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Is It Really Fair To Blame Xbox For The Fall Of Final Fantasy?

A lot of old-school Final Fantasy fans want to point an accusatory finger at Microsoft and the Xbox. It sounds stupid but is there a kernel of truth...?

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Snookies123994d ago (Edited 3994d ago )

I'm not blaming Xbox for the fall of Final Fantasy. That was Square Enix that brought themselves down. However, FFXIII the first game in the series was most definitely cut down because of the 360 version. They even said they had an entire second game's worth of content they ended up not using.

Now, would that extra content have made XIII a better game? Who knows... Either way, SE didn't give us a game worthy of the Final Fantasy name. It was a good RPG, just not a good Final Fantasy.

dedicatedtogamers3994d ago

It definitely was Square-Enix's fault for being so shady. Sure, Microsoft benefited by having FF13 go multiplat, but it's not like they said to SE "hey, make the game s***. Cut it down and make it linear". It was SE's fault for developing the game as a PS3 exclusive and then switching it over so late in the development cycle.

MaxXAttaxX3994d ago (Edited 3994d ago )

No one forced them to change the formula so radically to try to appeal to a different gaming audience that likes shooters and action games and turn the game into something that could barely even be considered an RPG with a 30hr tutorial.

And no one forced them to put the game on Xbox either.
The 360 versions of XIII and XIII-2 only managed to sell 30% of total PS3 sales. Not even half. So I hope it was worth it, SE.

Pozzle3994d ago

Exactly. I think a lot of gamers blame Microsoft for FFXIII's failings because then they don't have to admit that such a long-standing and well-known developer like Square Enix might just be losing their touch. But if other developers can make amazing multiplatform games, then why can't Square Enix? There have been some great JRPGs this generation (some even on Wii, which is a much less powerful console than 360 and PS3), so there's really no reason that Square Enix should struggle with making a multiplatform game (especially this late into the generation).

Maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but I can't imagine the cut content would have vastly improved the actual quality of the game. IMO most of FFXIII's problems were in the strange design choices and how the story was written/played out.

Qrphe3994d ago

Square Enix made all the decisions from the beginning. If there was content cut from the PS3 version, SE was also to blame, not Xbox.

majiebeast3994d ago

Square enix is to blame. Wada made stupid decisions this entire generation with Star ocean 4,Last remnant and the final fantasy franchise. The Final Fantasy name is B rank at this point next gen less Toriyama waifus or just alot less Toriyama.

Ofcourse it didnt help that the 360 only used DVD.

Godmars2903994d ago

Not just this generation: the mistakes really started to happen when the worlds each game took place on were extended.

Yes, given FF10's ending there was certainly excuse to go into more depth - despite what most thought of Tidus - but the direction FF10-2 forgot all but the most trivial aspects of the original story. Became contradiction.

Qrphe3994d ago

The Last Remnant became one of the best games I've played on PC in the last years; too bad the 360 version was crippled to begin with.

wishingW3L3994d ago

I blame Toriyama because the game was beyond bad.

Pozzle3994d ago

He butchered the Parasite Eve series too. :(

Prodigy-X3994d ago

Its both Square Enix & Microsoft fault.

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The 7 Best Final Fantasy Characters: Unveiling the Legends

While FFVII ranks highly, there's more to the series than one game. Here's Chit Hot's picks for the seven best Final Fantasy characters.

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The older it gets, the more I respect Final Fantasy XIII

Alex Donaldson: "Hindsight is a hell of a thing, however, and in the years since Final Fantasy XIII, my respect for the decisions its developers made has skyrocketed. In the two Final Fantasy titles since we see both the brilliance and the folly in alternative approaches - and in Final Fantasy VII Remake, we get a more nuanced understanding of what FF13 was trying to accomplish from many of the same development leads."

Einhander1972119d ago

FFXIII is actually one of the best Final Fantasy games.

I also sort of was disappointed at the time, never as much as the bandwagon. But really all the fantastic 3D rendered cutscenes and I actually liked the characters and the story though convoluted was actually fantastic and the ending was extremely emotional. So much budget and time were put into that game Square had such big plans, I actually have always felt kind of bad for how things played out.

I have been thinking for years how great it would be to get all three games on one disk for PS4 or 5.

Nyxus119d ago

I always liked this game, and I agree, a rerelease for current gen would be nice.

Shane Kim117d ago (Edited 117d ago )

Gotta take off the nostalgia glasses. It's the worst FF. Shiva as a bike, I mean come on.

Elda117d ago

Shiva as a bike is strange but saying FFXIII is the worst FF is not at all a fact, that's simply your opinion.

Terry_B117d ago

*One of the 3 equally bad FF's

DivineHand125117d ago (Edited 117d ago )

When I got my series X a year ago, I bought FF13 for nostalgia reasons but ended up being disappointed. When I first played it around the time it launched, I didn't have a lot of experience with final fantasy games, so I enjoyed it. Fast forward to when I played it again, I found that the game had many unnecessary filler moments instead of just giving us meaningful content.

The game is also very linear and a quote on the article said it best. "It is like a sewage pipe that leads to the ocean until it opens up on Grand Pulse."

The story didn't make much sense either and I believe it is my mistake as I played the FF7 remake on PS5 prior which is a night and day difference in terms of pacing, storytelling and likeable characters even though cloud is aloof.

FinalFantasyFanatic117d ago (Edited 117d ago )

Probably was a mistake to play any of the golden era FFs first (e.g. FF6 through FF10), it makes it harder to enjoy some of the FFs that aren't as good. I think FF12 was where major issues with the series started becoming apparent, and it just got worse from there.

FinalFantasyFanatic117d ago (Edited 117d ago )

I didn't really care for it that much, the only saving grace was that it had a better story than 15 (overall it was better than 15) and possibly 12, and even then, you had to read some of it through primers, like reading a book. Plus the battle system was reasonably fun for what it was, even if it was more the spectacle that was exciting for me (e.g. summoning). And to be fair, the 13 trilogy got better with every games, I still don't like Snow though.

Gamingsince1981117d ago

Ff13 is only good if you haven't played a ff before, or any other games that are decent for that matter.

-Foxtrot117d ago

It is in fact no way the best Final Fantasy game, it's one of the worst

Linear corridors, Cutscene, Fight, Cutscene...rinse and repeat

Dialogue and characters are pretty bad, especially Lightning as the main FF hero, they literally said they tried to make a "Female Cloud" and they failed.

Story was pretty awful

I could go on

I think the only alright thing that came from the game was the music.

Elda116d ago

That's not a fact that's your personal opinion. The game sold 11 million copies between its 2009 release up until 2014 including critically reviewed as an 8 out of 10 or an 80 out of 100. The game does have some issues but it's not at all a fact as one of the worst FF games.

-Foxtrot116d ago

Elda

Not just mine mate

A large majority

So….

Traecy116d ago

N4G commenters such as yourself aren't the majority. The game was well received.

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gold_drake119d ago (Edited 119d ago )

i liked the game alot but i didnt like how they handled the terminology.

i dont mind reading data logs but it had soo many.

but i always loved the music and how it looked. the battle system wasnt too bad either.

but i like 13-2 more :)

i still dont understand why we never got a remaster of the trilogy

Eonjay117d ago

Xbox kinda did. Besides the video files of course which are still best on PS3 due to bluray.

Snookies12119d ago

XIII is a pretty solid game, but XIII-2 is WAY better. XIII-2 was one of the few games I decided to go for a Platinum trophy in, early on. Had so much fun the entire way through getting it too!

Eonjay117d ago

Totally agree. FF 13 was okay but 13-2 is my favorite FF game ever.

shinoff2183119d ago (Edited 119d ago )

I hated this to when it released. I haven't much liked a ff game since ff10 as much , aside from ff7remake. I decided to give it another shot on my series x since it's not on a current ps and was liking it quite a bit(just takes me some time to get over things ) until star ocean 2 remake came out I was all over that.

Square should definitely remaster it or something for ps4 ps5

KillerB117d ago

my favorite jrpg trilogy ever

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Interview: Making music with Masashi Hamauzu

Square Enix Blog: "How do you compose iconic songs that help define a legacy? We speak to legendary composer Masashi Hamauzu about his work on Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy VII Remake, and how to make unforgettable music."

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