Final Fantasy XIII

[Ronfar]

Apples, oranges, etc.

FF13's story is comparable to other entries in the series. Nothing groundbreakingly original but it's not riddled with false sentimentality, either. I'm tempted to call the story a standout strength of XIII. GoW's story is Kratos Meets God, Kratos Kills God. The 'epic' feel is 100% from the combat, not the storytelling.

Wait so the story in 13 isn't about saving a girl and or world?
Apples, Oranges is exactly right you can't compare the 2 types of games. But there was alot more to it then what you posted. I could do the same thing for every FF game.

[Rokku]

Apples, oranges, etc.

FF13's story is comparable to other entries in the series. Nothing groundbreakingly original but it's not riddled with false sentimentality, either. I'm tempted to call the story a standout strength of XIII. GoW's story is Kratos Meets God, Kratos Kills God. The 'epic' feel is 100% from the combat, not the storytelling.

idk, a few of the reviews I've read really ripped on XIII's story, citing things like weak motives, confusing writing and a plot that fails to make sense all the way up to and through the last boss.

[Correction]

Wait so the story in 13 isn't about saving a girl and or world?
Apples, Oranges is exactly right you can't compare the 2 types of games. But there was alot more to it then what you posted. I could do the same thing for every FF game.

So could I, and that's why 'adapted screenplay' and 'original screenplay' are separate awards at the oscars.

Not here to champion XIII's storytelling as award-worthy, but the last 'amazing' FF story that tied up plot points and defined characters and their motivations clearly was VI. This isn't about 'I like God of War's story better' it's about 'I liked the stories and how they were told in VII-XII, so I'm going to like XIII's story'

[Charismatic]

the last 'amazing' FF story that tied up plot points and defined characters and their motivations clearly was VI.

What was Kefka's motivation?

[Weltall]

Well, I've liked 4-10's story....12 not at all.

The 5-6 hours most NA games give you (God of War, etc etc) is not nearly enough time to develop a strong storyline or character development. Take into consideration 4 hours of those games are just bashing in mobs, and the 1 hour is of development isn't even a drop in the bucket.

All games should take the Xenogears' skeleton and build off that; if you honestly play through God of War, as an example, and feel any sense of attachment to Kratos given the 1 hour of actual character and plot development, you are just too easily entrapped and convinced.

Now, if you like hitting square a lot and seeing blood, then the game is for you, and is fun. It is fun, but compared to a game with development and a literal 30x the length of development...it isn't even close.

[Qalbert]

What was Kefka's motivation?

some men just want to watch the world burn etc etc
http://literalminded.files.wordpress...ael-caine1.jpg

[Darus Grey]

idk, a few of the reviews I've read really ripped on XIII's story, citing things like weak motives, confusing writing and a plot that fails to make sense all the way up to and through the last boss.

The plot is essentially "I'm bored, let's make trouble...the world needs heroes no?!" and it never really explains motivation past that one line.

In it's defense it's not that it fails to expose motivation, it doesn't even try, it's simply not part of the plot.

[Appie]

idk, a few of the reviews I've read really ripped on XIII's story, citing things like weak motives, confusing writing and a plot that fails to make sense all the way up to and through the last boss.

Looks more to me like they shouldn't afk during cutscenes. FFXIII's story isn't that fucking hard to follow to know what is going on, seriously.

[Tyrath]

some men just want to watch the world burn etc etc
http://literalminded.files.wordpress...ael-caine1.jpg

Its always the fucking clowns.

http://www.southdacola.com/blog/wp-c...land_clown.jpg

[Correction]

The plot is essentially "I'm bored, let's make trouble...the world needs heroes no?!" and it never really explains motivation past that one line.

In it's defense it's not that it fails to expose motivation, it doesn't even try, it's simply not part of the plot.

Um what?

Spoiler: show

Damn, my girlfriend is cursed to die, I might as well try to help her so she isn't doomed to a life as a zombie.
Damn, my sister is cursed to die, I might as well try to help her so she isn't doomed to life as a zombie.
Damn, my child is cursed to die, etc.
Damn, our purpose in life is to destroy a planet full of life, sure hope nobody finds out.

Just because you didn't understand the plot doesn't mean motivations aren't explained.

[Charismatic]

I'm guessing that if there are many complaints about FFXIII's story and characters, the characters must not have sad enough backstories and the villain must have a real reason for wanting to tear ass.
I've learned from fans of the old-school FFs that these are the only things necessary and straying from that format means the game will be disliked by the old-school fans.

[TacoTaru]

I'm guessing that if there are many complaints about FFXIII's story and characters, the characters must not have sad enough backstories and the villain must have a real reason for wanting to tear ass.
I've learned from fans of the old-school FFs that these are the only things necessary and straying from that format means the game will be disliked by the old-school fans.

Just out of curiosity since you're one of the few avid FF12 fans I've seen, when did the series take a turn for the better for you? By that I mean when did it abandon the things you said above (that you seem to loathe) and become a game that you can admired for it's actual quality?

[Elcura]

There are a lot of people who like FFXII on this board, yet the people who don't like it are usually more vocal about it than the people who do. Criticizing the game seems to be easy, yet people only want a real explanation when it comes to defending the game or saying what they liked about it.

[Darus Grey]

Um what?

Spoiler: show

Damn, my girlfriend is cursed to die, I might as well try to help her so she isn't doomed to a life as a zombie.
Damn, my sister is cursed to die, I might as well try to help her so she isn't doomed to life as a zombie.
Damn, my child is cursed to die, etc.
Damn, our purpose in life is to destroy a planet full of life, sure hope nobody finds out.

Just because you didn't understand the plot doesn't mean motivations aren't explained.

I think you missed my implication that those were weaker than the lolone I mentioned.

Course, just because you didn't understand the implicature in my post doesn't mean it's not there.

Edit for clarity, before I get yet another "you just don't understand it! response from correction...for the 10th time: I am saying the whole thing is a http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...vedCoincidence , i.e. that the actual motive the plot gives is so banal and weak that you can't even consider it the "real" motivation, thus the only apparent motivation is "let's cause trouble, lol!"

[Charismatic]

Just out of curiosity since you're one of the few avid FF12 fans I've seen, when did the series take a turn for the better for you? By that I mean when did it abandon the things you said above (that you seem to loathe) and become a game that you can admired for it's actual quality?

FFXI

(FFX wasn't as bad as a lot of the older ones but it had a lot of loose ends that weren't tied up until the god-awful FFX-2 was released and even that game tended to skip over quite a bit few of them)

[Weltall]

There are a lot of people who like FFXII on this board, yet the people who don't like it are usually more vocal about it than the people who do. Criticizing the game seems to be easy, yet people only want a real explanation when it comes to defending the game or saying what they liked about it.

It is one of the ONLY Square RPGs released in America which I did not bother to finish; actually, the only one I've ever bought and not finished because of how awful it was.

All FFs btw.

[Qalbert]

How about we stop shitting this up with FF# was better than FF#, FF# sucks, and all that crap, ok?
This is the FFXIII thread. End of story.

[Charismatic]

This is my story.

[Kyo]

This is my story.

King's Story?

[Correction]

i.e. that the actual motive the plot gives is so banal and weak that you can't even consider it the "real" motivation, thus the only apparent motivation is "let's cause trouble, lol!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Azure_Bonds

Damn, somone better tell those guys their plot devices are banal and don't form "real" motivations.