Quote:
Originally Posted by Phoenix Gamma
Final Fantasy manages to juggle tradition while making whole new games.
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Putting aside Toriyama for a moment (I will speak on him in a bit), the only tradition FF seems to juggle is making games with characters I don't care about and trying to RPG outside the box (which is not necessarily a good thing.
I haven't cared about a character in a FF game since Locke from FF6. Basically, FF coasts on it's success with 4 and 6 and sheeple gobble up sequel after sequel despite bringing us annoying angsty whiney protagonists time after time.
Look at it this way, if I said "This game involves an unlikely hero struggling with his own emotions striking back against the evil threatening to consume the world." Who am I talking about? The correct answer is it doesn't matter they have all been like that since FF7 came on the scene.
But Pent, what about the innovative gameplay?
Let's just look at that for a moment.
FF7 - Materia slotted into weapons determines characters skills while still using traditional menu based combat. Leveling largely only increases hp, mp, and to hit score
FF8 - Junctioning Guardian Forces determines characters skills while still using traditional menu based combat. Leveling largely only increases hp, mp, and to hit score
FF9 - Equipment taught skills/abilities which must be allocated into a limited number of points determines characters skills while still using traditional menu based combat. Leveling largely only increases hp, mp, and to hit score
FF10 - Sphere grids determines characters skills while still using traditional menu based combat. Leveling largely only increases hp, mp, and to hit score
FF12 - License Board determines characters skills while still using traditional menu based combat. Leveling largely only increases hp, mp, and to hit score
I see a pattern here. They don't really do anything new, they just took a basic formula and changed what drives said formula.
Moving on to Toriyama.
I am personally surprised DBZ still has any sort of following. Nothing new has come out in years, yet the show has been re-released some 4 + times now and people still gobble it up like it is new and original. That is less Toriyama's fault and more Funimation's and those who keep paying for the same product over and over.
Besides, Dragonball was way more entertaining than DBZ ever was.
Dragon Quest gives me exactly what I am looking for. Fun customizable old school RPG goodness. Ironically, FF as a series only gave me masturful customization to match DQ3's once, and it wasn't even a series game, it was FF Tactics.