"Where has the magic gone?"

[NeoEarth]

Tch.

But going around spelling the doom of the series and how it has lost it's "magic" is pure, absolute Nostalgia. The magic is there, but we can't find it because we just want to relive the feeling of playing FF (insert your favorite old school FF here) for the first time again and any game that is unable to hit the exact same buttons as that one failed.

I can't disagree more... as an old school gamer (36 irl) there are more than a few games that still blow me away. Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic and Lost Odyssey to name a few.

These games all gave me the 'holy shit that was amazing...' feeling.

FFXIII... not so much.
FFXIV (except for the sparse main story quests)... not so much.

/fingersCrossedForever

[Speeral]

I think SE will look into it . . . After they are done adjusting some meaningless game mechanic XD

[NeoEarth]

I think SE will look into it . . . After they are done adjusting some meaningless game mechanic XD

i see what u did there lol.

[Alaltus]

To be perfectly frank its not just FF that has gone downhill, the whole rpg genre has. All the latest gen consoles have had barely a handfull of good RPGs and alot of rpg making companies decided to choose the cheaper option and develope for handhelds. RPGs take alot more development time than most shovelware/that next fps for what seems to be a less reliable customer base(Valkyria Chronicles anyone?). Why else have we not seen the next breath of fire?, suikoden, etc. Because RPGs are not where the money is at anymore and trying to make your game appeal to the majority and not its niche seems to be a safer bet perhaps.

[NeoEarth]

To be perfectly frank its not just FF that has gone downhill, the whole rpg genre has. All the latest gen consoles have had barely a handfull of good RPGs and alot of rpg making companies decided to choose the cheaper option and develope for handhelds. RPGs take alot more development time than most shovelware/that next fps for what seems to be a less reliable customer base(Valkyria Chronicles anyone?). Why else have we not seen the next breath of fire?, suikoden, etc. Because RPGs are not where the money is at anymore and trying to make your game appeal to the majority and not its niche seems to be a safer bet perhaps.

Bioware is doing ok. Grant it the exception. Interesting if their MMO takes off....

[Sypherblade]

things got messy once the player lost control over the battle systems IMO

everything is real time now.... you have to setup gambits or whatever to tell your group what to do which i feel made it lose a lot of strategy in battles..

im sure many will argue tho...

[Evangela]

This is what happens when we have Enix and Dragon Quest-ish added to Final Fantasy

BORING

[Griss]

Just a personal observation and opinion. I find it interesting and funny that with a series that is known for reinventing it's self constantly. The fan base of said game series is for the most part is very resistant to change. Nostalgia is a very powerful thing.

[Evangela]

FF series known for reinventing but they always keep magic and fantasy theme until....

FF7 - soldier, technology, machine guns, cannon.... but ok, the game is good

FF8 - military, cars, machine guns

FF13 - full sci-fi theme !!!! seriously? Final Mass Effect XIII

[Skyrant_Kangaroomouse]

Just a personal observation and opinion. I find it interesting and funny that with a series that is known for reinventing it's self constantly. The fan base of said game series is for the most part is very resistant to change. Nostalgia is a very powerful thing.

No one is resistant to change, in fact, the series changed quite dramatically over the years. What remained throughout most incarnations however was that great story telling and immersion.

FF14 does not have either, the story telling is almost non existant and immersion is broken with every update. Monster levels, HP bars, NPC floaty icons, Emity meter, jumping. God knows what brilliant idea they come up with next.