320°

FF XIII: Reinventing the wheel or a design miss?

VGArabia: No one can argue with the fact that FF XIII is one of the most anticipated games this generation. But since the game was released in Japan, criticisms have had started to pop up on the internet regarding some aspects of the game. FF XIII new design ideas in reinventing the JRPGs genre are the same points that will bother the most devoted fans of the series. We take a look at both of the good side and the bad side of those points.

Read Full Story >>
vgarabia.com
Sangria5253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

For people having played Final Fantasy XIII, is this a linearity a la Final Fantasy X (where most of the game is pretty linear until the end where you could go everywhere you want)?
And how does this Crystalium system works, if there's no XP to gain?
Square already deleted the XP system in Crisis Core, where your evolution was only due to chance with a roulette system.

But somehow, I was that much interested by Final Fantasy XIII and this article just frozen my envy even more. I'm no longer sure I will get it after all. It seems much more restricted with much less replay value than other FF games, and this under an universe a bit too girl-oriented (like FFX-2).

immortal845253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

Yes, there is no xp to gain or leveling up. You will get points to spent to make your character stronger, just like sphere grid in FFX. Again, the only way to make your character stronger is by using the Crystalium System.

Cold 20005253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

I play JRPG's for the story, characters and atmosphere...in other words:EMOTION!!!

With FF13 it looks like SE have done everything to enhance all that while cutting all the lengthy exploration, bla bla in villages and sometimes tiring leveling up.

If chatting to villagers, neverending exploration, weak story, object collecting is your thing too bad for you. You can always go back to FF12 or WRPGS like Fallout or Oblivion. Not saying that they are bad, just a different style.

I am personally glad that SE took the direction they took with FF13 because FF12 in my opinion was just a snore fest.

Saaking5253d ago

I haven't played it so I couldn't say for sure, but some people say it's great and others say that it's not as good as previous FFs. I say we just wait for it to come out and try it out and then make a decision.

CrazzyMan5253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

I liked FFXII, i liked FFX. I`m sure, that i will like FFXIII.
Probably because i`m just a FF fan.
Well, actually, back then, FF7 was my first real RPG, and since then i love JRPG.
FF game just can`t be bad. It always about QUALITY, BIG world and just EPIC experience.

I can understand all this hate, about FFXIII, since it could be a BETTER game, but even worst FF game is better, than most other jrpgs.
Looking forward to play FFXIII.
Other people can skip this game, but this is their loss. I`m going to enjoy this EPIC experience! =)

RememberThe3575253d ago

If your a avid JRPG fan, then you might want to stay away. I'm not, not this sounds pretty cool. I would prefer the combat to be more strategic like it is in turn-based combat but I like that they're doing something different and I think I'm getting a little bit more interested.

It seems like all the talk of FF13 being for the masses and FFvs13 being for the real fans is truer then I gave it credit for.

Like I said before, this is looking to be a good but not mind blowing game. That is left for FFvs13 :)

A Cupcake for Gabe5253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

Of all the user reviews I have read. This game has been called both awesome to mediocre or disappointment.

I am going to get it probably. But I am getting more excited for versusXIII, since majority of people who said they played FFXIII, aren't calling it better than any other FF game. I hear it's short, linear, and not at all immersive. I'll just hope, when it arrives it is anything but those things.

disagrees: can you tell me why? or if you just haven't read the user reviews yet

DW5253d ago

.. I have been desparately searching for side quests and other missions I havent found any ...

[[[ SPOILER ]]]]

There is one quest where you have to hunt for Sazh's chocobo To (well it's really his Son's Chocobo but that's a long story) ... and you get items for it .... I'll stop there

point is ... there hasn't been anyone requesting you to search for anything for them, nor have I found another game yet ... though when I think about when I imported FF XII, I didn't find the fishing game till well after I had done several other missions and was able to teleport everywhere ... more later.

iamtehpwn5253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

Its JUST Like Final Fantasy X. This is actually the exact same people who did Final Fantasy X (most of the people behind FF7 and 8 work with Nomura now on Versus XIII).

It starts out Extremely linear, then the game grows and opens up, and then, much like FFX, toward the end, you have giant world to explore and do missions, etc.

EDIT: My fellow Importers, did it also EXTREMELY bother you to hear the lack of traditional victory fanfare after every battle? Honestly, this was the only big disappoint to me. I didn't even feel like I won a Final Fantasy battle.

GameGambits5253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

As someone who has beat the story and is now 83 hours of play time with jigatons more to go to reach platinum...it's pretty much a tie between this and FFIX for my favorite FF game of all time.

The game is challenging, rewarding, fun, deep, and will please all FF/RPG fans who complete it.

Yeah it was a bit of a mistake to make the first 10 chapters 100% linear, but you won't give 2 craps about that once you hit Chapter 11 and onward. The first 10 chapters for some have taken 25 hours to bust through, but I'm at 80 some hours now. That's small chump change compared to how much open content I've been cruising through.

It's def. in the same vain of FF10 in many ways, but improved for the better in MANY ways.

Don't miss out on this one and don't believe the confusion/hate on the net. It WILL be worth every red cent when you get to play it. :)

Edit: @ Guy below me.

If you go further into that thread I made. I start to talk about Ch11 and onwards, and that those impressions were made BEFORE I started Ch11 and progressed the game. Seriously, I never expected the game to be this good and turn the 180 it did. I should go do a full update on that thread tomorrow, but I had been holding off to give my final word on the game till I platinumed it. Really though...I'm going towards a Platinum on it, and I'm not a trophy whore or an achivement junkie. I rarely do that except for games I really like. I really like FF13.

Check out that thread tomorrow I'll update my impressions and how things vastly change in the games last 3 hours + end game content. It's absurd how different the game becomes... but in a VERY good way. :)

camachoreloaded88065253d ago

I just happened to stumble on this, I assume it's your impressions of the game.

http://finalfantasy-xiii.ne...

So either your opinion of the game turned a full 180, or you're just a troll screwing around.

Reveal your true self, stranger.

caladbolg7775253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

I'll probably wait a month or two before I pick up FF13. I pre-ordered FF12, which ended up being a mistake. XII certainly didn't warrant the $50-some-odd I paid for it. Undeniably, early reviews of FF13 from "major" publications are going to be sugar-coated. But like I said, I'll give it a month or two to get a feel for what people are saying about it, and then and ONLY then will I consider picking it up...

... used.

FamilyGuy5253d ago

If you liked 10 you'll LOVE 13. If you thought 10-2 was okay or better, this game will cause multiple orgasms.

Noctis Aftermath5253d ago

It is really such a shame that the game doesn't open up until near the end, i like to take breaks from the main story and do side quests every now and again, i'm sure i will enjoy this but it will be one of my least favorite FF to date, i obviously have not played it yet so it is just speculation at this point.

camachoreloaded88065252d ago

Wow, that's amazing that your opinion completely changed. Your initial impressions were probably the most negative I had seen so far, but I'm glad to hear that you ended up enjoying it a lot. Thanks for the impressions on the thread (I won't lie, I'm very biased and I probably wouldn't have thanked you for anything if your first opinion of the game remained negative haha).

I know I shouldn't let reviews affect me too much, whether they be negative or positive, but I can't help it. If a review of a game I'm anticipating is negative, I can't help but be concerned. I just hope that the majority of people will approve of it, considering that the development team spent such a long time on it.

Pozzle5252d ago

I'd direct you to the comments section of this article (WARNING! THERE ARE SPOILERS):
http://www.neoseeker.com/fo...

The gamer review in the above link has some pretty informative opinions on the game...

"Yes, the field maps are linear. Incredibly. Even so, you will still find split paths and if you want to find all the treasure, you'll navigate every path. And yes, they do exist only as a path to the next cutscene for story progression. But so many other RPGs are like this, so using it as a detraction makes little sense to me. The field construction is very traditional to Japanese RPGs.

Now, the battle system. I am enjoying this system immensely. Every battle is a test. My favourite chain building combo of Ruin-Ruin-Attack doesn't work on every enemy - just a lot of them. Trying to break some of them is an absolute waste of time, just stock the Attack command to full ATB and smash it. When it comes to Optima, you really need to think through your combinations. I went into a battle and I really wanted two Blasters. But I didn't have that Optima set up, so I couldn't break any of the enemies. I came out of that battle with a low ranking, let me tell you. Choosing your performance is a Catch-22. If you do poorly in battle, you'll get items like potions and such and extra CP. If you do well, you get some really good materials to upgrade your equipment with, but you won't get as much CP. I've had to throw some battles just to get CP. The entire system has you on your feet the whole time. If it doesn't, you're not using it to its full potential. If you don't cancel a combo in order to line up a different attack for the sake of a good boost to the chain gauge, you need to shut off the game and evaluate your decision to play it, because you're not getting the most out of the system.

Character growth is a bit confusing at first, but it eventually becomes second nature to open up the Crystarium menu every now and then and move about the discs. Abilities are few and far between, though, so don't think that you'll be able to create a super character so very quickly. CP cost to progress through the discs fluctuates extremely and once you spend your CP, it's not coming back. A nice touch is that the construction of each role's disc varies from character to character. A character - can't remember who, had Water on the first level of the Blaster disc, whereas... I think it was Sazh - or maybe Lightning - didn't get it until the second disc. Sazh started out with Fire, Lightning started out with Thunder. You can complete a disc as little or as much as you want. And the team intended for that, certain characters do better with certain roles. That's why I've whored Lightning on her Attacker discs and completely neglected the Healer disc. That said, in order to make the most of a character's stats, you'll want to progress through each and every disc.

There is a downside to Crystarium and that's the fact that it is just like the Sphere Grid in that you have to progress with completely linearity. You can't start on one side of the Blaster disc, for example, pick up Aero and then decide you want the HP+30 opposite from it. You'll have to earn that HP+30 by picking up every other node along the way.

I'm still playing with weapon growth. The help bar doesn't actually describe the affects of any of the materials. It's a very finicky system. You might put some materials on a weapon and get EXP+1.25 on all other materials. Then the next one might bump it up to +1.75. Choose the wrong material, and you're back at +1.25. I ate through all my materials upgrading the weapons for Lightning, Hope and Sazh. All of them. And the weapons are each only on level 4."

GrandDragon5252d ago

The Article contradicts its self.

First it says there are no NPC and then goes on to criticise the NPC for being "repetitive"??!

You cant talk to the NPC in this game, THEY talk to you...you simply run close to them and they turn towards you and speak like all other RPG games.

Seriously has this guy ever played any other FF game?

GrandDragon5252d ago

Quote:
"There is next to no strategy or skill involved, just keep pushing or mashing the attack button mixed with some magic attacks and you will be fine. Seriously."

WTF?!!!!

What a load of BS, this game REQUIRES strategy!! You need to constantly switch between Optima, and find ways to break the Enemy, and then find ways to string attacks to juggle the enemy in the air!! You need to plan your Optima's for each character before hand to suit the bosses difficulty. Casting enhancers and switching Optimas for healing is ALL part of the strategy...seriously whoever wrote this probably didn understand the ATB mechanism in the first pace.

vhero5252d ago

This is the first game in the series that truly worrys me I have been a huge fan of the series for many years and always pick up a copy of the latest game on release day. However the linear respect of this game is starting to make me think twice about the purchase considering how many other RPG's are out around the same time. FF was always known for open world RPG's with lots to do and tons of side quests etc. FFVII was the best for this with 2 secret (sorta) characters and ultimate weapons etc.. This game has none of that so re-playability is gonna die with it. Star Ocean and White Knight Chronicles are Higher on my list in 2010.

mfwahwah5252d ago

@1.2

WHAT? Story and talking to villagers are one in the same, man! You go around the world and see the perspectives of various townsfolk and see how everything that has happened and is happening affects people!

I remember playing FFVII as a kid and talking to some lady who looks at the ground all the time because people drop things. Then after a part of Midgar falls, or w/e it was, she always looks up. I love a good story, but I also love a full and immersive world in my RPGs.

+ Show (16) more repliesLast reply 5252d ago
Godmars2905253d ago

FFXIII is hampered by being multiplatform. It can neither reinvent the wheel nor miss it.

immortal845253d ago

It's all about design choices. That's it.

Cold 20005253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

Dont even bother. He WANTS to believe its because of the 360. SE simply listened to complaints and did with FF13 the opposite of what they did FF12.

Even if its CLEAR its a DESIGN decision, he will still stick to "its the 360's fault" talk.

Lost Odyssey had towns, was more open world than what FF13 seems to be and was 40 hours long just for the main quest and it's on the 360...

You see its just a different approach.

ClownBelt5253d ago

@Cold

Hey, yours an assumption as well.

immortal845253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

Yes, I know. I'm with you that Square has listened to gamers feedbacks, but what's your opinion on removing towns from the game? No one has complained about that I guess?

Cold 20005253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

Well the thing is I dont understand how can the game have "no towns" at all, I've read a couple of reviews already and I still dont exactly see how can that be possible...

I just tell myself that SE must have filled in the void somehow. I dont know with what or how. I know that you cant just spend 25hours fighting. I'm going to have to see by myself with my own eyes and make my own opinion.

Anyways I dont think we need a 1000 towns, most JRPG's have 4 or 5 huge towns and a whole bunch of other not so important towns.

I'll just have to wait and experience it by myself.

immortal845253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

FF XIII will be a great game. I will buy the game and play it. But to tell you the truth, I'm more excited for Mistwalker next RPG than FF XIII. I loved Lost Odyssey. It is the best JRPG this generation in my opinion.

Godmars2905253d ago

If there are notable differences between the 360 version and the PS3 version, or worse, the Western and JP PS3 versions so it matches the 360 version, then yeah, it sort of does. Especially, and here I'm assuming that neither you nor Cold2000 know enough Japanese or just haven't bothered to import it, then the only version you're talking about is the multiplatform one.

As for the current JP-only version and the subject in question there's been too much complaining about the 39/40 reviewed title to say it reinvents the wheel or even does it well. Much like Lost Odyssey was only ever called a mature re-visit to FF4 and not the FFXIII-killer many in the 360 camp hope it would be.

kingdavid5252d ago

godmars, if there would be any differences (and thats a big if) it would only be in graphics and sound.

Who the hell plays a jrpg for the sound or graphics? Noone.

A true JRPG is all about the gameplay and its story. being multiplatform or not is totally irelevant...

vhero5252d ago (Edited 5252d ago )

wow immortal84 you really think Mistwalker have the best JRPG's this gen? I strongly disagree with you but I guess to each his own. Mistwalker hasn't made a profit in any of their games so far and if it wasn't for MS footing the bill they would have gone bust. Of course MS are no longer trying to break Japan so they are no longer footing Mistwalkers bills. Thats why they have left MS now and moved to DS games.

mfwahwah5252d ago

@2.1

Bleh, I hit disagree instead of agree.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 5252d ago
alaa5253d ago

is going to be a good game. But the real question is: Will it match the quality of previous games in the series?

Godmars2905253d ago

No, the question is weather or not Versus will be equal if not better than FFXIII. Since no one's attacking the story, calling it convoluted anyway, as if prior FFs weren't, then it comes down to the differences between two games in the series that will be in the same console generation.

ShinGundam5253d ago

In terms of gameplay ,yes but they dropped the ball in terms of
World interactivity , level designs and end-game content .

I want FF13:international or DLCs :\

Gandalf5253d ago

It's overall a good game. Gameplay wise it's fun and graphics are good, but it's extremely linear. Story is about average. They tried to overreach too far on their story to try to make it more complex but failed to do so.

Godmars2905253d ago

And you know this how? By actually playing it the required 40+ hours, or is your opinion simply been formed by largely biased overly repeated hearsay?

Game looks good, comes from a well established publisher, so I'm willing to wait till I've got my own hands on it to form and real opinions. That being said, with the game not following the established trend of being on one platform only, I have concerns. Especially when it seems that the judgment of Square's leadership seems leaning more towards profit than quality.

Still I'm only concerned. Need more proof than someone simply calling me a butthurt fanboy. Like having the game in my hands.

Gandalf5253d ago

Yeah, I beat the game, and the big plot twist, that happens in every JRPG, falls flat. It had moments but failed to live up to predecessors. Comparing this game to past game plots is like comparing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Overall, MW had a better story than MW2. MW2 had moments but plagued with plot holes.

caladbolg7775253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

Now that FF13 guaranteed a multiplatform release in America, I'm curious as to whether XBOX-only review sites or PS3-only review sites will grade the game higher.

My guess is that XBOX-only/oriented review sites will be rating FF13 higher than PS3-only/oriented ones. If not for anything other than expectations. As far as quality JRPGs go for the 360, they are few and far between. And although the PS3 isn't GUSHING with JRPGs just yet this generation, the type of gamer gravitating toward PS3-oriented review sites, I'd assume, are probably more JRPG-friendly than those hovering XBOX sites.

You tell me though. Admittedly, I'm not much of a console gamer at all anymore. Post-PS2 I've moved on and consider myself a PC gamer more than anything else. Maybe I've lost touch with the console-gaming crowd and I've got the roles reversed?

kewlkat0075253d ago (Edited 5253d ago )

This looks like an old-school JRPG. nothing is being re-invented here(like most games today) and I'm fine with that.

Every Final Fantasy games have had different characters and such while you can compare this to some of the old ones, you gotta understand SQUARE-ENIX is NOT!! SQUARESOFT. Some of the biggest personal that made the older games charming are no longer there so things/times have changed.

Lets move on and judge Square-Enix to others of today's JRPG makers that also deserve credit, or a second look. Not many tradition JRPGs have been out on next-gen and the closest to Final Fantasy will have to be Lost Odyssey. Go figure.

iamtehpwn5253d ago

It's Very reinvented. It's Just some of the reinventions are questionable to some what people. It's kind of funny how the majority of the people who are complaining about the game have never even played it. I have my Ps3 Japanese copy. You guys do not have to worry about this one. It's on par with Final Fantasy X.

Son_Lee5253d ago

@iamtehpwn

On par with FFX? I'm glad you said that because I watched a boss battle (trying to avoid spoilers but still get somewhat a sense of the gameplay) and it looks amazing to say the least. Bosses have a LOT of HP. This I like. I hear this is the hardest FF as well. FFX and FFVIII were no walks in the park, and I think that's due to the leveling system. I think Crystalium looks like a doctored up Sphere Grid, which is in no way a bad thing. Anyway, my point is after watching that boss battle, I'm convinced that at least most of the changes are for the better. People need to check their nostalgia at the door.

iamtehpwn5252d ago

You still have to have Final Fantasy strategy, and you have Optimas to deal with. Honestly, sometimes, it'll feel like you're almost playing Kingdom Hearts trying to not only assign optimas fast, but quickly assign attacks.

The game is REALLY fun, and there are people are KEEP trying to ruin this game for everyone. It's REALLY REALLY REALLY NOT that bad. Think about people making up crap to make Uncharted 2 seem bad in some conceivable way? It's the same deal here.

Show all comments (62)
70°

The 7 Best Final Fantasy Characters: Unveiling the Legends

While FFVII ranks highly, there's more to the series than one game. Here's Chit Hot's picks for the seven best Final Fantasy characters.

220°

The older it gets, the more I respect Final Fantasy XIII

Alex Donaldson: "Hindsight is a hell of a thing, however, and in the years since Final Fantasy XIII, my respect for the decisions its developers made has skyrocketed. In the two Final Fantasy titles since we see both the brilliance and the folly in alternative approaches - and in Final Fantasy VII Remake, we get a more nuanced understanding of what FF13 was trying to accomplish from many of the same development leads."

Einhander1972145d ago

FFXIII is actually one of the best Final Fantasy games.

I also sort of was disappointed at the time, never as much as the bandwagon. But really all the fantastic 3D rendered cutscenes and I actually liked the characters and the story though convoluted was actually fantastic and the ending was extremely emotional. So much budget and time were put into that game Square had such big plans, I actually have always felt kind of bad for how things played out.

I have been thinking for years how great it would be to get all three games on one disk for PS4 or 5.

Nyxus145d ago

I always liked this game, and I agree, a rerelease for current gen would be nice.

Shane Kim144d ago (Edited 144d ago )

Gotta take off the nostalgia glasses. It's the worst FF. Shiva as a bike, I mean come on.

Elda144d ago

Shiva as a bike is strange but saying FFXIII is the worst FF is not at all a fact, that's simply your opinion.

Terry_B143d ago

*One of the 3 equally bad FF's

DivineHand125143d ago (Edited 143d ago )

When I got my series X a year ago, I bought FF13 for nostalgia reasons but ended up being disappointed. When I first played it around the time it launched, I didn't have a lot of experience with final fantasy games, so I enjoyed it. Fast forward to when I played it again, I found that the game had many unnecessary filler moments instead of just giving us meaningful content.

The game is also very linear and a quote on the article said it best. "It is like a sewage pipe that leads to the ocean until it opens up on Grand Pulse."

The story didn't make much sense either and I believe it is my mistake as I played the FF7 remake on PS5 prior which is a night and day difference in terms of pacing, storytelling and likeable characters even though cloud is aloof.

FinalFantasyFanatic143d ago (Edited 143d ago )

Probably was a mistake to play any of the golden era FFs first (e.g. FF6 through FF10), it makes it harder to enjoy some of the FFs that aren't as good. I think FF12 was where major issues with the series started becoming apparent, and it just got worse from there.

FinalFantasyFanatic143d ago (Edited 143d ago )

I didn't really care for it that much, the only saving grace was that it had a better story than 15 (overall it was better than 15) and possibly 12, and even then, you had to read some of it through primers, like reading a book. Plus the battle system was reasonably fun for what it was, even if it was more the spectacle that was exciting for me (e.g. summoning). And to be fair, the 13 trilogy got better with every games, I still don't like Snow though.

Gamingsince1981143d ago

Ff13 is only good if you haven't played a ff before, or any other games that are decent for that matter.

-Foxtrot143d ago

It is in fact no way the best Final Fantasy game, it's one of the worst

Linear corridors, Cutscene, Fight, Cutscene...rinse and repeat

Dialogue and characters are pretty bad, especially Lightning as the main FF hero, they literally said they tried to make a "Female Cloud" and they failed.

Story was pretty awful

I could go on

I think the only alright thing that came from the game was the music.

Elda143d ago

That's not a fact that's your personal opinion. The game sold 11 million copies between its 2009 release up until 2014 including critically reviewed as an 8 out of 10 or an 80 out of 100. The game does have some issues but it's not at all a fact as one of the worst FF games.

-Foxtrot142d ago

Elda

Not just mine mate

A large majority

So….

Traecy142d ago

N4G commenters such as yourself aren't the majority. The game was well received.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 142d ago
+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 142d ago
gold_drake145d ago (Edited 145d ago )

i liked the game alot but i didnt like how they handled the terminology.

i dont mind reading data logs but it had soo many.

but i always loved the music and how it looked. the battle system wasnt too bad either.

but i like 13-2 more :)

i still dont understand why we never got a remaster of the trilogy

Eonjay143d ago

Xbox kinda did. Besides the video files of course which are still best on PS3 due to bluray.

Snookies12145d ago

XIII is a pretty solid game, but XIII-2 is WAY better. XIII-2 was one of the few games I decided to go for a Platinum trophy in, early on. Had so much fun the entire way through getting it too!

Eonjay143d ago

Totally agree. FF 13 was okay but 13-2 is my favorite FF game ever.

shinoff2183145d ago (Edited 145d ago )

I hated this to when it released. I haven't much liked a ff game since ff10 as much , aside from ff7remake. I decided to give it another shot on my series x since it's not on a current ps and was liking it quite a bit(just takes me some time to get over things ) until star ocean 2 remake came out I was all over that.

Square should definitely remaster it or something for ps4 ps5

KillerB144d ago

my favorite jrpg trilogy ever

Show all comments (44)
70°

Interview: Making music with Masashi Hamauzu

Square Enix Blog: "How do you compose iconic songs that help define a legacy? We speak to legendary composer Masashi Hamauzu about his work on Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy VII Remake, and how to make unforgettable music."

Read Full Story >>
square-enix-games.com