Is final fantasy no longer a premiere RPG series?

tbh it hasn't been for a very long time.

It's the only Jrpg not named Pokemon (which is also falling a little but not as much) that sells.

well until ff xii it was, so i'm going to give them another chance with next gen ff, if not i will know it's dead.

I voted yea, as in "Yes, final fantasy is no longer a premier series." Your question and answers are sort of confusing, so I'm not really sure if you will get any meaningful results. I really like older Final Fantasy games, and I think that if SE would just go back to their roots, they could still make good games. FFXIII was awful and FFXV doesn't look any better, though. Why can't they just make an isometric RPG with dungeons (not tunnels) on next-gen tech with turn-based battles and amazing cinematics? That's all people really want, and it seems like it would be easier to create than the over-stylized crap they have been shoveling since the PS2.

it has not been a premier rpg since cd rom days.

It stopped being the premiere RPG series since Sakaguchi packed his bags and ran to Hawaii to surf.

Final Fantasy is supposed to be the premiere series that even mainstream gamers could buy and enjoy. But after XIII, its hurt (I think they killed) the entire genre. Because there was no golden child to admire, the faults of the JRPGs all become more visible to the critics. But that was a long time ago, Square Enix's damage to the reputation of the genre has been undone mostly. When do you think that point was, When the mainstream critics started to actually cover JRPGs, instead of ignoring them and painting them in a bad light? I think it was Operation Rainfall where the turnaround occurred. It makes sense, it was an internet-wide movement that gathered lots of audience; and its funny how public opinion changes when the niche audience isn't so niche anymore.

I think most of the talent of Square Enix has left the company. I mean, Monolith Soft and Mistwalker, are making games that are beyond quality of the trio of Final Fantasy XIII games. All they really have left is the Kingdom Hearts creator right now. Tetsuya ~Namora, or whatever his last name is.

Edited for Jakandsigz's temper tantrum.

Most of us foretold the demise of the FF franchise and the fact that it was lacking in quality ever since the Square-Enix merger. Some people refused to believe but it's happening.

@bbkkristian: Your very first sentence is completely full of shit unless you replace Final Fantasy with Pokemon or are ONLY referring to Xiii.

Agreed all around man. Both on the topic question being oddly asked and on the direction of the series.

for nearly 10 years now the FF franchise has been irrelevant.

I think there is no denying that the Final Fantasy name has been taking a bath over the course of the past generation. Lightning fucked it all up and then XIV 1.0 really showed how derelict Square-Enix had become when it comes to quality.

Sakaguchi wasn't the one man army that many seem to imagine him as. At least it didn't come through in his games last gen. But there is no denying that he had an amazing influence on the games he worked on with Square. There has been an obvious void ever since he left.

It used to be a killer app. Now it's relevancy is diminished.

I wouldn't call it irrelevant yet but compared to 10-15 years ago...

he's supposedly working on a surfing game. Probably for mobile though. XD

In fact, the game has been out for nearly 2 years now. lol

lol sorry I originally wanted to ask "is final fantasy dead" but figured it would get locked for being too extreme of a question

Final Fantasy has been a shell of an RPG for years

Yeah, it used to sell systems. I purchased my SNES, PS1, PS2 and PS3 all because I knew that's were FF was going... of course I would have gotten them anyways, but FF sealed the deal on each one.

All good man. And looking at the poll results I'd say most people understood what you were getting at.

Lets ignore Pokemon (and quit being an ass while youre at it). Its a completely different situation that is not affected by the status of the genre. If JRPGs die in America, Pokemon will still live.

It's been going downhill for a while. There were some high points in the series, and some very low points. FFXV looks like it could get FF back on track.

It is for me, but I'm a fan so yeah.

Just bought Lightning Returns and I don't know anything about the game. I have a feeling it will be good even though its cool to hate on FF nowadays. Can't wait to jump into it and finish off the series.

@Gue1: He did direct The Last Story though, which was really good.

I think it is besides the negativity mostly towards FF13 saga. How bad FF has really been? I refuse to believe one bad or not so good part of FF can delete years of its History. I will say the last FF i really enjoyed was 10 and i hated 12 for many reasons but some people loved it.

Never mind premier, after the last few it's not even an rpg. Walk along pretty corridor. press x a few times. Walk further along pretty corridor. Press x a few times. Oh! you've leveled up! No, no you don't choose which direction to level up in we'll do that for you.

You want to wander around and talk to people? Maybe explore a town or build a weapon or something? You want to do side quests and secrets? Oh, tell you what I've got a corridor for you instead. Now go press x.

I'd call it an interactive storybook but at least they have choices and sometimes even a story worth following.

After VII the series has been really spotty.

The thing I really miss from the series is the actual fantasy part with cool fantasy characters like the Dragoon the Black and White mages. Also the intrigue is missing, replaced with godawful soap opera nonsense.

FF games used to have a lot of political intrigue happening throughout, moving the story forward and the characters used to feel like they had purpose instead of being whiny Hollister models that just happened to be in a situation. the battle system is ok but I have the same problem with it that I have with most JRPGs; If I despise the character that I'm playing they could have the best battle system in the world but I not sure I'd be interested in playing for too long.

The XIII trilogy and FF14 made it take a massive hit in reputation. I still love the series from older games but if FFXV and Kingdom Hearts 3 are not SPECTACULAR then the franchise is over.

First answer got it right.

From FF 11 and beyond , series went downhill. Nothing like FF3/5/7 etc from 11 and beyond sadly...

@Seabas989:

It started when Square merged with Enix and their obsession with tapping into the Western market.

FFXIII caters to gamers who do not like turn based fighting and Enix has an obsession with penetrating that market sadly, look at FFXV. Action crap

FF used to be an Adventure JRPG. Where you had a whole world to explore and learn about, and save. Right now it's just god damn melodrama, like seriously i can just imagine the FF10 and 13 plot being done in Facebook status messages. As for 11 idk haven't played it but 14 it's an empty shell MMO with the FF title for money.

I haven't enjoyed a FF since the NES/SNES days. The series has become silly and emo since that time. Shame too, the NES version of FF is one of my favorite games of all time. FF2 is awesome as well, and while I did like FFIII I kinda think that's when it started to get silly.

My vote holds little weight.Because,,

I think the FF games has taken a severe hit, and Voted "Yes" but ofcourse it is not that simple. FF games still sell alot, but the average receptions of the games have been getting lower and lower, likely due to to the focus on story, and taking away control from the players, while making most of it easier.

So it is in the general area as Resident Evil, it Sells alot, but in no way what it used to be, nor should be.

Atleast where I have given up on RE, I still have hope for FF, as it is now it has lost place in JRPGs for me, I am quietly hoping that the NeXT mainline one will be enough to take them back on track, ofcourse by the looks of it, the NeXT FF game might have us ask "what is an JRPG"?

Well I thought FFXII was a great game.

Series went downhill after squaresoft became squareenix.

Still i am going to give XV a chance.It might actually what redeems the series.

It still manages to move a few million bucks on the PlayStation versions depending on the marketing push, but doesn't have near same impact it once had.

Square has no one to blame but themselves, really.

Gotta agree with this.

It's been about 15 years since the last "good" FF (FF IX). By "good" I mean the general consensus being that it's good. Not the fragmented FF community of today. Hell, even hardcore weeaboos I don't think can defend them anymore.

FF XV looks to continue this tradition with prescripted events, etc. I guess I stopped caring after VIII.

Square is perfectly capable of turning out solid JRPGs as evidenced by Bravely Default. I just don't get the decisions they're making.

They put flash over substance on the consoles. They do a good job with handhelds.

Its just that square are completely stubborn when it comes to listening to fans...basically every single FF game gets a petition for a sequel, and they ignore them all and decide to make one for the game which no one liked because they are simply so convinced they have this amazing saga that everybody loved, when it was not like that.

@Seabas989:

I like 13 too, especially Fang. Just saying Enix is obsessed with tapping into the west and the story and character development suffered. I wasn't as emotionally invested into lightning as Tidus,Cloud etc.

You say that like Square is dumbing down their games. I don't think even RPG fans want to see more turn based combat from square.

Probably not. There are a few other great JRPG franchises, though.

Also, Square Enix may be a mixed bag on consoles but they do great wit handhelds. I've enjoyed most of their handheld offerings from last gen that I played.

ya very spazzy, too much sugar not enough sleep type. FF has been shit since ps2 . ff15 has nice graphics from what theyve shown but who knows what exploration and stuff will be like. FF12 was so good it needs to get back to its roots

JRPGs simply cannot Eveolve, and even if they could people don't want them too. I'm reminded of President Evil.

Pretty much this.

JRPGs and final fantasy, like all japanese games, seems to be struggling with increasing competition from western devs.

The series has been dead since FF9. I mean sure there's been a few decent FF games since then (FF12, FF11 and FF14 ARR) but with games like FF10, FF10-2, FF13, FF13-2 and FF13-3 which are the worst games in the series besides the Crystal series and Mystic Quest. It just makes you weep for the beloved series.