Final(?) Fantasies

I'm learning that although I truly do love to write, I'm having a very difficult time thinking about things to write ABOUT, a problem I didn't expect, considering how long-winded and over spoken I usually am, so I decided to think back to things I like that aren't NEW to me, but just staples of my existence, such as it were.

There are some things that gamers just accept.  Sometimes a game is so good that you overlook problems in logic, such as titles that don't make sense, sequels that aren't really sequels.  Then just to confuse you, they make a few sequels that ARE really sequels, scratched into the numbering system like you'd see a nasty scribble from that professor in school who wrote so many notes on your essays that his only possible motivation could be stock in a red ink factory.

Yes, if you've got ANY experience in gaming, you know I'm talking about SquareSoft gone Square-Enix's trademark "never can fail" Final Fantasy.  First let me say that I AM a fan of the game, but that doesn't mean I have to like everything about them.  They are Bad, Good, and just plain Weird in many ways.  Let's start with weird, since you're all wondering.

Final Fantasy 2.  Just think about that.  That's almost as stupid a concept as "The End" at the end of Never Ending Story, it just doesn't make sense.  forget that there are still 11 more AFTER THAT ONE.  Thirteen sequels in a non-direct sequalage method, that has got to be a record, or at least a pathetic franchise abuse.  But then they throw in others, like X-2, which ARE direct sequels.  And just to make a point on that one, why the hell is it "Eight", "Nine", "X", "Eleven", blah blah... you don't just CALL it the roman numeral!  I mean I never pulled out my NES for a little fun and pulled out my MCMXLII cartridge!  (That's 1942 for you roman-numeral challenged people).

Now the good and bad.  To itemize these you really need to go through each game.  And thanks to the rediculous over-marketization of Square-Enix, you have to go through every iteration of every game.  Rather than write on every single aspect of every single game, some of which I havn't played in years, I'll just go over some key irritations and bonuses.

Things are changing every game, as they try to make the game play even better.  Sometimes it's timing based, sometimes it waits for commands, sometimes you get to position yourself, sometimes you don't.  Combat in every Final Fantasy is pretty much different from every other in at least SOME ways, usually many ways.  This is good AND bad, because sometimes the changes are so different that except for some familiar summon names, you're playing an entirely new game, only making it MORE obvious that the Final Fantasy name itself is little more than a marketing ploy.  Some personal key points I remember.   Final Fantasy 4 (or 2 if you got a SNES in the USA) was the first experience of characters leaving and joining the party, storylines adapting around the characters individually rather than as a group, and the like.  This is my personal favorite, and I could talk much about this game, so if you want me to, feel free to ask, and I might.  Seven again re-defined RPGs by opening on the PS1 and PC (not to mention confused the HELL out of the entire USA gaming population while they tried to figure out how they got from 1, 2, 3, to 7).  Cloud was angsty, but justifiably so.  the world took a dump on him, and the whole game was basicaly his global search for enough shovels and toilet paper to get him out of it.  Eight had Squal, who to me was little more than an angsty highschooler (and he was even a highschooler IN THE GAME).  I just know some of you out there will live and die by how cool Squall was, and all I can say is have fun leaving comments about how slanted this review is.

SPOILER PARAGRAPH:
I absolutely loved 10, not because of any overwhelmingly new concepts, it really wasn't that revolutionary as far as changes go, but it WAS the first one with voice, and it was also the first one that didn't end with "Everyone is happy".  I LOVED that, I mean, life sucks, now even the heroes end the story, and guess what, life STILL sucks!  then they had to go and screw it up and make a sequel so that everyone could be happy again..

damnit.

END SPOILER

11 I can say I've never played, and probably never will.  I won't pay monthly for a game, I work too hard for my money to throw it away on a game like that, I need it for the strip clubs and hookers.

13... well.. that's the one thing about SquareSoft... sorry, enix... If they tell you it will be released a certain date, add ALMOST enough years to make everyone HATE the damn company, but just below it, so that people will forget that they promised a game fucking 4 YEARS earlier!

After all this, yes, I own all the Final Fantasies with actual numbers.  No, I don't own any Tactics, or Crystal Chronicles, I figured they were making up enough genres with the main games I didn't need to get into the OTHER made up genres with the same name.  Do I recommend them?  If you like RPGs with long drawn out stories, then yes.  They have side-quests, and optional baddies to kick the asses of, but they ARE a traditional JRPG.. you have one story, one goal, and one ending.  If that bothers you, then don't worry about playing anything except for Final Fantasy: Dress-Up-Barbie. (Read: X-2)

(NOTE: This is a repost from my old blog site.  Corrections are as follows:  13 finally came out, and I do own tactics now)