Monday, October 30, 2006
Lunch with Tom - Just one new release
Final Fantasy XII - I was looking through the release list just now as a joke. I knew Final Fantasy XII was coming out, but I wanted to see what publisher was ballsy enough to release a game on the same day. Believe it or not, there are actually a handful of games coming out this week. Who could possibly think it's a good idea to release a game against FFXII? It's like airing a new sitcom against the Super Bowl. There are 52 weeks in a year to release a game and some publisher thought this one, opposite what may be the best entry in the most popular franchise in the world, was just perfect for their little forgettable title. Can you imagine if you were working on one of these unfortunate games? You spent countless hours coding this horrid mess and then find out it's going against FFXII. Wow, sometimes the game industry is as cruel and malicious as real life.
I won't dirty this website with mention of those other games. For the first time in six years, I am actually excited for a new Final Fantasy. Square has really screwed things up this generation. They went back to their roots with FFIX. But since then, they keep messing with the Final Fantasy formula and it gets worse and worse. Why would they turn Final Fantasy into an MMORPG anyway? FF is a time sink as it is, but they turned it into a 500-hour/dollar investment. Come on guys, I have a life outside of Final Fantasy. Look at all the other games I still have to play.
Square isn't done messing with the FF formula yet, but FFXII seems really cool. It may just be the graphics, which are some of the best from the last generation, but FFXII just seems like the kind of RPG I could really get into. The combat has been completely revamped. Remember those horrible random battles that have plagued the genre forever? Square has finally eliminated those. Finally! Now the battles take place on the main screen. You can see enemies before you encounter them. If you choose to, you can turn tail and run. You know I love choices. There's also this gambit system that seems to eliminate much of the tedium associated with turn-based battles. You can set up requirements for your party members, telling them when to heal and when to attack, so battles are much more streamlined than in the past. So the focus of the game is back on the characters, story and exploration. These are the elements that make JRPGs worth playing.
The sad thing is, I am not going to be able to play this anytime soon. This is another 60-hour epic quest, and it's just really hard finding time to play something like this when I have to work every day. But I will find time. After the glow of Gears of War dims and I realize the Wii is a gimmick, there will be FFXII waiting for me.
I won't dirty this website with mention of those other games. For the first time in six years, I am actually excited for a new Final Fantasy. Square has really screwed things up this generation. They went back to their roots with FFIX. But since then, they keep messing with the Final Fantasy formula and it gets worse and worse. Why would they turn Final Fantasy into an MMORPG anyway? FF is a time sink as it is, but they turned it into a 500-hour/dollar investment. Come on guys, I have a life outside of Final Fantasy. Look at all the other games I still have to play.
Square isn't done messing with the FF formula yet, but FFXII seems really cool. It may just be the graphics, which are some of the best from the last generation, but FFXII just seems like the kind of RPG I could really get into. The combat has been completely revamped. Remember those horrible random battles that have plagued the genre forever? Square has finally eliminated those. Finally! Now the battles take place on the main screen. You can see enemies before you encounter them. If you choose to, you can turn tail and run. You know I love choices. There's also this gambit system that seems to eliminate much of the tedium associated with turn-based battles. You can set up requirements for your party members, telling them when to heal and when to attack, so battles are much more streamlined than in the past. So the focus of the game is back on the characters, story and exploration. These are the elements that make JRPGs worth playing.
The sad thing is, I am not going to be able to play this anytime soon. This is another 60-hour epic quest, and it's just really hard finding time to play something like this when I have to work every day. But I will find time. After the glow of Gears of War dims and I realize the Wii is a gimmick, there will be FFXII waiting for me.
// posted by Tom @ 11:50 AM 
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