R P G A M E R . C O M   -   E D I T O R I A L S

Is Ignorance Really Bliss?

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Andy B
FAN EDITORIALIST

Maybe really ignorance is bliss. No, it's really not. That is unless the series that first hooked me onto RPG's is thrown completely out of whack!! The notion that a binding tie lies within the Final Fantasy series is indeed impressively deduced from the existence of the Crystal, Jenova and the birth of the Ancients. Impressive but somewhat disturbing upon given thought to. As far as the Saga of Final Fantasy game is concerned it has always been the fact that it is void of any crucial connection from one game to the next that I feel has made each game the individual piece of art that they are.

A universal connection between the games would prove detrimental to the individual merits that each one has gained on their own standing. Imagine knowing that the sorceresses' powers were granted by Jenova or that Sin was manifested through some act of a higher supreme evil. The strength of each games individual accomplishments and individual evils is thrown completely out of proportion.

Now, obviously the series has its staples. Whether its a chocobo related side quest, Cid, or Wedge and Biggs popping up there are always moments that make me reminisce upon fond memories of a prior installment(one of my personal favorites was when Zidane elduded to Cloud and Squall during the on-stage production in his ending sequence). Nonetheless, thankfully there has never been events from one game having an impact on curcial events in a future game.

My beliefs on this issue were confirmed by my X-2 experince. To be honest I really don't know what I was hoping to experience but I found it painful to re-explore a world that I had allready exhausted all exploring time on in FFX. I simply did't want to re-visit these areas with my new group of girl-powered associates(I know two-thirds of the party should be familiar but you can't even argue that they were the same). There was something about walking into the Macalania Woods that just made me want to turn the game off and pretend I had never treaded those grounds without Tidus.

When saying that I find the concept disturbing it is because I get to thinking about this true FINAL fantasy game that would wrap up the series and connect the plot behind the plots and I can only think of the colossal let down we would be in for. What if we are presented with a game where we have to revist every planet, ever world and I'm put through the torture of having to revisit Spira again. And I know I couldn't just ignore the possibility that If I don't re-examine every inch of the city of Esther again or re-play hours of frustrating games at the Gold Saucer that I may miss something that couled hinder my completing the game.

The series will end some day, but I honestly hope that it's not with a game like this. The sheer magnitutde of a game that would be required to connect the world's of Final Fantasy makes me believe that Square-Enix(all the credit to them) would be setting us up for disappointment.

No, I think that I'd be a happier man never knowing that Rinoa and Yuffie's worlds are somehow connected or that Cid Highwind may pilot the Ragnarok at some point. Kingdom Hearts was hard enough for me to accept long enough to get through(I simply entered a state of denial that these things ever occurred upon completion). So if Square-Enix has all along intended some universal plot connection between their masterpieces, please everyone, just don't tell me about it!