Do You Have Any Unpopular Gaming Opinions?

[dunpeal2064]

The blinding nostalgia aside (since I agree that the game is average to good, nothing beyond that), I pretty much agree there.

Except, I might make the arguement that Final Fantasy V is the true "classic" Final Fantasy, and VI is where they began a new movement towards heavy narritive, overly-complex and broken battle systems, and useless characters just for the sake of having them (To be fair, VI has a large amount of good characters. It just also has a very large amount of characters period, and a lot of them are completely pointless).

But yeah, pretty much every "omg best rpg ever" is just average, and therefore can appeal to a wider array of people. FF7, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Xenogears... all imo decent games, with some huge flaws that are only acceptable because other aspects of the game are enjoyable.

I just look at it like this: If FF7 was as obscure as Septerra Core, I think people would cut it some slack, and maybe they could even enjoy what is good about the game instead of focusing on its flaws. Alas, its now overrated, and to compensate we must overrate its flaws as well.

Its still infinitely better than something like Quest 64, but somehow a few people here can look past the (many) flaws in that to enjoy it.

Of course, I don't mean to say its wrong to just not like the game.... but I just find it odd when people like everything but that specific game in the genre. It just feels like its far more attributed to the game's fame than its actual quality.

I'd say its a 7/10.

[Jmustang1968]

I think most admit it is a good or atleast competent game. The argument is always that it isnt as good as it is made out to be and isnt even the best in the series. That perception of being overrated may have caused some to think the game is worse than it is.

[dunpeal2064]

I think most admit it is a good or atleast competent game. The argument is always that it isnt as good as it is made out to be and isnt even the best in the series. That perception of being overrated may have caused some tonthink the game is worse than it is.

True. However, I have never once seen someone argue back that it IS the best in the series or is as good as it is made out to be.

Its like we are a bunch of old men yelling "Get of my lawn", but no one is there in the first place.

[fastbilly1]

I think most admit it is a good or atleast competent game. The argument is always that it isnt as good as it is made out to be and isnt even the best in the series. That perception of being overrated may have caused some tonthink the game is worse than it is.

True. However, I have never once seen someone argue back that it IS the best in the series or is as good as it is made out to be.

Its like we are a bunch of old men yelling "Get of my lawn", but no one is there in the first place.

Hey now, you start making realizations like that and youll have to move off this street.

[Exhuminator]

Final Fantasy V is the true "classic" Final Fantasy

Well considering FFV was the last FF that Sakaguchi actually directed himself, I can understand your sentiment.

[marlowe221]

The blinding nostalgia aside (since I agree that the game is average to good, nothing beyond that), I pretty much agree there.

Except, I might make the arguement that Final Fantasy V is the true "classic" Final Fantasy, and VI is where they began a new movement towards heavy narritive, overly-complex and broken battle systems, and useless characters just for the sake of having them (To be fair, VI has a large amount of good characters. It just also has a very large amount of characters period, and a lot of them are completely pointless).

But yeah, pretty much every "omg best rpg ever" is just average, and therefore can appeal to a wider array of people. FF7, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Xenogears... all imo decent games, with some huge flaws that are only acceptable because other aspects of the game are enjoyable.

You know what? I forgot about FF5. I agree with this man.

I still love FF6 though - The world felt huge, the villains were memorable. But yeah, there were some unnecessary characters...

[catnip]

Characters... well, its not my favorite lineup. The character growth and interaction in the game is terrible. The only thing they have going for them is that they at least look different, and therefore stand out. But, yeah, I agree with you here. Its not as bad as 8 or 9 (Vivi aside) though.

Aha, looks like it's my time to jump in!

I completely disagree with your opinion of IX's characters. I think that each and every one of the characters (besides Quina, and she serves a wonderful purpose as well; I'll get to him/her in a bit) grows immensely throughout the game. I think that Vivi states the conflict the most clearly ("How do you prove that you exist?"), but that all eight characters are going through this conflict, and they all, in their own way, reconcile their existence with themselves. They're all foils of the basic philosophical question that Vivi puts forth.

(WARNING: This is pretty darn long, but there’s a TL;DR at the end if you’re tryin’.)

Vivi

This one's pretty clear (and deservedly so, if my assertion that "Vivi's problem is something that all the characters can work off" is to be believed): he physically sees Black Mages being created/given consciousness from the dregs of other souls. Hell, I'd definitely be questioning the legitimacy of my existence/consciousness at that point. He is saved/redeemed by listening to Zidane's insistence that, purely by being alive and assigning meaning, he does exist.

Steiner

As a Pluto Knight, he has devoted his entire life to another (the Queen). He remains loyal to her well after she goes batshit crazy, and finally realizes that he probably shouldn't follow her orders anymore when she almost chops her own daughter's head off.

This is hard for Steiner to handle; imagine being devoted to something, working toward something for your entire career, and at the last second, you realize it's actually really, truly terrible, and the same honor/steadfastness that got you to this point is now saying "I can't do this anymore". His world shatters, and the only way he could deal with it is by realizing that he should be devoted, not to a static person or ideal, but what his heart believes to be true. The rest of the party (mostly his devotion to Dagger, and Zidane’s natural “moral compass”) helps him to realize this. (Fuck, I love Steiner.)

Amarant

I love looking at the similarities between Steiner and Amarant. I see Amarant as "the individualistic Steiner"; that is, one whose unshakable loyalty is directed internally (toward himself), as opposed to directed toward others. This view is shattered in Ipsen's Castle, when Zidane comes back for him (even after Amarant was a total dick). He spends the rest of the game examining Zidane, and realizing that dependence on others is not a weakness, but a different form of strength. He is eventually able to accept this and realize that other people ain’t so bad after all.

Dagger

She, like Steiner, blindly believed that her mother had not gone psycho, and was absolutely crushed when she realized this wasn’t the case. She had to prove her own existence and independence as valid, which, after much silent suffering, she was able to do in that epic hair-cutting scene. One of my absolute favorite cutscenes ever, hands down.

Freya

Man, I feel for Freya. Her loyalty lies in her love, being able to go back to the happy life she had before with Sir Fratley. This blows up in her face in Cleyra, when Fratley doesn't remember her. Journeying with the party helps her to realize that her existence isn't proven in the past; it's proven in the present. Living for living's sake. This is how she is able to pull herself out of despair and create a new future with Fratley.

Eiko

An interesting case, Eiko seems to think that she can only validate her existence through interactions with others (understandable, especially for a 6-year-old girl who has no others like her about, only moogles keeping her company). Zidane helps her especially, showing her that, where there is love, there is family, and where there is family, there is purpose.

Zidane

It's pretty obvious to see when he goes into despair (in Pandemonium, when he learns the nature of the Genomes). Up until this point, Zidane had been the most ardent believer in existence for the sake of existence... and all of a sudden, he's got someone telling him he's been a damn puppet all along. Shit is ridiculous. He is saved the only way his character would be saved: by the people he's been helping all along.

Quina

(for the record, I’m going to use “it” as opposed to “his/her”, cuz it’s faster) - Ahh yes, Quina. I, like many, hated Quina when I first played through. What was its purpose? Why was it even there? Is all it cares about… food?

EXACTLY. Yes. And it’s the only character who justified their existence prior to the events of the game. It lives to eat good food (mostly frogs). It loves it, and it doesn’t need anything more than that to justify itself. There’s actually a pretty cool article on Quina, entitled “I Eat, Therefore I Am”, where someone talks about this at greater length.

Each of the characters’ journeys is individual, but centered around the same theme: justifying existence. And this is exactly what these characters fight for at the very end of the game, when Necron comes to take them to the “Zero World”. I think, at the beginning of the game, these characters wouldn’t have been so sure. Maybe some would’ve chosen nothingness over existence. But by the end, they had all, in some way or another, justified their existence. It wasn’t even a decision at that point; they had all made their decisions long before Necron showed up.

God, I love this game.

TL;DR Vivi’s issue is the central philosophical issue of FFIX itself, with the other characters acting as foils and all coming to the same conclusion, choosing existence over nothingness, in very unique, subtle ways, and I think it has some of the best characters/development I’ve ever seen. I am a fanboy.

That brings up another unpopular gaming opinion I have - I don't think Necron is useless; in fact, I think he's the linchpin of the whole story (while, yes, I do agree he should have probably been mentioned before fighting him ). I've written a blog post about it, actually.

I'm going to stop digging this fanboy hole now

[alienjesus]

FFIX Character analysis

I love the characters of FFIX, and I agree with some of your ideas of their plotline.

However, to argue that Amarant (who was barely there story-wise) or Freya (who had an interesting character arc in the first quarter of the game that was then literally forgotten about for the rest of it) are really well developed characters seems a stretch. Quina I'll let you off with - he/she's not meant to be particularly well developed, just a fun character with a smple premise. For what it's worth, I think that even as a silly fun character, Quina is worked well into the story in some crucial moments where they discuss how Quina never has issues with identity or purpose or whatever.

I adore IX, I love it's characters, and I certainly think they're better than those in 4 or 7, 2 more popular entries in the series, but there are definitely flaws in how only 2/3rds of the characters are really given any time to develop.

[catnip]

However, to argue that Amarant (who was barely there story-wise) or Freya (who had an interesting character arc in the first quarter of the game that was then literally forgotten about for the rest of it) are really well developed characters seems a stretch.

I certainly see what you're saying. I definitely think that, if I were to rank the characters in terms of the amount of development, Amarant would be smack-dab at the bottom. I suppose I should choose my words better - my post wound up being a lot more about each having enough time to answer the question, "How do you prove that you exist?", than it was about screen time/character development. Sorry about that!

For what it's worth, I think that even as a silly fun character, Quina is worked well into the story in some crucial moments where they discuss how Quina never has issues with identity or purpose or whatever.

I agree. I think Quina's great, nowadays.

I adore IX, I love it's characters, and I certainly think they're better than those in 4 or 7, 2 more popular entries in the series, but there are definitely flaws in how only 2/3rds of the characters are really given any time to develop.

See above about my semantic failures haha. But hey, if they want to make a longer FFIX with more story to give these people screen time, hey, I won't stop 'em ^^

[alienjesus]

I adore IX, I love it's characters, and I certainly think they're better than those in 4 or 7, 2 more popular entries in the series, but there are definitely flaws in how only 2/3rds of the characters are really given any time to develop.

See above about my semantic failures haha. But hey, if they want to make a longer FFIX with more story to give these people screen time, hey, I won't stop 'em ^^

Yeah, always kinda weird to me how Beatrix has a more in depth character arc than almost half your party.


That said, FFIX is definitely up there with V and XII in my 'favourite Final Fantasys' list.