Animation Lock: Why don't you like it?

[Molly_Millions]

Gameplay is very important,

But Final Fantasy is a series built on Aesthetics. It's what draws players into the franchise and keeps them coming back.

Ideally they should be of equal weight, but I think when push comes to shove, aesthetics trump gameplay in FF game design at SE.

They look great sure, but if the gameplay wasn't there the series wouldn't have lasted as long as it has. A game can look fantastic, but if the gameplay sucks, the game sucks.

[Zantetsuken]

They look great sure, but if the gameplay wasn't there the series wouldn't have lasted as long as it has. A game can look fantastic, but if the gameplay sucks, the game sucks.

It's not a zero-sum game.

But at the end of the day, when faced with a difficult decision (esp in RPGs), the gameplay should be altered to fit the aesthetic, not the other way around.

Obviously this doesn't apply to other genres like puzzle games, arcade style shooters, action games, etc..