Topic: Final fantasy discussion thread

@WanderingBullet I never used the r3 lock myself, just held down r1.

I "completed" the carnival this evening. Not a bad little event. Nothing to shout about though, either.

@kyleforrester87 Luckily, the event doesn't require me to reach Chapt 9 in the main game so I as able to play it. It's alright. Just trying to get some of the exclusive event items. Tried fishing a few times but never caught any Tag A to D fishes. Trying to find out what lure to use. Have you tried it?

@WanderingBullet I did but I just used the first chocobo lure, I didnt get any A-D's but others were biting easily enough. I caught 5-6 then went off to do something else!

I believe it's the 30th anniversary event on 31st Jan - what are we thinking? I imagine at least some FF7 remake news and a FF12 launch!

@kyleforrester87 Final Fantasy 6 or 9 remaster for ps4 is a rumour out there. Apparently a sideways shape which can be seen as either a 6 or 9 was put out over social media. Either of them and I will be delighted!

@kyleforrester87 Same here, I've used quite a few types of lures and caught around maybe 15 fishes but only got one Tag J fish I think. The rest were all small fishes.

Just finished FFXV. Have many thoughts I may type up, but more than anything I thought the game was at its best when the open world closed up in the second half. I read a lot of things about people not liking the later chapters, particularly 13 - but I thought it was brilliant.

I also really appreciate now the decision to take 3 hours of FMV out of the game and make a movie out of it, so that the game can be mostly gameplay instead of world-building. Well done on a rather risky and gutsy move there.

@Mega-Gazz I liked chapter 13 a lot too...after being almost scared of reaching it because of people's comments. oh, internets!

@themcnoisy Ahhh yes. I almost think FF9 is a sure thing since the HD version is already on phones. Nice!

@Mega-Gazz I totally felt the same about the last part of the game..It makes me think the game could have been so much better had it been more linear throughout. Chapter 13 wasn't that bad at all either, although I'm not sure I'd like to play that section again.

@kyleforrester87 I also noted that they left room for FFXV-2 with Iris the hunter in the ten years before the last battle

@Feena @Mega-Gazz @kyleforrester87

They couldn't go down the linear route due to the outcry over ff13.

As it stands ff15 is awesome. Both parts compliment the other. The best Final fantasies have usually encompassed both linear and open world elements. That section were Noctis is alone unlocking doors with key cards was okay but went on far too long, those jump scares ran thin on your sixth or seventh leg grab.

@themcnoisy all FF games are what I'd call linear other than FF15 to be fair. They have the illusion of being a bit open worldy just because of the world map but you usually only have one place that you can actually go next when on the open world. 13 wasn't much more linear than 10 either, 10 just had a more interesting story and better characters. I reckon FF15 would have benefited from being more linear overall, anyway.

@kyleforrester87 @themcnoisy Yea while I agree the start did something to set things up, I really came close to just stopping it because of the open world section being so directionless. It had the appropriate tone (the 'road trip' notion), but the same elements which contributed to that tone meant monotonous travel and camping time to knock off trivial quests. Any sense of momentum or plot is interrupted because you do 10 side quests for every plot quest and basically lose track of any urgency. It becomes disjointed.

In the linear sections there was more plot, more something actually happening, and your actions fit in with that story much better.

@kyleforrester87 in ten you can go back if you wish, in fact its recommended to complete the beastiary and obtain the extra spheres from the theatre and there are sections of relative freedom dotted throughout. 13 pushed what 10 started in regards to linearity too far. No shops, no npcs, no mini games, no customisation in levelling, no going back to previous areas, usually 1 set path with hardly any variety etc etc - there's very little final fantasy in ff13. FF10 although more linear than the previous entrees still had loads of stuff off the beaten track. Trust me mate, I've been grinding ffx these last few days!

@Mega-Gazz I dont think the early stages are meant to be taken quickly, you make the decisions on what you want to do as its time to bond with the team, discover the world and play around with the mechanics. I liked the move from open world to linear - just like in ff7 we have the move from linear to semi openworld. I think this is a key part of why I will always look fondly on final fantasy. In ff15 the chance to use umbra and go back in time was a great mechanic. It meant people who wanted more gamey stuff to break up the speed of story delivery can go back to the open world and people just in it for the story can do that too. I understand you were disgruntled retracing steps back to the diner or hunting frogs to go back to a rooftop (I felt like that too at times) but that's more an issue with the hunt design which should have had its own tracker in the menus, and the lack of imagination in some side quests. The openworld itself was a great place to mooch around in.

@themcnoisy yeah, agree.. But still 15 could easily have been more linear than it was without going "full thirteen" lol

But 15's middle chapters are just weird. You're running around chasing lightening bolts for ill explained reasons etc. Maybe I just didn't get it. Still enjoyed the game a lot though.

@kyleforrester87 I dont remember those bits! Lightning bolts? I thought the story was group of lads - stag week - visit sidney - bad news - go back home - uh oh - run away - thoughts of revenge - get strong - get stronger - get married to a fish - go after the enemy - lose your friends - feel empty inside - despair - agony - id kill for a behemoth steak in this never ending card factory - reunite with your mates - have the behemoth steak - go on an ass kicking spree.

LOL

I did like the Umbra mechanic as well. Good way of ending the game with a real ending, but still allow post-game wandering.

For the record, I never finished 13 and really wish they'd remaster it. I was renting it at the time with one of those "unlimited rentals for 30$ a month" deals, and got to the last fight and just had to put it down, because I realized I had to go back and level up some before doing it. Definitely want to replay all the FF13 series games.

All Final Fantasy games are linear, but they make you believe they're not and that's key. When you're playing Final Fantasy VII and you get out of Midgar it gives you the feeling that the world is yours to explore, but it isn't. Not really. You can go to Kalm, and the Chocobo Ranch. The oceans and the mountains stop you exploring, and the Midgar Zolom halts your progress in moving on to the next area.

That's how the game works throughout most of the playing time. It drops you into an area in which there's limited potential options for exploration, but enough to make you feel like you're travelling a vast world brimming with opportunities. Eventually, once you have access to each mode of transport, the entire map is open and you can do as you please. The illusion of choice is just as powerful as genuine choice a lot of the time.

XIII failed - in part - because it didn't have even the illusion of choice. It's rigid, corridor-based structure exposed how linear the title was, and the removal of random encounters meant that not even they could provide any surprise. It's literally walking from one fight to the next, with no opportunity to explore.

Technically, the game isn't much more linear than something like, say, Final Fantasy X. X, too, has you progress from one town to the next in a similar fashion, but the wide open spaces, towns with side quests and people to talk to, and later the airship mask what a linear experience the game truly is. Without any parlour tricks, Final Fantasy XIII breaks the illusion for the player, and tells them they're on rails. And I think that's why so many people have an issue with it.

@themcnoisy lol pretty much

@johncalmc and yes, basically nailed it. As I said though I think FFX benefited from having a more interesting story and characters too. Not only was FF13 super linear I personally found it super dull with the worst characters in FF history.