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[CrimsonSquall]

FF 15

FF 16

Tell me u havent played that game without telling me you havent played that game

 

[Madflavor]

The character designer in FF16 is same as the ones did for FF14.

FF14

FF16

I personally really like the character designs so far.

I cannot tell you how goddamn refreshing it is to see a Final Fantasy protagonist that doesn't like like a traditional edgy anime character. No overly stylize hair, no overdesigned outfit with 20 belts, no stupid name, no effeminate face, and no teenagers.

It says something about the series where playing a grown ass man with a common name and manly look is groundbreaking. As far as I'm concerned, even though this wasn't the intention, this is an apology for shoving in Vaan as the main character in FFXII when it was supposed to be a character a lot closer to what we see in Clive.

 

[Danjin44]

I cannot tell you how goddamn refreshing it is to see a Final Fantasy protagonist that doesn't like like a traditional edgy anime character. No overly stylize hair, no overdesigned outfit with 20 belts, no stupid name, no effeminate face, and no teenagers.

It says something about the series where playing a grown ass man with a common name and manly look is groundbreaking. As far as I'm concerned, even though this wasn't the intention, this is an apology for shoving in Vaan as the main character in FFXII when it was supposed to be a character a lot closer to what we see in Clive.

I don’t hate Nomura’s design but I’m getting tired of every FF design by him. Also this character designs and art direction fits better for medieval fantasy compare to Nomura’s modern futuristic design.

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

Except they're not taking risks. They're just copying what western franchises are doing without any thought at all.
And no, settling for anime aesthetics is by not means stopping innovation. If that was the case, I suppose Zelda is not innovating in your books?
My main issue is not with the visuals, to make that clear. I liked the more semi-realistic style of FF12 for that matter, and 16 character design is not bad aside from some questionable emo haircut choices.

In what sense are they "copying" western franchises? This game looks wildly different from any major western RPG series in pretty much every respect.

The problem with the teenage anime FFs isn't the aesthetic, it's the adolescent storytelling.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

In what sense are they "copying" western franchises? This game looks wildly different from any major western RPG series in pretty much every respect.

The problem with the teenage anime FFs isn't the aesthetic, it's the adolescent storytelling.

Square-Enix execs want more money, and for that they have to appeal to the west.

Medieval dark fantasy becomes even more popular in the west with the success of The Witcher 3. Also, not dark fantasy, but medieval, Game of Thrones.
Turn-based won't sell as much. Ditch it.
Embrace action combat and make everything dark and edgy, and market it as "for adult and mature audiences".

"ooooh, yes, now we get gaijin money"
"oooooh now we mature and adult"
"wir u prease be excited and buy our game desu"

Final Fantasy died with Sakaguchi. He had a vision for the franchise.
You can see that in Lost Odyssey. There is some purity and innocence that Square-Enix can't grasp.
That is reserved for creatives only, not business people.

Kinda like Zelda and Miyamoto. He never needed to make Zelda "mature and edgy" in order to sell more.
You can argue that he was inspired by modern trends, but that's the key point -- inspired, not blindly copied without any regard for your own franchise's identity.
The spirit of Zelda is still intact. You can make it different without destroying the franchise's purity.
He knows that. Any good designer/director knows that.

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

Square-Enix execs want more money, and for that they have to appeal to the west.

Medieval dark fantasy becomes even more popular in the west with the success of The Witcher 3. Also, not dark fantasy, but medieval, Game of Thrones.
Turn-based won't sell as much. Ditch it.
Embrace action combat and make everything dark and edgy, and market it as "for adult and mature audiences".

"ooooh, yes, now we get gaijin money"
"oooooh now we mature and adult"
"wir u prease be excited and buy our game desu"

Final Fantasy died with Sakaguchi. He had a vision for the franchise.
You can see that in Lost Odyssey. There is some purity and innocence that Square-Enix can't grasp.
That is reserved for creatives only, not business people.

Kinda like Zelda and Miyamoto. He never needed to make Zelda "mature and edgy" in order to sell more.
You can argue that he was inspired by modern trends, but that's the key point -- inspired, not blindly copied without any regard for your own franchise's identity.
The spirit of Zelda is still intact. You can make it different without destroying the franchise's purity.
He knows that. Any good designer/director knows that.

I'd much rather Square Enix orient Final Fantasy towards western adults than towards Japanese middle schoolers. At least this way we might get a good game, which the series hasn't seen since 2006. What defined Final Fantasy was never a particular combat system, nor a particular setting, nor a particular quantum of "purity and innocence." Final Fantasy is not Dragon Quest. It has always been willing to experiment with its combat systems, setting, and narrative tone.

Not every series needs to be aimed at children. Sakaguchi's chosen successor to helm FF was Yasumi Matsuno, whose games are notably mature and thematically dark - and Yoshida clearly idolizes Matsuno. Final Fantasy should have grown and matured with its audience instead of remaining trapped in the perpetual adolescence of Yoichi Wada's Square Enix. Better late than never.

Nobody has played Zelda for the story in a very long time, and everyone agrees that the story is Breath of the Wild's worst aspect. People play FF for the story, you need to release a game with a narrative that's compelling to actual adults for it to be successful.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Except they're not taking risks. They're just copying what western franchises are doing without any thought at all.
And no, settling for anime aesthetics is by not means stopping innovation. If that was the case, I suppose Zelda is not innovating in your books?
My main issue is not with the visuals, to make that clear. I liked the more semi-realistic style of FF12 for that matter, and 16 character design is not bad aside from some questionable emo haircut choices.


While still keeping its identity intact. It was *never* an edgy action RPG.
Same thing for Dragon Quest, all entries are different, but the overall identity and feel remains mostly intact (for now)


It was always tame and implied.
Nothing forced for the sake of looking "adult" and "mature" as it's being marketed for western audiences.


Because they have a deal with Sony. A legal contract. They can't just throw it in the trash.
Also, because it allows them to release the game again on other platforms and charge full release price a second time. Which is what happened with FF15 Windows edition.


I have nothing against their artists. They have a lot of talented people there.
My issue is with the people making decisions. Either they are hacks or they're powerless against their superiors that only care about their investors.


Since Final Fantasy 13 to be honest. It's not only this game.
The problem is not *only* the combat (although with this one it plays a big part in that), but also all the forced edginess to market it as "mature" for western audiences.

It's as if everything they've been doing during SquareSoft days is suddenly "wrong" and western RPG developers got it right.
They gave up on their product. They're not even trying anymore. Their focusing their efforts on western audiences and trends, and also on what types of games Playstations users play the most.

You say this affects only Final Fantasy, but they've even said they're also gonna make Dragon Quest "mature" and "adult" and also change its combat somewhat.

I played my first FF game when I was about 10 years old. I'm now 32. So I'm quite happy the games are now pursuing mature and adult themes, as the fanbase has aged with the series. I lived and worked in Japan for several years and taught kids aged 6-16. They were all playing mobile games, a few Switch, but even then generally not narrative driven games. That market is now completely dead.

Kids and teens in the West now tend to gravitate towards online games like Fortnite and Minecraft.

Ultimately it sounds like FF and soon DQ won't be for you anymore as they look to cater to many of their existing fans who have matured with the series and also appeal to new ones, so you may as well move on and play some different games.

 

[TGO]

FF 15

FF 16

Yeah that's CG
you should compare to the last release which is actually in game
FFVII Remake

Final Fantasy XVI

I'd say it's on par but the art style makes it look worse then it is and kinda flat

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Those are 2+ year old screenshots of Clive. Perhaps a better comparison:

 

[Danjin44]

I'd say it's on par but the art style makes it look worse then it is and kinda flat

I don’t get the hate with artstyle, to me it’s art style gives me classic Final Fantasy look.

To me it’s seems people are just too used to Nomura’s designs.

 

[Meicyn]

Final Fantasy died with Sakaguchi. He had a vision for the franchise.

Sakaguchi himself disagrees with you.

Sakaguchi is obsessed with Creative Business Unit 3 and has been hanging out with Yoshida a LOT. Sorry man, but you are completely out of touch.

 

[Captain Toad]

I’m really liking visuals and characters design this time around, especially compare to what we got with FFXV.

FFXV didn't happen. Not sure what you're talking about.

 

[OsirisBlack]

Square-Enix execs want more money, and for that they have to appeal to the west.

Medieval dark fantasy becomes even more popular in the west with the success of The Witcher 3. Also, not dark fantasy, but medieval, Game of Thrones.
Turn-based won't sell as much. Ditch it.
Embrace action combat and make everything dark and edgy, and market it as "for adult and mature audiences".

"ooooh, yes, now we get gaijin money"
"oooooh now we mature and adult"
"wir u prease be excited and buy our game desu"

Final Fantasy died with Sakaguchi. He had a vision for the franchise.
You can see that in Lost Odyssey. There is some purity and innocence that Square-Enix can't grasp.
That is reserved for creatives only, not business people.

Kinda like Zelda and Miyamoto. He never needed to make Zelda "mature and edgy" in order to sell more.
You can argue that he was inspired by modern trends, but that's the key point -- inspired, not blindly copied without any regard for your own franchise's identity.
The spirit of Zelda is still intact. You can make it different without destroying the franchise's purity.
He knows that. Any good designer/director knows that.

Honestly it just sounds like FF has never been your thing or you’re just not really into it. Perhaps you’ve outgrown the franchise and that’s ok, but you keep shit piling on a game that looks better with each bit of information they have released. They have consistently shown us what the actual game looks like and for the first time in a long time (been playing Final fantasy since the original) this game is hitting all of the right notes.

You keep being whatever it is you are about it, I’ll just wait on the release of the 2023 GOTY. Book it.

Edited to add: either this or Zelda takes it next year.

 

[Pasta la Vista]

I don't really need to see anything else at this point. The people behind this one are checking all the right boxes for me and it seems to have a solid direction. Unlike that trash FFXV which is absolutely one of the worst pieces of shit I have played in my life.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

It says something about the series where playing a grown ass man with a common name and manly look is groundbreaking. As far as I'm concerned, even though this wasn't the intention, this is an apology for shoving in Vaan as the main character in FFXII when it was supposed to be a character a lot closer to what we see in Clive.

I was just reminiscing about FF6 and how its characters act like grown ass adults with functioning brains instead of chatty anime tropes. They didn’t feel the need to cram in some teenage “strong sense of justice” relatable self-insert character. (Although TBH I didn’t mind Vaan so much)

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Sakaguchi himself disagrees with you.

Sakaguchi is obsessed with Creative Business Unit 3 and has been hanging out with Yoshida a LOT. Sorry man, but you are completely out of touch.

Gooch loves FF14.

 

[Meicyn]

Gooch loves FF14.

Yeah, I follow his Twitter account and he is just outright obsessed. Dude’s living his best life right now.

Hopefully the dev team took some of his feedback seriously for the next expansion; biggest problem with the game right now is that there’s little reason to go back to old zones. Honestly, they should enable XP gain for replaying storymode content, at least at a reduced amount so there’s at least a bit of carrot on the stick. You’d see a lot more people roaming through all the different regions, I think. This would line up perfectly with the graphics revamp, since I know I plan on replaying the entire story from the beginning when it hits.

 

[lyan]

Square-Enix execs want more money, and for that they have to appeal to the west.

Medieval dark fantasy becomes even more popular in the west with the success of The Witcher 3. Also, not dark fantasy, but medieval, Game of Thrones.
Turn-based won't sell as much. Ditch it.
Embrace action combat and make everything dark and edgy, and market it as "for adult and mature audiences".

"ooooh, yes, now we get gaijin money"
"oooooh now we mature and adult"
"wir u prease be excited and buy our game desu"

Final Fantasy died with Sakaguchi. He had a vision for the franchise.
You can see that in Lost Odyssey. There is some purity and innocence that Square-Enix can't grasp.
That is reserved for creatives only, not business people.

Kinda like Zelda and Miyamoto. He never needed to make Zelda "mature and edgy" in order to sell more.
You can argue that he was inspired by modern trends, but that's the key point -- inspired, not blindly copied without any regard for your own franchise's identity.
The spirit of Zelda is still intact. You can make it different without destroying the franchise's purity.
He knows that. Any good designer/director knows that.

Ultimately all business care is money and growth, even if some seem to value a creative vision that you appreciates it is because they think that is going to make more money than going otherwise.
If hypothetically R18 anime hentai is going to give results and double a business' profit + growth without consequence all big players in the industry are going to make them.

 

[Icymanipulator]

The part where Odin slashes the army was cool, but that was it for me from this trailer.

 

[TGO]

I don’t get the hate with artstyle, to me it’s art style gives me classic Final Fantasy look.

To me it’s seems people are just too used to Nomura’s designs.

You mean Medieval?
there's nothing wrong with the medieval setting.
It's just how it looks in this particular iteration.
This could be do to lack of ambience, poor lighting choices and world art design being a bit bland.
Medieval could look a lot better.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Yeah, I follow his Twitter account and he is just outright obsessed. Dude’s living his best life right now.

Hopefully the dev team took some of his feedback seriously for the next expansion; biggest problem with the game right now is that there’s little reason to go back to old zones. Honestly, they should enable XP gain for replaying storymode content, at least at a reduced amount so there’s at least a bit of carrot on the stick. You’d see a lot more people roaming through all the different regions, I think. This would line up perfectly with the graphics revamp, since I know I plan on replaying the entire story from the beginning when it hits.

Nice to see the Gooch is on better terms with the company now. Probably because Yoichi Wada is out of the picture. Would love to see him come back for one last project before he retires for good.

 

[Panajev2001a]

This would line up perfectly with the graphics revamp

Oh I almost forgot that… I would like to go back to it on my PS5 !!!

 

[Kumomeme]

To me it’s seems people are just too used to Nomura’s designs.

yeah i agree. for over a decades, we used to flashy, colourfull, anime-ish design. unique hair style, colour and fashion etc. with name that reflect the edgy inner child side. it is funny that people used to complaint about this and want something more 'serious' or mature but when we finally get it, they prefer that another one more instead? i like Nomura design but i like what we got now too and it is actually in right direction. i wonder when these kind of fans started to play Final Fantasy. im guess they started with FF with Nomura as character designer while they completely ignored how previous FF is like.

not just about character design, the overall tone and world design too. people already used to this kind of style for 20 years to the point they think that this is what final fantasy is like, thinking that medieval setting is not for final fantasy and it merely an attempt to follow current trend. they totally ignored or doesnt aware of how the series used to be before particularly prior to PSONE and they dare to talk about 'return to root' LMAO. what funnier is they even said stuff like how the only Sakaguchi is the right man for the game but they definitely didnt aware how his FF looks like back in the day.

but the blame just partially on them. Square itself also play role for it too, for keep pushing this kind of style while at same time give priority spotlight to their character like some 'superstar' or 'idol' that fans can simp for. so now when we finally get something that close to older generation of FF, with mature theme and potential of great story and worldbuilding, these type of fans get culture shocked because there is no 'pretty' character that they can simp for, no 'pretty' visual style that can fool their eye anymore, no 'pretty presentation' to hide glaring flaw of a videogame. thats why we get game like FF13 and FF15 that despite has serious flaw that should not be overlooked, lot of fans end up get blinded over it due to pretty presentation and cool character they can simp for. so by following this 'formula', square no need to make good game. just make a game with pretty visual, presentation and character fans can drool their mouth and gtfo to other aspect like proper story, gameplay and characterization. game gonna still sold millions and fans gonna defend the title like hivemind LOL.

im glad CBU3 is there to take up the mantle for the job or we might stuck with same stuff again.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Think a safe guess is CBU1 (Kitase, Nomura, Hamaguchi etc) will focus on creating FF worlds with a modern twist, akin to FF7, FF8, FF10 (not modern but you get my drift), FF13. I love the FF8 art style the most from that pile followed by 10. I think if they had a another crack at FF13 again and Toriyama wasn't the director it would have been a great game.

CBU3 (Yoshida) will focus on creating on classical FF worlds, FF6, FF9, FF12, FF14.

Gameplay structure wise, think both teams will meet in the middle and adopt wide linear with open zones and a connected map (basically FF12), like we're getting in 16 and what I think FF7R-2 will be.

Open world will be left to Luminous studio, although not sure what happens to them if Forspoken bombs. Would make sense to put in place some of the Japanese artists and talent they have in the other business units and reinvent them, rather than shut up shop imo.

 

[GymWolf]

FF9 is getting a remake!

We can have them both.

A simple remake or an abomination like 7?

 

[Meicyn]

what funnier is they even said stuff like how the only Sakaguchi is the right man for the game but they definitely didnt aware how how his FF looks like back in the day.

It’s funny you mention this. I remember when FFXI was announced, and JRPG enthusiasts of that era proclaimed that the game looked too western. That Sakaguchi had lost touch with what audiences wanted. They judged the book by its cover.

With the Spirits Within movie bombing and FFXI not being a multimillion seller at launch, Square axed Sakaguchi. The irony is that Spirits Within is the reason why Visual Works is in the league they’re in when it comes to cutscene quality, and prior to FFXIV, FFXI ended up being Square Enix’s most profitable Final Fantasy of all time. Funny, how FFXI is commented about in a favorable way these days.

Calling FFXVI an edgy western Game of Thrones wannabe is such a superficial, might I say dumb take on what FFXVI is going for. It’s needlessly cynical. If anything, the game takes clear inspiration from Final Fantasy Tactics, especially given CBU3’s history. The darker themes, emphasis on multiple warring kingdoms in a complex setting with characters caught in between, delivering a medieval fantasy morality tale… even the art director Hiroshi Minagawa is the same!

 

[Kumomeme]

It’s funny you mention this. I remember when FFXI was announced, and JRPG enthusiasts of that era proclaimed that the game looked too western. That Sakaguchi had lost touch with what audiences wanted. They judged the book by its cover.

With the Spirits Within movie bombing and FFXI not being a multimillion seller at launch, Square axed Sakaguchi. The irony is that Spirits Within is the reason why Visual Works is in the league they’re in when it comes to cutscene quality, and prior to FFXIV, FFXI ended up being Square Enix’s most profitable Final Fantasy of all time. Funny, how FFXI is commented about in a favorable way these days.

Calling FFXVI an edgy western Game of Thrones wannabe is such a superficial, might I say dumb take on what FFXVI is going for. It’s needlessly cynical. If anything, the game takes clear inspiration from Final Fantasy Tactics, especially given CBU3’s history. The darker themes, emphasis on multiple warring kingdoms in a complex setting with characters caught in between, delivering a medieval fantasy morality tale… even the art director Hiroshi Minagawa is the same!

even when we look back at jrpg history, western actualy play huge influence to them. Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest for example has huge influence from Dungeon and Dragon, Wizardy and Ultima which is where creator like Yuji Hori and Hironobu Sakaguchi draw inspiration from. it is funny that fans vocally want the series to return to its root but at same time they actually doesnt aware of what the 'roots' is exactly like at first place.

 

[Teslerum]

CBU3 (Yoshida) will focus on creating on classical FF worlds, FF6, FF9, FF12, FF14.

Sakaguchi famously said that FFIX was his favourite FF. (And Tactics was him building his own personal dream team)

I still think its sad that nearly all company resources then went towards the Kitase/Nomura/Nojima side of things until the success of Realm Reborn. What exactly happened with Hiroyuki Ito will also always be a huge question-mark.

 

[Kumomeme]

the steelbook looks really nice

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

the steelbook looks really nice

Gonna try and resist and stick to the base game.

 

[Danjin44]

I managed to pre-order my Deluxe Edition from my local EBgames, it seems that edition is not SE store exclusive.

 

[Fake]

Artstyle looks good to me.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

I'd much rather Square Enix orient Final Fantasy towards western adults than towards Japanese middle schoolers

Except they are really bad at it. Do you really think "adult" and "mature" when you see the FF16 trailer? Dude with emo hair throwing a tantrum on screen all the time?

At least this way we might get a good game, which the series hasn't seen since 2006.

If that was a parameter for quality, then all Nintendo games would suck balls and sales would bomb.

What defined Final Fantasy was never a particular combat system, nor a particular setting, nor a particular quantum of "purity and innocence." Final Fantasy is not Dragon Quest. It has always been willing to experiment with its combat systems, setting, and narrative tone.

Ohh, combat was never action oriented though. Which was my point. Different, but the same.
And this argument that they were always willing to experiment to justify changing the combat to something that it never was doesn't hold water. It was never action-oriented.

Not every series needs to be aimed at children. Sakaguchi's chosen successor to helm FF was Yasumi Matsuno, whose games are notably mature and thematically dark - and Yoshida clearly idolizes Matsuno. Final Fantasy should have grown and matured with its audience instead of remaining trapped in the perpetual adolescence of Yoichi Wada's Square Enix. Better late than never.

It was never aimed at children, I have no idea why you think that way. I have no idea why you care so much about it though.
If that is the case, go play The Witcher for itching that "mature" scratch.

Nobody has played Zelda for the story in a very long time, and everyone agrees that the story is Breath of the Wild's worst aspect. People play FF for the story, you need to release a game with a narrative that's compelling to actual adults for it to be successful.

Jesus, do you REALLY believe a game needs a narrative to be compelling for adults for it to be successfull? Guess Mario shouldn't be a success then!
People played Final Fantasy because it used to stand out in all departments: story, characters, gameplay, graphics, music, content, etc.

Also, funny you say that a game needs to be "mature" to be successful, while at the same claiming that Final Fantasy was always aimed at children when it was always one of the most successful jRPG series ever.

I played my first FF game when I was about 10 years old. I'm now 32. So I'm quite happy the games are now pursuing mature and adult themes, as the fanbase has aged with the series. I lived and worked in Japan for several years and taught kids aged 6-16. They were all playing mobile games, a few Switch, but even then generally not narrative driven games. That market is now completely dead.

Kids and teens in the West now tend to gravitate towards online games like Fortnite and Minecraft.

Ultimately it sounds like FF and soon DQ won't be for you anymore as they look to cater to many of their existing fans who have matured with the series and also appeal to new ones, so you may as well move on and play some different games.

You guys keep repeating the same "mature" crap, as if that never happened in past Final Fantasies.
What is maturity for you after all? Gore? Sex? Swearing? Emo hair?

Lost Odyssey tackled on a very mature theme without needing any of that.
Seriously, I don't get why you guys care so much about "muh maturity" in video games. Guess this quote applies to many of you.

Ultimately all business care is money and growth, even if some seem to value a creative vision that you appreciates it is because they think that is going to make more money than going otherwise.
If hypothetically R18 anime hentai is going to give results and double a business' profit + growth without consequence all big players in the industry are going to make them.

It's important to realize that it's possible to keep a balance between both.
But that needs competence and responsability, which Square-Enix lacks.
Imagine if Studio Ghibli only cared about profits if they would manage to make the movies they wanted to.

 

[OsirisBlack]

 

[Needlecrash]

FYI. Deluxe Edition going for $70 at Walmart. Get on that GAF.

 

[Kumomeme]

here is Moogle KUPO!

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

New Artwork which featured in a notable Japanese magazine.

 

[Avion4017]

 

[Ronin_7]

This game gonna be phenomenal

 

[SkylineRKR]

I was just reminiscing about FF6 and how its characters act like grown ass adults with functioning brains instead of chatty anime tropes. They didn’t feel the need to cram in some teenage “strong sense of justice” relatable self-insert character. (Although TBH I didn’t mind Vaan so much)

There was nothing wrong with Vaan. He simply didn't have much plot after the first few hours in the game, but I think most criticism was aimed at his design. He didn't whine much, yeah, he was rightfully pissed off a the world because his brother was killed by politics. But there were some things about him I appreciated, he lashed out at Basch, which makes sense as he looks identical to the killer and was framed at first. But Vaan eventually dropped that grudge. Then he also dropped his cliche I wanna be a sky pirate act, as it was simply an excuse for him to escape reality.

I think what worked is that he was the spectator we controlled in towns, the actual leads (like Ashe) were viewed from his POV. It was something different. You could completely drop him from the party if desired.

I think Vaan was one of the best FF leads, if you can call him a lead. Because he wasn't a typical anime daddy issues kid. FFXII is my favourite FF and while I can see its issues with story and character building tacking a back seat later on, it wasn't a boring mess of stupid anime dialogues.

 

[Elysion]

I would just like to point out that more time has passed between the release of FF7 and now, than between the release of the original FF and FF7. What I‘m trying to say is that the ‚modern‘ feel of FF that started with FF7 is what the vast majority of people associate with the series. I mean, FF7 is 25 years old at this point; I‘m pretty sure at least half the people who will be playing FF16 are younger than that. Modern(ish)/scifi settings with Nomura designs is classic FF for most people.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

There was nothing wrong with Vaan. He simply didn't have much plot after the first few hours in the game, but I think most criticism was aimed at his design. He didn't whine much, yeah, he was rightfully pissed off a the world because his brother was killed by politics. But there were some things about him I appreciated, he lashed out at Basch, which makes sense as he looks identical to the killer and was framed at first. But Vaan eventually dropped that grudge. Then he also dropped his cliche I wanna be a sky pirate act, as it was simply an excuse for him to escape reality.

I think what worked is that he was the spectator we controlled in towns, the actual leads (like Ashe) were viewed from his POV. It was something different. You could completely drop him from the party if desired.

I think Vaan was one of the best FF leads, if you can call him a lead. Because he wasn't a typical anime daddy issues kid. FFXII is my favourite FF and while I can see its issues with story and character building tacking a back seat later on, it wasn't a boring mess of stupid anime dialogues.

I've come to appreciate FF12 alot over the years. The opening movie is also quite stunning and I didn't appreciate it at the time.

 

[Yoshichan]

I've come to appreciate FF12 alot over the years. The opening movie is also quite stunning and I didn't appreciate it at the time.

Top 3 intro of all time and deniers are wrong

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

There was nothing wrong with Vaan. He simply didn't have much plot after the first few hours in the game, but I think most criticism was aimed at his design. He didn't whine much, yeah, he was rightfully pissed off a the world because his brother was killed by politics. But there were some things about him I appreciated, he lashed out at Basch, which makes sense as he looks identical to the killer and was framed at first. But Vaan eventually dropped that grudge. Then he also dropped his cliche I wanna be a sky pirate act, as it was simply an excuse for him to escape reality.

I think what worked is that he was the spectator we controlled in towns, the actual leads (like Ashe) were viewed from his POV. It was something different. You could completely drop him from the party if desired.

I think Vaan was one of the best FF leads, if you can call him a lead. Because he wasn't a typical anime daddy issues kid. FFXII is my favourite FF and while I can see its issues with story and character building tacking a back seat later on, it wasn't a boring mess of stupid anime dialogues.

Yeah I thought he was decent. He has a good reason to hate the empire. He has nothing to lose. He has the balls to sneak in to the palace and steal the Sun stone out from under Vayne’s nose just out of spite. It makes sense why someone like Balthier would see his potential and take him along. And he also serves to remindAshe and Basch of what they’re fighting for.

Best thing about him is he actually shuts the hell up and lets the other, more interesting characters have the spotlight most of the time. He’s like the anti-Tidus: the super cool modern-day sports star who makes every scene about him, who loudly proclaims his ignorance at every opportunity (despite supposedly trying not to attract attention), who has daddy issues that he repeatedly whines about, who solves the world’s biggest problem (that much more competent and intelligent people couldn’t solve for centuries) just by the sheer force of his optimism and modern 21st century attitude.

But for all that, Vaan is…. Kinda bland, and not the kind of character I get excited about playing as in a video game. Can’t help but wonder what XII could’ve been like if they hadn’t crammed him and Penelo into it.

That said. XII is probably my favorite in the series as well. Here’s hoping that XVI is similarly free of all the horrid anime dialog and yappy characters that plague most JRPGs

 

[Lumpyoatmeal]

Some stuff look cool, and I don't have anything against the game itself, it might end up really good, but I'm always super confused by people impressions on the graphics.
I don't see what's so amazing about it, but like, at all, I think that even FF XV looked better, so it's quite confusing when people talk about how fantastic the graphics are.

Again, that's not necesarily a problem, the game can be great without insane graphics, but it's just something that confuses me because it seems like I'm not seeing the same game as others somehow.

I think this my third time seeing trailers from this videogame and I agree. The level of detail is bad.

I forgot the name of that other videogame Square Enix had with the girl in it recently, but both of these games have the same issue, the art direction is all over the fucking place. The music and the logo is fire though.

 

[Elysion]

But for all that, Vaan is…. Kinda bland, and not the kind of character I get excited about playing as in a video game. Can’t help but wonder what XII could’ve been like if they hadn’t crammed him and Penelo into it.

It would’ve been better if some of the guest characters had been made into permanent party members instead. Larsa or that pirate dude would’ve been more interesting additions to the party imo.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Little collection of some nice FFXVI artwork:

 

[wvnative]

So does Amazon not do release day delivery anymore? Haven't pre-ordered a physical disc in years but back in the day they always had that option and always got it to me around lunch time. That option isn't present when I go to order it (i'm in the US)

Really want a disc since a numbered FF is now a once a decade event.

 

[A.Romero]

I might get this on launch day, never done it for a FF title in the past. It looks very promising.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Another bit of artwork, missing a few of the revealed characters but nice none the less.