So I want to talk about Final Fantasy. OK?
I've been a fan of it for a while now, maybe not as long as those pretentious asses that are all "ohh VI is the best and I played it when it was originally on the snes, not enough people have played it, wah wah," but I've liked it pretty good since about '99 or 2000. And by pretty good I mean, hard, probably to the point of obsessive at different times; this would probably be no surprise for a skinny, pimply adolescent not satisfied with high school where they don't teach you swords in gym class. So suffice it to say, I have been fairly troubled about my growing indifference to the series of late. So let's sit down and bitch about this shall we? There's nary a casual fan of this series so if you've read this far-well I know you're listening.
Why does it suck anymore?
So many people disagree about which in the series was the best, which heroes/villains were the coolest, which battle system should come back, or which had the best ending, but no one can seem to deny the series' waning quality. I haven't met a person who can (reasonably) give XIII any kind of fond accolade, and, to me, I find it odd how few people appreciate XII, quite possibly (but hopefully not) the swan song of quality in the series. I could reasonably go into the politics of Squenix (how many more sequels do we really need to XIII?), the departure of key people, their seeming inability to connect to their audience (at least their western audience maybe?), or to innovate in a way that reflects what gamers want, but I want to take a look at the games themselves; it's the finished pieces I want to analyze, and to take the good from the past, what I really liked in what I played, and yell at the current developers over at Squenix about what we need them to get back to or change. But I also want to maybe offer a few ideas of some new ideas (well new for Square) they could throw into their next titles. Shi' this is just going to turn into Brand Mark's Top 5 Final Fantasy's...
*DISCLAIMER* As of this writing I have not finished Final Fantasy XIII, let alone any of its sequels, nor will I probably. It's a grueling, boorish experience with slovenly developed characters that offers none of the excitements of past titles. And you know what? I don't think I really care if you spoil it for me. Which reminds me *SPOILERS*, always spoilers...the crap you think this is?
Brand Mark's Top 5 Final Fantasy's
This list doesn't necessarily have to do with what I objectively think are the best of the series. In fact, I haven't even played every single numbered one of the main series, either completed or at all. However I do know which ones I liked (not XIII), which ones thrilled me so much I could barely sleep at night just thinking about them. Even which ones that got my steam pumping to try and make up one all my own...
5. Final Fantasy IV
By no means did I play this game when it was contemporary. It was the Playstation era FF's that hooked me, but upon dredging up old 16-bit titles with an emulator I was more than happy to try all the “historical” titles. To me IV seems like the purest entry in the series, the one that could be most representative of what the entire series is about: an epic story, structured job system, crystals, classic airships, the list goes on.
The setting I think in IV is the quintessential Final Fantasy setting, that psuedo-medieval one.
It's this type of setting that seems to be the real DNA of which FF is made, and here in this entry, you get it. It seems like Square/Squenix, with the success of VII, took it to mean that audiences ever after wanted only the cyber-punk, the techno-fantastic, and have gone on to primarily give us a glut of this type one after the next, increasingly tripping on more of this acid (i.e. XIII). And in retrospect it seems IX, an intentional homage to FF's of this ilk, is a fluke in that it is the only title in which Squenix decided to revisit its roots in a single player game; otherwise the classic FF setting seems to have been relegated to only the online iterations. Lame.
Like most FF's the storyline of IV is of an epic scale that leaves little left to be desired. But it was simple or accessible enough that we could just get right into it. The motives and emotions of the characters are easy to grasp and we find ourselves interested to find out what happens next, not because it is simply a consequence of playing through the game, but because we can easily access these characters. There is no need to relegate details of plot, character, and setting to a list of synopses in a submenu because you have made your game so damned convoluted that it seems like a mush of incoherent, emotionally-unbelievable techno-orgasmic jello. No, the simple, slightly limited palette once again proves the stronger. We need a classic tale like this one.
4. Final Fantasy XII
Can I say that I love this one? Still can't decide if it's really my favorite or not. XII really felt like the series was maturing with me. As I got older and had changing and discerning tastes, this title really felt like it was paying attention to what its audience was doing. Growing older. Finer. Just about every innovation in this game was a welcome one for me. The script was magnificient; adding the flavors of shakespearian dialogue to the English translation was a brilliant move and added a sense of gravitas, let alone the politically leaning plot. And I was more than happy to see the random battles go, it really felt like the next natural evolution. No more tedious transition screens, or, upon winning a battle, forgetting which direction you were heading on the field screen. This was the first new FF I played post WoW, and everything was just beautiful. The MMO influences didn't feel out of place in the series, but rather felt as though it were the direction it should be going regardless of the lack of multiplayer. Why would you need to transition to a separate arena to a battle given you're already exploring the same area in 3 dimensions? (Again, I'm scowling at you XIII.) The gameplay of XII was the hopeful trajectory of the series that XIII so irresponsibly derailed.
And just personally I really liked some of the characters in this one, Basch, Balthier... I always gravitate towards the story of redemption, and Basch's therefore seemed the most interesting to me. Interestingly enough he was originally intended as the main character until sales and demographics got involved. Regardless, this wasn't a game meant for just the teenage demographic. (Well Vaan aside, but he wasn't awful-definitely not the obnoxious Tidus-type.) And further the slightly more political leaning of the narrative made Ivalice seem a more living, interconnected world. Here we had multi-layered characters whose motives weren't specifically world-shattering evil versus the plurality-saving good; in Vayne we had a villain who's motives to free mankind (Hume-kind?) from the dictations of the Occuria (i.e. gods) weren't necessarily ill, but his methods certainly cast him in the role in which he played. It reminded me of A Song of Ice and Fire where characters cast in shades of gray lent itself to a more engaging and mature plot. Awesome. You could near have a discussion about such things in your Lit. class...well almost probably. But at least it is one of the FF titles with a bit more depth.
So Square-Enix, go back to the advances that XII gave us and develop another title from there. Here's hoping for XV...
3. Final Fantasy VI
VI seems to be one of those titles that hardcore fans, in some sort of strange Final Fantasy-hipster way, love to brag about playing before the series became popular with VII. But conversely, if you have become a fan of the series post VII, this is one you should try out.
In this title you can see the bridge between the old 16-bit titles and the 32-bit ones. So much of the style and setting of VI, to me, definitely seems as though it paved the way for VII. The Gestahlian Empire made for a stark contrast with its technological take over of the world that seemed to be emerging from the typical FF setting of previous installments. The way that technology, magic, and the conflict between them is specifically addressed in the narrative seems to point to developers who were rather conscious of the slight departure they were taking from the previous games, a development that would come to full maturity in the next two titles, where technology wasn't just an empire's instruments of invasion but the normal way of life for the world. But it was this unique concoction in VI, with the steam, and coal, and Magitek, that was appealing to me. Here was a world on the cusp of radical change, and the destruction that was tolled upon the world pointed to the dangerous side-effects technology's use can bring. (Ho' shi'! I didn't know this game got so deep!)
Aside from the unique setting, the cast of characters are another thing that this game shines with. I like it. The back story that most of the characters present to the audience is engaging, and gives a sense of depth. Not to mention the fact that, like XII, no character takes central focus, and each is presented with their fair share of tragedy and hardship. This isn't necessarily something that the next good single-player title needs, but it's different from most of the other entries and that makes it unique.
So while the gameplay, in retrospect, may not be the most shining example of the series, there are aspects to VI that are worth revisiting.
2. Final Fantasy IX
I really could not understand how someone could not remember this entry fondly. This is one that I often remember with no small amount of nostalgia, and I really do believe that the setting/atmosphere of the game owes about 75-80% to that reason. The peaceful world map music, the whistle of the moogles, and the medieval-styled victory fanfare, it all just puts me right back there.
The characters, although not the strongest ensemble in my opinion, were memorable, and their set jobs were a lot more enjoyable than I had at first anticipated. This was one my first experience with an FF in which the characters had set jobs, and it was rather fun to have the character already built a certain way and to strategize how to best use them in battle. Not that the free development of your character from other titles is bad, but to know that Zidane was a thief, and that was who he was in both battle and story just felt...classic. Further, with a plot that felt as epic as any other of the best in the series this was a title that was hard to forget.
The intentional throwback to the pseudo-medieval was/is something that the series needs-let me reiterate-needs, from time to time. This, after all, is what the series was founded on, and in my opinion is part of the very core of what makes the series. Now I'm all for branching off or trying things differently, and we saw how successful a change of scenery can be in the likes of VII and VIII, but when you seem to lose sight of your series roots, well then you have a Molly Coddle situation...
OK, yeah, I'll explain.
In the old Saturday morning stop-motion animated series Bump in the Night, rag doll Molly Coddle, desires to repair a broken arm with something more powerful, finding some strange monster arm to do the job. Soon she desires to match the strength of her new arm in her other one. The trend is set and she begins to replace each of her parts with something different, more powerful until eventually she replaces everything, and all her original parts lay by the wayside. It is then that Mr. Bumpy takes all her original parts and puts Molly back together into her original and loved form. Meanwhile there is a rampaging monster made up of the parts she had used earlier that resemble nothing of the original doll, wreaking havoc and ruining the name of Molly Coddle.
It's been about 10 years since IX treated us to the past, or should I say, the heart of Final Fantasy. Isn't it about time for such another title again (online titles notwithstanding)? If only someone, or some people, could come along and pick up the pieces that the current developers at Squenix have left by the wayside and make Final Fantasy beloved again.
1. Final Fantasy VIII
Now it might seem like I don't appreciate the technologically advanced setting in a Final Fantasy given my assertions above, but that's not true. It's just when you make the concept of your setting so abstract that you need to explain it to your audience through sub-menus and appendices, and not through the natural presentation of plot, you're not doing it right. You can make it crazy and abstract, but teach the audience about this place through natural progression of plot. Duh. So now that I've stated that, let me tell you about what makes FF VIII my favorite.
When I first played this game I literally wanted to be Squall. I even went so far as to try and style my hair like his every morning before school. I went through a phase of wearing multiple belts, and I would daydream and wish ever so dearly that every morning on the bus I would show up at Balamb Garden instead of my own high school. Awesome, I know. I think timing was a big one here. The majority of VIII's characters were 17-18 years old, the same age I was upon playing it. I felt right at home with Zell, Selphie, and Irvine. I could relate to them and felt like I was one of them. This is I think where VIII is the strongest. The cast works great, and they act like real people, twitchy emotional teenagers that they are. And because of such, it is they and their decisions that move the plot for the majority of the story. OK, yeah an evil sorceress from the future does too, but you get my point. Strong characters.
That is all anyone need ask from their story, isn't it? If your audience doesn't care for or about your characters they're not going to be into the story are they? Will they really care enough to sit around and find out what then ending has in store for them? A video game may be a little different in that you are engaging an interactive narrative. You might just really enjoy the gameplay and could give a rat's ass as to what happens to joe-hero, or maybe it's a game in which you had some degree of say over your character's creation; in which case, you have yourself to blame for a bland character, at least partially. Regardless we've grown to know FF as a game that gives us characters created specifically by the developers as unique as the created world in which they inhabit. The loss of the likes of Sakaguchi, Nojima, Amano, and to some degree Nomura (I'll explain later) on these games has truly shown. If only someone were to pick up the original pieces of FF and put them back together again...
I could easily continue to wax nostalgic about VIII, about the various settings, the story being both epic and personal, etc. But it really boils down to sweet sweet nostalgia for me. Other than the cast of characters, that I feel carry the narrative better than any other title (well...it's arguable against X), there is not a whole lot that really makes this entry stand above others in terms of gameplay, the setting, and so on. Still won't change my feelings for it.
Honorable mentions: VII, X
Yes of course VII, always the one that is so fondly given accolade. How could I not mention it, right? The truth is it was the very first FF I have ever played. (And loved.) But the truth is it isn't my favorite. Poor VII hasn't aged too well in the years since it's been released, and it is the one I find the most difficult to go back and play. But having said that, the one thing that struck me (oh and it struck me deep) was the deep, engaging, if not convoluted, plot. The mystery of Sephiroth, the Promised Land, and Cloud's past was a huge impetus to finish this game for me. This is something that so many good FF's do through their plots: introduce mysteries that the characters uncover as they go through their quests. In VIII we had the mysterious static across the world and the hidden city of Esthar, in IX we had Zidane's past, the Mist, and much else. But, probably because it was my first experience with it, VII's mysteries seemed the most intriguing, so much so that I lost sleep thinking about them. Oh my poor newly obsessed teenage mind... These types of narrative hooks, coupled with strong characters (which VII definitely had), make the perfect Final Fantasy, if done right. Which is probably why so many consider this one to be the perfect one.
Now about X. This entry easily takes the cake for best ending. I would accede to you if you insisted X had the strongest cast of characters, and because of such, given Tidus' memorable sacrifice, there's just no denying this one had the best ending. Unforgettable.
Just a smattering of thoughts about what makes my favorite Fantasys. Later I'd like to create a picture of what I think a new, good entry into the series needs to do and not do in order to win back its crown.
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