Final Fantasy general

I guess one could think of FF VII as a necessary learning experience in the move to 3-D.

Right as learning experience it was invaluable but it looks so crude and unperfected where as their 2D titles are nowhere near as dated

FF VII's character models were basically attempts to turn the original super-deformed 2-d sprites into 3-d polygons. It wasn't until VIII that they figured they should try making the characters look more like people.

Then they went back to the "sprite" look in IX.

And then they went back to the more humanoid look in X and have stayed there ever since.

They've stayed realistic for the mainline games but Wo FF has a great art style.

They also went with the 3-d "sprite" look for the remakes of games like FF III.

There's a charm to that blocky, dated look. You can always find games that want to do "retraux" sprite work - Mega Man 9, Octopath Traveler, JRPG remakes, etc.

You're never going to see a game with blocky, cartoon-like proportions like VII ever again.

Breaks my heart... RIP.

I understand the sentiment, but honestly? Speaking as someone who has no nostalgia for it, VII is just. A genuinely ugly game.

As an artist,the impression I get is it's very raw and work in progressy,like something they're continuously working on,which they were as they made 8 and then 9

but yeah,its ugly,but thats what you get for your first 3D title

You can do SD art now without well ultrablocky megaboobs and such.

Edited by Memers on Jan 24th 2022 at 12:58:06 PM

Well yeah,that's fairly obvious by today's standards,but back then translating a super deformed artstyle into a game's engine was very difficult, especially in the early 3D titles

That was sarcasm Perseus, even if I wouldnt go as far as calling 7 an ugly game.

Final story heavy trailer for Stranger of Paradise just dropped. (it’s seemingly pretty spoiler heavy so be warned)

Was not expecting the Frank Sinatra.

Also some more info detailing some of the things shown in the trailer.

Edited by dmysta3000 on Jan 24th 2022 at 5:39:39 AM

I've heard dumber nostalgia in earnest, forgive my mistake.

Edited by Perseus on Jan 24th 2022 at 9:36:21 PM

Damn it, it actually looks genuinely cool.

As a Dark Souls fan, I'm getting it but now I'm also into how Garland becomes evil.

Also to kill Chaos.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Jan 24th 2022 at 6:44:13 AM

I see Fo RGET is the drinking game word

Also very ????? They used a sinatra song of all things in the marketing of this game, but here we are

I mean My Way is a popular song choice for villains, like Lex Luthor and Cell.

This is Garland's fall from grace story after all.

They also put out a gameplay overview trailer which shows a bunch of new enemies and bosses. (Though the text is in German)

Edited by dmysta3000 on Jan 24th 2022 at 6:25:49 AM

Well if it does follow FFI's ending, Garland does get to be redeemed and live in Corneria again after the Warrior of Light finally breaks the cycle and returns to Sarah.

1. "The leader of AVALANCHE must be a calculating mastermind!" Yes, watch his cold and collected scheming as he shoots up his own bar to shoo everybody out (I heard the shooting!), has to be restrained from beating up his own mercenary (who he doesn't trust but still hired anyway), and responds to his own people asking about getting paid with implied violence. And leaves his only kid in charge of the bar while he goes off to blow up reactors and kill lots of people in the explosion, let's not forget that. (Jessie, what the hell did you do or not do to that bomb?)

Also, what the hell, Barret? Leaving your kid alone in the place?

2. Oh, heavens almighty, Cloud is such a bloody tryhard. Posing, flipping his hair constantly, trying to act all aloof and cool and callous, trying to stand on his tippy-toes to talk back to Barret. This is what Abridged!Cloud wishes he could normally act like but his own put-upon and high-strung nature refuses to cooperate in executing his illusions.

3. The Materia system is...interesting. I can definitely see a lot of fun in mixing and matching all of these different types of Materia to perform interesting combinations like instant-revives when somebody dies but I can also see another complaint I've heard: that the heavy reliance on Materia for all abilities kinda makes everybody seem like they have the same skillset, barring the Limit Breaks and some stat differences.

It kinda reminds me of Final Fantasy XIII's Paradigm system, which I really like: everybody can perform any of the six roles but some people are better at some roles then others. Snow is a Sentinel, big and buff and meant to take hits. Lightning wouldn't make a good Sentinel (seriously, she only has the ability to draw enemy attacks towards her and dodge rather then counter) but she would make a good Ravager. Hope is a damn good Medic, way better then Fang but don't put much faith in the idea of him being as good a Commando as Fang. Everybody has access to the same roles but also have roles that they're more suited for then others.

The Paradigm System kinda looks like a sort of compromise between the heavy customizability of Final Fantasy VII and the clearly-defined and delineated roles of, say, Final Fantasy IX.

4. What the hell are some of these monsters in here? Alright, it's not just a Reactor (I guess, weird voice in my head) but what is it? There's this blue guy with a brain-cap over their head and giant red claws and I have no idea what the hell he's supposed to be. What and why is he here?

5. Tifa's reaction to "sleeping next you you, who wouldn't" is a flat or confused "I don't understand."

...I heard Tifa is supposed to be the more "naifish" part of the Aeirth and Tifa duo but I wasn't expecting blatant flirting like that to just bounce off.

6. I do have to say, I think I do like the grimy and dirty steam-future design of Midgar. It's heavy and dark and rather...strong, for lack of a better word while typing this at midnight. It's an interesting aesthetic for a Final Fantasy game. It's usually more light, "airy" fantastical stuff.

7. So, the Mako Reactors are literally draining the lifeforce of the planet. The callous corporation is literally killing the planet with it's overpowering and greedy industrialization. I do love when the metaphor just becomes so blunt.

I think VII's style is pretty charming.

Although I did first play it as a teenager.

I find opinions like that change depending on when you first played a game.

Edited by 32ndfreeze on Jan 26th 2022 at 7:29:01 AM

There's some juxtaposition between the rather Ugly Cute design of the polygon characters and the rather gritty environments.

VIIR's graphical improvements make the characters fit the environments more.

Edited by M84 on Jan 26th 2022 at 4:33:20 AM

Meh. Yeah there's obvious distinction between the bright blocky character models and the gray, gritty, pastel-like environments but, again, it has a charm to it.

Regardless, Tifa's Lara Croftian mega-boob is gone, Barret's invisible bullets are gone, and Cloud's soulless eyes are replaced by baby blues. Its just not an art style that was going to last because it was the first foray into 3D. Just like Sonic Adventure, Super Mario 4, Ocarina of Time, etc.

VIII's art style I liked when I was a kid because we had full bodies, finally, but I dislike it in retrospect as most of the environments/models were boring.

IX and X were optimal for me style-wise. Anything and everything that came before felt like it was building up to that, and after felt over-stylized or lacking in some aspect. IX and X strike a balance of fantastical and realistic.

This is back when Metal Gear Solid existed and Kojima just straight up did 5-10 minute Author Tract rants on nuclear weapons. I don't think subtlety existed then. Though at the same time, the talking points weren't so controversial either.

Edited by FOFD on Jan 25th 2022 at 7:30:04 AM

I feel like that anvil’s aged really well, honestly.

I think the brain monsters are supposed to be monsters or augmented soldiers that are meant to guard the reactors.