I'm really glad to hear others having the same experience I did with the Final Fantasy series...
I loved FF7 as it was my first introduction to RPGs. I easily put 150+ hours into it until I'd maxed out all my characters HP, breeded a golden Chocobo, and then defeated Ruby, Emerald, and Diamond without looking.
But when FF8 hit I was shocked at the turn in direction. In my opinion, this is the best Final Fantasy for the intelligent story and complete world. Triple Triad is a wonderful little mini-game. But this is the last FF title I completed.
As time went on I found my ability to care decreased exponentially. I played though most of FFIX, less of FFX, and didn't even want to know about FFXI.
Last year when FFXII hit I really tried to get interested, but to be honest, I think that game was a disaster. I enjoyed the new combat approach but everything else was awful. The character designs, loctions, and storyline made me wonder if they'd hit rock bottom. In recent years I've tried to get into the older FF games through emulation or the old PSOne re-releases, but I think I've missed the boat. It simply seems like too much of a commitment after a few hours or repetitive gameplay.
The one title I was able to play without crying was ChronoTrigger. I'd never played it back when released but even today it holds up to be a lighthearted romp through time. Simply a joy to play.
