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Advent Children Director Wants To Redo FFVII
1up.com has an interview with director Tetsuya Nomura, one of the men behind Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts. In it, he talks about several aspects of Square-Enixs' gaming library, and admits he'd like to expand the PS3 tech demo into a full revamp of Final Fantasy VII. From the article: "The PS3 tech demo was actually not the perfect forum that he wanted to have. It was just timing that we had to submit something in time for E3, for the press conference. So, again, it was not perfect forum. And the 7 remake idea was always, always in conversation, just because it's so popular. And then just because of that tech demo here in the PS3 conference, that probably based more expectations of fans, obviously."
Ya know, I'd love for Square to redo VII and just kill all the sacred cows that fanboys have about the game (and the series). I guess it's the asshole in me, as I've never played through the whole game (I probably should someday). I just think it's put on such a pedastal as the "ultimate RPG" (console style, anyway) and I don't know if it really deserves it.
PS: I'm not trolling here, these are just my off-the-cuff thoughts. Don't take this comment seriously, it's not meant to be a critique of FF/Square/gaming/fanboys/etc.
When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
Final Fantasy VI was the best of the series.
Circumcision is child abuse.
Seriously, are you willing to shell out at least 50 quid for an RPG you have already played, albeit with better graphics?
Old is new again. No thanks.
Remakes never made good games, and never brought back the old vibes.
Hack your mind out of its sandbox.
Even with the reported high cost of the PS3, if they do an excellent job on a FF7 remake using the full capabilities of the new hardware then that alone would be enough reason for me to buy PS3.
FF8 was considered by many to be the low point of the series.
I'm not trying to sell you on anything but 7 was an outstanding game (although not my favorite) and it would make a new generation of gamers able to see that with a remake.
The fact that FF7 was the first game of the series that was 3D was a double edged sword. It was awesome at the time but now it is very difficult to back to.
I think it's sad that the thing is deteriorating to the point where all they do is put out re-hashed versions of the old stories. FFX2 was a joke. Now they want to simply re-make FFVII.
The goal shouldn't be to re-make FFVII. It should be to go out and make something even better.
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The problem I had with FF8 is that it felt like I was playing a movie. And not in a good way. In a "here's some mini-games for you to play during intermission and between cut-scenes" way. It felt, much like with Diablo2, that nothing I did mattered. I was destined to play the same characters, hook up with the same people, fight the same monsters, make the same choices no matter what. They could have just done away with the "game" and made it a passive movie that you could watch.
The fact that it's such a hit with girls and people who like to dress up and go to conventions strikes me as curious and, I think, says something about the lack of depth the games seem to have. But again, I'm only basing that on FF8. I definitely couldn't see myself payign $60 if they rolled out a new FF game for a console in the next year or two.
He is saying it would be cool, but it's not something that's going to happen any time soon.
Maybe it could be a good idea? I mean, when was VII released? It's been a couple years. If they actually updated the game with better cut scenes, more side missions, and an updated battle system, it might be worth buying.
I'd pay $100 for a revamped version of FFVII, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I've spent hundreds of hours on the game, and would most certianly do it all again.
So yeah, I recommend the fansub entirely. I'll assume you all know how to find a copy.
SAILING MISHAP
6 was much better than 9, if for the only reason, you had a LOT more control of the situation.
but my favorite one is 4. it had just enough story to keep you playing but not overshadow the actual gameplay. it was simple yet rewarding.
i played 7... or rather i played it half way and i gave up. i couldn't muster the strength to continue to play such a boring game. the story became too much of the core rather than the actual gameplay. and the graphics were horrible, even for the time. i'd also rather they axe the fmvs, reduce the game to 1 disc and include more gameplay, more monsters, more items, more quests etc.
FMV/CGI = should have died a horrible and painful death in the 90's. what's the point of having 50GB next gen (DRM-crippled) discs if you're only going to fill them up with useless junk?
3d engines and gfx are so good now, there's absolutely no reason to not render cut scenes using the engines themselves. it's faster, in development time not to mention it takes up way less space.
and for heaven sakes, 3d is NOT the holy grail. don't use 3d in a game unless it really helps the game... which was not the case in ff7 and up. camera angles were atrocious on far more than one occasion. if you really wanted to use 3d in the ff series 7+, you could have rendered the game in 2d and used 3d only for battles. the best of both worlds if you value 3d that much. and then there's the kind of 3d that is displayed using a 2d side-view perspective.
Science : Proprietary , Knowledge : Open Source
Grab a SNES emulator and try some of the older FF games. If you can get past the fact that it's emulated and controller layout isn't what you'd expect (IE, using a keyboard instead of a hand-held, or a PS-lookalike USB controller instead of a SNES controller), the games are actually pretty good.
I liked FFIII and Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, myself. But then, I also liked FFVIII more than FFVII.
Sadly, I haven't played much of any RPGs lately; I don't have Windows installed, so most PC-based RPGs are out of the question, and I don't have a place to set up the TV and console systems. And I wouldn't have the time to play them. Mostly, I get home, play through SolarWolf in 30 or so minutes, and go to bed.
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I'm hoping (praying!) that they release it on PC like they did with the original. I was ecstatic when they did it with the original because I couldn't afford to buy the console just for the game.
Some of the other replies to the parent singled out FF VIII as the low-point of the series, blah, blah, yadda, yadda. First of all, the low point of the series was either FF IX or the very first FF. Second, from the comments in the parent post, it just sonds like the parent doesn't care for console style RPGs. Sounds like he or she is more of Neverwinter Nights PC style RPG player. I
...I'll be forced to buy a PS3
-illumina+us "I put on my robe and wizard hat..."
Don't listen to this guy. If you go and download Mystic Quest, you will be forever turned off of FF games. You need to play FF5, and then FF4. Then, maybe, FF6. FF6 and 7 are overrated, but still pretty good.
Also, don't play the original three games for the Nintendo. And just forget about those lame-ass GB games.
Otherwise, the series is pretty good.
Personally, I enjoy both types, but I enjoy the console RPGs a little more. If you played FF expecting it to be Morrowind, you'd be disappointed.
I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.
Hold on now.
"Don't listen to this guy. If you go and download Mystic Quest, you will be forever turned off of FF games."
Good advice so far. It's the game that was created and released for Americans in order to get them up to speed with then-current JRPG culture. It was called Final Fantasy USA when eventually released in Japan, and it had a stupid American flag on the box as if to say to the Japanese gamers, "this is what we had to do to make Americans 'get it.'" As an American JRPGer whose friends at the time knew nothing about JRPGs, I thought the whole affair was pretty hilarious when I saw the box at the import shops.
"You need to play FF5, and then FF4. Then, maybe, FF6."
The guy wants to make choices that will affect the game, but you suggest playing FF4 and not necessarily FF6? FF5 is a fair nomination because of the job system, but FF4, even if it is the second best game in the series in my opinion, is an example of exactly the opposite of what he's looking for - a strict narrative where your choices have zero bearing on the way you play the game or its outcome. In FF6, the way you play determines the fate of one character and therefore the revelation of one of the major secrets in the game, and there are many many optional actions to take, including the revelation of a secret character. Even FF7 borrowed this latter concept.
"Also, don't play the original three games for the Nintendo."
Well, only the first two have been released in English (FF on the NES, PS, and GBA and FF2 on the GBA), and the English version of FF3 on the Nintendo DS isn't out yet, nor is FF4 for the GBA (which has been announced). But FF2 and FF3 wouldn't be bad choices at all. FF1 is my fourth favorite, just because it was the first that I played and was therefore my primer for the universal concepts that apply to the rest of the series.
"And just forget about those lame-ass GB games."
If you're referring to Final Fantasy Legends and Final Fantasy Adventure, these are not even really Final Fantasy games - they are renamed SaGa and Seiken Densetsu games. But if you're talking about Final Fantasy I&II Dawn of Souls and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for GBA (not to mention the forthcoming FF3 for DS and FF4 for GBA), yes, these are really Final Fantasy games, and the ones released have been very good. Even FFTA, the follow-up to the PS-only FFT, was a good play through, and that's the one that's gotten it hardest from the critics.
"Otherwise, the series is pretty good."
I don't trust most of your recommendations, and I doubt you've played enough of these games to have an informed opinion about the series as a whole. The series _is_ only pretty good, but there are some amazing games in the roster, the best of which, in my opinion, is FF6, by far and away.
I just hope they explain what the 'weapons' were. I will definatly buy it since I loaned it to a friend before reading it (hope you are reading this Glenn), and never got to finish it.
...to the world of japanese RPG's.
THIS IS THE INTERNET. PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SERIOUS BUSINESS SUIT AT THE FRONT COUNTER.
On the other hand, Chrono Cross which was released the same year was exceptional. Unlike the liberties they took with the Final Fantasy game mechanics in FF8 and FF9, the changes in Chrono Cross versus Chrono Trigger made the game more interesting and enjoyable. Vagrant Story was also exceptional, although I wasn't a fan of the gameplay itself (early mistakes can hurt you far into the game).
I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.
But see, that's entirely too much work.
If you're going to force-feed me a story and everything I do along the way is going to be just a pre-placed and pre-scripted series of events (fight this, go through this puzzle, level these two characters, go to this place) - why not just tell me the story? I'm not going to work my ass off on a bunch of meaningless mini-games and activities that will in no way affect anything. The only thing playing them seems to do is "earn you your next cutscene".
Well, screw that! I don't want to "earn" my movie!
I've never really played console RPGs, so I hope they're not all like this (Fable didn't look like it was, but I've never actually played it).
The cutscenes in FF8 were pretty cool. I just could have done without all the meaningless stuff I had to do in between them.
Oh - and now that I think of it, I played some Final Fantasy game on the PS2 a couple years ago that involved some big huge dude with an eye patch and a red coat and a massive sword. And you could play some sort of ball game in a hovering 3D bubble with a team of other players. And you were on a ship for part of the game. It was okay, but it had pretty much the same feel as FF8 that I'd played.
You can look at the games as forcing you to work to get your next cut scene, or you can look at it as a game periodically interrupted by cut scenes. If you can't envision the game play as anything other than work, then I guess it would be difficult to enjoy. However, even the most linear console RPG has hidden things for you to find, and side quests for you to do that may either make you more powerful (usual), or affect the plot line (rarely).
I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.
My opinion on this. I've only played FF7 and FF9 to some extend, and yes, compared to other RPG's the gameplay is sort of superficial. What's impressive about Square's games is the way they draw you into the game world through the world design and character development. Of course, that's all very subjective, but it seems that most people have grown deep attachments to the different characters in these games. It is sort of addictive, playing to see what will happen next. The stats and monster killing is just icing on the cake.
This is why I personally like FF9 better, because I liked the world and the characters better.
If you want choices you're looking at the wrong series. Go play a SaGa game instead, those have meaningful decisions and permadeath for characters.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Because with the exceptions of the old school FF games (Pre-FFVII), theres no reason TO remake FF7. The graphics are relatively still acceptable, the materia system wasn't the best (W-Summon + Knights of the Round + Mimic = Waste of time), and its MASSIVE compared to the older FF games (3 CDs compared to old NES and SNES cartridges!).
Give the game another 5 years or so and chances are SE will -seriously- consider it. Until then, I'm waiting for SE to remake Secret of Mana!
I always assumed a FF-VII remake would mean everything remains EXACTLY the same as the original EXCEPT for the graphics... but I think I might have assumed too much.
Now, I (at least) hope we (the prospective players) will be given a few choices when playing the remake, as we start the game, like "use only original gameplay content" vs. "use updated content too", and maybe "use old style textboxes" vs. "use newly created speech and subtitles".
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Thats the style of FF games. Honestly, calling them RPG's is very wrong. You don't play a role, you simply run through a story.
Again, thats not a bad point. FF games do it very well. (6 was my favorite, personally) Just don't go into it expecting something other than was intended.
Possibly off topic but I think most people get turned off by ff8 mostly because they expected it to blow them away and live up to ff7's legend. Square obviously aimed to create a game that could get more less ff acquainted interested by using more emotionaly constipated characters that might be easier to identify with, I'm sure teens were quite a target audience. If you haven't noticed it's also probably one of the FF's closest to having the least outragous fantasy or sci fi setting, making it seem a little more realistic if at all, well atleast it's not medevil with castles everywhere or a future of fallout and pain. Personally I think it wouldnt turn out too bad as a movie compared to the others, after some huge story compressing of course.
Um... they would be. It's called Final Fantasy XII. You should really look it up.