Final Fantasy XIII

[Correction]

At this point I'd just like to seriously suggest that those with extreme reservations about the quality of experience offered by FFXIII not buy the game. Really. I think it'd be pretty significant if folks didn't blindly buy it hoping it'd be better than the criticisms thrown at it so far indicate. This might actually force Square Enix to rethink the franchise, since every time one comes out the fanbase fractures just a little bit more and gamers awaken to the fact that Square isn't the only game in town when it comes to compelling, high-concept JRPGs.

The other reason I suggest this is to maybe, just maybe bring down the level of QQ in this thread. I don't expect that to work out at all but I'll want to have tried.

A LOT OF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE FFXIII. If you thought X-XII were on shaky ground given your expectations of Square JRPGs, you are in for a really unpleasant ride on your PS3/360. Save your money. Send a message to Square. Keep this thread pleasant :D

The game's going to be 40 bucks by June anyway.

[Chun Liroy]

Well right now it's come down to 13 or GoW3 and I'm really really torn atm, mostly because I already preordered 13

[oldoldman]

my point is a game can be a good game without good graphics. I was fixing what he said that success was not based on graphics, because marketability of games these days relies a lot on graphics, and as such success is linked, to a degree, with graphics. Also way to take what I said to an illogical extreme. I didn't suggest anything of the sort, there need be no reverting to 8-bit, my point was just because a game doesn't look like Killzone 2/Crysis/etc etc, doesn't keep it from being a good game.

Exactly the greatest game ever made is a side scroller involving unicorns and butterfly faeries!

[Kyo]

Well right now it's come down to 13 or GoW3 and I'm really really torn atm.

God of War, easily.

[Correction]

By the time you finish GoW3 you'll see cheap copies of FF13 everywhere. It happened in Japan, after all. http://kotaku.com/5469394/retailer-s...-price-in-half

Did you love X? Did you love XII? Buy XIII.

Didn't love X or XII and only have money for one more game this month? Buy GoW3 and pick up XIII if you're still curious come April.

[Chun Liroy]

Sorry late edit, but yeah I preordered 13 but not GoW :/

[Ghostsix.Midgard]

I'm about to start Disc 2, I think I'm 10ish hours in, Game clock says 15 but I Idled a lot while playing. (360 vers of course)

Likes

• -Battles are really fast paced, and pretty much a spam [A] button fest until they start unlocking the combo systems. First few hours you will be like 'wtf this is too easy.'

• -Break/combo system is nice, keeps you on your toes

• -Very polished presentation, start menus are sexy, fmv in menu screens is fucking dope

• -upgrade system has potential to be very deep, if the items give different weapons different bonuses. Too soon to tell

• -Leona Lewis song is not bad imo

• -Load times are very transparent, playing off disc (no HDD install yet) and theres no loading for battles, slight loading in story transitions but it was infrequent and maybe 6 secs tops?

• -In game menu has a story log that fills in the gaps very nicely if you are confused.. Broken into chapters, characters, etc.

• -When reloading a save a short briefing of the story so far in case you are coming back from a long break.

• -Random talking while traveling is nice, kinda like ME 1

• -Voice acting is above average, only Vanille makes me cringe, but she's growing on me, I'd say this is right behind ME2 so far.

• -story isn't too ridiculous so far (FFIV is my benchmark)

• -So far the main party lineup constantly changes, I like this, not fond of games where you have the whole party from the start and there's no changes.

• -Lightning is dope, my favorite FF lead since Basche

• -Frame rate is very solid

Dislikes

• -Setting up Paradigms (job sets) beforehand, I wish I could assign jobs individually during battle, instead of choosing only a preset for all 3 characters. Basically in the menu you make a list of 7 (I think) job lineups for you party, (Tank/BLM/WHM or Melee/Support/Enfeeb for example) then during battle you can switch between those jobsets. Case in point, I ran into a boss battle where I needed a medic, but had no jobset with a medic currently assigned so I was screwed.

• -Must think on your toes, I'm used to slower paced games, kinda wished I could pull up an item menu to stop and plot out a strat mid-battle.

• -Can't switch weapons/accessories during battle (FFX)

• -Crystal system (Sphere Grid) forces you to collect bonuses you don't want, let's say I'm leveling Vanille as a Medic, I'm forced to waste points on any abilities (STR, HP) between let's say "Cure2". Can't specialize basically.

• -Save points every 5 battles almost.. why not just have save anywhere feature? You can retry battles after gameover and even from start menu mid-battle so you never lose any progress unless your power dies or something..

• -Camera is floaty and stiff at the same time

I play on a 1440x900 20" LCD monitor with a VGA cable. The FMV's and Real time CS look really nice if there is not much motion going on. In A LOT of them you see artifacting and blockyness, kinda reminds me of divx videos I used to download off limewire in 2001.. Looks like a poor encoding codec was used. You will probably notice it more on a larger screen.. Hair looks kinda stringy but not that bad.. It's just you expect more because this is SQUARE. I played a few hours on a SDTV, you won't notice this at all. Probably the same on a tube or projection TV. On a crisp monitor you WILL notice it.

Feels like the game is 55% Cutscenes 45% Battles so far. I found myself backtracking just to find enemies to fight because to me that was more fun than watching CS over and over.

Feels a lot like FFX with a real time battle system, with a non-whining main character.(Lightning is dope)
Summons are.. different I'll leave it at that, too early to tell
If you liked FFX and FFX-2 you will love this game
If you LOVED FFXII and HATED FFX, FFX-2 you will not like this game much

[Exoduso]

The only thing I dislike about this game so far is the camera... fucking terrible.
Other than that, everything else is great so far... in chapter 3 atm.

[Chun Liroy]

Feels a lot like FFX with a real time battle system, with a non-whining main character.(Lightning is dope)
Summons are.. different I'll leave it at that, too early to tell
If you liked FFX and FFX-2 you will love this game
If you LOVED FFXII and HATED FFX, FFX-2 you will not like this game much

Not helping my decision very much... I loved FFX (favorite FF) and didn't like FFXII very much.

[Ghostsix.Midgard]

Not helping my decision very much... I loved FFX (favorite FF) and didn't like FFXII very much.

You will probably enjoy the game if you can adjust to a real-time battle system.
It is a lot more linear than X though and you have more control over summons.

People will have a hard time adjusting to not being able to really explore (FFXII) and losing the ability to fine tune gambits.

[sephir]

I really like X, and XII. X-2 had a great battle system but the 'you go girl!' type comments during/after battles just made me want to hit something.

I've really been looking forward to XIII, but some of the comments about linearity kind of bug me. I really liked the open concept that was in XII and the fact that they battles were so fluid and did not feel like the action stopped everytime you were supposed to select an action.

Everyone is saying the story is really magnificent which is my primary concern with any game. I don't care that much about graphics, or even musical score. As long as there is a GOOD story, chances are I will love the game. I think that was the weakest part about XII. Although the hunts, and sidequests certainly opened the game up into something massive. The story seemed to take a backseat and as a result people generally felt disenfranchised.

Heres hoping for a solid title :beer:

And does anyone know when XIII versus will be coming out?

[Exoduso]

I gotta say that the battle system seemed extremely boring for the first 2-3 hours, but once you hit this certain boss and the game teaches you how to switch between paradigms effectively, it changes the whole prospect of the battle system in this game..

I'm very impressed with how careful you must be with your decisions in battle, because one wrong turn and you could end up dead.

[avelle]

I really don't see the big difference between 360 and ps3, sure 360 looks a little fuzzy but its not like fucking legos to MGS4 that you guys are making. Really don't see the big deal, game was made for the PS3 the PS3 is more powerful. Dorp the fanboy shit and get your version and let the 360 people be happy they can play it w/o buying a ps3.

Fanboy shit? Are you kidding? The game doesn't look as bad in motion as in the stills, but don't kid yourself, it's still a pretty significant difference in quality.

[Eaglestrike]

My whole issue with FFX is the characters were fucking terrible. The battle system was alright. I loved FFXII, battle system was great, I think FFX had a better advancement system (though I might've preferred Zodiac FFXII, not sure) so...yeah.

Going to give this game a shot, even though I shouldn't. FF games follow the every-other for me so far.

Loved 7, hated 8, loved 9, hated X, loved XII, so I'm due to hate XIII, heh. It even works when I've gone back to earlier FF's. I enjoyed V but I've never gotten far in VI because I can never manage to do the monk guys combo moves so I always drop the game when I get to his intro part on the mountain, lol.

[Mayareira]

Just watched the video review...fuck, my jaw dropped and I can't find it.

[stormos10]

Just watched the video review...fuck, my jaw dropped and I can't find it.

from which site?

[Mayareira]

Gamespot.

[Ronfar]

Fanboy shit? Are you kidding? The game doesn't look as bad in motion as in the stills, but don't kid yourself, it's still a pretty significant difference in quality.

No its not. All the reviews say the graphics are great on both, but if you have both systems get the PS3. Again your comment was the game looks awful on 360 when it dont.

[Hyan]

As long as there is a GOOD story, chances are I will love the game. I think that was the weakest part about XII.

It's better than XII.. but I guess about on par with other FF's..? The stories aren't -that- great in any of them, at least in my opinion.. so at least this one isn't a step back.

[Exoduso]

I'm only on chapter 4, but I definitely like it more than FF12. They keep splitting the party up, which is something I always loved in FF games and personally thought FF12 lacked in that department by never splitting the party up.

And on a different note, I have to keep praising this battle system... the paradigm system works very well, and makes the battles very fast-paced and enjoyable. Knowing how to set up new paradigm combinations works to your advantage a lot here, and trying out different combos is the difference between destroying a boss and dying to that same boss within seconds..