Haven't played the game myself but I've looked at the high-res art pieces of characters from the game and plenty of videos. How the main characters are designed is nothing new, I personally think Sqaurenix has not made very many good character designs ever since they entered the 3-D realm. FF7 the characters look pretty normal, with Cid being my favorite since he looked like something a guy of his type would wear. Then FF8 branded into "let’s make everyone look like cosplayers and hey, big scars on your face makes you hardcore, super hardcore." Then there was Zell, he and Mike Tyson had to be the only two alive to ever think that god awful face tattoo was cool. Then FF9 made everyone look sorta like muppet babies, but I didn't mind as much since the FF9 was lighter hearted then most. Then FF10 gave us Meg Ryan in space age soccer clothes and a cross eyed shrine maiden.
I could make plenty of jokes about Vaan, but all I can really do is point and laugh until I choke on my tears. Sqaurenix has made bizarre character after bizarre characters that clothing options even for a fantasy game look god awful and make no practical sense in a combat situation. Fran would die from blood loss from all the skin she reveals and Vaan must hate his chest/stomach because he displays his scrawny figure with pride. Then like somebody else mentioned Basch must like getting stabbed in the stomach, because he's totally open. Then Ashe looks like a high school girl wearing all the trampy clothes she can find to rebel against daddy, her face also annoys me she just looks...annoying.
Then Balthier looks the most normal of the lot when compared to the setting and style of the game. His clothing is light and perfect for the fast fighting type of guy he is, his sandals don't make much practical sense but a small detail I can forgive. I can forgive whatever little things Balthier may have wrong when everyone else look like the seventh circle of cosplay hell.
I wish for once SE would make characters that still stand out from everybody else but their clothing practical for a combat situation. They also need to stop with the gaudy colors, bright yellow jumpsuit on Penolo? It makes me want to stab my eyes with a fork. I also wish the main character you play didn't look like the worlds biggest doofus and also sound like it. I know people out there will go "OMG Vann LOOKS UBER GAY!" but last time I checked virtual game characters do not have sexual orientation. Vann just looks out of place, his armor is stupid as hell and he just looks like an uninspired and "let’s make another feminine looking guy but he may be a bit girlish but he is hardcore as hell. So hardcore that he can kill a large dragon with a sword and then eat its young even though his appearance gives no evidence of that and looks like he just came from an anime convention." His armor still makes no practical sense, his legs and hands are protected yet his chest has nothing but a small vest, one well placed stab to this guy’s chest and he'd be dead.
I also haven't been impressed with how the characters are voiced either, despite some of them having veteran voice actors. The only guy whose look and voice I like is Balthier, he sounds like the smooth rogue he is and his entire character is just nicely constructed from his look to voice and personality.
But yeah in conclusion I haven't been too pleased with character design once they entered the 3-D realm and voice acting since FF10. But I haven't really liked FF in years and was highly disappointed in 10 so I'm probably not the best guy to ask. I do like how the story for FF12 is about political strife then saving the world, too bad the guys saving the kingdom in FF12 look like the Cosplay Brigade.
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