I'm a good few hours into Final Fantasy XIII now. My verdict so far? It's not groundbreaking, unless you count the visuals. Otherwise, it's a good, solid RPG so far. The battle system has just started to open up, as has the story. For the latter, I suspect I'll enjoy it more in English, as I'm just getting by in Japanese, but it's still quite entertaining, and I've found it hard to break away from the game. Oh, and レブロ is smoking hot. Panties on the battlefield is a wonderful idea, Square Enix.
Some of this stuff is familiar if you've seen the demo that came out in Japan. The difference here is that it's fleshed out a bit more, and you'll see menus and save points and such. Also, there's that breathtaking introduction. It's a new high point for CG in games, and the web video version does it no justice at all.
Making this Ten Minute Taste let me know that I really need to make an additional TMT of the first section of the game that was not shown in the demo. I'll do that later today if you'd like.
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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What do you think of the music so far? Is it pop-y and bad like FFXII? I know nothing of the composer who scored it, and haven't really liked FF music since Nobuo left...
I am about 18 hours in and yeah it really is linear as all get out (almost annoyingly so) but I have heard it opens up about halfway. Hope this is true. Otherwise, it's honestly been receiving some ridiculous negative press. Exdeath forbid the series evolve at all.
Anyone else see 2:15 and think "Silent Bob! Silent Bob is making a cameo in this game! wow!". Albeit a Silent Bob with more emotion than ever seen before but non the less.
I think I am actually going to avoid this to try and preserve the wonder of a new Final Fantasy game for the North American release. That will be incredibly hard, because a friend is playing the import right now.
You really should do another TMT further into the game. Watching the beginning will bore most people, since the battle system is the usual attack spam. It really begins developing further into the game, and I've been having a blast with it. The scenery is magnificent and the music is great. So far it's only gotten better and better as I've progressed through, and I'm about 20 hours in.
@DaleNorth I wasn't expecting to like this OST and while nothing REALLY stands out as MUST PUT ON IPOD NOW I am really like it. Fits the game wonderfully. And the light use of vocals is wonderful (though that's more later on). I agree with Keiwai...you should do another TMT further into the game, I'd say post Chapter 2.
@Magnalon Some of those claims are true, some are not. There are NO towns to explore (unless they're part of a level/dungeon) and all shopping is handled at Save Points. The game is NOT mindless and the battle system requires some strategy. Remember how FFX kind of started out easy and hand hold-y? But by the second half of the game it started churning out some challenge that required thought? That's this whole game. Careless moves get you killed.
Yes, it's linear. Like a piece of string. So was FFX for a large chunk. The fanbase is massively divided on this one, I'd say even more so than FF12 but I suspect a lot of people expected a "return to form" with this one, not further deviation from the accepted norm. FF has changed (not to parody Old Snake) and this is the further evolution of it.
Though I hope future installments have some more exploration!
I completely agree with everything you say. Though music wise, I fine myself still loving the the battle theme, despite it being the first song ever revealed. I do like the rehashing of the title screen theme for various areas in various styles. Also, I'm glad you said this too about the battle system. Careless mistakes do get you killed. I'm really loving the optima system, and I hope that they decide to further expand it in future installments. In my eyes,it's a great system with vast potential
As for the linearity, I've never really minded it. I think for the most part, This was somewhat forced by the replacement of the world map (may be completely off with this assumption), but that's a different discussion.
wow that looks amazing! @JulianProxy i wish i had your willpower. if you do want to watch this though, there aren't any spoilers. the only things shown are the intro movie (like the stuff that plays when you stick the disc inside before you start actually playing), and then the first 7 minutes or so of a new game. so it's all stuff that you'd see in your first 10 minutes of gameplay.
kind of funny that it has such a ff7 intro.. can't really blame them for trying to recreate the best known game in the series to the laymen.. defiantly will be getting.. ff for life yo.
Awesome. THAT is a game opening. Can't wait to see this in HD. And who is the jack-ass who said this looked boring? What does it not have enough Master Cheif's in it? Don't be a douche.
I rather wish the black guy was more of a badass and less of a pansy (ala Louis from L4D). I'm not a fan of the Final Fantasy series so I really hope this game is good.
@Arianol Sazh is a pussy? I must've missed that memo. He has a tendency to be a bit silly in the early stages of the game but throughout the course of the game, I feel he's fleshed out decently enough and is a wonderful character.
@loki d20 What's wrong with English voices? The Japanese voices are fairly melodramatic sometimes and while the English VA track will likely be the same, it is still nice enjoying a game in your native language. That said, mutliple language tracks FTW! That's why I <3 NISA.
Is there an overdrive system in this one? For me, the Overdrive/Limit Break system in modern FFs is what separated it from all other turn-based JRPGS of the era. That's all it took. As much as I loved Lost Odyssey, I would've loved to have that system in it.
@Robotic There is no Limit Breaks in this game per se. Instead utilizing attacks (preferably of the variety the target is weak to) will eventually cause them to enter into a Break status (shown by a meter in the top right) when you will deal a lot more damage and even air launch/juggle. That's about it, really. Frankly, I am ok with this. I loved Limit Breaks but after their broken status in FF8 and their....eccentricness in FF12, I don't mind a departure from them.
Im several hours in the game too, my main complaint: needs more LeBreau because I agree, she's hot. Other than that, I am having so much fun staring at the pretty visuals. Loving the optima changes, makes it much more intense.
@Robotic Oh god, that would require me to have used Rinoa. Squall, Zell, and Selphie all had broken Limit Breaks. Granted, Selphie was only REALLY broken if she rolled The End, but that happened more often than I expected.
THough thanks for reminding me of the LAMEST Limit Break to ever grace an FF game lol.
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Contest:
2:30 PM on 12.23.2009
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Prince Aries - yeah, i don't get the negative press.
If you actually read these, the bad press makes perfect sense.
- Leave train, fight scorpion looking robot.
- Only Black dude using projectile weapon.(BarretXchocobohead) Am I Wrong?
Exactly...and the whole icognito thing FFX-2.It's a combination of these two
moar leik fist 10 HOURS
amirite? :3
@DaleNorth I wasn't expecting to like this OST and while nothing REALLY stands out as MUST PUT ON IPOD NOW I am really like it. Fits the game wonderfully. And the light use of vocals is wonderful (though that's more later on). I agree with Keiwai...you should do another TMT further into the game, I'd say post Chapter 2.
I'm waiting for someone who has played it to refute those claims (most likely I'll have to wait for Dale).
Regardless, I'll be buying it, if only to add to my Final Fantasy collection.
1. It will make me want to play right now, which I can't
2. I want as much of the experience to be as new as possible when I bring it home and pop it into my 360.
3. It's Final Fantasy. I already know I'm going to love it. I don't need any evidence.
Yes, it's linear. Like a piece of string. So was FFX for a large chunk. The fanbase is massively divided on this one, I'd say even more so than FF12 but I suspect a lot of people expected a "return to form" with this one, not further deviation from the accepted norm. FF has changed (not to parody Old Snake) and this is the further evolution of it.
Though I hope future installments have some more exploration!
I completely agree with everything you say. Though music wise, I fine myself still loving the the battle theme, despite it being the first song ever revealed. I do like the rehashing of the title screen theme for various areas in various styles. Also, I'm glad you said this too about the battle system. Careless mistakes do get you killed. I'm really loving the optima system, and I hope that they decide to further expand it in future installments. In my eyes,it's a great system with vast potential
As for the linearity, I've never really minded it. I think for the most part, This was somewhat forced by the replacement of the world map (may be completely off with this assumption), but that's a different discussion.
ROFL! You are my hero of the day!
@loki d20 What's wrong with English voices? The Japanese voices are fairly melodramatic sometimes and while the English VA track will likely be the same, it is still nice enjoying a game in your native language. That said, mutliple language tracks FTW! That's why I <3 NISA.
This is going to be my reason to finally buy a PS3. Well, this and Uncharted 2 of course. ;D
Launching a dog from a Frisbee launcher in FF8 is broken?...... Ok. You win.
THough thanks for reminding me of the LAMEST Limit Break to ever grace an FF game lol.
Cause I'm all for Vanille.
I appreciate the response!