Final Fantasy 13: The Last Traditional FF Game?

Final Fantasy 13Have you ever tried to tell a non-gamer that you are playing Final Fantasy (insert random number here), only to have them reply with the stupid joke “guess the other ones weren’t so final”? Because that has happened to me more times than I can count, honestly. Well, it looks like that dumb remark might actually find its punchline with Final Fantasy XIII, in a sense.

Square Enix head dude Yoichi Wada said in an interview today that Final Fantasy XIII could mark the end of an era, and that whether or not the franchise will continue its current format “remains to be seen.” Apparently, the team might move on to bigger and better things, including “next generation” play styles to hit a new audience. I’m not entirely certain what that means, but I’ve got a couple of guesses: namely that “a new audience” is not-so-subtle code for “Westerners”, and the new “play styles” they mention could involve motion controls or FPS/action games.

I’m not suggesting an FF FPS, but that Square might move into a genre they think is more suitable to broadening their core buyers. Regardless of what it entails, I do have mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, I love JRPG’s and their emphasis on grand stories and gorgeous art. On the other hand, the formula is stale (though FF does it best) and might need a shot in the arm.

What do you guys make of this news?

Source- Shacknews

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14 thoughts on “Final Fantasy 13: The Last Traditional FF Game?”

  1. ooooh 13 nice number to end on. If anything they are just gonna experiment and change up the gameplay somewhat, but motion controls and fps would be sucky. I WANT INNOVATION <— in western voice, ie conan the barbarian

  2. I think it’s obvious whats happening… Final Fantasy is going through puberty! It’s going to suck for a little while figuring out what’s happening to it, but then it’s going to get progressively better until it fully matures.

  3. Well from what I’ve heard from people who’s opinion I trust (since I don’t play RPG games) is that ever since FF8, things have been going down hill…

    I have played FF7 on the PC and had a pretty good time. I also bought Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest a couple years ago for SNES. MYSTIC QUEST is written large, while ‘final fantasty’ is in the smallest font ever. Since it was a used cartridge on a shelf, I didn’t see the “final fantasy” on it, or I probably wouldnt have purchased it. A very easy game, perfect for an RPG newb/hater like myself.

    Overall: meh… Square Enix took over EIDOS… Hopefully some Deus Ex esque/related stuff instead of FF =D.

  4. First off: I think they mean something in the vein of FF XIV or even FF XII. FF XII was very different and pissed off a lot of people, due to it’s Western play-style. FF XIV is online, so that may be what they mean as well. It could be as huge as what Eddy is suggesting or as small as what I am. Have to wait and see.

    Julez, FF9 was awesome as 10 and 12. FF is not going downhill, it’s just kind of been steady, although 12 was brilliant.

  5. I agree that JRPGs need a shot in the arm, their glory days being on the PS1 and Genesis and SN, but FF always does it better than everyone else, including FFXII, which may be my favorite. I can’t wait for XIII and, until they let me down (more than X let me down anyway. Sorry Eddy, I like the gameplay but the characters, story, acting – like the infamous laughing scene, were all awful), I trust Square with the Final Fantasy series. I cut them slack when they delay their games, and I’ll cut them slack now.

  6. [quote comment=”9702″]I agree that JRPGs need a shot in the arm, their glory days being on the PS1 and Genesis and SN, but FF always does it better than everyone else, including FFXII, which may be my favorite. I can’t wait for XIII and, until they let me down (more than X let me down anyway. Sorry Eddy, I like the gameplay but the characters, story, acting – like the infamous laughing scene, were all awful), I trust Square with the Final Fantasy series. I cut them slack when they delay their games, and I’ll cut them slack now.[/quote]

    X is actually one of my least favorite FF games, so no offense here.

  7. @Anthony

    I didn’t mean any offence, I was just repeating what I had heard from other friends around me. The 2 games I played that had something/anything to do with FF were really fun.

    I just hope that the fans who trust SE to make good games arent disappointed, it doesn’t really matter to me one way or the other.

  8. Just so you know, I’m not purposely trying to sound like some FFX fanboy so don’t take it that way lol. But why does FFX get a lot of negative criticism? I’m playing FF7 right now, which I believe is Eddy’s fave, and I can’t see why some prefer it over other iterations. Just an innocent question as I’d like to know what those who’ve played more FFs than me think and their reasoning. For the record I have X, X-2 and most of VII played to completion and played none of the others.

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