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Uncharted 2 May Serve As Inspiration For Future FFs

"Measuring stick" games like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves can have a profound impact on designers everywhere, even if the projects in question aren't exactly action/adventure titles.

Take Final Fantasy , for instance. Most would assume that FF and Uncharted have very little to do with one another, but considering the raging success of last year's masterpiece from Naughty Dog, even Square-Enix is standing up and taking notice. As noted by PS3Center , FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama referenced Uncharted during a speech at the Game Developers Conference. He spoke about the differences between Western and Japanese gaming preferences and ideals, and he admitted that player interaction in FFXIII was almost exclusively found in combat sequences. In the future, he'd like to bring the player more into the cut-scenes; his inspiration for this is last year's award-winning sequel. Said Toriyama:

"I think there will be more interactivity (in future Final Fantasy cut scenes) — if you have 1000 flying dragons, hopping from one dragon to the other would be great fun. If you can achieve that compared with Uncharted 2, I think that Final Fantasy is going to replicate the masterpieces of film, and that is certainly one of our goals."

We've known for a long time that Square-Enix has wanted to include aspects of film in each and every Final Fantasy installment, so this comment should come as no surprise to avid followers. It's just interesting to see so many different developers looking to the best games of the generation for new ideas and concepts; it's not about "stealing," it's about advancing forward by paying homage to breakthroughs made by others. Nothing wrong with that.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII

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Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Enough with the shooter influence on FF! You've already broke XIII(kind of). You want to completely alienate your Final Fantasy Fan base?!

I love Uncharted 2. Quite possible the best game on the PS3 so far. But seriously, i want Final Fantasy, not Shooter Fantasy.


Last edited by Jawknee on 3/14/2010 9:57:22 PM

chedison
chedison
14 years ago

couldnt have said it better myself.

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

Cool it man, be chill. They're just talkin' bout havin' some influence on your cinematics, man! It's all good!

…..Seriously though, this is a good thing. This is one area where Uncharted excels and just about any other game genre could do the types of things that Naughty Dog has done and benefit greatly.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

Maybe Square Enix wants to alienate their 7 million PS3 seller over to the sub 1 million Xbox seller. (shrugs)

If Square Enix wants to ever reach Uncharted quality, make it exclusive. Many exclusive PS3 games are only possible for a reason. Even Xbox games that are exclusive look better than multi-platform games.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Kowhoho, if it's not broken, don't fix it. The cinematics are fine the way they are.

Square already admitted FPS had some influence on FFXIII and it's turning out as a BAD one. Final Fantasy need no influence other then Final Fantasy.

MysteriousMagus
MysteriousMagus
14 years ago

They are just talking about the cinematics….
But I agree… I hate how Square are trying so fu**ing hard to westernize their JRPGS!
It's nonsense… because it will never be fully western or J its like a bastard child… it will never ever work. It didn't IMO with XII… I just want it to be like the old days… like FFX!

Mavfan321
Mavfan321
14 years ago

I think what he's getting at, and he does use dragons as an example, is the parts in Uncharted that are cinematic like controlling Drake as the bridge falls. I think it's a great idea to heighten the more cinematic aspects of any game by adding interactivity. This does not mean a whole game should feel like an interactive cinema, or that every scene should use it.


Last edited by Mavfan321 on 3/15/2010 4:11:15 AM

totozero18
totozero18
14 years ago

See? I knew it they've felt ass-whooped by games like KZ2 or UC2 this is good cuz they're gonna try harder now, but, complexes never turn out good….


Last edited by totozero18 on 3/15/2010 6:18:44 AM

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

If SE (and I stress the IF) feel that other games are kicking their butts, then I think that the leaders of Square Enix need an individual butt kicking to be performed immediately. RPGs are a different genre to shooters and third person action games. They are not the same, and don't sell to the same people. The market for gamin is huge and the millions of sheeple that buy MW2 out of reflex are not among the audience of FF games. Sure there are some gamers who buy both, but the audience for each genre is different. If they can't see that, then to be honest, I feel that they are verging on stupidity.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

Oh sweet mother of all that is holy, we are all lost now.

Qubex
Qubex
14 years ago

It's finished now… simply put!!!

SONY WHERE ARE YOOOoooouuUUUUU in all this!!!

…and the tune goes…

"wwwaaaaaadddaaa waadadddaaa waaadaaa wada wada… wadda you doing!!!"

Q!

" waadaa… wadda you doing!!! "


Last edited by Qubex on 3/14/2010 10:24:07 PM

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

WHAT HAS SCIENCE DONE?!?!?!?!? <:0

johnld
johnld
14 years ago

we might finally reach the FINAL fantasy if the series continues like this.

SmokeyPSD
SmokeyPSD
14 years ago

ARGH.

Santa Monica. We're flattered that other developers are trying emulate us, but we really just focus on our own work, and try and better our own abilities.

Square. We want to be more like call of duty. we want to be more fast paced. we want to be more like uncharted, we want to be more western, we want to be more loved, we want to be more understood… I am sick of SE… I really am… With all these ridiculous statements they are going to simply kill my interest in buying another FF again completely, im already going back and forth whether i should buy FFXIII.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Err, Santa Monica didn't make Uncharted. Naught Dog did.

SmokeyPSD
SmokeyPSD
14 years ago

I realise that, I'm simply stating what Santa Monica stating when asked about Dante's Inferno obviously mimicing them.

NoSmokingBandit
NoSmokingBandit
14 years ago

Meh. The more SE drifts away from their JRPG roots the less i am interested in their games. I love a good western RPG, but i dont think SE can do it well, nor do i think they should try.

However, if you are going to draw inspiration from one western game it might as well be Uncharted 2. Seeing as its awesome and stuff.


Last edited by NoSmokingBandit on 3/14/2010 10:24:11 PM

maxpontiac
maxpontiac
14 years ago

SE in my opinion, are nothing more then sellouts, and that's in more ways then one..

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Seriously, they see what MS has done with shooters and now they want to capitalize on that even if it means the death of their best franchises. At least Wada will be fat n' happy that effing douche bag.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

The only inspiration SE needs to learn from the people at Uncharted, is…..

1. How to stay exclusive.

2. How not to pander to immoral influences coming from from filthy rich unimaginative companies way too lazy to bother making more than 4 or 5 of their own 1st party game.

3. How not to chop up a full game's worth of content out of your games just for more financial gain later.

4. How to change "gaming's history", in a good way.

(And most of all)……….

5. How to show gratitude to your humongously loyal fan-base.

Qwarktast1c
Qwarktast1c
14 years ago

BRAVO!!!

Hezzron
Hezzron
14 years ago

Attaboy!

SolidFantasy
SolidFantasy
14 years ago

Well that about sums up any comment i had. nice job.
I guess you could just tell square enix to STOP SUCKING!!!… figuratively that is.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

*Oils up blade*

Wada, Toriyama… I'm comin' for your necks. Who says gaining trophies is pointless?

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

Certainly not ME

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

I fear your blade, world.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

Fear TheWorld 🙂

tes37
tes37
14 years ago

This could be part of their problem. They're looking at everybody else instead on concentrating on their own creations. It's more than obvious that people were beginning to get curious about FF because of the fanbase. Now they won't get to see what the fuss was all about unless they backtrack.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

This has been the theme of their statements for years now. They have re-stated time after time how they are looking at wester developers of successful games (no names, but considering the most successful western games are shooters….). How many times so they need to say it?

It's almost like they are ashamed of their own style or culture and are so infatuated with Western culture that they want to imitate it. Quite why they would be so ashamed of their original game culture I don't know. But, it's clear that they are not looking within.

Fane1024
Fane1024
14 years ago

Why are S-E looking to Western deveopers for inspiration? Because Japanese developers have been stuck in neutral for years, while Western developers have continued to push the envelope in terms of gameplay, story, etc.

The problem is not that Japanese developers are finally looking to develop. It's that they haven't been doing it for the last decade or more and the changes are now too radical for the long-time fans, who seem to want to play NES games for the rest of time.

Also, S-E don't seem to understand WHICH aspects of Western games to emulate.

If they had actually developed the Japanese tradition over the last while to keep up with the innovations in Western games, we'd probably be playing a turn-based game, though it would be vastly superior to old turn-based mechanics.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

Hasn't FF basically been an interactive cut scene for years?

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

NO.

LegendaryWolfeh
LegendaryWolfeh
14 years ago

yes, especially with this game and the auto-battles, interactive drama..

Kowhoho
Kowhoho
14 years ago

Yeah, a 70 hour movie…..that you play…..which makes it a game…..

;D


Last edited by Kowhoho on 3/14/2010 11:39:48 PM

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

nope

kraygen
kraygen
14 years ago

I wouldn't mind this statement from some people. If game developers want to put more options and more types of interactive game play into their games, usually I'd jump for joy.

However after seeing the direction that SE is going, this statement makes me sick with worry. Is the next big FF game going to be a mixture of fps, button mashing, and interactive cut scenes?

Heck, street fighter, tekken, and mortal kombat are all popular, maybe you should put some of that in the next FF.

I can see it now,

Final Fantasy XV
Genre: RPG, Fighter, Action/adventure, Flight sim, Racing, Sports, Strategy.

Yeah, that's the FF I've been waiting for, come on SE, get a grip on reality and let go of the fat checks that will ruin your once good name.

totozero18
totozero18
14 years ago

LOLOLOLOLOL "Flight Sim" pfffff

kraygen
kraygen
14 years ago

well yeah, because everyone at SE knows how much we want to jump on our summonings and fly into the air for some good old fashion ace combat maneuvers.

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
14 years ago

13 is not a "bad" number in Western traditions for nothing….

Poor FF…its fall started with 13….

Though, At least they're influenced by a great game

(why can't they understand that all we want is an rpg? With great story?)

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

eh, the fall started with the end of the ATB in XII.

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
14 years ago

Well, I think that's more subjective than objective.

In part because even Ben admits that the Vagrant Story/Dragon Age battle system ain't as great as ATB, yet it is a good/fun system. And that is reflected in many reviews, including psxe.

FFXIII on the other hand is exposed in most reviews. A STRAIGHT game with so many limitations outside the "crazy graphics."

Fane1024
Fane1024
14 years ago

Even the ATB system shows the wrong emphasis: it offers the illusion of real-time action, while merely rushing the player to make decisions…with no added level of tactical depth (like that found in FFT, for instance).

Meanwhile, the characters stand in a line and step forward to attack, just like they did in Final Fantasy I.

While not perfect, the system in FFXII was a vast improvement over everything that preceded it (even the Judgement Wheel).


Last edited by Fane1024 on 3/27/2010 5:57:16 PM

Hezzron
Hezzron
14 years ago

So they mess with the "classic" gameplay, and now they want to start messing with the cut scenes? I sense a JRPGite riot.

just2skillf00l
just2skillf00l
14 years ago

Hezzron I'm right with you, I already got the signs and the pitchforks, and the the Molotov cocktails. Start up the wip, Wada's in for one explosive surprise…(rubs hands together in a rather sinister fashion)

johnld
johnld
14 years ago

Ummm….NO….Just give me an honest to goodness JRPG that is worthy of carrying the name Final Fantasy and not just use it to fuel sales. I dont want a WESTERNIZED JRPG.


Last edited by johnld on 3/15/2010 12:13:38 AM

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Westernized JPRG. Oxymoron.

Naztycuts
Naztycuts
14 years ago

unless he meant the western part of Japan! XD

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Westernized JRPG.

OMFG! Two words that should never be used next to each other. It's like matter and anti-matter.

johnld
johnld
14 years ago

yeah, those two words should never come together but Wada is sure as hell trying to make it happen.

Naztycuts
Naztycuts
14 years ago

Also this is great news! Now all they need to do is drop that silly blade off of Lightning's gun and give us a crosshair and a few grenades and we'll be set! It's a conspiracy they've been trying to turn this series into a shooter since FF VIII! Seriously though Uncharted Fantasy? Bring back turn based you a**holes! Also I'm getting tired of walking around Gran Pulse I miss the Highwind.