Most Underrated FF That You Feel Shouldn't Be

[Secret Weapon]

Your posts can be long and detailed or sweet and short but at least one sentence explaining your reason.

Mine on the other hand is going to be long because this game deserves a lot more than what I've seen gamers deem it as despite it being the ONLY one amongst the numbered titles of FF on the NDS. Yes I am speaking on FF III's behalf. The reasons I'm going to state are for two reasons but for the same cause of why role playing games today aren't as skilled oriented like they used to and more "Noob" friendly.

1: It's difficulty. The foremost thing I love to death about this game. Easily beaten games piss me so off . It's like your spending your money on something your only going to get tired of & soon enough sell it to Gamestop or trade it in. Why not buy a game with longevity & at the same WORTH your lifetime playing? I get fired up every time I start a new file. Just because the story may feel bland to you ( I mean it is a remake of it's pioneered NES version so I'd love to hear a mention on any other NES cartridges with a up-to-date story plot) but the experience going through it again tops some of the dreaded overrated games we play today. (I wish to burn every MW3 game case, disk, and logistical memory > me MW3's existence <)

2:Music, I can't describe it. The aura and nostalgia that this games' themes leave off are epic & with a at ease feeling. I literally go to sleep listening to Submarine Nautilus (underwater theme). Definitely my favorite track of the game, listening to it clears my mind & puts me at peace with myself & my surroundings. Doga and Unne's Mansion theme epitomizes the old school of FF, yet with a new school gameplay style which leads me to my last reason.

3: Game play: as I stated in #2, it's an old school-feel FF but with a "new" school twist. For instance, you can be many classes featured in a lot of other FFs & some (with a job list) unique toward their own. For instance ( will always be my favorite class in FF), the Ninja is only featured in 2 other numbered titles and The Viking, Evokers, and Devouts. In my opinion, FF III shouldn't be close the word Underrated. A modern type rpg with an old school feel like this offers a lot more than getting off work/school & playing the same OVERRATED game that most of our populous play just because of the community/popularity/online capacities (in which a game shouldn't have to be depicted/disassembled just because of those things).

[loaf]

FFIII on the NES is amazing.


FFV is the most underrated game. I hear more talk on FFIII then FFV.

[Xanatos]

Final Fantasy III is indeed underrated, it's original NES version is as loaf said plain awesome. I always thought IX was underrated until I saw just how huge fan base it has, including the developers, and how well it was received by critics. I wouldn't exactly say XII is underrated, though it suffers from "either you love it or hate it" deal. As for the other side of the coin, Final Fantasy IV and VII are in my opinion highly overrated games.

[IcyJJ]

I agree that FFV is one of the most underrated FFs out there. The story was fun, the job class system that was used was done well and allowed the player to have a party of their choice. They also made it so you could be many different types of classes that did a lot of damage, this way players were not stuck having to use the traditional warrior, thief, white mage, black mage routine.

[loaf]

The thing I like about FFV is that something major is happening but only a tiny handful of people can feel it coming. For the most part, 3 of your 4 party members were just doing their daily lives when it all began. When you listen to the music, the feel of an adventure with 4 strangers really echos from the OST.

[Cereal~Killer]

FFXII is underrated, I feel. Most fans of the series I come across put FFXII on their "worst" list. It didn't exactly have a deep, emotional story like an FFIX or VII, but it was still okay. It was still an addictive game, for me, anyway. I think the good far outweighs the bad:

Bad

Boring story
Boring villain
No real love interest like we saw with earlier games

Good

A big, expansive world
The hunt sidequests
Gameplay
Lots of stuff to do/long game (I hate when games are too short)
...Ashe and Fran
The battle system (it's not the ATB system, which I miss, but at least it isn't too fast-paced and busy like FFXIII)

I think overall, this was a much better game than FFXIII.

[Katpuss]

In my opinion XIII is underrated:

Good Points

Awesome graphics and beautiful worlds/scenary
Complex (not for noobs) but interesting storyline
Eidolons
Archlytte Steppe (especially after beating the final boss and doing the C'ieth Stone Missions)
Strong female characters in Lightning and Fang
The introduction of the Paradigm System
Beautiful soundtrack

Bad

Linear compared to other FF installments
Severe learning curve during some of the boss battles
Couldn't go back to a previous level (recitifed with XIII-2)
Snow and Hope were very annoying

[KainsBro]

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest! I really liked that game! Awesome stuff!

[magewarrior]

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest! I really liked that game! Awesome stuff!

Right there with you I really enjoyed the Zelda-esque gameplay element of FFMQ (was something unique at the time) Such an overlooked game in the franchise. Aside from FF1, FFMQ was the first game to ever introduce me to RPGs memories :'( + the music in the game was some of the best I ever heard especially for a SNES title (cue battle music)

[Taco-Calamitous]

Gonna second FFXII. People say that the game played itself, but I never found it so. You constantly have to switch between characters, giving them different commands and changing their gambits. In fact, Dragon Age Origins has a very similar combat system, now that I think about it. And that game is AWESOME.

Also, the thing about the story was that it was a war story, not a love story, which I am perfectly fine with. We don't need a love story in every Final Fantasy. I had a sense of epic scale with the events that were taking place all the way through this game. It was very similar to FF Tactics' plot, in fact (makes a bit of sense in that they take place in the same world.)

Loved the music. Loved the expansive areas to explore. Loved Balthier (one of my favorite FF characters). Fran was great too, as were Ashe and Basch. Vaan and Penelo felt more like they were forced on me by the Japanese obsession with young people taking the central roll of everything, and Penelo felt almost COMPLETELY unnecessary, but eh. Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[Katpuss]

I've haven't played XII and MQ yet but I think I would like to give them a go especially because of some of the recent posts. If I don't like them then I don't have to play them again!

[Secret Weapon]

FFIII on the NES is amazing.


FFV is the most underrated game. I hear more talk on FFIII then FFV.

FFV is my 2nd favorite It's a wonderful trip no matter how unemotional or uneventful people say it is. The job system is amazing when mastered (compatibility & ABP capped). Right now I got Bartz using Spellblade with Rapid Fire, Faris with Time & Dark Arts, Krile with Blue & Rapid Fire, and Lenna with White & Summon. I output close to close to 40k- 80k ish per turn (taking all my guys are level 99) . Oh yeah, GALUF IS A BAD ASS !!!

This game is highly underestimated.

[Bubblegum]

Have to agree with the comments about FF5 being too underrated and getting ignored by fans and Squareenix.

It has a decent and addictive leveling up system; The Job System. Characters are nice and not too complicated and the music is pretty nice.

It deserves a bigger fanbase.

[Xanatos]

Come to think of it, Final Fantasy II has to be the most underrated game out there. Even on TFF there's like one, max two members who actually like this game, and one of them is me. I think it's leveling system was way before it's time, it's still used in major games like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series although more refined, and as far as characters and story goes it was the best one on NES.

[loaf]

I never understood why people didn't think FFXII's villain was good? but then I realized they wanted some mad hungry guy like Kefka or Sephiroth.

I believe Vayne is one of the few FF villains to actually do what he wanted to do. The others kinda just got defeated before it happened.

Everything in FFXII has been taken from previous FFs and made better. I feel sorry for FF fans who feel that FFXII is bad.

[KainsBro]

Actually Kefka kinda did what he wanted to do, he wanted to destroy the world, and he succeeded in doing so... He may have been defeated, but not before he killed LOTS of people and the world was changed and damaged forever!

[loaf]

I'm sorry but destroying the world usually means the world is no more. Meaning, Kefka, Tina, Celes, Locke, etc...all perished, with the world. From my understanding, all but Kefka lived. It's like the same with Sephiroth, his goal was mainly just to summon meteor....

[markandrewkinzett]

My missus would say 10-2 and 13. I would agree wityh 13 but not 10-2.

[Secret Weapon]

Come to think of it, Final Fantasy II has to be the most underrated game out there. Even on TFF there's like one, max two members who actually like this game, and one of them is me. I think it's leveling system was way before it's time, it's still used in major games like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series although more refined, and as far as characters and story goes it was the best one on NES.

Hold it right there big homie. I'm currently replaying it right now for the 4th time and thix game kicks ass. I conur on your comment in being the only ones in liking ff2.

[Rhaps]

FFII is possibly my favorite Final Fantasy. However, I can definitely see how some people think it's not as good. The difficulty slope is more like a wall, but once you grasp the concept of the levelling system, learn where you can and can not go, and equip yourself properly, the game's not all that difficult. The characters are my favorite part of the game though. I think I'm going to pull for FFII as most underrated.

As for FFV, I love it almost as much as I love II. It's an amazing game, but I think the reason it's overlooked is the Job System that we all enjoy. Most FF'ers are used to one character serving one role decided from the beginning of the adventure. FFV shook that up, and I liked it a lot, and a bunch of you guys do too, but I don't think the majority of players did. Although the Magicite, Materia, and Sphere Grid systems are similar, they are slightly less complex than the Job change system, in my opinion.

I completely agree with loaf on the story and music. This game has a special feeling that I have yet to find in any other game. Also, Gilgamesh was introduced in it. If Square ever made a game centered entirely around Gilgamesh doing whatever the **** Gilgamesh does off-screen, I'd play the everloving shit out of the 40+ hour minimum I'd demand Square to make of it.

[EmperorLeo]

Can someone explain how everyone complains that FFXIII is too linear, yet every FF game has been just that? Is it because you can't go back? Because how often do you go backwards in any of the FF games? For that reason, I believe underrated because everyone gives it this big problem that it's too linear.

Maybe because it followed FFXII, the most open world in the FF games (online not included), it caught unnecessary flack for being linear. Think about FFX. Once you defeat spherimorph, the game literally forces you to go one way (with a BIG red arrow) until 3-5 hours later (depending on how levels you are), and when you're out of that part, you can only go forward anyways.

On top of that, the music went in a unique direction that actually worked, combining classical elements with an orchestra blended with rock/slight techno makes it a slurry of music I've really never heard before. Final Fantasy music has that ability to create music that's near legendary. The MIDI victory trumpets? Everyone here knows it. They are iconic, but so much of the music paints such a perfect landscape. Getting on Gran Pulse? The music is just so serene and peaceful. The music fits the situation so greatly, you can basically close your eyes and imagine a similar landscape to what the game actually is. Granted, you can do that with a bunch of the music from the FF series, but XIII stuck out to me. I still put VI number one in music, but this one is definitely number two, and it really swung it for me.

I could truly keep ranting about how well the music is done so well and how its recorded even better, but I think I've made a valid point.

Okay one more, Snow's gestahl mode? A motorcycle that sounds like a real motorcycle instead of something that you'd be embarrassed to show a deaf man (I'm looking at YOU Cloud!)

[Rowan]

Can someone explain how everyone complains that FFXIII is too linear, yet every FF game has been just that?

Because in FF13 there is literally one path to follow. Theres no sidequests (ignoring the end of the game) there are limitations in character development within the crystarium that pertain to your progress in the story, there's no way to go back to where you have previously been (like you would want to anyway, its all just linear paths) theres no real beauty or artistic design until you reach pulse. The game is shallow. Its a bad example of an rpg. Compare final fantasy 13's world map (huh?) to final fantasy 12. That is an example of something that non-linear, gameplay wise. Theres ALWAYS a destination, but frequently forcing us along a narrow path with no alternative routes that branche off is linear to me. It sucked. They tried to make up for the linear nonsense in 13 in 13-2 by making it shockingly awkward by travingly backward and forward in time. It was some lame attempt at merging ff with chrono trigger. The end result was a sequal that tried too hard to make up for the faults of its predessesor with a dumb plot and trying to sell us DLC along the way, because we're suckers like that (although I bought serah's swimsuit, but thats because im a sucker for skin and tits.)

Hopefully that answers your question.

[EmperorLeo]

Because in FF13 there is literally one path to follow. Theres no sidequests (ignoring the end of the game) there are limitations in character development within the crystarium that pertain to your progress in the story, there's no way to go back to where you have previously been (like you would want to anyway, its all just linear paths) theres no real beauty or artistic design until you reach pulse. The game is shallow. Its a bad example of an rpg. Compare final fantasy 13's world map (huh?) to final fantasy 12. That is an example of something that non-linear, gameplay wise. Theres ALWAYS a destination, but frequently forcing us along a narrow path with no alternative routes that branche off is linear to me. It sucked. They tried to make up for the linear nonsense in 13 in 13-2 by making it shockingly awkward by travingly backward and forward in time. It was some lame attempt at merging ff with chrono trigger. The end result was a sequal that tried too hard to make up for the faults of its predessesor with a dumb plot and trying to sell us DLC along the way, because we're suckers like that (although I bought serah's swimsuit, but thats because im a sucker for skin and tits.)

Hopefully that answers your question.

So, from what I gathered, the game sucked because it didn't give the FEEL that wasn't linear? FFXII is a complete exception to the rule because you can wander for hours on end without even trying to continue the story line, but what about the other games? VI hardly had any side quests (if any) until you got to WoR, and 7? The first one that really counts as a side quest is when Cloud isn't in your party. There are some here and there, but both of those are a good 15-20 hours into the game if you're playing through on the first time. Perhaps FFXIII if wasn't actually a FF game, there might be a different stance on it. Especially now the most RPGs are open-world sandbox game. I do a few things that you say though. It could have been polished with multiple routes to the same destination to give the sense that it wasn't point A to B game, but I still enjoyed the game, especially Lightning's interactions with Snow. I enjoyed everyone in the game except Hope because, well... he's just a winy brat.
The game also did something that no other FF game did that was excellent - A true "level" cap. It gave us the chance to be powerful, without being severely overpowered that some monsters can even pose a serious challenge if you're not prepared. It forced me (a grinder type) to actually use a lot more strategy elements into battling instead of just hoping they die before I do.

[Rowan]

Im actually glad that you found something to like about XIII. In my opinion, being able to grind up if you are having trouble defeating a boss is literally the point of RPG games. Getting stronger and winning the battles. FFXIII actually restricts you from doing this, its not offering you anything, its taking away opportunity.

Now, onto ffVII. For me, the sidequests begin as soon as you are trying to enter don cornio's mansion. Its upto you what materials you gather and whether or nto you will be picked as Don Cornio's honey. After that theres the optional levels of the shinra building that contain special items and various ways to obtain them. Remember when you had to find the right word? You can just guess, but if you take the time to study the books and get it first go, you will be rewarded with elemental materia, one of the only ones of its kind in game, and its very missable. After that, you have an option to fight midgar zolom, it pass it. Then theres Condor where you can repeatedy return and fight off shinra troops in a mini-game where you hire units and make them fight, failure would result in your team taking out the boss. Sussful attempts will result in an item as a reward and something special late game , all of which is optional. The next I can think of is the gold saucer, theres a ton of mini-games there, then theres chocobo breeding, racing, hidden materia on islands only reachable with certain breeds of chocobo (and a certain one with a pro-highwind pilot) Theres optional characters Vincent and Yuffie, theres a whole sidequest with yuffie (whether you obtain her or not, which I found interesting) Which results in rare materia and more story on Don Cornio, theres optional bosses ruby and emerald weapon. You go from the slums, to distant lands, to beneath the ocean and into space. You pilot giant birds, a massive plane, a submarine, a water-plane and a buggy. You can go back to practically any place you have previously been and find ultimate weapons for your characters. Theres a sleeping man who will give you an item based on how many battles you've fled from and that item can then be given to another man near cosmo canyon for a special item one of which includes a limit break that cannot be obtained otherwise. I dont know if Im missing anything, but FF7 didn't feel linear to me. I was always doing something and there were always optional things to do.

Edit: then there was also the ancient forest where you obtain the apocolypse, one of 2 weapons that has 'triple' growth and theres also rare command and summon materia there. Slash-all and typhoon, I believe. optional

[EmperorLeo]

Im actually glad that you found something to like about XIII. In my opinion, being able to grind up if you are having trouble defeating a boss is literally the point of RPG games. Getting stronger and winning the battles. FFXIII actually restricts you from doing this, its not offering you anything, its taking away opportunity.

After playing XIII, it gave me a differing opinion. It makes me think strategically instead of just relying on brute force. Granted, the game doesn't give you full control of the party so there's reliance of some pretty awful AI (Hope and/or Lighting deciding to buff/heal themselves/each other instead of Fang [my usual leader] when she needed it a lot more])

Now, onto ffVII. For me, the sidequests begin as soon as you are trying to enter don cornio's mansion. Its upto you what materials you gather and whether or nto you will be picked as Don Cornio's honey. After that theres the optional levels of the shinra building that contain special items and various ways to obtain them. Remember when you had to find the right word? You can just guess, but if you take the time to study the books and get it first go, you will be rewarded with elemental materia, one of the only ones of its kind in game, and its very missable. After that, you have an option to fight midgar zolom, it pass it. Then theres Condor where you can repeatedy return and fight off shinra troops in a mini-game where you hire units and make them fight, failure would result in your team taking out the boss. Sussful attempts will result in an item as a reward and something special late game , all of which is optional.

Out of all this, the only one I truly considered a sidequest is Fort Condor's troop battles because it actually rewards you with items when you win. Usually you don't have the power to fight Midgar and successfully defeat him (you can set it up, but the hassle in that is more trouble than it's worth in my opinion) and the Elemental materia is a great item, but you do get a second one in Nibelheim Mountains, and outside of the Materia Keeper (to avoid Trine from wiping you out) in the Mountains there, how often do you truly need[ that? By the end of disk one, you're getting bracelets and bangles that absorb one element. I've often decided to skip the whole thing and simply guess. But, you are correct that this a side quest and I didn't actually count it as one.

The next I can think of is the gold saucer, theres a ton of mini-games there

Yes! Mini-games. These are there to distract us from the main story line. FF7 was fantastic at this (with only FF8's card game beating it out and FFX's Blitzball 3rd), where as XIII had next to none of them, if any at all. This gave us the impression that we could sit at the Wonder Square or the Chocobo Racing Corner and burn the rest of our money away in hopes for that ???????? item.

then theres chocobo breeding, racing, hidden materia on islands only reachable with certain breeds of chocobo (and a certain one with a pro-highwind pilot) Theres optional characters Vincent and Yuffie, theres a whole sidequest with yuffie (whether you obtain her or not, which I found interesting) Which results in rare materia and more story on Don Cornio, theres optional bosses ruby and emerald weapon. You go from the slums, to distant lands, to beneath the ocean and into space. You pilot giant birds, a massive plane, a submarine, a water-plane and a buggy. You can go back to practically any place you have previously been and find ultimate weapons for your characters. Theres a sleeping man who will give you an item based on how many battles you've fled from and that item can then be given to another man near cosmo canyon for a special item one of which includes a limit break that cannot be obtained otherwise. I dont know if Im missing anything, but FF7 didn't feel linear to me. I was always doing something and there were always optional things to do.

Edit: then there was also the ancient forest where you obtain the apocolypse, one of 2 weapons that has 'triple' growth and theres also rare command and summon materia there. Slash-all and typhoon, I believe. optional

I did mention the airship as keying the game's side quests. You can even start chocobo breeding with Tifa as the lead, if I'm not mistake? Because FFVII was in an open world, it gave the appearance of a game that wasn't linear, which was what FFXIII failed to do miserably. XIII was such a lush and beautiful land, even in the earlier chapters, but it failed to capture that properly, which is the ultimate downfall of this game.

[T.G. Oskar]

--WOOSH! *decloak*--

Come to think of it, Final Fantasy II has to be the most underrated game out there. Even on TFF there's like one, max two members who actually like this game, and one of them is me. I think it's leveling system was way before it's time, it's still used in major games like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series although more refined, and as far as characters and story goes it was the best one on NES.

Point to clear up: FF II was essentially the game that provided the leveling system to all SaGa games (barring Unlimited Saga). It follows the exact same trend, but without the balancing factor that Kawazu & company introduced later (where enemies scale based on the amount of battles or HP your characters have). Coincidentally, and if I don't err on this, Kawazu had a big hand on FF II, before shifting to SaGa.

Which reminds me: WHY U NO BRING MOAR SAGA SQUEENIX?

I'm sorry but destroying the world usually means the world is no more. Meaning, Kefka, Tina, Celes, Locke, etc...all perished, with the world. From my understanding, all but Kefka lived. It's like the same with Sephiroth, his goal was mainly just to summon meteor....

Nope. Not at all. Summoning Meteor was the means to his final end. It's very, very, VERY clear that Sephy's goal was to reach the Promised Land (as he promised to his mother Jenova). He summoned Meteor; whether he reached the Promised Land (using the Planet as a massive spaceship while at it) is debatable, as the Promised Land was something completely different. That's pretty ambiguous to define that Sephy failed on his main goal.

Kefka, on the other hand, succeeded on his goal AND WENT FOR MORE. Sure, he got the power of the Statues, but his mind kept degenerating to the point where the destruction of everything "as a monument to nothingness" became his final goal. Before WoR, he wouldn't have even thought of that; he was obsessed with one-upping Gestahl and getting more power. Then, to rule the world. So his goals were constantly changing because he was constantly meeting them. Even if he was just piggy-backing on some of them (fooling Gestahl was a nice touch!)

Can someone explain how everyone complains that FFXIII is too linear, yet every FF game has been just that? Is it because you can't go back? Because how often do you go backwards in any of the FF games? For that reason, I believe underrated because everyone gives it this big problem that it's too linear.

Maybe because it followed FFXII, the most open world in the FF games (online not included), it caught unnecessary flack for being linear. Think about FFX. Once you defeat spherimorph, the game literally forces you to go one way (with a BIG red arrow) until 3-5 hours later (depending on how levels you are), and when you're out of that part, you can only go forward anyways.

Odd that you say that while having a character that belongs to a game that has essentially an open-world bit during the 16-bit era.

If you may remember correctly, while FFVI had some degree of linearity (as all JRPGs do), it breaks that linearity twice. For starters, the idea that you can choose one of three stories that happen at the same time and run them as you wish. Then, after you get the Airship in the WoR, you can choose to go only with the characters you have, or get the rest and enter with a much, much more solid party.

What happens is that linearity was not stressed so much until sandbox games came to prominence. Had something like, say, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (remember there was Daggerfall and Arena) appeared during that time, people would have decried FFVI as too linear for their tastes...or decried Elder Scrolls for being too confusing to play. And there WERE non-linear games, after all: take Ultima VI. The game can literally be completed in 15 minutes, because most of the quests are implied, not forced on you. That, and the fact that you can teleport to essentially all main areas at will. People during that area found the game a bit confusing because it was pretty hard to understand what to do unless you followed the quests.

Paradigm shift (lol, pun!) to the 21st century, and non-linear games are now preferred to linear games (to an extent; CoD is as linear as it comes, except when you're on multi-player, and so do many games), so linearity can be noticed real quick.

The problem with FFXIII is that it feels like you're watching a movie, or moving on a rail with no wiggle room to work with (until later in the game). To put it in perspective: it's to console RPGs what a railroading GM is for tabletop RPGs. At least other games have side-quests that give the illusion that you're doing something else.

On top of that, the music went in a unique direction that actually worked, combining classical elements with an orchestra blended with rock/slight techno makes it a slurry of music I've really never heard before. Final Fantasy music has that ability to create music that's near legendary. The MIDI victory trumpets? Everyone here knows it. They are iconic, but so much of the music paints such a perfect landscape. Getting on Gran Pulse? The music is just so serene and peaceful. The music fits the situation so greatly, you can basically close your eyes and imagine a similar landscape to what the game actually is. Granted, you can do that with a bunch of the music from the FF series, but XIII stuck out to me. I still put VI number one in music, but this one is definitely number two, and it really swung it for me.

I could truly keep ranting about how well the music is done so well and how its recorded even better, but I think I've made a valid point.

I still consider Hamauzu mediocre, by the way, and I've heard students of Conservatory that praise his take on game music. Furthermore, I find his work on SaGa Frontier II to be better than his latter apparitions in FFX, and despite the ear-worm property of Blinded by Light, I just don't feel attracted to the game at all, or its music. Sometimes, his take on classical music can be downright boring (the intro for USaga is pretty nice, but the title BGM is dull).

It does bring a point, however: the music fits a much wider landscape. It gives an illusion of width to battles which are essentially the same as those of its predecessor (and take note that Sakimoto + Iwata do compositions that also take influences from classical music and take it one step further; my surprise to hear "Battle on the Bridge" from Final Fantasy Tactics had a movement by Stravinsky, told to me and shown to me by a classical composition graduate). Uematsu, on the other hand, has essentially developed the taste of most of us regarding RPG music, so it's shocking to observe the shift in composition focus.

By the way: I don't consider neither Hamauzu nor Uematsu as my favorite composer. Not even on my top 5. You may ask people here which are my top 5.

Okay one more, Snow's gestahl mode? A motorcycle that sounds like a real motorcycle instead of something that you'd be embarrassed to show a deaf man (I'm looking at [I]YOU[I] Cloud!)

Beg to ask why riding a motorcycle that sounds like a real one is important? Perhaps those who are used to Yamahas aren't fans of the sound of choppers, mind you. Whether that's a reason why to like FFXIII...it's pretty flimsy, actually. I'd prefer Vanille's Gestalt Mode because it can make a pitch for Terra, Rikku and her to appear in an SRW game (now that'd be pretty interesting!)

Now, regarding an underrated game that should be recognized...I also agree with FF V. It has one of the few villains that went hands-on with his plan (Exdeath nearly kills the entire party; if it weren't because of Galuf's sacrifice, Exdeath would have gone unopposed), the job system reached a maturity point where it was flexible enough (until FFT revolutionized it), the story felt world-spanning (and the twist that comes with it was pretty unusual for its time)... Yet, because of a shoddy translation work (Salsa!? Really!? REALLY!?), or because it came a bit late and didn't had the nostalgia factor (as FF IV and VI did), it wasn't as adored.

That said...

-- SWWWSHH!! *re-cloaks* --

[Kyrel]

Final Fantasy IX is terribly underrated, in my opinion.

[EmperorLeo]

Odd that you say that while having a character that belongs to a game that has essentially an open-world bit during the 16-bit era.

FFVI is my favorite FF game, but for this thread I took a stance on a game that I actually enjoyed and felt was an underrated game but FFII is definitely number one on the list now that I've given it thought. I still stand by my comment though.

If you may remember correctly, while FFVI had some degree of linearity (as all JRPGs do), it breaks that linearity twice. For starters, the idea that you can choose one of three stories that happen at the same time and run them as you wish. Then, after you get the Airship in the WoR, you can choose to go only with the characters you have, or get the rest and enter with a much, much more solid party.

I do recall. I just got done with the section of the game where the team splits not a few days ago. After you get the Airship in WoR, the only game that's more open is FFXII. Every other game, you've either explored all the places by the time you get transportation, or you can't access it until you get a better version later in the game (see FFVIII and FFIX), after you've visited just about everywhere anyways. Even FFXII forces you to do nearly everything on foot, but the use of teleport crystals nullifies that a little.

The problem with FFXIII is that it feels like you're watching a movie, or moving on a rail with no wiggle room to work with (until later in the game). To put it in perspective: it's to console RPGs what a railroading GM is for tabletop RPGs. At least other games have side-quests that give the illusion that you're doing something else.

Railroading is a pitfall that every GM every now and then falls into, and when that happens, if the NPCs/explaination is valid, it's justified to an extent. I don't like it when it happens, but I've already established that FFXIII failed to even try to not be linear without giving true side quest. They gave you hunts, like FFXII had, which wasn't really a side quest at all because it, "I had to kill this thing. I wish I could have done it. Do it for me please. I'll give you this item." without any variety. I wanted to point out that the game, outside of how linear it was, it had a strong point by incorporating true elements of strategy in battle by limiting your choices the characters could grow. Even after you unlock all the roles for every character, you still have clearly defined experts to certain roles (Hope was a rav/med but even when you max out his sent, he'll never be remotely as good as Snow).

I still consider Hamauzu mediocre, by the way, and I've heard students of Conservatory that praise his take on game music. Furthermore, I find his work on SaGa Frontier II to be better than his latter apparitions in FFX, and despite the ear-worm property of Blinded by Light, I just don't feel attracted to the game at all, or its music. Sometimes, his take on classical music can be downright boring (the intro for USaga is pretty nice, but the title BGM is dull).

Hamauzu did fine work with the music in my opinion because the music never stuck out to me as improper. You can't point your finger to a place in the game and say, "NOPE! This music doesn't fit." Blinded by Light is beautiful, and Sabers Edge (boss music) has that dissonant piano that creates so much tense that it REALLY pumps me up. It's the first normal boss music that pumped me up since FFVII, and the boss music for Barthandelus is just phenomenal (I can't recall the name of the track itself). Hamauzu also worked with Nobuo on FFX I believe. It was the last time they worked together before he left to do solo work with The Black Mages and to do more freelance work.

It does bring a point, however: the music fits a much wider landscape. It gives an illusion of width to battles which are essentially the same as those of its predecessor (and take note that Sakimoto + Iwata do compositions that also take influences from classical music and take it one step further; my surprise to hear "Battle on the Bridge" from Final Fantasy Tactics had a movement by Stravinsky, told to me and shown to me by a classical composition graduate). Uematsu, on the other hand, has essentially developed the taste of most of us regarding RPG music, so it's shocking to observe the shift in composition focus.
By the way: I don't consider neither Hamauzu nor Uematsu as my favorite composer. Not even on my top 5. You may ask people here which are my top 5.

Given that point, doesn't that make Hamauzu's work a bit more impressive? I'm not a classical buff to your level, so I won't go into the details like you have here because it's not my field. I know enough to get by, but I know when I don't have enough knowledge to contribute to a conversation in a positive way.

Beg to ask why riding a motorcycle that sounds like a real one is important?

Recording foley is what I've been doing this summer, so I couldn't resist at poking fun at the sound they got for FFVII to represent Cloud's motorcycle. It sounds more like a slightly slowed down/pitch-shifted lawnmower than a real hog.

Perhaps those who are used to Yamahas aren't fans of the sound of choppers, mind you.

I actually prefer the sound of choppers over sports bikes. It goes to the muscle car roots I have.

Whether that's a reason why to like FFXIII...it's pretty flimsy, actually.

That's fine by me as that's your opinion. I still believe by giving a story driven level cap, healing after every battle, removing random encounters, and forcing people to fight bosses/strong enemies with an actual strategy is something the series never saw before was a refreshing change. They couldn't just mill out another game without trying new things. Some of the things I feel worked well, while others failed miserably. I knew my opinion wasn't going to be a popular one, but I stand by it regardless.

[Rowan]

breeding with Tifa

Anyway, Yeah. I agree with all that. FFIX is probably the most underrated final fantasy. Noone talks about it nearly as much as any of the others. It had that old school charm and a great battle system with lots of secrets in its vast landscapes. Gets my vote for the best chocobo mini-game/sidequest of all the final fantasy games. Characters had great personality as well, probably more-so than what we've seen in any game prior to its release. So why no hype about it? I think people were put off by the characters and graphics, in that they seemed somewhat chilidish. A shame, really.

[Fluffy]

Nobody talks about FFIX because it's understood how great it is already.