Final Fantasys Arnt Final Fantasys

[Full Life]

dont you think final fantasys arnt the same they have gotten so different like futuristic and they are starting to stink after 10 they became to futureistic 13 versus looks fine but look at 13 it looks realy bad

[loaf]

VII and VIII aren't futuristic, they are so medieval it hurts.

[T.G. Oskar]

dont you think final fantasys arnt the same they have gotten so different like futuristic and they are starting to stink after 10 they became to futureistic 13 versus looks fine but look at 13 it looks realy bad

You can very well claim Final Fantasy isn't even "Final". I mean, the one that created it is right now thinking on his "Last Story"...

However, that's essentially part of Final Fantasy's improvement. Final Fantasy was never meant to be a game comprised of sequels; each Final Fantasy is its own world, self-contained, each with varied differences. Consider how the game itself has evolved:

FFI: Dark Ages/High Fantasy
FFII: Medieval Fantasy
FFIII: Medieval Fantasy
FFIV: High Fantasy/limited Sci-Fi
FFV: Medieval Fantasy/Renaissance
FFVI: Baroque/Steampunk
FFVII: Steampunk/Cyberpunk
FFVIII: Futuristic
FFIX: High Fantasy
FFX: Futuristic
FFXI: High Fantasy/Massive Multiplayer Online
FFXII: High Fantasy/Renaissance/slight Baroque
FFXIII: Futuristic/Cyberpunk
FFXIV: Massive Multiplayer Online/??

You might argue that each FF game deals with fantasy, but in a different period and timeline closely similar to Europe, and perhaps a bit of other places (but mostly Europe). These are mostly general guidelines, and not solid guidelines to follow, but each has bits of fantasy. Most importantly:

--They still have their magic. No matter what game you play, if it has magic, it's close to fantasy. Sci-Fi would imply advanced technology used as weapons (which can be used in fantasy) and perhaps psionics/mutations (which Final Fantasy technically never had, save for FFX-2 International + Last Mission).
--They still have creatures associated with the fantastical. You can see, even if they have evolved, creatures such as chimeras, griffons and the like. Some may not look similar to the original versions, some may (Behemoth is a pretty solid example), but they are local versions of fantastical creatures.
--They still have weapons that have a solid foundation in fantasy. In a modern world setting, melee weapons still exist; however, you don't see random people wielding swords, right? In fact, wielding a sword nearly anywhere in plain sight is a felony, and it is a fined crime (and you may even get prison). Firearms, something that's closer to modern world standards, are still restricted but less unusual than someone with a sword. Or an axe. Or a bow. A staff, maybe not, but then again you don't wield a quarterstaff nowadays.

There are elements that, while allowing Final Fantasy to experiment with different, non fantasy/high fantasy archetypes, still are familiar enough to identify a character with Final Fantasy.

The day you have a Final Fantasy without Chocobos, a guy named Cid, a spell named Flare/Meteo/Ultima, a spell system that's neither numbered up to three (except for Cure spells reaching 4) or with an A/Ra/Ga/Ja system, without Airships AND without staple monsters such as Malboro, Tonberry and Behemoth, you may very well declare that game no Final Fantasy. And then, your claim may become true.

Final Fantasy hasn't stopped being exactly Final (it may very well be the last of the series), nor a Fantasy (since you're playing a game with a fictional story and fantastical elements), nor the very thing it's meant to represent. Whether it has taken a path less toward Medieval/High Fantasy and more towards Future/Cyberpunk/Sci-Fi is no reason why it stops being a FF game.

Now, whether that makes it a good Final Fantasy game, or a game you'd like to play, is not general but rather specific to each person and dependent on the circumstances. I don't intend to play FF13, but I don't go telling "they've ruined Final Fantasy forever" because of it. Perhaps have some qualms with the current people, but not exactly reaching that point.

[ZantetsukeN]

If all the Final Fantasy games followed the same medieval theme, you would have 13 games of similar themes and whatever. FFVII is a landmark release, because it broke away from the traditions of an RPG, and established a new style. FFVIII was a great way to follow suit, while IX, X and XII were mixtures to once again keep the style fresh. Whether XIII will be the same I don't know (I don't know much about XIII and plan to keep it that way until I get it).

[Meigumi]

Naw, I don't think so.

Each FF takes place in different worlds with different themes, but they're still the same.
-They all have one person named "Cid"
-They use Gil as currency
-They still use magic
-Even has the original FF jobs, such as Monk, Thief, White Mage, and Warrior

So I think it hasn't changed at all. I just think only the story and the way of doing things change. xD

[Full Life]

after playing 13 i see the final fantasy in it when you reach gran pulse it becomes more of a final fantasy when you get there

[loaf]

So apparently Fantasy must only be medieval and medieval only. I thought Fantasy meant something like not real. Apparently not. Guess VII, VIII, X, XII and XIII aren't Fantasies.

[DragonHeart]

If anything the series has drifted from medieval fantasy into science fantasy, which isn't really a detriment. If Final Fantasy stayed 'pure' fantasy (which arguably it never has been since it uses technology alongside and sometimes interchangeably with magic) through the entire series, it would have run a real risk of stagnating, the death knell of any series. By continually reinventing itself, the series appeals to a wider and wider audience.

Not everyone will like the changes but SE knows the majority of fans will stay fans unless they've really gone and stepped in it, but they also know each game, particularly the first game of a new console generation, has a good chance of drawing in all new fans too. If you don't like a game well, the next one will be different. So they also know that fans who were turned away by one game can be drawn back with the next. Brilliant strategy on their part, but only as long as the quality of the games stays strong. There's a few weak links but overall, I think they've succeeded so far.

Just out of curiosity, why must Final Fantasy stay medieval for you to like it? As a setting it's pretty limiting, especially for a game. Even in the fantasy book market, medieval fantasy is falling out of favor.

~DragonHeart~

[Ralz]

Ironically, I think its been going through time itself.

Starts out in medieval times, moves on to the industrial age, then applies current-day religions, and now, flat-out futuristic setting.

Not to say this is bad, of course. Final Fantasy games change all the time. You may as well be complaining that FFVIII is too futuristic when compared to something like FF III. The only time it seemed to repeat itself was for the first five titles in the series. And even then, things still managed to change in it. Jobs, ATB, the works.

Final Fantasy is also a series that manages to refer to itself, time and again. Pretty much in every FF since II, we've had Chocobos. In some form of another, and they're even in FFXIII, though NOT as adorable. o__O You also can't forget the Moogles, Cid, and countless other references.

I think medieval or not, all FFs come across as a "fantasy"-setting, right? As long as they continue to push the limits of reality, they can continue calling themselves Final Fantasies. (Even though the title itself is so ironic these days.)

[Full Life]

knowing the way they are going its gonna be different 14 is online and well i recon they will have a nonfutaristick spot in each of them but i realy think its gonna stay futaristick
also meigumi final fantasy 1 has no mention of anyone called cid and doesnt have chocobos
chocobos and cids only started after ff 2 and to tell ya the truth alot of the ff dont have classes only
1 3 4 (you dont get to chose) 5 6 (you dont get to chose) 10 (you dont get to chose) and 11 have jobs

[final fantacy_tifa]

well my opinion is i like all of them there isent 1 ive played ive hated

[Full Life]

i like all of them i dont hate one but i am just saying that they are gonna get way 2 futaristick

[Che]

dud i kno i hope their gonna be gud next tiem they r realaesin 1 butt who noes they r gettin 2 futaristik

[loaf]

This just in.

Futurist isn't fantasy.

[Furore]

I just don't see a linear progression from medieval to futuristic.
Yeah, early FF games were mostly medieval, FFXIII in particular seemed quite futuristic but looking at titles from VI to XII, most had varying degrees of technology and some pushed it in your face more often then others. IX in particular seemed a noticable step back from the FF titles directly preceding it.

[Full Life]

Yeah but if you look at the other ffs they wornt that bad i mean little future is fine but when it got to 10 it just got to futureristic

[Furore]

X struck me as less futuristic than VI, VII, VIII and IX.
It was set in the future, but apart from some ruins and the like from older destroyed civilisation it was fairly primitive compared to the stuff in later games.

Who's to say other FF games didn't have an advanced civilisation going on before the current one?

[Zidane77]

Well i think they got a lot worse after IX, X was the last awesome game but still a step down and after that a big fall with XI and so on..
I still haven't started XIII but i don't think he will be in the same class as the first 10 so i don't have high expectations..
But yeah i agree, they kinda gotten too futuristic, hope there will be simpler ones in the future.

[loaf]

XI is SE's best title. They make so much money from it.

[Jonathanx221]

dud i kno i hope their gonna be gud next tiem they r realaesin 1 butt who noes they r gettin 2 futaristik

....AHAHAHAHAHA. I like your humor. It kills me.

Final Fantasy got it's name because it was going to be Hironobu Sakaguchi's last game, he used all of squares money to make it, and it was successful. So they stuck with the name and created more.

It is a fantasy, a fantasy is something is something not real, made up, imagination, that sort of thing. So yeah, it's a fantasy. It doesn't matter what time period it's in. I'll never see someone running around with a gunblade jumping super high in the air and bring out some creature from a rock to destroy a bunch of guards. Ahahahaha.

That's my thought...

[Zidane77]

XI is SE's best title. They make so much money from it.

Just because of that i don't dislike it,that's very convenient, online just shouldn't be a part of the series.
It's the only one in the series i haven't tried along with Revenant Wings so i don't know how good it is..

[Full Life]

Well when square enix publishes something and calles it an ff its an ff they might even make ff 15 about barbie dolls lol eny who i think ffs anrt as good as they use to be they are still fun but they arnt as fun

[Furore]

Well when square enix publishes something and calles it an ff its an ff they might even make ff 15 about barbie dolls lol eny who i think ffs anrt as good as they use to be they are still fun but they arnt as fun

That idea for FFXV has been done. FFX-2, yo!

[loaf]

Just because of that i don't dislike it,that's very convenient, online just shouldn't be a part of the series.
It's the only one in the series i haven't tried along with Revenant Wings so i don't know how good it is..

Why shouldn't online be apart of the series. It has a story just like every other Final Fantasy, it has more content then any Final Fantasy, just because it's online and you don't/refuse to pay at the most 15 dollars a month (50 cents a day) it shouldn't be apart of the series. FFXI is the Final Fantasy where you actually are the hero, you play with other heroes, just like a Final Fantasy where the main characters battles with allies. The game plays like a Final Fantasy, just differently.

[Full Life]

Well i dont realy count 11 and the new upcoming 14 as final fantasys because they have little story and they are online so people of younger ages cant play them plus alot of people dont wana pay money every month unless its only like 5 dollers or less

[Andromeda]

FFXI's story is actually one of the main features for the game. In a genre where story is almost forgotten, FFXI made its stake in actually have a very strong important story unlike the majority of MMOs out there. Those that have played the game actually say that Chains of Promathia has the best story out of any FF in the entire franchise.

And age doesn't really have an issue as there is not really an restriction as far as I am aware on FFXI unless it is like 13 or something. Money being a limiting factor is not really any worse than the game being exclusive to one console. People that don't own a DS can't play FFIII in the US, but doesn't make it any less a part of the series.

So many people argue about disqualifications of FFXI being a part of the numbers series, but when you get down to it the game is a true FF game. Possibly even more so for the purists out there that want just a regular fantasy setting. If there is something that makes a FF game "FF" then you can easily find it in FFXI.

[Full Life]

Well i did play it once and it was alright but it doesnt have a final fantasy feel to it i mean it just doesnt feel like an ff for some odd reason (Same as 13 until you get to chapter 11 gran pulse)

[loaf]

Playing XI is like playing in a normal Final Fantasy but as one character and one character only. You party up with other people, it plays like a Final Fantasy, just instead you play as one character.

[Full Life]

Hey whats the plan for ff 15?

[loaf]

To make it the most un fantasy game ever made. Also it's online.