Topic: Final Fantasy VII, IX, X, X-2 and XII - Now with 80% more FF VIII

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Ah okay.

Mildly unrelated, but are you "Lauren" on Switch? Someone just added me. I usually try to keep track of who is who. lol

Also @Anti-Matter I just sent you a friend request too, since we do chat a decent amount on here.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Ah okay. Well I have my FC in the signature, and I don't mind people adding me. But I feel like they'd mention it so I know who they were... lol

@Heavyarms55
I got two request from my Switch just now.
I have accepted both of them.
Cheers ! 😀

There will be times in your progression the path with split, or an optional hidden path lies nearby, that leads to an aeon or temple or what have you. There will come a point where you can travel among previously visited areas rather quickly, which is mostly used for those maxing stats, creating Celestial Weapons, looking for Lv. key spheres, hunting monsters, finding Aeons, or all the above.

@Heavyarms55 Same person added me as well. No idea who they are. It's always a bit weird to receive a friend request and not know who they are.

I haven't been playing FFX much in last few days since SteamWorld Quest and BoxBoy also came out but I'm still making progress. I got my third aeon, Ixion. Since there has been some talk about the linearity, I have to say I didn't expect the game to be so linear. It's very much just walking from point A to point B with little to no branching paths. I don't mind it personally but I do wonder now what FFXIII is like since I've heard so many negative things about it, one being how linear it is. Can it even be more linear than FFX or is it just that it should be more open since it's a newer game?

It's a public forum, feel free to force yourself into any discussion.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy No need to be sorry. I posed a question and you answered. I don't see anything wrong with that. Quite the opposite.

I recently got a used XBOX360 (well... actually, it has probably been a year or two already...) and I have the sequels but not the first game so I haven't played them. I've heard so many complains about the games that it makes me kind of curious to see if they are as bad as people say. I'm in no hurry, though. I've heard some people don't like Tidus either but I'm with you, I think he and the other party members are great. He's this lovable goofball.

I haven’t completed FFXIII games, but I have played a portion of all three of them. They’re really not as bad as people say. Not even remotely so. The problem is two-fold. The age-old in comparison to and the open world fever that gripped the industry around that time period.

In comparison to a game like FFX, they just fall short. Characters aren’t as interesting, The world isn’t as interesting in the story isn’t as interesting. And at least to me, the battle system wasn’t as interesting (I’m a HUGE fan of the FFX turn based system, never really liked ATB system as much, although some games use it better than others). It’s still a perfectly competent and even great game in its own right (or great games, referring to the trilogy). They just don’t live up to the extremely high expectations set forth by previous entries in the series. On top of that, people were all too eager to move on from linear game design, compounded by the fact the linear game design of XIII just wasn’t done was well as X.

I don’t have a problem with linear game design- I just see it as a different type of design that’s just as valid as any other type of design. I don’t want all my games to be linear just like I don’t want all my games to be open world. I like a mixture of both. And this is why FFX being linear never even registered as a blip on my radar. It just wasn’t a problem because it was done so well and it fit the game like a glove. And to be honest, linearity wasn’t one of my criticisms of XIII either. I don’t think it was done as well as X, but it was fine.

I think games such as Final Fantasy XV and Xenoblade 2 prove that open-ish worlds can work extremely well for JRPGs, but I also think games like Final Fantasy X and Lost Odyssey prove that linearity can also work extremely well. And games like Final Fantasy XII that fall in between. Variety is the spice of life. I wouldn’t want all my JRPGs a certain way, so I’m glad there is diversity in design approach.

With that being said, it seems that linear JRPGs (at least the good, top tier ones) are all but dead nowadays. We still get Tales, but even the modern entries of that series are more like FFXII, with a linear progression but miniature free-roam areas to explore. What we need is Sakaguchi to start making games for consoles again. That man knew how to make a quality linear JRPG... he wrote the book on it. I hear he’s making an exclusive for Apple’s new console- that may be enough to convince me to buy one, even if I sell it afterwards.

Yes but 2 of the optional ones are really awesome and you don't wanna miss them.

@Late I played some of FF13 and never minded it either. But 12 is supposedly quite open, so maybe they were upset by the "regression".

Just made it to Yunalesca. That Spectral Keeper kicked my butt, until I realized you could move around platforms.

One of the only memories I have left from playing this game the last time, is losing over and over and over and over and over again to Yunalesca. I suspended the game right at the start of the fight, as I’m not quite sure if I’m up to it mentally yet. This is the one where you have to watch out for zombie status, and if you don’t address it you can get killed with curing spells, but if you do address it your whole team can get wiped with Death spell, against which only zombies are immune. It’s an incredibly tough balancing act, though I do now have Holy, Ultima and Doublecast for Lulu, Yuna and Kimahri, as well as Flare for Lulu and Curaga for Yuna and Kimahri (and cura for Tidus but meh). Auto-med on 4/7 team members. Though I’ll need to ensure the 3 without it (which is coincidentally Lulu, Yuna and Kimahri) are the ones that get zombified.

Yikes. If I can just beat this fight, I don’t remember having any trouble afterwards.

I don't know why S-E seems to struggle so much to give their post-FFIX games in the series a proper balance of linearity and openness. The PS1 games very expertly combined setpieces and linear storytelling with a sort of illusion of freedom early on that gradually turned into full openness once you got the airship. Even then, though, they still used quirks in the terrain to block off some areas until particular parts of the game.

I think the biggest thing I miss from a lot of the games, from X onward, is the lack of a world map. The world map really helps the games feel more open and adventurous, even if, mechanically, there's little difference between traveling to a new location on a world map and just transitioning to it through a series of screens.

FFX and XIII, early game, at least, are far too "on-rails" for my liking, and XV is way too open for my liking. That's how I remember those games, at least: I do plan on replaying both X and XIII eventually. And I still need to play X-2, which, honestly, just sounds so much better than FFX.

Just finished FFX myself & it really looked awesome on Switch.... Got another game to finish off before XII comes, then I'll go back to X2 after that

Well done with FFX, its one of the best rpg out there. And.....good luck with X-2, i never liked this game.

In FFVII yesterday I got to the scene with Aeris and Sephiroth (you know the scene but wont say what happens just in case someone is playing through it for the first time) and so far been video grabbing the FMVs like crazy, but that one doesn't let you record it or even take photos during it.

Just a random thing I wanted to comment on when it comes to FFX on Switch. I really love the rumble during summon cutscenes. It's so over the top, just like the cutscenes themselves. At the same time, I wouldn't want to play near anyone else while it's on. Despite being so loud during summoning, the "HD effect" itself is very subtle. I didn't even notice it at first. So far, I think it's best shown during Ifrit summoning while Yuna is spinning her staff and a moment later when she lands on Ifrit's shoulder.

@Late
When you summon Bahamut, it will shaking like Earthquake.
Summoning Magus Sisters was very quirky.
And don't forget the Ice Queen Shiva entrance and her fingersnap after she froze the foes with her Diamond Dust.

@PK_Willow is it the boss what is coming out a wall??been years but if you use a phoenix down think itauto kills it.i think?may be different boss.enjoy anyway still need to purchase been 8 years since last played.

@Bunkerneath They don't want to ruin the spoiler. They haven't figured out the internet took care of that 20 years ago.

love this game played in 1999 and was blown away.must have finished it 10 times been a good 8 year since last played.will prob get for switch I have to.