FFXIII-2

[Nevex]

To be honest, the only thing about FFVII that keeps my interest to this day is the materia system. I actually like experimenting overpowered combos and humiliate bosses early game.

But everything else, I dunno, it seems like every other FF that came after VII outclasses it. VIII and IX have more addicting (and fun) minigames, XIII has a more developed cast (ALL the playable characters in FFXIII have an important role in the plot, instead of just Cloud/Tifa/Aerith/Barret), XII has a plot that isn't about saving the world from a great evil which is very refreshing for a FF game, X has more intense and challening postgame fights, X-2 and XIII have better battle systems, IX has better art (the Desert Palace alone looks better than anything in FFVII, and it's not just because of the better graphics).
The quality of the plot and music are mostly subjective matter so it's pointless to argue over them.
FFVII is more like a jack of all trades and master of none.

[solracht]

XIII have better battle systems,

Had me until here.

[Hyan]

Had me until here.

Yeah up until that point I thought he was joking. Truest shit ever.

[idklol]

Oh come on, the story was the best thing the game had going for it. I'd rank the story right behind VII's. Maybe it was just too complex for some people.

Like i said only my opinion. I think it was the characters more than anything and i can't really explain what it was about them but i just don't like them as a whole. Trying to be too main stream? Can't see to put my finger on what it is.

As for the gameplay i'd put it down to the fast pace of the game. I prefer to feel like i'm playing the game and not the game playing itself.

[SephYuyX]

Crisis Core was a fun game.

[Katlan]

Had me until here.

Because somebodys opinion has to dictate about how you feel about a game or series? Seriously, ppl need to stop bashing others because of their own personal opinion.. Shits tiresome to read

[Takiwaki]

Bring back an open explorable overworld, larger parties, and awesome characters that added to the story like FF6, and I will be happy. I absolutely loved when you got a new party member, with all new abilities and backstory. I am biased toward ff6, I think it was one of the best in the series by miles, but that is was got me hooked on FF, followed by crono trigger. I always wondered why they never brought combos into the FF series. /sad

[Hyan]

yeahh man overworld will be the shit. especially with all these other free roam games around.

makes me all nostalgic about lost odyssey. that game's open world rivaled skyrim

then we can be all like "gee this walking is so bor-OMG AN AIRSHIP I DID NOT SEE THIS COMING WOW" all over again.

[Takiwaki]

yeahh man overworld will be the shit. especially with all these other free roam games around.

makes me all nostalgic about lost odyssey. that game's open world rivaled skyrim

then we can be all like "gee this walking is so bor-OMG AN AIRSHIP I DID NOT SEE THIS COMING WOW" all over again.

how about transforming under ground moving castles. Or when you finally fitted the wings onto the epoch in crono. ahh the good old days!

[Hyan]

yeah man minds will be blown. itll be exactly like it was back then no doubt.

[Sephiroth]

I don't think you can compare XIII's battle system with VII's, it's like comparing apples and oranges. Two completely different things. The materia system seemed better than what they tried with VIII, IX and X however but it was flawed in that certain combinations made you pretty much invincible. The game was too easy. You could set up a few actions at the start of Emerald Weapon fight, come back 15 minutes later to input a few more and find him almost dead. That kind of gameplay might have seemed cool at the time, but these days it would be seen as retarded. That was as challenging as the game got. The only hard part was figuring out which materia to put in which slots, not the fights themselves.

VII has gone down in my opinion over the past few years or so. Still my favourite but what made it so good was mostly due to the timing of its release, introducing many new technologies that I'd never seen in a game before. The story was also great, along with the music. But everything else I'd rate games like XII and XIII better at. VII was good for its time but if it were released today it wouldn't get rated anywhere near as high.

[idklol]

VII was good for its time but if it were released today it wouldn't get rated anywhere near as high.

I think thats a kinda unfair assesment. In the same sentiment would 13 of sold anywhere near as many if it were not for the success of its predecessors? Not only that but society and the gaming culture were very much different at the time of both releases. Look at how well 7 did in a time were gaming was only just starting to "take off" during the PS1 era and look now where gaming is the norm and considered a lot more "cool" and "the thing to do".

I don't mean to sound negative or come across to be nit-picking. Everyone's got their preference, i just get the impression as far as this discusions going 7s not getting a fair deal.

[Ayn]

I think thats a kinda unfair assesment. In the same sentiment would 13 of sold anywhere near as many if it were not for the success of its predecessors?

That's a very good point that I think some people overlook. Another example I can think of is Magna Carta 2: Even though the second game is nothing like the first one, and ten times better than the first game (I liked both), many people had such a bad experience with the first that I imagine they passed it over. Similar things can be noted of Hyperdimension Neptunia.

It's also hard to assess some of these games fairly based on where we were at in our lives then versus now: For one, there weren't nearly as many RPGs available then as there are now. And heck, even if there were, I'm not sure if many people here would have had access to them to be pickier (in terms of having a job that could pay for them or being able to download them as easily).

I think both are good games in their own rights, but (I'm sure I'm getting repetitive here), I think part of what annoyed people about 13 was how it turned out for being so long in development.

The discussion's interesting though and it pinpoints one of the key things about FF games -- most of them try something different or put a slight spin on things they've tried before. It's pretty rare for me, at least, to hear people say they completely hated every component about <insert FF game here> (unless it's 8; that seems to be a popular one to hate on). . there's usually -something- about them people like, if not the game as a whole.

[Elcura]

yeah man minds will be blown. itll be exactly like it was back then no doubt.

I remember when I got my first airship. I said, "Hey cool, I got an airship."

[miokomioko]

how about transforming under ground moving castles. Or when you finally fitted the wings onto the epoch in crono. ahh the good old days!

http://www.videogamesprites.net/Brea...20Township.gif

mmmmmmm best secret ever

[arus2001]

Man, I don't miss the days of paying $80 for a cartridge RPG. x.x

[Lordender]

That's a very good point that I think some people overlook. Another example I can think of is Magna Carta 2: Even though the second game is nothing like the first one, and ten times better than the first game (I liked both), many people had such a bad experience with the first that I imagine they passed it over. Similar things can be noted of Hyperdimension Neptunia.

It's also hard to assess some of these games fairly based on where we were at in our lives then versus now: For one, there weren't nearly as many RPGs available then as there are now. And heck, even if there were, I'm not sure if many people here would have had access to them to be pickier (in terms of having a job that could pay for them or being able to download them as easily).

I think both are good games in their own rights, but (I'm sure I'm getting repetitive here), I think part of what annoyed people about 13 was how it turned out for being so long in development.

The discussion's interesting though and it pinpoints one of the key things about FF games -- most of them try something different or put a slight spin on things they've tried before. It's pretty rare for me, at least, to hear people say they completely hated every component about <insert FF game here> (unless it's 8; that seems to be a popular one to hate on). . there's usually -something- about them people like, if not the game as a whole.

I think the main problem with the entire FF series is just old fans vs new fans, the old fans want the old FF back, the games that told awesome stories, had places to explore, had interesting characters. The new fans want pretty graphics, decent gameplay, don't really care about story as much as old fans.

You can almost always tell who was a pre FF7 fan of the series vs a post FF7 fan of the series.

[Hyan]

The new fans think the new stories are good. The old fans don't.

But I'd say it's the lack of new fans that's hurting the franchise. It's just old farts that play the games nowadays. There was that one chart where JP's voted which FF was their first one, 7 and 10 came on top, 13 being pretty low. The first FF is the best FF-mindset isn't that surprising considering the nature of these games. Experience an epic tale once and the ones that follow aren't going to be nearly as good in comparison. Especially now when every game tells a story things are different. It's not an RPG exclusive feature any longer.

[Sephiroth]

I think all the FFs had great stories. But like music it's highly subjective. X's story bored me for example but that seems to be a minority opinion so I'll never say it sucked. Similarly a lot of people weren't keen on XII's story but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. So I prefer to rate the games more on gameplay and exploration than story these days.

At the end of the day it's hard to give a fair comparison between a game released now and one released 15 years ago. If FFXIII wasn't FF we probably wouldn't even try to compare it to VII. I wouldn't be surprised if SE move away from the FF series and start releasing games like FFXIII as new franchises. It might even solve that issue of it being unappealing to new gamers. I still encounter people every now and then who don't know each FF is independent of the last (except sequels with 2 on the end).

[The Stig]

7 and 10 came on top

7 brought WOW COOL GRAPHICS and it being a large game at the start of its new generation (PS1)
10 brought WOW EVEN BETTER GRAPICS and WOWOWOW VOICES! And it marks the start of another generation (PS2)

13 brought us... HD graphics

Not enough to carve an impact amongst the purest of the pure.

(I liked them all tho ; I'm an easy going/easy to please person)