FF FTW!

FF = Final Fantasy
FTW! = For The Win!

Im a huge FF fan, though i havent played every single game (yet), i still feel that FF games have progressed such a long way since its classic simple game legs from the first few games. Of course, FF games have had its up and downs for me, FF4 being my worse FF (main) game and some other games aren't worth mentioning at all (you know which games u are)

Of course, one of my fave games ever, Final Fantasy 7, its a brilliant combination of great characters (minus Cait Sith) and interesting storylines coupled with great environments, a challenging and risque battle system and with more side characters than most action or rpgs you come across. FF7 has set the bar really high for the future and even Square-soft/enix themselves find it hard to break down that wall. FF8, suffered with its broken battle system, FF9 suffered because its largely an over-easy experience, FFX was too different and shoddy VA. FFXI is an online game and now with FFXII, im expecting good things from it since Famitsu gave it the infamous 40/40 mark but from the demo i've played, its very very different and feels less like Final Fantasy and more Phantasy Star Online. Of course, with its recent games wiht major transitions in gameplay, fans will feel alienated, i am for certain, im all up for new gameplay ideas and such but for a game as traditional as Final Fantasy, the direction SE is going is far too different for my tastes at the moment, even FFXIII which is a hot-looking spectacle looks to be an all-out action game than the classic rpg gaming that a lot of FF fans are used to.

However, there are glimpses of hope, FFIII(DS) looks to be a very good game, and with Famitsu recently giving it a strong 34/40, it looks to be a winner for alot of DS owners and FF fans . FFIII doesn't try anything drastically different, its standard rpg battling with the brilliant Job System which i loved in FF5. With that, SE breathes a breath of traditional air into its franchise and i love FFIII's direction more so than FFXII or FFXIII.
The other glimmer of hope is from another SE series called Dragon Quest, recently finished off DQVIII a while back (review later i suppose) and it embodies all the classic rpg system and does more with it than FFX or even FFVIII. With DQVIII being my first DQ experience, based from that game's experience im expecting more good things from the team, Level 5, a DQIX is in the works and it will be a first day purchase from me.

Overall, FF is just a name in itself, people buy it because it carries the name Final Fantasy and Square-Enix. Recently its more of a graphical masterpiece with a n overly-complicated battle system but Final Fantasy is still an engrossing stroke of brilliance in terms of a techical standpoint as well as a business standpoint, very few games can deliver worldwide success for each game made for the series. FF FTW! YA!