Fans will no doubt agree that the Final Fantasy franchise has clearly fallen off. Trying to do things differently to reinvent itself, Square Enix has found its major franchise on the bubble of falling off, completely. The change could be pinpointed to when Square Enix chose Final Fantasy XI to be an MMO, which at a time when MMO’s were getting big, was not necessarily a bad idea. But the fact that the franchise was Final Fantasy, there are core fans there who expect a certain kind of game. A mixture of a compelling storyline and certain expectations of combat and exploration have always been key, but the overall streamlined approach of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy has been frowned upon.
Final Fantasy VII is arguably the best in the series. It is so renowned, fans have clamored for a remake long before the announcement of Final Fantasy X-X2 HD Remake. Possibly the best story of any RPG, ever, the gameplay is beyond solid enough and not complicated. The title holds up well in today’s standards, and further proof was the recent PC release that had some cleaner graphics added. The game even got an excellent sequel for PSP in Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. As for the original, Final Fantasy VII basically ushered in the modern age of RPG’s which created a certain expectation for what these types of releases should be. And since Final Fantasy X, this has not been the case.
The PC version of FFVII got updated graphics, as this game issued in the modern era of RPGs
The other point that the fall of this empire could have started was with the release of Final Fantasy X-2. While the game had a cult following, it was the first time that the Final Fantasy series ever had a sequel to an actual game involving the same characters and storyline. The game was still a solid effort, but it was different from the norm. Of course, the follow up to this was that first MMO release as stated above. This was a string of two games back-to-back that fans were not familiar with. Now with Crisis Core, the sequel did work, but it was an exclusive to push the PSP, and a graphical and story update from the prestigious version. Was Square Enix trying to branch out and grab a new audience or keep up with the times with a change?
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core was a PSP exclusive and the only well done sequel to a Final Fantasy title.
Final Fantasy XII ended up being a good title…that was released a little bit too late. The game offered a good story, but an overly complicated combat system. Couple these issues with the fact that it was released at the turn of a console generation, and a lot of fans missed out on this. When most people had made the jump to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it was games like this and God of War 2 that hurt companies like Square Enix and Sony late. Now with this generation, plenty of third party games are seeing releases on both systems. Ironically, Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns has done the same thing, albeit this game is the third release of a sequel and not an individual game with its own story. Still, there are people who got rid of their current generation system to grab the newer systems, so those potential buyers are gone.
What seems to be gameplay for the announced Final Fantasy XV for next generation.
Enter Final Fantasy XIII, an extremely hyped game as fans were ready for that next generation release of a Final Fantasy game with the capabilities of the console. Initially a PlayStation 3 exclusive, Microsoft wanted in and Final Fantasy XIII had to be cut back to fit the limits of the Xbox 360. Early graphical trailers made the game look gorgeous, and this aspect did hold up in the final version. The story had very likable characters that did stick with fans, but the resulting gameplay was linear and the battle system was completely different. Setting up Paradigms, character development was linear, as was travelling from Point A to Point B. The battle system involved quick reflexes, or just setting up for auto battle, which took some of the fun out of it. The lack of exploration was the most burdening aspect of the game, and the result of all this were two more games based off of these characters.
While Final Fantasy XIII-2 was an improvement to the original, Lightning Returns reinvented the battle system altogether. And quite the opposite to the norm, the story just got out of hand and did not really tie in well to the previous games. There was now quite a bit of exploration involved, but the game mostly involved mundane fetching quests. However, the boss battles were pretty epic, but the game lacked direction for a first time playthrough. Basically given a timer, players have to manage their time because once the clock runs out, the game ended. The game lacked any guidance, and many events could have different outcomes, so in a strange way, it added replay value. With somewhat of a multiplayer experience, players would encounter others and could buy and sell items, also view profiles and share tips and pics. The whole game felt like a MMO without actually playing with others. The combat felt very “hack and slash”, as everything was new about the battle system. Lightning was the only available character, and there were no more two or three people at a time. Lightning could move about in a fighter’s ring, and she never levels up. Different “Garb” and weapons would make her more powerful, and up to three could be used at one time. While this works, it surely isn’t traditional in the sense of Final Fantasy.
What is up next is Final Fantasy XV, which will be available for next generation consoles in the next few years. Square Enix could go completely open world with this title with or without multiplayer, but the combat system should be reverted back to the styles of FF7 – FFX. Combat, magic, and summons are what helped defined the series, and all of RPGs. Sure, the graphics look astounding from last year’s trailer, but that can only speak so much if the gameplay is lacking. Instead of trying to branch out and reinvent Final Fantasy, Square Enix should focus on what has worked to build this empire before it crash and burns.