@Greg:
I think I just realized the problem.
Final Fantasy used to rock right?
I mean, AS A GAME that serves as a stat-building challenge with visual rewards for crunching numbers, they're all fun.
But they used to be interesting too right?
I think it's because they've become more Japanese.
"Wot wot!? Are you outta yor bloody moind govnuh?"
Final Fantasy used to be about castles and fiefs and lords and ladies and shit right? But you also had some steam (not quite 'punk' perhaps 'brat') themes AND SOME Eastern themes. They used those characters and destinations but with kick-fucking-ass Japanese story-telling.
Now, one might argue that if you do a pallete swap and change some of the names from French shit to more English-friendly names, essentially the stories are the same, I would say that's not true. As the design has gotten closer to modern 'anime' styles in part thanks to Nomura's fucking everyone's mind into thinking what they should think is cool for 'anime' and games, the story has also gotten closer and closer to THEIR otaku culture, rather than what it was originally based on, OUR geek culture.
This was going to be a long post but that's my point so I'll end it there. Good night.
Y'know, normally I find your diatribes to be melodramatic and wierd, but here I think you got it spot on. Square's once legendary ability to tell a story in a video game was really hurt when it started embracing more and more bad anime cliches.
I'm not gonna write 13 off as whiny and dramatic, though, just because of one trailer. This trailer seems to be emphasizing the dramatic moments, and if you remember, the last trailer we saw emphasized the setting, and had more of an intense feel.
I say hold off any extreme judgements until the game comes out, but god I hope that shitty fuckin' song isn't in-game anywhere… Remember when FF games had songs like Otherworld and Dark Messenger? Can we stick with that and keep the J-Pop in Kingdom Hearts?