We give Square Enix some friendly tips for keeping the Fantasy alive.
LOOT! GLORIOUS, GLORIOUS LOOT!
If there’s one thing to be learned from Western game design, it’s that players love loot. World of Warcraft wouldn’t be the phenomenon it is without the constant epic gear that’s added to the game. Ditto for Diablo. Even a first person game like Skyrim has people lusting for new gear, and they love putting their older stuff on display in their homes. And part of the reason that people complain about Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age 2 stems from the removal of party-wide armor selections.
When I used to play Final Fantasy IV on the Super Nintendo, each party member had up to five pieces of gear that they could equip. I always imagined what Cecil looked like in his diamond armor, wielding the crystal sword. Somewhere along the line, armor became less important, and once it became possible to show characters in different outfits the series inexplicably went in the other direction. Final Fantasy X only allows for players to equip a weapon and a single piece of armor, for example. Weapons went by the wayside in a sense as well, with each character using a specific weapon as opposed to being able to wield numerous implements of death based on job class or battle situation.
It’s time to bring loot into the Final Fantasy equation. The online games feature hundreds of sets of armor and weapons, and it’s a big reason why those games keep players paying a monthly fee to play. I for one loved getting all of that deliciously spiky black armor for my Dark Knight in FF XI. Now, I don’t expect a single player Final Fantasy with the high production values of, say, FF XIII to have as much gear as an MMO, but a sweet spot can be reached for sure. Of course, there’s the sticking point of those lovely CG cutscenes, but I think we’ve reached a point where in-engine cinematics are plenty impressive. Or, heck, have the armor magically appear on characters when battles begin. It’s a fantasy game after all, and it worked in Granstream Saga. (If you played Granstream Saga you’ve earned this +1 masterwork greatsword.)
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