final fantasy xv actually released (no, really)

[Samias]

I think Final Fantasy's current business model almost requires sequels? The base games cost so much to make that they need the cheap cash-in sequels to help turn a real profit. FFX-2 and FFXIII-2 are not the most adored games in the series but they still sold a lot (3-4M?) compared to their budgets.

Yeah, the costs sunk into developing their own engines is something that motivates SE to make direct sequels. Crystal Tools was extremely expensive for XIII and XIV 1.0. That engine was just so terrible when it came to optimization, though, so XIII-2 and Lightning Returns were forced to pare down playable characters to make the games more open. Luminous Studio will have to make its money back somehow. Its custom sister engine for XIV is paid for by subscription fees and cash shop cosmetics. However I doubt SE is just going to use it for XV once and move on. Not to mention XV took over 10 years to develop, a bunch of that time being wasted on Crystal Tools only to find it completely inadequate for what the devs wanted to do.

No matter how "final" the ending of XV seems for the characters...

[spoiler=FFX and FFXIII spoilers]Lightning and co survived crystal stasis and a bunch of time travel and afterlife shenanigans to continue to have adventures so rebirth is not outside the realm of possibility. Especially in Fabula Nova Crystalis if Etro is still linked to this universe. And somehow Tidus managed to survive returning to the Farplane to return in the ending of FFX-2. Square Enix really doesn't care about asspull reasons to have their main characters survive death.

Actually it would be kind of cool if we got some more experimental spinoffs like what happened with FFXII and Revenant Wings and FFTA2. After all, that's how Type-0 and FFXV originally existed, but for the 13 universe. But I doubt it, because the huge expense of Crystal Tools and Luminous Studio is hanging over SE's head.

[Jedi]

Honestly in terms of pure gameplay X-2 is one of my favorite games in the franchise due to it being the perfection of the ATB system in my opinion.

Also people never seem to bring up FF4 the After Years when they talk about FF sequels, I honestly find that one to be the weakest one (maybe thats just because 4 is my personal favorite FF) it has its share of cool moments and ideas, (then again I'm a guy who likes pretty much every game in the franchise). But it feels mostly like a rehash of 4 with new characters helping the old with a few new concepts.

At least the other sequels tried new things for the most part.

[Dark Holy Elf]

I actually thought The After Years was decent enough, but maybe that's because I'm the opposite: I didn't like FF4 that much. TAY addressed one of my main concerns with FF4 (total lack of choice in party construction), and dramatically improved its battle system while keeping the core concepts intact. It's still a very flawed game because a lot of the episodes were poorly paced and the writing feels like something someone in junior high would write, but I enjoyed the big dungeon crawl in the second half of the game with what is probably the best version of the old-school FF4-9 ATB to date. It is definitely a bit of a rehash (embarrassingly so at points) though, you're right on that count.

There is also FInal Fantasy Dimensions, which while it isn't a plot sequel to FF5, is very obviously its gameplay successor. ATB job system game. It's definitely the best of the FF sequels in my books and I generally would highly recommend it to anyone who likes FF (and job system games in particular) for gameplay. Be warned: like FF5, its story is at best "charming" and at worst, just bad.

[The DanMan]

Honestly in terms of pure gameplay X-2 is one of my favorite games in the franchise due to it being the perfection of the ATB system in my opinion.

Also people never seem to bring up FF4 the After Years when they talk about FF sequels, I honestly find that one to be the weakest one (maybe thats just because 4 is my personal favorite FF) it has its share of cool moments and ideas, (then again I'm a guy who likes pretty much every game in the franchise). But it feels mostly like a rehash of 4 with new characters helping the old with a few new concepts.

At least the other sequels tried new things for the most part.

To my understanding, that's due to many people trying to forget its existence.

[Samias]

Most FF sequels are pretty bad. In that respect I think X-2 and XIII-2 are actually high quality games for mixing things up and not retreading the same ground even with some reused graphics and areas. Even if the plot is bad, the gameplay in both those titles are really good.

Been making progress in FFXV. The dialogue is quite bad and conversations don't always make sense. The characters kind of talk over each other sometimes. That said it is less groan worthy than FF13's awful script. The combat is also way more fun. However the default control scheme is awkward and you only get to pick from a list of presets. I chose preset B, which puts block on the shoulder button which makes it easier to maneuver around and weave attacks.

[The Draco Knight]

Most FF sequels are pretty bad. In that respect I think X-2 and XIII-2 are actually high quality games for mixing things up and not retreading the same ground even with some reused graphics and areas. Even if the plot is bad, the gameplay in both those titles are really good.

Been making progress in FFXV. The dialogue is quite bad and conversations don't always make sense. The characters kind of talk over each other sometimes. That said it is less groan worthy than FF13's awful script. The combat is also way more fun. However the default control scheme is awkward and you only get to pick from a list of presets. I chose preset B, which puts block on the shoulder button which makes it easier to maneuver around and weave attacks.

I may be weird, but I enjoyed FFX-2's plot and story in general but that may be because I liked X-2!Yuna's character a lot. Also, an aspect that I think doesn't get much credit, but was the best one for me is that

It let us see a different Spira; a Spira that can now live happily and that doesn't have to live in fear of Sin. Really, It was very mice to see how much It changed

Also, regarding FFXV, I hope you don't have high expectations for the story because It seems to be considered one of the weakest aspect of the game by many of those who have already completed it, altough, from the criticism I've heard, It's clear that It's because of the troubles they have met during the development.

Honestly in terms of pure gameplay X-2 is one of my favorite games in the franchise due to it being the perfection of the ATB system in my opinion.

Also people never seem to bring up FF4 the After Years when they talk about FF sequels, I honestly find that one to be the weakest one (maybe thats just because 4 is my personal favorite FF) it has its share of cool moments and ideas, (then again I'm a guy who likes pretty much every game in the franchise). But it feels mostly like a rehash of 4 with new characters helping the old with a few new concepts.

At least the other sequels tried new things for the most part.

To be fair, that happens to the sequels that, while connected to the main games, aren't considered to be part of it, such as the already called The After Years, Dirge of Cerberus and, sadly, revenant Wings.

[Samias]

Dirge of Cerberus and Revenant Wings were also on different platforms than the original game they follow in different game genres. I only know a few people who liked Dirge of Cerberus as it is pretty much the Shadow the Hedgehog of FF7. Crisis Core was a much more successful game and went the action RPG route, which tends to be more palatable than FPS or RTS when it comes to RPG spinoffs.

And yeah my hopes for the story of FFXV are not that high. But after XIII I don't know if it will ever be that bad. I don't expect it to stack up to FFXIV, which was written by the Tactics Ogre and Ivalice team.

[Dark Holy Elf]

The Ivalice team wrote anything good after FFT? News to me. (I don't play MMOs.)

FFX-2 had a great setting but its cast was problematic (I even like X-2 Yuna well enough! But... most of the new characters feel like they're out of a bad fanfic) and its gameplay was a huge step back from X, imo. I knew it was gonna be bad when I ran into a flan and just hit it to death with swords; the entire gameplay design seemed mailed in to me, which is a shame because the core idea of the class system is a good one. (FF5 is one of my favourite games in the series. I don't remember a single X-2 boss fight which is remotely as memorable as like a dozen of FF5's, though.)

I think the main reason that X-2 and XIII-2 are talked about more than other sequels is just that (a) they came out while the first game was still fresh and relevant, and (b) had a lot of marketing/hype/sales. Also being for the same system helps, yes.

[ReturnofMCH]

level 40 and still on chapter 3

but I am loving this game.

I personally like XIII but I can understand most of the hate, but I don't like XIII-2 or X-2