Final Fantasy general

I didn't say it applied just to the female characters :p Seriously, the only people with even halfway decent outfits are Penelo & Balthier. (and the judges of course, the Judges are awesomtastic)

In b4 Nomura designed XII.

On the gameplay side, I very much enjoyed XII. Gambits, the Real-Time influence, License Grid, LOVED IT. Great soundtrack, too.

They deliberately set Fran up with those clothes.

Yes, but then again, Balthier is the most awesome character in that game.

This concept art of Fran and Bathier is so goddamned cute.◊

I actually thought that Yuna's about-face in attitude made 100% sense. Perhaps it's because I come from a rather repressive culture myself, but think about it. She's spent her entire life being a holy, sacrificial woman. She finds out that absolutely everything she was working for was a lie, and she wasted all those Saturday nights for no reason. I'd be a little adventurous myself, especially if I had a cousin as relentlessly fun-lovin' as Rikku. In fact, it's Rikku I felt was Flanderized more than Yuna - she became much more of a stupid bimbo than she was in X.

Yeah, there were a few scenes in X-2 that were cringe-worthy, but I didn't feel they overshadowed the game as a whole. I would feel embarrassed playing it in front of my female family members though. As a heterosexual male, though, I quite liked what I saw. ^^;

I was less surprised by Fran's costume than Ashe's (considering every single viera dresses like that). Seriously, is that princess wear nowadays? Considering Ashe was a very serious character and had to face some tremendous and difficult choices throughout the game, it was a bit off-putting to see her dressed in a microskirt.

And Balthier is one of my absolute favorite characters in any game, ever, right up there with Jade from Tales Of The Abyss. We need more smooth Badass Deadpan Snarkers in RP Gs.

edited 4th Nov '09 6:57:45 AM by Cidolfas

Square, I am DISSAPPOINT.

I show you Marche and Ritz.◊

TL;DR

My favorites so far FFV (the plot is so cliché but SO GRATIFYING with the soundtrack), FFVI, and FFTA. However, I haven't played FFT, and I think if I play either FFT or FFTA 2, they'll both vastly outclass FFTA.

So, what are everyone's favourite FF games? Mine are VI, IX, I, and X. XII would be there, but I hate the Level Grinding. My least favourites are probably VIII, VII, III, and II. IV I'm pretty indifferent to, and I haven't played V. As far as I'm concerned, XI doesn't exist.*

I really didn't like X-2, personally. The battle system was actually pretty good, but I hated everything else about the game. Having a Lighter and Softer sequel is all well and good, but did they have to do it to probably the darkest game in the series? X was all about death and sacrifice- deep themes-, and having Spira turn into a cavalcade of camp and silliness for the sequel was frankly disrespectful. Also, the music. Oh gods, the music. X-2 had probably the worst soundtrack that has ever been bestowed upon an RPG. As an installment in a series that is famous for its stirring soundtracks, that is a very bad thing. I found the Stripperiffic outfits to be obnoxious and somewhat sexist as well.

• I'm sure it's a good game, but I just don't like having it as part of the 'main' numbered series. I'd be fine with it as a spin-off, but having an MMO in the main series just doesn't sit well with me. This may have something to do with my burning hatred of the entire genre of online RP Gs.

I can at least assure you that A2 is extremely addicting.

Also, the music. Oh gods, the music. X-2 had probably the worst soundtrack that has ever been bestowed upon an RPG.

Disagree. So very, very much.

edited 4th Nov '09 7:01:41 AM by Electivirus

Balthier is the most awesome character in that game.

Nah, that would be the female judge who has like 5 seconds of apperance.

Or thar Rozarian prince with the Cool Shades who steals every scene he's in with his awesome amounts of pork products.

@Arilou: Who, Al-Cid? He's in Tactics A2, y'know.

Oh yes, Balthier. He is one of three fictional characters that make me question my sexuality (I'm a heterosexual male). The other two are Sayid from Lost and Solid Snake.

Al-Cid: Casanova.

Judge Drace: Mmmmmmmyeah.

Also @Glenn: What kind of music screams "Big pompous Big Bad lives here"?

My favourites are VI, VII, and although I'm pretty vocal about what I perceive to be its shortcomings, VIII.

Incidentally, it took me from the beginning of my undergraduate degree to the day after I graduated to finish VIII, because of:

• A few false starts and near misses, and then I would have to start all over again after coming back to it because I'd forgotten why I'd set up everything up in a particular way.

• I could not face another lengthy month of grinding just to get all my Junctions optimised.

Personally I think the Play Station FFs were the most popular - VIII and IX riding on VII's heels.

X too, but that's because of the new platform.

I liked IX better than XII (those are the ones I've completed, I've played a little bit of VI, some IV and VII though)

I enjoy watching my sister play FFVIII, but I could never get into it, myself. I just couldn't get myself to be interested in the Junction system. But still, it wasn't exactly a bad game, per se- except for some of the plot twists. There is no way in hell I'll ever think of the orphanage thing as anything other than a Wall Banger.

Some day, I will beat FFXII. And it will be glorious. Stupid Sexy Balthier is calling me.

I loved VII, but IX did absolutely nothing for me. I hated pretty much everybody (but especially Steiner) who wasn't Vivi.

IX is what they tried to be a Greatest Hits thing - that said, it went well IMO.

Now let's discuss Necron

Conversely, I loved IX. I liked... well, damn near everything (other than the asinine Trance system). Many people complain about Steiner, but I never thought he was any less realistically characterized than, say, Cloud.

Never played IX. :/

My favorites are VI, VII and V. And Necron was totally a homage to Zeromus. He can't not be.

edited 4th Nov '09 7:23:27 AM by TheAdversary

Steiner was better than Cloud.

^ Or Necrophobe. Or Cloud of Darkness.

edited 4th Nov '09 7:24:34 AM by Kinkajou

Many people complain about Steiner, but I never thought he was any less realistically characterized than, say, Cloud.

I don't think his characterisation was unrealistic, I just found his...pomposity irritating in the extreme.

FFIX wasn't really "realistic" in any sense. It was very cartoonish. Which didn't mean it wasn't effective emotionally.

But I could kind of turn off my logic circus and just go along for the Rule of Cool. FFIX is played with the heart and not the brain, I think.