Final Fantasy XIII Catch-All

This thread endorsed by Jerry Lee Lewis.

ahrezmendi wrote:

If this is anything like 12, I'm totally sold.

Sadly no, it won't be anything like 12.

That said, I've loved every single main franchise entry in the FF series, and I expect this will be no different. It may not be as awesome as 12 was for me (it would be very, very difficult to top 12 for me without just getting the same devteam and letting them go nuts) but that doesn't mean it won't be one of the absolute highlights of this console generation.

I'll be taking a day off work the day after this releases. Period.

Farscry wrote:
ahrezmendi wrote:

If this is anything like 12, I'm totally sold.

Sadly no, it won't be anything like 12.

That said, I've loved every single main franchise entry in the FF series, and I expect this will be no different. It may not be as awesome as 12 was for me (it would be very, very difficult to top 12 for me without just getting the same devteam and letting them go nuts) but that doesn't mean it won't be one of the absolute highlights of this console generation.

I'll be taking a day off work the day after this releases. Period. ;)

Word I've heard is that it feels most like VII...

St. Ambrose of Milan wrote:

"When I am at Rome, or dealing with a Main Series Final Fantasy, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the Church where you are. And Final Fantasies use Roman Numerals."

I have appreciated every FF since forever. However, I was not as passionate as most about XII. I hope its something differant, each one has been so differant from the previous. Keeps it fresh

How can it feel most like 7? It is not even turn based, is it?

Cheeto1016 wrote:

I have appreciated every FF since forever. However, I was not as passionate as most about XII. I hope its something differant, each one has been so differant from the previous. Keeps it fresh

How can it feel most like 7? It is not even turn based, is it?

No, it's a return to turn based.

Personally, despite the emo and everything I'm really excited, even more so after the english trailer. I don't have any qualms with the english VAs either, which is nice for a change. I tend to be super picky and overly critical of things like this, so finding that it was somewhat comprable to the Japanese audio was very, very nice.

I just wonder why they put belts, snaps , and buckles on everything.

Yoreel wrote:

I just wonder why they put belts, snaps , and buckles on everything.

Tetsuya Nomura has a pathological fear of his clothes spontaneously falling off, and art reflects life. Duh.

Yoreel wrote:

I just wonder why they put belts, snaps , and buckles on everything.

He gets kickbacks from the buckle-industrial complex.

Yoreel wrote:

I just wonder why they put belts, snaps , and buckles on everything.

Don't forget zippers. Pocketless Zippers.

Blind_Evil wrote:
Yoreel wrote:

I just wonder why they put belts, snaps , and buckles on everything.

Don't forget zippers. Pocketless Zippers.

Where the hell do you think they keep all those ethers/potions/softs/etc.? Pockets. And what do pockets have? Zippers. If you don't believe me, right before the badass ulitmate sidequest boss, check you inventory. Thats a LOT of pockets.

Poor Atlus

They scheduled their release for SMT Strange Journey and then FF13 gets scheduled the same day.......

Lard wrote:

Poor Atlus

They scheduled their release for SMT Strange Journey and then FF13 gets scheduled the same day.......

Eh, it's a DS release, though. Given the number of people that have DS' compared to 360's and PS3's combined, I don't think that Atlus will have any problems selling the 5 copies that they're going to make...

Seriously, though, I don't think that they'll have problems selling the new SMT. The series has traditionally been a pretty hardcore dungeon crawl, which doesn't really lend itself to blockbuster sales. Plus, the DS has become the system for JRPGs this generation, so it's pretty likely that Atlus will sell the games anyway.

I made a new thread for this because I was bad.

-----

Bayonetta is officially better than FF13.

Link

Also Monster Hunter Tri.

According to increasingly-marginalized Famitsu, Bayonetta is a perfect 40 whereas FF13 is a 39, due to pacing problems. Naturally, Famitsu readers who have never played FF13 but want very much for it to be the best game ever feel betrayed by Famitsu for daring to not validate their hopes and dreams.

That's a bad lobster!

Amano drew the FFXIII cast for funsies.
Pic is too big to inflict on the thread.

LobsterMobster wrote:

According to increasingly-marginalized Famitsu, Bayonetta is a perfect 40 whereas FF13 is a 39, due to pacing problems. Naturally, Famitsu readers who have never played FF13 but want very much for it to be the best game ever feel betrayed by Famitsu for daring to not validate their hopes and dreams.

Well, good thing I don't care about what reviewers say, because that's just, like, some guy's opinion, and it totally doesn't matter. Famitsu has really been trading their cred for the past few years, so...

...so...

IMAGE(http://growabrain.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/streetcar_desire.jpg)

LobsterMobster wrote:

I made a new thread for this because I was bad.

-----

Bayonetta is officially better than FF13.

Link

Also Monster Hunter Tri.

According to increasingly-marginalized Famitsu, Bayonetta is a perfect 40 whereas FF13 is a 39, due to pacing problems. Naturally, Famitsu readers who have never played FF13 but want very much for it to be the best game ever feel betrayed by Famitsu for daring to not validate their hopes and dreams.

A 40 vs a 39? So what?

Full on sex is better than a blowjob, but doesn't mean that I'm going to refuse a hummer on the grounds that it's not as good.

Let's have some perspective, people!

Pacing problems? Well, are we talking pacing problems from the perspective of an FPS bunny who complains if the game is longer than 10 hours, or from the perspective of a jRPG junkie who thinks a game is too short if you're not in the triple digits?

I really don't know what to think about this game. The "Inside Final Fantasy XIII" trailer that they released was so pretentious and unintentionally hilarious that I can't help but feel like this game - and the franchise - could potentially be headed for a terrifying crash, at least in terms of the Western gaming landscape.

On the other hand, I had similar feelings after playing through Final Fantasy X and that one went on to sell a gazillion copies and end up at the top of the Famitsu reader's poll for their most favoritest games they've ever gamed. Go figure.

At any rate, I'll play it, simply because I cannot avert my eyes, no matter how hard I try.

OzymandiasAV wrote:

I really don't know what to think about this game. The "Inside Final Fantasy XIII" trailer that they released was so pretentious and unintentionally hilarious that I can't help but feel like this game - and the franchise - could potentially be headed for a terrifying crash, at least in terms of the Western gaming landscape.

On the other hand, I had similar feelings after playing through Final Fantasy X and that one went on to sell a gazillion copies and end up at the top of the Famitsu reader's poll for their most favoritest games they've ever gamed. Go figure.

At any rate, I'll play it, simply because I cannot avert my eyes, no matter how hard I try.

I certainly don't expect the sort of redefining experience I got from the Square games of old. I expect to refreshing, comfortable visit from an old friend, that'll be enough for me. I actually don't expect FFXIII to review well.

momgamer wrote:

Pacing problems? Well, are we talking pacing problems from the perspective of an FPS bunny who complains if the game is longer than 10 hours, or from the perspective of a jRPG junkie who thinks a game is too short if you're not in the triple digits? ;)

They seemed to say that the game doesn't introduce its best mechanics until about half-way through the game, and that parts are too linear.

LobsterMobster wrote:
momgamer wrote:

Pacing problems? Well, are we talking pacing problems from the perspective of an FPS bunny who complains if the game is longer than 10 hours, or from the perspective of a jRPG junkie who thinks a game is too short if you're not in the triple digits? ;)

They seemed to say that the game doesn't introduce its best mechanics until about half-way through the game, and that parts are too linear.

But that's like saying they don't like the sky because it's only blue sometimes. That sort of graduated reveal is bread and butter to jRPG's. Particularly Square ones.

I have a feeling I better breathe into a paper bag before I read any more of these reviews.

I agree that it wouldn't be fair to complain that a mechanic isn't available for the beginning, but half-way through games that are known to be "epic" seems really late. Like what if you couldn't use gambits in FF12 till half-way through? It sounds like it's something on that level.

LobsterMobster wrote:
momgamer wrote:

Pacing problems? Well, are we talking pacing problems from the perspective of an FPS bunny who complains if the game is longer than 10 hours, or from the perspective of a jRPG junkie who thinks a game is too short if you're not in the triple digits? ;)

They seemed to say that the game doesn't introduce its best mechanics until about half-way through the game, and that parts are too linear.

So they're complaining that FFXIII is... a FF game.

That's fine for me.

This is just weird to me because Famitsu has a history of giving out "polite" 40's to huge-budget big-name franchises. The 39 is not interesting as a marker of quality (or lack), but it is interesting to me as symbolic of some political or editorial shift.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/0...

So I can see why you wanted to create a separate thread... to me this is news not about FF13 but about Famitsu itself. Not being Japanese or a regular reader of Famitsu, it's hard to know how to interpret it: An attempt to generate controversy? A signal that their reviews will shift towards more objectivity? Simply a response to Squeenix not buying enough ad space?

Whatever they're doing, it seems to be alienating their fan base. You know, the one that wants all its desires to be validated and sees a 39/40 as a sign of a "bad game."

This is just weird to me because Famitsu has a history of giving out "polite" 40's to huge-budget big-name franchises. The 39 is not interesting as a marker of quality (or lack), but it is interesting to me as symbolic of some political or editorial shift.

It's actually the opposite. 38-39 have basically been the scores that meant, basically "it's not perfect, there are things wrong with it, but you're going to buy it anyway, so we're giving it this number."

Up until the current generation, Famitsu only gave out 6 perfect scores(from here):
Ocarina of Time
Soulcalibur(Dreamcast)
Vagrant Story
Wind Waker
Nintendogs
FFXII

Except for the somewhat questionable Nintendogs, it's a pretty standard "perfect" game list.

Ew, Vagrant Story? Really?

Maybe there's something enjoyable about micromanaging weapons that break every 5 minutes, but I sure didn't see it.

Clemenstation wrote:

Ew, Vagrant Story? Really?

Maybe there's something enjoyable about micromanaging weapons that break every 5 minutes, but I sure didn't see it.

There was a huge learning curve with the weapon leveling system, but once you got over the hump it was one of the most brilliant and rewarding games of that generation, in terms of gameplay, style, and presentation. Also, and this has nothing to do with Famitsu's score, it had more or less the best localization I had seen in a game at the time of its release, and it continues to put most big budget games to shame in that department to this day.

Doesn't Famitsu just add up the scores from four people rating it on a 1-10? If that's so, then that would mean three of the four reviewers thought it WAS perfect. That doesn't seem right though. If that was how it worked it wouldn't be the 40s that were rare, it'd be anything over 36 (as that would indicate at least one person thought it was flawless).

Any idea on which platform did Famitsu review FFXIII?