“Better than Final Fantasy.”
That’s a phrase I throw
out a lot whenever my brother asks me what I think of a JRPG I’m trying out for
the first time -- usually one I say in the most deadpan, bitter tone I can
muster. Of course, we’re talking about
post-FF13 Final Fantasy, not any of the other ones…though where exactly the
series took a nosedive will vary from one person to the next. In my case, 13 was the one that I consider to be an affront and betrayal. And pretty much everything since then has not
only affirmed that there’s still plenty of hope for the genre, but that in many
respects Final Fantasy has been
surpassed both before and after 13’s release. There’s always a possibility that Squeenix
can pull out of its tailspin with some massive changes, or the release of Versus 13 that will supposedly restore
the faith (though I’m increasingly worried about how it’ll turn out), but until
then there are plenty of games that’ll scratch that itch. And I’m going to start naming them here and
now. Whether they’re underrated,
unknown, or just plain under…a rug or something…let’s have a good long talk
about some JRPGs. Or…part one of a long
talk. Probably. You know me.
...And this is the part where I wonder how many people actually read that paragraph instead of staring at the picture on its immediate right.
Well, whatever. Go right ahead -- read on, if you’re
looking for something to tickle your fancy.
And who knows? Maybe you’ll get
more pictures of Christina Hendricks along the way.
And that’s how you
dangle a carrot on a stick.