Final Fantasy XV's rumoured open world could just save the series

Digitally Downloaded writes: "While I’ve observed some concerned reactions to this news, I personally think this is the best thing that could happen to the Final Fantasy series."

[DaThreats]

No
FF13VS will
Then maybe FFXV will add onto the greatness

[Snookies12]

Yeah VSXIII is open world, so that should be the one to "save" the series. Especially considering it has pilotable airships and is headed by Nomura-san.

[-Mika-]

When did the series need to be saved? Am im the only one who enjoyed the FF13 series.

[Snookies12]

@-Mika- No, I enjoyed them to some extent as well, they were decent RPGs, good even by most standards. However they were NOT up to the Final Fantasy name, which always promised outstanding quality in just about every aspect.

[Hellsvacancy]

I didnt finish FF13, i tried to, it was just too straight forward/boring, i mean, from screen to screen it was a straight line

I had other rpgs to play at the time, White Knight Chronicles for example, which again was pretty boring but not as boring as FF13 and i had Demon's Souls (so it was a no brainer which game would get my time)

I wont bother with 13/2 or 13/3 (just like i didnt bother with WKC2 for example)

[brish]

@-Mika-

A lot of people enjoyed FFXIII.

If you check the user scores on various sites it scores well almost everywhere. The problem is there is a very vocal minority that goes into forums and just constantly bash the game.

This may have had an impact on FFXIII-2 sales. If the rumors are true FF Versus XIII was just recently cancelled (likely due to income issues).

http://n4g.com/news/1042297...

Sigh

[BanditGamer]

I wish VS 13 would launch already, just so we can all see that it's just another modern day FF and not some magical god-like game just because it's exclusive to PS3!

[Snookies12]

People don't act like it's "god-like" without good reason. Not because it's exclusive to PS3, but because of promises of an open world and a flyable airship like the old days of the Final Fantasy series.

[jc48573]

so what's really the excuse that is preventing Japanese developers from making jrpgs? Other than that it needs to be innovative.

[undeadmagic]

They don't sell. Perhaps that has to do with a lack of innovation, combined with the stigma JRPG's now carry.

[rebirthofcaos]

ok, now ff13vs is called XV.

[helghast102]

Why do people think open world is automatically good? and linearity automatically bad?

[undeadmagic]

I was asking this question a couple of years ago when FF13 first dropped, and people were hating on it.

I'm assuming the people that think that are recent gamers, and have never played JRPGs during their hayday (snes, psx, ps2).

Anyone who's a fan of JRPGs knows they've always been linear. Thats what made Final Fantasy the great series that it is.

[YoungKingDoran]

Wandering around fighting, exploring, talking to NPCs for hours on end without moving the story forward one inch is linear?

[goldwyncq]

To create a truly great and compelling story, linearity is the only option.

Sure, you can argue that its possible to do in open world games as well, the problem with sandbox games though is that players often lose focus with the main plot, making it much more difficult to get absorbed. I believe that it is possible, just that no one has ever pulled it off, in my opinion.

[undeadmagic]

I agree with Mika. FF isn't in any danger. FF13 was a great game, and it felt like a FF game through and through imo.

Everytime a new FF game comes out (in the 3D era), with the exception of maybe 7 and 10, so-called fans start claiming FF is ruined, blah blah blah. They did it with 8, they did it with 9, they did it with 11, they did it with 12, and now they're doing it with 13. Its like clockwork.

However, an open world FF would be incredibly fun, granted they do it right. FF12 had some open world elements and I thoroughly enjoyed that game. Also, FF11 was really good, and was without a doubt open world, considering the fact it was an mmo.

[LightofDarkness]

They did it with VII too, there just wasn't enough internet back then :p

People raged about Squaresoft betraying Nintendo and replacing their beloved sprites with "lumpy 3D lego men". Time is a healer, I suppose :p

[Disco Downey]

They need a world map back. Not having a world map is utterly killing the series. There is no sense of exploration or wonder.

they also need to sort out the battle system. They've made a complete mess of it since XII. Gambits were rubbish and the team mate AI in XIII was terrible for the last third of the game. Constantly using the wrong moves.

They could also do with some half decent dialogue scripters. I know JRPG dialogue is never great but XIII's was just rubbish. No humour at all in the game.

When they say Open World i hope it just means a return to feeling as if you are wandering a proper world. Towns i can deal with not being open. But since FF is about saving the world you should feel like you can move freely about that world. Not the crap they've had since X

[iamlegend9999]

How will this save the series. The series is fine. Your just mad the previous final fantasy games are not turn based. Who cares. There still great games. So fuck off.

[Disco Downey]

They dont need to be turn based. The last Star Ocean didnt have me controlling all the players but they rarely died stupidly. Now that game wasnt the best ever for other reasons but they fairly nailed the team mate AI (my Xbox broke and I never finished it after so that might have changed towards the end but from what i played it was grand).

They are not great games. Far from it. Ive been a huge FF fan through the years but anyone looking at the series objectively can see a huge decline after X. Stop being a blinkered fanboy

[AsimLeonheart]

No it wont. Open world leads to bland, unfocused and forgettable games with forgettable characters and poor stories. These open world games can never give birth to iconic characters like Mario, Link, Cloud, Sephiroth, Dante, KOS-MOS, Solid Snake and Crono. Even the source of modern icons like Nathan Drake and Commander Shepherd are not open world games. Please don't point any one or two open world games with great stories and characters because we are talking about what happens on the average and general. All of the above mentioned characters are from the so called "linear" games which people hate so much today. I do not understand what is wrong with games being linear. The best of linear games lead to memorable games with focused stories, cinematic cut scenes and great characters. However even the best open world game may result in more sales but no one remembers the story, characters and the emotions that they conveyed to the player because they do not have any.

[CLOUD1983]

Only Sagakuchi can save FF but as he is not part of SE anymore there is nothing to be done, FF die after FFX when Sagakuchi left THE END.

[pompombrum]

Sagakuchi and Uematsu! I agree completely about Sagakuchi but I think Uematsu's work on the series was just as vital for the overall quality of the product.. FF13 music was awful compared to 6-10.

[-Gespenst-]

Lol, the same composer who worked on XIII did a lot of work for X.

I get the feeling the soundtracks for both XII and XIII and even XIII-2 just went over people's heads, because they're absolutely astounding. Maybe you need to be more musically involved to realize or something.

Also Sakaguchi had very little to do with most of the FF games. In fact it's a lot of the same writers and directors from game to game. Just sounds like you're recycling other people's misinformed opinions.