Square-Enix announces Final Fantasy X remake for Vita & PS 3

[jfrost]

Yes. FFX is clearly horrible.

Also, in this 30+ year history of the medium, it became known for its astounding storytelling.

[Xeogred]

You mad?

lol. Not like I ever said I completely hate the game through and through. It just doesn't stand out to me compared to FFIV-IX and dozens and dozens of other JRPG's I enjoyed way more.

That's definitely true. I guess I should have mentioned that's something I take into consideration when I think MGS's voice acting was really good, for consoles and from a Japanese developer. Even Kojima apparently prefers the English voices himself, lol.

It's just one of those stories were it works best. Japan isn't known for its army stories. The US is.

Though Otakon alone almost killed it for me. Come on really? A loser nerd as a super smart scientist? Did they just want to troll us gamers there? XD

I think they trolled the Japanese otaku pretty good with him too, remember the whole mecha fan segment? Haha... wow. Kind of blatantly poking fun at the series itself, but I guess Kojima loves to break the 4th wall.

[AppleQueso]

Guys, really, when I see how demanding you guys are, I wonder why you still play games. I mean, what games pass your high standards of narrative, pacing, voice acting and so on?

Really. Portal? Half-Life? Any other?

Wait, you think finding Final Fantasy X of all games to have a poor story/characters/voice cast is having some kind of unreasonably high standard?

I liked FFX. I thought it was fun. Despite thinking the story was weak and the voice acting was poor, I still thoroughly enjoyed my playthrough. What more do you ask?

[ZeroAX]

Yes. FFX is clearly horrible.

Also, in this 30+ year history of the medium, it became known for its astounding storytelling.

Just because you don't play adventure games and computer RPGs doesn't mean all of us don't.

And it's not horrible. Just way worse story wise than it should have been. Also restrictive paths compared to its predecessors. But I have to agree with everyone here, killer fighting system.

[jfrost]

You mad?

lol. Not like I ever said I completely hate the game through and through. It just doesn't stand out to me compared to FFIV-IX and dozens and dozens of other JRPG's I enjoyed way more.

I wasn't talking to you, but to ZeroAX, who quickly got up in arms because of my comment.

However my original question was to you as well - what games have good story and voice acting, given your standards?

Guys, really, when I see how demanding you guys are, I wonder why you still play games. I mean, what games pass your high standards of narrative, pacing, voice acting and so on?

Really. Portal? Half-Life? Any other?

Wait, you think finding Final Fantasy X of all games to have a poor story/characters/voice cast is having some kind of unreasonably high standard?

I liked FFX. I thought it was fun. Despite thinking the story was weak and the voice acting was poor, I still thoroughly enjoyed my playthrough. What more do you ask?

I didn't think the story was piss poor, though I'll grant it wasn't memorable either.

But that's the point, can you name many games which do have great story? The ones that have are few and far between, and to always bring it up when talking about FFX... well, it isn't a title that stands out for having terrible story. If you're comparing to other Final Fantasies, things get worse still, since few of them can even claim to have coherent stories.

Yes. FFX is clearly horrible.

Also, in this 30+ year history of the medium, it became known for its astounding storytelling.

Just because you don't play adventure games and computer RPGs doesn't mean all of us don't.

And it's not horrible. Just way worse story wise than it should have been. Also restrictive paths compared to its predecessors. But I have to agree with everyone here, killer fighting system.

I do play them. They have poor stories as well. Adventure games in particular are known to have bizarre, convoluted and nonsensical plots. Maybe that's their draw, actually.

The point is that you can name games which don't have great stories all day, but what games do?

Most games I love are not because judged by an objective standards have great narrative. It's just that sometimes I'm so invested in the gameplay or characters that their success becomes my own. It doesn't matter that Sin is a crap boss.

[AppleQueso]

I didn't think the story was piss poor, though I'll grant it wasn't memorable either.

But that's the point, can you name many games which do have great story? The ones that have are few and far between, and to always bring it up when talking about FFX... well, it isn't a title that stands out for having terrible story. If you're comparing to other Final Fantasies, things get worse still, since few of them can even claim to have coherent stories.

I'm not even sure I understand what your position is here. Are you saying that because video games have a low standard when it comes to storytelling, that video game stories are exempt from criticism? Why shouldn't I hold video game stories to the same standard as stories in any other medium?

[jfrost]

I didn't think the story was piss poor, though I'll grant it wasn't memorable either.

But that's the point, can you name many games which do have great story? The ones that have are few and far between, and to always bring it up when talking about FFX... well, it isn't a title that stands out for having terrible story. If you're comparing to other Final Fantasies, things get worse still, since few of them can even claim to have coherent stories.

I'm not even sure I understand what your position is here. Are you saying that because video games have a low standard when it comes to storytelling, that video game stories are exempt from criticism? Why shouldn't I hold video game stories to the same standard as stories in any other medium?

Yeah... they shouldn't be exempt from criticism, but I guess it just irks me that people act as if other games were amazing and, say, Final Fantasy X is somehow really below average.

I guess it's just weird to me to call FFX out when videogames are pretty crap when it comes to story and plot anyway.

[AppleQueso]

FFX puts its story front and center. Any game that does this generally will get comments on the story.

[Flake]

Final Fantasy X was crap in my opinion for every reason except the story.

There were some real choice concepts explored in FFX's narrative. I especially liked the theme of the story, that of bearing responsibility for the well being of others.

The entire story was filled with people realizing that in order to be at peace with themselves they had to make a sacrifice in order to protect those they cared about. For Wakka it was blitzball. For Khimari it was solidarity with his own people. Tidus' role was that of the erstwhile youth, who had to learn that lesson the hard way.

The ultimate plot twist, to me, was when he, the biggest critic of Yuna's purported destiny, essentially took her place.

FFX showed as much depth of character and story line as Final Fantasy VI or IX did and it was really, in my opinion, the game's only saving grace. I disliked almost everything else about it from the linearity of presentation to the terrible voice acting.

[Xeogred]

However my original question was to you as well - what games have good story and voice acting, given your standards?

Well kind of like I said earlier I think Metal Gear Solid is a prime example of a really good Japanese developed game that had top notch voice acting for its time, and it hasn't aged that badly at all unlike other games.

I'm not a dub watcher at all when it comes to anime so maybe consider that another reason why I might be extra critical about this stuff on JRPG's. But it's not like it prevents me from playing games. I played the entire Xenosaga trilogy and there was either ear breaking voices or really good ones, like Michael McConnohie. Still I often think it's a small factor that made the JRPG experience dwindle a bit for me after the SNES/PSX era.

Starcraft and Deus Ex have some great voice acting in my book for older PC games that I've played. Same with some other older ones here and there. I'd even put Deus Ex's voice acting above Human Revolutions honestly, lol. Not that either of them are perfect. I know a friend that quit playing Deus Ex when he got to Hong Kong because of the bad accents, now that's being critical.

And I don't really know what you want out of me asking what I think has a better story than FFX... I've played hundreds of games man and that game just simply doesn't stand out to me in that department. Like I said above, I'd put the stories of FFIV-IX above it, Final Fantasy Tactics, then how about Suikoden 1-2 and 5 (way better PS2 JRPG than FFX to me), Xenogears, Vagrant Story, Tactics Ogre, Breath of Fire 4, Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, the Xenosaga games, Deus Ex, KOTOR games, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Half-Life, System Shock 2, Arc the Lad 1-2, Metal Gear Solid games, and I'll just stop there.

It's not like story makes or breaks a game for me. I'm more of a subjective guy myself. Games like Unreal, Secret of Mana / Seiken Densetsu 3, the Metroid and Zelda series, etc, barely have any narrative whatsoever, but the atmosphere and gameplay completely destroys me and wins me over. FFX had a great battle system but the story/characters weren't the only flaws to me either, as others said above the lack of a world map was kind of disappointing, and other things. It just didn't have enough of these good elements to overshadow the plot/characters that I didn't like at all by the end of the day, so overall, it was an average game to me. It wasn't painful at all to play but not a game I really care to think much of anymore. Again I just simply hold FFIV-XI and FFT in higher regard by a long shot.