I can't wait for this game.

Also teaser sites for Versus and Agito were opened today too.

Do Want!

What are the odds of this being released this year?

I want these games bad for some reason. It's unhealthy.

Final Fantasy doesn't light a fire under me...I don't know why. I think the Squenix style grates on me after a while.

Also, needs more belts and zippers!

Look at the character renderings: soon we'll have an answer to the question of whether anime characters are supposed to be Japanese or not! (I think the answer is going to be 'kind of')

"...but just to stop making every character look like a j-pop star."

Word up to that. For Christ's sake, in FF X-2 the main characters basically WERE J-pop stars.

Can't wait for this game, just not sure yet if I'll be getting the PS3 or the 360 version...

Ah, reminds me of the very first screens I saw of the protagonist--someone actually had to tell me it was a girl.

(I've never been more relieved to fap.)

@killias2
I think you and I represent the divide between players who want FF to stay the same, and those who appreciate a more progressive style. I don't see what the major differences are between XII and older FFs despite no random encounters, which honestly has no gameplay merit.

XII had an active time battle where you could move. Visually and physically it engaged you more than previous turn-based outings, but conceptually, the gameplay is very similar to older games. It seems like a lot of people are caught up in these superficial changes and want to rigidly adhere to the old ways.

The story for FFXII showed some maturity and was able to steer clear of many over-arching cliches that made FFX the most over-rated FF of all. Your characters were actually players in a larger world, as opposed to X where your party was pretty much the only hope for the world, blah, blah, how could anyone still think this is a good story? The characters themselves didn't escape basic templates, but The premise also took a much more down to earth approach, with warring nations and smaller states, a much more believable world than X.

The battle system will obviously divide people, but the license board was a much more sophisticated form of the sphere grid, and though I didn't like weapons licensing, I did enjoy it for spells and abilities. I hope it's further developed in XIII.

My problems with 12 aren't that it changed things and "progressed" (a very loaded term). My problems involved the poor design from top to bottom.

I don't have an essential issue with the battle system, but it was implemented poorly. Rather than taking advantage of the open platform in an interesting way (a la Star Ocean, Tales of Phantasia, or even Crisis Core), it felt like a straight-jacket. They traded the simple purity (and tactical potential) of the earlier games for something that wasn't really open, wasn't really tactical, wasn't really complex or simple.. and definitely wasn't fun. Also, I do prefer non-random over random fights. The monsters in FF12 were just as common, however, as random fights in earlier games. It really didn't feel any different in that regard.. just more boring.

The dungeon layout was God awful. Every dungeon looked randomly generated, but none of them were. There was no eye-catching shots, no beautiful scenery, etc. Honestly, the dungeons looked worse than any other in the series excepting the NES games. I'm not exaggerating my opinion on this.

The license system was hardly sophisticated. You could become (and should!) a jack of all trades with no problems. There were no trade-offs to this tactic. In fact, it was almost impossible to not become a jack of all trades unless you flat out avoided using your points on the license board.

The story, too, was hardly inspired. I was actually very excited by the concept, and I always expected something amazing to happen next. Instead, I was repeatedly disappointed by a muddled narrative, uninteresting characters (with little development and almost no concentration on their past), and a switch back to a standard good vs. evil, supernatural storyline in the last 10th of the game. I hoped for FF Tactics, instead I got some half-aborted hybrid.

I haven't even gotten into the terrible summons, the broken gambit system, the lackluster boss fights, the totally uninteresting towns, and the the lack of any side-quests beyond simple "go kill this palette re-touched monster" quests. Hell, I'm sure I'm forgetting lots about this horrible, horrible game.

I play over 90 hours of it because I kept HOPING that something would come out. The NEXT dungeon will be sweet! The next boss fight could be interesting! The plot will kick in any second now! Maybe the next summon will be worth using? The next town could be more than boring dialogue and a few useless stores!

I was wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. I didn't even finish it despite being on the verge.. just because I couldn't force myself to go through the pain anymore.

You and I must have played different games.

I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT I WILL LOVE THIS GAME. I REALLY DO.

I think the Gambit system had potential, but the way everything came together simply didn't work. If the battle system involved more action a la Tales, Star Ocean, or Accent Core, then the Gambit system would've been a great companion. However, as is, I have horrible memories of walking around in circles while everyone did their things then moving on to the next monster 20 feet away. That is not involving, interesting, or fun.

I will admit that I didn't like 8 either. I did, however, like 10, so its not like I'm entirely opposed to changes or newer games in the series.

FF12 was hands down my favorite Final Fantasy and a step in the right direction on pretty much all fronts. I really don't understand any hate for the game, because it's so fantastic.

Sure, 6 has a better story, 7 has a better history, and 5 has a better leveling system. But as a whole? 12 was the winner and made me a Final Fantasy fan again.

Final fantasy is probably the only series large enough to have so many people arguing so vehemenently about which games are good and which very similar games are not...

My opinion? Theyre all good. Every single one. Even the ones i havent played (3,4,5). I cant wait for the XIII bunch.

I think its high-time we have a transvestite hero. Who agrees!?!?!?

anyways, that pic is a girl. looks nothing like a guy.

and the ONLY way to play FFXIII will be on PS3, duh.