When RPGs Sell Out

by kidmigaru

Actually, Squaresoft isn't new to the game. Even way back in the early days of SNES, Squaresoft sacrificed the integrity of the Final Fantasy series (can you say Mystic Quest?) in an attempt to bring U.S. gamers into the genre. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work, but some loyal RPGers began to lose their faith. This time around, with FF7 and FF8, a new wave of criticism has risen: advanced graphics have killed the RPG.

I must admit, I'm disappointed. Quite obviously, new RPGs boast of better graphics more than anything else, overshadowing what used to make an RPG - a great storyline, intriguing characters, and fun gameplay. Almost all the hype about new games centers on screenshots and video clips. I'm reminded of the movie industry. Yes, that's exactly what it reminds me of. Think about the popular criticism of movies now: they're dominated by oh-so-cool special effects. Just like the movies, RPGs have traded in the story element for visual oohs and ahs. And again like the movies, companies (especially Squaresoft) have been trying to speed up production - just how many Squaresoft RPGs are coming out this summer or fall? Of course, you always lose something in the battle of quantity versus quality.

Let's take a look, shall we? It seems that FF7 sparked this revolution, continuing with FF8 and the releases this year. FF7 certainly brought new RPGers into the market, while offending some already loyal ones in the process (personally, I'm not a FF7-hater; I thought it was an excellent game). Its success seemed to be based on its visual hype, and consequently companies figured that gamers wanted more visuals over anything. Now, even with the barrage of RPGs being released, I can't seem to find one good enough. FF8 was great visually, as it advertised, but lacked the great storyline that the Final Fantasy series is usually known for. At least I enjoyed the gameplay, but I still feel it was slightly inferior to FF7's (okay, okay, I did find the Triple Triad side game more fun than the side games in FF7). Vagrant Story was my biggest disappointment. The graphics were terrific, the engine-driven scenes were wonderful, but I found the gameplay terrible. The story was at least intriguing, but it moved too slowly for my tastes. I'll save my full Vagrant Story bashing for another time, so let's move on.

I took a look at the demo disc that came with Vagrant Story. While it wasn't enough to form an opinion on how good the games were, I could still detect the emphasis on stunning graphics. The Chrono Cross preview didn't even show a single screenshot of the actual game, just like the Legend of Dragoon commercial you see on TV. Games are trying to be sold solely on the appearance of their cut scenes or intro movies, instead of how much actual entertainment you get. People talk about games they want to get because they "look nice." Oh, they haven't heard anything about the game's playability, but it just looks so darn wonderful.

My last frustration is the attempt to feed off the success of previous RPGs, when the new games only seem to focus on better graphics, instead of on continuing the tradition of the series. Off the top of my head, there are at least twelve or so RPG sequels released or being released this year; again, I think of the movies. If this turns out to be anything like movie sequels (prequels included!), then there'll be a fair share of disappointments. Fortunately, I've at least heard that Legend of Mana is worth it, but I certainly won't be holding my breath for the rest of them.

After all of this, I can't expect things to return to the way it used to be. Graphics are the big thing now, and maybe it'll be worth it in the end. All I'm hoping for at this point is some sign of an RPG salvation. I have yet to decide whether FF9's return to tradition is a good thing, but at least it's some sort of start.