The Real Final Fantasy Is Now A Subscription Service.

On 12/11/2014 at 04:09 AM by asrealasitgets

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Alright. I watched the Sony Experience conference on youtube recently and I have to give it up to Sony for really putting on a great presentation, including some free games from EA, which I downloaded. If you didn't hear, Sony teased a Final Fantasy 7 trailer towards the end, making people think an HD remake was incoming, but it turned out it was just a port of the PC port to PS4, so it's still the same PSOne classic game. I had just written a complaint recently about Square Enix and it's treatment of the Final Fantasy series and decided to post it on here. I'm sure everyone has had a complaint about Square at some point or another, and her eis mine I suppose. It's very verbose and wordy. I apologize if it's hard to read. I was just wondering if anyone else felt like me. Here it is in case you were interested.

The Real Final Fantasy Is Now A Subscription Service.

This is not a headline grabbed from any gaming news article anyplace. This is more about a concern I have with the way that Square Enix has distanced themselves from the more traditional fantasy centric (Knights, Castles, Magic, etc.) inspired characters and world from their main Final Fantasy series and instead chose to place it into a game locked behind a subscription pay wall, A Realm Reborn, which requires an always persistent internet connection and participation from other players in order to complete. As much as I look forward to the newer entries in the series, Agito/Type-0 and Versus/ XV, and I actually appreciated the XIII saga (so shoot me!), I can’t help but feel disappointed that there isn’t any news about a new game with a return to the traditional fantasy elements of the original series on Nintendo.

To be clear, I am not referring to the PSOne series of games which had more of a modern/tech/future setting (Cars, Trains, etc.), although IX was a nice sort of throwback to the old school fantasy games. I’m referring to the first six entries spanning from NES to SNES and remakes on DS and PSP. We haven’t really revisited traditional fantasy themes until the first MMO XI, and maybe the offsets Crystal Chronicles and the more recent Bravely Default. Type-0 has more of a mature and militaristic theme with Monster Hunter type game play, while Versus XV seems to be set in a world somewhat resembling modern day Earth or Tokyo at least. Actually the finale of the XIII series saw the main heroes travelling to Earth in light waves in the end or whatever.

A Realm Reborn is a really great game and a great throwback to old school ‘fantasy’ Final Fantasy. I’ve praised the game as such, and I still do. I’ve beta tested 1.0. I bought it. I played it. Then it was remade and re-released. I beta tested it again. I bought it again. I played it again. I gave it a chance after being a tremendous failure, but mainly because while the original 14 MMO failed in technical aspects, it really had a great visual, art and sound design that was reminiscent of the art work that usually accompanied the original games promotional materials. (Note: I love the pixels and sprite art! Don’t get me wrong.) Now that current technology is capable of fully rendering glorious traditional fantasy worlds, like in Witcher 2 & 3 or Dragon Age and even A Realm Reborn itself, it’s a shame that we don’t have a proper traditional Final Fantasy on current gen consoles to fully explore without the need for a recurring subscription. Even Zelda is getting a fully explorable open world.

I recently stumbled on a presentation from the producer of A Realm Reborn previewing some of the content for the first paid expansion called Heavenward and it really blew me away. If you aren’t familiar with the expansion it’s set to open up a new area, mainly floating islands that require flying mounts to explore, introduce new races, and jobs! This is already pretty standard content for many other MMOs, but as I watched the presentation I couldn’t help but feel a bit scorned that this isn’t a full console game set in a traditional fantasy universe complete with all the fanfare and trimmings (Dragoons, flying Chocobos, massive bosses, etc.) A Realm Reborn is the Final Fantasy game that gets a lot of love and attention from devs that fans deserve but alas, all I can do is hope for a return to a more traditional fantasy game in the near future. I am glad that an old school Final Fantasy game with a traditional fantasy art style exists in one shape or another but it’s a pretty steep price to pay for fandom, although the game is still very. Very good!

-asrealasitgets.

Heavensward art

Matt Snee Staff Writer

12/11/2014 at 05:02 AM

damn man, that artwork looks amazing!

Yeah, I kind of agree with u. I wish I had the time to play FFXIV, but I don't like paying the fee, and don't spend enough time playing it. Maybe eventually. I did like the game though, which makes it all the worse.

asrealasitgets

12/11/2014 at 04:19 PM

For an MMO, I do think that the game is worth a subscription. The game gives you a lot. I really wish some of those art designers would make a full console game like Dragon Age or something.

12/11/2014 at 04:27 PM

I might get back into it once I get a PS4. I don't really like playing on my PC.

12/11/2014 at 04:51 PM

I really want to see the new expansion. It just looks so freaken cool, floating islands and flying chocobos and new regions. Neat!

Cary Woodham

12/11/2014 at 07:34 AM

I haven't been into a Final Fantasy game since FF9. Games like Final Fantasy Dimensions on iPad and Bravely Default on 3DS were nice throwbacks, but I just can't get into RPGs anymore like I used to.

12/11/2014 at 04:18 PM

There was a sequel to 4 in sprite form and everything. I should say that I did enjoy the PSOne games, I was just lamenting that Square hasn't revisited older themes in a long time except for side games like Bravely Default.

V4Viewtiful

12/11/2014 at 07:46 AM

When I watched the conference and got to SE I blasphemed in exacerbation. The clearly put little effort into it.

my guess is money.

FF only seems to be alive on the DS but i'd love to see a HD remake of FF6 on the WiiU. But 3rd parties don't seem to want to give WiiU owners a break.

Le Sigh, I'm not a big fan of mom's (because unless fist are involved I don't like playing with people.) But I appreciate the ambition even if it took too long for the game to be worth the price.

12/11/2014 at 04:16 PM

It was kind of mean actually. It really didnt need a stage announcement when it was quietly released on PS3 and Steam with little press. I'd say it only served to piss people off.

Nicoleb1989

12/11/2014 at 09:30 AM

I think it's gonna take a bit more before they go back to the old style of final fantasy. They have found success with the more futuristic games that they feel people wanted a break from that type of setting. Hopefully they see they realms reborn success and see potential to return to that setting.

12/11/2014 at 04:13 PM

Well, Dragon Age feels a lot like FF12, but I doubt that Square will give us another game like that since it was panned by fans.

KnightDriver

12/11/2014 at 03:51 PM

I would love another FF game in the traditional way on Wii-U or PS4 or handheld. I don't know about MMO. I'm not into them. Just not my thing.

12/11/2014 at 04:10 PM

Exactly. I would imagine that FF fans prefer full console games, but since so much focus was placed on 13 and the extended development of Versus, who know where FF would be right now? Bravely Default was supposed to be a FF game, but Square wants to move the franchise away from that traditional feel for some reason, then BD made a ton of cash?

12/11/2014 at 04:36 PM

I didn't get into BD right away after playing the demo, I dont' know why, but I should really get it.

Ranger1

12/11/2014 at 04:33 PM

I was never as into FF as I was Dragon Quest. Last I heard, DQ 10 was going to be multiplayer, and that's not what I want. Oh, well.

12/11/2014 at 04:38 PM

Me too. It's like whatever becomes a big franchise suddenly gets the MMO treatment. I guess they figure with so many fans, they can justify the budget and then really rake it in with all the monthy subscriptions. This is usually where I get off the bus however.

SanAndreas

12/13/2014 at 03:44 PM

Final Fantasy XI was supposedly the most financially successful Final Fantasy game ever, and by quite a sizable margin at that. There's a reason why they made FFXIV, and a reason why they decided to retool it rather than scrap it.

12/11/2014 at 04:54 PM

And I don't mind an MMO of a game. I do feel that Star Wars The Old Republic MMO should have been the third Knights of the Old Republic game instead of making everybody pay a subscription for it. It's free to play, but still. I don't mind MMOs as long as they don't forget about console games.

GeminiMan78

12/13/2014 at 05:15 PM

I have held the stance for a while that Final Fantasy IX was the last real FF game. I was disapointed with FFX after the flash and glam wore off. FFXII was not bad although it felt more like an expiramental prequel to FF Tactics. Its the very aspect you mention that drew me to FF14. It is the only currwent FF game to be straight up fantasy. I got two lv 30 toons in realms but I have not played it in months. For the amount of time I have availble to play the subscription is just too much. But I'm seeing what the Alternative is with Destiny. Some how they have to find a middle ground between subsription and the pay to play microtransaction that give the right amount of quality and quantity for the money. But yeah this FF15 game technologically looks impressive. Style wise the characters look like they got stuck in 1998. Seriously the feathered hair pretty boy thing has gotten to be VERY OLD. Bring back Amano and give us some real character designs that people will like to se. Not a bunch of japanese rock star wannabes.

12/13/2014 at 06:09 PM

That shampoo commercial hair is glourious though. I don't care so much that it's subscription based, as payed MMOs go, this is a very good one and the company is doing a good job of adding more content to it, unlike Guild Wars 2, an excellent F2P game with lackluster content. I just want a return to fantasy, and the visuals style looks great in the game. I wouldn't mind a shift to console with fantasy theme every now and then, like they did with 9.

PixlBit