Final Fantasy XIII

[Etoh*the*Greato]

I can only pray that Hope is the Origami Killer.

It'd certainly make him less irritating.

[Straylight]

I've racked up around 20 something hours on it now - it's definitely a good game. Perhaps not quite as amazing as a couple of older titles, (e.g. cough... X...) but still really good. The level of enjoyment can be compared with Mass Effect easily. It's not without faults though.

The start is slow - the first two chapters are composed of extremely easy repetitive battles, which get boring quite quickly. It would have been better if the tutorials and comlementary easy stuff were a little less spread out.

I liked the battle system despite its deviation from the traditional framework. The fast pace tests your reactions which is different to previous games. However one thing I thought a bit silly was the way character specialisations work - essentially they've turned it into a soup by making all of the characters black mages and adding other types of magic and fighting abilities on top, like status effect and cure spell specialisations.

Even though I liked 13's battle system, I would still prefer to see the next game use something more traditional, preferably that leans towards the idea of having about one role per character, e.g. a white and black mage, fighter, etc.

The visuals and score exceeded my expectations, and the 1080p resolution (at least on the ps3) was a nice touch. As for the story, I think it's quite hard to comment on this because I've not finished it yet. It seems largely good - despite a fair bit of cheesy nonsense. But it is a Final Fantasy game afterall.

[Mithrandir]

[quote="Straylight (post: 1381286)"]I've racked up around 20 something hours on it now - it's definitely a good game. Perhaps not quite as amazing as a couple of older titles, (e.g. cough... X...) but still really good. The level of enjoyment can be compared with Mass Effect easily. It's not without faults though.

The start is slow - the first two chapters are composed of extremely easy repetitive battles, which get boring quite quickly. It would have been better if the tutorials and comlementary easy stuff were a little less spread out.

I liked the battle system despite its deviation from the traditional framework. The fast pace tests your reactions which is different to previous games. However one thing I thought a bit silly was the way character specialisations work - essentially they've turned it into a soup by making all of the characters black mages and adding other types of magic and fighting abilities on top, like status effect and cure spell specialisations.

Even though I liked 13's battle system, I would still prefer to see the next game use something more traditional, preferably that leans towards the idea of having about one role per character, e.g. a white and black mage, fighter, etc.

The visuals and score exceeded my expectations, and the 1080p resolution (at least on the ps3) was a nice touch. As for the story, I think it's quite hard to comment on this because I've not finished it yet. It seems largely good - despite a fair bit of cheesy nonsense. But it is a Final Fantasy game afterall. ]


To be clear about this: PLEASE KEEP THESE UPDATES COMING!!! I'm very interested in what you have to say about the game, being as you're actually playing it and all. XD

[Roberts]

I went into XIII with the same expectation I have for any hyped up product (more like hyped down after the reviews, but anyway); I expected it to suck.

Just hit the beginning of chapter 5, so I'm not in the greatest position to make a judgment on the experience as a whole, but so far I've been enjoying it quite a lot. The battle system seems different enough to be enjoyable, the story has enough intrigue to keep me going, and the music and graphics are amazing as expected.

In regards to the linearity. I... can only really say that it has been noticeable, but the story so far has been pulling me along. I have personally not found the game boring at all thus far.

As far as what people have mentioned regarding the customization, or supposed lack thereof, the way the game is approached (story wise and battle system wise) seems to have made this a non-issue for me. I still feel as though I have choice in regards to the direction I take my characters, and the way I use them in battle. It is certainly no FFV or FFVII, but it feels to me as though I have at least enough freedom to make it enjoyable (and don't get me wrong, I am a fervent proponent of in-depth character customization).

I'll throw something up with I get a bit further in, but so far I'm glad I didn't let the media review aggregate stop me from purchasing this game.

[Mithrandir]

I'll throw something up with I get a bit further in, but so far I'm glad I didn't let the media review aggregate stop me from purchasing this game.

Please do. I'm very interested in how people do/don't like this game.

I'm still very on the fence, but after hearing from people who played it and watching videos, etc, I'm leaning toward picking this up as soon as I finish Wild Arms.

[Solid Ronin]

I liked the battle system despite its deviation from the traditional framework. The fast pace tests your reactions which is different to previous games. However one thing I thought a bit silly was the way character specialisations work - essentially they've turned it into a soup by making all of the characters black mages and adding other types of magic and fighting abilities on top, like status effect and cure spell specialisations.

Even though I liked 13's battle system, I would still prefer to see the next game use something more traditional, preferably that leans towards the idea of having about one role per character, e.g. a white and black mage, fighter, etc.

Ya know, I thought (think) the exact same thing, but I can't help but think of the pit falls of that style of system.

I think for any one class per. character system to really work is to have four party members, and while that's not by any means a bad thing, making that balanced party means losing out on sheer power. Yeah A warrior can still do good damage against the monster weak to fire. But yeah! Wouldn't at least TWO guys doing fire magic while the others buff and heal be awesome.

True that makes the game easier, but it also makes you feel cool.

Then again, You pointed out FFX, which gave you the ability to switch out characters mid-combat. So, ya know what, as long as that's in place. Bring that Char.Class on!

[Mithrandir]

...Then again, You pointed out FFX, which gave you the ability to switch out characters mid-combat. So, ya know what, as long as that's in place. Bring that Char.Class on!

I kinda lean toward this philosophy, too. If you have random encounters (which frankly I don't like), I like having the ability to pull in the people who are best equipped to handle these enemies. On the other hand, if you *don't* have random encounters, it's OK to have to pre-load the guys in question.

I guess I'm in the minority of the population that really did like FF12's battle interface more than most of the others. XD

[Mithrandir]

Soooo..... I just bought this game. If you are like me and were on the fence because you are a FF fan, and didn't know whether you'd like it or not, please read this carefully:

DO NOT WASTE YOUR FREAKING MONEY! I've spent hours and hours on this and whoever decided this was a Final Fantasy game was full of absolute crap. Here's my SHORT list:

* The characters make me want to kill them all
* The video is not up to PS3 caliber
* The music is not up to FF standards
* The camera should be classified as cruel and inhumane
* You can't customize jack
* The story line is unbelievably complex (and frankly kinda boring)
* Of the hundred or so cut scenes I've watched, they've ALL had more "teen angst" than I ever wanted to see.

I could go on and on and on. I'm angry and disappointed that I've spent $65 on this game. If I could get my money back, I would. I consider myself a major FF fan, but I will not recommend this game to anyone. I feel betrayed by Square Enix. Whatever the hell this piece of crap is, it's NOT a Final Fantasy game.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying NO ONE can like this game. I'm saying people that consider themselves real die-hard FF fans probably won't. After FFXI, FFX-2 and DOC (and now FF13), I've decided Square Enix basically doesn't care about fans like me anymore. Fine. CALL THE GAME SOMETHING ELSE THEN!!! They just want to keep milking the cash cow, I guess. Well they get no more money from me. As far as I'm concerned, this series is over.

*is disgusted*

[Yamamaya]

^

[Nate]

Soooo..... I just bought this game. If you are like me and were on the fence because you are a FF fan, and didn't know whether you'd like it or not, please read this carefully:

DO NOT WASTE YOUR FREAKING MONEY! I've spent hours and hours on this and whoever decided this was a Final Fantasy game was full of absolute crap. Here's my SHORT list:

* The characters make me want to kill them all
* The video is not up to PS3 caliber
* The music is not up to FF standards
* The camera should be classified as cruel and inhumane
* You can't customize jack
* The story line is unbelievably complex (and frankly kinda boring)
* Of the hundred or so cut scenes I've watched, they've ALL had more "teen angst" than I ever wanted to see.

I could go on and on and on. I'm angry and disappointed that I've spent $65 on this game. If I could get my money back, I would. I consider myself a major FF fan, but I will not recommend this game to anyone. I feel betrayed by Square Enix. Whatever the hell this piece of crap is, it's NOT a Final Fantasy game.

Nah but I hear you. I was never on the fence about this game, but when I heard the stories about it I knew it wasn't for me. I'll just stick to Dragon Quest and the older FF games. But yeah every complaint you mentioned was stuff I knew about it ages ago. Especially the music. I blame the terrible music on the inexperience of the composer. Nobuo Uematsu, we need you back!

[ST. Attidude]

From what I read from the Gamepro review, this game was perceived the exact same way as Super Mario Bros. Wii was: A game that attempts to appeal both the veteran fan audience and the youthful newcomers, resulting in a bunch of inconsistencies hard for most gamers to swallow...the critic's biggest complaint was the failure to publish the original Japanese dialogue, especially for the ps3 version (I don't ever recall such an option for any FF game so whatever...)
personally, I think it appears to be too "sci-fi-ish" for a real FF title, but I can't say how it plays for I don't own neither a ps3 nor a xb360 (yet).

[Ingemar]

Square-Enix ain't no Blizzard.

[MasterDias]

I probably shouldn't attempt to defend a game I haven't played on a system I don't yet actually own, but I have to take issue with this statement...

The video is not up to PS3 caliber

Compared to what? I mean...I've watched various trailers/videos and such, and those graphics look absolutely spectacular. I think this is the first complaint I've seen of that nature.

And, well, I seem to recall "angst" being quite common in past Final Fantasy installments, and Japanese RPGs in general, so I guess I just don't really see the problem as far as that goes. And some of the other reviews appear to have liked the characters, but that's all pretty subjective anyway.

I'm not really on the "fence" however. I have enjoyed every numbered Final Fantasy installment since IV(including X-2, and excepting XI which I never bothered with) and nothing I've read has actually turned me off of this, so yeah... I do sympathize with purchasing a game you find disappointing at full price though. It's one reason why I often wait for price drops/used copies.

[Midori]

*is disgusted*

Okay, this is a standard question I ask in these situations that I would like to ask now.

Would you have liked it more if they had named it something else, or if it had been developed by a different studio?

[Mithrandir]

Compared to what? I mean...I've watched various trailers/videos and such, and those graphics look absolutely spectacular. I think this is the first complaint I've seen of that nature.

The world pretty much all blurs stuff together, and there are a lot of places where it's just too dark to really know what's going on. The graphics for the cut scenes are outstanding, but the actual battle scenes aren't really all that great, in my opinion.

Okay, this is a standard question I ask in these situations that I would like to ask now.

Square has many other titles. This seems like a good candidate for one of them. If they hadn't branded this as FF, I would never in a million years guessed that was how they were going to release it. There's nothing in the first 10 hours that would make me think it was, with the possible exception of the paltry amounts of "gil" I've acquired.

Along those lines, you don't get much Gil from battles, you get stuff that's dropped. But some of it is useful for modding weapons, and others just for selling. You have *no way of knowing which* though. And worse off, there's nothing that tells you what adding one (or 20) of something will do until you add it. And even then, it's not exactly clear. I mean, so this makes the weapon give you 2x EXP. Well so what? My guys don't level up anyway so who cares?

Again, it's not that it's necessarily a BAD game in it's own right. But I bought this on Final Fantasy cred. I want my Gil back.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

The best FF games didn't have much in the way of teenaged brand angst going for them. At least that's my opinion. VI had a little, but not much and the "adult" branded angst was much better. IX was just... wow. There will never bee a FF better in my book. The more that I think about that series the more I begin to think IX was the pinnacle.


... That may just be me, though.

[Ante Bellum]

So much angst in FFVII...it probably didn't help that I named Cloud, Angst.
Either way, there is a point where the people should stop with so much angst. In the words of...I think somebody I know...Final Fantasy will really be a final fantasy once all of the characters become so emo that they kill themselves. :/

[Fish and Chips]

I have not played this game.

I do not own a PS3, nor do I plan to in the immediate future. I also probably wouldn't buy this game just because Final Fantasy is sort of an odd subject for me, so the subject about whether or not it is a good or true Final Fantasy is one I'd generally avoid.

I cannot seriously comment on gameplay, difficulty, pacing, level caps, linearity, or anything else of actual substance to someone trying to make an informed decision about whether they wanted to buy the game or, having bought it, liked it. In other words, despite my expressed grievances with the 'supposed shortcomings earlier in the thread, I have no real opinion about Final Fantasy XIII, good or bad.

I have seen a few Youtube Let's Plays, however.

That said.













[SIZE="7"]DAT FINAL BOSS.[/SIZE]

[blkmage]

I am now interested in this idea of a "real Final Fantasy game" as opposed to games that are "not a real Final Fantasy" games that I've been seeing everywhere. That is, I would like to know what, for example, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VIII have in common that Final Fantasy XIII does not have which makes it Not A Real Final Fantasy Game™. Because so far, it seems like the only criteria differentiating a Real Final Fantasy Game from a Not A Real Final Fantasy Game is whether the person talking about the game likes it or not.

[Bobtheduck]

Real Final Fantasy has to do with the feeling of the game. The feeling that's different than other RPGs, but consistent through FF games, until 11 and 12, anyhow. Despite the different play styles in the games over the years, they all have an overarching feel. Getting rid of traditional leveling took some of that away in 2. Getting rid of money earned in battle in 8 took some of that away. Getting rid of an overworld map took some of that away in 10. Where it really fell apart, though, was getting rid of direct battle control in 12.

Another aspect of the Feeling of FF is Nobuo Uematsu's music and the cheesy, but consistent sound effects and characters.

12 was missing many traditional FF characters, didn't have FF style music, and took direct control away during battles. I think the music in FFXIII sounds much more Final Fantasy like than XII, from what I've heard. Battle music, in particular. Also, I've seen battles in 13 that were very classic FF enemies. The Jumbo Cactuar fight (while it looks like he came from Little Big Planet) is epic in the video. But taking away towns does do more damage that bringing back some classic characters fixes.

[SIZE="7"]DAT FINAL BOSS.[/SIZE]

I have not seen the final boss, so I can only infer from your writing style

[SIZE="7"]?[/SIZE]

[Straylight]

Soooo..... I just bought this game. If you are like me and were on the fence because you are a FF fan, and didn't know whether you'd like it or not, please read this carefully:

DO NOT WASTE YOUR FREAKING MONEY! I've spent hours and hours on this and whoever decided this was a Final Fantasy game was full of absolute crap. Here's my SHORT list:

* The characters make me want to kill them all
* The video is not up to PS3 caliber
* The music is not up to FF standards
* The camera should be classified as cruel and inhumane
* You can't customize jack
* The story line is unbelievably complex (and frankly kinda boring)
* Of the hundred or so cut scenes I've watched, they've ALL had more "teen angst" than I ever wanted to see.

I could go on and on and on. I'm angry and disappointed that I've spent $65 on this game. If I could get my money back, I would. I consider myself a major FF fan, but I will not recommend this game to anyone. I feel betrayed by Square Enix. Whatever the hell this piece of crap is, it's NOT a Final Fantasy game.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying NO ONE can like this game. I'm saying people that consider themselves real die-hard FF fans probably won't. After FFXI, FFX-2 and DOC (and now FF13), I've decided Square Enix basically doesn't care about fans like me anymore. Fine. CALL THE GAME SOMETHING ELSE THEN!!! They just want to keep milking the cash cow, I guess. Well they get no more money from me. As far as I'm concerned, this series is over.

*is disgusted*

Aw come on, it's not that bad. Are you going to play it to the end?

[Solid Ronin]

Soooo..... I just bought this game. If you are like me and were on the fence because you are a FF fan, and didn't know whether you'd like it or not, please read this carefully:

DO NOT WASTE YOUR FREAKING MONEY! I've spent hours and hours on this and whoever decided this was a Final Fantasy game was full of absolute crap. Here's my SHORT list:

* The characters make me want to kill them all
* The video is not up to PS3 caliber
* The music is not up to FF standards
* The camera should be classified as cruel and inhumane
* You can't customize jack
* The story line is unbelievably complex (and frankly kinda boring)
* Of the hundred or so cut scenes I've watched, they've ALL had more "teen angst" than I ever wanted to see.

I could go on and on and on. I'm angry and disappointed that I've spent $65 on this game. If I could get my money back, I would. I consider myself a major FF fan, but I will not recommend this game to anyone. I feel betrayed by Square Enix. Whatever the hell this piece of crap is, it's NOT a Final Fantasy game.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying NO ONE can like this game. I'm saying people that consider themselves real die-hard FF fans probably won't. After FFXI, FFX-2 and DOC (and now FF13), I've decided Square Enix basically doesn't care about fans like me anymore. Fine. CALL THE GAME SOMETHING ELSE THEN!!! They just want to keep milking the cash cow, I guess. Well they get no more money from me. As far as I'm concerned, this series is over.

*is disgusted*

Ah, The sweet tears of the mods. Truly they are the wine of the gods.

I now give this game a 10/10.

[Chosen Raven]

Just thought I'd post my thoughts on the game. Just for the record, I'm on disc 2(360 obviously). First, the characters. Snow is good. Too bad the game isn't spending much time on him. Sasz and Vaniel are alright. Not particularly good or bad. Lightning and Hope however.....ugh. Hope is a whiney brat. Seriously. He's getting a little better, but in an angsty way. Still an improvement though. Lightning is by far my least favorite character not only in this FF, but in every FF I have ever played. She is an out and out witch. And I say witch cuz I ain't gonna say the B word. She's meant to be portrayed as tough and cool, but she just comes off as the biggest jerk alive. Even in her flashbacks! If ever there was an adult that needed a spanking..... I remember in an interview, one of the guys behind the game said she was the strongest woman in the FF series to date. PC tough chicks always turn out bad ><
The overall story is meh. Pretty generic so far. You got your outcasts fighting an evil military with vaguely religious sounding names like Sanctum and Eden(seriously, when will Japan stop picking on Christianity? It's beyond cliche now). Hopefully the story will take more twists and turns as I go further in.
The graphics are gorgeos. Yet the game still manages to make the dungeons boring due to their sheer length. You spend quite a while in some of these dungeons, and the layout pretty much never changes. Once you start a new dungeon, look around you. Now you've seen the entire thing. Very little variety within them.
The battle system.....well, it's not the WORST battle system I've ever played(I'm looking at you, FF2). The first hour and a half of the game is awful, truly awful. Your characters have no abilities other than attack. You're forced to fight ALOT of battles, and throughout them you're just tapping A over and over. At the start of battle, just tap A non stop. You'll win 90% of the time. Want to win 100%? Just occasionally use a potion when low on health. It's inexcusable to start a game off like this and make it last for over an hour. Once something that I'm not going to say for spoiler reasons happens, you get abilities and the ability to shift your auto battle actions. It's a heck of a lot better than the start, but yes, the game's central battle mechanic is focused around auto battling. You don't choose your abilites, you just choose how your characters behave. You're still pressing A over and over, just now you're pressing the left bumper whenever you want to change someone's auto battle to help heal or buff/debuff. This is the most uninteractive battle system I have ever played. Summons change it up a bit, but you're always saving them for big battles.
So far, the game is super average. I think Square-Enix is just counting on people to buy FFs cuz of the name and not quality. I mean, I haven't like an FF since the awesome 9, and I still bought this in the hope of greatness. Ah well.

[ShiroiHikari]

I dunno, I thought the music was pretty good.

[uc pseudonym]

I can actually see myself enjoying the game in the same way I enjoy Metal Gear Solid. The game play is alright, but it's just something I do in between the cutscenes and there's no real reason to play through more than once. That was how I felt about Neverwinter Nights, because the lack of a real party reduced combat and leveling to a basic progression. By contrast, Baulder's Gate II probably had a weaker set of combat rules overall, but I had much more fun because the customization and exploration mattered. Then again, my opinion about BGII is probably a bit biased.

My real question for people who have played the game is how they felt about the plot and characters, beyond basic impressions. For reference, I was okay with FFX in a laid back manner. Sure, I disliked every time Tidus or Yuna was on screen, but there was Auron and I was going along with things waiting for the opening to make sense. How does FFXIII compare?

I am now interested in this idea of a "real Final Fantasy game" as opposed to games that are "not a real Final Fantasy" games that I've been seeing everywhere. That is, I would like to know what, for example, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VIII have in common that Final Fantasy XIII does not have which makes it Not A Real Final Fantasy Game™]
I'm with you on this one. I don't think the Final Fantasy series overall has a consistent feel to it, beyond the common traits of the JRPG sub-genre. The only ways that FF is a series for me are the common plot elements and the fact that you can count on a ton of money having been poured into the game. It's more like a novelist's brand name: you know a bit more about what you're getting than a random title.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR FREAKING MONEY! I've spent hours and hours on this and whoever decided this was a Final Fantasy game was full of absolute crap.

You should send it to me. You will also need to send your PS3. And your television. And suitcases filled with money.

[Nate]

[quote="blkmage"]I am now interested in this idea of a "real Final Fantasy game" as opposed to games that are "not a real Final Fantasy" games that I've been seeing everywhere. That is, I would like to know what, for example, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VIII have in common that Final Fantasy XIII does not have which makes it Not A Real Final Fantasy Game™]
Well I'll give you one thing that makes a real Final Fantasy game, thus further proving XIII is not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glu5wr5LRm4

That. And Uematsu not doing the music for the game has nothing to do with why it wasn't in XIII, so don't even bother using that excuse, since he didn't do the music in XII and it was in that one.

[Radical Dreamer]

Well I'll give you one thing that makes a real Final Fantasy game, thus further proving XIII is not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glu5wr5LRm4

That. And Uematsu not doing the music for the game has nothing to do with why it wasn't in XIII, so don't even bother using that excuse, since he didn't do the music in XII and it was in that one.

...Wait, does it really not have the victory fanfare in it?



...That's so sad. XD

[Nate]

Yes, it really doesn't have the victory fanfare in it.

Instead we get...this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=HmYzxWG698w&feature=related

Wow, isn't that SO MUCH BETTER than the tried and true and beloved victory fanfare that's been in the last TWELVE games? [/sarcasm]

So yeah, anyone who wants to defend the crap music in this game? Explain how that's better than the victory fanfare from every other game. Go ahead. I'll wait for all eternity. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T.

EDIT: To its credit, the Chocobo theme from 13 is actually really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDwAN90MKTo

Still, nothing beats Mambo de Chocobo from V.

[Straylight]

Yes, it really doesn't have the victory fanfare in it.

Instead we get...this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=HmYzxWG698w&feature=related

Wow, isn't that SO MUCH BETTER than the tried and true and beloved victory fanfare that's been in the last TWELVE games? [/sarcasm]

So yeah, anyone who wants to defend the crap music in this game? Explain how that's better than the victory fanfare from every other game. Go ahead. I'll wait for all eternity. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T.

EDIT: To its credit, the Chocobo theme from 13 is actually really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDwAN90MKTo

Still, nothing beats Mambo de Chocobo from V.

The inability to rename characters sucks too. I feel robbed because I couldn't change Lightning's name to "Diddums".

[Solid Ronin]

Yes, it really doesn't have the victory fanfare in it.

Instead we get...this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=HmYzxWG698w&feature=related

Wow, isn't that SO MUCH BETTER than the tried and true and beloved victory fanfare that's been in the last TWELVE games? [/sarcasm]

So yeah, anyone who wants to defend the crap music in this game? Explain how that's better than the victory fanfare from every other game. Go ahead. I'll wait for all eternity. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T.

EDIT: To its credit, the Chocobo theme from 13 is actually really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDwAN90MKTo

Still, nothing beats Mambo de Chocobo from V.

Nate's logic concerning music explained!

Rock of Ages by Def Leppard, featured on their album "Pyromania", is an awesome song.

However no other album that is an original work (No compilations) has this song on its track list. Therefore every album ,besides said album, is terrible.