So, the summons in FF13 are either transformers or those fucked up gundams from g-gundam. I never really used the summons much whenever I played any of the FF games.
The battle system has me slightly confused but I guess it'll make more sense when I actually play it and go through the inevitable battle tutorial.
So, the summons in FF13 are either transformers or those fucked up gundams from g-gundam. I never really used the summons much whenever I played any of the FF games.
They seem to alternate between useless and overpowered every other game. I had no idea what to do with them in XII.
The summons in XIII are generally fairly useless. Vanille's is crucial in CP farming late/post-game, but otherwise I only really used them when I knew a brutal attack was coming.
I uh, loved X-2's incredible amount of camp to death, and yet I'm thinking XIII is way too silly for me, to the point I actually don't want to get it now. Is that odd?
Well, X-2 knew that it was corny and never really took itself all that seriously. XIII on the other hand seems to be playing things straight.
Of course, that's only from the limited amount of information I have about it and I could be entirely wrong.
Blackjack on
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
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cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited March 2010
I haven't seen much to suggest there's anything light hearted in XIII, shy of maybe Sazh's Chocobo.
I haven't seen much to suggest there's anything light hearted in XIII, shy of maybe Sazh's Chocobo.
And to think Versus is going to be the dark one.
Vanille is apparently the comic relief in this game, out-cuting both Rikku and Yuffie with all sorts of mannerisms.
I'm pretty curious what her relationship is with the other characters. We already know that her and Fang are super best friends (who possibly make out), but I'm wondering what her dynamic is with Lightning.
I'm also wondering if NA is going to get that prelude novel, and if I should read it before playing the game.
PS3 version complete. In English. Just now. Lovely presentation. Plot nothing to shout about. Interesting but flawed battle system that leaves me excited and intrigued to see how they could evolve this idea if they don't completely abandon it for FF15. Review forthcoming when the embargo is up, which is soon.
By and large, I'd say XIII's plot is among the more serious ones. Sazh is somewhat comical briefly in the beginning, and yes, Vanille is often cute as all getout, but the story (and by extension, most of the dialogue) is rarely, if ever "lighthearted".
Vincent Grayson on
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RentI'm always rightFuckin' deal with itRegistered Userregular
edited March 2010
Not really seeing where XIII looks ridiculous
Pretty normal looking hamming-it-up seriousness, but hey that's what I love about Final Fantasy
I mean
"Oh hey you want me to be the replacement for the opera singer who's mysteriously gotten ill for no clearly explained reason at all, just because I look kinda like her? Well I can't sing! Okay, well I can, but not well!"
"Oh hey this guy won't give me the info...but he likes chicks...so we could send in one of three intensely hot chicks to seduce him for the info...but for some unexplained reason I have to protect them even though they fight crazyass battles alongside me all the time up to this point...so obviously *I* have to crossdress and infiltrate him. Yes. Even though I'm a pretty normal-looking dude a dress, some lipstick, and a ribbon is more than enough to fool him. Of course"
"Hmm we need some members to play some music so for some vaguely explained reason everyone in my group of friends can play at least seven completely seperate instruments at least adequately well"
FF13's pretty serious. For me, especially after playing the English release, what there is.... is a wonderful, wonderful cast (with the exception of Snow, who I think is rubbish) - definitely the best FF ensemble cast formed since FF6 or FF9. They have a very difficult and interesting plight and journey, too.
The problem is the villains are weak as fuck, thrown away and wasted, and the world, while as pretty and over-designed as you'd expect from FF in the visual department is rather shallow. So you have these great characters in an interesitng situation in a world that isn't all that interesting. That's how I felt, anyway. Hey, it's the opposite of 12!
The older games are absolutely perfect, stop deconstructing them.
The new FFs are terrible because they are new.
Oh right
I...um...pre-emptively hate FFXIII because, even though I have not physically played it yet, have seen a coupla videos and read someone else's opinions and they are not what I was expecting, or was too much like what I was expecting, or it could've been easily turned into a meme and now I'm buying into the meme
The older games are absolutely perfect, stop deconstructing them.
The new FFs are terrible because they are new.
Oh right
I...um...pre-emptively hate FFXIII because, even though I have not physically played it yet, have seen a coupla videos and read someone else's opinions and they are not what I was expecting, or was too much like what I was expecting, or it could've been easily turned into a meme and now I'm buying into the meme
Am...am I doing it right?
FF13 sucks because of lesbian Shiva bike.
Nothing else it does will ever vindicate it from the Shiva bike. The Shiva bike ruined the game forever.
I would say FF13 is one of the strongest JRPGs released this generation, though for me it's pipped by Valkyria Chronicles and Demon's Souls.
I think places 1-3 for best JRPG will be heavily debated between the two mentioned above and FF13. Lost Odyssey is a deserving fourth after those, I feel. I love that game just as much as FF13, really, but for very different reasons. FF13 is undoubtedly the better game.
FF13 is actually very similar to Mass Effect 2 in terms of approach. It tries to distill the FF formula into its purest form while also making it accessable. Making ME2 accessable meant Bioware made it more like a shooter. Making FF13 more accessable meant more cutscenes and more linear play. In terms of how they distill other elements, they reach for the same goals and do it in different ways.
Also, fans complaining about FF13 because it's not enough like the old ones is one thing, but putting your fingers in your ears and screaming that they'd hate FF13 no matter what it was every time somebody shows anything but utter elation for the game isn't much better. They're two ends of the same spectrum, when any sensible person is in the middle.
...You don't play many (any) handheld RPGs, do you? Then again you're more of an actiony guy.
If you mean me, I play a ton of handheld RPGs.... If it be something traditional like DQ4 & 5 or FF3 and 4 on DS - all completed - or SRPG stuff like me pumping hundreds of hours into both the PS2 and PSP releases of Disgaea. I've just finished up Glory of Heracles and Jeanne d'Arc ranks pretty high in my top RPGs of all time.
One thing is true that tends to give that impression of me... I've never really liked FF Tactics. Not for lack of trying. Which is weird, as I really enjoyed Tactics Advance, which the tactics fans despise.
FF13 is a weird mix of action and RPG. The reality of FF13 is that you're hitting auto battle most of the time, really. The actual gameplay is about managing what class roles your party members are in and making sure they are the correct ones to keep you alive and dealing damage with your automatically-queued attacks.
So, for those who know, how does XIII compare to Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter? Because I may be in the minority that absolutely loved Dragon Quarter, and think it shows that linear doesn't automatically mean bad.
I'm really interested in seeing APZonerunner's review. I liked FFX and did not mind the linear path. Would I like FF13?
The only thing that I am a bit worried about is the new battle system(only controlling one character?), the lack of towns and people to interact with(does it affect the "world building" at all?) and the characters, which I've heard were pretty shallow - as in, is there anything about them that will be memorable, or are we talking a forgettable cast that doesn't stand out, ala FF12?
Breath of Fire: DQ was mentioned earlier - I loved that game, but somehow I don't think FF13 is anything like it in terms of combat, which really made DQ stand out.
I dont really know Demon's Soul or Valkyria Chronicles, but I'm just hoping I wont be disappointed with FFXIII, and I'm the sort of guy who follows the main story, until I get some means of transportation (Highwind, The Invincible, FF8 Spaceship)
and then just exploring and finding hidden weapons and all that jazz. To Me it sounds like Squeenix did dumb alot of that down for FFXIII to keep the pace up, and I'm not sure thats good.
This is all speculative though, since I havent tried it, but could anyone who has, elaborate on this ?
Proven Mortal on
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RentI'm always rightFuckin' deal with itRegistered Userregular
I dont really know Demon's Soul or Valkyria Chronicles
Jeez talk about doin' it wrong
but I'm just hoping I wont be disappointed with FFXIII, and I'm the sort of guy who follows the main story, until I get some means of transportation (Highwind, The Invincible, FF8 Spaceship)
and then just exploring and finding hidden weapons and all that jazz. To Me it sounds like Squeenix did dumb alot of that down for FFXIII to keep the pace up, and I'm not sure thats good.
From what I understand the "theme" of this game is "escape", so it'd make thematic sense for it to be very linear until you shake the baddies (which apparently happens about 3/4 of the way through the game, which is when the game opens up a lot (from what I've heard), just like every other FF)
Anyways apparently the final chapter is just like every right-before-endgame part of a JRPG and it opens up a ton so there you go
They've forgotten how to tell a good story since Sakaguchi left, I think.
I think the thing is Sakaguchi told relatively cliched, simplistic stories, be it the Dark Knight's redemption in FF4 or FF8 and FF9's love story, but the current FF team really wants to try to tackle some big, moving subject matter. The problem is that they try to take on some really big, interesting issues head-on that even story-focused games like Mass Effect don't bother trying to look at, but they're still doing it with these cliche, anime stereotypes.
There's a few really nice moments at the start of FF13 - character moments, where the game excels - where Lightning literally comes to blows with Snow over his shitty, "I'm the hero! Your hero is here! I'm gonna save everyone!" pep talks, but all that stuff kind of evaporates later on as the cast become a team to try to change their fate.
FF is more suited to telling simplistic stories with darker, deeper undertones. FF9 is, on the surface a very simple love story but underneath that you have all those interesting layers of meaning and questioning the very meaning of life and what it means to exist. FF7 does the same thing with the theme of life, death and afterlife, weaving it underneath a story about a ragtag group of warriors battling a psychopath. These work better, I think.
FF13 tries to take on the big issues head-on as a major part of the plot, but the result is they spend so much time musing over their status and fate that we barely get to know the villains and those we do get to know are thrown away and wasted. It's difficult to talk about without spoiling stuff, but I am certain this subject will be revisited as people start to finish the game in 12 days or so.
Only reason I say it is that the best RPGs this gen aren't on consoles at all.
To be fair though you do at least have enough taste to like FFTA and Demon Souls. I can overlook VC just this once because you're a stand up fellow.
Ah, well, that explains that. In my mind I split things into Console Gen and Handheld Gen, so I don't really think about those games in the same segment. You're right, though, the DS and the PSP are the strongest RPG machines out there right now.
I'm really interested in seeing APZonerunner's review. I liked FFX and did not mind the linear path. Would I like FF13?
The only thing that I am a bit worried about is the new battle system(only controlling one character?), the lack of towns and people to interact with(does it affect the "world building" at all?) and the characters, which I've heard were pretty shallow - as in, is there anything about them that will be memorable, or are we talking a forgettable cast that doesn't stand out, ala FF12?
First off, I can point you at least to the fact that my site did an Import Review as well as two detailed articles about How the Battles Play and How Character Progression Works. Those aren't by me, but I can vouch for their being correct on the whole, though my opinion differs from Nathan's in places.
I also wrote an article on how FF13 is clearly Built for a Western Audience, and how that perspective has changed the Final Fantasy formula for this game. This addresses the linearity some.
Battle system - I wouldn't worry. As I say, you're hitting auto battle most of the time anyway. The battles in FF13 are about ensuring your team are in the right roles and managing those roles. It's like FFX2's job system sped up times ten, so fast that you don't have time to pick individual moves out of the menu. It's just not an option. You'll be hitting auto battle. You don't even have to select moves to hit an enemy weakness. Once you've used Libra, Auto Battle will automatically cast whatever they're weak to.
I think the cast is superb, and the best in the series bar IX and VI. While there are less strong individual personalities - there's no Squall or Yuna here, say - they're a fantastic ensemble and work great as a whole. The cast is great, no worries there.
I think the lack of towns isn't so much of a problem, but the lack of traditional NPCs is. You literally can't talk to anyone in this game who isn't a main cast member or major NPC. You can approach NPCs in areas where they are, and 'overhear' conversations, but that's it. It's shit, and really is one of (many) reasons the world didn't feel as real to me. The cast spend much of the game in a bubble, interacting only with each other. It makes sense given their fugitive status, but even their interactions with villains are limited.
I really don't like it. I miss talking to people and hearing random, useless stuff. I dislike the idea of getting my sidequests from some abstract item on the landscape.
As far as opening up goes, FF13 is a game of two halves. In short, about three quarters of the way through the game you'll have the ability to undertake sidequests in a specific, large area. On the whole you won't be returning to areas past. Most of the time once you leave a place you've left there forever unless the story takes you back there. There's a particular wide open area where most sidequesting takes place.
The easiest way to underline FF13's linearity is to point out that there are level caps in Crystarium (the sphere grid, basically) so if you're stuck on a boss the option usually isn't to go back and grind as regular progression through each chapter should see you max out your available areas of the grid anyway - your only option is to rethink your strategy before entering the battle. This is a good thing, I think.
I can see that they were probably going for something ambitious and just fell flat.
The concept of being a fugitive on the run and the whole world being against you is interesting, but not being able to interact with anyone becasue of it is pretty lame. It seems like it would be hard to build a world and get the player interested in what's going on when you lock them out of interacting with it.
I don't think I like the idea of just hitting auto-battle every time. Sure, it's convienient and speeds up the gameplay a ton, but it also removes my control. Maybe I'm just too used to ATB, but I'm iffy on the whole idea. I guess I'd have to play it to see how I felt.
I always anticipate the new Final Fantasy games, but after 10, every single one of them had me approaching with caution. I really didn't like X-2 and never played 12 because of how much negativity I've heard regarding it. I'll probabl give 13 a try, but I hope that 15 returns to a more traditional style of world building and combat.
"Oh hey this guy won't give me the info...but he likes chicks...so we could send in one of three intensely hot chicks to seduce him for the info...but for some unexplained reason I have to protect them even though they fight crazyass battles alongside me all the time up to this point...so obviously *I* have to crossdress and infiltrate him. Yes. Even though I'm a pretty normal-looking dude a dress, some lipstick, and a ribbon is more than enough to fool him. Of course"
Don't forget how you become the hottest "girl" in the group if you do it right.
Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
edited March 2010
I'm a bit intrigued with FFXIII.
I, for one, am tired of the age ole JRPG formula and ever sense FFIX, I just kinda stopped playing JRPG. Sure, i picked up new releases here and there, but in the end they always get shelved half way.
Hearing that FFXIII focuses on its core elements is kinda exciting. I mean, if I get awesome strategic turn base combat, kick ass CGi, a story that's epic and stupid at the same time, and a cast of memorable characters, then I have no reason to complain about FFXIII. I honestly don't want to spend 10 hours running back and forth in a dungeon to gain enough gold to buy the latest gear that'll be outdated within 20 minutes of storytime. I just don't have that kind of time anymore.
Seriously, if the pacing is set just right. With the right fighting:storytelling ratio, this could be the best FF ever.
But, somehow, I just can't get my hopes up.
Casually Hardcore on
0
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
edited March 2010
Yeah. Really, I thought FFXII was a step in the right direction when the towns had NPCs but not everyone talked to you.
Really, I don't need you telling me that "Times are tough." Really, I guess it's just that I've played so many RPGs and understand the RPG formula so well, more times than not I would just like it to get to the point without all the extraneous stuff.
Dragkonias on
0
Casually HardcoreOnce an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered Userregular
edited March 2010
Yeah, I mean how often do you go around talking to random strangers?
And I hate the 'Hey, lets make the player wonder around town for 3 hours looking for the one NPC to talk to, so they'll set a trigger and continue with the game'.
Casually Hardcore on
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
So, for those who know, how does XIII compare to Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter? Because I may be in the minority that absolutely loved Dragon Quarter, and think it shows that linear doesn't automatically mean bad.
Oh god i hope it is nothing like Dragon Quarter. The only reason i remember that game is because i was so excited to get it and then when the game shit all over the Breath of Fire series and drove it into oblivion with its absolutely horrid gameplay and short stunted plot that was artificially lengthened by a horrendous limited save system which caused my soul to die a little inside.
On another note i am torn with the whole town thing. I mean on one side i liked exploring towns and talking to random people for little lore bits. On the other side i hated it when they wanted me to go talk to a specific guy and he was somewhere that i would have no real valid reason to go unless i was talking to everyone i came across.
Posts
The battle system has me slightly confused but I guess it'll make more sense when I actually play it and go through the inevitable battle tutorial.
Will FF13 be available Monday, or Tuesday?
They seem to alternate between useless and overpowered every other game. I had no idea what to do with them in XII.
Of course, that's only from the limited amount of information I have about it and I could be entirely wrong.
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
And to think Versus is going to be the dark one.
Vanille is apparently the comic relief in this game, out-cuting both Rikku and Yuffie with all sorts of mannerisms.
I'm pretty curious what her relationship is with the other characters. We already know that her and Fang are super best friends (who possibly make out), but I'm wondering what her dynamic is with Lightning.
I'm also wondering if NA is going to get that prelude novel, and if I should read it before playing the game.
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
Kiros happened!
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
Pretty normal looking hamming-it-up seriousness, but hey that's what I love about Final Fantasy
I mean
"Oh hey you want me to be the replacement for the opera singer who's mysteriously gotten ill for no clearly explained reason at all, just because I look kinda like her? Well I can't sing! Okay, well I can, but not well!"
"Oh hey this guy won't give me the info...but he likes chicks...so we could send in one of three intensely hot chicks to seduce him for the info...but for some unexplained reason I have to protect them even though they fight crazyass battles alongside me all the time up to this point...so obviously *I* have to crossdress and infiltrate him. Yes. Even though I'm a pretty normal-looking dude a dress, some lipstick, and a ribbon is more than enough to fool him. Of course"
"Hmm we need some members to play some music so for some vaguely explained reason everyone in my group of friends can play at least seven completely seperate instruments at least adequately well"
The older games are absolutely perfect, stop deconstructing them.
The new FFs are terrible because they are new.
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
The problem is the villains are weak as fuck, thrown away and wasted, and the world, while as pretty and over-designed as you'd expect from FF in the visual department is rather shallow. So you have these great characters in an interesitng situation in a world that isn't all that interesting. That's how I felt, anyway. Hey, it's the opposite of 12!
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
Oh right
I...um...pre-emptively hate FFXIII because, even though I have not physically played it yet, have seen a coupla videos and read someone else's opinions and they are not what I was expecting, or was too much like what I was expecting, or it could've been easily turned into a meme and now I'm buying into the meme
Am...am I doing it right?
So, definitely better than Lost Odyssey?
FF13 sucks because of lesbian Shiva bike.
Nothing else it does will ever vindicate it from the Shiva bike. The Shiva bike ruined the game forever.
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
I think places 1-3 for best JRPG will be heavily debated between the two mentioned above and FF13. Lost Odyssey is a deserving fourth after those, I feel. I love that game just as much as FF13, really, but for very different reasons. FF13 is undoubtedly the better game.
FF13 is actually very similar to Mass Effect 2 in terms of approach. It tries to distill the FF formula into its purest form while also making it accessable. Making ME2 accessable meant Bioware made it more like a shooter. Making FF13 more accessable meant more cutscenes and more linear play. In terms of how they distill other elements, they reach for the same goals and do it in different ways.
Also, fans complaining about FF13 because it's not enough like the old ones is one thing, but putting your fingers in your ears and screaming that they'd hate FF13 no matter what it was every time somebody shows anything but utter elation for the game isn't much better. They're two ends of the same spectrum, when any sensible person is in the middle.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
They've forgotten how to tell a good story since Sakaguchi left, I think.
If you mean me, I play a ton of handheld RPGs.... If it be something traditional like DQ4 & 5 or FF3 and 4 on DS - all completed - or SRPG stuff like me pumping hundreds of hours into both the PS2 and PSP releases of Disgaea. I've just finished up Glory of Heracles and Jeanne d'Arc ranks pretty high in my top RPGs of all time.
One thing is true that tends to give that impression of me... I've never really liked FF Tactics. Not for lack of trying. Which is weird, as I really enjoyed Tactics Advance, which the tactics fans despise.
FF13 is a weird mix of action and RPG. The reality of FF13 is that you're hitting auto battle most of the time, really. The actual gameplay is about managing what class roles your party members are in and making sure they are the correct ones to keep you alive and dealing damage with your automatically-queued attacks.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
To be fair though you do at least have enough taste to like FFTA and Demon Souls. I can overlook VC just this once because you're a stand up fellow.
The only thing that I am a bit worried about is the new battle system(only controlling one character?), the lack of towns and people to interact with(does it affect the "world building" at all?) and the characters, which I've heard were pretty shallow - as in, is there anything about them that will be memorable, or are we talking a forgettable cast that doesn't stand out, ala FF12?
Breath of Fire: DQ was mentioned earlier - I loved that game, but somehow I don't think FF13 is anything like it in terms of combat, which really made DQ stand out.
FFX was the last game that had towns I liked, mostly due to the Caribbean setting.
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
and then just exploring and finding hidden weapons and all that jazz. To Me it sounds like Squeenix did dumb alot of that down for FFXIII to keep the pace up, and I'm not sure thats good.
This is all speculative though, since I havent tried it, but could anyone who has, elaborate on this ?
From what I understand the "theme" of this game is "escape", so it'd make thematic sense for it to be very linear until you shake the baddies (which apparently happens about 3/4 of the way through the game, which is when the game opens up a lot (from what I've heard), just like every other FF)
Anyways apparently the final chapter is just like every right-before-endgame part of a JRPG and it opens up a ton so there you go
I think the thing is Sakaguchi told relatively cliched, simplistic stories, be it the Dark Knight's redemption in FF4 or FF8 and FF9's love story, but the current FF team really wants to try to tackle some big, moving subject matter. The problem is that they try to take on some really big, interesting issues head-on that even story-focused games like Mass Effect don't bother trying to look at, but they're still doing it with these cliche, anime stereotypes.
There's a few really nice moments at the start of FF13 - character moments, where the game excels - where Lightning literally comes to blows with Snow over his shitty, "I'm the hero! Your hero is here! I'm gonna save everyone!" pep talks, but all that stuff kind of evaporates later on as the cast become a team to try to change their fate.
FF is more suited to telling simplistic stories with darker, deeper undertones. FF9 is, on the surface a very simple love story but underneath that you have all those interesting layers of meaning and questioning the very meaning of life and what it means to exist. FF7 does the same thing with the theme of life, death and afterlife, weaving it underneath a story about a ragtag group of warriors battling a psychopath. These work better, I think.
FF13 tries to take on the big issues head-on as a major part of the plot, but the result is they spend so much time musing over their status and fate that we barely get to know the villains and those we do get to know are thrown away and wasted. It's difficult to talk about without spoiling stuff, but I am certain this subject will be revisited as people start to finish the game in 12 days or so.
Ah, well, that explains that. In my mind I split things into Console Gen and Handheld Gen, so I don't really think about those games in the same segment. You're right, though, the DS and the PSP are the strongest RPG machines out there right now.
First off, I can point you at least to the fact that my site did an Import Review as well as two detailed articles about How the Battles Play and How Character Progression Works. Those aren't by me, but I can vouch for their being correct on the whole, though my opinion differs from Nathan's in places.
I also wrote an article on how FF13 is clearly Built for a Western Audience, and how that perspective has changed the Final Fantasy formula for this game. This addresses the linearity some.
Battle system - I wouldn't worry. As I say, you're hitting auto battle most of the time anyway. The battles in FF13 are about ensuring your team are in the right roles and managing those roles. It's like FFX2's job system sped up times ten, so fast that you don't have time to pick individual moves out of the menu. It's just not an option. You'll be hitting auto battle. You don't even have to select moves to hit an enemy weakness. Once you've used Libra, Auto Battle will automatically cast whatever they're weak to.
I think the cast is superb, and the best in the series bar IX and VI. While there are less strong individual personalities - there's no Squall or Yuna here, say - they're a fantastic ensemble and work great as a whole. The cast is great, no worries there.
I think the lack of towns isn't so much of a problem, but the lack of traditional NPCs is. You literally can't talk to anyone in this game who isn't a main cast member or major NPC. You can approach NPCs in areas where they are, and 'overhear' conversations, but that's it. It's shit, and really is one of (many) reasons the world didn't feel as real to me. The cast spend much of the game in a bubble, interacting only with each other. It makes sense given their fugitive status, but even their interactions with villains are limited.
I really don't like it. I miss talking to people and hearing random, useless stuff. I dislike the idea of getting my sidequests from some abstract item on the landscape.
As far as opening up goes, FF13 is a game of two halves. In short, about three quarters of the way through the game you'll have the ability to undertake sidequests in a specific, large area. On the whole you won't be returning to areas past. Most of the time once you leave a place you've left there forever unless the story takes you back there. There's a particular wide open area where most sidequesting takes place.
The easiest way to underline FF13's linearity is to point out that there are level caps in Crystarium (the sphere grid, basically) so if you're stuck on a boss the option usually isn't to go back and grind as regular progression through each chapter should see you max out your available areas of the grid anyway - your only option is to rethink your strategy before entering the battle. This is a good thing, I think.
XBL/PSN/Steam: APZonerunner
The concept of being a fugitive on the run and the whole world being against you is interesting, but not being able to interact with anyone becasue of it is pretty lame. It seems like it would be hard to build a world and get the player interested in what's going on when you lock them out of interacting with it.
I don't think I like the idea of just hitting auto-battle every time. Sure, it's convienient and speeds up the gameplay a ton, but it also removes my control. Maybe I'm just too used to ATB, but I'm iffy on the whole idea. I guess I'd have to play it to see how I felt.
I always anticipate the new Final Fantasy games, but after 10, every single one of them had me approaching with caution. I really didn't like X-2 and never played 12 because of how much negativity I've heard regarding it. I'll probabl give 13 a try, but I hope that 15 returns to a more traditional style of world building and combat.
Don't forget how you become the hottest "girl" in the group if you do it right.
is that doing it right?
I, for one, am tired of the age ole JRPG formula and ever sense FFIX, I just kinda stopped playing JRPG. Sure, i picked up new releases here and there, but in the end they always get shelved half way.
Hearing that FFXIII focuses on its core elements is kinda exciting. I mean, if I get awesome strategic turn base combat, kick ass CGi, a story that's epic and stupid at the same time, and a cast of memorable characters, then I have no reason to complain about FFXIII. I honestly don't want to spend 10 hours running back and forth in a dungeon to gain enough gold to buy the latest gear that'll be outdated within 20 minutes of storytime. I just don't have that kind of time anymore.
Seriously, if the pacing is set just right. With the right fighting:storytelling ratio, this could be the best FF ever.
But, somehow, I just can't get my hopes up.
Really, I don't need you telling me that "Times are tough." Really, I guess it's just that I've played so many RPGs and understand the RPG formula so well, more times than not I would just like it to get to the point without all the extraneous stuff.
And I hate the 'Hey, lets make the player wonder around town for 3 hours looking for the one NPC to talk to, so they'll set a trigger and continue with the game'.
Persona 4 says hi?
And I want to be excited for XIII, but the more I learn of it, the more it seems like the same old drama.
Final Fantasy Retrospective
I am watching them again while waiting for XIII to be released!
Oh god i hope it is nothing like Dragon Quarter. The only reason i remember that game is because i was so excited to get it and then when the game shit all over the Breath of Fire series and drove it into oblivion with its absolutely horrid gameplay and short stunted plot that was artificially lengthened by a horrendous limited save system which caused my soul to die a little inside.
On another note i am torn with the whole town thing. I mean on one side i liked exploring towns and talking to random people for little lore bits. On the other side i hated it when they wanted me to go talk to a specific guy and he was somewhere that i would have no real valid reason to go unless i was talking to everyone i came across.