FF2がガチで不人気な理由
Veteran gamers often point out FF2's genuine unpopularity. Its unique proficiency and confusing Word Memory systems made it a divisive game, baffling many players at the time. Yet, these 'niche' aspects found fans, making it a subject of ongoing debate online.
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Final Fantasy II (FF2)
Final Fantasy II is the second installment in the RPG series, released for the Family Computer (Famicom) in 1988 by Square (now Square Enix), following the success of the original Final Fantasy in 1987. While the first FF was a classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy RPG, FF2's developers pursued 'something new,' making bold systemic changes. Its most significant feature was the abandonment of the traditional 'gain experience points and level up' system, in favor of the proficiency system described below. This change was both innovative for players at the time and a source of confusion and dissatisfaction. For instance, to increase a character's HP, they had to repeatedly take damage from enemies, and to raise magic proficiency, the same spell had to be cast multiple times—methods of growth that were not intuitive. It also featured a dense and serious storyline, with protagonist Firion and his companions confronting imperial oppression, a theme unusual for RPGs of that era. Its innovation, combined with a system that, for better or worse, appealed only to specific players, is a major reason why it's considered 'unpopular.'
Proficiency System
The proficiency system is a core element of character growth in FF2 and simultaneously one of the biggest reasons for its 'unpopularity.' This system completely abolished the traditional RPG method of 'defeating enemies to gain experience points and leveling up once a certain amount is reached.' Instead, it adopted a mechanism where each stat individually increased based on the actions a character performed or the damage they received. Specifically, landing physical attacks on enemies would raise 'Strength' and 'Weapon Proficiency,' while using magic would increase 'Intelligence' and 'Magic Proficiency.' Furthermore, avoiding enemy attacks would improve 'Agility' and 'Evasion Rate,' and taking damage from enemies would boost 'HP' and 'Stamina.' This system led to players having to 'grind' specific stats intentionally. For example, to efficiently raise HP, players had to engage in 'HP grinding,' which involved repeatedly attacking allies to take damage or continuously enduring attacks from weak enemies. Many players found this extremely monotonous and stressful. While offering high freedom, this unique growth system was widely criticized for making it difficult or tedious to raise desired stats, which is considered a major reason why it wasn't well-received by RPG players of the time.
Word Memory System
The Word Memory system was a highly novel, yet confusing, system used for story progression and information gathering in FF2. In this system, when players heard specific important 'keywords' during conversations with characters, these keywords would be stored as the player's 'memory.' Then, by selecting and presenting the appropriate keyword from this stored memory to another character, new information could be obtained, or the story could advance. For example, hearing and remembering the keyword 'airship' from one character and then mentioning it to another might reveal secrets about the airship or hints about the next destination. This system differed from traditional RPGs by not providing clear hints like 'where to go' or 'what to do next,' requiring players to experiment and utilize keywords themselves. Consequently, it was not uncommon for players to get stuck, unable to figure out the next step, leading them to try keywords exhaustively. Contemporary gaming magazines received many reader comments about the 'difficulty of the Word Memory system' or 'getting stuck,' making it, alongside the proficiency system, another reason for FF2's 'unpopularity.' This unique system was rarely adopted directly in subsequent series.