Ever since FF 9, I've thought that the FF games have become almost ridiculously overrated. For the past number of years every time a new FF game comes out, every damned game magazine and website goes around proclaiming it as the greatest game since the last FF.

Don't get me wrong, I think most the ffs have been pretty darn good (except 12 and X-2, I haven't decided which one I hate more), but theres been a ton of great RPGs that have come out but haven't got anywhere near the notice they deserve because they don't bear the 'Final Fantasy' name. Off the top of my head I can name Suikoden V, Valkyrie Profile 2, Rogue Galaxy and the Shadow Hearts series.

Well, thats my two cents on the matter, so what do you guys think?

I lost interest in Final Fantasy two-thirds the way through FF7. It was the long random battles, grinding, and angst that turned me off. I had hoped that as the series progressed they'd find something better than random battles and it looks like maybe they have, but they doubled their formula of spiky-haired angst-ridden girly men. I can't bring myself to play any of the new ones as good as they may be.

I've more or less fallen out of jRPGs. I'm a Zelda man now.

Bwuh, my interest was lost in Final Fantasy a long time ago.

Overrated games they are. The masses will buy anything.

I haven't been a slobbering fan of the FF series since FF6. Once they went 3D, they seemed to become more about shiny graphics than a good story or interesting characters. Although I will admit that I enjoyed FFX, and was looking forward to FFXII, but I was horribly, horribly disappointed. I probably won't be buying any further FF games.

Yeah, FF 6 was awesome :)

But wow, I thought I was going to get flamed to oblivion 0_o Oh well, good to know I'm not the only one who's over FF.

You know, not long ago I think you would have been flamed. And maybe in a different forum you still would. But I think people are starting to get tired of the Final Fantasy franchise and are seeing through their formula.

I was a huge fan of FF6 also. Things changed so much when they jumped to 7. I didn't jump with them.

Personally, I've enjoyed all the Final Fantasies I've played. Even the oft-derided X-2 had, I felt, a fun battle system (in fact, I preferred it over the less frantic extremely turn-based system of X), but mostly I was willing to laugh at it (the funniest parts are easily when they try to get you to take it seriously). Granted, I haven't played 12, but so far I've seen that all the games in the main "canon" have been excellent to one degree or another.

Not that I disagree that the games, as a whole, are over-rated. They're good, but certainly not the end-all, be-all of RPGs. I can't speak for certain, but to my knowledge VII was the best RPG created for that generation of games at its time, but there are definitely older games that have it beat by leaps and bounds, and once other developers became comfortable with the new technology they pushed it in ways that provided a better game than Square could (specifically, focusing on improving gameplay instead of FMV sequences).

Yeah, I agree with you that most of the FFs have been good (except X-2, don't get me wrong, I tried to like it, I really did) but its just frustrating to see a whole heap of outstanding rpgs being brushed aside solely because of their name.

Oh and with 12, I think it had a lot of potential to be good...if it wasn't for that damned battle system >_< Its effectively a MMO without the online bit...like what the hell? Its meant to be the benchmark by which other rpgs are compared and its got a gameplay of an MMO???? But of course since its a FF game, everyone says its great and innovative, despite the fact that Rogue Galaxy has an infinitely superior version of FF 12's battle system...

Though I must admit, FF 7 was leaps and bounds better then any rpg on the playstation at the time, though if memory serves me right the only other playstation rpg then was Beyond the Beyond...

Oh well, thats my rant for now, peace out

I seem to be one of the few people on Earth who thinks FF8 was the best in the series and FF10 was the worst...

Final Fantasy XII is the best one in the series IMO.

FF7 was good, but overrated.

EDIT: Also, Dragon Quest > Final Fantasy

Whilst I agree that FF 7 is horribly overrated, I'd still say it was one of the best installments in the FF series (I personally think only 6 and Tactics were better).

And yeah, Dragon Quest is awesome :D

But FF 12 the best in the series? I could never really get into that game, though I'd like to know your opinion on 12 if you don't mind.

I've found them all to be fun in their own ways. I appreciate the Square has tried new things throughout the series to improve gameplay or at least give it some variety. I've liked them all to some degree.

I just found a copy of 8 and am giving it a second try. I rented it when it first came out and I remember liking the story a lot, but never getting back to it.
Now I just need to find some time to play it.

snark
But FF 12 the best in the series? I could never really get into that game, though I'd like to know your opinion on 12 if you don't mind.

I just like the gameplay a lot more than any of the other FF's, mainly because it doesn't have those pesky random encounters, yet keeps some of the core gameplay of past FF's in there. The gambit system is pretty neat too.

snark
And yeah, Dragon Quest is awesome :D

~<3

I never played FF7-FF9. I played 10 and liked it alot. The Charecters got on too me. I played 12 but I didn't like the charecters to much. I like the game and the battle system was good too but that is about it. Its also too confusing...

Personally, I like the characters and story of Final Fanasy games, but get tired of random battles and whatnot.

I just like the gameplay a lot more than any of the other FF's, mainly because it doesn't have those pesky random encounters, yet keeps some of the core gameplay of past FF's in there. The gambit system is pretty neat too.

Yeah, have to agree that been able to see your enemies rather then having them jump out at you from thin air is definately an improvement.

I personally didn't like the gambit system, but eh, to each his own.

I can never pass a RPG game... for some reason I play 'em for 30-40 hrs straight then I come across one fucking idiotic boss who I already killed but by me killing him only made that boss regenerate even bigger/stronger...

Damn you Square Enix!!! Or shall I say... "Squaresoft"

But I did like part 9 (never passed it) and part 10 (also never passed it).

Heh. Valkyrie Profile owns them all.

LIZARD_B1TE
Heh. Valkyrie Profile owns them all.

Oh yes! Valkyrie Profile was one of the best rpgs to hit the ps one...or any console really :)

Though I bloody hated those idiots who refused to play it because it was 2d, unlike their precious final fantasy >_<

Heh. I have the PSP version, since the PS1 version is so rare these days.

I love it.

LIZARD_B1TE
Heh. Valkyrie Profile owns them all.

it's one of those games that's really good but no one has played it...

kinda like disgaea.

fern

LIZARD_B1TE
Heh. Valkyrie Profile owns them all.

it's one of those games that's really good but no one has played it...

kinda like disgaea.

Or Dragon Quest.

I never really cared for Dragon Quest. I think it's the monsters. They're too cute.

LIZARD_B1TE
I never really cared for Dragon Quest. I think it's the monsters. They're too cute.

Mega Josh

LIZARD_B1TE
I never really cared for Dragon Quest. I think it's the monsters. They're too cute.

HOW CAHYUTE!

Awww, lookit his chubby little demon face!