I hopped on the Final Fantasy train back on the SNES. My first one was 6 back when I was like 14 or so. I’m 42 now and have played every mainline FF and some spin-offs, beat every mainline but 3,11, and 14. To me the series has never lost its magic but continues to show it off in different ways. I’m so happy to see someone else enjoy 13,15, and 16 as much as I did. I thought 16 reached heights I would never see in games in my lifetime, I was amazed.
I’m a long time fan too. Got into FF7 and fell in love, went back and played most of the previous titles and all that followed. I absolutely loved FF15 but have been having a hard time getting into 16. Maybe I’ll keep at it
The free demo for Final Fantasy Teathrythm Curtain Call had 2 songs available, one from VIII and one from XIII. Both are games this channel will gladly defend. Coincidence? I THINK yeah probably.
The series may change, may even falter, but to me it's never truly lost it's way. This series of videos has definitely helped reinforce my opinion that the final fantasy series has at the very least has managed to keep it's soul. And that's something I feel MOST series, video game or otherwise, cannot say!
Just finished the FF14 section and I just wanted to say thank you for such a thoughtful look at the game's story. It reminded me what I love about the game and why I continue to play it.
Even thought dawntrail did not meet the fans expectations, I for one really loved it, more than endwalker. The game is, and will always be, a loveletter of everything final fantasy to me :)
It's interesting to hear you describe Noctis as unlikable and without much the player can connect with, because while I understand where you're coming from there, I really don't see him that way, personally. Although he is a prince, he's essentially an inconvenient human consciousness tied to a tool that exists to be destroyed as sacrifice to erase an existential threat, and he despises that, with his avoidance of his duty being in order to seize some claim to humanity. Is it selfish? Yeah. Does it make him unlikable? I'd argue that's subjective, personally, and any stance there is understandable. I tend to see Noctis as an UNDERSTANDABLE character, and at the very least, I can't fault him for what he wants or feels, even if how he acts on it can absolutely and entirely-validly be criticized. He is the humanity inherent in a human body that exists purely as a vessel for a bomb that will destroy the Starscourge rebelling against his own irrelevancy, and I find that really hard to hate, personally.
Something I rarely see mentioned when people talk about Snow’s seemingly boneheaded and naive behavior in Final Fantasy XIII is the depth behind his actions. There’s a pivotal moment in the game where Snow has a monologue revealing that he doesn’t truly believe in the persona he portrays. Instead, he consciously puts on this act to keep NORA motivated, because he feels someone has to take on that role. Later, when tensions rise and the party starts to turn on each other, Snow again plays the part of the overly confident leader. This time, however, it’s clear that he’s intentionally making himself the target of their frustrations, uniting the group against him rather than letting them fracture. Throughout the first half of the game, Snow repeatedly steps into this role whenever the stress mounts, effectively redirecting the group’s anger towards him to keep them focused.
I remember when I played Final fantasy when I was around 6. I learned how to read with Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior. I sadly missed all the ones we didn't get in the US till they were released on PS1 and the 3DS. I have played all Final Fantasy games on release in the US except FF1 since I was 2 when that one came out. it has been a wild ride, and I still love the story. Thank you for the wonderfully well written review!
Just about to finish the video but that Frankstein monster parallel of 16 was really interesting.In General I love how You connect outside piece of works to stories and parallel them.I don't really see many creators on yt do stuff like that
I find that FF15 is the entry in the series most in strange love with its depiction of physical suffering. I remember trying to use lightning magic in the ice cavern, watching the dudes writhe in realistically rendered agony, realistic at least by my standards as someone who's never had to find out what being electrocuted looks like. Noctis was totally safe, because of course he was. The one who throws the grenade usually is, right? Its been a long time since I've physically had to put the controller down and take my headphones out because of a noise, and that sure was a noise. Its all just so wicked, right? Right. Well, I think if there is a purpose to it, or I guess a cool byproduct at least, it's that Noctis is the first fictional character I've been made to feel genuinely close to almost entirely due to watching him go through physical pain. Emotional pain? That's most of the domain of fiction. But just like, watching someone get the tar kicked out of themself over and over and watching him laugh and pull himself back up just so he can get stabbed by another greatgrandfather weapon or stepped on by a rock god? What I'm saying is, it's a somewhat unique approach. Its like, Noctis and the dude from Misery, and that's about it. Edit; On reflection, Job is also like this, in practice, which, like, thanks ff15, you taught me why, even after becoming agnostic, my favorite book of the Bible is what it is.
Noctis truly did die for our sins. He's the best final fantasy protagonist and I'll die on that hill. When that logo changed, I wept (like Jesus did that one time). Yoko Shimomura is my queen and Lunafreya is unfortunately sidelined but, as a misogynist, I'm willing to accept that if it means I get more beautiful men monologuing at each other.
I have an Uncle whos played every FF since they came out. Ever since 10 he's been concerned about the lack of a diverse Ensemble cast of characters not just from different places, cultures, or having a different race but even entirely different Species as Party members. He especially hated 15 which he describes as " 3 European twinks and their Muscle Leather daddy" He hated not having more characters and skillsets to play with and he hated the lack of Playable female characters in recent entries.
FF 15 is peak in my view, after 20 years of gaming it was one of the best experiences I've ever had, the staggering amount of content and non linear progression is the best part. About the story? There was not a single boring main quest to do, the action scenes are cinema and the boys feel like real friends. I've been dying to play 13 but I need to fix my PS3 first lol
Another big thing to take from Sazh's berating of Vanille is that it's also a criticism of himself. Cozying up to people like Lightning in a crisis while watching all the others in the Purge die. Living with the guilt of surviving atop the literal and metaphorical pile of bodies. He hates himself and his perceived failures. And he casts them onto Vanille in catharsis.
I'd be super down for a sequels video!! Especially for the often forgotten ones like The After Years. Maybe also diving into the Ivalice games, or the quickly abandoned Fabula Nova Crystallis series?
I liked what you had to say about FF13. It’s nice to hear someone have good things to say about it. FF15, on the other hand…lol. Well, I’ll just say for me it’s my favorite FF, and I don’t think Noctis is an ass at all. He reminds me more of Cloud than Squall, and Noctis is my favorite FF protagonist. The story of 15 moved me a lot. I sat in front of my TV crying for like 30 minutes after the game ended because I was so sad/moved (I know that’s probably embarrassing to admit, but it’s true lol).
Everyone cries at the end of 15, that's not embarrassing! Personally, I think Squall and Cloud are fairly similar to each other, it's just that 8 is more concerned with the drawbacks to the kind of personality the two of them share.
Xiii is honestly amazing. Once you realize how complex and awesome the combat really is rather than its shallow facade of a first impression you get from it. The story was also pretty wild, and i was fully on board
In this year 2024 I start my journey in this series i’ve played the 7 series (crisis core , remake , rebirth) and 16 and finally the 13 series ( 13, 13-2 , lightning returns) and i will play 15 soon. But the best game overall is 13 this game is so underrated it’s a great game and I don’t know why people hate this game it’s a masterpiece
Im currently playing ff13 so I cant watch that part but I love this retrospictive series. Such great analises they made me want to try the games, so here I am playing my first ff game, ff13
So glad someone is singing the praises of modern FF. When people started turning on 15, I was so bummed because I love that game. That being said, you're still wrong about 8.
Nah, the linearity in 13 was a major drawback. Not trusting your players to understand or figure out your combat and presenting 2/3 of your game as essentially a tutorial kills any experimentation, discovery and customization. It wouldnt have been so bad ... if Pulse wasnt a MMO zone where you talk to stones and was actually a world with towns, NPCs and sidequests with plots. A dev can make any plot that CONVENIENTLY keeps them from doing any more work and making an actually immersive world.
Hell yeah another ff13 defender. I've been ride or die for it since I first played it back in 2012. I've been loving seeing a critical re-evaluation about it in recent years generally being positive.
It hate, Hate!! How almost every video game and or movie nowadays the hero ultimately looses in the end. Ether they die, are broken beyond repair, loose the girl, ect…. I love 10 except at the end Tidus dies. I enjoyed 15 except you die in the end. I loved 16 except you potentially die in the end (you can argue he survives, but nothing is clear and heavily hinted you die). I am fully aware of the hero sacrifice. But I believe today we are beating it to death. For years we got true happy endings. Where the hero survives and gets the girl in the end while living happy ever after. That message send a message to our young generation that doing the right thing gets you rewarded in the end. That it is a good thing. I believe today we are promoting, why do the right thing if you are just going to get screwed in the end. We have a whole generation that doesn’t see the value of doing the right thing.
I agree! Clive's (potential) death really did not sit well with me. His life was already so hard, why does he need to die? Why can't he experience a time of peace with Jill? Tragic endings can be good but it definitely feels overused now.
crazy, a channel that actually speaks highly of FF13. At least 13 was coherent enough in its direction and production to produce 3 titles, with varying success and prestige.. 15, a whole 'nother 'can of worms' with its super ambitious versus 13 and its conundrum of controversy that it dwelled up. Alas, even as the game it is, i still find it somewhat impressive and interesting.. at least, once the "royal edition" was out.. with the DLC and finally playable bros shoulda-been-needing to be apart of the base game from the get-go. here's looking forward to what they might be serving up with the next full instalment, FF17!!
XVI was genuinely one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had. The game has flaws but the peaks are so high that I can overlook them. XV is a game where I love the characters and lore but I just can't stand the gameplay (the fishing minigame was hype though). As for XIII, it is probably overhated. I still don't like it but the music and visuals are so good for its time. I played through it recently and it was ok.
FF15 was my introduction to Final Fantasy, so it'll always hold a special place in my heart. ❤ I'm glad I tried it out. If nothing else, 15 feels like a soft introduction to what Final Fantasy has to offer as a series.😊 Playing FF16 was magical. It is the best game I have ever played, even with its flaws and those blasted side quests.😂 Clive's story was a journey that really impacted me in a time in my life when I was losing hope, and, ironically, playing it strengthened my resolve to stick to the path God set before me even though I didn't know where that path would lead or if I would be better off on the other side of what I was facing at that time. I'm happy to say that I am better off now. This game was super inspiring for me and basically kickstarted my journey to come back to life. Plus, Clive and Jill are couple goals. I love them way too much. Love all the core cast way too much. Even some of the side quests toward the end game had me crying buckets of tears. I have never cried more while playing a game in my life and it's one of those games I wish I could play for the first time again...even though some bosses carry on for a little too long.😂 Easily my favorite Final Fantasy game so far. I started playing FF13 a month ago and was really liking it...but it legit broke my PS3. So...I guess that's the end of my experience with 13 for a bit.😂😂😂 I knew most of the spoilers for it anyway, so it's fine. Maybe I'll try the 7 Remake games or FF10 next. We'll see.😊 Great video! Loved the retrospective. Best wishes and God bless you!
i've been playing ff13 recently cuz i've never finished it despite owning it since i probably was 13. i remember thinking it was cool back then, but i kinda sucked at the game and got stuck on some boss. anyway past me was right, 13 fucking owns. and like you said, i really love how much the party just kinda hates each other. i love how each party member is just the least-adjusted person on the planet. there is some deeply wrong with all of them
I finally had time to digest this video and while i got the whole series spoiled (worth it ngl, and its my fault, I'm very impatient) I'd like to say you really missed out on playing this series in release order because well let me give you an example In a final fantasy game, you put the last of an extinct race in a pool, the race killed by the main villain. In the end however, the last of the kind comes to rescue you before the main villain can fully destroy the world I'm not talking about final fantasy 7 but 2 and I'm talking about the wyverns/dragons. Of course theres varying contexts but the series builds upon its self and its own mythologies and you can see that if you play the series in chronological order The circular visual u showed in part 1 of the video is true and the conclusion u made for final fantasy 16 is absolutely amazing, especially likening it to final fantasy 1 and 2 but i feel as if you missed a key detail You likened FF1-3 to primitive mythological stories i.e travalogue novels or maybe stories like the epic of Gilgamesh and FF4-6 to shakespeares plays I believe final fantasy will always be mythology as opposed to changing its form if that makes sense and like song of achilles does for the illiad or crappy feminist retellings do for macbeth, Final Fantasy does the same, instead building upon its own mythology and recontextualising it (look at how jobs are treated in each game, each character falls within a form of the jobs introducedin final fantasy 1-5 and also summons as a further example) to tell the story it wants to i think thats something you missed playing the series in a order that isnt chronological. Its still excellent dont get me wrong, but i feel the way we experience art also effects our analysis of it.
10 was good. 12 wasn’t bad (but actually is one of my favs due to the side quests, aesthetics, atmospheric music, deep lore. But that 3rd act….), 13 was good enough to play all the way through and beat everything except the long guis, but never touch again… And 15 was basically exactly the same. Didn’t bother to beat omega. 16 is a narrative master class that learned all the lessons from every previous story telling attempt that fell flat on its head because it took on too much. Gameplay and side quest design were mediocre, tho. SE games have a high floor of quality. It’s only just recently that they are starting to reach the heights of their golden age.
Calling 16 a "narrative master class" is just wild to me. The first third of the story was pretty solid, after that it just kinda meandered and stumbled it's way to a typical "gotta kill the God" style Final Fantasy ending. I love nearly everything about modern Final Fantasy games; the combat, the music, the graphics, the characters (mostly) but as a whole they never seem to hit the heights they hit in the VI through X. Compare the past few Final Fantasy games with other modern RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 or Witcher 3 and the difference becomes obvious: it's the storytelling. BG3 and W3 have amazing stories and it's not just limited to the main quest line. The side quests are often hilarious and unforgettable. If you extend this line of thinking outside the scope of RPGs and consider other titles like Last of Us, Uncharted, or God of War it also becomes painfully obvious that Final Fantasy is far behind in terms of acting and cinematography, but that's a whole other discussion. I heard about how when Sakaguchi was working on IV he wanted to understand why a particular game journalist gave I - III bad reviews. The journalist told him it was because the stories were awful. Sakaguchi asked if he would be willing to consult on the story for IV, to which he agreed, and they regularly met to provide feedback on the story while it was in progress. Clearly this made a huge difference since IV was a massive leap forward in story-telling for Final Fantasy. I think Final Fantasy is long overdue to make a similar leap in story-telling and overall presentation to bring it into the modern era. I imagine some might say "it wouldn't BE Final Fantasy without the wooden acting or predictable anime storyline" and maybe that's true. But that doesn't mean it has to remain true.
@Drahkir9 there isn't a single modern era game that told a story with the scale and production quality that 16 did, and at the same time concluded itself in a single game. Sorry you didn't like ultima because it narrowed the focus, but I'm beyond glad they did. We have seen them not narrow that focus time and time again, and it lead to pretty much *zero* conclusion that was remotely close to what they set out to do (12 and 15 PRIME examples). It's an absolute master class, because given modern development time and cost, it isnt feasible to do what they did from 6-10 ever again.
In 1:10:34, you said Final Fantasy 16 was the first rated M FF game. I have to disagree with you there. Final Fantasy Type-Zero / FF Type-0 was the very first M rated spinoff FF game. Then Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins was the second FF spinoff game. As well as the first FF game to include F bomb words before FF16. 🤔
I've needed some time to think about it but I think my main problem with ff15 was always that seeing that horde of besuited twinks in their shiny black sports car I am overcome by a desire to see them die painfully or be horribly injured. But now you tell me that the game understands and they are punished for their flaws (looking like they would commit traffic violations while rich and dressed unimaginatively). So maybe it's good actually. Although I do keep mixing up lunafreya and stellaluna. so eh Also never played 13 but I think lightning should be more of a bitch. Just on principle
I played XIII two times, one back in 2018 (got half away through and completely forgot about it), and the most recent one one month ago. I hated Snow back then, and by the mid game on my most recent playthrough, I understood him but I still don't like him. His temper gets on my nerves, the way he's always wants to do everything alone just to say he can protect others when he can't do shit bothers me to no end, his relationship with Serah makes me really really really uncomfortable, I can't put it into words, but lets say it is really strange to me how their relationship is delivered. Every time he appeared on screen I just wanted him to stfu lmfao. When Light made peace with him I knew it had to happen since their connection with Serah makes them obligated to be around each other beyond their situation as L'Cie, but in my opinion Light was right. The game tries to show that he's changed with every single tool they have, but he still acts the same. Which is again reinforced with XIII-2 and 3. He is the only character in FF History that I actively avoid and dislike, but I know his importance when it comes to the Original XIII narrative.
I forgot that the gran pulse chars sounded like they're from Sydney... Yeah I'll sort out Ragnarok mate but the bunnies are playing tonight so it'll be Thursday probably
Final Fantasy 13. Can see the criticism but it also can be very good if you dig deep enough into the story and lore. Final Fantasy 15. While I don't hate FF 15 I can see its issue and why people wouldn't like it. (especially from the early days of FF15) Final Fantasy 16. I like Final Fantasy 16 and I find extra details that make me appreciate it even more. So I don't understand why FF16 has so much negativity. Maybe it's missing some special sauce or committing some kind of sin that I'm not aware of. (Or both?) People like innovation but hate the change. Maybe not hate the change but hate that it deviates from the core that made it good and special. Well, if it does deviate it would be unfair to judge for what it is not and should be judged for what it is. It may no longer be what you loved but what it is is still a good game.
Enjoying FF13 is one thing, but saying it objectively a good game is a stretch. The hallway simulator meme is very over said at this point but it does not change the fact any exploration for 2/3 of the game could be completely eliminated, it could be a battle gauntlet only broken by cut scenes, and it would be the exact same game with less filler.
FF16 the end open to interpretation. you can say Clive Alive, he wrote the book under the name Joshua in the post credit cutscene to honor his brother memoirs like he took Cid name, and the most important Jill saying to Clive : "no matter how dark the nighit, dwan will alwyas come and you will always come for me.." Jill line basically is the last scene in the game, first she think Clive is dead and then when the the sun rise she stop crying and smile, you can't help it but to think that Clive made it. I THINK both Clive and Joshua are dead, and as for Jill i don't think she has much more time to live because of the curse.., who wrote the book ? i think Jill was pregnant name the child Joshua and he who wrote the book about his father tales.
My pet theory is the Undying wrote the book and named it after Joshua because he was the Phoenix. They have all of the information from their various scouts and they could always make up what happened with Clive and Ultima based on the fact that magic is gone from the world.
To be honest, Final Fantasy XIII is hard to defend. you did highlights all the issues that make it a step back-a reliance on repetitive stereotypes and classic tropes that don't live up to the legacy the series built, especially before FFX. As time goes on, more and more people try to justify it with lawyer-like arguments, but at the end of the day, it's a great game that just doesn’t do justice to what Final Fantasy was once known for.
To add to the....PROBLEMS with Cindy. Her name is Cid.......in Japanese. But presumably due to the response that got at the time they then announced she too would recieve an awkward western exclusive renaming. Which makes it worse because your options are. A). Unwillingness to allow a female be Cid out of sexism Or B). You undermine her by going "no no, don't worry, the REAL Cid and main mechanic is her grandpa". Which shows an Unwillingness to just...let a woman be Cid. Notice how regardless of the region its still insanely gross and terrible.
I respect your opinion, but as a long time fan and someone that just its not into MMOs (FFXIV, seems to be excelent if you are into it.) I have to disagree, from the stories to the gameplay, FF hasnt doing it for me in years. Its seems that last entries are just a flex of their CG but without a style to make it memorable (and that is without even touching FF7 remake). At this point if I want some good old JRPG goodness i stick to SMT.
FF13 kinda sucked. I really liked lighting returns though. The gameplay in FF13 1 was terrible for me, the combat was boring to me. For me gameplay is the MOST important part of a game so i couldn't' get over that. I really liked the sequel games but omg I hated the linear dungeons in the first game.
Also Emet Selch was right. Remains right. And will always be right. No shade to mortal races, but I would sell us out in an instant for magic immortal angel elf people.
"Still, you must be commended. Our methods would not have brought mankind this far." - Emet Selch He is also right that considering the knowledge he had of his people's capabilities, they would not have succeeded against the Meteia compared to the peoples he had purportedly stated as not being "truly alive".
I’m actually willing to argue modern era is better than the ps1 era and I LOVE that era of FF but a lot of my favorite characters both protags and antags, stories, music and gameplay are almost all in the modern era of FF
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed some parallels between XVI and Xenoblade. Ultima's final form looks like Zanza. I also see some parallels between XIII and Xenoblade.
@@Dzzy123 the problem im starting to have with a lot of the games in this genre is the fact that they're ultimately just xenoblade again, since xenoblade is a distillation of a lot of the themes and messages inherent to the form
As someone who places FF13 and the whole FF13 trilogy in the top tier of my FF list, I welcome the propaganda. As for FF15, while Noctis may be the series most unlikable protagonist, I think Ardyn Izunia may be its most likable villain. He's incredibly charming from the first moment you meet him, his motivations make so much sense that at points I actually think the Lucii might be the bad guys, and I genuinely feel bad for him at the end. The additional context added by the Ardyn DLC and light novel of questionable canonicity make him even more sympathetic. Ardyn is everything FF and other JRPG villains should aspire to be.
Watch the rest of the retrospective series here: ruclips.net/p/PLcWV_6O5CL_SNfXvsJCdAzH0_daB287ar
I hopped on the Final Fantasy train back on the SNES. My first one was 6 back when I was like 14 or so. I’m 42 now and have played every mainline FF and some spin-offs, beat every mainline but 3,11, and 14. To me the series has never lost its magic but continues to show it off in different ways. I’m so happy to see someone else enjoy 13,15, and 16 as much as I did. I thought 16 reached heights I would never see in games in my lifetime, I was amazed.
I’m a long time fan too. Got into FF7 and fell in love, went back and played most of the previous titles and all that followed. I absolutely loved FF15 but have been having a hard time getting into 16. Maybe I’ll keep at it
FF XIII is my favourite video game. Of all time. So thank you for making this video!
The free demo for Final Fantasy Teathrythm Curtain Call had 2 songs available, one from VIII and one from XIII. Both are games this channel will gladly defend. Coincidence? I THINK yeah probably.
The series may change, may even falter, but to me it's never truly lost it's way. This series of videos has definitely helped reinforce my opinion that the final fantasy series has at the very least has managed to keep it's soul. And that's something I feel MOST series, video game or otherwise, cannot say!
Just finished the FF14 section and I just wanted to say thank you for such a thoughtful look at the game's story. It reminded me what I love about the game and why I continue to play it.
Even thought dawntrail did not meet the fans expectations, I for one really loved it, more than endwalker.
The game is, and will always be, a loveletter of everything final fantasy to me :)
Happy to have contributed to the project!
I will die by every ff13 defense from now until the end of time.
This guy gets it
I relate to this because I'm FF2's strongest soldier.
Us FF VIII fans: you will never understand our pain!
FF II fans: hehe sorry... sorry ...🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪😅
@@LakituAl I will never understand their pain because I avoid it with 100% certainty thanks to my level 16 shield skill.
It's interesting to hear you describe Noctis as unlikable and without much the player can connect with, because while I understand where you're coming from there, I really don't see him that way, personally. Although he is a prince, he's essentially an inconvenient human consciousness tied to a tool that exists to be destroyed as sacrifice to erase an existential threat, and he despises that, with his avoidance of his duty being in order to seize some claim to humanity. Is it selfish? Yeah. Does it make him unlikable? I'd argue that's subjective, personally, and any stance there is understandable. I tend to see Noctis as an UNDERSTANDABLE character, and at the very least, I can't fault him for what he wants or feels, even if how he acts on it can absolutely and entirely-validly be criticized. He is the humanity inherent in a human body that exists purely as a vessel for a bomb that will destroy the Starscourge rebelling against his own irrelevancy, and I find that really hard to hate, personally.
Something I rarely see mentioned when people talk about Snow’s seemingly boneheaded and naive behavior in Final Fantasy XIII is the depth behind his actions. There’s a pivotal moment in the game where Snow has a monologue revealing that he doesn’t truly believe in the persona he portrays. Instead, he consciously puts on this act to keep NORA motivated, because he feels someone has to take on that role.
Later, when tensions rise and the party starts to turn on each other, Snow again plays the part of the overly confident leader. This time, however, it’s clear that he’s intentionally making himself the target of their frustrations, uniting the group against him rather than letting them fracture. Throughout the first half of the game, Snow repeatedly steps into this role whenever the stress mounts, effectively redirecting the group’s anger towards him to keep them focused.
I remember when I played Final fantasy when I was around 6. I learned how to read with Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior. I sadly missed all the ones we didn't get in the US till they were released on PS1 and the 3DS. I have played all Final Fantasy games on release in the US except FF1 since I was 2 when that one came out. it has been a wild ride, and I still love the story. Thank you for the wonderfully well written review!
Just about to finish the video but that Frankstein monster parallel of 16 was really interesting.In General I love how You connect outside piece of works to stories and parallel them.I don't really see many creators on yt do stuff like that
Glad I coincidentally did the homework of reading Frankenstein before this uploaded LMAO
Me seeing the title “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ‘em”
Me: I don't know about this title but...I'll hear em out."
Pepper needs new shorts!
I find that FF15 is the entry in the series most in strange love with its depiction of physical suffering.
I remember trying to use lightning magic in the ice cavern, watching the dudes writhe in realistically rendered agony, realistic at least by my standards as someone who's never had to find out what being electrocuted looks like. Noctis was totally safe, because of course he was. The one who throws the grenade usually is, right?
Its been a long time since I've physically had to put the controller down and take my headphones out because of a noise, and that sure was a noise. Its all just so wicked, right?
Right. Well, I think if there is a purpose to it, or I guess a cool byproduct at least, it's that Noctis is the first fictional character I've been made to feel genuinely close to almost entirely due to watching him go through physical pain. Emotional pain? That's most of the domain of fiction. But just like, watching someone get the tar kicked out of themself over and over and watching him laugh and pull himself back up just so he can get stabbed by another greatgrandfather weapon or stepped on by a rock god? What I'm saying is, it's a somewhat unique approach. Its like, Noctis and the dude from Misery, and that's about it.
Edit; On reflection, Job is also like this, in practice, which, like, thanks ff15, you taught me why, even after becoming agnostic, my favorite book of the Bible is what it is.
The Final Fantasy XIV segment can be its own video enjoyed and consumed by the FFXIV community.
I regret to inform everyone that I didn't beat FF13 in time for this video. Sincerest apologies. I'll get that and 13-2 done in time for that video
Don't forget Lightning Returns as well (my favorite theme and combat wise)
Probably the most controversial title that I completely agree with
Noctis truly did die for our sins. He's the best final fantasy protagonist and I'll die on that hill. When that logo changed, I wept (like Jesus did that one time). Yoko Shimomura is my queen and Lunafreya is unfortunately sidelined but, as a misogynist, I'm willing to accept that if it means I get more beautiful men monologuing at each other.
I have an Uncle whos played every FF since they came out.
Ever since 10 he's been concerned about the lack of a diverse Ensemble cast of characters not just from different places, cultures, or having a different race but even entirely different Species as Party members.
He especially hated 15 which he describes as " 3 European twinks and their Muscle Leather daddy"
He hated not having more characters and skillsets to play with and he hated the lack of Playable female characters in recent entries.
For what it's worth I'd be very interested in an FF sequels and remakes video
This goes so hard.
"but bopper" i cry. "how will i know what a lcie is! i can neither infer information nor can i read!"
FF 15 is peak in my view, after 20 years of gaming it was one of the best experiences I've ever had, the staggering amount of content and non linear progression is the best part. About the story? There was not a single boring main quest to do, the action scenes are cinema and the boys feel like real friends. I've been dying to play 13 but I need to fix my PS3 first lol
Another big thing to take from Sazh's berating of Vanille is that it's also a criticism of himself. Cozying up to people like Lightning in a crisis while watching all the others in the Purge die. Living with the guilt of surviving atop the literal and metaphorical pile of bodies. He hates himself and his perceived failures. And he casts them onto Vanille in catharsis.
I love ALL Professor Bopper videos!!!! ❤
I'd be super down for a sequels video!! Especially for the often forgotten ones like The After Years. Maybe also diving into the Ivalice games, or the quickly abandoned Fabula Nova Crystallis series?
I liked what you had to say about FF13. It’s nice to hear someone have good things to say about it.
FF15, on the other hand…lol. Well, I’ll just say for me it’s my favorite FF, and I don’t think Noctis is an ass at all. He reminds me more of Cloud than Squall, and Noctis is my favorite FF protagonist. The story of 15 moved me a lot. I sat in front of my TV crying for like 30 minutes after the game ended because I was so sad/moved (I know that’s probably embarrassing to admit, but it’s true lol).
Everyone cries at the end of 15, that's not embarrassing! Personally, I think Squall and Cloud are fairly similar to each other, it's just that 8 is more concerned with the drawbacks to the kind of personality the two of them share.
My first was 6. Played them all since and caught up to most of the others and side projects too. It's my reason I'm a gamer
Glad to be early for this one! Awesome stuff brother! God bless ya and Jesus loves ya!
Xiii is honestly amazing. Once you realize how complex and awesome the combat really is rather than its shallow facade of a first impression you get from it. The story was also pretty wild, and i was fully on board
Been waiting for this one! Gonna peep it after i get off of work today.
Glad this got recommended to me. Let me just save this for later once i finished playing all the FF games
In this year 2024 I start my journey in this series i’ve played the 7 series (crisis core , remake , rebirth) and 16 and finally the 13 series ( 13, 13-2 , lightning returns) and i will play 15 soon. But the best game overall is 13 this game is so underrated it’s a great game and I don’t know why people hate this game it’s a masterpiece
I love all the Final Fantasy games! They are all individual projects, but they all have that FF magic. 😊❤
Amen, I played from 12-16 and enjoyed all of them.
Im currently playing ff13 so I cant watch that part but I love this retrospictive series. Such great analises they made me want to try the games, so here I am playing my first ff game, ff13
The problems of 13 and 15 failed to detract from me loving being in those games with those characters with that music and those visuals.
So glad someone is singing the praises of modern FF. When people started turning on 15, I was so bummed because I love that game. That being said, you're still wrong about 8.
You did not just criticize the cup noodle quest. That's peak comedy!
Nah, the linearity in 13 was a major drawback. Not trusting your players to understand or figure out your combat and presenting 2/3 of your game as essentially a tutorial kills any experimentation, discovery and customization. It wouldnt have been so bad ... if Pulse wasnt a MMO zone where you talk to stones and was actually a world with towns, NPCs and sidequests with plots. A dev can make any plot that CONVENIENTLY keeps them from doing any more work and making an actually immersive world.
Hell yeah another ff13 defender. I've been ride or die for it since I first played it back in 2012. I've been loving seeing a critical re-evaluation about it in recent years generally being positive.
It hate, Hate!! How almost every video game and or movie nowadays the hero ultimately looses in the end. Ether they die, are broken beyond repair, loose the girl, ect…. I love 10 except at the end Tidus dies. I enjoyed 15 except you die in the end. I loved 16 except you potentially die in the end (you can argue he survives, but nothing is clear and heavily hinted you die). I am fully aware of the hero sacrifice. But I believe today we are beating it to death. For years we got true happy endings. Where the hero survives and gets the girl in the end while living happy ever after. That message send a message to our young generation that doing the right thing gets you rewarded in the end. That it is a good thing. I believe today we are promoting, why do the right thing if you are just going to get screwed in the end. We have a whole generation that doesn’t see the value of doing the right thing.
I agree! Clive's (potential) death really did not sit well with me. His life was already so hard, why does he need to die? Why can't he experience a time of peace with Jill? Tragic endings can be good but it definitely feels overused now.
You're the best FinalFantasyTuber Bopper
crazy, a channel that actually speaks highly of FF13. At least 13 was coherent enough in its direction and production to produce 3 titles, with varying success and prestige..
15, a whole 'nother 'can of worms' with its super ambitious versus 13 and its conundrum of controversy that it dwelled up. Alas, even as the game it is, i still find it somewhat impressive and interesting.. at least, once the "royal edition" was out.. with the DLC and finally playable bros shoulda-been-needing to be apart of the base game from the get-go.
here's looking forward to what they might be serving up with the next full instalment, FF17!!
XVI was genuinely one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had. The game has flaws but the peaks are so high that I can overlook them. XV is a game where I love the characters and lore but I just can't stand the gameplay (the fishing minigame was hype though). As for XIII, it is probably overhated. I still don't like it but the music and visuals are so good for its time. I played through it recently and it was ok.
FF15 was my introduction to Final Fantasy, so it'll always hold a special place in my heart. ❤ I'm glad I tried it out. If nothing else, 15 feels like a soft introduction to what Final Fantasy has to offer as a series.😊
Playing FF16 was magical. It is the best game I have ever played, even with its flaws and those blasted side quests.😂 Clive's story was a journey that really impacted me in a time in my life when I was losing hope, and, ironically, playing it strengthened my resolve to stick to the path God set before me even though I didn't know where that path would lead or if I would be better off on the other side of what I was facing at that time. I'm happy to say that I am better off now. This game was super inspiring for me and basically kickstarted my journey to come back to life. Plus, Clive and Jill are couple goals. I love them way too much. Love all the core cast way too much. Even some of the side quests toward the end game had me crying buckets of tears. I have never cried more while playing a game in my life and it's one of those games I wish I could play for the first time again...even though some bosses carry on for a little too long.😂 Easily my favorite Final Fantasy game so far.
I started playing FF13 a month ago and was really liking it...but it legit broke my PS3. So...I guess that's the end of my experience with 13 for a bit.😂😂😂 I knew most of the spoilers for it anyway, so it's fine.
Maybe I'll try the 7 Remake games or FF10 next. We'll see.😊 Great video! Loved the retrospective. Best wishes and God bless you!
i've been playing ff13 recently cuz i've never finished it despite owning it since i probably was 13. i remember thinking it was cool back then, but i kinda sucked at the game and got stuck on some boss. anyway past me was right, 13 fucking owns. and like you said, i really love how much the party just kinda hates each other. i love how each party member is just the least-adjusted person on the planet. there is some deeply wrong with all of them
4:11 don't think we didn't catch that, I know you don't play your own games but you gotta be more on your game than that Bopper
Noah Caldwell Gervais moment
Nice to see someone else see's the Self Identity theme inherent in the series.
I finally had time to digest this video and while i got the whole series spoiled (worth it ngl, and its my fault, I'm very impatient) I'd like to say you really missed out on playing this series in release order because well let me give you an example
In a final fantasy game, you put the last of an extinct race in a pool, the race killed by the main villain. In the end however, the last of the kind comes to rescue you before the main villain can fully destroy the world
I'm not talking about final fantasy 7 but 2 and I'm talking about the wyverns/dragons.
Of course theres varying contexts but the series builds upon its self and its own mythologies and you can see that if you play the series in chronological order
The circular visual u showed in part 1 of the video is true and the conclusion u made for final fantasy 16 is absolutely amazing, especially likening it to final fantasy 1 and 2 but i feel as if you missed a key detail
You likened FF1-3 to primitive mythological stories i.e travalogue novels or maybe stories like the epic of Gilgamesh and FF4-6 to shakespeares plays
I believe final fantasy will always be mythology as opposed to changing its form if that makes sense and like song of achilles does for the illiad or crappy feminist retellings do for macbeth, Final Fantasy does the same, instead building upon its own mythology and recontextualising it (look at how jobs are treated in each game, each character falls within a form of the jobs introducedin final fantasy 1-5 and also summons as a further example) to tell the story it wants to i think thats something you missed playing the series in a order that isnt chronological. Its still excellent dont get me wrong, but i feel the way we experience art also effects our analysis of it.
10 was good. 12 wasn’t bad (but actually is one of my favs due to the side quests, aesthetics, atmospheric music, deep lore. But that 3rd act….), 13 was good enough to play all the way through and beat everything except the long guis, but never touch again…
And 15 was basically exactly the same. Didn’t bother to beat omega.
16 is a narrative master class that learned all the lessons from every previous story telling attempt that fell flat on its head because it took on too much. Gameplay and side quest design were mediocre, tho.
SE games have a high floor of quality. It’s only just recently that they are starting to reach the heights of their golden age.
Calling 16 a "narrative master class" is just wild to me. The first third of the story was pretty solid, after that it just kinda meandered and stumbled it's way to a typical "gotta kill the God" style Final Fantasy ending.
I love nearly everything about modern Final Fantasy games; the combat, the music, the graphics, the characters (mostly) but as a whole they never seem to hit the heights they hit in the VI through X. Compare the past few Final Fantasy games with other modern RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 or Witcher 3 and the difference becomes obvious: it's the storytelling. BG3 and W3 have amazing stories and it's not just limited to the main quest line. The side quests are often hilarious and unforgettable. If you extend this line of thinking outside the scope of RPGs and consider other titles like Last of Us, Uncharted, or God of War it also becomes painfully obvious that Final Fantasy is far behind in terms of acting and cinematography, but that's a whole other discussion.
I heard about how when Sakaguchi was working on IV he wanted to understand why a particular game journalist gave I - III bad reviews. The journalist told him it was because the stories were awful. Sakaguchi asked if he would be willing to consult on the story for IV, to which he agreed, and they regularly met to provide feedback on the story while it was in progress. Clearly this made a huge difference since IV was a massive leap forward in story-telling for Final Fantasy.
I think Final Fantasy is long overdue to make a similar leap in story-telling and overall presentation to bring it into the modern era. I imagine some might say "it wouldn't BE Final Fantasy without the wooden acting or predictable anime storyline" and maybe that's true. But that doesn't mean it has to remain true.
@Drahkir9 there isn't a single modern era game that told a story with the scale and production quality that 16 did, and at the same time concluded itself in a single game.
Sorry you didn't like ultima because it narrowed the focus, but I'm beyond glad they did. We have seen them not narrow that focus time and time again, and it lead to pretty much *zero* conclusion that was remotely close to what they set out to do (12 and 15 PRIME examples).
It's an absolute master class, because given modern development time and cost, it isnt feasible to do what they did from 6-10 ever again.
In 1:10:34, you said Final Fantasy 16 was the first rated M FF game. I have to disagree with you there. Final Fantasy Type-Zero / FF Type-0 was the very first M rated spinoff FF game.
Then Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins was the second FF spinoff game. As well as the first FF game to include F bomb words before FF16. 🤔
Dawntrail is conspicuously missing from this video's analysis of FF14... 😅 and I don't blame you one bit
It's a shame FF16 couldn't keep the Cup Noodle promotion. Those articles would have been way more positive with the right branding.
I've needed some time to think about it but I think my main problem with ff15 was always that seeing that horde of besuited twinks in their shiny black sports car I am overcome by a desire to see them die painfully or be horribly injured. But now you tell me that the game understands and they are punished for their flaws (looking like they would commit traffic violations while rich and dressed unimaginatively). So maybe it's good actually. Although I do keep mixing up lunafreya and stellaluna. so eh
Also never played 13 but I think lightning should be more of a bitch. Just on principle
Modern FF *is* great!
I played XIII two times, one back in 2018 (got half away through and completely forgot about it), and the most recent one one month ago.
I hated Snow back then, and by the mid game on my most recent playthrough, I understood him but I still don't like him. His temper gets on my nerves, the way he's always wants to do everything alone just to say he can protect others when he can't do shit bothers me to no end, his relationship with Serah makes me really really really uncomfortable, I can't put it into words, but lets say it is really strange to me how their relationship is delivered.
Every time he appeared on screen I just wanted him to stfu lmfao. When Light made peace with him I knew it had to happen since their connection with Serah makes them obligated to be around each other beyond their situation as L'Cie, but in my opinion Light was right. The game tries to show that he's changed with every single tool they have, but he still acts the same.
Which is again reinforced with XIII-2 and 3. He is the only character in FF History that I actively avoid and dislike, but I know his importance when it comes to the Original XIII narrative.
I forgot that the gran pulse chars sounded like they're from Sydney... Yeah I'll sort out Ragnarok mate but the bunnies are playing tonight so it'll be Thursday probably
this. is a good ass video👏🏾
Final Fantasy 13. Can see the criticism but it also can be very good if you dig deep enough into the story and lore.
Final Fantasy 15. While I don't hate FF 15 I can see its issue and why people wouldn't like it. (especially from the early days of FF15)
Final Fantasy 16. I like Final Fantasy 16 and I find extra details that make me appreciate it even more. So I don't understand why FF16 has so much negativity. Maybe it's missing some special sauce or committing some kind of sin that I'm not aware of. (Or both?)
People like innovation but hate the change. Maybe not hate the change but hate that it deviates from the core that made it good and special. Well, if it does deviate it would be unfair to judge for what it is not and should be judged for what it is. It may no longer be what you loved but what it is is still a good game.
I think Hope might’ve been looking for his dad.
You should try 14. It’s a lot of fun
Enjoying FF13 is one thing, but saying it objectively a good game is a stretch. The hallway simulator meme is very over said at this point but it does not change the fact any exploration for 2/3 of the game could be completely eliminated, it could be a battle gauntlet only broken by cut scenes, and it would be the exact same game with less filler.
FF16 the end open to interpretation.
you can say Clive Alive, he wrote the book under the name Joshua in the post credit cutscene to honor his brother memoirs like he took Cid name, and the most important Jill saying to Clive : "no matter how dark the nighit, dwan will alwyas come and you will always come for me.." Jill line basically is the last scene in the game, first she think Clive is dead and then when the the sun rise she stop crying and smile, you can't help it but to think that Clive made it.
I THINK both Clive and Joshua are dead, and as for Jill i don't think she has much more time to live because of the curse..,
who wrote the book ? i think Jill was pregnant name the child Joshua and he who wrote the book about his father tales.
My pet theory is the Undying wrote the book and named it after Joshua because he was the Phoenix. They have all of the information from their various scouts and they could always make up what happened with Clive and Ultima based on the fact that magic is gone from the world.
Please publish the FF14 section as its own video omg
Ew, you just reminded me of the cancer that was 6th-7th console generation jrpg discourse. As recompense I demand a fez retrospective.
To be honest, Final Fantasy XIII is hard to defend. you did highlights all the issues that make it a step back-a reliance on repetitive stereotypes and classic tropes that don't live up to the legacy the series built, especially before FFX. As time goes on, more and more people try to justify it with lawyer-like arguments, but at the end of the day, it's a great game that just doesn’t do justice to what Final Fantasy was once known for.
To add to the....PROBLEMS with Cindy.
Her name is Cid.......in Japanese. But presumably due to the response that got at the time they then announced she too would recieve an awkward western exclusive renaming.
Which makes it worse because your options are.
A). Unwillingness to allow a female be Cid out of sexism
Or
B). You undermine her by going "no no, don't worry, the REAL Cid and main mechanic is her grandpa". Which shows an Unwillingness to just...let a woman be Cid.
Notice how regardless of the region its still insanely gross and terrible.
I respect your opinion, but as a long time fan and someone that just its not into MMOs (FFXIV, seems to be excelent if you are into it.) I have to disagree, from the stories to the gameplay, FF hasnt doing it for me in years. Its seems that last entries are just a flex of their CG but without a style to make it memorable (and that is without even touching FF7 remake).
At this point if I want some good old JRPG goodness i stick to SMT.
FF13 kinda sucked. I really liked lighting returns though. The gameplay in FF13 1 was terrible for me, the combat was boring to me. For me gameplay is the MOST important part of a game so i couldn't' get over that. I really liked the sequel games but omg I hated the linear dungeons in the first game.
Also Emet Selch was right. Remains right. And will always be right. No shade to mortal races, but I would sell us out in an instant for magic immortal angel elf people.
"Still, you must be commended. Our methods would not have brought mankind this far." - Emet Selch
He is also right that considering the knowledge he had of his people's capabilities, they would not have succeeded against the Meteia compared to the peoples he had purportedly stated as not being "truly alive".
I’m actually willing to argue modern era is better than the ps1 era and I LOVE that era of FF but a lot of my favorite characters both protags and antags, stories, music and gameplay are almost all in the modern era of FF
So was the final word on ffxv that you thought the game was a piece of crap?
no it's not
i am only intrested in FF7 for now all the rest is BS until maybe X remake
XIV, 7 remake, 7 rebirth and XVI yes... XV only afther 2 yeaea of updates of DLC and the 13 games are nit that good
It's all subjective is all you have to say.
@@hvhs01 The entire history of philosophy and criticism replaced by millions of pages of “it’s all subjective” repeated, over and over again
16 would be better if it wasn't copying Xenoblade 1's homework under the pretense of being "super deep and grown up man"
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed some parallels between XVI and Xenoblade. Ultima's final form looks like Zanza. I also see some parallels between XIII and Xenoblade.
@@Dzzy123 the problem im starting to have with a lot of the games in this genre is the fact that they're ultimately just xenoblade again, since xenoblade is a distillation of a lot of the themes and messages inherent to the form
As someone who places FF13 and the whole FF13 trilogy in the top tier of my FF list, I welcome the propaganda.
As for FF15, while Noctis may be the series most unlikable protagonist, I think Ardyn Izunia may be its most likable villain. He's incredibly charming from the first moment you meet him, his motivations make so much sense that at points I actually think the Lucii might be the bad guys, and I genuinely feel bad for him at the end. The additional context added by the Ardyn DLC and light novel of questionable canonicity make him even more sympathetic. Ardyn is everything FF and other JRPG villains should aspire to be.
I got the 13 trilogy on my Xbox
I’ve always loved Final Fantasy 13 but I’m not that good. I wish there was an easy mode