I don’t think FF16 has strayed from RPG mechanics when the series has historically been very linear since the early days. Final Fantasy has never been heavy on RPG mechanics and 16 is just status quo in that regard.
I mean I’ve played FF1-9, excluding 8 so far, and they’re all very light on the RPG mechanics. There’s no choice, very little customization (jobs in 3 and 5 were basically the extent of character building, and even then there was almost always a “right time” for all the jobs), sparse sidequests, and little to no meaningful choices to make in the story. I thought 2 was interesting because conceptually the system with characters getting better at abilities through use was neat, but it effectively just meant that my team became good at everything.
16 isn’t much different in that regard. Sidequests are a bit more strictly defined than they historically have been, but there’s still similar levels of character building, linear storytelling, and lack of meaningful choice shared by all the others that came before.
I think people often forget this about Final Fantasy. Characters are pushed down one of several archetypal roles, and personalities, due to story and lore dictating most elements. So much so that little flexibility is left for the customisation and personalisation. You don’t get to build your character, the world does that for you.
There is no problems with linear. That doesn’t make it an rpg. Elements of party composition, equipment, magic are all pretty basic if not non existent in this entry.
Party composition I’ll give you, because there basically isn’t one (though not like 15 was different in that regard), but equipment and magic are basically what I would expect from most older entries, albeit applied to a different style of gameplay.
I’m actually surprised this game gives you three accessory slots that have items with interesting effects, when most of the older games are just 1 or 2 accessory slots (if that) that are either just atk/def up, some elemental immunity, or completely broken.
The game doesn’t have a job system like some of the older FF games, so I wasn’t expecting FF5 levels of character building or anything like that, but that’s what we have Stranger of Paradise for. 16 is like playing FF4 if the only character you controlled directly was Cecil.
True. And I guess I don’t care as much about the rpg mechanics in final fantasy as much as I do some things that just seem to be missing in this game that have been around the series for awhile. Mainly, elemental weakness/strengths, buffs and debuffs.
Don’t get me wrong, I love this game and think the story and gameplay are really really well done, but just a few elements seem to be missing.
Then again, final fantasy 7 remake also makes up for that, so it’s not like they tossed it in the garbage.
I don’t think FF16 has strayed from RPG mechanics when the series has historically been very linear since the early days. Final Fantasy has never been heavy on RPG mechanics and 16 is just status quo in that regard.
Final Fantasy 1-9 has entered the chat
I mean I’ve played FF1-9, excluding 8 so far, and they’re all very light on the RPG mechanics. There’s no choice, very little customization (jobs in 3 and 5 were basically the extent of character building, and even then there was almost always a “right time” for all the jobs), sparse sidequests, and little to no meaningful choices to make in the story. I thought 2 was interesting because conceptually the system with characters getting better at abilities through use was neat, but it effectively just meant that my team became good at everything.
16 isn’t much different in that regard. Sidequests are a bit more strictly defined than they historically have been, but there’s still similar levels of character building, linear storytelling, and lack of meaningful choice shared by all the others that came before.
I think people often forget this about Final Fantasy. Characters are pushed down one of several archetypal roles, and personalities, due to story and lore dictating most elements. So much so that little flexibility is left for the customisation and personalisation. You don’t get to build your character, the world does that for you.
edit: words.
There is no problems with linear. That doesn’t make it an rpg. Elements of party composition, equipment, magic are all pretty basic if not non existent in this entry.
Party composition I’ll give you, because there basically isn’t one (though not like 15 was different in that regard), but equipment and magic are basically what I would expect from most older entries, albeit applied to a different style of gameplay.
I’m actually surprised this game gives you three accessory slots that have items with interesting effects, when most of the older games are just 1 or 2 accessory slots (if that) that are either just atk/def up, some elemental immunity, or completely broken.
The game doesn’t have a job system like some of the older FF games, so I wasn’t expecting FF5 levels of character building or anything like that, but that’s what we have Stranger of Paradise for. 16 is like playing FF4 if the only character you controlled directly was Cecil.
True. And I guess I don’t care as much about the rpg mechanics in final fantasy as much as I do some things that just seem to be missing in this game that have been around the series for awhile. Mainly, elemental weakness/strengths, buffs and debuffs.
Don’t get me wrong, I love this game and think the story and gameplay are really really well done, but just a few elements seem to be missing.
Then again, final fantasy 7 remake also makes up for that, so it’s not like they tossed it in the garbage.
Also….really looking forward to Baldurs Gate!