Yep. I remember holding a copy FFIX, looking at Adelberts doll eyes and Zidane's huge head on that cover and telling myself that money was better saved for the PS2.The real reason (not stan war'd reasons) is that IX and XII came at the very end of their respective generations, when people had already moved on to new consoles or were getting ready to. Not because VIII and X made them mad.
Both are brilliant games, btw, and deserved to sell way more.
This is how I see it. VII and VIII shaped people's expectations, and IX simply didn't fit them. PS1 and all related software sales didn't just vanish overnight when PS2 arrived. XII didn't line up with what people were looking for after X either, and the launch of PS3 was even less of an excuse, yet another backward compatible system (every given model with hardware-based PS2 BC back then) that unlike PS2, struggled out the gate, and had anemic early offerings specific to the platform even by launch game standards. I love XII, yet hardly consider PS3's launch of all things an excuse for the original release's underwhelming commercial performance.I just wanted to say, because I saw that explanation frequently on the internet, that is not completely true: PS1 was an absolutely beast even with the PS2 release and was good business at least until 2003 (and even 2005 in third world countries), in fact a lot of the best selling games on PS1 are licenced shit past-2000, like the Harry Potter games or even that Stuart Little game.
The real reason why FFIX flopped was because it was not the futuristic, edgy, pretty-face fashion walkway that VII and VIII were. 90% of PS1 era FF fans in the west didn't knew a single thing about Final Fantasy before VII because RPG was an extremely niche and hardcore genre here. I clearly remember how IX was panned because it was "old fashioned" and not a "visual spectacle" like past Squaresoft games. The FFIX love is more like a retrospective than anything else and I'm okay with that, IX is by far my favorite FF title on PS1 (well... not really, is Tactics but is not in the main series so I will pass that).
Yup. They always have some excuse to explain something they dislike doing well.8 sold cuz of 7, Xv sold off the ff name(even tho ppl were screaming the name lost a lot of value from the heavens after 13 and 14 vanilla) ppl never wanna give credit when it's something they don't like I guess
X-2 is horrendous. They tried to retcon one of the best endings ever.Yuck, sad that much better games like IX, XII, and X-2 (and that's just counting games released after VIII) sold less. Though VIII really had the power of VII to help it, no wonder IX sold much less (plus late into PS1 lifetime).
People struggling with VIII and blaming the level scaling sounds more like they didn't know how to Junction to me, especially given how many complaints the magic system tends to get among the game's detractors (the game can be made as difficult or as easy as one wants it to be if they know how). So yeah, I'd go with them just being really bad at the game.I see this tossed around all the time, with the level scaling this game has... Did Canada get some kind of easy version? Or are people REALLY bad at this game? I got people in FFXIV linkshells that swear up and down that FFVIII is impossible to beat if you level past 35. I swear everything in that game can be steamrolled with just physical attacks.
Also pretty impressed this game is still 3rd despite only having the PS1 release, the original PC release and steam. You'd think the way people praise IX and XII that they would be higher now especially that it's also on more platforms. Not to nention if "IX did horrible because of VIII", why would anyone bother with X after skipping IX, and X being the second best selling.
My memory is a bit fuzzy, but didn't they announce IX's release date, X's release window and XI all at the same event?I see this tossed around all the time, with the level scaling this game has... Did Canada get some kind of easy version? Or are people REALLY bad at this game? I got people in FFXIV linkshells that swear up and down that FFVIII is impossible to beat if you level past 35. I swear everything in that game can be steamrolled with just physical attacks.
Also pretty impressed this game is still 3rd despite only having the PS1 release, the original PC release and steam. You'd think the way people praise IX and XII that they would be higher now especially that it's also on more platforms. Not to nention if "IX did horrible because of VIII", why would anyone bother with X after skipping IX, and X being the second best selling.
My memory is a bit fuzzy, but didn't they announce IX's release date, X's release window and XI all at the same event?
I remember Tidus's model's clothes bouncing.
No, it's super easy. The difficulty in VIII comes from people not understanding the game and approaching it like a traditional JRPG/FF game where leveling up and getting stronger weapons was the way to success. That's a trap in VIII, and one that many players - presumably younger ones - fell into. The game actually clearly explains the Junction system. But people will either ignore it or go auto or not bother building up spells through GF abilities and rely entirely on Draw, which is super slow and inefficient.I see this tossed around all the time, with the level scaling this game has... Did Canada get some kind of easy version? Or are people REALLY bad at this game? I got people in FFXIV linkshells that swear up and down that FFVIII is impossible to beat if you level past 35. I swear everything in that game can be steamrolled with just physical attacks.
The first boss of Disc 4 will shatter your mind if you don't understand the junction system and have been over relying on Guardian Forces. I think a lot of people gave up there because they just assumed it was hard and needed to grind but that isn't the case with this one. The final bosses of VIII are actually some of the hardest in the series if you do level to 100 and don't Armageddon Fist yourself to victory though.I see this tossed around all the time, with the level scaling this game has... Did Canada get some kind of easy version? Or are people REALLY bad at this game? I got people in FFXIV linkshells that swear up and down that FFVIII is impossible to beat if you level past 35. I swear everything in that game can be steamrolled with just physical attacks.
Also pretty impressed this game is still 3rd despite only having the PS1 release, the original PC release and steam. You'd think the way people praise IX and XII that they would be higher now especially that it's also on more platforms. Not to nention if "IX did horrible because of VIII", why would anyone bother with X after skipping IX, and X being the second best selling.
Well, shoot, FF tactics 7,8,9,10 were all almost annual releases.And having black hair. That really was a magical time to be an FF fan, since you got 2 amazing games back to back within a short period (and FFXI if you wanted an MMORPG).
Ff7, x, and 8 all had several rereleased. Ports or remasters over many more years than 13 or 15I thought XIII or XV were in the top 3, at least it feels like I remember reading it a while back...
The game actually clearly explains the Junction system. But people will either ignore it or go auto or not bother building up spells through GF abilities and rely entirely on Draw, which is super slow and inefficient.
It's all opinion. I thing IX is the best Final Fantasy.
I just bought the steam version last summer in a fit of nostalgia when I was unhappy about playing the playstation on modern tv.
It's funny you mention this, considering a huge complaint in modern gaming is hand holding. I believe the game does run you through GF abilities, it just doesn't specifically tell you to card mod and refine items. At that point the game would have no challenge because then you'd just be handing everything to the player. All you have to do is look through the abilities and experiment a little for yourself. The one that should be easiest to stumble on is L Mag-RF from Siren. Available as soon as you get her, only 30AP, and if you use the skill you should immediately notice it'll give you Curaga from Tent, an item you're basically guaranteed to have. At that point you have two GFs with HP-J, and putting that Curaga on there will give you a huge boost beyond anything you will have drawn that early on in the game. Big eureka moment. I don't expect people to be doing Disc 1 Lionheart easily, but the game does a good enough job to subtly leading you through the Junction system. If you're a kid just mashing through the tutorials and not reading abilities - which I suspect a lot of people who first played the game two decades ago were - you'll probably struggle.Uh, near the start, the game does suddenly throw in some tutorials that explain Junctioning on the player. The tutorials are rather overwhelming and don't do much to tell the player that playing Triple Triad, modding cards, and refining items into magic is by far the most efficient way to get stronger (or that you can't ignore the Draw command entirely or else you'll miss some GFs). I don't take that much issue with the Junction system (I've had fun with it, but it's not my favourite levelling mechanic), but I think Final Fantasy VIII could have eased players into the system a lot better. I don't feel like I really got it until my second attempt at finishing the game, as it's not very intuitive.
VIII has also outsold IX on Steam according to SteamSpy, well after VIII's "reputation" would be well-known by players. Just a bunch of excuses from salty IX fans who seem to love attacking VIII for some reason.Also pretty impressed this game is still 3rd despite only having the PS1 release, the original PC release and steam. You'd think the way people praise IX and XII that they would be higher now especially that it's also on more platforms. Not to nention if "IX did horrible because of VIII", why would anyone bother with X after skipping IX, and X being the second best selling.
FFVIII was a very good game and it deserves its success. It was also helped out my a massive marketing push, along with the popularity of Final Fantasy being at a peak following VII.Well and truly deserved. VIII is such an exceptional game that spoke to me in so many ways, so I'm glad it's in the top three sales wise.
I'm enjoying all the salt from the IX fans struggling to come up with any reason as to why VIII being in the top three totally isn't because it's a good game that has its own deserved fan base. Stay salty losers.