Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

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Nephthys
From Kotaku.

Yep, theres going to be a 3rd Final Fantasy 13 game. Apparantly this one will be more interactive and dynamic than before and will fundamentally change the FF formula.

The armor you get for Lightning will be shown on her character and will affect her abilities and she can interact with the environment alot more. Theres also the odd mechanic of time, 'The world of Lightning Returns runs in real-time. When the game begins, the world, called Nobus (Novus?) Partus, is 13 days away from the end. She has 13 days and 13 nights to save humanity. The game runs on a doomsday clock, shades of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.' Does this mean that you have 13 days after starting the game to win? Thats going to be contraversial to say the least.

Concept Art and Screenshots are in the link.

wakkawakkawakka
I like how SE is going to completely abadon the character they made for XIII-2 just to try and make Lightning look cooler.

Hmm...a real time FF. Well this will be a first unless it's like XII. Wonder if the 50 hour hallway will come back.

Zack Fair
Don't know what to think.

NemeBro
Boo.

BackFire
I wish they'd just move on from the XIII games. The first game wasn't good enough to warrant a single sequel, let alone two.

Tzeentch._
Originally posted by BackFire
I wish they'd just move on from the XIII games. The first game wasn't good enough to warrant a single sequel, let alone two. This.

I don't understand these peoples' obsession for Lightning. Neither her nor her universe are that exciting.

Nephthys
Maybe not to us, but who knows, in Japan she might be the bees knees!

Tzeentch._
No one cares about Japan anymore. Their gaming tastes haven't been relevant since Halo and Bioware games started coming out.

Nephthys
Persona is from Japan.

Your argument is invalid.

Tzeentch._
What's Persona?

Your argument is void.

Nephthys
Originally posted by Tzeentch._
What's Persona?

Duuuuuuurrrr!

http://chzderp.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/hurr-durr-derp-face-final-derpasy-xiii1.png

^ Thats you, you noob.

Tzeentch._
no u

XanatosForever
They should go back to FFVIII if they're going to focus on worlds at all. Squall needs some tlc. sad

NemeBro
Originally posted by Nephthys
Persona is from Japan.

Your argument is invalid. Persona isn't exactly a top seller, even in Japan. Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest are far bigger names in the RPG market there.

Japanese gaming has been stagnating and being a shitfest for a while, honestly, which is recognised by a few big names in the market.

But yes, **** Lightning. What a lame character. Snow and Sazh>>>

Stoic
Originally posted by Nephthys
From Kotaku.

Yep, theres going to be a 3rd Final Fantasy 13 game. Apparantly this one will be more interactive and dynamic than before and will fundamentally change the FF formula.

The armor you get for Lightning will be shown on her character and will affect her abilities and she can interact with the environment alot more. Theres also the odd mechanic of time, 'The world of Lightning Returns runs in real-time. When the game begins, the world, called Nobus (Novus?) Partus, is 13 days away from the end. She has 13 days and 13 nights to save humanity. The game runs on a doomsday clock, shades of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.' Does this mean that you have 13 days after starting the game to win? Thats going to be contraversial to say the least.

Concept Art and Screenshots are in the link.


I see. Their finally going to let go of the old dice principles and do the right thing. Well all I have to say is I'll wait to see.

NemeBro
Originally posted by Stoic
I see. Their finally going to let go of the old dice principles and do the right thing. Well all I have to say is I'll wait to see. The possibility of the mechanics changing is the only thing I am vaguely interested in about this game.

Zack Fair
Originally posted by Tzeentch._
No one cares about Japan anymore. Their gaming tastes haven't been relevant since Halo and Bioware games started coming out. thumb up

Nephthys
Originally posted by NemeBro
Persona isn't exactly a top seller, even in Japan.

Persona Arena is the top selling fighting game in 4 years in Japan actually. estahuh

Tzeentch._
Just goes to show how shitty games in Japan have been for the past 4 years.Originally posted by NemeBro
The possibility of the mechanics changing is the only thing I am vaguely interested in about this game. http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f122/blaxican_templar/8339_original_YesJackNicholson.gif

wakkawakkawakka
So....what ever happened to versus XIII coming out. Are they going to scrap it or just change the number to XV? Either way I don't really care but I find it suprising that they still have time to focus on another game.

It's really suprising cause for XIII-2 Square Enix had the wonderful idea of making DLCs for it which, if you were to purchase all of them, were well over $60. Heck even if you only bought the story extention ones you'd be spending $15 at least

However despite that I think I'm the only one here that will have anything remotely close to something positive to say about this game.

NemeBro
Originally posted by Nephthys
Persona Arena is the top selling fighting game in 4 years in Japan actually. estahuh It sold the most in the opening week, not overall.

The only people that were ever gonna buy it just did. estahuh

Kazenji
Originally posted by NemeBro

Japanese gaming has been stagnating and being a shitfest for a while,


Maybe on the JRPG front it has been.

T-Wrecks
Though I completely agree that Japan is like 5 years behind everyone else in the video game industry (that exact number comes from the creator of Mega Man no less), I will say that I love Persona. It's probably the only thing besides Metal Gear that keeps me even remotely interesting in Japanese games.

Anyway, XIII-3. Yeah, it's already been stated, but there was no need for a 2, let alone 3. This seems to be another sign that Square is totally retarded now.

No Chrono sequel after people have been asking for one for like 15 years?

No real console entry of Kingdom Hearts this entire generation (no PS3 or 360 game has been made, or announced, or conceived)?

Making the MMO FF's numbered games even though they should have just been called Final Fantasy Online?

A forth example (something to do with Secret of Mana maybe?)...

It seems like Square lost their shit a while ago. It's too bad, they were the best during the PSone era, but now they are just another decaying Japanese company that refuses to wake up and smell the rest of the free world (not just America as Europe is like more than twice the size) sad

XanatosForever
Totally should've named it "Lightning Strikes Thrice"

wakkawakkawakka
Not really since you don't actually play as Lightning in XIII-2. Maybe Enix is trying to push Lighting so far because they don't want to admit they lost interest in a KH3 or the next number Final Fantasy. Plus Lightning has bewbs and those apparently sell well in Japan.

XanatosForever
Originally posted by wakkawakkawakka
Lightning has bewbs.

That is the biggest load of cow pies I've ever laid eyes on.

wakkawakkawakka
Originally posted by XanatosForever
That is the biggest load of cow pies I've ever laid eyes on.

Okay fine how about this: Lightning has a hotter younger sister with bewbs.

T-Wrecks
Originally posted by wakkawakkawakka
Plus Lightning has bewbs and those apparently sell well in Japan.

Hahahaha, QFT, all the way, though boobs seem to sell well anywhere there are men laughing

wakkawakkawakka
Yeah that's true but I guess Lightning was supposed to be special since she's a weird "FemCloud/Squall" combo.

Zack Fair
I think Square-Enix is testing the waters with FF-13 and its sequels before they work on FF15/Whatever.

I wonder...is it really that hard to do to make an RPG in current gen? Makes me wonder why Square wants Xbox and PS3 to move on to the next-gen when they have failed miserably in this one. I used to love RPGs back in the PSX days. You'd literally see dozens of RPGs. Nowadays we're lucky if we get 1 or two per year. And they usually suck. =\

whatthegatts?
Originally posted by Tzeentch._
No one cares about Japan anymore. Their gaming tastes haven't been relevant since Halo and Bioware games started coming out.

Kojima Productions, Team Ico, and Nintendo > all. Only Rockstar Games, Blizzard and creators of Portal are on their level probably.

ares834
Too bad Team ICO hasn't released an original game in nearly seven years... Now I wouldn't say Japan can't create good games anymore, they can, but in general I've been far more impressed by North American and European Developers recently than Japanese.

whatthegatts?
Bro, They are in process of making one as we speak. And regardless, imo if you look at the very best of both throughout history Japan beats it. Only thing is at the moment There are a lot more NA and EU 8/10 games then there are JP, but if you look at the veyr best, the 10/10, then you have to look to Japan for stuff like the Metal Gear games. Even stuff like Uncharted which people go crazy over is completely unremarkable in everything except production values. It has mediocre story, and unoriginal gameplay, and yet people will point to something like that as being great represntation opf NA gaming, Please give me a break.

ares834
Good for them. However, it's not yet released (and almost seems as if it will never release) so to say it's better than NA games is utter BS.

And while I will agree that in the history of Games, Japan has a better track record. But once again, I said recently. As for Uncharted, I think it is a vastly overrated series. For good NA games I'd look toward Skyrim and ME2.

NemeBro
Bethesda is far better than all of those companies you named kid. Notably, Skyrim is the first Western game Famitsu gave a perfect score.

Bioware has been on sort of a slump recently, but they have still made some of the best games ever.

In the current and recent day, Western games are superior to Japanese games.

whatthegatts?
Originally posted by ares834
Good for them. However, it's not yet released (and almost seems as if it will never release) so to say it's better than NA games is utter BS.

And while I will agree that in the history of Games, Japan has a better track record. But once again, I said recently. As for Uncharted, I think it is a vastly overrated series. For good NA games I'd look toward Skyrim and ME2.


Agreed about Uncharted. ME2 is great, but even then it only has great, but not mindblowing, storyline, and everything else isn't all that great, gameplay is mediocre. Skyrim is more overrated than Uncharted. It is big in scale, small in creativity and artistic quality. And just incredibly boring. What GTA does with sandbox is great and WoW is the perfect MMO, and Portal is also truly great. BUT NA has never made a game like MGS. that has mindblowing storyline and mindblowing gameplay. It is always one or the other. And as works of art nothing beats Team ico's effortds, though recently Flower was very good.

NemeBro
You really need to get of Metal Gear Solid's dick. Kojima would be embarrassed by you.

Tzeentch._
It's Darth Ray Park. You... know him.

iamberserk!
Originally posted by NemeBro
You really need to get of Metal Gear Solid's dick. Kojima would be embarrassed by you.

Name me another series that is heavily praised for both its gameplay and storyline please. Until then you'll just have to accept that MGS is the greatest overall series there is.

Nephthys
Big Rigs >>>

Aaaaaand reported. stick out tongue

iamberserk!
Originally posted by NemeBro
Bethesda is far better than all of those companies you named kid. Notably, Skyrim is the first Western game Famitsu gave a perfect score.

Please. Bethesda do not make great games, thay have made something addictive to a lot of people out of a simple formula, thats also incredibly oring to a lot of people. Name one artistically great thing about Skyrim? Please.



Hardly if you look at gameplay. Story they is still nowhere near MGS quality. Last truly great story was KotOR imo as well, mass effect just isnt the same.



Again, noyl if you count number of 8/10 games. At the very top, nothing beats team ico, Nintendo, or Kojima.

iamberserk!
edit - just accept you are wrong.

Tzeentch._
Why do you keep coming back here, out of curiosity?

I mean, there's like a thousand forums out there. I've never really understood why people who re only here for a few months at most get so addicted to this place. I mean yeah, if you've been here for years than it would make sense for you to grow an attachment to the community or something, but, if you weren't here that long I don't understand why one doesn't just go somewhere else.

Are you like, the internet equivalent of Tyranids? Someone who's already been banned from a dozen forums and has nowhere else to go?

iamberserk!
Because I have made friends here that I enjoy trolling the shit out of. evil face

Edit - I am also member of sherdog, gamefaqs, theforc,.met, official star wras forums, bioware social and twitter btw. I come here for the people plus the star wars section is also pretty cool, and it is a good medium sized forum unlike the ohers which are too big.

Tzeentch._
Originally posted by iamberserk!
Because I have made friends here that I enjoy trolling the shit out of. evil face

Edit - I am also member of sherdog, gamefaqs, theforc,.met, official star wras forums, bioware social and twitter btw. I come here for the people plus the star wars section is also pretty cool, and it is a good medium sized forum unlike the ohers which are too big. That makes sense I suppose. To be honest though, I don't think anyone here really enjoys talking to you much.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm sure that in real life you're probably a really nice individual- probably very normal, too.

But, on the internet, well, I guess the anonymity of it all kind of just turns you into a clown. And not a funny, or interesting clown. A sad and depressing clown, who isn't very funny, and who everyone kind of wishes would just go away.

NemeBro
I may be pressing my luck by responding to a banned sock but eh, **** it.

Originally posted by iamberserk!
Please. Bethesda do not make great games, thay have made something addictive to a lot of people out of a simple formula, thats also incredibly oring to a lot of people. Name one artistically great thing about Skyrim? Please.

The multi-layered setting which, despite being a Fantasy setting, is designed to focus on realism, blending legend and fact so that it is hard to distinguish between each.

It's boring to people with tiny brains.



If you look at gameplay Japanese games that aren't Nintendo have been quite boring and crappy lately. Like every JRPG ever in the past few years.

Mass Effect has a far better story than MGS though.



Every TES (Or Bethesda really) game, the Uncharted series, most Bioware games, etc.

NemeBro
Originally posted by iamberserk!
Name me another series that is heavily praised for both its gameplay and storyline please. Until then you'll just have to accept that MGS is the greatest overall series there is. Uncharted. no expression

But yes, you'll say "HURDUR IT DOESN'T COUNT LOOK AT ME GUISE IM A REBEL LAUGH AT ME" because you have no legitimate response to it, I'm not an Uncharted fan but that doesn't change the fact that the general public regard it as an excellent demonstration of a series that has both riveting gameplay and a great story.

For other examples, GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, Assassin's Creed, and I am sure there is more I am forgetting.

Also, not everyone likes MGS's storyline (I do but that is neither here nor there), and quite a few hate the games for the fact that they are rather exposition and cutscene heavy, which are, in fact, valid complaints.

Tzeentch._
Haha, what a nerd.

Arguing with a banned sock.

NemeBro
I'll ban your socks.

But seriously, I don't get why some people find it so hard to conceive of opinions thaf dissent from their's. I'm kind of a jerkass and act like one such individual because I find the arguments amusing, but it's not like I fault fans of say, Devil May Cry because they like it more than God of War.

Which is why I am better than Darth Ray Park.

Peach
Ignore the socktroll.

NemeBro
But he's WRONG! D:

metalgearkojima
To Tzeenthc/Re: Blaxican: I have done nothing but offered my hand of friendship to you and you continue to act like an idiot/jerk. Well form now on I want you to know I no longer consider us friends and that if you ever respond to me you might as well not because you will be IGNORED.

Originally posted by NemeBro
I may be pressing my luck by responding to a banned sock but eh, **** it.



The multi-layered setting which, despite being a Fantasy setting, is designed to focus on realism, blending legend and fact so that it is hard to distinguish between each.

Haha don't make me laugh. laughing out loud

There is nothing original or artistic about the setting, you could say empty words about anything but it fools noone, I actually read a few of the books inside the game on the history and stuff and it was basic fantasy fare 101 bro. Nothing unique at all.



Boring to people who have played superios snadbox experience like GTA and know what a FUN sandbox game is like, which is hicgjacking cars, driving down the streets at 100 miles ph doing drivebys, going on massacres with your arsenal of guns, and striking it rich and buying hotels and casions etc.

Skyrim's version of fun is its shit magic/weapon combat system, the slow as all hell mounts that are abrely beyond walking speed, the massive environments that take forever to get through, and no variety in the snowy landscapes.



Not true. New Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario World 3D, Kid Icarus Uprising, Resident Evil Revelations, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, Catherine are all really cool recent games.



Now you're talking crazy (I have only played ME1 so no spilers please but I already know that ME2 is supposed to be only a bit better and apparently 3 is worst of the series). Everything about MGS's story is better than Mass Effects. better characters, srtting, plot, music, grapohics, gameplay/storyline integration, everything.

The characters in ME are msotly bland and boring, and the villain was a joke. You really want to compare Saren to Ocelot or the Boss, lol? Or Ashley or Kaiden to Otacon or Meryl? Shephard to Snake? lmao. Characters in MGS blow those in ME out of the water with ease.

Setting is more original in MGS. It explores the real world and its nuclear deterrence theory but then creates unique technology that turns it on its head. Metal Gear becomes a truly terrifying threat in how it bypasses the second stage of missile deployment by using rail gun tehcnology, thereby becoming completely undetectable and being able to launch a missile anywhere without fear of retaliation, or Peace Walker in how it uses the locomation technology to become a walkign hydrogen bomb, a bomb so powerful that it could never be launched remotely via missile, equipped with decision making AI that will be programmed to launch definite retaliatory strike, thereby rendering moo the notion that a human inidivudal wouldn't have it in them to wipe out the human race in case of massive east vs west nuclear war and retaliation. Not to mention Big Boss's ideal of Outer Heaven, of an army without borders, where soldiers did not answer to politicians and would always be valued. Or the state the world gets into in MDS4, where due to a terrifying miscalculation of the AI Proxys of the Patriots, the world economy is managed and manipulate into one that relies solely on the perpetuation of war, a war without ideology or nations or human will but simply the war economy.

Plot is SO much better in MGS. It is much more complex and thought provoking (as an example, the ending to MGS2 alone has its own tv tropes page), and it just has muhc better drama, mystery and excitement. The story of how big boss and les enfants terribles all in their own way fought for their liberty and fought against Zero and his Proxy AIs, and the forming of Outer Heaven was a much more meorable and epic, and interesting story than that in Mass Effect.

Voice acting, soundtrack, graphics, art style (look at concept art, and artistic cutscenes for Peace Walker and Portable Ops, and small things such as the sneaking suits and Foxhound emblems etc., lots of great art in the games that people don't realise because of the photorelaitsic graphics) all better in MGS as well.

Much better action sequences (compate Shephards final showdown with Saren, to Ocelot and Snake's final showdown... lol), much better sense of humour, in fact all the little techincal and academic stuff that MGS is filled with is made all the more interesting because the Codex converstaions are so interesting and numerous and the characters so good and likable. Reading about, say, the life of Che Guavara in a history book to most people would be kind of boring, but when you do it in Peace Walker its so interesting because the converstaions between Big Boss and say, Kaz, ae so well written, creating a very beleivalbe chemistry between the two, making it feel like a real natural conversation, and making a lot of them extremely humerous.

I'd even argue that the integration of story and gamplay is much better for MGS tghan ME. In Men the entire story is basically choice based so people would usually say it would be better. But MGS has best of both worlds. It has awesome, non-interactive cinematic cutscenes, which obviously have big advanatge over interactive ones in the sense that you can direct them and script them in a single, exCT WYA TO maximise dramatic value etc. But MGS also has probably the very best story/gameplay interaction in all of gaming. Just look at the Psycho Mantis battle, and all the psychic 4th wall shit he pulls off and hos you have to do stuff like change the controller port to prevent him from reading your mind. Or the battle against the End and how you can cause him to die of old age by changing the clock time of your games console. Or how in the battle with The Sorrow where you repatedly die and go to the game over screen, the only way to exit the battle is by QUITTING THE GAME! Or replaying through the first part of MGS1 when you revisit Shadow Moses in MGS4. MGS is filled with the very best gameplay/story interaction there is in gaming.



TES doesn;t have new or interesting gameplay, plot, or art style. It is just big game with lots of conent and high production values. It relies on tapping into a structure of game that draws lots of people in (and alienates a lot of others) but it is by no means a great game, conceptually on paper of even in practise when you analyse it.



Again, only special thing about this is probably the production values and graphics. Gampley is nothing special, just a hybrid of multiple types. Storyline is cliched and predictable. Nothing special about art style. The truth is that the current state of videogame players get easily pleased by certain types of unremarkable games and don;t fully appreciate the better, more profound ones out there, which is why something loike Uncharted that at best aspires to emulate a B action movie gets such praise.



KotOR was the best Bioware game to date and its still not as good as those I mentioned. They all have really good stories, but very average gameplay.

metalgearkojima
Originally posted by NemeBro
Uncharted. no expression

But yes, you'll say "HURDUR IT DOESN'T COUNT LOOK AT ME GUISE IM A REBEL LAUGH AT ME" because you have no legitimate response to it, I'm not an Uncharted fan but that doesn't change the fact that the general public regard it as an excellent demonstration of a series that has both riveting gameplay and a great story.

OK I know I said praise, but we should still try not to include stuff that is extremely overrated. I would give you something like Mass Effect for its story. Uncharted... anybody who thinks it has a great story is delusional. It aspires to be a generic B action movie, there is nothing unique or itneresting about it, nothing profound, it is at best a "fun" story, nobody would seriously try to compare it to something as original, detailed and itneresting as MGS.

Likewise with the gameplay, there truly is nothing special about it. It has basic climbing elements, melee fighting, and third person shooting mechanics. Nothing unique or mindblowingly brilliant.



Bro, I'm a massive GTA fan, but it does not have a great story. Entertaining in ways, but it is mostly a humerous, entertaining gangster themed story but there is nothing really thought provoking or interesting about it.



I Played AC1 and the story is utterly unremarkable, and I'm pretty sure it didnt get much praise for it either.



Not everyone likes it in the same sense that a lot of p[oeple find Citizen Kain borijgn. Doesnt change the fact that its something great, and deep down most people acknowledge that ui objectively has a lot of great thungs going for it, such as the soundtrack (Harry Gregson Williams, one of the best movie composers ever), voice acting, graphics, pioneering ghameplay, unique ideas and lengthy, detailed, and compklex story etc. MGS has a lot of irrational, biased haters for some reasonl, but they are ultimately irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

Read my former post regarding cutscenes. MGS has best of both worlds.

At best you can try your hardest to find things that have been rpaised for both but deep down you will know that it is not comparable to MGS.

Gameplay - MGS pioneered an entire genre of gameplay (stealth), consistently has some of the most polished and versatile stealth action gameplay (numerous weapin,s gadgets and stealth maneuvres, numerous wyas of progressing through the game, cna choose to go through it without killing a single person etc.), has some of nthe most epib boss battles of all times, has numerous iconic moments that truly does something itneresting and innovative with gameplay design, is jam packed full of content (you have stealth/action gameplay with numerous weapons and gadgets and ways of progressing through scenarios, lots of unique, scripted boss battles and gampeay sgements that swtich the gameplay up, bomb disposal segments, vehicular combat, escort missions, tracking people through a jungle, following somebody through a city, gaining trust and reception of different groups in hostile areeas, recruiting your own army and expanding your own business, outdoor survival in the jungle etc.). Onlky game you mentioned that is comaprable to it in this wya would be GTA, but even then GTA doesn;t switch it up with each nstallment quite like MGS does.

Story - MGS pioneered the cinematuic approach to storytelling in games, has the longest cinematics and most detailed stories otu of any game, they are incredibly complex, incredibly thought provoking, very interesting, each one has a real message and artistic journey to it, interesting and unique characters, technology,l emotional story, mindblwoing plot twists, extremely good sense of humour, interesting converstaions between your characters, as many and as itneresting villains as heroes, extremely original, educational, and in plain general just awesome, interestign stories. Hollywood level production values, iconic boice atcing, incredible action sequences, incredible soundtrack, everything about the storyline is perfect really. Nothing comapres to it in this regard, and your claim that ME has a better story is downright laughable. ME has great writing and really good branching scenarios etc, but tbh it feels more like they just wnated to fit a story into a choce driven rpg and mass effect is what they camr up with. MGS on the other hand you can just tell that the story came first and that its a story Hideo Kojima really wanted to tell, its just so meaningful and epic and memorable and itneresting and just plain awesome. A lot of people praise being able to talk to your companions on your ship in games like ME and KotOR which I also love but the Codex conversations in MGS put them to shame.

Fact of the matter is that MGS gets lots of haters and detractors but any objective person will see that it has BY FAR the most to offer out of any videogame, ever.

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