Here's a factoid: I was up to my neck in Final Fantasy XII when Dragon Age: Origins came out.* The culture shock of traveling from Ivalice to Ferelden was like jumping into a frozen lake. It's not surprising then, that Drs. Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, CEO and vie-president of BioWare, don't seem particularly stoked about Square Enix' most recent behemoth.
"I've been reading some reviews [of Final Fantasy XIII]," Muzyka said. "That may be on the bottom of my list right now. It's kind of a question mark. It would have been right up there before I read about it, but some of this other stuff is probably more pressing."
And Zeschuk chimed in with his own reservations about the game's development time: "It's really interesting. They're trying to do something different, which is admirable, but it's hard. They also had a very long development cycle. They may have been aiming at a real interesting spot at one point, but then too much time goes by. Not only are there a lot of games, but they are coming out fast."
I don't want to suggest that the Good Doctors are being malicious or dishonest; but, in terms of how role-playing fans will spend their time and money this month, I doubt Dragon Age: Awakenings really appreciates the stiff competition from Final Fantasy XIII.
For what it's worth, what I've been reading about Final Fantasy XIII makes me want to play it (Jim's rather scathing review notwithstanding). But Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk make some of the most popular and acclaimed videogames of all time, and I'm probably going to eat a ham sandwich for dinner, so you pick whose advice to take. And I haven't even trashed any of my competitors in, like, the past half hour.
BioWare Head: FF XIII "On the Bottom Of My List" [GameInformer]
*And now I have the good fortune of being in the middle of both!
Contest:
11:00 PM on 03.16.2010
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I couldnt even finish the Insanity Run on ME2 because I got so bored doing the same run-and-gun type missions over and over.
It is implied that she is a lesbian.
Mass Effect 2 is obviously a more revolutionary game, but I don't get the people who are up in arms about linearity in FF. I"m sure they're the same people who loved Uncharted 2, which honestly is probably even more linear than FFXIII. I don't really have a point, except that I love videogames.
I find it really funny how everyone expects to like every AAA game now, regardless of the genre. How absurd. If you don't like JRPGs, you're not going to like FF XIII, so just move along and find something more suitable to your tastes.
As has already been said, it's inferred that she's gay.
Furthermore, that chick doesn't look like a guy. She only looks like a guy relative to a genre filled with guys that look like chicks.
Dammit, why is Square so ambiguous about this?
Well there's really nothing to say.
I officially don't care about bioware or their opinion on RPGs anymore. FFXIII isn't my favorite game in the world, but I feel I got what I paid for and wasn't lied to. That's more than I can say for the last two bioware games.
Whatever, it's not like I'm surprised.
Endless Androgeny confirmed.
What can yaaaaaa do.
It's too bad sheeps make the majority of this human species.
Wacky Japanese shenanigans? :/
-Dragon Age has it's massive amount of roleplaying freedom and no FINITE definition of good/evil decisions, with a deep character customization system and (Strictly on the PC version) a strategic combat system
-Mass Effect 2 (Sorry, the first one sucked with it's FIVE HOUR LONG INTRO and really should only be drudged through one time at best) is a great third person shooter with the kind of freedom to take the story where you want as it should have
-Final Fantasy is more of an experiment, seeing how JRPG's look stripped down of bells and whistles like an alchemy system or character quests or shit like that (Sans the endgame of course) with MINDBLOWINGLY AMAZING GRAPHICS and not much else.
Each one has their perks and each has their flaws. Which has the least? That's up to everyone to decide on their own.
Why?
For one, it has very linear storytelling and game play, while other games coming out this generation market the opposite, choice. They took what was established in the previous game (FFXII) and threw it out the window. They abandon key "final fantasy elements" that would ultimately piss off some of their fan base (granted, there is still much that hasn't changed).
The fal'Cie are depicted as gods, gods that Cid and the Calvary are trying to destroy to "liberate Cocoon"; this could be seen as an atheistic plot, similar to other Shin Megami Tensei games. The game also features a lesbian couple and a teenager with a overzealous blood-lust. There are a lot of underlying tones to look into in this game, more than I mentioned for sure.
I wasn't expecting it to be so risky, but I find it to be refreshing, and non-typical.
I'm rather disappointed the BioWare guys felt the need to do that. What happened to the days when people in the industry praised each other, even when the market was extremely competitive? This is just really unprofessional of them in my opinion, and makes me respect them, and BioWare, a lot less.
Anyway, they are right to a point. FFXIII does do things very differently from other games in the series, making it feel almost like another game completely if not for the existence of chocobos and a Cid character. Yet at the same time, I admire the differences, even if it wasn't as great as it could have been, it felt unique.
It's pretty similar to the way I felt what Mirror's Edge did for the FPS genre.
Hopefully you don't get my comment wrong. I like some Final Fantasy games, but I never understood the deal about androgenousity.
I'm finally gonna end this FFXIII>Mass Effect 2>Dragon Age or whatever order they are in! Pokemon>FFXIII+Mass Effect 1 & 2+Dragon Age
I bet I'm Jim Sterling's favorite Dtoider now!
you people are acting like they shat on ffxiii. they simply stated that, according to reviews, there are better games out at the moment. chill the fuck out with the 'that was unprofessional' horseshit.
also, notwithstanding is a fantastic word. props.
@karooo
lol, there's an article for people like you. PROTIP: The games media had nothing to do with how terrible it is.
Garrif = Turian (bird like people)
Banga = Drell(lizard people
Viera = Asari (Long living female only race)
Seeq = Krogan (Stupid race with lotsa health)
Nu Mou = Volus
COPYRIGHT MUCH BIOWARE!!!
-not serious
His smug picture doesn't help either, I see that grim expression, and keep on scrollin'