Wanted to make note that Joshua and the MC have the same earring. I wonder if that might connect them to each other or if it is just a physical representation of the MC being Joshua's shield.
MC still wears the earring even when he is older.
Maybe that is how the MC will get to use the power of other Eikons. Obtaining something that lets him channel the power of their Dominants.
Brand new in what way exactly? The early FFs are clearly derivative of each other and any changes/additions are the kind of stuff you’d see in any sequel. They’re still turn-based strategies which is a far cry from DMC-style action.
How can that be the case when there are more than 16 FF games? Is that common lore not also present in every single FF spin-off ever? If the gameplay can be whatever it wants then there’s no point in numbering them.
And FF did get stale, that’s why we have action combat now. 1-10 were turn-based strategies, no amount of mechanical gimmicks changes that. If SE thought there was nothing more to do with that gameplay style then they could’ve just stopped and either made some experimental spin-offs or created some new IPs. But they didn’t. If people like these new mainline FFs then that’s their prerogative. But classic fans aren’t exactly unjustified in disliking them. (BTW this is coming from someone who only has a passing interest in turn-based and FF in general)
Final Fantasy II plays COMPLETELY DIFFERENT to I and was and still is heavily criticized to this day because of that, heavily looked down as a "bad sequel" to I.
III is a return to formula expanding on everything the first game did, but bringing more to the table like the Summons.
IV takes a lot of what worked on III but expands heavily on the story and reworks the playable characters entirely, re-introducing story party members.
V changed the gameplay yet again bringing back the class system from III and reworking it entirely but keeping the story-based characters from V.
VI plays entirely different yet again, bringing back classes assigned to characters but expanding on this further with each individual character having a unique gameplay mechanic like Edgar's tools or Sabin's combos.
VII is, well, VII.
VIII once again featured a vastly different system with the GF system, the card game, the Draw/Magic system, etc.
I could go on.
So no, each FF game doesn't work like a sequel to each other, each game is a reboot keeping the essential themes of Crystals, Summoned monsters, Man vs Nature and/or God, as well as the iconic classes and monsters like Dragoons or Chocobos.
Also, the franchise hasn't grown stale at all, I'm not sure what you are talking about, lol. Each game sells ridiculously high and has it's on playerbase, even the more disliked games like VIII have their own followings that grow strong. FF is like the de-facto JRPG that still manages to appeal to the general public and bring in more fans to the genre. Of course, it grows to reflect the current time period (like XV being very open-worlded in a era of Bethesda RPGS), but they still stick to their core formula.
Main entries are pushing ARPG not because the franchise has "grow stale", but because that's what the current developers wanted to work with, and there's nothing else to it, really. It's not like this is new as FF has experimented with action before in what became the SaGa franchise, or the Crystal Chronicles spin offs.
@ thread
Regarding the graphic discussion. I'd just like to add that I'm not complaining about the current state of the game; I know a lot will be improved upon until the game is shinier. I just don't like the overall aesthetic that they went for and I doubt we'll see any changes in that aspect. It's like how in the Zelda fandom a lot of people (me included) dislike Twilight Princess for it's dead colors and more realistic appeal while the game has a strong following that loves it exactly for those reasons.
It's fine if you like this kind of art and is happy to see a mainline Final Fantasy game giving it a go, but I personally favor the more colorful, fantasy-like style seen in VI or IX.