Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

Well, I'm so behind in FF gaming news that I've only just heard about FF:FNC. And I am alarmed. From what I've seen, it's going to be one heck of a science fiction ride.

Don't get me wrong; I'm a nerd - I positively adore sci-fi. In regard to video gaming, however, I rather strongly prefer fantasy, in the conventional sense (and yes, I know sci-fi is a sub-genre of fantasy - semantics ), Chrono games aside. I originally fell in love with the FF series for its high fantasy style, truly deserving of its moniker. When FFVI rolled around, I stuck around for its roots, steeped in magic and fantasy, and embraced the previously hated steampunk. With FFVII, I learned to tolerate the cyberpunk genre. However, I was absolutely delighted to find FFIX returning to the high fantasy that I loved so much. FFX and, from what I've seen and heard, FFXII both have more that adequate amounts of fantasy in them (I'm in great anticipation of FFXII at the moment - it sounds awesome ).

Then along came that interview and the trailer.

It used to be that the series invoked images of swords and sorcery, of knights and mages. Now, it seems to be futuristic guns and transport, of people who are genetically and technologically enhanced far beyond our current capabilities...

Oh well. I suppose the series has done the impossible before - it made me tolerate (mind, not like - it's no miracle work) steampunk, a genre I previously had a strong aversion to, so I guess I'll have to see. Just venting a little; hope you all won't mind too much.

BTW, which series do you suppose will take the helm as the new "fantasy" series for SE? Or do you suppose that there'll henceforth only be stand-alones in the genre (or series with much more modest fanfare)?

It won't be Kingdom Hearts, will it?

Perhaps the Mana franchise?

Really, I'm hoping that SE will alternate between producing fantasy and sci-fi Final Fantasies; they seem to have been releasing them at intervals since FFVI.

This post has been edited by Nepheliad on 31st August 2006 04:43

The word fantasy in the sense of Final Fantasy is not the genre of fantasy. As legend goes Final Fantasy I was Square's last hope at a game before they went bankrupt, their "fantasy", so to speak, would be that it would bring they company back afloat. That fantasy came true and the name just stuck.

Technically speaking, FF7 isn't steampunk, it's in a near-future setting, and in fact it would be a present day setting if our robotics were more advanced.

FF12 is Steampunk though. It's a past setting with some tech they should not have. In fact, I feel the Final Fantasy series is going back to swords and sorcery rather than evolving, it's devolving on the crest of the wave started by LotR and Narnia, and the damage inflicted partially by Anime and FF8.

Frankly, I wanted it to go all out, get some space marines, put the damn swords down and start the exterminatus. Alas, they put the guns down before they picked them up. I am less than optimistic about all upcoming Final Fantasy games, including ones that by all rights I should be counting down the days to their release. Instead, I'm waiting for Dark Crusade.

Kashcow Hearts is a story yet to fully play out on this table, but I personally think it shall be nothing more than a pawn. It's rode it's gimmick out and now it's scrambling to try and think "what the hell do we do next?!"

It does serve one useful purpose though. It is there to be surpassed, and by god, allah, jehovah, or captain kirk, that's as easy as task as flushing the toilet. A more grown up, adult equivelant of Kingdom Hearts with the testicular fortitude to get gritty and violent.

This post has been edited by Del S on 8th August 2006 21:47

--------------------

"Only the dead have seen the end of their quotes being misattributed to Plato."
-George Santayana

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here..."
-Abraham Lincoln, prior to the discovery of Irony.

Yes but it is still frustrating when a game that started off as a mediaval fantasy ends up like star trek. Although, my favorite game in the series is arguably the least fantasy, it is the only exception. Then again, as long as they keep magic and swords(those two things) ill be happy.

I've actually given up on playing of the ones from 12 on, due to them elimnating random battles and battle screens. stupid field battles.

--------------------

Ff7 current game progress:Just finished the underwater reactor, on to rocket town!

Well, even when they make it sci-fi-ish, as in FFVII or Spirits Within, the story doesn't play out like a sci-fi story anyway. It still feels much more spiritual/fantastic than a normal sci-fi plot, what with all the technology and spaceships and stuff. I'm not sure about the newer games, but even with Spirits Within, I can argue that the series stayed true to its "Fantasy" designation, since one of the most important plot elements was something that technology can't "touch"--it had to do with feelings, the soul, the "heart" if you will.

--------------------

Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

It's not so sci-fi in the Star Trek sense as it is in the Full Metal Alchemist or Matrix one. Still, I wish it returned to its origins as an LotR type game. Unfortunately, Nomura won't do that. Games not developed by Nomura will. Amano's games were all either LotR style (FFI-V, IX) or come out of a Charles Dickens novel (VI and XII, although the latter was by the Tactics team). Still, I think the non-Nomura games are generally more fitting to the series (because that's frankly what I'm used to; I'm sure most of those who started out with VII would differ). Thus I'm really looking forward to XII (the one downside is no more Nobuo Uematsu, but even then I heard they were putting in Zeromus and Gilgamesh's themes). -CSM

--------------------

The NEW Final Fantasy Wiki!

Join us!

All the games had technology. I don't see why so many people automatically associate fantasy (or Final Fantasy, for that matter) with 'swords and sorcery'.

Really, almost every game has an airship, so that pretty much blows out the "I don't like how modern the games are getting!!1" complaint of the newer games. (Don't forget FFI had robots walking around and a space station) Although yes, some do have increasing levels of technology, they all had technology in some way or form.

I don't really see what Nomura or Amano have to do with this, FFVI was the first game to turn the series into it's steampunk (and cyberpunk...and Phantasy Star) direction.

But regardless, I won't let whatever atmosphere they use take away my enjoyment of the games, as they normally have perfect atmospheres anyway, to me.

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

I dunno about Zeromus (that would be cool! ), but Clash on the Big Bridge is a song in the game, and I'll leave you to guess when it's used.

This post has been edited by Zeromus_X on 8th August 2006 23:25

--------------------

OSonic Rave
/ \Last Arcanum
[ ]Strike Raid
XRagnarok

I've always considered Final Fantasy to have a majority of fantasy elements compared to sci-fi elements. magic, medieval weaponry, dragons and other mythological creatures point towards fantasy. Big chunks of machinery, huns, lasers and robots point towards sci-fi. Final Fantasy VII had about a 50:50 ratio in my mind, as did X, while FF IV and IX were closer to 80:20, largely fantasy.

I fully admit that I like the sci-fi elements of the games, but only in the context of the fantasy world. On the scale of things, its pretty fun to blow up a giant robot with a big gun, but its even MORE cool to rip it apart with a coral sword. Just my two cents though.

--------------------

Oh sure, I don't have to get kicked in the junk to activate it, but I like it anyway. -- Thief commenting on the difference between Throw and Blue Magic.

Quote (Crazyswordsman @ 8th August 2006 22:07)

(the one downside is no more Nobuo Uematsu, but even then I heard they were putting in Zeromus and Gilgamesh's themes). -CSM

Ah! That's a sting... I didn't know that before. Final Fantasy music is - for me - a huge part of what makes it good. I'll have to listen to some of the music in these new games before buying them, damn. Usually I'm content just on seeing Uematsu's name somewhere on the case.

--------------------

Scepticism, that dry rot of the intellect, had not left one entire idea in his mind.

Me on the Starcraft.

Quote (Zeromus_X @ 8th August 2006 19:25)

All the games had technology. I don't see why so many people automatically associate fantasy (or Final Fantasy, for that matter) with 'swords and sorcery'.

Really, almost every game has an airship, so that pretty much blows out the "I don't like how modern the games are getting!!1" complaint of the newer games. (Don't forget FFI had robots walking around and a space station) Although yes, some do have increasing levels of technology, they all had technology in some way or form.

Any presence of technology does not negate the primary theme. Catapults and spinning wheels are a form of technology, but seeing them in a swords-and-sorcery genre movie will not make the movie stop being considered swords-and-sorcery.

This post has been edited by Dark Paladin on 16th August 2006 21:28

--------------------

"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer

Sure, but don't say that they're primarily swords and sorcery when robots are wandering around. I don't honestly understand what's so dislikable about technology in the games anyway. As game-making technology advance and different teams make games, there are bound to be changes and advances.

Edit:

FFI: Wow, a space stations and robots.
FFII: Airships and a giant warship. Mechical castle in a tornado.
FFIII: Mechanical tower supporting a floating continent. Airship technology is even more common.
FFIV: Airships even more common. Giant floating mechanical towers, another big mechanical tower, teleportation devices, and a freaking space ship.
FFV: Getting more industrial here. Steamship, machines sucking the energy from the Crystals, teleportation devices, and an airship.

From FFVI on upward, technology is apparent.

Whether it be 'lost technology' or an everyday thing, technology exists in all the games.

This post has been edited by Zeromus_X on 17th August 2006 00:58

--------------------

OSonic Rave
/ \Last Arcanum
[ ]Strike Raid
XRagnarok

I think we used the same basic arguement to support opposing stances.

--------------------

"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer

Quote (Del S @ 8th August 2006 21:44)

Technically speaking, FF7 isn't steampunk, it's in a near-future setting, and in fact it would be a present day setting if our robotics were more advanced.

Sorry, got my terminology mixed up - I wanted to say cyber-punk.

I thought it would be inferred, but I was speaking of the atmosphere as presented by the game more than the level of technology. FFII-V, IX, and T(A) all had the feeling of the high fantasy (as opposed to your "has magic" generic fantasy - I'm talking LoTR, questing knight kind of feeling) - a feeling I sorely miss, since it was what drew me to the series in the first place. As for airships, that is at most steampunk - we had them in the 1500s, IIRC, if not earlier. Also, it is hardly detrimental to the feel of the game (though I wish they'd relied on dragon flight) for a few slight technological inconsistencies to be included; I wouldn't quibble over something like that.

However, FFVI came across as somewhat steampunk, and FFVII and VIII a mix of cyberpunk and new age. FFXIII seems to be full-blown science fiction with a few fantasy elements thrown in.

Basically, I'm not talking "fantasy" as in magic; as I had originally posted, I'm talking specifically of "high fantasy" - of swords and sorcery.

This post has been edited by Nepheliad on 31st August 2006 04:41

One of FF original selling points was the hints of tech in the games, where before, everything was D&D style. Games in the past have gone from extreme techno (FFVIII) ot extreme fantasy (FFIX), so I'm not worried about them going too far.

With new people in charge however, I think people will just have to wait and see how things go. The next three or four main series games will show us what they're thinkin'.

--------------------

The Arcana are the means by which ALL is revealed.