Final Fantasy 13

[The_Liquid_Laser]

So has anyone started playing it? I tried out like 30 mins of it yesterday. God, I already miss the FFXII gameplay! But the game looks good so far, awesome voice acting and cutscenes.

This is my impression so far. I'm about 30 hours into it.

I love the music. The visuals are the best I've seen on any game yet. There are plenty of enjoyable cutscenes, and I'm into the story and characters. (Sahz is my favorite.) I usually like the story and chacters of FF games, but I didn't care for them in XII.

The gameplay is a blast, but it takes a long time before they really let you get the full effect of it. For example for a good portion of the game you don't get to choose who is in your party, and often you only have two party members. You don't really get to experience the full effect of the battle system unless you have three characters IMO. Another example is that while each character gets their own eidelon/summon, I've just gotten three of them in the past two days. For a large chunk of the game I only had Lightning's summon as an option.

I just got to a huge open area yesterday that is great to explore and play in. However before that point the game is mostly linear. So overall the game is a blast, but they take a real long time holding your hand and getting you used to the game before they really let you explore the full depths of the world, battle system etc....

My prediction about this game is that a lot of people will say it sucks and they gave up early. Then there will be another group who says they stuck with it and consider the game to be one of the best Final Fantasies. It mostly depends on if you think the early parts of the game have enough to offer to entice you on toward the later parts.

 

[KDude]

^Agree with the above pretty much. I like it. But I've taken a break for awhile.. can't play a game this long straight through.

 

[Rainne]

Well, I'm on Chapter 13 and pretty close to the final boss, roughly an hour or two away.

My impressions so far:

-Really uninspiring storyline
-Fairly bland characters (Lightning and Sahz are the only ones I really like)
-Incredible cutscenes and environment graphics (Gran Pulse)
-Okay gameplay, but this is very debatable
-Very linear

It's an ok game, about a low 80 - maybe mid 80 / 100.

 

[forzen]

Well, I'm on Chapter 13 and pretty close to the final boss, roughly an hour or two away.

My impressions so far:

-Really uninspiring storyline
-Fairly bland characters (Lightning and Sahz are the only ones I really like)
-Incredible cutscenes and environment graphics (Gran Pulse)
-Okay gameplay, but this is very debatable
-Very linear

It's an ok game, about a low 80 - maybe mid 80 / 100.

I don't think there ever was a final fantasy (with the exception of final fantasy 11) that was not linear. The illusion of explorations via the freedom to move freely on the map may hide the fact that the story can only happen one way.

Final fantasy 11 replaced linear with repetitiveness.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

I don't think there ever was a final fantasy (with the exception of final fantasy 11) that was not linear. The illusion of explorations via the freedom to move freely on the map may hide the fact that the story can only happen one way.

Final Fantasy 1 required that some things be done in a certain order, but there were a number of major tasks you can do in somewhat different orders. It presumably remains the least linear of the FF games. But it wasn't really letting itself be held back by a narrative.

 

[forzen]

Final Fantasy 1 required that some things be done in a certain order, but there were a number of major tasks you can do in somewhat different orders. It presumably remains the least linear of the FF games. But it wasn't really letting itself be held back by a narrative.

Hmmm, now that I think about it, Final Fantasy 6 was also non linear. The order you get people after Kefka went insane was up to you. Unfortunately, Square Enix hasn't been the same ever since the merging. They used to make games that I would loosed sleep over (chrono trigger, xenogears, final fantasy 6, super mario rpg...etc). Now, I can barely stand playing any games they realeased after Final Fantasy 9, so with that said, I don't think i'll be buying anymore final fantasy.

....so XIII is my final fantasy.

alright not punny.

 

[Rainne]

Hmmm, now that I think about it, Final Fantasy 6 was also non linear. The order you get people after Kefka went insane was up to you. Unfortunately, Square Enix hasn't been the same ever since the merging. They used to make games that I would loosed sleep over (chrono trigger, xenogears, final fantasy 6, super mario rpg...etc). Now, I can barely stand playing any games they realeased after Final Fantasy 9, so with that said, I don't think i'll be buying anymore final fantasy.

....so XIII is my final fantasy.

alright not punny.

pfft you'll be back

 

[forzen]

pfft you'll be back

Sadly, you might be right. I said the same thing with FFXII...I hate this cycle, it's like i'm falling for my own trap.

FFXIII did looked shinny. However, GoW III was even shinnier and was epic win the entire time I was playing.

 

[KDude]

Bayonetta is better than GOW3

Just like DMC3 is better than GOW1 and 2.

 

[forzen]

Bayonetta is better than GOW3

Just like DMC3 is better than GOW1 and 2.

Never played Bayonetta lol, DMC3 was awesome. Never played GoW 1 or 2. Demon's Souls is the ultimate video game in my opinion, all it needed was an awesome story/plot and I would have died happy after beating it.

I might pick up Bayonetta when it's in the discount bin.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

pfft you'll be back

As for me? I didn't even like 6 or 7. I abandonded that company a long time ago.

 

[Atomic Fiend]

The last games I played/owned from Square Enix were Kingdom hearts and Kingdom hearts 2.

The last game I thought was good from Square Enix wasn't even an RPG.

 

[kyuuei]

Pros that I thought stuck out more: There never is one leader in the game, you play as several people throughout the whole thing. Sometimes they pair up, but then they split right back off. Story line seems decent so far, and everything is really new so it's interesting to get used to it.

Neutral about: the fighting system. Not bad or good, just different. I hear that later on you get glad you only control one person the entire fight, because between paradigm shifting and other complex things that are suppose to come later on (7 hours in, we were still getting tutorials on new things with the battle system) it's enough to just keep up with one.

Things I didn't really like what I saw: Hope. Lol.. and a bit more seriously, the worlds seem extremely linear. As in.. there's only one way to go. I'm used to being able to run all over the place and discover new things as I want to, but so far it seems you can only go from A to B. I heard this doesn't change much at all as the game progresses either.

 

[Scott N Denver]

Pros that I thought stuck out more: There never is one leader in the game, you play as several people throughout the whole thing. Sometimes they pair up, but then they split right back off. Story line seems decent so far, and everything is really new so it's interesting to get used to it.

Neutral about: the fighting system. Not bad or good, just different. I hear that later on you get glad you only control one person the entire fight, because between paradigm shifting and other complex things that are suppose to come later on (7 hours in, we were still getting tutorials on new things with the battle system) it's enough to just keep up with one.

Things I didn't really like what I saw: Hope. Lol.. and a bit more seriously, the worlds seem extremely linear. As in.. there's only one way to go. I'm used to being able to run all over the place and discover new things as I want to, but so far it seems you can only go from A to B. I heard this doesn't change much at all as the game progresses either.

were you already a proud xbox 360 or owner, or have you recently acquired a ps3 that you havent told us about yet???

 

[KDude]

Bayonetta is made by the guy who created DMC1 and 3. It's DMC but with a crazy chick.

What I like about them more than GOW is less emphasis on the puzzles and big storyline, and more emphasis on combat, scoring, tight arena like levels, Way harder bosses, etc... DMC3 and and Bayonetta are almost like arcade games, while GOW is a little different (but not bad).

 

[Risen]

Pros that I thought stuck out more: There never is one leader in the game, you play as several people throughout the whole thing. Sometimes they pair up, but then they split right back off. Story line seems decent so far, and everything is really new so it's interesting to get used to it.

Neutral about: the fighting system. Not bad or good, just different. I hear that later on you get glad you only control one person the entire fight, because between paradigm shifting and other complex things that are suppose to come later on (7 hours in, we were still getting tutorials on new things with the battle system) it's enough to just keep up with one.

Things I didn't really like what I saw: Hope. Lol.. and a bit more seriously, the worlds seem extremely linear. As in.. there's only one way to go. I'm used to being able to run all over the place and discover new things as I want to, but so far it seems you can only go from A to B. I heard this doesn't change much at all as the game progresses either.

I'm into the ark chapter (one of the last few), and I still have the same gripes with the game I did before. It's so damn linear. There are NO, and I mean NO, exploration elements in this game. That just sucks. The combat system has become a bit more likable. I still say more than ever that the rpg elements in this game has been dumbed down severely as to make it more appealing to a stupid western audience. Everything about it is geared more towards westerners, which is not what I want in a FF game.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I'm into the ark chapter (one of the last few), and I still have the same gripes with the game I did before. It's so damn linear. There are NO, and I mean NO, exploration elements in this game. That just sucks. The combat system has become a bit more likable. I still say more than ever that the rpg elements in this game has been dumbed down severely as to make it more appealing to a stupid western audience. Everything about it is geared more towards westerners, which is not what I want in a FF game.

You're just about to the part where the game starts to get really good. It's a shame that they designed the game so that we have to spend so much time in the early game doing linear stuff, because once you get to Gran Pulse the game really takes off IMO.

 

[Rainne]

You're just about to the part where the game starts to get really good. It's a shame that they designed the game so that we have to spend so much time in the early game doing linear stuff, because once you get to Gran Pulse the game really takes off IMO.

not really

it's still pretty linear

 

[Gish]

Most fitting description I have heard thusfar is "Hallway Simulator 2010".

 

[Craft]

It's interesting how the game is known by many Introverts, mainly idealistic ones.