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Disclaimer: I will try to avoid spoilers, but a few minor details may be disclosed. The Final Fantasy series has been forming some noticeable trends since its inception in the 80ās. These tendencies are split, half toward improvement, and half headed in the wrong direction. The result is that each title, while often vastly different in gameplay, boasts little or no overall improvement over the last. This can obviously be noted by taking a poll of fans. Nearly half would denote FFVII as their favorite, about a third would say FFVIII, and a small portion FFIX. Even FFVI still has a faithful base of fans that would call it the greatest RPG ever to grace America. Letās explore the reasons for this: Good trends of the Final Fantasy series: Graphics ö This is one area in which gamers can count on the series to continually push the envelope. Obviously the switch from eight to sixteen, and then thirty-two bits would make for progressively more visually impressive sequels. This aside, Squaresoft has still continually outdone itself, creating pre-rendered backgrounds for each PlayStation title that somehow show that room for improvement DID, in fact, exist. While FFVII introduced CG cut scenes, FFVIII grafted them seamlessly into the game. Who wasnāt blown away when Squall and company climbed atop the Forest Owlās train, only to see the scene suddenly becomes a CG movie in the same "take?" Dialogue ö This is not to be confused with plot, for every FF has excelled in that category. However, the actual speech used by the characters has gone from awkward to eloquent. The case in point is the at-times bizarre translation of FFVI. While the language was not so mangled as to make the story incomprehensible, the characters simply did not talk like normal people. Sabin would often sputter out some meaningless statement like "Oh, this is just..." Even a slight amount of this lingered as far as FFVIII, where the heroes would occasionally make an eccentric statement (i.e. Squall: "Yeah, you wouldnāt normally jump off of a cliff.") FFIX showed us magnificent dialogue only topped by perhaps Chrono Cross. Characterization ö This is a big one. Look far back to the original FF for the NES. The Light Warriors never spoke. Character development equals zero. That is understandable, though, given the time. Final Fantasy was still the greatest RPG of the 80ās. If you have played either of the Japanese FFās (II, III), youāll note the gradual grafting of characterization, which made a sudden jump in FFIV. Still, I was disappointed with FFVIās characters. Could anyone say that any party member was a hothead, a joker, or a cynic? Basically all fourteen members fit into slight variations of one of two categories: the cookie cutter RPG supporting hero (since even though a case can be made for Terra, the game truly lacks a central character), or the meaningless gag character (Gogo, Umaro, Gau, etc.) FFVIII developed each character to a much greater extent, but in an extremely stereotypical fashion. The guys each represent one of the three prejudiced personality quirks of men: insensitivity, rashness, and hypersexuality. Add to that Selphieās bimbo personality, and Quistis is the most admirable of the six. Although FFIXās characters were cute and colorful, they were surprisingly developed in a mature way, with even Vivi adding deep insight to the storyline. The only character that doesnāt seem to fit in is Quina. Bad trends of the Final Fantasy series: Customizability ö The ability of the player to decide what abilities to learn, what statistics to develop, and what powers to acquire grew steadily and peaked in FFVIII before taking a nosedive. This was the bane of FFIX. Squaresoft apparently did too much in response to the complaints that the Junction system was confusing, throwing FFIX backwards. The game can be summed up in one word: simplicity. While this has a certain advantage in that it is easy to learn, it also becomes boring much faster. Included in this section is the single worst feature of FFIX: the trance system. The player cannot even control when a limit break is executed! How many times have you built up your trance meter for a boss fight, only to be hit by an imp for 12 damage? "Now I have to use Solution 9 on this hedgehog pie," Iād think to myself. "Oh, well... At least Iāll get to see what the animation looks like." Side Quests ö While FFIV dabbled in this feature, rewarding diligent players with additional summons, FFVI was truly a monument to side quests. The entire second half of the game offered dozens of extra missions, and quality ones at that. The side quests of FFVI consisted of raiding underground castles and star-shaped mountains, even traversing through a characterās dreams! Examining a rock with a chocobo, and then fighting some big, colorful ball pales in comparison to the precedent already established. What on earth happened to sidequests? FFVII still had a good number of them. The Gelnika offered a good challenge, not to mention fighting hundreds of magic pots to level up Cloudās materia for a potential showdown with WEAPON. And who could forget solving puzzles with frogs and flies in the Lost Forest? It was FFVIII that began to phase out sidequests. The only actual new area that can be considered an additional target for stalwart explorers is the Deep-Sea Research Facility. Even this is missing from FFIX. The chocograph minigame was fun, but only opened up small, one-room areas, no huge labyrinth that led to finding an ethereal boss or hidden character. Challenge ö There is more to challenge than level building, as FFVI taught us. I for one never gave an incredible amount of consideration to my current level in any game from there on in the series. Nonetheless, there was a certain challenging feel to FFVI, a feel that was retained, and even enhanced in FFVII. The WEAPONs put that game over the top in the challenge department. They demanded the player to come up with something more than simply levels, such as linking KOTR with HP-Absorb and Counter Command with Mime (hehe... thatās my secret.) FFVIII was easy if the player knew how to use the junction system to its limits. The game also rewarded Triple Triad masters with all-too powerful weapons and spells early in the game. Still, some challenge was salvaged with the powerful last boss, and the two WEAPONs. The challenge ended there. FFIX is an upside-down game. It starts out tough; the most frustratingly difficult battle in the game is with Beatrix! Then the farther the game proceeds, the easier it becomes. Instead of rewarding the player with plot twists and/or hidden characters, the few side quests of FFIX punish the player by making the characters too strong, giving them weapons so powerful that even the last boss canāt survive more than a few rounds. Squaresoft knows what it is doing. They define the business. I am of all Final Fantasy fans, among the most avid, so when I criticize this series, it is not because I didnāt enjoy every singe moment of all nine games, but rather out of a desire to keep pushing this amazing company to new ground breaking levels. I have total confidence that Final Fantasy X will surpass every predecessor in all six of the categories named in this piece. Take your time, Mr. Sakaguchi. Iām expecting a masterpiece. ERAU QSSI DLRO WEHTNotes:  |
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