Final Fantasy PALES in Comparison to Other JRPGs!
47There's an interesting article from PC Gamer talking about how JRPGs are on the rise with titles by Nihon Falcom, ATLUS, and Square Enix's other JRPG titles like Dragon Quest, but not Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy is not getting the good end of the stick for some reason.
The thing is I actually really like Final Fantasy XVI. I like that it took inspiration from Game of Thrones. It's a nice little change of pace and direction from the usual Final Fantasy affair. I just don't like the gameplay that much and there are way too many spectacles than substance.
The same cannot be said to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Not a fan of that game. The VII Remake is good I guess, but it's stretching itself too thin, and Rebirth does the same thing. I've seen plenty of people love it, but it's one of those games that really overstayed their welcome. But hey, at least it got Tifa into the Italian parliament. That's a good thing.
But there is one thing that these two games have in common. They were both PlayStation 5 exclusives at a time when most Final Fantasy games are multiplatform. Final Fantasy XVI looks phenomenal, but it doesn't play well, and it's not something I'm going to get a PS5 for, especially when it's already out on PC. 7 Remake works for a brief moment because there was genuine hype for it and people want to know what they did in the game, but that same magic is not as exciting in 7 Rebirth.
But then again, Nihon Falcom also released their games on the consoles before the PC port several years later. Same goes to ATLUS before they went all-in on PC. But then again, the PS4 sold much better than the PS5, and there are plenty of great PS4 exclusives that make the console worth buying at the time.
I still do think that the games being PlayStation 5 exclusives play a significant factor in their failure. Heck, Square Enix even declared that they're not going to do exclusives anymore. There's also one other factor, which is that Final Fantasy has been rather underwhelming as of late. Not bad, but not amazing either. Just all-around mid.
In conclusion, Square Enix should probably make better games. Personally, I think Final Fantasy suffered a downfall from its peak ever since the 10th game. I have seen mixed opinions on the 10th game onwards, except 14. 14 is the GOAT MMO and is still the goat MMO.