Really, I mope enough and all and I realize it has been too long since I start just sharing my feelings and opinions on things that aren't so depressing or equate to me whining or raving on about idiotic people, hah. So, I thought I'd take the time to discuss each major entry in a long time video game franchise that I genuinely enjoy for the most part -- Final Fantasy. No frou-frou analysis intended here, just my opinion. Take anything with a grain of salt as, after all, I am not you (whoever may read this) and thus I may vastly prefer or dislike things you very much don't.
In order of my personally most liked to my least liked, predominantly main-entry titles:
1). Final Fantasy 9
After much careful deliberation, this game is most definitely my favorite game in the series. Mind you, this comes from a person who first played this game as their third foray into FF, so the intended nostalgic motifs are not really important to me at all. The reason I truly like this game most is because it is the one I most enjoy replaying; as it feels packed to the brim of content possible for a game of its era of release, which was pretty much the tail-end of the Playstation 1's lifespan. Not only is there so much to do, I personally enjoy doing most of it all; and it doesn't hurt that the main story and game is quite enjoyable when I'm not entertaining myself with Chocobo Hot & Cold or the card game, Tetra Master. It amuses that the game also presents a reward for players looking to complete it as fast as possible (which I will never do, I dislike rushing) which seems completely against the design of the game itself, hah, but I feel that shows that the developers really did try to think of everyone when they were making this. This game has quite a lot of heart and so I'm always elated to admit FF9 as my very favorite Square game.
2). Final Fantasy 4
Final Fantasy 4 could tie with 9, as they are both very simplistic RPGs with similar styles in several aspects. But, that would be disregarding the fact that 4 just doesn't have nearly as much to do in the game as 9 does. Still, it ranks highly for me because of one simple fact. The characters are each memorable and distinct. No two major characters are exactly alike in their play-styles even if they share several abilities, and that is truly wonderful because it strengthens their overall identity. Which is sometimes forgotten in console-style RPGs, professional or not, these days. I appreciate this facet very strongly, and it is one key factor in why the Final Fantasies that are at the bottom of this are there. Their characters just aren't as well-defined nor worth repeated visits (in my opinion).
3). Final Fantasy 10-2
This is the only spin-off entry I shall be including on my list because it probably will prove the most interesting to talk about. Well, if anyone did want to seriously discuss with me, "why DO you like 10-2 more than... so many other FFs?" I am not ashamed about this... I like this game quite a bit and yes, more than its prequel. The primary reason is precisely why 9 appeals to me just a hair more than FF4 -- there is simply quite a lot to do in X-2, even more if you own the HD remaster. That's nothing to say of its combat, which I feel is among, if not THE best combat experience in the Final Fantasy series. It is not too slow nor too hectic and is just plain fun, frankly. Yes the game is full of fan-service, you will pretty much get that from the first three minutes of it being on, but really, it does not detract from the joy of playing this game so much that I can truly say I never want to not be able to play it again. I do not yet own a PS3 but when I do, I fully intend to play this game for several more years before I truly feel ready to close this chapter of "my story".
4). Final Fantasy 10
It was the first game I owned on my PS2, the second FF title I ever experienced and the first that I would complete in full. Needless to say, I am still a fan of 10. I can't even play it right now and I just still appreciate seeing others enjoy (or critique, if desired) the game. This game represents, to me, the quintessential FF and all-round RPG experience to me. An emotional, yet compelling character-driven story where the eventual destination means so much after the arduous journey to get there. This was the first game to give me tears when experiencing the ending because I really felt what the characters themselves were feeling after becoming invested in their lives. Why is it not my favorite FF? Because there is very little replayability, as it is very much a "once and done" sort of game. There's also not really a great deal of variety to do in this game as it can summarized by three things: battles, blitzball or chocobo racing. That's literally it. Mind you, two of those things aren't unique to this game and the one that is, is just... super repetitive and just not as addictive as the mini-games in 9, nor 10-2, are. Although I do enjoy 10's blitzball more than 10-2, 10-2 just has Sphere Break which wins me over (I like math, sue me).
5). Final Fantasy 13
Well, here you have it. I am not a person who strongly dislikes 13. Prepare your shotguns, but do be careful, you could shoot your eye out. This game is honestly not that bad. I suppose its biggest problems, at least when compared to other RPGs, is that its story is not cohesive at all, its presentation reflects the disorganization (mostly in terms of set/environmental design aspects) and (most egregious for me) there is just very little to do in the game. You do, primarily, one thing ever -- fight battles. If you're not in a battle or a cut-scene, you're facilitating things that either lead to more cut-scenes or affect your performance in battle. Granted, there is a lot to be said about 13's battles. I feel that the positives usually out-weigh the cons for the majority of the battles. Only a few bosses or optional encounters are really worth groaning over and when you seriously sit down and think about how few of those aches there truly are, the game is still an experience that can be enjoyed. Instead of making you solve puzzles in the field, 13 has you solve them for each unique enemy group and honestly, that's a pretty interesting thing that few games ever attempt and many never succeed at. Finally, although a lot of abilities are shared, the game does ensure that each character's role progression is fully unique to them and only a few characters truly handle their roles the same. Even more, it is important to note that the availability of some abilities means than some characters are just better suited to being in a certain role than their competition, so (to me), the characters have just enough of a touch of uniqueness to care about in the long run.
(I am tired right now and will continue in a future, hopefully soon, post. Take care.)
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