It seems past Final Fantasy games were really good.

Like Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy X. But now these games don't seem like they should be anymore.

Square is always trying to change things up and change isn't always good if you're always trying to change how things work in an RPG.

Am I the only one unhappy with some of the FF games? I mean I've heard other people express disappointment in Final Fantasy 13.

I personally liked the first FF13 game. But didn't care for the sequels that followed like FF 13-2 and Lightning Returns. Why the need to keep digging into this title for more money when Square could make a new Final Fantasy? We could have had Final Fantasy 16 or 17 by now !

My biggest question is " am I really going to like Final Fantasy 15?"

It does seem more different than the previous games. Just a thought though.

All I know is they are slowly moving away from the core elements of a traditional RPG and moving into action RPG. At the current trend, Final Fantasy will eventually just be an action adventure series.

I remember a time I used to be excited when a new Final Fantasy game comes out but now----well----all good things.....

It came to an end at FFX. (Well FF12 for some folks)

Twelve kicked ass. And thirteen isn't nearly as bad as the internet would have you believe.

Then again, nothing is

What happened lately? FFX came out 13 years ago.

While I tend to agree, I also remember that people were making these exact same complaints back when Final Fantasy VII was new. So I often wonder how much of it is really Square-Enix's fault, or if it's just me. I admit, I think I've outgrown the series. Up to X, I was always excited by the prospect of a new FF, but when XII came along, I found myself so indifferent to it and just couldn't find the will to pop it into my PS2. And while I hate a lot of the things SE has done, like the whole FFVII Compilation that I feel is just messing up its world and canon, I've also taken a more critical eye at VII. I still love it with all my heart, have fond memories of it, and regard it as one of the best games I've ever played...but I also recognize that it has a lot of glaring flaws that I just wouldn't be able to tolerate anymore.

But that aside, there is a definite direction that I'm not liking in the series. It seems that at some point, Square decided to up the glam every step of the way. Everyone and everything in these game has to look shiny, slick, clean, and pretty, like they just stepped off a runway. It's...not my cup of tea. At all.

And while the complaints about the lack of quality for the new games might just be the usual pissing and moaning, I can't help but wonder if something really is wrong over at Square-Enix. The schedule slip for Versus XIII, the disastrous launch of XIV, and the fact that Square seems to be losing money on published games that sell a million or so copies shows indicates someone in management is screwing things up badly. Now, they're showing signs of cleaning up their act, such as repurposing Versus into XV, and releasing A Realm Reborn, but it's questionable if they'll really be able to recover from [censored] up for nearly a decade.

Lately??
They've been declining in quality for more than 10 years.
(although some of them are still good games, they are not really the traditional FF RPGs anymore)

I think Square is taking a huge step in the wrong direction with FF15, by ditching the turn-based/ATB system entirely and making it an action RPG. They already have an action RPG franchise with Kingdom Hearts, FF should continue to be a more traditional RPG series imo.

I personally loved Final Fantasy X-2...but oh gosh. So many people griped about it back when it was released in 2003 but not nearly as bad as 13's battle system. I am totally discouraged from playing FF:13-3 and as bad people say it is.

( sorry about the title. Moderators can change the title if they feel it is appropriate for the discussion.)

I will agree FFXII was the last real JRPG Square made before diving off the deep end, I may not have like the voices (cause they sounded like the cast had one hell of a cold on the days of recording) but it was still a decent traditional JRPG.

Why are things not allowed to change? To evolve and move forward?

FFX and FFXII are legendary. Two of my favorite games of all time. I'm really looking forward to XV.

Well when a game has well over 12 installments in the series there is going to be a drop in quality over the years. Look at the Simpson for example, it has been running for so long that they ran out of ideas. Would I say Final Fantasy is doing the same? Kind of, the developers are going to attempt to change the core game to appeal to younger generations of gamer's that are just getting into the series. Sadly this means that there is going to be a degradation in quality and eventually they are going to start making the same game with a new coat of paint.

I really regret passing up FFXII.

Agreed. It'd be nice to see some remakes for a change like Final Fantasy 7 for the PS4 instead of pointless sequels and FF games that have been warped so much because Square thinks they need to change.

I feel that Perhaps what Square doesn't understand is that the story and the game play is what made those games famous and what gave them customers. Sometimes change can be bad. But maybe the change is for what the newer generation wants in today's video game or I could just be wrong.

I'd have to agree that they've gone in a different direction, but I may also have to admit that I'm no longer their target demographic like I was when IV-XII came out.

I've played every FF game from I-XIII(yes I even had a 6 month stint in XI online). I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them, until XIII... it felt like it was just a linear corridor between cut-scenes. It's the only game in the numbered series I haven't been compelled to finish, and I know eventually I'll go back and give it another run, but I didn't like the direction they went with it to the point I had played (about 20 hours).

I'll always give them the benefit of the doubt, but I'm certainly not pre-ordering XV at launch like I have with every FF game since VIII (not counting the XIII sequels of course). I'd rather go back and play the earlier FF games than play the newest ones. Currently enjoying the FFX HD re-master as a nice throwback to a game I haven't played in 12 years.