SPOILERS FOR: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X-2
With the recent release of Final Fantasy X-2, it seems that RPGs may venture into shaky territory - the realm of sequels. Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, Wild ARMs, Dragon Warrior, and several other series have continued by reimagining themselves with each installment, usually featuring an entirely new cast of characters (FF) or the same main characters, but with different stories and/or personalities (BoF). Now that Square-Enix has dipped their cup into the realm of true sequels - with the same characters in the same world - could we conceivably soon experience a sort of continuing mission of some of our favorite characters? And if so, is that really a good thing?
Let's start off with FF X-2. I must first let you know that I count Final Fantasy X as my favorite RPG thus far. As such, I had high hopes for FF X-2, and couldn't wait to play it - to see the 'real' ending to Tidus and Yuna's story. What I got was very good gameplay (in my opinion, the perfection of the ancient ATB battle system), an intruiging but sort-of annoying to use Dressphere system, mission-based gameplay (the verdict is still out on whether or not I cared for it - I go back and forth), and TONS of meaningless mini-games, all wrapped around a decent-but-could-have-been-about-70-times-better storyline. (I am intentionally ignoring the super-chick atmosphere of the first 10 hours of the game because I think it kind of made up for itself about half way through when *SPOILER* you fight Bahamut; after that the girly effervesence just sort of disappeared.) Although if you stick with the game long enough for the Sailor Moon-ness to go away, it actually does get better; however, I for one had much higher hopes for the sequel to my favorite game.
I think that this is the real issue: I'm pretty sure that somewhere out there, each game that has been part of one of the series mentioned above (and, of course, many others I didn't mention) is somebody's favorite game, which holds a special place in their heart (thanks to, dare I even say it, nostalgia...?). To create a sequel with fully-established characters may sound like a good idea, but that means that the characters must evolve into something they no longer are. If you are anything like me, you tend to view the character as they evolve into at the end of the game - the person they became by the games' end.
Take our buddy Cloud Strife (and his story, continuing in FFVII-2: Advent Children). Cloud started out as a pre-Squall "Whatever, I'm only in it for the money"-type, but throughout the game he grew tremendously (albeit in a pretty complicated manner, but I'm not complaining about that). By discovering his past, learning to rely on and love his friends, and by realizing that the danger presented threatened the Planet (and humanity as a whole), he learned to take the changes, troubles and revelations in stride and evloved into a true hero. Now we are presented with FFVII-2. What new adventures await Cloud and company? Is the dreaded villain Sephiroth really back? Will we get to see Midgar sprout its first leaf, as depicted at the very end of FFVII? Will we see Aeris (or perhaps Aerith)? Or, the most important question: will this movie -- not game, mind you -- apease fans of the game-format original?
One of the most common complaints I have heard about FFX-2 is, people didn't like to 'trudge' through Spira again - a virtually unaltered Spira, at that. Even though I didn't mind it that much, I don't blame them. Another is the almost inexplicable change that overcame Yuna. Whatever reason for it the storyline gave ("A new Yuna for a new Spira"), it just didn't fly with me (nor with many others). She was almost nothing like the person she was in Final Fantasy X. I understand the need to change her for the sequel, as I wouldn't particularly like to play the game if Yuna either hadn't developed or didn't develop at all between games and during the new game; however, that doesn't really justify sticking a completely foreign personality (with some of Yuna's mamories) into Yuna's body. The only "carry-over" character that hadn't changed wildly was Rikku (and maybe Donna). Everyone else had been altered in a way that I didn't find particularly tasteful. NPCs that helped you and were well-liked became almost untrustworthy, if not downright criminal, and characters you used in the first game became unreasonably weak (I don't care what anyone says - if Wakka can help defeat Sin, he can take on some random punk monster. What a joke). Blah! This isn't what I wanted to happen to the characters I love!
What I'm afraid of most with the sequel situation (hey, I like that) is that the characters we all know and love will change into characters we ...really don't care much for anymore. I have high expectations for Advent Children, but I'm convinced that it will be a success, mostly because it will only be about an hour long - long enough to continue (and maybe bring an ultimate close to) Final Fantasy VII, but just short enough to not render Cloud the newest cast member on Frasier, or some other such unreasonable change (that was just an example, by the way... but that would be funny... he he he).
The filp-side of this coin is that there are other sequels that have been made successfully, and without altering the essence of (or in some cases, even using) the original main characters. The best example is Chrono Cross. It took a twist on the original Chrono Trigger and made a new and intruiguing plotline from it. The only carry-over character was Glenn, sort of, and no obtursive changes were made to his character. Chrono Cross is one of a few proofs that RPG sequels can be successful - if they're done carefully.
So once more, please gimme some feedback. To all of you who left me some feedback from my last editorial (as well as the rebuttals to the same), it's always appreciated.
Thanks, and happy gaming!
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