outlawauron said:
LMU Uncle Alfred said:
outlawauron said:
gergroy said:
Square keeps trying to "westernize" their games, but they don't know what that means. They think it means more action, but that isn't true (personally, I think they just need to have less annoying little kid characters to appeal to western audiences).
The one thing that I think most of us can agree on is that square should stop trying to westernize their games. Go back to what their fanbase wants, a good turn based rpg. I mean, look at bravely default. That games battle system was widely acclaimed as one of the better systems of a jrpg in the last decade or so. It was just a traditional turn based system with a twist. As much as I hated bravely default, the battle system was its one redeemable feature.
Stop trying to force action into your rpg's square!
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Bravely Default isn't a good example. If they wanted to replicate those sales numbers, then they would have already made a bunch of similar games. They attempt to make a game with a global audience in mind when they made FF7, so that is their formula for growth. Every time they've gone closer to their roots, it's sold worse. Why the hell would they not continue to change?
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FF7 is still very close to a traditional FF game.
FFXIII was closer to FF roots than XIII-2 and Lightning Returns and we know how the sales progression there went. LR was the least traditional FF out of those.
FFIX was at the end of the PS1 generation but still sold over 5 million. After that FFX sold about 8 million.
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FF7 was unlike previous FFs in nearly every way. The story, characters, and setting are unlike any previous game in the series. They wanted to make a game for the world and succeeded. Square got its success by trying new things, so that's what they do.
For reference, the only FF that I would say goes back to the series roots post FF7 is FF9.
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FF7 was also marketed very well and was the first step for mainstream gamers to get into FF. However, FF7 has ATB just like the previous 6 but with smoother control. FF7 has elements of steam punk just like FF6 did. The game progression is only slightly different but only at the beginning when the world seems confined by Midgar. You have control over the full party and if the main character gets knocked out it's not game over. The setting is the world full of different places and cultures just like the other FF games: Cosmo Canyon, Corel Mine, Midgar, Mideel, and Fort Condor all have different outlooks on life; just like the places in FF4.
The story approach still involves traveling and exploring different places making the most of where the party goes. It took a more personal approach with a select few characters, although FF7 still utilized moments with all the other characters as well.
The materia and limit break systems are mechanic changes/addtions btw, not a genre change. And it's not like the FF games before FF7 didn't have different mechanics: FFV had a job system you could utilize for each character. FF4 introduced the ATB system, going into outer space and under the very planet.
You have to also understand that before FF7, the FF series was still niche because it wasn't very approachable what with the really high random encounter rate and confusion of where to go sometimes pushing away people. It was marketed very well and made easier to get into than past FF games.
**However, that doesn't mean it was so vastly different from past FF games. It had a better spaced out random encounter rate and smoother control over the ATB gauge. Those are improvements, not changes. So the experience was more welcoming. FF defined itself and kept its fanbase strong for years after that with the same approaches it had for its oldschool games. Just with additions or mechanic changes. Even FF8 had that oldschool feel despite the junction system. It had a journey based on traveling the world and gathering friends along the way. It had a lot of freedom in what you could do with the battle system as well.
