Game

[Human Snorenado]

If you had told young me that in 2010 Final Fantasy 13 would cost $60, wouldn't get good until around 15ish hours in and that people would be ok with that I would have kicked you in the junk.  smh @ the low standards around here.

There is literally no other game in the world like FFXIII for better or worse.

yet it feels like a very boiled down version of just about any JRPG, but with a unique battle system.

My other jrpgs aren't linear tunnels.

See, and that's the deal breaker for me.  I'm not about to spend $60 on something that does away with one of my favorite rpg aspects.  No thanks.  I'll pick it up in a few months after the price drops.  Or probably never.  Actually, I know for sure I'll get it, if only to start a troll thread months and months after everyone else has finished it and forgotten about the game.  Then I get to troll it TWICE.  Winnar am me!

[Himu]

Black people get Sazh; White people get Vanille

Am willing to trade

[maxy]

If you had told young me that in 2010 Final Fantasy 13 would cost $60, wouldn't get good until around 15ish hours in and that people would be ok with that I would have kicked you in the junk.  smh @ the low standards around here.

FF13 never gets better,don't listen to those lies.
And when it "opens up" there is nothing else to do than fight overpowered monsters and you have been doing that for the past 20 hours
After that back to the tube.

[Phoenix Dark]

Yep. Blackace

please tell me the black guy isn't named Blackace

[Ichirou]

He is.  He also works as a bouncer or something, apparently.

Perpetuating stereotypes of black people in Japan

[dark1x]

I know it doesn't matter, but holy christ, this game looks insane at times.  Some of the backgrounds are just unbelievable looking.  I'm saying this after just installing a new Radeon 5870 in my PC and experiencing Crysis at 60 fps.  Hopefully SE puts this engine to use in the future as it absolutely delivers on the visual front.

The only thing missing is motion blur ala God of War 3, Uncharted 2, Crysis, or Resident Evil 5.  That would make a tremendous difference, I think.

[Don Flamenco]

If you had told young me that in 2010 Final Fantasy 13 would cost $60, wouldn't get good until around 15ish hours in and that people would be ok with that I would have kicked you in the junk.  smh @ the low standards around here.

There is literally no other game in the world like FFXIII for better or worse.

yet it feels like a very boiled down version of just about any JRPG, but with a unique battle system.

My other jrpgs aren't linear tunnels.

hence "a very boiled down version."  sheesh 

what FFXII did for JRPG battle systems (taking away the illusion of control), XIII did for JRPG exploration (taking away the illusion of choice.) 

[tiesto]

So I just beat chapter 4, the music in the second part (the waste processing area) was fucking awesome. I really like the music in the game, it doesn't lack the "punch" and bombast of some of the other FF scores, but the songs are catchy and they don't get too repetitive. Wish I could say the same for the dungeon areas though.

Fight with Odin was a pain in the ass, took me like 6 tries to beat him. I'm not really feeling the eidolon fights, especially the time limit. Battle system is at least getting more interesting, it feels like FFXII done right, with the auto battles and the preset strategies (a serious flaw with 12 is you couldn't have several different gambit setups that allowed you to cycle through them at will). I don't understand why they took so long to take the training wheels off... the first 2 chapters make Mystic Quest look like Knights in the Nightmare in terms of complexity.

[Don Flamenco]

they should have some audio control options.  I can't hear the music all that well over the loud as fuck footsteps and fight sound effects.

[Bebpo]

I know it doesn't matter, but holy christ, this game looks insane at times.  Some of the backgrounds are just unbelievable looking.  I'm saying this after just installing a new Radeon 5870 in my PC and experiencing Crysis at 60 fps.  Hopefully SE puts this engine to use in the future as it absolutely delivers on the visual front.

The only thing missing is motion blur ala God of War 3, Uncharted 2, Crysis, or Resident Evil 5.  That would make a tremendous difference, I think.

Yeah, it's no Crysis, but I think it's up there with the best looking console games.  The character models are so good I'd even put them above Crysis in that respect.  The environment though brings it back down to console reality.

Although it helps that some environments have really good art to make up for lack of polygons.  I don't know if you're talking about ch.12, but if you aren't, ch.12 will blow you away visually.

[Third]

The japafag in me is too strong for hating this game. I'm trying to like this very much.  :'(

[demi]

The japafag in me is too strong for hating this game. I'm trying to like this very much.  :'(

Or it's a good game? Nothing wrong with admitting it. Triumph likes the weeaboo x a million Himusona games. Whatever he says is negated really. At least FF13 doesnt call people -sama -san -chan

[Third]

Oh oops. I meant "starting to like this very much" 

But yeah, sure, it's a good game. I loved all the other FF games. I'm just mad at SE for not making traditional FF games anymore. I'm starting to miss airships and overworlds etc.
Good thing FFversusXIII isn't a corridor FF game.

[dark1x]

I know it doesn't matter, but holy christ, this game looks insane at times.  Some of the backgrounds are just unbelievable looking.  I'm saying this after just installing a new Radeon 5870 in my PC and experiencing Crysis at 60 fps.  Hopefully SE puts this engine to use in the future as it absolutely delivers on the visual front.

The only thing missing is motion blur ala God of War 3, Uncharted 2, Crysis, or Resident Evil 5.  That would make a tremendous difference, I think.

Yeah, it's no Crysis, but I think it's up there with the best looking console games.  The character models are so good I'd even put them above Crysis in that respect.  The environment though brings it back down to console reality.

Although it helps that some environments have really good art to make up for lack of polygons.  I don't know if you're talking about ch.12, but if you aren't, ch.12 will blow you away visually.

I'm not there yet, but I'm already blown away by the environment quality.  The area following the demo when you first enter the fal'Cie thing, for instance, is just insane looking.  There is a ton of geometry in there, great lighting, and awesome art design.  I haven't seen a single bland background.  Honestly, it looks good enough that it nearly makes up for the simplistic level design.  I prefer this to, say, Blue Dragon or Persona where you get a bunch of samey looking mazes.  I'm surprised by the large scale feeling of everything, really.

It's definitely the first JRPG this generation that is actually polished.  The Tri-Ace games were a mess, Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon had bad framerates and loading, Vesperia animated like a PS2 game, Eternal Sonata was pretty low poly, and White Knight was piss ugly.

[Saint Cornelius]

No, he's really not. Closet Racist, imo.

Yeah! And if the guy teaches English supposedly, why.. doesn't he.. know how to.. end a.. sentence..?

[Rman]

Is Snow a pedophile?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

TRUE STORY

My office mate was playing FFXIII and got to the scene where Snow and Vanille are watching the fireworks. When Snow and Vanille kissed, his son GASPED and said, "Daddy! Why is that man kissing that little girl!!"

[Himu]

[Van Cruncheon]

that's serah, not vanille

:'(

:'(

oh god end me

[Howard Alan Treesong]

TRAPP'D

[Van Cruncheon]

ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE EDGE

[Stoney Mason]

that's serah, not vanille

:'(

:'(

oh god end me

When I got to the Snow Serah scenes I literally thought that the twist was Serah had somehow gotten transported back to being a pre-teen girl and that Snow was going to have to figure out how to turn her back into an adult. I'm not even kidding.

[Bebpo]

You guys all hate on Tim Rogers' reviews, but he was the first one to bring up the awkward&creepy BIG MAN Snow x TINY LITTLE GIRL Serah relationship. 

[Himu]

You guys all hate on Tim Rogers' reviews, but he was the first one to bring up the awkward&creepy BIG MAN Snow x TINY LITTLE GIRL Serah relationship. 

Doesn't mean a thing.

We were all saying the same thing when we saw Snow x Serah in the trailers of the game before it came out.

[Bebpo]

 

[Mupepe]

Got this game tonight.  Played for about 2 hours.  I got to the place where I turn on the crystal thing and it all rearranges for a path towards a bigger crystal thing.  i like it so far.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I went out with a friend to shop and have dinner tonight instead of playing FFXIII. In fact, this is the second night in a row I've socialized than play FFXIII. For a game to be so bad that I willingly hang out with other people instead of play it, well ... yeah.

[demi]

wow patel. this must be a life changing game.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I used to be a closeted himusexual until I played Final Fantasy XIII

now I quit JRPGs cold turkey and get laid twice a day

thanks, Toriyama!

[iconoclast]

Chapter 10

Junkyard > that place.

I quit right after the start of chapter 11 and...

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Vanille communicated with a chocobo.

[close]

WHAT

[Third]

I'm now at chapter 5. The game has been too easy so far.

btw

Does anyone have any weapon upgrade tips? I still haven upgraded any items. Don't know where to start..

[iconoclast]

The game is pretty easy up until chapter 10 + 11, then it seems to get quite a bit tougher. But like you, I haven't really been upgrading my gear. My highest weapon is level 7, I'm just saving my items in case I find a new weapon I want to use. I'm starting to feel like I need the upgrades though since even regular enemies are pretty strong now.

[Rman]

I've honestly have not been upgrading anything. 

Chapter 7 Spoilers:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

What is the track that plays when using Fang and Lighting in Palumpolum?  Such an epic track.  I've got pick up the OST for this game.

[close]

[Purple Filth]

FFXIII creators would love to make a FFXIII 2

Sequel

While building teams is now in the hands of the player, the responsibility of building the unique worlds of Pulse and Cocoon rested firmly on the shoulders of the Final Fantasy creators. Even after playing a mere five hours, it feels to me that there is much more to this universe than this story. It seems obvious to continue adventures on these two worlds in a direct sequel. So, will there be a Final Fantasy XIII-2? The men laugh and begin to answer very diplomatically: “That depends on how well the game sells in the West!” But after pressing a bit, Kitase concedes he would very much like to do a direct sequel. “In the past three years we worked both on the world and on the various systems. Creating these systems isn’t very glamourous and can frankly be a bit boring. If we could do a XIII-2, we could direct all our attention to the story and refine what we have already built.”

This is an advantage which will not exist for the team that might create Final fantasy XV (XIV is already announced as an MMO). Every numbered Final Fantasy game stands on its own, and is created starting with a blank slate. Still, elements carry over to become canon, like chocobo, crystals, and archetypcal spells. What elements of FFXIII would Kitase like to carry over into future Final Fantasies?

We do not know if there will be a XV. This depends a lot on the success of XIII. Also, it is difficult to pinpoint elements that are typical Final Fantasy. They are mostly invisible: part of the DNA of the game, that everyone recognizes as typical Final Fantasy. But *if* there is a XV, I hope the way we wrote our characters carries over. We strived to create believable people of flesh and blood. They are not robots. And they are not super heroes. I hope this humanity is something we will see again.”

[Himu]

I'm now at chapter 5. The game has been too easy so far.

btw

Does anyone have any weapon upgrade tips? I still haven upgraded any items. Don't know where to start..

The weapon upgrade system is trash, but here's how you do it.

You have cheap materials and you have expensive materials. You use cheap materials to get xp bonus for your weapon. Get it up to x3 xp bonus. Then you take an expensive material and apply that, and you'll get a big boost in terms of levels.

Doing anything otherwise is a waste of time, resources and money.

The trick to knowing whether something is cheap of expensive is in the amount it gives when you're going to put in the weapon. Cheap materials it'll say "100" or "90" something. Expensive materials will give a "1000" or even "4000" or "5000" xp points.

The weapon upgrade system sucks is probably the worst weapon upgrade system I've ever encountered in an rpg.

[Bebpo]

FFXIII-2 would actually be great.

If they didn't have to spend time making the engine or assets it means they could spend the time making an actual GAME.
If they made FFXIII-2, a gameplay-focused experience like FFX-2 but in FFXIII's interesting world...awesome.

I never want Toriyama to direct a mainline FF again, but I'm fine with him directing a FFXIII-2 while some other team makes FFXV

[Howard Alan Treesong]

The weapon upgrade system sucks is probably the worst weapon upgrade system I've ever encountered in an rpg.

Cosigned, they have all these "interesting" items/materials you find but at the end of the day they're just an XP number and a multiplier modifier. BOR-ING. It's like a parody of RPG upgrade systems a la Progress Quest.

[Rman]

The weapon upgrade system sucks is probably the worst weapon upgrade system I've ever encountered in an rpg.

Cosigned, they have all these "interesting" items/materials you find but at the end of the day they're just an XP number and a multiplier modifier. BOR-ING. It's like a parody of RPG upgrade systems a la Progress Quest.

Another thing, is that is doesn't even make a difference it seems.  I'm still using level 1 weapons in Chapter 7 without much difficultly.  What's weird is that I always thought that since FFVIII, the FF team has tried to deemphasize weapons and equipment, but FFXIII weapon system seems to have been the idea of some overworked studio intern.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Sid Meier: "A game is a series of interesting choices."
Toriyama: "A game is a series of tubes."

[recursivelyenumerable]

If they didn't have to spend time making the engine or assets it means they could spend the time making an actual GAME.
If they made FFXIII-2, a gameplay-focused experience like FFX-2 but in FFXIII's interesting world...awesome.

I'd like to see:
* nonlinear like FFX2
* prequel set 500+ years before so we actually get to see Pulse civilization
* same art style and art team, but few/no recycled maps, unlike FFX2 (but this would kinda kill the "less time making assets" advantage)
* battle system is based on FFXIII but evolved, e.g. more emphasis on TP abilities, add specialized Paradigms/Roles that cost TP to switch to, etc.
* same music style and music team, but few recycled tracks

[Third]

the music in this game has been really awful so far

And the chapter 5 boss was fucking hard. I've died four times. Getting stagger status on him was so hard.

[recursivelyenumerable]

the music in this game has been really awful so far

Nah, you just have shit taste that's all.

[Smooth Groove]

Is it fair to say that FF13 is pretty much like a beat-em up with turn based combat and more story?  I haven't read much about FF13 but that's the impression I'm getting from this thread.

I'll pick it up just to see how much Jap developers have fallen behind the times. 

Most likely, it'll be the 360 version that I"m getting.  The smoother framerate on the 360 more than makes up for the barely noticeable visual differences.  Also, I prefer the 360 controller for games like this and it's hard to resist the nostalgic value of a 4-discs JRPG package. 

[Himu]

I wouldn't say FF13 is indicative of how much "jap developers have fallen behind the times" but rather how much Square has fallen behind the times. Because games like Tales of Vesperia, Blue Dragon, Demon's Souls and Valkyria Chronicles mop FF13 up.

[Smooth Groove]

Lost Odyssey is the only J-RPG I've really played in this gen.  I give it about a 6/10.  LO was fun but it had too many flaws to be listed. 

Blue Dragon is still unopened on the shelf.  I love the look of the game but it seems too much like Dragon Quest 8, which I really hated.  Maybe I'll have the patience one day to play it but I doubt it. 

I returned Demon's Souls because it sounds like too much work.  Unless you're a high school student or unemployed, why the hell would you want to spend your precious time playing a game that not only forces you to repeat the same sections many times but also has no quick-saving capability? 

I have no interest in Vesperia 'cause the Tales game I tried on the PSP was like a distinguished mentally-challenged version of Diablo.  Valkyria Chronicles seems to be made for gamers that can't handle real strategy games like Company of Heroes. 

So yeah, Jap developers are basically incompetent when it comes to anything other than simple handheld games. 

[OptimoPeach]

^
Play The Last Remnant. It even has a superior PC version

[Bebpo]

Is it fair to say that FF13 is pretty much like a beat-em up with turn based combat and more story?  I haven't read much about FF13 but that's the impression I'm getting from this thread.

I'll pick it up just to see how much Jap developers have fallen behind the times. 

Most likely, it'll be the 360 version that I"m getting.  The smoother framerate on the 360 more than makes up for the barely noticeable visual differences.  Also, I prefer the 360 controller for games like this and it's hard to resist the nostalgic value of a 4-discs JRPG package. 

The 360 version actually has the worse framerate of the two.  The lens of truth comparisons were only using the early linear areas, whereas some sections in the later areas have some framerate issues on X360.  Game was not as optimized for the X360 as it should have been, probably because it was a rush port job.

[Bebpo]

I returned Demon's Souls because it sounds like too much work.  Unless you're a high school student or unemployed, why the hell would you want to spend your precious time playing a game that not only forces you to repeat the same sections many times but also has no quick-saving capability? 

Demon Souls requires less time than Mass Effect 2

[demi]

^
Play The Last Remnant. It even has a superior PC version

PC version is also distinguished mentally-challenged fellow easy since they removed the leader cap. So you can make parties of extremely overpowered groups

[OptimoPeach]

Yeah but only fegs play like that. Self-imposed limitations

[recursivelyenumerable]

Did you actually play the PC version, demi?  I heard the enemies were made more powerful to make up for the system change, so it's no easier.  Is that not correct?

[demi]

Did you actually play the PC version, demi?  I heard the enemies were made more powerful to make up for the system change, so it's no easier.  Is that not correct?

If they are made stronger, I'm sure the difference is negligible. Leaders can be OP to the max.

[OptimoPeach]

Yeah they hit harder and have more HP but it's still imba

[Ichirou]

I have no interest in Vesperia 'cause the Tales game I tried on the PSP was like a distinguished mentally-challenged version of Diablo.  Valkyria Chronicles seems to be made for gamers that can't handle real strategy games like Company of Heroes. 

FWIW, Radiant Mythology (the PSP Tales game) has little in common with titles in the main series aside from the battle system.

[Bebpo]

The PC version doesn't have achievements.

That's the main downpoint of TLR PC 

/still going to play it on PC

[Rman]

the music in this game has been really awful so far

Nah, you just have shit taste that's all.

Agreed.  The soundtrack is stellar this time around.

[Akala]

I'm liking the music too, although I wish there was a touch more fanservice...kind of want the traditional victory chime lol.

the lake environment was awesome. digging the game so far. could do without vanille and hope though.

[maxy]

 

[Third]

Stupid SE   

I don't like the music because it's forgettable. I haven't heard ONE track that I liked. The previous FF games OST's shit on this soundtrack from a great distance.

-edit- I think I only like the battle music...

And the X360 version is inferior on all accounts, Smooth Groove. Having played both versions, I can say the difference is pretty huge. Especially if you have a better tv set.

[maxy]

That can't be real. It just can't.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/03/final-fantasy-gdc/