Summary
Video games and the hardware they are developed upon have always been volatile and prone to rapid evolution, but none more so thanFinal Fantasy. As early asFinal Fantasy 2, the series embraced these fluctuations and made commitments to grow in step with them.Each entry strived to evolvein terms of technological advancements and to cater to audience taste, which allowed them to capture new audiences but occasionally divided or even alienated existing fans.
With so many numberedFinal Fantasygames and spin-offs, there should be something for everyone. However, the ranked value of each game is highly contested between fans, and the following games, whether due to their approaches to story, gameplay, or tone, tend to go all the way to the top or drop off at the bottom and rarely end up as middling thanks to their divisive elements. Every gamer’s tastes are different, and while one game might not be a crowd favorite, it is important to respect the diversity of taste.
This one might only be a contentious issue for veteran fans, or at least those who remember the series before it took a more action-oriented approach to battle. However, it still manages to spark debate in retro RPG circles.Final Fantasy 4dug out the tried-and-true traditional turn-based system and replaced it with the “active time battle” system. With ATB, rather than waiting their turn between characters and monsters, players have to wait for their turn on an action gauge. Rather than just their tactical skills and know-how,Final Fantasy 4players were tested on their ability to move through menus and select the right spell or action in quick time.
Encounters with the ATB system have more of a frenzied pace, and those who enjoyedRPGs for their strategy and planning challengesrather than tests of reflexes and timing were perturbed by the change. A “wait mode” allows players to pause the game while they make a selection, but this does not remedy the frequent randomness and unpredictability of the system. However, those who may have viewed the playing of RPGs as a stilted, static affair appreciated the pulse-quickening dynamic thatFinal Fantasy 4brought to the table. Either way, the system stuck for over a decade, and it all started withFinal Fantasy 4.
Final Fantasy 16saw a “return to its roots” in terms of setting, eschewing the high-science fantasy of13, the mashup “everything” setting of14,and the modern-day urban fantasy of15in favor of a traditional medieval fantasy backdrop. However,Final Fantasy 16also saw a clean break from one of the series' defining traits, its menu-oriented, turn-based combat, which went out in favor of more cinematic, real-time action,alaGod of War and The Witcher3. This drew in many, many new players who were averse to turn-based gameplay, but it left many long-time fans of the format wanting.
Additionally, while there are many memorable characters inFinal Fantasy 16, due to the central focus on the protagonist, Clive, adventuring is, for the most part, a one-man show. Long-time fans were denied the familiar experience of getting to know a group of adventurers who, through trials and tests, create lasting bonds of friendship. Finally, the grimdarkGame of Thrones-inspired tone, which certainly has a certain kind of appeal, further exacerbated the moody feeling of isolation, marking a noticeable shift away from the bright, wholesome, and whimsical tone of previous games.
The very first sequel to a numberedFinal Fantasygame was bound to stir up controversy among the fans, beginning the precedent for games (which were once sold as a complete package) to slowly expand through sequels or transmedia (or, in some cases, released in what some consider unfinished states). However, manyFFfans are divided onFinal Fantasy 10-2, which undid Tidus and Yuna’s uniquely bittersweet final goodbye and replaced it with a happily-ever-after. Not only that, but the narrative took on a poppier, more whimsical tone that diverged from the original’s somber, epic storytelling style.
However,Final Fantasy 10had truly captivated many fans, many of whom were ecstatic tofollow up on Yuna and the partyand either ate up or didn’t mind the campy shift into J-pop aesthetics and cheesy side plots. The open-ended format excited those eager to break with10’s linearity (itself a contentious change) to see more of Spira in a different light. However, a large section of fans felt that the dulcet tonal shift of the world, even amid the celebration of Sin’s demise, was jarring. The class-swapping “dressphere” system was widely praised, but10-2saw the return of the active battle system after its absence in10, which caused some minor rifts in the fan community.
The team behindFinal Fantasy 12took an admirable stab at resolving the series' biggest criticism: random encounters. They were clearly adamant about staying true to the traditional menu and party-based system. However, giving the player total freedom to move around during a fight meant that constant pausing and micromanagement would be inevitable. As a compromise, the actions of each party member (including the current player character and their attacks) became automized and fully customizable, thanks to the “gambit” system, with which players could program an attack strategy for every contingency.
As a result, the player eventually becomesmore of a sideline coachthan an active participant who occasionally needs to step in to give specific orders but is otherwise a passive observer. Considering the size of each level and how little downtime is given between long marches through monster-filled landscapes, the gambit system makesFinal Fantasy 12a love-it-or-hate-it entry, even with its stellar cast of characters, high-quality presentation, and deep worldbuilding.
The contentious nature of this game would probably have been less severe had Square not decided to use a mainline number for theirFinal Fantasymassively multiplayer online project. The same sentiment can be extended toFinal Fantasy 14. However, whereas14gives players the option tomore-or-less solo the MMO, for good or bad,Final Fantasy 11makes teaming up with others a mandatory activity. This is great for those who enjoy socializing in an online space but alienating to those opposed to operating within the limits of other people’s time, patience, and judgment (or those who revere the purity of the complete, offline, single-player experience).
Additionally, while home internet access is a given today, connecting to the web at its release in 2002 was much trickier. To ensure that players couldn’t burn through too much of the game too quickly (so they could stick around as social content for other players),Final Fantasy 11ramped up the difficulty with hard-hitting enemies and high grinding requirements. Death removes player XP and levels, and traveling from one place to the next is notoriously time-consuming and difficult. However,11’s advocates will say that being able to team up with and befriend real people in a richly realized fantasy world gave them, for the first time, a true feeling of being on an adventure, and not just a vicariously experience gained by playing a team of fictional characters, as with most of the otherFinal Fantasygames.
Final Fantasy 8is arguably the most divisive game in the series. Half the fanbase is in love, while the other half loves to hate it. The divide likely stems from the feelings about the protagonist, Squall, and the game’s highly experimental progression system. Unlike most other games in the series, the player is regularly exposed to the gripes of a young man struggling with the increasing weight of responsibility paired with his own self-doubt and repressed loneliness. To some, Squall comes across as relatable and sympathetic, making the romantic feelings that eventually give him the courage to accept himself and push through his fears that much more poignant.
Others find his whining grating, the characters' behavior often non-sensical, and the romance forced and irritating. Along with plot and character issues, many anti-FF8fans are put off by the highly unorthodox junctioning system. Some enjoy its flexibility and exploitability, but others find it unnecessarily complex or tedious. To their point of the latter, the game’s director, Yoshinori Kitase, once acknowledged thatthe junctioning system would need a reworkfor a potential remake. However,FF8-lovers still defend their junction system for its bold, innovative approach and would have it no other way.
