TBF I don't think a problem like that would have people explicitly saying that their problem with FF is its lack of identity. You would probably just have people complaining about entries when they aren't their prefered genre, similar to how people complain that that FF isn't TB or an ARPG.
Think people are specifically referring to what kind of RPG it is. Like even with the last 4 mainline FF titles, barring remake to rebirth, they all feel completely different from one another, and that can paint a weird image for a franchise as whole when with each installment, you gotta wonder "is this one for me?". I feel like it's a big reason why the "golden age" of FF was what it was with the PS1 era. Yeah they were all different in world and setting, and they all went for different vibes, but you still knew what you'd be getting into "gameplay" wise.
what about XV tho? i feel like that's the biggest counter argument against that
if thats the case then SE is, well...fucked
XV feels like it was actually releasing at the most opportune time TO be different to me. Off the coattails of the XIII trilogy which, by the end especially, was super divisive, it felt like XV was gunning for that golden moment that would redefine the franchise to some, and introduce a whole slew of new time fans. Despite my powerful disappointment with that game, it actually seemed to have succeeded at both of those things, even in the face of the middling w.o.m surrounding it's troubled development. To go from that back to the hyper linear world of Remake and XVI though? That's a bad kinda whiplash to some. I think there's an argument there somewhere in regards to FF having an identity issue. For better or for worse, these games aren't really known for sticking to a blueprint, and the few times they have in this last decade, they actually do a really good job at evolving their systems and approach with subsequent titles(seriously, the jump from XIII through to LR and Remake to Rebirth are super impressive).
Yeah I'm being hyperbolic a bit but I'm just thinking about a like worse case scenario there. I believe in the talent these studios have cultivated over these last 5 or so years to take the feedback and improve upon their titles. I'm just hoping they can develop to their full potential, while doing it for the widest audience possible to allow their games to succeed as well.
I don't know if it's a HUGE issue, we really won't have that sort of data...ever really lol. I can see it frustrating people and causing a bit of a rift within the community(which I think there definitely is).
Being contentious or not is not really relevant, it's just bubble FF talk. Case in point: FF15
Minigames were really only a 7 through 10 thing though, no? And 7 was the one that really went hog wild with them, the rest only have a few. I'd hardly call it a series core element when 1-6 didn't really have anything like that.
Yeah that was basically the crux of my original post so to speak. The quality of the games being good or amazing isn't a bad thing but it's not the reason these aren't selling. My hope is that, that speak Kiryu made at the NA Fanfest for XIV isn't just hollow words and is for more than just Xbox moving forward. As long as XVII isn't a XV tier launch diaster and is able to get XVI/Remake part 1 or better player reception I see it being huge if it's not another exclusive.
I don't think so tbh. Even if FFXV sold well, it did so with essentially a perfect storm. The argument is that it would have done even better than it did if it was met with the same acclaim as Rebirth or earlier FF games.
That's not to say that the brand doesn't have it's share of problems, but you can stop the bleeding by at least giving the most amount of people the chance to help you do so. But the design of these titles, I think, is lower on the list of things keeping them from selling than exclusivity imo. If a 92 on MC and 9.0 user score couldn't save Rebirth it doesn't matter how good they make the series if they keep strapping the ball and chain that is exclusivity onto them and then dunking them into the ocean of games coming out each year. You're guaranteed to drown the game each time you do that.
Rebirth compared to Remake does a lot of the stuff you mention but only during optional content.
There is a huge difference between 87 and 92 (close to 93 actually) in terms of video game scores though. Rebirth in it's 148 MC reviews has a single below 8 score of 78. The game is huge improvement compared to first one in a lot of ways. Ultimately it depends on what you really did not like about the first one.
