Final Fantasy XIII

[heybtbm]

One thing I noticed right away was the seperation between running around the environment and fighting an enemy. It harkens back to older "Dungeon View/Battle View" Final Fantasy's.

FFXII was seemless. You ran up to an enemy and the fight would commence in real time. In FFXIII you seem to run up to an enemy, choose to fight it, then the screen fades and you fight in a new "battle view" (for lack of a better term). This surprised me. I didn't think Square Enix would go that direction anymore after the FFXI and FFXII battle systems.

The environment/location seem to be the exact location you started your fight (as opposed to the older FF's where you would always fight in "the cave background" or the "field background"). Also, the number of enemies in the "battle screen" doesn't correspond to the enemies you see running around. In the demo, the player runs up to one enemy but when the screen changes to the battle screen, there are two enemies. Just like older FF's.

[carlcarlson]

I didn't think Square Enix would go that direction anymore after the FFXI and FFXII battle systems.

Yeah, that surprises me too. In my opinion that's a step backwards because I really enjoyed XII's system. It made grinding a lot less painful.

[kupomogli]

I watched up to about a minute in the fourth video. I didn't watch the entire videos, started to, but then being extremely underwhelming started to skip a couple seconds, watch what happened for a few seconds, skip more.

I don't know about the music being good. I thought the music overall was just bad in comparison, especially coming off of the amazing FF12 soundtrack. Masashi Hamauzu also did the Dirge of Cerberus soundtrack which really wasn't that good over, but even the worst of that soundtrack sounds better than what I've heard on here so far. The battle music is something an RPG needs to have done well and the battle music on FF13 sounds terrible, so even if the the rest of the music is amazing, the battles are what you're going to frequent the most.

Now onto the gameplay. While I quit watching because it just bored the hell out of me watching it, the gameplay looks similar to that of Legend of Legaia. Where on Legend of Legaia and Legaia 2, you'd end up choosing your attacks to do specific arts, etc. Since you can't really see what attacks they're choosing, I'm guessing on this one you choose after your specific attacks if you'd like to cast a spell, etc. So gameplay wise, the game could be a really good game.

Hopefully it's good, because even though I loved FF12's storyline, music, and the world itself, the battle system is what makes me hate the game. Either you have no control over your characters by setting up the Gambit system or control your characters by opening the command menu then switching to the character each time you want to pick a different command(atleast one press to get to the first characters battle menu, or two for the other characters before you can even begin to choose a command.) The license grid was an even crappier version of the already crappy sphere grid.

FF10 was mistake number one, FF11 was mistake number two, the third times a charm failed with FF12 being mistake number three. Is FF13 going to fail just like every other recent main game since the PS2 hit?

[chicnstu]

FF10 was mistake number one, FF11 was mistake number two, the third times a charm failed with FF12 being mistake number three. Is FF13 going to fail just like every other recent main game since the PS2 hit?

Which do you enjoy more? Playing games, or finding the little problems in them? Your whole post sounds like a GameSpot review.

Things come with problems, but Square-Enix is the company that spent years working on FFX, FFXI, FFXII, and FFXIII perfecting and constantly testing the battle systems. If they didn't, people would notice how generic they feel and would eventually quit buying games in the series.

[Gabriel]

Yeah, this game looks amazing. I love the music. The battle system looks like a lot of fun, I'm going to miss the gambits though. I thought the gambits in FFXII were one of the greatest things to happen to an RPG, the ability to program your AI party members to act how you want.

There is one thing I'm worried about. I read that when every battle is over, your HP/MP is automatically restored. But that sounds like a good thing doesn't it? I read that the FF team's goal was to have each battle be harder. Remember The Last Remnant and how almost every battle lasted at least 2 minutes? Hopefully I don't mind the length of each battle, or that each battle isn't as long as I'm thinking. The minor battles in the videos look fine.

Those videos actually make me interested in the game. At least combat will be playable unlike how FF12 was.

As for HPs recovering in full after every battle, maybe they're going for something like the feel of Enchanted Arms. That game had an excellent battle system.

[BHvrd]

From watching the demo gameplay footage the game looks more focused and story driven than 12 was and imo that's a good thing.

12 had too many mini games and fetch this and fetch that that made it seem more like an MMO and less like a traditional FF game.

I think in general Square has been trying to adapt FF to the times and be ahead of the curve and to an extent they have, but I believe game studios like Bioware have really taken the lead with games like Knights of the Old Republic in the larger scope of up to date rpg experiences.

So yeah I think in a large way Square has fallen behind in innovating and no better time to fall back on their stories cause that is what they really shine at imo. I'm looking forward to this as it looks more like a good cinematic FF experience instead of another MMO hybrid concept which imo Square would be better off sticking to imo. I much desire their story driven experiences to their hybrid and MMO concepts. I also am one of the people that thoroughly enjoyed the Spirits Within movie and didn't look at it as a failure at all.

[BHvrd]

New trailer is alot better than what they have shown so far:

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/tg...-fantasy/56839

It almost has a FF IX vibe to it to me for some reason, maybe not, either way it looks like it will be a good rpg and not alot of fetch quests and such. I'm craving some good deep rpg at this point.

[Snapple]

I don't know Japanese, but it feels like they're trying to cram in a lot of anime story cliches. Is the girlfriend character dying at the end, there? That's a nice spoiler.

Oh, who am I kidding. I'm going to buy this opening week and love it.

[heybtbm]

North American / European release date: 09 March 2010.

http://kotaku.com/5403678/final-fant...merica-march-9

I might actually take a day off from work for this (after mocking several friends who did the same this week for MW2).

[unwinddesign]

North American / European release date: 09 March 2010.

http://kotaku.com/5403678/final-fant...merica-march-9

I might actually take a day off from work for this (after mocking several friends who did the same this week for MW2).

Way sooner than I anticipated. I figured a May or so release. Good news!

And what's this I hear about Tweeting for some DLC/XBL bonus content in FFXIII? I might have to sign up for a Twitter...

[ShinGundam]

Way sooner than I anticipated. I figured a May or so release. Good news!

And what's this I hear about Tweeting for some DLC/XBL bonus content in FFXIII? I might have to sign up for a Twitter...

I think it is wallpaper or free videos

[Malon_Forever]

Couple more weeks until launch. Anyone picking this up the first day?

[Howie6925]

Couple more weeks until launch. Anyone picking this up the first day?

I will be I also pre ordered the SE guide too. I never use the guides I just like to have them.

[Snapple]

I don't usually pick up anything first day, but I'll be getting this eventually.

I know the reviews in the west haven't been as good as the reviews in Japan, but I'll probably like it anyway.

Also, I love how my plan to force people to use my thread by discussing the game like three years before it came out is still working.

[kupomogli]

I'm not picking this up until it hits 19.99. The numbered Final Fantasy games have been a disappointment since FF10. FF12 had a great story, world, and graphics, but the gameplay was poor.

Also, for those interested. When Square Enix released the "real" XBOX360 pictures. There's a noticeable decrease in quality. Not Bayonetta or Ghostbusters PS3 quality, but there are a lot of jaggies and looks like lower color.

If you only own a 360 pick it up for that system, if you own both 360 and PS3 might as well pick up the better version.

[c0ldb33r]

I preordered my copy of FF13 yesterday at EBGames. They have a preorder bonus of a mini strategy guide and some poster.

I'm getting the ps3 version. I think it will be better than the 360 version. I'm not basing that on anything and have nothing to back me up, it's just a feeling that I have

[kupomogli]

The 360 version has a lot of jaggies. It's noticeably worse. Not Ghostbusters worse because FF13 looks good no matter the system, but it's noticeable.

Anyways. I'll be getting the 360 version.

[Zoltor]

I have no plans on getting this(It's a Square game, and thus no reason to think it will be anything good, I lost faith in them awhile ago), but there seems to be a handful of aspects in that trailer, which would at very least make it better, then that horrid FF12 game.

First, they seem to have gone back to ATB(so maybe FF13 will atleast count as a RPG).

2nd, while I can't understand Japanes, not only do they seem to be going back to the superior voice acting that they once hit(aka Yuna from FF 10), but for the first time in history, the Japanese have finally got the male voice remotely correct(atleast the good guy male voice acting anyway).

Finally, it sounds like they are recycling music now(however slighly editing it), which is for the most part(as far as it goes for Square anyway) is a good thing. Lets face it, most of the music in Square's later games, are meh at best(which generally there has only been 1 great song in each of their later games, with all the other being meh), so lets hope they recycled more songs, and that's not just the only good song in the game.

[peachstapler]

I'd like to get this for collecting purposes. I've got a nice wall of collector's/special edition PS3 releases, and I was curious if they're planning to release a SPECIAL EDITON/COLLECTOR'S EDITION of FFXIII? It would certainly be nice, I'm not really enthusiastic about buying the $50 Xbox 360 faceplate as a consulation prize...

[maxlords]

The numbered Final Fantasy games have been a disappointment since FF7.

Fixed

THAT being said...I'm really hoping this one is a very linear, mostly non-open world honest to goodness old-school RPG. That's what I want. I don't need a bunch of BS side quests, just a good story with solid character development.