New Final Fantasy XII Info

[Liquidize105]

Apparently the opening FMV sequence is a Xenosaga-length 17 minutes long. There is also no way to skip this FMV or any others in the game. To add to the difficulty, the save points in the game are few and far between. No more two and three save points per dungeon like in FFX. The game will feature a continue option like in Kingdom Hearts. The game is also 100% complete according to the website. There is also some sort of mini-game, no details on that yet though.
The info comes to you courtesy of finalfantasy12.org (http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=ja_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2ffinalfantasy12.org%2f), Gamersreport (http://www.gamersreports.com/index.php), and user dmgr.

[fushi]

I like how "less savepoints" and "long FMVs" mean "higher difficulty".

[devicelimit]

What is wrong with skippable FMV's? Is it so that developers can add more to their 'gameplay hours'? Also Fushi make an excellent point.

[Scaryboy]

Apparently the opening FMV sequence is a Xenosaga-length 17 minutes long. There is also no way to skip this FMV or any others in the game.

Thank you and goodnight, Final Fantasy XII.

[Twinkie]

I'm guessing it means difficulty as in 'frustration' or 'irritation', as it would likely make me feel.

[Nominal]

FMVs that you can't skip are definitely very high on my video game pet peeve list.

[sickfallout]

Every Final Fantasy game ever has had scenes nearly that long where you do not play. Why is everyone getting bent out of shape about it? Pressing "a" to advance the conversation does NOT count as playing, by the way.

I say bring it on!

[Kelegacy]

Every Final Fantasy game ever has had scenes nearly that long where you do not play. Why is everyone getting bent out of shape about it? Pressing "a" to advance the conversation does NOT count as playing, by the way.

I say bring it on!
Same here. If you skip the opening movie of any game, you're an idiot or have ADD. And skippable cutscenes would be nice, especially if you are replaying a segment after dying. But overall, I would never skip a scene on first play...and if I skipped it by an accidental button press, I'd be really pissed off.

The save states are what will piss me off. If you can keep your level after dying and continuing, fine. But having to reclaim your last level by fighting all over again sucks.

[Neverborne]

Maybe this one will be bad enought that they actually mean it when they say, "Final."

I enjoyed the series up through 9 (except for that horrid mongoloid turd, FF8), but enough is enough.

Yeah, I know they've changed the gameplay mechanics (and it was about damn time), but just let it end.

[bapenguin]

Retarded. If I decide to restart the game I have to sit through 17 minutes of FMV again? I simply don't have that time anymore.

[kizke]

You're dead to me, Final Fantasy.

Mistwalker had better hurry up and get some real games out.

[Jazzercide]

Even when you're playing a game's opening minutes, they're still pretty much exposition. This FF more than ever seems to set you free in a big MMORPG sort of world, so maybe here's them getting story out the way.

[Neverborne]

Same here. If you skip the opening movie of any game, you're an idiot or have ADD.

Yeah, I'll watch the opening cutscene, once. After that, and the usual hour long opening level in most rpgs, I make a special save file so I never have to sit through the most boring part of most rpg's again, the beginning.

[crashedout]

Same here. If you skip the opening movie of any game, you're an idiot or have ADD. And skippable cutscenes would be nice, especially if you are replaying a segment after dying. But overall, I would never skip a scene on first play...and if I skipped it by an accidental button press, I'd be really pissed off.

The save states are what will piss me off. If you can keep your level after dying and continuing, fine. But having to reclaim your last level by fighting all over again sucks.

I have to strongly disagree, the ability to skip all cutscenes needs to be there, it can be a button that is not often used like select or back but it needs to be there. What if you decide to replay the game later on a different machine without your current save? Or you loose you current save via some mechanical failure? Or what if the cut scene sucks but the rest of the gameplay is great? There are many good reasons to have the option to skip 'em.

[sickfallout]

Jesus, people. If you're playing through again, and don't want to watch the cutscene, start the game, and make a fucking sandwich or something.

[thecrazyd]

That sounds fucking horrible.

[Bydo_Empire]

Why is this bad? It's the opening freaking FMV that sets up the whole game. Do you really want to skip the opening of the game? The fewer save points isn't really a "good thing," but it I didn't have any problem whatsoever with the frequency or placement of them in FF X.

[Edit] true, if you're playing the game a second time through, then it makes sense to skip the opening video. But if you have time to play through a freaking final fantasy game a second time, you probably have time for a 17 minute cutscene. I barely have time to finish them once.

[Borys]

That sounds fucking horrible.

Uhh, no it does not.

But it gets blown way, way out of proportion here.

FF12 can't come soon enough, we have waited too fucking long for a proper (not X-2 or 11 crap) sequel.

Haters can stick to KOTOR for all I care.

FMVs in Blizzard games didn't annoy anyone but here they do, riiiiiiiiiiiight.

[Jacob Singer]

Jesus, people. If you're playing through again, and don't want to watch the cutscene, start the game, and make a fucking sandwich or something.

Yeah, that makes so much more sense than just making the fucking cutscenes skippable. Gimme a freakin' break...

[Phanto]

Oh well i'm really looking forward to this game :) , but i want to finish the FFX first, i never finished, and also before getting FFXII i want to play Dragon Quest VIII, oh well if i just could have some money, right now :(

[farley2k]

I am dissappointed with the mention of less frequent save games. It is a lingering hold over which really needs to go away.

I have a baby on the way and I don't expect that I will be having multiple hour blocks of time to play a game. So for people like me this game will be another unfinished box on the shelf.

[sickfallout]

Yeah, that makes so much more sense than just making the fucking cutscenes skippable. Gimme a freakin' break...

Granted, I bet it wouldn't be hard to make them skippable, as long as it's not just a button press. It better need clearance codes and shit, because if I beat a 70 hour game, settle down to watch the ending, and the controller drops and skips the whole thing, I start punching infants.

[Stevercakes]

They should make it like how Xenosaga was... if you push start, it'll give you the option of skipping the cutscene or resuming.

[Derella]

FMVs in Blizzard games didn't annoy anyone but here they do, riiiiiiiiiiiight.
Because FMVs in Blizzard games aren't 17 minutes long, and they can be skipped.

For the record, I like Final Fantasy.

[Opty]

The best way to handle skipping cutscenes is like how Xenosaga did it, press start to pause and then another button to skip or start again to unpause. The good side is that since, as the newspost says, it features Kingdom Heart's continue style when you die you start at a checkpoint with everything you did up to that point instead of reverting to last save.

[Dariath]

Start the game, do something else, come back to it. Make dinner, read forums, play another game. It's not a big deal. It would be liked if you could skip it (push start, then another button to confirm the skip), but it won't destroy a game or the fun factor.

[Kelegacy]

You're dead to me, Final Fantasy.

Mistwalker had better hurry up and get some real games out.
I hope you aren't going to be upset when Mistwalker's games are barely above average, if at all. For the 360 they'll be good simply because there will be little to compete against in the genre, like Jade Empire for the Xbox.

I hope I'm wrong.

[agentgray]

FMVs that you can't skip are definitely very high on my video game pet peeve list.
Knights of the Round and then that skill that let you cast it four times?

Ugh...anyone? Anyone?

[Royal Fool]

Exactly... just prompt the player whether he wants to skip it or continue watching.

Incredibly simple solution that for some reason developers never bother implementing.

[Dafizman]

It just seems rude of the developers to leave out the option to skip them. Makes the developers seem like little children, "look what I made, arn't the colors pretty! Lets watch it again!"

[Cubfan]

I'm just curious why the developers would omit the ability to skip cutscenes. What is the logic behind it? Is it that difficult to implement from a development standpoint?

[maharahaj]

.....Or what if the cut scene sucks but the rest of the gameplay is great? There are many good reasons to have the option to skip 'em.

I agree; although it wasnt necessarily a FMV scene, the forced extended dialog sequence before the final boss in FFX drove me insane as I had to watch it again and again to fight said boss. It should have been skippable. And true to many FF games, final bosses often have the ability to wipe all HP to 1 per character in one move, which leads to lots of attempts to beat the game.

[thecrazyd]

Uhh, no it does not.

But it gets blown way, way out of proportion here.

FF12 can't come soon enough, we have waited too fucking long for a proper (not X-2 or 11 crap) sequel.

Haters can stick to KOTOR for all I care.

FMVs in Blizzard games didn't annoy anyone but here they do, riiiiiiiiiiiight.
Not so much the FMV as the lack of save points. Unskippable cutscenes are also unforgiveable, but not so much as lack of save points.

[Zurik]

Knights of the Round and then that skill that let you cast it four times?

Ugh...anyone? Anyone?

Don't look at me, I used omni-counter(like 8 counter attack materias)and Bahamut Zero is just as bad(did that one by accident).

One thing I want to know: Who has the rights to Chrono Trigger and why hasn't another one been made? I want a sequel more like the original, not like Chrono Cross please.

[carneconcarne]

look, all this does is help sell you the strategy guide. With the guide, you'll only have to sit through these scenes once, and you'll hardly have to do an playing of your own!

[Lord Dongkey]

My humble suggestion:

Replay Final Fantasy IV (jap translated ROM so it's hard and such)
Replay Final Fantasy VI
Replay Final Fantasy VII
Replay Final Fantasy IX
Replay Final Fantasy X

If you still want more Final Fantasy, chances are it's been long enough to start over on IV and enjoy it all over again.

Then again, I'm the guy that's read Goodkind four times now, Jordan about six times, the Dark Elf books five or so, etc. If something's damned good, it deserves repeat performances.

Do I want a new Final Fantasy that's good? Hell yeah I do. Do I expect to get it? Hell no I don't.

*shrug*

P.S. - oh yeah, and if you haven't played them, get Suikoden I and Suikoden II, play through them, and bask in their holy glory. Final Fantasy isn't the only good RPG series in town.

[YoungAlCapone]

I think they should just be skipable, or at least make it so on the second viewing.

The FFX final cutscene before the battle with Sin is the worst example.

I think cutscenes should be pausable as well. I hate it when friends are coming over and you are playing, just to have them show up perfect timing to talk to you all the way through an important cutscene.

I hate non-gamer friends and thier inability to understand that a videogame story can be interesting. Just because you play lame games doesn't mean everyone does, if you would only listen to me and broaden your horizons.

[Metal Jesus]

If you play and enjoy the latest FF games (like I do) you don't mind the looooooong FMVs. Even in XenoSaga I enjoyed them, because they were interesting and well done.

There are 6 billion other games out there will little or no FMV and tons of button mashing, if that is your thing. :P

[rainbowblack]

thank god i only play RPGs once and do my damnedest to get everything in that one runthrough. I dont care about the super uber weapon you unlock if you play a +game. I didint need it to beat the game the first time.

only 3 years after i beat an RPG will i play it again, and if thats the case i wouldint mind watching the cutscenes again

[Heretic Machine]

Fewer save points, forcing me to play even if I don't want to?
Long FMV's that will bore the piss out of me?

Oh yeah, this sounds like a real winner.

[Dariath]

Well, honestlty, RPG's are a time sink anyways. You go into it expecting to lose 20-40 hours of your life. I don't see the big issue with cut scenes being unskippable. It's great to have, but I already expect a lot of my time wasted leveling up or tinkering with things. So it matters not to me if I can skip. It's annoying, sure. But it's no deal breaker.

[Spigot]

True, if you're playing the game a second time through, then it makes sense to skip the opening video. But if you have time to play through a freaking final fantasy game a second time, you probably have time for a 17 minute cutscene. I barely have time to finish them once.
Amen.

I really don't have a problem with non-skippable cutscenes as long as they aren't in a spot where you will repeatedly die and have to view them again, over and over and over. I see too many of my friends just skip over cutscenes in RPG's and other genres and it drives me batty.

It really gets to me when people don't bother to watch the cutscenes or read the dialogue in an RPG. Why bother playing them? Just play your sports games and be done with it.

[Bydo_Empire]

I do agree, though, that if you've already seen a cutscense (like when fighting a boss multiple times) you should be able to skip it. But it's a JRPG and the story is half the game, so it's hardly a dealbreaker. It's not like an unskippable summon that you end up watching a hundred times. The lack of save points has the potential to be more troubling, but since no one has actually PLAYED the game, it's impossible to say if it's Metroid:Echoes-frustrating or just RE-sorta-inconvenient-at-times. FF games are usually pretty polished, so I doubt it's going to be that bad.

[Lord Dongkey]

Those summons are a bit over the top, aren't they...

[Crabby]

I hope you aren't going to be upset when Mistwalker's games are barely above average, if at all. For the 360 they'll be good simply because there will be little to compete against in the genre, like Jade Empire for the Xbox.

I hope I'm wrong.


This is damn cynical of you considering the real resurgance of original Final Fantasy talent collected over there. The only thing that could hold Mistwalker back is focusing on too much direct action in their "RPGs." People are going to want straight RPGs from them and if they deliver a hybrid it won't be as well-received.

[StrifeSnake13*]

First of all, who says that you wont be able to skip the FMV's in the US version? This is the japanese version we are talking about, they could add a skip option to the US version easily. I personally don't mind it that much, I enjoy the FMV's but some don't so there should be an option.

Now the save spot thing sucks, I hate when I'm playing an rpg and I have to go somewhere but I cant find a damm save spot. I think you should be able to buy save tokens or something in the game so you can save where ever you want if you really have to.

I've been waiting for FFXII for years now so not being able to skip FMV's or not having a ton of save spots is not going to ruin the game for me at all. Grandia III is coming out next week so that should hold me over until FFXII.

[BreakerX]

The easiest way to skip all cutscenes in Final Fantasy games: Start the game, play for a few hours, don't save, then hit L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 + Select + Start. You'll be aggrivated and never want to play it for a long time, hence negating the chance you'll watch the FMV's again ;)

As for the save point issue... just throw your memory card in the toaster and you'll have no need for the save points.

Issues solved.

[EternalGamer]

This complaint is proof of my long standing theory that many people just like to use the internet to vent, it doesn't even matter what they vent about. Even if most of the people in this thread who complain were to buy the game, the chances that they'd actually need or take advantage of the opportunity to skip a cut scene is incredibly rare. The only thing you'd have to do if you want to start the game over is keep a save right after the first cut scene. Problem solved.

The only situition which this would be a problem, as mentioned, would be when you die and have to watch a cut scene over, but I think Square has learned enough to know that they now offer save points AFTER most major cutscenes not before (or at least both). I doubt I will be buying FFXII as I haven't kept up with the series regularly since VII (though I did really like IX). But it just seems rather silly how worked up and outraged people are getting over this.

Dan

[Carnisaur]

This news really isn't a dealbreaker for the game, but the gutted battle system is. A seventeen-minute opening cuscene sounds great to me- I like a long exposition and a fleshed out background. If I'm going to replay it, I will watch the cutscene to get into the story again. I doubt the cutscene-game ratio is going to be any greater than in previous games, and I'm glad the game is going to be just a little harder than FFX with its full-health restoring save points every two feet.

I'm still nursing the wound the demo gave me, and this news helps a little.

[abso]

How often do you finish a game, and then replay it soon enough that you remember everything about the story? By the time I get around to playing a game a second time I don't remember much and don't want to skip any cut scenes. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be there for other people though. But skipping over summons and other long skill animations is something that would be nice though. I typically don't use any abilitieis that have long animations. Faster to just use a simple attack twice.

The save point thing doesn't bother me that much though for the simple reason that battles aren't random anymore. I'm anticipating a faster pace, which hopefully will make going through an area not as tedious as before.

[Kelegacy]

This is damn cynical of you considering the real resurgance of original Final Fantasy talent collected over there. The only thing that could hold Mistwalker back is focusing on too much direct action in their "RPGs." People are going to want straight RPGs from them and if they deliver a hybrid it won't be as well-received.
I'm cynical by nature, and I think that's apparent if you read most of my posts. Anyway, I haven't seen much from screens that show me that Mistwalker will bring anything interesting to the table. Screenshots and miniclips are not a good sample of how a game will be, I admit, but I don't have much else to go on. Plus, I just have a premonition.

Back to the point, the opening FMV for FF12 is 17 minutes. That does not mean that every FMV will be 17 minutes long. I bet they might be a couple minutes, at most. The FF games, starting with VII, have all had a cinematic feel to them, and I wouldn't expect anything less with XII. If you don't like this sort of storytelling experience, then don't play it. I happen to love the extravagant movies that are created by Square's crew, and they definitely add to the WOW factor with most FF games. Not being able to skip them will not bother me terribly, unless I'm forced to watch the same movie over and over and over after repeated defeats by a tough boss. I hate that shit. Save states before BOSSES, that's all I require!

I think people are reacting to this a little foolishly.

[Banacek]

Please, developers still release games with no subtitles. Sometimes common sense gets thrown out the window during the development cycle.

[critch]

Do a little bit of research, and you'll find out it's a mistranslation.
This is what it really says.
- The FF12 Produciton Committee has finally completed their work on the game.
- The game will DEFINITELY meet the release date this time.
- The movies in the game do not have a skip function.
- Within the game the movies can go up to 17 mins long.
- Save points are scarce, but exist.
- There is a continue function.
- There are minigames.

The opening sequence of all the FF games has been long, why is this news NOW? FF6 had a 30 minute ending! Jesus CHRIST you people overreact.

[Zeal]

Retire the series.

[Heretic Machine]

Alright, let me make this very clear: There will never be an occassion in any video game, ever, that will justify the use of a cut scene more than three minutes long. That's a fact. If you need to watch something more than three minutes long, then you have hired the wrong people to construct the story-telling method for your GAME.

[Zurik]

Alright, let me make this very clear: There will never be an occassion in any video game, ever, that will justify the use of a cut scene more than three minutes long. That's a fact. If you need to watch something more than three minutes long, then you have hired the wrong people to construct the story-telling method for your GAME.

And your basing this on what? Your own personal feelings? You already stated that you hate JRPGs, so why bother complaining any further?

[Kelegacy]

Alright, let me make this very clear: There will never be an occassion in any video game, ever, that will justify the use of a cut scene more than three minutes long. That's a fact. If you need to watch something more than three minutes long, then you have hired the wrong people to construct the story-telling method for your GAME.
This is a special type of game. It's a cinematic RPG, I suppose. The movies aren't overly frequent, but they are always beautifully done. I have no problem with them whatsoever. It's a JRPG...the immersion is never truly there in the first place (random encounters and all).

People play Adventure games that require lots of clicking and thinking things out for long periods of time, people play games like Indigo Prophecy where much of the game is listening to characters talk or watching them interact. I have no problem doing the same for Final Fantasy. It's still a JRPG, but with elaborate movies instead of in-game cutscenes. For me, it's like I'm playing a movie, or at least a game with a movie-sized budget and occasional cinematics.

[Abash Alarmist]

I enjoy it when a game wraps everything up in the end. I enjoy it when a game has an exposition that allows me to fully see the world I am in. Long videos do not irritate me. Long videos that I have seen 10x over, however, do.

People keep on bringing up that the previous iterations of the FF series have had the long, unskippable FMVs in them. There is a flaw in your thinking: when were they made? 5-7 years ago? This is the year 2006. Just because they were done then doesn't mean that we have to deal with it now. It should be obvious to developers that long FMVs annoy some people who just want to play the game, or have played the game already. They should atleast give an option to skip the FMVs for those that do not care for them. It is just arrogance on their part for not doing so. Its rude.

[outontheporch]

Fair weather Final Fantasy fans.

[Hugenex]

FMV is not the same as "story driven cut scene on the Game's Engine" and as we all know FMV's in FF games are fucking gorgeous so what is the problem here? It'll be like like watching portions of "FF7 Advent Children" in between gameplay.

[Abash Alarmist]

FMV is not the same as "story driven cut scene on the Game's Engine" and as we all know FMV's in FF games are fucking gorgeous so what is the problem here? It'll be like like watching portions of "FF7 Advent Children" in between gameplay.

Because we are waiting FOR the gameplay.

[Hugenex]

Because we are waiting FOR the gameplay.

Well shit it is not like the gameplay is any different from any other RPG's and if you played FF 12 Demo version you already know about it. Short example:

Your party runs around a dungeon hacking monsters, open treasure chests full of crap then open a large door or walk into some cave, hall etc enjoy the scenery for a minute kill or not kill huge ass monster done! Next go to town fuck around, talk to ALL NPC's do a side quest and repeat for certain amount of hours. So why not brake the routine and watch a beautifully rendered FMV?

[sTubbs]

Lack of save points is always a bullshit way of increasing difficulty. I will accept this method only when a developer can hand me a game with an absolute 100 percent guarantee that it will not crash under any circumstances. Until then I will take plenty of save points in my games thank you very much.

I am not interested in Final Fantasy but I had to comment on this.

[Spigot]

I have yet to have a Final Fantasy game (or any game, actually) crash on my PS2 aside from when my laser was dying in my old launch unit. I'm not too worried about this so long as you don't have to go for 2 hours between saves.

Otherwise, I can't wait. Well, given how many delays we've had for this game, I guess I CAN wait...

[DigiWiz]

Wow. The same thing that killed the last Metal Gear for me. Somehow those Japanese directors think that people should not be allowed to skip their work of art, just like major movie studio think they need to tell you that you shouldn't steal their DVDs with a 2 minute spot each time you put the perfectly legit DVD you bought into your player - unskippable of course.

No thank you.

[Shadowmage952]

My humble suggestion:

Replay Final Fantasy IV (jap translated ROM so it's hard and such)
Replay Final Fantasy VI
Replay Final Fantasy VII
Replay Final Fantasy IX
Replay Final Fantasy X



Did you find something inherently wrong with Final Fantasy V? Perhaps you just never tried the PSX version, in which case you might want to do that. As far as FFVIII goes...well, I know that is a sore spot for some.

[mister_slim]

Because we are waiting FOR the gameplay.
People play Final Fantasy games for the gameplay?

[Spigot]

Wow. The same thing that killed the last Metal Gear for me. Somehow those Japanese directors think that people should not be allowed to skip their work of art ...
Hey now. I will be the first person in line to wave a flag in the March Against Unskippable Codec Sequences (M.A.U.C.S.) but to lump Codecs in with cutscenes is being a bit general.

I absolutely loved the cutscenes in MGS3. They were very well done indeed. What Kojima needs to do is find some way to convey the meat of his story other than just two static heads yapping for 5 minutes solid. And this is coming from someone who will call up everyone on the Codec moments after encountering a new plot element or what have you, just to see what they have to say. I like the Codecs, but even I can get bored to tears with them.

As for cutscenes, they are a kind of reward for me. Play for 25 minutes to an hour, see a new fancy cutscene that advances the story and gives me a bit of a rest. In JRPG's, with the near incessant need to grind for levels during the midgame, the promise of a spiffy cutscene is often the only carrot that I have to yearn towards.

Again, I can understand that not everyone is a HUGE fan of cutscenes but if that's the case, what are you doing playing a JPRG, especially a Final Fantasy one?

And for the record, I loved FFVIII. It has one of the best endings to a game, period. It's not a perfect game and I can understand why people, especially those who were inducted into JRPG's with the release of FFVII, may hate it. I'm just not one of those people.

[Neverborne]

Fair weather Final Fantasy fans.

So, what you're saying is: even if it turns out to be crap, people should buy the game because it is titled, "Final Fantasy."

Screw that! If it sucks, it sucks, and the title isn't going to save it.

[fushi]

- * HUFF HUFF *
- "Yo, sleepyhead!"
- "Sorry, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me."
- "Really, there's no rush. Here, your hair..."
- "hehe"
- "A Summoner with bad hair? What's the world coming to?"
- "You could've woken me up!"
- "Umm... we called to you, but with all that snoring
- * UGHHH * "What is it today? Everyone's picking on me!"
- * HUAHUAHUA *
- "Fuhuu~~"
- "Oh, you too, sir Auron?"
- "Once lady Yuna fixes her hair, we leave."
- * HUAHUAHUA *

[Dr Quincy]

I'm just curious why the developers would omit the ability to skip cutscenes. What is the logic behind it? Is it that difficult to implement from a development standpoint?

I imagine after pouring your life and soul into a 17 minute animated sequence you might be a little peeved if somebody just pressed X to skip.

[Dr Quincy]

Additional: Who else rates Final Fantasy VIII as the best? I'm deeply serious - there seems to be some widespread hatred of it which I wasn't previously aware of.

[Spigot]

I wouldn't say that FFVIII is the best, but it does have one of the best endings to a game.

A lot of people hated the unskippable summons, the card game and the magic system. While the card game has become far too ingrained in the more recent FF's, I liked the other things. I didn't mind the summons but I had also been away from console RPG's for a while at the time and they were rather flashy and exciting. Granted, that was then. I'm not sure if I'd want to play through it again nowadays. I also played the PC version which was a lot cleaner looking than the PS1 version. Ah well.

[Spigot]

So, what you're saying is: even if it turns out to be crap, people should buy the game because it is titled, "Final Fantasy."

Screw that! If it sucks, it sucks, and the title isn't going to save it.
But you see, there are two camps of people (three, actually).

Those who instantly start saying how awful a game is based solely on the fact that it's Final Fantasy.

Those who instantly start saying how wonderful a game is based solely on the fact that it's Final Fantasy.

Those who can take a deep breath, realize that there are bigger things to worry about and enjoy or dislike the game based on how it actually plays.

I will say that I have been a fan of the series since the original. I tend to enjoy each iteration as it comes out, warts and all. You won't find me standing on the top of a tower, screaming to everyone that it is the best game ever though. I know it's not for everyone.

I do look at the FF series as one does a comfy pair of slippers. You tend to know what you're getting yourself into whenever you fire up a Final Fantasy game. They tickle that wierd part of my brain that remembers running downstairs after I got my homework done as a kid so that I could play a few more hours.

Again, it's not for everyone. I just know that, FFXI aside (and even that had a lot going for it... it was just too insanely difficult to make any progress), the Final Fantasy series has yet to really disappoint me. Maybe FFXII, with all of the changes to the battle system, etc., will be the game that finally makes me stop caring. I kind of doubt it though.

I mean, it's got airships! LOTS OF AIRSHIPS! That seals the deal right there.

[Kelegacy]

But you see, there are two camps of people (three, actually).

Those who instantly start saying how awful a game is based solely on the fact that it's Final Fantasy.

Those who instantly start saying how wonderful a game is based solely on the fact that it's Final Fantasy.

Those who can take a deep breath, realize that there are bigger things to worry about and enjoy or dislike the game based on how it actually plays.

I will say that I have been a fan of the series since the original. I tend to enjoy each iteration as it comes out, warts and all. You won't find me standing on the top of a tower, screaming to everyone that it is the best game ever though. I know it's not for everyone.

I do look at the FF series as one does a comfy pair of slippers. You tend to know what you're getting yourself into whenever you fire up a Final Fantasy game. They tickle that wierd part of my brain that remembers running downstairs after I got my homework done as a kid so that I could play a few more hours.

Again, it's not for everyone. I just know that, FFXI aside (and even that had a lot going for it... it was just too insanely difficult to make any progress), the Final Fantasy series has yet to really disappoint me. Maybe FFXII, with all of the changes to the battle system, etc., will be the game that finally makes me stop caring. I kind of doubt it though.

I mean, it's got airships! LOTS OF AIRSHIPS! That seals the deal right there.
AND it features artwork reminiscent of Vagrant Story. Another reason to sink your orbs into this eye candy.

[Kamalot]

Same here. If you skip the opening movie of any game, you're an idiot or have ADD.
...or, you are playing the game a second time and you've already seen the CGI intro.

I also think your claim about "any game' goes a bit far. Some games that have no need for a CGI into have them anyways. If I don't want to see it, I should have the option to skip it.

[Stormwatcher]

I just want some way to CONTROL those FMVs. Sometimes I start up a game but something happens (wife calls, etc) and I have to leave... Is it so hard to let me pause it?
I also really when you can watch FMVs again later... just add a "Movies" entry to the main menu, where you can watch unlocked cinematics again.
I really like save anywhere too, I'm a long time pc gamer, this save point thing is a bit irritating.

and codec stuff in MGS is annoying.When I fire up a new game I'm anxious to see and experience the GAMEPLAY, and those codec talks are endless. They are very well done, though.

[Spigot]

AND it features artwork reminiscent of Vagrant Story. Another reason to sink your orbs into this eye candy.
Ah yes. I forgot about that. The similarities to Vagrant Story were quite pronounced in the demo... at least, I thought they were.

Ah, I love Vagrant Story. If this were to end up being Vagrant Story 2 published under the Final Fantasy label, I'd be happy. I know it's not, but one can dream.

[Heretic Machine]

And your basing this on what? Your own personal feelings? You already stated that you hate JRPGs, so why bother complaining any further?

What? I hate JRPG's? Then why the hell did I buy three of'em over Christmas?!

And I'm basing this on the fact that people who aren't fanboys buy games to play, not to watch.