Personally, I was surprised by the announcement that FFIX would use superdeformed characters. I loved FFVIII realistic character designs and I know I'm going to miss them...
However, FFX (for the PS2) is going to have realistic characters, so my guess is that FFIX is the way Square is trying to cool down the "old school" gamers who think 3D and Full Motion Video are big no-nos, while FFX is oriented to quench the thirst of the fans (like me) who prefer realistic models (as well as all those millions of fans who entered into the FF world with FFVII).
Even so, I have a great faith in the game. SuperDeformed characters or not, I'm sure the game itself will be a delightful experience just like the other eight were. And Nobuo Uematsu, the musician of the series, is back, so the music will be great, as always...
BTW, have you seen the Coke commercial with the FFIX characters? Great animation! Can't wait to see those in-game FMV cinemas... -------------------------------------- ---------------------
Yeah, they were really movies! Is that cheap or what? FF6 was an interactive movie, too: all you have to do was get the Ragnarok Esper and learn Ultima and it turned into a SNES movie. And what about the Economizer? *ugh!* The horror! And in FF4, when you played your ass off to get the Adamantium Armor, they ruined the game by giving you such a high defense that not even the final boss could damage you for more than 2HP! Interactive movies, all of them! </sarcasm>
My point is: console RPGs, Final Fantasy in general, is only as hard as you want them to be. Square does hide those powerful secrets... And the keyword here is *secret*. They are not part of the main game... and they have been present since FFI in a way (not even Chaos was a worthy oponent when the fighting system made you want to fight all the time and leveled your characters into Level 45).
Besides, is not like the game forces you to use Knights of the Round. If you think it is too cheap (even with the prohibitive casting cost), then simply don't use it!
I agree that in terms of story, Xenogears beats any Final Fantasy quite easily.... However...
FInal Fantasy is an old game, born in the middle of the NES era. As such, it is a 2D game, and it will remain so until FFX arrives next year. For those of us who have played the series, running in a matte painting isn't that bad, since we have been doing it anyway since FFI.
I think the main problem with the FF series is that they all feel alike at the beginning. However, as the game progresses the game engine kicks in and makes every FF game an unique experience... As a result, you must keep playing the game to find the differences. Unfortunately, if the game doesn't hooks you in during the first hours of gameplay, you won't play far enough to aprecciate and enjoy the unique engine.
If you compare any two Final Fantasies (with the exception of FF3 and FF5), you will find that they are completely different games, even while the feeling of them is quite similar.
Yeah, I love Final Fantasy. Is it hard to tell?:D Yet I understand why some people find it hard to like the FFs as well... *shrugs*
Oh, and Xenogears is a *long* game. 70 hours is only slightly above average... Most of the time is story time, though, not gameplay, so Xenogears may not be your cup of tea if you are not looking for a great story...
I love... No, I love Final Fantasy. I've been playing the games since a friend of mine sold me his copy of Final Fantasy I for $1 dollar ten years ago (RPGs weren't very popular back then, and since I am from Mexico, english was a barrier for the enjoyment of the game, so)... However, I have my reserves about the Final Fantasy movies. I don't know... It looks absolutely gorgeous, no doubt about it. As someone said before, it makes Pixar look like South Park. The problem is that this is not a Final Fantasy game. It looks way too cyberpunkish for a Final Fantasy, even for FF7 and FF8. I liked the setting for the two latest FF, but into a Final Fantasy movie? The story worries me, too. While the games have a great story, I can't help but wornder about the quality of the movie story. The synopsis from the site reminds me too much of the storylines of Final Fantasy 7 & 8... Maybe it was done on purpose? Anyway, I'll be the first one to see it when it arrives to Mexico. However, I won't be going as a Final Fantasy fan, but as a CGI aficionado... Oh, and I hope it doesn't get a G rating... oterwise, I'll have to see it dubbed instead of subbed (*shudder!*) And hopefully, they will get Uematsu to do the music!
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However, FFX (for the PS2) is going to have realistic characters, so my guess is that FFIX is the way Square is trying to cool down the "old school" gamers who think 3D and Full Motion Video are big no-nos, while FFX is oriented to quench the thirst of the fans (like me) who prefer realistic models (as well as all those millions of fans who entered into the FF world with FFVII).
Even so, I have a great faith in the game. SuperDeformed characters or not, I'm sure the game itself will be a delightful experience just like the other eight were. And Nobuo Uematsu, the musician of the series, is back, so the music will be great, as always...
BTW, have you seen the Coke commercial with the FFIX characters? Great animation! Can't wait to see those in-game FMV cinemas...- ---------------------
-------------------------------------
Yeah, they were really movies! Is that cheap or what? FF6 was an interactive movie, too: all you have to do was get the Ragnarok Esper and learn Ultima and it turned into a SNES movie. And what about the Economizer? *ugh!* The horror! And in FF4, when you played your ass off to get the Adamantium Armor, they ruined the game by giving you such a high defense that not even the final boss could damage you for more than 2HP! Interactive movies, all of them!
</sarcasm>
My point is: console RPGs, Final Fantasy in general, is only as hard as you want them to be. Square does hide those powerful secrets... And the keyword here is *secret*. They are not part of the main game... and they have been present since FFI in a way (not even Chaos was a worthy oponent when the fighting system made you want to fight all the time and leveled your characters into Level 45).
Besides, is not like the game forces you to use Knights of the Round. If you think it is too cheap (even with the prohibitive casting cost), then simply don't use it!
I agree that in terms of story, Xenogears beats any Final Fantasy quite easily.... However...
:D Yet I understand why some people find it hard to like the FFs as well... *shrugs*
FInal Fantasy is an old game, born in the middle of the NES era. As such, it is a 2D game, and it will remain so until FFX arrives next year. For those of us who have played the series, running in a matte painting isn't that bad, since we have been doing it anyway since FFI.
I think the main problem with the FF series is that they all feel alike at the beginning. However, as the game progresses the game engine kicks in and makes every FF game an unique experience... As a result, you must keep playing the game to find the differences. Unfortunately, if the game doesn't hooks you in during the first hours of gameplay, you won't play far enough to aprecciate and enjoy the unique engine.
If you compare any two Final Fantasies (with the exception of FF3 and FF5), you will find that they are completely different games, even while the feeling of them is quite similar.
Yeah, I love Final Fantasy. Is it hard to tell?
Oh, and Xenogears is a *long* game. 70 hours is only slightly above average... Most of the time is story time, though, not gameplay, so Xenogears may not be your cup of tea if you are not looking for a great story...
I love... No, I love Final Fantasy. I've been playing the games since a friend of mine sold me his copy of Final Fantasy I for $1 dollar ten years ago (RPGs weren't very popular back then, and since I am from Mexico, english was a barrier for the enjoyment of the game, so)... However, I have my reserves about the Final Fantasy movies. I don't know... It looks absolutely gorgeous, no doubt about it. As someone said before, it makes Pixar look like South Park. The problem is that this is not a Final Fantasy game. It looks way too cyberpunkish for a Final Fantasy, even for FF7 and FF8. I liked the setting for the two latest FF, but into a Final Fantasy movie? The story worries me, too. While the games have a great story, I can't help but wornder about the quality of the movie story. The synopsis from the site reminds me too much of the storylines of Final Fantasy 7 & 8... Maybe it was done on purpose? Anyway, I'll be the first one to see it when it arrives to Mexico. However, I won't be going as a Final Fantasy fan, but as a CGI aficionado... Oh, and I hope it doesn't get a G rating... oterwise, I'll have to see it dubbed instead of subbed (*shudder!*) And hopefully, they will get Uematsu to do the music!