Why is it, that after 40 hours of gameplay, the game stays in your memories for a lifetime? I'm talking about stuff like Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 10, etc etc.. Stories that earn reviews like "Quite possibly the best game ever made." Quoted from the back of the Final fantasy jewel case from GameFan Magazine.. 40 hours of gameplay, over 3 discs, A story that would take a week to show in a movie theater (I'd watch it!) Why would I rather spend 40 hours working through a single player game when there are so many other genres out there? What makes this "Epic RPG" genre so amazing. And on a side note: What makes GOOD villains?! Think Sephiroth!! DO A GOOGLE SEARCH! Think one winged angel!! (LIMEWIRE!!) <-- THEME MUSIC!!

think Cloud and his huge-ass sword :P

Because any game that can hold your interest for 40 hours probably has some pretty impressive qualities that embed it in your memory?

Personally I don't find "Epic RPGs" amazing. I've tried playing them a few times and every time I've given up out of frustration or boredom. Deep story is wonderful but it needs to be supported by a gameplay mechanic that actually engages me in that story instead of making me feel like I'm fighting with the goal of levelling up.

After playing any game for an hour or two, the problem is always getting it out of my head. I think this has little to do with the quality of the game.

It’s all French … http://www.gamefan-mag.com/

Good villains, do bad stuff to save little old lady down the street, or they are being blackmailed to do it. Etc.

You do a google search.

Think fanboyism.

I tried playing ff7 a few years ago. It was boring and looked like crap. I wouldn't say it has aged well.

Count me in to the crowd that is more likely not to like a game such as you've described. I prefer something that isn't neccesarily such a timesink, and which gets me actively involved.

But, to contribute something that may be more useful to you, what qualities do I think contribute to making a game 'great' and/or highly memorable:
- Atmosphere. Games with a great atmosphere, usually also meaning they're very immersive. System Shock II (I'm not sure about the first) is a great example of this, the environment, audio and storyline just pull you in and hold your attention. As a bonus, this gives the game the ability to produce some deep emotional effects - particularly fear, and...
- 'Wow' moments. These usually come from something unexpected, and tend to be very well polished. When something that just seems perfect happens in a game.
- Rarity. Anything unique (unless it's just some overly abstract that doesn't really deserve to be called a game) tends to stick in my mind fairly well. This one is pretty hard to do though, as an awful lot of ideas have already been done.
- Polish. I (and I'm sure other gamers) will notice when a game is really well polished. Everything fits together properly, there aren't any elements that seem tacked on, and the game is well made.


I think good villains are probably those which have proper motivations. A lot of villains don't seem to have much of a reason to be evil, or seem to be carrying out dastardly deeds just for the sake of it, and as a result they just seem hollow.

I'd like to see a heated forum debate on the subject:

Which FF has aged better? FF6 or FF7?

Probably there isn't anyone here who cares enough to get mad about it, which is a good thing, I suppose.

And ultimately, it'd probably be drawn along age lines anyway.

Back in the day when I played hardcore, I played a few 40 hour games that don't stand out and a few that do. After 40 hours of repetitive combat sequences and game reloads you can't help but have a few things etched in your brain.

I think that these games that stick out in our minds more because of other influences in our lives. What's the deal with all those giant robots in Anime, why was there so much sci-fi on TV in the 90s, and how did special-op tactical unit simulations get so popular? Basic entrtainment value is the easy answer to these questions. That the people who were into these things were all going through something related to the where and when they lived... well that's the reason why I think certain things relly resonate with some people.

And then of course add in the wow factor of experiencing something unique. We're all suckers for eye candy and new experiences.

I think realism is what keeps me into like shooters and replaying the same RPG over and over. For unrealistic games its atmosphere, storyline and of course, the eye candy :D

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Original post by Shamino What makes GOOD villains?!

They need to be not just evil, but "twisted".

Kefka was evil for the sake of being evil, which would normally make for a bad villain. However, he was evil because he was broken, and he did it in such a delightful manner.

I liked Ganon because after attaining the triforce of power (and power was all he wanted) it corrupted him.

Look at Batman's villains. They're great because they don't belong in prison, they belong in Arkham.

Darth Vader was amazing because he still has enough honor to follow chain of command and used to be one of the good guys.

Commander Amarao because... those eyebrows! [grin]


And, for what it's worth, those stories wouldn't be 40 hours if you cut out the gameplay, which you would do if you made it into a movie/epic miniseries.

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Think Sephiroth!! DO A GOOGLE SEARCH!

Someone mentioned FFVI vs. FFVII. I have to admit, I didn't think Sephiroth was such a grea villain.

Sephiroth = Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka
Kefka = Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka

Give me Kefka over Sephiroth any day. I even liked Kuja better, probably because he seemed more hurt, and was finally redeemed, compared to Sephiroth's rage. Also, FFIX had better supporting villains. Queen Brahne, Beatrix, Garland, the Black Waltz trio.

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Think one winged angel!! (LIMEWIRE!!) <-- THEME MUSIC!!

He did have a good final battle theme. Better than Kefka's. But, I didn't really get into FFVII or FFVIII, at least not as much as the SNES FF's or FFIX. Partly because they were cheesy. Watch the opening to FFVIII. My goodness, that's amazing! Made my heart sing! But... then the game started... the story began... I found out that the opening started when Seifer said to Squall, "My penis is bigger than yours". [rolleyes]