Final Fantasy XIII

[iknowgungfu]

Here it starts....

http://www.nowgamer.com/news/2526/ffxiii-significantly-poorer-on-xbox

If I buy this I have no idea which one I will get.  I am leaning towards PS3 as it will be less discs and the machine is quieter (would also be nice to have more than one game I want to play on the PS3 too!).

[tubaros]

I think it was always the given that it would be the better game on the PS3 - in the few times Ive considered getting it, its always been for the Ps3 - the graphics in it just lend themselves to the PS3 more imho

[Sprite Machine]

It's not surprising, given PS3 was the lead platform and the 360 port was only done for the western market (at the same time as its English translation). Sounds like a quick botch job to make a bit of extra cash.

I can't believe how little interest I have in this game. Well, I can, it sounds a bit rubbish. Practically automatic combat, completely linear progression without a world map, awful character designs. About the nicest thing I can say about it is that it's thankfully not set in bloody Ivalice again.

Mind you, I'd try a demo, if they put one out.

[Sprite Machine]

The Eurogamer review is fairly positive on the whole, although it confirms most of my fears that I probably won't like it (the gist of it is that "you get used to all the bad stuff") and it ends with an 8 out of 10.

It's cautious, narrow, far too slow to get going, and is stripped down to such a bare naked form that even some FF traditionalists might find it off-putting.

What's left, though, is faultlessly accomplished, gorgeous to behold and, in the long run, thoroughly enjoyable. For better or worse, it's another new beginning, and that's one Final Fantasy tradition that should never be changed.

[Sprite Machine]

Videogamer has a less enthused take, although comes to similar conclusions:

You just can't escape the feeling that, in trimming the fat from the series, Square Enix has nicked FFXIII's bone. It's not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination; like a good song, or a slow-burning book, FFXIII grows on you the more you play it. It is, undoubtedly, the best JRPG to come out of Square Enix in a long time. But the inescapable, uncomfortable truth is that it is too linear. Without traditional JRPG features like towns, NPCs, and an over world, there is no real sense of ownership. Upon completing the game, you certainly feel as if you've enjoyed the 50 or so hours you've invested into doing so, but the experience is more throwaway than formative. Despite some incredibly tough monster hunting missions in chapter 11, there's no variation to the game whatsoever.

[Sprite Machine]

And a 5 from Edge

FFXIII takes brave risks with the series’ foundations, but they ultimately create trembling fractures throughout the entire edifice, that robust battle system unable to support the weight of an entire world. Final Fantasy games are always an investment. This time, the returns are questionable. [5]

[AdamGS]

Another bit from the Edge review is supposed to say that no game should take about 25 hours to get good.

Which is a valid point.

[iknowgungfu]

Just read that review and it sounds like Final Fantasy X - 2 to me (whichever one it was with the wierd underwater ball game).  Not sure I'll be making a purchase.

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Gametrailers reviewed this and gave it 8.6/10. We should all know by now to never trust Edge's scores I'm not as excited about this as I was about FFX (before it came out) however and its a bit worrying for a FF game not to be engaging from the first moment

Good thing I only paid $50 so I'm sure I'll be satisfied enough

[raithrover]

Out today isn't it?

Still chasing that shadow of FF7 it seems. The series has shifted from storyline towards size and production standards as it main dynamics. It is sad to see the decline by all accounts, continues.

[/backslash]

Out today but I won't receive this for another 1-2 weeks probably

Yeah, from everything I've read its still behind & the storyline only makes sense if you can be bothered reading through waves of text on some encyclopedia thing whereas really the game should explain things through the main story but not a way that involves listening to some old guy talk for the next 3 hours. FFXIII doesn't seem to try anything new either aside from removing stuff that was in previous installments which is a bit worrying since games should always try to 1UP on their prequels aside from the obvious "more FMV, better graphics"

[/backslash]

Got an update on my Jackofallgames order

"Date Ordered: Thursday 11 February, 2010
The comments for your order are: Please note that we only recieved 75% of our stock from wholesaler and are outstanding further 25% which are due in 25th march 2010 so we can get the game out after this date the supplier has stated in uk completely big demand please let us now if you want to keep the order on or refund ...

Thank You
Sam
Jack of all games"

Bugger, well its a good thing I caved in today & got it from BigW for $82 then! Waiting 2 weeks just to get it shipped would've sucked combining that with 1 week+ for shipping making it almost a month between its original release date

I've played it for 2 hours thus far and the storyline is horribly explained. Unless I want to wave through massive amounts of text the storyline makes almost no sense so far. They could've given an easy explanation right at the start instead of all the guesswork involved

The path has been very linear too, nothing but lines going everywhere & the backgrounds are so overly complex its actually off-putting. Doesn't feel like you're interacting with anything & I miss the treasure chests, how can some globe ball be a shop & a save point but also a chest? Seems a bit lazy to me & there's way too many save points – are people seriously dying in these battles? I've changed it from auto-battle since that'd be even duller & I figured I would've been challenged by something by now.

Not very impressed at all so far I actually like FFX now because I've realised how wrong this RPG feels. And yes, it really needs towns! Its boring just going from cutscene to fighting all the time

[/backslash]

Played a bit more where Snow just got ditched, sort of getting into it but the CP thing is quite annoying how you have to hold down the button as well as point to your direction to gradually move the line. It'd be much easier to just select which ability you want to do next & let it do its thing rather than me trying to figure out which direction it wants to go - its just a pain in the ass

Also I just had my first game over screen, was during the bit where they were trying to dig out Serah when that boss comes in. I wasn't paying enough attention to my health & Lightning died

[raithrover]

Sounds like a must buy!

[iknowgungfu]

Series peaked when I played FFVI IMHO.

FFVII was great but perhaps owed largely to the fact it was in 3D.  Still, very good game mind...not as good as Sabin, Kefka and Terra mind........

[/backslash]

I didn't play FFVI when it was new so its impossible for me to give that verdict since I don't really like 2D anymore. I think it peaked once it hit FF8. Never been able to enjoy the game enough since then to reach the ending, could've finished FFX if Tidus wasn't such an unlikeable surf-boy douchebag

More opinions of FFXIII

- Really getting sick of the constant battles with no break at all aside from cutscenes, just feels like I'm going nowhere
- Environments feel not just linear but also ultra restrictive, never played an RPG before where there's a brick wall 3 virtual feet away yet I'm blocked by an invisible wall & this was a small strip along the map too
- Hate it how there's exclamation marks in your menu system everytime you pick up an object that's nothing new, like a potion
- The CP layout is goddamn annoying when you're presented with a 3 way route to the next set of skills and you have to work out which way it wants to go because its lines with 360 degree angles
- The more I play it the less inclined I want to play it:

Want to upgrade your weapons? That comes around the 10 hour mark.
Want to control your whole party & not just the leader? Too bad, you can't.
Hoping to avoid reading tutorials after the first couple of hours? Too bad, new ones will keep on coming until the game almost ends.
Want to do some side missions or general fun activities? Seems pretty unlikely

Feels like 66% of the game is missing Might trade this very soon

[iknowgungfu]

Abvoiding this one completely now.

[Legbar]

yeah im finding FFXIII disappointing but the soundtrack is surprisingly good, i thought without Nobuo Uematsu it'll be a disaster.

I think they got lazy in the character design and  naming process.
I dont know what they were thinking with names "snow" and "lightening" but its like they just looked out the window saw what was going on and stuck with it I dont know who ok'd that. Of all the names out there, i just dont want characters that remind me of things i dont want to see on weather reports, especially with all  the snow from a few months ago, seems abit insensitive

hope the trade in vaule doesn't drop by much im itching for that Merto 2033

[tubaros]

SHame this has turned out as it has

Welcome legbar, yes, Metro 2033 does look pretty cool

[/backslash]

I'm completely fed up with this game now, trading it in tomorrow. Simply not enjoying any part of it even if I did understand the battle system fully what's the point if I'm not enjoying myself? Its crap! And no, I don't want to try and convince myself its good by playing another 20 hours of it before it opens up

First Final Fantasy game where I really want to snap the disc in half