Final Fantasy XIII

There is a staggering amount of ground between being as linear as XIII apparently is and a game being open world. A game as linear as this would become VERY boring to me VERY quickly- just combat after combat.

If your towns are not working, then fix the towns- but REMOVING them just strips the atmosphere bare to negative effect. The series is going too far now into just being a story with you doing the fights, rather than being a game as such. And the stories are never that good.

No matter, though. I'll never play it anyway.

but REMOVING them just strips the atmosphere bare to negative effect.

Except that it doesn't. At all.

Really, almost every single complaint I've seen on that - overwhelmingly so - has come from people who haven't actually played any of it at all yet.

As for linearity, it isn't any more than FFX was. And even a mediocre FF plot still tends to be as good as or better than most video game plots (certainly better than most other RP video game plots I've played).

A pity.

I'm still holding reservations about the lack of towns. It just doesn't sound like a net plus to me. I can't imagine playing the game and being glad that they're gone, at best I could simply not care too much that they're gone. I still think towns are really the most effective way of increasing the feel of a living breathing world in an RPG like this. Having other characters to interact with - to give some sense of history and backstory to the world, outside of your party characters and in cinematics - goes a long way. Plus towns served as a nice break from "walk forward and fight the monsters" gameplay that is inherent to the series. But we'll see.

Like I said though, I'm a lot more alarmed and concerned by the apparent lack of a central villain. That could be near gamebreaking for me, as it was for VIII, unless they really do a good job in other areas of storytelling.

Originally posted by SpadeKing
Not old enough to be showing butt tats ermm

Aside from the long slightly confusing beginning I can't see why it has bad reviews.

To Peach: 19? Why does Lightning refer to her as a kid then? She's 21!

Originally posted by BackFire
I'm still holding reservations about the lack of towns. It just doesn't sound like a net plus to me. I can't imagine playing the game and being glad that they're gone, at best I could simply not care too much that they're gone. I still think towns are really the most effective way of increasing the feel of a living breathing world in an RPG like this. Having other characters to interact with - to give some sense of history and backstory to the world, outside of your party characters and in cinematics - goes a long way. Plus towns served as a nice break from "walk forward and fight the monsters" gameplay that is inherent to the series. But we'll see.

Like I said though, I'm a lot more alarmed and concerned by the apparent lack of a central villain. That could be near gamebreaking for me, as it was for VIII, unless they really do a good job in other areas of storytelling.

Just snatch yourself a copy and stop worrying about it. Rental maybe? Its not like your life depends on it.

I'm on the 2nd disc and the story has skyrocketed. The gang feels like real bros.

The story in this one is surprisingly more character-oriented. Yes, they're on a mission to save their world, but that kind of takes a backseat to connecting with each other and confronting their personal demons.

Do people really care about towns? They became boring after FF7.

Originally posted by Peach
Except that it doesn't. At all.

Really, almost every single complaint I've seen on that - overwhelmingly so - has come from people who haven't actually played any of it at all yet.

As for linearity, it isn't any more than FFX was. And even a mediocre FF plot still tends to be as good as or better than most video game plots (certainly better than most other RP video game plots I've played).

A pity.

I will be staggered if I agree with you. Linear and without towns (and, I hear, it even has very few NPCs), I won't feel for a moment that I am EXPLORING and experiencing this world, and it is another one of those sad things that some people do not miss this form an RP game.

And lordy no, the FF plots are not much, as RP games go. That statement is completely false- FFVIIIs plot was one of the worst I've ever seen in any game. Even Xs plot fell completely to pieces. VI and VII are the ones with the best plots by any objective view of what a story line needs (X was more of an experience than it was a plotted story, even if they HAD remembered to make it make sense), and even then something like Baldur's Gate triumphs by a mile.

And FFX's linearity was certainly not its strong point!

IMO the story is actually quite good and the world of caccoon feels very original, even if the lack of towns detract from the experience. I like how the gang is bonding.

BTW to people who are actually playing the game: is it just me or do certain tvs in the world have the shape of a PSP?

"XIII's combat is incredibly exciting. I'd go so far to call it one of the best innovations that's visited the franchise in quite some time, if I hadn't just soundly bestowed that honor on baby chocobos that live in people's hair."

QFT from Joystiq's review.

Sazh is a great character. In the beginning I was worried he would just be a stereotyped black guy, but boy was I wrong.

Originally posted by Zack Fair
"XIII's combat is incredibly exciting. I'd go so far to call it one of the best innovations that's visited the franchise in quite some time, if I hadn't just soundly bestowed that honor on baby chocobos that live in people's hair."

QFT from Joystiq's review.

Sazh is a great character. In the beginning I was worried he would just be a stereotyped black guy, but boy was I wrong.

And I was all ready to be annoyed by racism with Sazh, so it was a great surprise to see the guy slip into a thoughtful mentor role. His chemistry with Vanille in particular is wonderful.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
I will be staggered if I agree with you. Linear and without towns (and, I hear, it even has very few NPCs), I won't feel for a moment that I am EXPLORING and experiencing this world, and it is another one of those sad things that some people do not miss this form an RP game.

And lordy no, the FF plots are not much, as RP games go. That statement is completely false- FFVIIIs plot was one of the worst I've ever seen in any game. Even Xs plot fell completely to pieces. VI and VII are the ones with the best plots by any objective view of what a story line needs (X was more of an experience than it was a plotted story, even if they HAD remembered to make it make sense), and even then something like Baldur's Gate triumphs by a mile.

And FFX's linearity was certainly not its strong point!

The Baldur's Gate games didn't really have anything at all going for them in the storyline department so I'm not really sure what you're getting at here. Simplistic, generic, and by most standards painfully dull.

The Final Fantasy series delivers extremely deep, complex, emotive and imaginative storytelling with near unparalleled quality and implementation of music to create near unparalleled storytelling experiences. As a series there aren't many others that equal or surpass it.

did your last account get banned that quick neb?

Originally posted by Regnir Bamos
The Baldur's Gate games didn't really have anything at all going for them in the storyline department so I'm not really sure what you're getting at here. Simplistic, generic, and by most standards painfully dull.

The Final Fantasy series delivers extremely deep, complex, emotive and imaginative storytelling with near unparalleled quality and implementation of music to create near unparalleled storytelling experiences. As a series there aren't many others that equal or surpass it.

Neb, every time you use the word 'unparelleled', a Loli dies.

Think of the Loli's!

I respectively disagree.

So...

I finally caved in.

I got the 360 version... 😐

and it didn't cost me a thing 😄 ... except gas.

A friend of mine is on the second disk so he lent me the first one.

Haven't played much more than 15 minutes after the first achievement. Haven't got much to comment other than I will be enjoying the game tomorrow.

I'm still getting the PS3 version though. With some luck I'll have it by next Friday 😄

Originally posted by Zack Fair
Just snatch yourself a copy and stop worrying about it. Rental maybe? Its not like your life depends on it.

I'm on the 2nd disc and the story has skyrocketed. The gang feels like real bros.

I'm getting it for my bday. I'm still going to play it, and probably will enjoy it a lot.

Originally posted by Zack Fair
IMO the story is actually quite good and the world of caccoon feels very original, even if the lack of towns detract from the experience. I like how the gang is bonding.

BTW to people who are actually playing the game: is it just me or do certain tvs in the world have the shape of a PSP?

Funny that you mention that, I was just thinking of that yesterday!

When they're all on board the

Spoiler:
Lindblum

I'm hoping that we get some info on Verses soon :/