120°

Toriyama: Players will benefit from FFXIII's linearity

In order to allow the player to become absorbed in the drama of the storytelling and the new and exciting world of Cocoon and be drawn to the characters without getting distracted or lost we have deliberately used a linear game design for the introduction sections so they can be enjoyed in the same manner as watching a film. We are aiming for a vibe while playing that is similar to the experience of an FPS style game, where the player rapidly progresses through a series of dramatic events and experiences one after the other on an imposing and atmospheric battlefield. This kind of design is also very beneficial for the player in allowing them to gradually and systematically learn the brand new battle system that this instalment brings to the series. It is set up such that the player will experience and try out each character's possible roles in battle and naturally internalise the intensely tactical nature of the paradigm shift system.

Dutch Boogie5197d ago

This guy doesn't make sense when he speaks. Linearity in any RPG game is a step backwards FACT!

Kalowest5197d ago

Dude i agree, Sh1t even WKCs has towns and player created ones for online, plus its very open-world, SE better not F'up FFXIII Versus.

Keith Olbermann5197d ago

Appear to be strong when you are weak...that is "The Art of War".
Nice try..linear games are dated.

Young Capwn5196d ago

All that means is this game will be boring.

qface645196d ago

i do happen to think what hes saying is just very silly
but you can't blame the guy for trying to make it seem like its a nice thing

its not like hes gonna be saying the game is horrible because of it being linear

hay5196d ago

This is bullsh*t. In RPGs you always picked your pace. Some rushed through the story, some sidetracked to get more of the world. In RPGs it was a choice. Now we're stripped of it.

Way to go Square. What next? Final Fantasy Shooter? It'll even have same acronym as For F*cks Sake, which will be perfect description for it.

Rainstorm815196d ago

linear games arent out dated one just won 150+ plus awards.

Linear RPGs now there i agree with you. I am more than hyped for FFXIII, but this seems like a pre-emptive strike on square's part to combat a shyt storm they know is coming.

3-9-10 is going to be an interesting day.

Blaster_Master5196d ago

You guys are wrong. I dont know what world you guys come from, but here on Earth all video games are linear. Just some area lot more so then others. To you guys story doesn't matter so why do you care anyways? Leave us real gaming rpg fans enjoy this if its any good. If its not thats when you guys start running your mouths.

awesomesauce215196d ago (Edited 5196d ago )

It's not a step backwards. RPGs like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls and Baldurs Gate have all existed even when FFX was out.. It's easy to blast FFXIII because JRPGs are already having a tough time finding an audience, more so than Western ones. And like Blade said, linearity is apart of all games to some degree or another.

JRPGs just happen to be more linear than others. Deal with it.

Cold 20005196d ago (Edited 5196d ago )

Competely agree with you, since when have games been NOT been linear? I feel like we havent been living on the same planet or something.

Except for games like Oblivion/Fallout, sandbox games, 99% of games are linear.

And its clear most people here dont care about RPG's, I mean who the heck wants an open world FF ?? FF12 was open world and was probably the worst in the series.

AKNAA5196d ago

All the FF games that I played so far seem quite linear to me imo..
sure most RPG's allow you to roam from town to town,, but in the end, you can't advance unless you go to where you have to be in order to continue the story right?! I'd consider that Linear, but just with delays in between.

Let's see.. prototype, infamous, RF:gorilla, GTA4 all open world, all take place in the same location through out the entire game, how you enjoy that, beats me cause frankly, I find them repetitive and boring.

Linear games like uncharted 2, GOW1-2-3, Gears 1-2, dead space, RE4-5 are way better than any sandbox game I can think of...
Better graphics, better gameplay, different environments and locations and so what if you can't make decisions like dragon age(gawd awful console versions btw) there still fun games regardless since the NES era, thats why I'm looking forward to FF13. It looks way better than any other RPG this generation imo.
ME2 looks good and all, but it just looks like a 3rd person shooter with choices to me( not that its a bad thing).

Myze5196d ago

Complete open world can cause a game to lack focus at times and usually hinders the storyline, at least a small amount, but helps create a more realistic world(Oblivion and Fallout 3, for example). Complete linearity can cause repetition and lack of control to the player, but helps to focus the storyline (FFXIII, in this case).

Considering I've heard the game offers over 60 hours of gameplay, and I'm hoping for a good storyline, I will still probably enjoy FFXIII. I prefer RPGs to be in between the complete open world and the complete linearity, which is what FF used to be. SE can claim all they want that it's too much work or too difficult to make towns and a world map, but it takes away from the game and I have a strong feeling FFXIII just won't feel like a FF game, to me.

The main part of what this guy is quoted as saying that bothers me, is that it is just so arrogant. To paraphrase, this is what I read when he talks: "The people are saying they want this and that, but they don't know what they want. We know better and have created something superior to the wants of our buyers. Almost all the people reviewing the game do not know what they are talking about, a linear path is the future of JRPGs. The FF series was not broken, so we decided to fix it."

I'm curious how much longer Square-Enix can stay in business and quit relying on the individual companies' past successes. Squenix hasn't made a truly great game since the merger. FFX was the last truly great FF game, and it was before the merger. Kingdom Hearts 2 (first was before the merger) is the closest I believe they have come, and the main reason I still have hope for FF Versus XIII. Dragon Quest 8 was great, but it was outsourced to Level5. Maybe DQ9 is a great game, then again, maybe SE can deal with handheld games, just not something on a grandeur scale. Maybe, just maybe, the problem is the development team, but the leadership, or lack thereof, of the less talented/able people at the company (Wada, Toriyama (should have stuck with event planning in games)). Maybe have Kitase return to directing projects, rather than producing them. Keep Nomura happy, allow creative freedom, as he's the only one left still directing great games.

I long for the day when Squenix releases 2 or more masterpieces every year, like Squaresoft did towards the end of the SNES days, up till the first year or so of the PS2 days. Sadly, it won't happen, but there's always hope they can accidentally release one here and there every couple of years.

dabri55196d ago

I don't care if the game is linear as long as the story is good and the game play is fun. A game can be linear and good. Just as a game can be completely open and good.

Pika-pie5196d ago

FFX was very linear up to a point as with FFXIII. People are blowing this linearity thing out of proportion. All of FFX was a straight line.

Chapter 11 is where FFXIII opens up when you reach Grand Pulse and in FFX it was just as you reached Zanarkand.

What I did in FFX was just turn the minimap off, then it doesnt feel like your just running from A to B. Thats what I will be doing again in FFXIII.

Dont expect a massive open world game like Fallout or Mass Effect or you will be disappointed. FFXIII is not a western RPG with a morality system or multiple paths to take and no FF has been in the past.

rexus123455196d ago

non-linearity is not necessarily a "step forward". There was a RPG released a while ago called "Divinity II", where you can become a dragon and explore a very large world, but a lot of reviewers think it's a bad game, one of the points they focused on was that players do not know where to go to advance game's plot.
I had my own share of moments where I have no idea where to go in an open world game and got very frustrated. Linearity would be a refreshing change amids many non-linear RPGs of the current generation (Dragon Age and ME2)

Tony P5196d ago (Edited 5196d ago )

@rex: None of that means it's not a step forward. That just means some devs do it well and some don't.

As for FFXIII, I don't know why people are defending this as if this kind of linearity is some great JRPG tradition. Last time I checked, most JRPGs (and FFs) at least had some towns. FFXII had great settlements and cities. Half the fun of RPGs is exploration.

AAACE55195d ago

Kinda makes sense to me! SE are trying to get more people to like their games, but alot of gamers don't like to spend the amount of time that traditional rpg gamers do.

I personally don't play alot of rpg's because of this. I figured that rpg games were for those people who didn't have a life! I have tried alot of these games but can't sit through most of the boring stuff which is most of the game.

Then you have others who find it more fun to watch someone else play, but get bored because of all the slow stuff like talking to many different NPC's, customizing characters and such.

I know alot of rpg loyalist feel cheated, but they have to try to reach a much broader audience. A dedicated fanbase will get you far, but eventually those fans will go away.

The numbered FF games after 7 have been selling significantly less over the years. SE has to do something to build up their fan base and this is the route they chose to take.

+ Show (13) more repliesLast reply 5195d ago
reintype5196d ago

By not getting lost? LOL

I guess the "Towns are too hard to do in HD" BS, is not working. Well, you gotta give it to SE, for coming up with an excuse, that is equally banal. The sad thing is, how could anyone there even think, we would be dumb enough to fall for it.

SE keeps on digging it's own holes, that it's too numerous enough to bury everyone in that company, that it's practically a cemetery already.

This whole FF13 incident, has got to be the saddest PR Circus the gaming world has ever seen.

kratos1235196d ago

hahah you speak the truth man sq really dropped the ball with this one

Yi-Long5196d ago

1: Western version doesn't have the japanese version, so that already meant I wasn't going to buy it. BIG fail!

2: Linear games CAN be VERY good, if done well (like Batman AA or Uncharted 2 for instance), but for an RPG I want to explore villages/towns etc etc.
This just doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun to play, let alone an experience that will stick with you for years.

AKS5196d ago

Yeah, I actually found the getting lost business to be rather insulting. The vast majority of people looking forward to FF XIII have already played through other JRPGs and would have no problem with that.

Drakes_Fortune5196d ago

Youre talking about the japanese voices in the western versions right? Alright another weaboo, i see. But you gotta understand something. They lyp sync the western version of the game, so it would be weird to have the characters voices in japanese but their lips movement saying the words in english. And if they bothered to lyp sync the game to match the western versions ( i dunno many games that bother to do that)and wasted lots of money with english VA, then they want to give them some use.

Yi-Long5196d ago

... they shouldn't have included english dubs in the first place, let alone alter all the lip-sync...

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5196d ago
jmmurillo865196d ago

They haven't released any GOOD game since Sakaguchi and Uematsu left the company. Download FF7 and FF8 from PSN if you want true Final Fantasy glory.

hay5196d ago

The World Ends With You is awesome. But then again, it's only one game.

squallsoft5196d ago

Day one purchase. Sounds ALOT like Final Fantasy X. Can't effing wait!

-Squall

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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 Kim143d ago (Edited 143d ago )

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

Elda143d 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.

Elda142d 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.

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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

KillerB143d ago

my favorite jrpg trilogy ever

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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."

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square-enix-games.com