Tbh, I don't think they need to be changed. They need to go back to the way they were - good.

I don't mind change in a series, but Squeenix haven't been going in the right direction.
Lazy spin-offs, weird gameplay ideas (e.g. the random DMW in CC), cliche one-dimensional charaters, and confusing (or obscure) storylines have all been a part of recent FF games ... These are things that Square never did in the past. They never got such simple things so wrong.

They're trying to make the series "new and exciting", but they're actually making it worse. And it's showing - Western fans are losing interest in the series.


(haha, and they're right about the abundance of clueless blonde characters. there's so many of them!)

I'm assuming everyone is hating on X-2, correct? Lol. Geeze, it wasn't THAT bad. Just a bunch of egotistical men obsessed with machismo (or boys I should really call them) pissed about the "girliness" (I am a self confessed tomboy, 1/2 Viet btw... probably more mannish than most men, but I found it to be quite enjoyable.)

I'm amused you argue that all the titles are simultaneously "the same" while arguing that each is annoyingly completely different.

The only themes/motifs which I find are constant between titles are the easter-egg naming (Shiva, etc) and the "naturalistic" literary themes (though this is probably a by-product of Japanese culture... many Japanese films and anime deal with this concept, for instance, Blue Seed). By "naturalistic" themes I mean dealing with the environment as well as going back to a country's cultural roots (through ancient tales/myths).

However, one thing I haven't liked recently is how young-looking the characters have gotten. It seems as if they make the male protagonist in each succeeding game more baby-faced, especially Vaan. He looked as if he had the head of a 5 year old. LOL.

I rather like the flexibility of having new characters though. I mean don't you people get tired of having the SAME characters sequel after sequel? If so, maybe this is why Hollywood has inundated our theatres with so many, imo, crapshack sequels. I personally can't stand it.

- Also as for the blond hair thing, you must understand that most of the world's entertainment operates on one idea: exoticism. Note, here Asian style interior design (and weddings interestingly enough) are popular because, well, it's "exotic." If you were Japanese, something out of the ordinary like blond hair would be exotic, no?

They need to stop basing the plot around a love story. I wish that Today's Final Fantasy Games didn't focus on love, the main focus for the characters is to save to world, getting the girl comes after. In the old FF Games (1-6), you felt compelled to save the world, in the newer ones (7-12) I feel like Saving the World from utter destruction comes second to getting the pussy. (I will edit this line if I have too)

They need to quit with all the extremely shitty Protagonists. I wish all FF Protagonists were clones of Cecil Harvey, The best FF Protagonist ever. All current protagonists are either extremely Whiny, Amnesiac, or just plain assholes. I just want a protagonist who realizes that he has to get his ass up and save the World from the forces of Darkness.

Quit with all the crappy Mini-Games and Side-Quests. Mini-Games are fun, but from FF 8-12, they're nothing but Time-Wasters. Side-Quests are major pains in the ass and I wish they would burn. The reason I love the Early Games is because they were straight forward. You figure out that you have to save the world and then, you go save it, the villain occasionally sets you back a couple steps, but it's not enough to knock you off track. If there must be Mini-Games, please, make them fun or get rid of them completely.

If they want new themes, how about they make a Protagonist that isn't some pasty kid like they have for the past 5 Games? Change it up, make him Black or something. Better yet, maybe they can return to that Middle-Age feel like the originals I love had.

People, remember these are my opinions. Hate it if you want.

Eh, it's a double edged sword.....if they try something new people bitch it's not the same, if they make it the same people bitch 'cause it's not new. What they need is to be more creative, while keeping the nostalgia without the lameness. How they will do that is beyond me. I think the DMW was an interesting move.....but wasn't polished. Same with the Gambit system in FFXII. Maybe they need to start fresh with all new designers and creators.