One more list: Final Fantasy Awards
By: Eric M. Martin |
Tuesday January 27, 2009 |
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With Fabula Nova Crystalis at the next doorstep, One More List rolls out the red carpet for a game series worthy of note. |
| Some screenshots got released for Final Fantasy XIII: Fabula Nova Crystalis. The website’s music alone was enough to give lend to the truth about beauty being a curse. It’s so pretty and yet my fears silently loom. Face it, Final Fantasy is a true series of ups and downs. It is the opera of game series, and the cornerstone for video game RPGs planetwide. Without Final Fantasy, there would have been no Breath of Fire, no Wild ARMs, no Disgaea, and no Suikoden, just to name a few. So, to celebrate the unveiling of the upcoming title, One More List would like to host a little award ceremony for Final Fantasy. Best Male Main Character: Cecil - Final Fantasy IV Out of all the characters in any Final Fantasy series, we get to see Cecil go through a full cycle of growth and development that encompasses loyalty, duty, friendship, trust and love. Final Fantasy IV is the game that changed the flow of the series, and Cecil was right at the front line. Cecil was a very complex character in a time when deep narration in a video game was not a common occurrence. And, it wasn’t until the release of Final Fantasy Chronicles that North Americans were able to get a commercial taste of the true Final Fantasy IV. Best Female Main Character: (Tie)Terra Branford and Celes Chere - Final Fantasy VI
Although I give some severe credit for Squaresoft trying something new, the gameplay of Final Fantasy VIII could not avoid the piercing arrow of the Fail Cupid. First off, drawing your magic seemed a whole lot less worth the trouble as the game went on. Secondly, the trade of armor for a Junction system in regards to your spells caused much confusion and lent to too many game-breaking properties. Finally, lack of money and equipment seemed to suck out too many remnants of why gamers played Final Fantasy in the first place. Regardless of how great the story is, any gamer will tell you that gameplay ultimately wins out. If there’s no play, there’s no game. Largest Fanperson Following - Final Fantasy VII Face it, Final Fantasy VII is the Mount Zion of fandom. Too many people have too many great things to say about a game that isn’t too special in comparison with what else the series has to offer. At one time, Final Fantasy VII was the most returned PlayStation game to date, and probably still is. The Materia system was nice, but I’ve seen better stories and better characters in many other games. All of the sequels and prequels and “what if”-quels are unnecessary, especially since there are other games in the series that would surely merit more need for the explanation of loose ends. Final Fantasy titles don’t NEED sequels. They never have, and they never will. Most of the people who played Final Fantasy VII and thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread never knew what it was like to play as a Thief that couldn’t steal. Best Musical Score: (Tie) Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy XII For a game that didn’t have Nobuo Uematsu as its lead composer, Final Fantasy XII delivered the audio goods in a golden package. True symphonic style never sounded better in a Final Fantasy title, and it seems like Fabula Nova Crystalis is in line to inheret the throne. But, when it comes down to everything beyond the music, Final Fantasy VI wins hands down. During the Golden Age of Gaming with the Super Nintendo, Sqauresoft was able to squeeze out dynamic scores using the utmost of their synthetic capabilities, and it was enough to sell countless copies of the OST to many fans. Most Cheatworthy - Final Fantasy V I loved Final Fantasy V. I didn’t love the Job system. There was nothing wrong with the system itself, but it was cause for many a tireless night and sore thumb to boot. Final Fantasy V isn’t a game, it’s a sculpture. It requires work, time and dedication in order to get a finely crafted masterpiece. And, if something is amiss, you have to break off entire chunks and start over from scratch. For those of you that haven’t played through it, find yourself an FAQ and develop a gameplan ahead of time. Me? I just gave myself 255 JP at the end of every battle just so I could finish the story. Best Supporting Villain - Gilgamesh - Final Fantasy V There was a good point to getting through most of Final Fantasy V after all. Gilgamesh was a character before his time, and his repeat appearance in Final Fantasy XII as a hunt is a testament to his existence. Facing him several times at key intervals, Gilgamesh was no comic relief. In fact, encounters with Gilgamesh proved to be some of the most difficult boss battles in Final Fantasy history. If that wasn’t enough, he turns out to be more than just a meat bag full of gold and EXP. Take the time to read his dialogue and you’ll see why. Best Main Villain - Kefka - Final Fantasy VI Most villains talk about destroying the world. Kefka did something about it. Regardless of his final demise, Kefka had plenty of successes along the way that not every villain in almost any work of fiction can ever lay claim to. And, to top it all off, his hostilities were not limited to anyone. He was pure hate and pure insanity, yet all of it finely tuned and controlled beyond expectation. Best Ensemble Cast - Final Fantasy IX Although there are plenty of heroes, villains and NPCs who earn their stripes, there hasn’t been a more colorful and well-blended cast of characters, all inclusive, than the last Final Fantasy installment on the PlayStation. What started out with a stage play ended up evolving into an adventure drama for the ages, monkey tails and androgynous antagonists notwithstanding. Most Useless Character - Quina - Final Fantasy IX Blue Mages may have a unique place in any party, but Quina was just out of too many sorts. At best, Quina was just another weaponslinger with the chance to use an assortment of random abilities, and only a small handful of those were consistently helpful. Not only did Quina take up space, but s/he took up A LOT OF SPACE. Perhaps s/he was merely an afterthought or a space filler. The world may never know. Best Level System - Sphere Grid - Final Fantasy X Call me kooky, but there was something about the Sphere Grid that really appealed to me. Even though everyone could potentially learn everything, it would take a lot more time than most people are willing to spend in order to accomplish such a feat. With some pre-figured starting points and a few abilities that were obviously keyed to specific characters, the Sphere Grid did a great job of implementing a suggested path with the option of freeform exploration. Best Game - Final Fantasy VI Hands down, considered by many people to be the pinnacle of Final Fantasy. We’re not saying it will never be topped. A couple of them have come close, most notably Final Fantasy Tactics. However, there are just too many things about Final Fantasy VI that keep it in the top spot. Great characters, great story, great music, great advancement, great gameplay, and a whole hunk of replayability, even if there’s nothing new to discover. Final Fantasy VI is at the top, and it’s going to be staying there. Let’s see if the new kid on the block can take the belt. |
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