Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadow5YA
Cloud is meant to be Zack's foil, not Sephiroth. It's literally in their name (Cloud Strife vs Zack Fair)
Cloud is no hero, experiences internal turmoil and multiple setbacks while Zack is the actual SOLDIER 1st Class, is overall positive and straightforward.
Sephiroth is theatrical and megalomanic in his own way, and he's still popular as a villain. The same cannot be said about Genesis, and making excuses about how he's intended that way or how people don't understand him doesn't make him any more likable.
Mainline Final Fantasy games have had development issues and mixed reception since 12. The international revision of 12 was well-received, but people forget that the vanilla version came out to mixed reviews.
I shouldn't even need to explain about 13's issues, or 14's launch with A Realm Reborn.
I should also remind you that the FF7 Compilation ended with Dirge of Cerberus, which was not well-received at all. The fanbase had plenty of reason to doubt whether another FF7 game would be any better when SE had nothing else to show for it at the time.
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Not quite true.
Zack in OG VII is just there as Cloud new persona template. He only become full-fledged character by Crisis Core.
Sephiroth is, by all intent. Both career in Shinra driven by their mother, both are stronger than regular human since birth.
However one feel superior and wanted to destroy humanity while the other feel inferior and wanted to connect with others. Zack and Genesis is also like that, both are village boys aspired to become hero but one is spoiled to the point he coped with failure and Shinra unethical method by drown himself being theatrical, while the other one insisted to believe good will prevails.
Sephiroth being megalomaniac is understandable since he's been killing people since child and he snapped because his "mother" quickly explained his abnormal strength.
Genesis is not like that. He and Angeal had normal childhood. Spoiled by his parents. Felt betrayed by Shinra that ditched him and Angeal in favor of Sephiroth and Zack that never questions them. So when it comes out hammy, its not writing flaw; completely ignores how he spent majority of game asking all SOLDIERs if their loyalty worth it when he's living proof that SOLDIERs are disposable asset, not a glorious career. Narratively, Sephiroth case of birth circumstances isn't working for Zack, Genesis case of expectation and reality is.
XII is definite proof of what I said, target audience bias to good old days.
XII International didn't change story only provide new Gambit and replace Skill Board with Zodiac Job Board.
People have mixed reaction because not only politics-driven story but also in OG they have to set AI and min-maxing from beginning; purist didn't care all the changes already approved by Sakaguchi. In Zodiac Age, they only need to choose Jobs and done, no need feel guilty to set AI commit to healing because you decide that person is White Mage unlike before.
Zodiac Age better sales is not telling OG is not well-baked, more like they comply to people that wanted easier game.
A is Knight, B is Healer, etc. Attack faster, no need to care about reposition. Majority of change just to sped up the game, so no real issues other than outside loyal fanbase comfort zone. I lived through times people bashed OG XII because its not pure turn-based and Vaan had no saying in politics, unlike Tidus that bravely kick Seymour the high priest.
To say writing of new-gen FF become bad is too much.
I've played most of them and I can say the quality is pretty consistent with actual cares to what it tried to tell. More often its the gameplay expectation that hurts; case of XII and how majority of critics toward Dirge triggered by expectation it'll be turn-based like OG VII or high profile action like Devil May Cry.
FF 'new-gen' primary issue already addressed by Toriyama, Yoshida, Tabata and Kitase in various interviews and live-letter.
Of course, more than likely, the so-called fanbase gracefully ignored it. Easier to said its bad while consuming VII and X appends.