@Ashtear
@lemm.eeWhat stands out to me the most about the mainline series today is that it's gone nearly 30 years with a track record of having quality games. While the games have had flaws and, more recently, time in development hell, the overall product has been at or near top-tier production quality in the industry (with the sole exception of Final Fantasy XIV's 1.0). That's remarkable considering how many different producers, directors and ideas the series has had. The series has become more experimental as of late, which has ruffled some feathers in the fandom. If that's the direction they want to keep going in, I'm all for it amidst a sea of stale IPs in gaming that play it safe and churn out cookie-cutter productions.
My favorites in the main series are VI and X. It's interesting to look back on VI and see how it was among the first to drive cinematic techniques in video games, be in awe at what Uematsu squeezed out of the SNES sound chip, and appreciate its timeless qualities like its sprite art. X is one I like more and more as time passes. I've explored the genre a lot more since I first played the game in 2003, and while I tend to find gameplay systems elsewhere I like more than those in Final Fantasy, FFX's story remains one of my favorites in gaming. It's amazing how much replay value the story offers on a second run, too. Really well-crafted stuff.
I'd say the series is facing a transitional point now, but that feels redundant considering it's always changing. Sales have been on a major decline in Japan, and both Rebirth and XVI are going to need major showings on PC to stay ahead of breakout global performances from NieR, Dragon Quest, and growing competition from Atlus. I didn't like a lot of Remake, so I'm not eagerly anticipating a PC release for Rebirth, but I did love everything about the recent FFXVI demo. Hopefully I'll enjoy that one when I'm able to pick it up down the road; I've seen a lot of complaints.
In any case, Final Fantasy wasn't my entry point to the genre and it's not my favorite JRPG series now. Still, it's what made me fall in love with the genre in the 90's. I'll always appreciate it for that.
I just wish today's tech wasn't so blurry. I miss SSAA (and games being optimized enough to be able to run it sometimes without a supercomputer).
FSR doesn't use AI hardware. The original comment is overselling it a bit, but something AI-driven like DLSS does offer substantial (if slightly blurry) framerate gains.
Yeah, after that time I really didn't think consoles would be as much as a midrange PC. And yet, here we are. Feels like Sony's back to late PS2 era levels of hubris now.
This is 100% an "it's just not for you" situation. I mean, it's not really my thing either, but it's literally the best selling game ever in Japan. That's not just the pandemic.
Started playing again with a duo partner and was a bit shocked at the toxicity in Trade chat. I've been playing the game less and less over the years, and I guess I was used to it at one point. I suppose I also just have less tolerance for bullshit than I used to.
I don't know how it is now, but Classic was even worse at launch. Blizzard underestimated player demand for the product from the start, so a company that had already slashed their GM staff to the bone wasn't ready for it (and players in public chat channels were aware and took full advantage).
Coincidentally, loot drama that wouldn't have been possible in retail WoW is exactly why I stopped playing Classic a few months after launch.
Hrm, kind of an odd mix of classics and recent releases that aren't going to be remembered five years from now. That said, I'm just glad Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is on here. It's a wonderful hidden gem that barely gets talked about. I don't even like puzzle games much, but the gorgeous pixel art and soundtrack helped me get really into it.
I'm also reminded that I need to get back to Citizen Sleeper. Was very surprised by it when I tried it (before I got sucked into Honkai: Star Rail).