Okay so after many years, I finally sat down and played Final Fantasy 10, 8, and 9. Here's my rating:7 > 8 = 10 > 9Nothing topped 7. There are amazing moments in 8, 9, and 10 but none are as consistently good as 7, and most importantly they're so fucking LINEAR compared to 7 that they barely feel like an adventure. Especially 9 and 10. But I forgive 10 for this because a lot of the adventure feels so cozy that you don't really mind, like the parts in Thunder Plains and Macalania are so cozy that I never got bored during them, X always has some kinda atmosphere and charm to keep you fulfilled, whereas I did get genuinely bored during some parts of 9. I expected 9 to be a masterpiece but somehow it wasn't. Once you get past the fact it's like a Studio Ghibli film, it feels kinda bland. Freya is the most interesting character and she barely has any screen time. Quina is the most based and the game keeps removing him from your party for no reason. Vivi is pretty good but overhyped. And we all know how the main story shits itself so yeah. The combat is also the most bland out of the FF games I've played.I have not much to say about 8 and 10. They're both great but not amazing. People would probably say 8 is too flawed to put it on the same level as 10, but 10's music is not always that strong whereas 8's music is amazing, and 8 is so much more fun than people give it credit for. If it weren't for the cut content and shitty plot, 8 could have been the best FF. They really went above and beyond with the setpieces too.
7 is linear, the game design is good enough that they give you the illusion of exploration and choice. I haven't played the other games.
>>12214326Really depends on what you'd think linear would be. Is it that the only option o have is to progress the game? Or what about a game in which there are steps you must take to progress the game, but you're free to do a bunch of side quests as well and get back on the main story track when you tire or complete the side quests? Both would be linear since there's only one way to approach main story progression, but one allows you to do something else before you return to the story while the other males you go through story beats.
>>12214305>8 over 9
>>12214326There's no real non-linearity in single player games that aren't sandboxes. All you can do is give the illusion or feeling of non-linearity which usually works good enough.
>>12214305>so fucking LINEAR compared to 7What, did you make frequent detours to chocobo races while the world burned?
>>12214421I'm just saying the world map complaints should have began with 8, not 10. Why have a world map if there's only one place to go at any given time
>>12214440>Why have a world map if there's only one place to go at any given timeyou mean in a narrative way or physically? Because physically that's untrue and even if it was it still feel like the world isn't a bunch of tunnels were you press forward.
>>12214501>and even if it was it still feel like the world isn't a bunch of tunnels were you press forward.I felt this way up to disc 3 of both FF8 and FF9.The whole hallway problem of later FF games is really obviously already existent on the PS1
>>12214512well I guess the entire FF ban base met in secret and concerted to hate FFX linearity in particular
>>12214514You guys just aren't as smart or attentive as I am when it comes to games, basically.
>>12214548That must be it.
>8>flying garden on disc 2>optional content:>trabia ruins>shumi village>card quest>queen of cards>chocobo forests>winhill>next story steps are balamb, trabia and galbadia garden>then you're locked in until the end of disc 3 when you get the ragnarok>new optional content:>deep sea base>shumi village again>9>get boat on disc 3>optional content>literally nothing besides chocobos>mandatory content>kuja's palace and oeilvert>that's it>get airship>optional content>daguerro>ozma>finish chocobos9 also had a lot of unfulfilling minor quests like skipping/racing, coffee, mognet, fat chocobo beaches, and also chocobo treasures. 8 had hidden draw points, islands closest to heaven/hell and the monkey quest.
>>12214305>7 > 8 = 10 > 9I don't see the appeal. For me it's8 > 9 > 7 > 10
>>12214305This is canon.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa5gcYA8xf8
>>12214336What?
>>12214421yes. you'll never understand
>>12214421>>12214708Xenogear is the real VII
>>12214421What does it matter? Meteor's gonna fall in 7 days
>>12214514>well I guess the entire FF ban base met in secret and concerted to hate FFX linearity in particularThey should have met in secret to play western crpgs instead of story driven jrpgs with minigames
>>12214580i really liked the chocobo treasures...
>>12215426>you shouldn't have enjoyed what you enjoyed and played MY games instead!!!!!
>>12214305Is there a way to fix going through the battle menu in this? I can never tell who the fuck I am casting spells on in my party, I wish I could just press up and down with their names on screen instead of having to go left to right or something
>>12214305>quina>himher
>>12214305>8 is so much more fun than people give it credit forYou have to remember that if you played 8 back in the day without recourse to a strategy guide, the game could be a fucking nightmare. Remember the search for the White SeeD Ship? And the search for Lunatic Pandora? Very frustrating stuff.
>>12215554Not just that but most people would rely heavily on GFs to wipe bosses and they'd get backed into a corner when they got to Adel and suddenly found themselves out of options because they were targetting Rinoa too. It's a game that punishes the players hard for not grasping its mechanics and being very streamlined in their methods which I enjoyed a lot because it puts emphasis in learning and understanding all the versatility it provides and rewards the player for it, even if it breaks the game in the process. Truly an experimental J-RPG kino of its era.
