I'm also one of those who had given up on Final Fantasy, because since VII the series had gone downhill, but then came Final Fantasy that gave hope for the whole genre. Shining through that darkness like a lighting. I'm very happy that games like White Knight Chronicles borrowed something from it's gameplay, though the game was very mediocre. Games like Dragon Age took the gambit system and developed it even further.
Final Fantasy is the cornerstone of JRPGs, mostly because of its production values. Production values alone do not equal a good game, as in Final Fantasy XIII's case. When I get games like Yakuza 1 and 2, Shin Megami Tensei: Luficer's call (Nocturne), Xenosaga trilogy and Skies of Arcadia in the last generation and Demon's Souls, Valkyria Chronicles, Tales of Vesperia, Yakuza series and Resonance of Fate in the current generation, I can't give up on JRPGs.
And we got something to look forward to, in Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Kingdom Hearts 3, Xenoblade, and many more. At least I hope so.







