Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: the Final Fantasy series might be a sinking ship (or maybe not), but I'm a fan. There I said it. I love Final Fantasy, despite its (many) flaws.
Jump Festa 2009 -- the annual convention sponsored by the Jump brand of anime, manga, and videogame magazines -- started yesterday, and a slew of trailers and some new information about Final Fantasy XIII have come out along with it. The new trailer is a pretty standard affair -- very little actual gameplay or details, just a lot of very pretty scenery and magical explosions. This trailer is from Square Enix' DKS3713 event back in August, and, after a few months of waiting, has been made available to the public.
Perhaps more interesting are thesescans, taken from the recent issue of Shonen Jump. According to people that know way more Japanese than I do, battles will return to a true turn-based system, even though you'll be able to see enemies on the screen; so, menus, standard commands, and little numbers above heads will make a return. I found Final Fantasy XII's Gambit system delightful and deep, but I guess FFXIII battle director Toshiro Tsuchida thinks otherwise.
While FFXIII seems to take its cues from Star Wars, Versus is a decidedly somber affair. A new Versus trailer, also from DKS3713, begins with "This is a fantasy based in reality." I can't tell if the Versus team takes itself seriously, or if Japanese irony is more subtle than my dull American brain can handle, but there is absolutely nothing realistic about that trailer.
For those of you still clamoring for a Final Fantasy VII remake (seriously, shut up, the game's fine as it is), Versus might be the closest you're ever going to get. It's got a brooding, spiky-haired protagonist with a sword the size of his ego, a gritty urban mise-en-scene, and a straight-haired damsel that needs help (and might die). If that doesn't scream Midgard, I don't know what does.
Anyway, check out the screens in the gallery, and the Versus trailer after the jump.
Joseph Leray is a founding Destructoid editor and has better hair than you. He speaks French and needs to send us his updated bio in English, preferably.
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yar, saw these slices of eye-candy already, like ya said, not much gameplay, but they sure are purty. Looking forward to FF13, P4 won't last forever ya know?
I love how people say that Final Fantasy is a sinking ship, when as of yet no entry in the canonical series has yet to do poorly, by any stretch of the imagination.
I mean, these games are hotly anticipated not months, but YEARS before they come out. Think about when we all started talking about this game, and think about when its going to get released.
What other game series gets that kind of bated breath from the gaming community?
Maybe it's real like giant enemy crabs in feudal japan is real.
But really, I didn't see much that far from reality. Just the confrontation on the street between dude and dudette. The rest looks like they're trying to emulate tokyo.
The core title is looking pretty boring and after FFXII failed to impress me (even if Joseph liked it) it looks like Final Fantasy XIII won't be in my gaming collection anytime soon. I know everyone was gasping at the original trailers for the game...but its never looked that good to me. I just haven't seen anything in the cinemas or gameplay (the little that there is to see) that will draw me to purchasing it other than Final Fantasy in the title. Its kinda like FFVIII except a bit blander in design while VS looks like a gritty FFVII.
And I think what its come down to most of all so far is the character models. The designs in vs look more original (as far as what we've been able to see in a JRPG) than the FFVIII/X knockoffs in the core series. This could mean that the characters in XIII are more unique and interesting while VsXIII are all harder to get into...but from what we've seen I wish vs was multiplatform.
I want to love it, I really do. But I don't want to have my heart broken again, so I'm just going to stay on the fringes of this one until the game comes out.
Also, if Lightning and Vanilla/Vanille don't turn out to be complete and utter lesbians for each other I will burn down Square Enix. And that Snow character is dimming my hopes even more for that. And fuck whoever is coming up with all of these stupid fucking names.
I am praying that 13 will be good. But man am I excited as all shit for Versus mostly because it is the Kingdom Hearts team. KH1 and 2 are amazing games.
Fuck, I was hoping the battle system was closer to XII... made it much more relaxing and enjoyable to explore without worrying about random battles every 10 steps.
With that said, real-time or turn-based.... XIII looks amazing.
Is it just me or does the trailer for versus seem more like a movie trailer than a game trailer?either way cant wait for versus and ff XIII still fails to impress me
These look absolutely spectacular. Versus is the superior trailer, great moody music to set the tone. I just wish we knew what it was all about. Can't wait for 2012 when these come out ;)
cielo: I was thinking the same thing, especially the shot of the four guys walking near the car, and the quick camera effect used.
also, the music REALLY sells the vs. xii trailer, Yoko Shimomura is an amazing composer.
does anybody else think spikey hair looks worse and worse the more realistic the overall imagery becomes? Spikey hair works ok when there's more of a cartoony style (FF7, KH series), but more realistic styling makes it look weird to me
I'm much more excited for Versus. Not really big on turn-based RPGs, but loved Kingdom Hearts and FFXII. Plus it doesn't look like sci-fi BS.
But is it just me or is the main character a total ripoff of Uchiha Sasuke from Naruto? Same haircut, tall collar, eyes that turn from black to red, always grumpy...
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Contest:
9:30 PM on 12.23.2008
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Which is good, cause it's the one I can actually get, being a 360 owner.
@ StriderS
Versus is the PS3 exclusive :(
I mean, these games are hotly anticipated not months, but YEARS before they come out. Think about when we all started talking about this game, and think about when its going to get released.
What other game series gets that kind of bated breath from the gaming community?
But really, I didn't see much that far from reality. Just the confrontation on the street between dude and dudette. The rest looks like they're trying to emulate tokyo.
And I think what its come down to most of all so far is the character models. The designs in vs look more original (as far as what we've been able to see in a JRPG) than the FFVIII/X knockoffs in the core series. This could mean that the characters in XIII are more unique and interesting while VsXIII are all harder to get into...but from what we've seen I wish vs was multiplatform.
Also, if Lightning and Vanilla/Vanille don't turn out to be complete and utter lesbians for each other I will burn down Square Enix. And that Snow character is dimming my hopes even more for that. And fuck whoever is coming up with all of these stupid fucking names.
With that said, real-time or turn-based.... XIII looks amazing.
And honestly not much had me interested so far except infinite undiscovery wich I didn't buy....cause of reviews...
Sudden descent into anarchy, explosions and armed forces - Check
Girlie Men? - CHECK
Its a confirmed trailer
I'm excited.
also, the music REALLY sells the vs. xii trailer, Yoko Shimomura is an amazing composer.
does anybody else think spikey hair looks worse and worse the more realistic the overall imagery becomes? Spikey hair works ok when there's more of a cartoony style (FF7, KH series), but more realistic styling makes it look weird to me
But is it just me or is the main character a total ripoff of Uchiha Sasuke from Naruto? Same haircut, tall collar, eyes that turn from black to red, always grumpy...
I was thinking exactly that towards the end of the video when he is walking up the stairs...