A Hong Kong magazine has featured a review of Final Fantasy XIII, and it's one of the most damning reviews of all time. We don't normally post stories about another outlet's review content, but this is too amazing to ignore. Calling Final Fantasy XIII the "biggest joke of 2009" and a huge swindle is something worth seeing.
"The game is complete linearity until the open areas near the end. You can't even backtrack," writes the reviewer. "Of all the RPGs I've played in recent years, this is the first which has been so linear that it's little more than riding an amusement park ride."
The combat system was torn to shreds as well: "A button mashing puzzle game with no real strategy or RPG elements and a plethora of annoying features, game as a whole is little more than a digital novel of sorts. For such a game to approach 2 million copies sold must be due solely to the strength of the Final Fantasy brand ... biggest swindle in gaming history ... biggest joke of 2009."
The game received a 4/10 in the score department:
Scenario: 2.0 — "An epic tear jerker"
System: 1.0 — "Such a crude system barely warrants being called an RPG at all."
Graphics: 9.0 — "Full marks here."
Sound: 7.0 — "Mostly quality."
Enthusiasm: 1.0 "As if you could play this for 100 hours! I could put up with 8."
Total: 4.0 — "To think it got this bad…"
No idea how you can get a 2.0 for something considered an "epic tear jerker," but there you go. Apparently the review was so intense and surprising that even the magazine issued a disclaimer calling the journalist in question a "non-gamer" and "borderline-retarded." So yeah, if you value the opinion of retarded non-gamers in Hong Kong, steer clear of Final Fantasy XIII!
Hong Kong Magazine gives Final Fantasy XIII a 4 out of 10 [Kombo]
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Contest:
11:00 AM on 01.10.2010
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However I bet that most of the western reviews will still give it top marks none the less, it is a high profile game after all.
...
Wait, the reviewer isn't even a gamer?
Ouch...
But really, the guys probably right in some departments. Perhaps not so intensely but we'll see once the god damn thing finally launches over here.
Hmmm.
(For those curious, the demo was simply run forward along a platform, no turns, fight enemies, watch cut scene, repeat)
Watch, this could turn into the one honest review of a high profile game (like Jim's AC2 review...yes, I thought that game was horrible also).
Also, wannabe-Dtoid controversy.
Take the RTS elements in Brutal Legend for example.
I was already pushing this game to the back of my list of wants, essentially willing to wait until I'm bored with everything else and the price falls. Now I'm not even sure I want to touch FFXIII at all. I loved FFXII...and if FFXIII is FFX's linearity on steroids, well, I may just have to pass on this one.
All I can say, thank God I'm getting older and RPGs are too time consuming for me to really bother anymore. The genre, at least JRPGs, are falling quite hard, it would seem. Might want to keep the defibrillators handy in case the JRPGs genre flatlines. Right now, Resonance of Fate is the only one that has me even remotely interested.
As long as the story is bearable, combat fun and eyecandy for money's worth, I am happy. Just hope there is enough side quests to do right before playing the final battle.
Otherwise this is kinda interesting, I will wait (as if I have a choice in the matter) and see. Maybe all more the reason to get Yakuza 3 when its released?
Now I know where I'm getting all my game reviews from in the future.
Perhaps this is a subtle way of Squenix saying, "Yeah, we don't want to do this stuff anymore, so here's this "last one" like this. Now will you people drop this shit and buy XIV Online?"
Or he's just border-line retarded. Could go either way, I suppose.
Although I could easily picture this game being extremely linear and find myself feeling the same way this guy did. We'll see.
Or he's just border-line retarded. Could go either way, I suppose.
Although I could easily picture this game being extremely linear and find myself feeling the same way this guy did. We'll see.
seriously? jim sterlings review of assassins creed was honest but many of the good reviews were honest too.
Im sure this guy genuinly disliked the game and that not every single reviewer that gives a positive review to a high profile game has been bribed.
So true. I love DToid, and I love the editors, but truer words have never been said.
I've actually played and beaten the import version.
The guy is right about no backtracking. You can only backtrack through the final 3 chapters. Which makes me think the linearity MIGHT be due to the 360/multiple disks thing. Which means you probably will only have to swap twice for story elements and the final 3 chapters are on the last disk. But anyway back on track.
The game is pretty damn linear. It is almost a long tube. But the tube is interesting about 80% of the time. Once you get to Chapter 11 (there are 13 albeit fairly long chapters) things open up GREATLY. Almost to the point its irritating but still good. However, after Chapter 11, it's back to a fairly long, but very interesting and pretty exciting, tube till the end.
The comment of having no real strategy is completely false. This is probably the first FF in a while where I actually had to change tactics and actually use dn near EVERY character beside the main 3 I only focused on. The game holds your hands for the first two chapter. But once Paradigm Shift comes into play, all bets are off.
Tear jerker? Somewhat.
Graphics? It's fucking Square Enix! Need I say more?
Sound? Some are memorable some are not.
That's just my two cents on the game as a whole.
The reason FFXIII's sales dropped quickly is because around half of the people who own a PS3 in Japan own FFXIII already. It has nothing to do with its "quality" or lack thereof.
Considering none or (or very few of us at least) have played the game I don't think a discussion is to be had.
His review does sound very hyperbolic though. I mean unless there's more to the review than the original link suggest he doesn't even give scenarios or examples or anything. Just a bunch of feather ruffling.
Sounds like he actually was a fan of past FF's.
That's funny the kids (I assume kids) calling the guy a non-gamer, etc. as the little Nazi's always do, shouting down anyone who doesn't say what they want them to say and trying to discredit them in such insightful ways as to call him a retarded non-gamer.
Which, by the way, once you play a game, any game, aren't you actually a gamer, since a gamer is a label for one who plays games and he obviously just finished playing one (unless he lied and made it all up)?
It's like adding proof to the reviewer insinuating the FF fans are drones that will buy anything with the brand title and never admit themselves to see the crap.
I've never played it (duh). But this little temper tantrum of the always mature gaming community is more entertaining than I can imagine the game ever being.
Also, considering every FF game has been linear as hell (your choice at any point being, "Go do this side quest that wastes your time or go advance the plot jackass"), saying a Final Fantasy is bad for being linear is like saying The Legend of Zelda is bad because you can't shoot aliens with guns.
Then... how does he know that it gets less linear near the end?
One of the things holding games criticism back is that what is considered 'average' is way too high. Look at any issue of Gamepro where pretty much every game gets rated 4-5 stars.
FF13 is without a doubt the worst FF ive played. Today, I would score it about 7/10, but keep in mind that I havnt reached the end yet.
The game is extremly linear, which wouldnt be that much of a problem if the pacing wasnt so horrible. The things theyve taken out (like cities and NPCs) makes the game roll on at the same tempo all the time, and while its hard to out down the controller (you are rewarded with new cinematics every 15 minutes or so) it all just feels bland.
I still want to see the ending, and I dont think the combat system is half as broken as I thought at first (its actually rather cool and intresting in boss fights) but the game is by no means a masterpiece.
If you want a JRPG in the traditional sense, steer clear! This is more of Uncharted 2 with ATB battles than an actual "rpg".
The story is not very intresting, but the characters are well made. Especially the bonds that the characters create between each other feels much more real than in any other JRPG ive played.
Music is okay, but doesnt really stand out. Graphics are amazing at times (faces & emotions) but overall it doesnt look as good as I had hoped. Most of the time your running in "corridors" so to speak, and those are seldom visually impressive.
Loading times are few and well hidden.
So, yeah, basicly a solid 7. Could reach an 8 if the endgame is as good as ive heard.
... it will be interesting to see the feedback from western gamers.
Good thing SE went multi-platforms. Wish I find time to play this game this year. At least, it sounds like an honest review for a JRPG.
I sure hope this means the death of JRPG as they are now. We all know most JRPG developers all base their work on the latest FF, so we can only hope they do the same with this one.
(Its not a bad game..just underwhelming.)
Tbh, I still havnt seen a single really positive (like 10/10) review of FF13.
Obviously not counting Famitsu.
THIS.
I'm still planning on renting it for the visual experience, though.