13 and 14 both look really good to me. I think graphics can be really beneficial in an RPG because everything is so cinematic. I don't think it's really a waste that they're shifting towards graphics on their new Final Fantasy titles. That's the whole point in developing for next-gen consoles.
Anyway, this topic has been coming up a lot lately and I think people who say the series has gone to shit lately are just trying to make the statement that they're "old school".
I didn't get into Final Fantasy until after X was released, so this could possibly cloud my judgement. However, I've beaten every Final Fantasy game from IV through XII.
I'll admit that I didn't think X was a very fun experience, nor X-2. I just didn't like the characters or the story very much. I also don't consider IX to have been much of an epic... While it's true that IV through VIII were amazing, they were no more awesome than the two latest Final Fantasy titles, XI and XII. V also would have much less enjoyable if it weren't for the awesome job system which influenced later Final Fantasy titles.
XI is my favorite MMORPG of all time, and XII is one of my favorite single-player RPGs.
VII's cast of characters was near flawless but I don't think it's fair to look back on your nostalgic PS1 experiences and say, "the series has changed since then, so it must be a bad thing." We'd be complaining much more if the series didn't evolve in some way...
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