to come. All we know is that it will be good.

When it comes to 'cheerful' vs 'gloomy', one must remember this: FFVI and FFVII are the ones that are generally CONSIDERED 'gloomy'. However, while FFVI was indeed tragic at times, FFVII is not. FFVII is dark and mysterious. It is not tragic. The difference is hard to see, but it is there. Try looking a bit harder.

Battle and Magic systems have changed as well. Personally, I feel that FFVII's battles felt more complete than FFVIII's. I will pass on speaking my opinion about which is the preferable Magic system. None were really bad.

When looking at 'facts', there really aren't any real flaws or errors in any of these games. There are some exceptions, IF one counts the greater majority (90% and up) as 'fact'. For instance, FFIV's inability to deal with death.

If the rumors are true, FFIX will feature a new composer to work together with Uematsu. It is said that the music will be fantasy style.

Try to look forward to what's up ahead. And think before you speak. If you count the number of bashings towards FF's, and compare them to the increasing numbers of sold copies with every new game, you'll know that almost all FFVII/FFVIII-bashers haven't thought themselves through. Please do so.