With Final Fantasy 13-2 now available for all to experience, not just Japanese gamers, Square Enix has begun talking about one of their forthcoming Final Fantasy related projects, and one of their former key creatives has made some comments that will shock any fan of the Final Fantasy series. Before gamers start getting too excited however, much of what Square has to say relates to Final Fantasy X, not the highly anticipated Versus 13 or Type 0, but it is some interesting, albeit convuluted, information none the less.
On the Final Fantasy X tick, Square Enix revealed that the game would be an HD remaster rather than an HD remake. We’re not quite sure what implicit differences a remaster has over a remake, both seem to suggest giving a game an HD sheen while preserving the core gameplay, but Square Enix seems to the distinction is important.
Our best guess based on Square’s claims that the game is being treated like a remaster, but is getting a visual upgrade, is that fans who might have hoped for improved combat, perhaps support for the new paradigm system, in FFX will find the game surprisingly familiar. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and is exactly what we expected when the Final Fantasy X remaster was announced: better visuals.
In keeping with the visuals theme, some comments were made by former Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi that were quite surprising considering his former property’s proclivity for delivering top notch visuals. Speaking about his experience working on The Last Story, a Wii exclusive, Sakaguchi said that HD graphics are too over-the-top in video games these days.
So much emphasis is placed on delivering quality visuals that not enough focus is placed on the game world or the experience, or that’s at least how Sakaguchi sees it. When developing The Last Story, a game that had no chance of hitting a high visual benchmark because of the Wii’s shortcoming, Sakaguchi found he was able to do so much more and now clearly doesn’t see the benefit of improved visuals.
It’s interesting to hear that after working for a developer who prides themselves on some of the best visuals out there, Sakaguchi would be more inclined to diss HD visuals rather than applaud them. While Square Enix is continuing to stress the importance of HD graphics, even going back and giving their past projects an HD once over, former Square employees are focusing on the experience as the key to success.
Were you looking for more than upgraded visuals out of Final Fantasy X‘s HD remaster? Do you agree with Sakaguchi that HD graphics today have become over the top?
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I reckon he’s right. Look at Skyrim and its predecessor! Craptacular graphics most of the time, but the story, the adventures, EVERYTHING just fantastic!
The paradigm system is garbage. i would like control of all my characters thanks. and maybe some online multiplayer type thing i mean ff13-2 would be badass with multiplayer….if you could play as more then 2 characters lol.
Your right the paradigm system is garbage, and if they added it to X I would consider it trash like XIII is.
I still have yet to pass this game, but since I still have my PS2 and this game I will stick with the OG. Sakaguchi is right, Square had great stories and as their graphics began to get better the stories of games began to become crap lol. Rarely few RPGS such as MASS EFFECT have been able to pull off what Square was the master off. Square get your asses off the Graphics department and start delivering what we love you for story and gameplay. Love, Littlek =)
@littlek sorry but ive played and beaten ffX, ffVII, and they are great rpg’s i LOVE them. but mass effect is also an incredible game and i think it stacks up personally. not only mass effect by bioware but many of their other games including star wars knights of the old republic which in my opinion has an even better story than ffx. I am however without a doubt looking forward to this HD remaster its going to be awesome.
So will there or wont there be a paradigm system included.
im in! it would great if they remade ffvIII which is by far one the best in the series 9 was pretty weak but 8 had it all
How could they change the battle system in FFX? It already has one of the best battle systems in the history of FF. The amount of strategy that comes into play with the turn-based system is great. Some might argue that it makes the game more simple in the fact that you know when your enemy will attack next, but on the flipside it gives you complete control over every character AND access to the ENTIRE party since you are able to switch characters in and out as you please. I loved being able to re-arrange my party mid-battle to stack up better against a different type of enemy. I know the story in FFVII was probably the best of the series, but FFX was arguably the most fun to play and one of the best visual experiences too, even without an HD upgrade.
People want the new paradigm system for the remaster of FFX? Are you joking? Who is saying this? I am going to say it’s safe to assume the only people who would want this are the ones who were introduced to Final Fantasy through the advent children movie and have only experienced action-based rpgs. I pray they do not ruin the combat system by changing it because the way it was worked perfectly. If you do not like traditional turn based battle systems then go play something else and leave what remaining games that use this battle system alone.
If it includes the paradigm system I won’t be playing it. FF XIII was a horrible game. I didn’t enjoy it at all.