11 Times Final Fantasy Pissed Off The Fans
1. Final Fantasy XIII... In General
Final Fantasy XIII isn't just the worst entry in the main franchise - it's directly responsible for tarnishing the series' reputation. In its prime, Final Fantasy was like Mario or The Legend of Zelda - it felt untouchable. Even if Square Enix churned out a bad title, it had little impact on how the series was perceived.
So, what went wrong with this instalment?
Well... it's complicated.
FFXIII was mainly criticised for its linear gameplay, the removal of free-roaming sections, and other staples of the franchise.
One can see why that would be disappointing for hardcore fans. But why was this game so devastating to Final Fantasy's name?
Like FFX, XIII had a direct sequel. At a glance, FFXIII-2 seemed to recalibrate the series by doing away with the linear structure. But the non-sensical story and underdeveloped characters caused this sequel to receive more criticism than its predecessor.
Instead of moving on, Square Enix had another crack at this saga by pulling out one more direct sequel. Thanks to another mediocre story and a terribly confusing time limit mechanic, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was universally panned.
So, FFXIII's problem wasn't one specific factor. The main issue with these three games was... the fact there were three games! If FFXIII was a singular title, it would be regarded as a misstep by the developers.
But because the company expanded the franchise's worst instalment into three titles, (each one more flawed than the last), Square Enix stretched out their biggest blunder to ensure the whole gaming community saw it for the failure that it was.