And she's a gamer, too?

If you haven't figured it out yet, I have a lot of unique, albeit nerdy, interests. Naturally, one of those interests includes video games, and my favorite kind is the RPG (role-playing game).

A role-playing game is where players assume the role of a fictional character in a fictional world and play out a predetermined narrative. In some cases, players will have a bit of control over the progression of the narrative, but they will ultimately follow a basic plot.

My favorite subgenre of RPG is the JRPG, or Japanese role-playing game. These games differ from Western RPGs in that they are a lot more narrative heavy and fantasy/magic-based. JRPGs put a lot of emphasis on the storyline and the character development, so you essentially feel like you're playing a movie. A lot of people don’t like these types of games because they are very linear, but I absolutely love them. So, without further ado, my favorite RPG series!

Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy series is extremely well-known in the gamer world. Frankly, if you don’t know what Final Fantasy is, then you are not a gamer.  Final Fantasy has been around since 1987, when Final Fantasy I was released. They currently have fourteen official installments along with numerous spin-offs.

Final Fantasy VII (1997) is often considered the best of these games as well as a game-changer (pun-intended) in the gaming industry. It popularized RPGs with its incredible graphics, storyline, and gameplay.

Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to play FFVII yet, so I cannot comment on the greatness of that game. I have loved every other FF game I’ve played, though, and my favorite would have to be Final Fantasy X.

FFX is my favorite game because it has a fantastic love story. The graphics are not the greatest, nor is the gameplay, but the cutscenes are beautiful and the storyline is practically seamless. (For those who don’t know what a cutscene is, it’s basically a movie scene in a video game used to further the plot)

And just for fun...

Then and Now: A cutscene from FFX (2001)

                         

                         A cutscene from FFXIII-2 (2012 USA)

[Notice the difference in graphics. It really is like watching a movie!]

Final Fantasy X uses a traditional turn-based gameplay style that is all but gone now. In fact, all Final Fantasy games up until FFXII used this style. The alternative to turn-based is “real-time,” which means the enemies don’t wait for you. Turn-based, however, works like this:

1. You encounter a random enemy on the map and enter a battle screen
2. You and the enemy take turns attacking until someone dies

Pretty lackluster, eh? That may be so, but it worked for its time. That said, it’s pretty ridiculous to battle an enemy who waits for you to make your move. 

Then and Now:

Battle scene from FFVII (1997)

Battle scene from FFX (2001)

Battle scene from FFXIII (2010)

The general scheme of all FF games is that you embark on an epic journey, encounter numerous enemies along the way whilst strengthening your characters, and finally engage in a grueling ultimate boss battle to beat the game. If you are one of those people who does pretty much everything in a game, including getting all ultimate weapons and maxing out character levels, the last boss is a cakewalk. Usually FF games offer bonus battles, however, that are much, much harder.

FFXII's Yiazmat, a notorious optional boss that takes upwards of 3 hours to kill.  3 hours.

Final Fantasy games also have recurring characters and themes in all of their installments.  There is usually a “Cid” who mans the airship, Chocobos, which are huge, birdlike animals that you can ride (and are also what my blog is named after), Moogles, which assist with various things in the game, and special beasts you can collect to help you in battles.

"Anima" from FFX (an Aeon/beast you can summon)

A Chocobo!

Just to give you an idea of how long these games can last, the average game in any genre can be beaten in around 20 hours. The average RPG will take more like 50-60 hours to beat, and if you do all the extras, it becomes more like 100 hours. I think my FFX has around 90.

And there you have it.  My hobbies are not just limited to Kdramas and Kpop music, but also include things like video games. If anyone is curious about what Final Fantasy games I have, here’s a comprehensive list:

Final Fantasy I

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy X-2

Final Fantasy XII

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (currently playing)

Final Fantasy Crisis Core for PSP

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy: Advent Children (This is actually a movie, but I'm including it anyway. If that's not nerd-status...)