It's like a drastically better XII crossed with a drastically better XIII.
That description isn't helping me to be optimistic. My two least favorite Final Fantasy games, together at last!
Then again, Final Fantasy XIII-2 was decent, so even bad games can be salvaged by doing drastically better versions of them.
Anyway, I'm basically getting this for the same reason I got Tales of Graces F - beggars can't be choosy. I doubt I'll absolutely love it when stuff like big open world and real-time combat are two of its big selling points, but it's probably fun for what it is.
Rainbow, get the game :P There's a 0.0048% you won't like it, but that's something I'll have to live with. Honestly: I've been playing jrpgs since the NES days and Xenoblade made my top 3 list before I'd even reached the halfway mark.
Just a heads-up, the Kotaku review is trash. I'm not linking it here. The reviewer played it for 35 hours, obviously hasn't finished it, hasn't gotten the last party member, and doesn't know how to use the options menu.
If all he can say is 'I think it's pretty good just not as good as everyone else is saying' then I can respect that.
He's still wrong, though. But I can't blame him for that when he's working to a deadline and can't experience the whole game before writing a review. Most games don't get anywhere close to 35h from their reviewers.
Just a heads-up, the Kotaku review is trash. I'm not linking it here. The reviewer played it for 35 hours, obviously hasn't finished it, hasn't gotten the last party member, and doesn't know how to use the options menu.
So, y'know, disregard Kotaku as usual. Man.
Wow. There are some big tells that the reviewer didn't play far into the game/doesn't jrpgs in general. He admits this, fine. But reviewing 35 hours of this game is like playing the first hour of ME3 and judging it. Some gems:
You'll also have to use the powers of your main character's sword, the Monado, to weaken and eliminate the giant robots that serve as this game's Big Bads.
That right there proves he didn't play play very far through the main story, and probably didn't figure out you don't have to use the main character in fights once you have party members.
If you're not the right level for a given challenge or boss, it doesn't really matter what you do. You will lose.
Ok, this guy might be new to games that don't involve waist-high walls and reload bars. You can overlevel to beat a lot of fights, but if you are in any way capable of playing a jrpg you'll be taking on things way above your level before too long. The game expect and plans for this. After you reach the midway point of the game you're even handed a ton of quests that involve things way above your paygrade. Hell, the optional super bosses are even put at levels you cannot even reach. And somehow people with half a brain kill them. Go figure.
It's one of those games that only happen once every time the planets align, except this time they skipped those prerequisites altogether. It's nothing short of a miracle.
Actually a couple of planets are are (or at least were) in alignment a couple of weeks with a whole bunch of them being extra bright and visable in the sky in the northerm hemisphere.
Never mind the factual errors. I don't have an English major and even I'm cringing at the writing skills of a supposed journalist. Are they employing people straight out of high school?
Question, don't know if this is spoiler worthy, but I'll play it safe:
I'm only about five hours deep and I'm on my way to Colony 6. Does Shulk's Monado abilities have much use against organic enemies, outside of Shield? The other two only work on Mechon, as per their descriptions. Will he get abilities worth using on non-Mechon?
Question, don't know if this is spoiler worthy, but I'll play it safe:
I'm only about five hours deep and I'm on my way to Colony 6. Does Shulk's Monado abilities have much use against organic enemies, outside of Shield? The other two only work on Mechon, as per their descriptions. Will he get abilities worth using on non-Mechon?
Yes. Monado Buster still deals heavy damage to organics, only less than it would against Mechon. Shulk's AI will use it against organics if the threat level of the battle is low.
I wondered about that too, especially given how the Monado is shown to be incapable of damaging organics...
Question, don't know if this is spoiler worthy, but I'll play it safe:
I'm only about five hours deep and I'm on my way to Colony 6. Does Shulk's Monado abilities have much use against organic enemies, outside of Shield? The other two only work on Mechon, as per their descriptions. Will he get abilities worth using on non-Mechon?
Totally. He gets some diverse abilities as things go on, including damage avoidance, mitigation, enemy buff removal, straight up damage, aoe toppling and damage, etc. He's very much a toolbox character, not a dps/tank character.
Question, don't know if this is spoiler worthy, but I'll play it safe:
I'm only about five hours deep and I'm on my way to Colony 6. Does Shulk's Monado abilities have much use against organic enemies, outside of Shield? The other two only work on Mechon, as per their descriptions. Will he get abilities worth using on non-Mechon?
Yep, it'll be useful. It'll get even MORE useful. Nothing to worry about.
Shulk actually has a lull as a top party member during the early part of the game after you start getting more party members.
He's pretty good in almost any team, but not the best in any one area. I just found it cool that the main character isn't forced into your team, so I swapped him out frequently (but I liked using everyone!).
Lanrutcon on
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
0
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Betting 10 bucks I fall asleep on the couch tomorrow night, as I'll be playing this pretty much non-stop once the mini-me is in bed.
Shulk is almost assuredly one of the best three party members at the very end of the game. Maxed out Monado arts are just too strong.
In the early bit they nerf his potential for story and balance reasons. By the time you can select your party he is ok, by the time you could make two full parties he really drags for a bit.
Shulk is almost assuredly one of the best three party members at the very end of the game. Maxed out Monado arts are just too strong.
In the early bit they nerf his potential for story and balance reasons. By the time you can select your party he is ok, by the time you could make two full parties he really drags for a bit.
My perfect team ended up being Riki, Sharla and <whoever I felt like at the time> :P Soooo many people don't like Sharla though. Sigh.
If Final Fantasy XII had a story, an interesting fightingsystem, a living world, then it would be a lot like Xenoblade.
PSN | Steam
___
NNID: carmofin
3DS: 2852 6971 9745
Throw me a PM if you add me
0
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I wanted to like FF12, so bad. I really, really, REALLY wanted to like it. I still have it sitting in it's neato metallic case, next to DQ8.
So if Xenoblade is everything I wanted to like about FF12, with a story that isn't "what the christ?", a combat system that isn't stupid and a real world to move around in...this game may eat my soul.
I will say though, the Gambit system in FF12 is one of the best AI systems I've seen to date, and the fact that Dragon Age copied it is preemo with me. I wish more games would do it. Hell, it almost inspired me to write a niche indie game that was an old school JRPG with a built in scripting system, where you could write your own AI scripts.
Also the problem with the Kotaku review is, that he's actually right with most of his complaints. He just doesn't do a good job at explaining how far the things the game does right outweigh these minor nitpicks. The saddest thing about Xenoblade to me is how weak the character design is really. I mean, if you took away all the entertaining british voices, there wouldn't be much left to like... Fortunately thats more then enough to carry me through, but I can understand if someone complains.
PSN | Steam
___
NNID: carmofin
3DS: 2852 6971 9745
Throw me a PM if you add me
Also the problem with the Kotaku review is, that he's actually right with most of his complaints. He just doesn't do a good job at explaining how far the things the game does right outweigh these minor nitpicks. The saddest thing about Xenoblade to me is how weak the character design is really. I mean, if you took away all the entertaining british voices, there wouldn't be much left to like... Fortunately thats more then enough to carry me through, but I can understand if someone complains.
Eeeeeh, your mileage may vary on that.
I've found most of the party members likeable and well written. Course, some don't get all that much development but I really wouldn't call it the game's weak point.
I love FFXII, but I hate the effect capacity system from it. In case you don't know what that is: it's the queuing mechanism for abilities, stopping things from executing at the same time. It's why your bar is full, but your ability isn't activating cause someone is casting something. So stupid, so annoying.
Xenoblade doesn't have that, thank god.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
0
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
I love FFXII, but I hate the effect capacity system from it. In case you don't know what that is: it's the queuing mechanism for abilities, stopping things from executing at the same time. It's why your bar is full, but your ability isn't activating cause someone is casting something. So stupid, so annoying.
Xenoblade doesn't have that, thank god.
A little birdy told me once that was a technical limitation Square could never over come, being one of the last PS2 games and really pushing the Emotion Engine to it's limits...they found having all your people use an ability at once, with all the particle effects, caused the frame rate to choke on it's own man sausage.
I think the little birdy was an interview or something I read...probably couldn't find the citation now if I tried.
I love FFXII, but I hate the effect capacity system from it. In case you don't know what that is: it's the queuing mechanism for abilities, stopping things from executing at the same time. It's why your bar is full, but your ability isn't activating cause someone is casting something. So stupid, so annoying.
Xenoblade doesn't have that, thank god.
A little birdy told me once that was a technical limitation Square could never over come, being one of the last PS2 games and really pushing the Emotion Engine to it's limits...they found having all your people use an ability at once, with all the particle effects, caused the frame rate to choke on it's own man sausage.
I think the little birdy was an interview or something I read...probably couldn't find the citation now if I tried.
The wiki also says it's a hardware limitation. It's caused me to ragequit FFXII boss fights quite a few times, I'll admit :P
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
0
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Yeah, super annoying to be sure, especially with all the emphasis in that game on "real-time" combat and the gambit system. They could have, ya know, toned down the particle effects :P
Not that I'm for or against Kotaku, but if you play a game for 35 hours you probably have a pretty damn good idea of what the game is about. This game is probably not the game for the reviewer, but knocking that playtime seems odd.
I think it's proportional. I know I hadn't really scratched the surface after 35h of this game, whereas I would have completed certain other games several times over.
Not that I'm for or against Kotaku, but if you play a game for 35 hours you probably have a pretty damn good idea of what the game is about. This game is probably not the game for the reviewer, but knocking that playtime seems odd.
Context is important. Not all games are the same length. My Xenoblade full clear (didn't max all skill trees, didn't get all the achievements, didn't farm all the gear, didn't complete 100% of the questlog) is 190 hours. See the problem with judging it from 35 hours? then the reviewer knocks the game on issues that arose because a) he didn't play the entire game and b) he didn't understand how game mechanics/the story pan out mid/late game. How do you read 1/6th of a book and then comment on how the story played out?
Posts
That description isn't helping me to be optimistic. My two least favorite Final Fantasy games, together at last!
Then again, Final Fantasy XIII-2 was decent, so even bad games can be salvaged by doing drastically better versions of them.
Anyway, I'm basically getting this for the same reason I got Tales of Graces F - beggars can't be choosy. I doubt I'll absolutely love it when stuff like big open world and real-time combat are two of its big selling points, but it's probably fun for what it is.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
It has one character you control and two ai partners you can sometimes give orders to, and that's sort of like XIII.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
Live - MrObersmith
PSN - Obersmith
That's ok, I've preordered and ready to play this master of games.
I assume this is better than anything that has had Final Fantasy in it's name in the last 10 years.
Just checked my status, apprently a pre order is backordered?
bummer =/
You assume correctly.
So, y'know, disregard Kotaku as usual. Man.
He's still wrong, though. But I can't blame him for that when he's working to a deadline and can't experience the whole game before writing a review. Most games don't get anywhere close to 35h from their reviewers.
Wow. There are some big tells that the reviewer didn't play far into the game/doesn't jrpgs in general. He admits this, fine. But reviewing 35 hours of this game is like playing the first hour of ME3 and judging it. Some gems:
That right there proves he didn't play play very far through the main story, and probably didn't figure out you don't have to use the main character in fights once you have party members.
Ok, this guy might be new to games that don't involve waist-high walls and reload bars. You can overlevel to beat a lot of fights, but if you are in any way capable of playing a jrpg you'll be taking on things way above your level before too long. The game expect and plans for this. After you reach the midway point of the game you're even handed a ton of quests that involve things way above your paygrade. Hell, the optional super bosses are even put at levels you cannot even reach. And somehow people with half a brain kill them. Go figure.
Wth, I ask you.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
Actually a couple of planets are are (or at least were) in alignment a couple of weeks with a whole bunch of them being extra bright and visable in the sky in the northerm hemisphere.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/venus-jupiter-conjuncton_n_1338998.html
So yeah, the planets actually did align for the NA release of Xenoblade.
I KISS YOU!
Press X To Podcast
Press X To Watch
I wondered about that too, especially given how the Monado is shown to be incapable of damaging organics...
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
He's pretty good in almost any team, but not the best in any one area. I just found it cool that the main character isn't forced into your team, so I swapped him out frequently (but I liked using everyone!).
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
In the early bit they nerf his potential for story and balance reasons. By the time you can select your party he is ok, by the time you could make two full parties he really drags for a bit.
How well does the AI handle him?
My perfect team ended up being Riki, Sharla and <whoever I felt like at the time> :P Soooo many people don't like Sharla though. Sigh.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
AI does everyone fine except a certain winged hat spellcaster.
___
NNID: carmofin
3DS: 2852 6971 9745
Throw me a PM if you add me
So if Xenoblade is everything I wanted to like about FF12, with a story that isn't "what the christ?", a combat system that isn't stupid and a real world to move around in...this game may eat my soul.
I will say though, the Gambit system in FF12 is one of the best AI systems I've seen to date, and the fact that Dragon Age copied it is preemo with me. I wish more games would do it. Hell, it almost inspired me to write a niche indie game that was an old school JRPG with a built in scripting system, where you could write your own AI scripts.
___
NNID: carmofin
3DS: 2852 6971 9745
Throw me a PM if you add me
Eeeeeh, your mileage may vary on that.
I've found most of the party members likeable and well written. Course, some don't get all that much development but I really wouldn't call it the game's weak point.
Xenoblade doesn't have that, thank god.
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
A little birdy told me once that was a technical limitation Square could never over come, being one of the last PS2 games and really pushing the Emotion Engine to it's limits...they found having all your people use an ability at once, with all the particle effects, caused the frame rate to choke on it's own man sausage.
I think the little birdy was an interview or something I read...probably couldn't find the citation now if I tried.
The wiki also says it's a hardware limitation. It's caused me to ragequit FFXII boss fights quite a few times, I'll admit :P
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
Context is important. Not all games are the same length. My Xenoblade full clear (didn't max all skill trees, didn't get all the achievements, didn't farm all the gear, didn't complete 100% of the questlog) is 190 hours. See the problem with judging it from 35 hours? then the reviewer knocks the game on issues that arose because a) he didn't play the entire game and b) he didn't understand how game mechanics/the story pan out mid/late game. How do you read 1/6th of a book and then comment on how the story played out?
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW