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Episode 28 - Final Fantasy
Actually, having a PSX as your first system is not the requirement for appreciating 7-10.
In fact, the prerequisite for bashing any particular game is to be a fanboy or elitist, but, more importantly, to have not particularly given the matter much thought, and have simply parted ways with the series.
After playing 1-6 (in the order you'd expect, 1,4,6,5,2,3), I bought a PSX. I essentially missed out on the entire N64/PSX generation of video games, including FF7, so I bought FF8 first (as an impulse buy, it was cheap). I was quite stunned. It's probably only because I'd never played 7. I did know the plot inconsistencies (we're ALL from the same orphanage???) were stupid, but I liked ff8 for the same reason anyone likes any final fantasy: because it reminds you of how cool it *could* be.
Because, let's face it, we all wanted more from those games. We wanted to see movies or anime made of them, because we wanted to see more of the good stuff: the dialog and character interactions. The plots were just plots, and they were fine. The combat is FF; once you've played one, you've played them all, and once you've played the best (aka your personal favorite), all other combat systems aren't so good. We wanted to see, say, Advent Children, but back when we were fanboy kids who could have really gotten a kick out of it.
I was convinced to play 9 much later, and didn't like it much, but some of the setting elements were nice. That was an FF to watch being played. (Whereas, in all honesty, FF8 was an FF to watch the FMVs, then put away).
I played the bejeezus out of FFX, because I had nothing better to do. But I've got to say, it was probably the best Final Fantasy, because it fully and unabashedly realized the FF genre. It used the same melodramatic character hooks and plot lines that FF4 and 6 used, but has the advantage of much more realistic imagery and sound, including voice acting. Yes, that matters.
In the end, FFX was powerful (for a video game), but still had its FF idiosyncrasies that remind me so much of George Lucas' Star Wars prequel decisions. Sin, the villain in FFX, started the game as this massive ball of water, this colossal force of nature that destroyed the decadent. Cool. How do you fight that? Apparently, when it becomes a giant whale who is also your father. A giant whale. I had enough of those in FF4, thanks.
But that's just it. The coolness of FF4 is marred by giant whales and a pile of meaningless sacrifices. FF6 was pretty solid, but you wanted so much more interaction between certain characters. FF7 had the fucking Gold Saucer, omgwtfbarbecue. Yet they were cool. The point is, it's all about how good they *could* be, how good they were in your imagination; it's like reading a book. The games with marginally tolerable combat were more fun than those without, because it was all about the plot and characters. There are better, less repetitive fantasy combat games (like d&d).
Now 12? Fuck 12 because it's so late. I'll probably play it, but I've long since lost any sort of fanboy enthusiasm for FF games. Oh yeah, and they completely lost my (and everyone's) trust with the MMO bullshit that was FF 11. It's a shame that they are modeling a single-player RPG's combat after an MMO, but outside the intellectual differences, it is what it is: yet another FF game, with all the latest Squeenix sensibilities in mind. The magic of FF is forever gone, mostly because it simply isn't new anymore, and we simply aren't that young anymore. But I'm sure Square could create something cool and new if they cared to.
Instead, they seem to be wringing every last yen/cent out of their existing IP. Welcome to gaming.
(Instead of reading this long post, you could also read that well-worded article on the paradox of ultra-genrification vs. tiny, creative games nobody buys. Scott linked it many moons ago. I think it was related to the Revolution, or at least Nintendo's whole idiom. It deserves another link, if such a thing can be found.)
In fact, the prerequisite for bashing any particular game is to be a fanboy or elitist, but, more importantly, to have not particularly given the matter much thought, and have simply parted ways with the series.
After playing 1-6 (in the order you'd expect, 1,4,6,5,2,3), I bought a PSX. I essentially missed out on the entire N64/PSX generation of video games, including FF7, so I bought FF8 first (as an impulse buy, it was cheap). I was quite stunned. It's probably only because I'd never played 7. I did know the plot inconsistencies (we're ALL from the same orphanage???) were stupid, but I liked ff8 for the same reason anyone likes any final fantasy: because it reminds you of how cool it *could* be.
Because, let's face it, we all wanted more from those games. We wanted to see movies or anime made of them, because we wanted to see more of the good stuff: the dialog and character interactions. The plots were just plots, and they were fine. The combat is FF; once you've played one, you've played them all, and once you've played the best (aka your personal favorite), all other combat systems aren't so good. We wanted to see, say, Advent Children, but back when we were fanboy kids who could have really gotten a kick out of it.
I was convinced to play 9 much later, and didn't like it much, but some of the setting elements were nice. That was an FF to watch being played. (Whereas, in all honesty, FF8 was an FF to watch the FMVs, then put away).
I played the bejeezus out of FFX, because I had nothing better to do. But I've got to say, it was probably the best Final Fantasy, because it fully and unabashedly realized the FF genre. It used the same melodramatic character hooks and plot lines that FF4 and 6 used, but has the advantage of much more realistic imagery and sound, including voice acting. Yes, that matters.
In the end, FFX was powerful (for a video game), but still had its FF idiosyncrasies that remind me so much of George Lucas' Star Wars prequel decisions. Sin, the villain in FFX, started the game as this massive ball of water, this colossal force of nature that destroyed the decadent. Cool. How do you fight that? Apparently, when it becomes a giant whale who is also your father. A giant whale. I had enough of those in FF4, thanks.
But that's just it. The coolness of FF4 is marred by giant whales and a pile of meaningless sacrifices. FF6 was pretty solid, but you wanted so much more interaction between certain characters. FF7 had the fucking Gold Saucer, omgwtfbarbecue. Yet they were cool. The point is, it's all about how good they *could* be, how good they were in your imagination; it's like reading a book. The games with marginally tolerable combat were more fun than those without, because it was all about the plot and characters. There are better, less repetitive fantasy combat games (like d&d).
Now 12? Fuck 12 because it's so late. I'll probably play it, but I've long since lost any sort of fanboy enthusiasm for FF games. Oh yeah, and they completely lost my (and everyone's) trust with the MMO bullshit that was FF 11. It's a shame that they are modeling a single-player RPG's combat after an MMO, but outside the intellectual differences, it is what it is: yet another FF game, with all the latest Squeenix sensibilities in mind. The magic of FF is forever gone, mostly because it simply isn't new anymore, and we simply aren't that young anymore. But I'm sure Square could create something cool and new if they cared to.
Instead, they seem to be wringing every last yen/cent out of their existing IP. Welcome to gaming.
(Instead of reading this long post, you could also read that well-worded article on the paradox of ultra-genrification vs. tiny, creative games nobody buys. Scott linked it many moons ago. I think it was related to the Revolution, or at least Nintendo's whole idiom. It deserves another link, if such a thing can be found.)
Comments
However, if you are king cheapo you can get a used original GBA for like $5 or $10. Then get a replacement screen from nintendo (since it will probably be scratched up) for like $2. I still vote for the DS though.
Though the PSX game is better then the GBA game. Is it possible for them to release a PSX-age game on the Ninetendo DS?
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6.aspx
but you can also get
http://www.shurestore.com/earphones/index.html
or any other sound isolating in-ear headphones. You can also get big headphones if you want, or anything with real noise cancelling technology in it. Anything that lets in outside noise will hurt your ears because you have to turn the volume way up to hear the music over the outside noises. Make sure you keep the volume down once you switch.