It's just not about the game anymore

[Furore]

I know what the guy's saying. Hell, I'd be lying if I claimed Lost Odyssey wasn't my favourite nextgen game because it plays like older FFs (also Jansen is a ****ing champ, but any who've played it already know that), but I must say I do love FFXIII already. I saw FFXII as a weaker, inferior FF and hate having MMOs in the main series and thought FFXIII might be another game I didn't like as much as well as the straw that broke the camel's back (my FF fanatism). The advertising didn't exactly help.

But then I got it and my faith is restored. Yes, it's linear, but which FF wasn't when it came to story progression? Yes, it holds your hand for 10-20 hours, but after that you might be glad it did as standard enemies take a little effort. The battle system requires strategy once more and on top of that requires you to think on your feet, but doesn't **** you over completely when you fail. The story is great and the characters have personality (even if I wanted Hope to die for the first several hours). The game mightn't be exactly like older entries but it builds on them and is a step in the right direction after XII. It's not like it's all that disimilar or anything.

Quite possibly my favourite FF since VI.

[Heartless Angel]

I don't see the downfall begin after 7, I see it begin after 10. All of them up to that, though still implementing new ideas, still stayed pretty ture to their roots. XI, and XII however, I don't even consider FInal Fantasies. XIII it seems is trying to get a bit closer to the originals, while still trying to be different. Though I didn't like the last 2, and I doubt i'll like 14, this one was actually pretty good.

[Cain Highwind]

Seems to me like you don't want to like it, and/or you are growing out of the series. You're older now and wouldn't have liked the old ones either, except you've hung onto the experience you had playing them when you were younger.

Yeah, that could be it. Recently turning 26 I think I'm going through some kind of early mid-life crisis or something. I'm just not the gamer I used to be and that makes me sad. If there's any good, non-critical reason I can't play XIII right now, is because I still have a whole TRUCKLOAD of games that I usually buy in quick limited sales and then never getting around to playing.

That's why you should look at it as Final (Non)Fantasy XIII; aka, strip it of all actual links to the series and look at it from another perspective. Is it a good game were it not a FF game? If you don't like it for what it is (as I believe you do), then you have a much solid reason; you don't like the game, period.

In either case, at least it is a much more solid reason than why I even refuse to consider shelling some of my bucks on the 360 version, let alone buy a brand new PS3 just for it. That means my earlier post was somehow a "devil's advocate" approach, since I have no intention of even considering it, but I still feel that not everybody has to agree with me on whether the game is good or not. It depends on whether they like the game for what it is, and not because it has the Final Fantasy label.

Hence, the reference to Dungeons & Dragons. 4th Edition is a good game. But to me, it's not the D&D I know, and I basically only know more about 3.5 than OD&D, AD&D 2nd Edition or D&D 4E. There are some aspects that I find bizarre to even link to the image I have cultivated of the series, but when I see it stripped of the title, it is a pretty exciting system.

To most of you people, the fact that you see the game and see a "this is not the Final Fantasy I know" may serve as a deterrent. It may help to see it as an independent-existing entity, and measure the worth of the game for what it is, not for what the label says. However, if you don't like the game itself, no matter of convincing will do, not even with solid facts.

But see, the thing is, it's NOT just a matter of "Oh this FF looks alien to me, and I don't want to play it." I'm just saying GAMEPLAY wise, it sounds very unappealing to me. It seems more people care about the story and characters (something that strikes me as something aimed at a Tween audience) FAR MORE than an enjoyable Gameplay experience. Not that that's the worst thing in the world or anything. It's just not my cup of tea.

But I secretly hope that by the time I do get my hands on the game I'll have a completely opposite experience than I did FFX (instead of all the hype and anticipation leading to disappointment, all the negativity and criticism will lead to fun and enjoyment)

[Sean]

Quick note on people complaining about the difficulty: I've been playing FF since I was, like... 5? Whenever FFVI (III) hit the US on SNES. Since when has any Final Fantasy been "difficult"? Considering, as a 5 year old, I was playing through one just fine, and up and up from there (I played VII right after it came out, and I was maybe 12 or 13?)

This is actually one of the hardest I've played to date, it's more than just annoying bosses, there's also really REALLY difficult random encounters with "normal" monsters.

[Belugn]

I don't really feel that FF has had any real downfalls, really. Of the FF's I've played, I've found titles where some things could've been better, or that contained elements that I just didn't like at all, but if so, the games have always been able to make up for those aspects with it's other elements. Even FFX-2. I hated the characters. Hated how half heartedly they looked for Tidus, thought the thing about Shuyin and Lenne was sort of...forced. But it had imo really amusing game play, a great soundtrack and bits of heart warming/breaking nostalgia to offer still; I for one LOVED FFX and it's a big time favourite.

FFXIII's battle system, doesn't like it at all. But it makes up for it with it's story and characters. I'm not very far into the game, perhaps 24 hours or so, and the characters have won me over already. (From what I've made out from you guys so far, 24 hours isn't far into the story.) I'm not gonna mention the battle system anymore in my posts now, I feel like now I'm just repeating myself and whining, and nobody likes a whiner.

I think you guys have some great arguments when it comes to the discussion of what makes a FF, btw.

[Ernest]

I can appreciate what you're saying because it sounds like you were a fan before I was, hence you have my respect.

But the game has been going for 25 years. People come and go, including one little guy named Hironobu Sakaguchi. Variables in the game's development is bound to happen. Over 25 years, It's impossible to maintain a series at it's peak. Would you rather the series become like Resident Evil 5? Where it receives huge criticsm for being a complete rehash of the former title. It's important that the game moves forward and constantly reinvents itself. It's why the series is so popular, because the fans have favourites, and argue over those favourites. There really isn't any game like it.

Final Fantasy VII sold more games then the first six Nintendo titles combined. Why would Square want to make Final Fantasy the way you want it, with success like that. Im not trying to be mean, but its simply true. They make games for the majority. So you should take your fight up with mainstreamists, not Square.

Im shocked that you would reference Resident Evil as a series that shouldn't have changed. Resident Evil 4 is very...very widely considered one of the best games ever made, and features in the IGN and GameTrailers Top 10 games in history.

You're a purist, and I can appreciate that. Like I said, you've been a fan for a long time. But you've indicated that you didn't like Final Fantasy IX, which was a clear tribute to the first six games, and Hironobu Sakaguchi's favourite.

You also believe Final Fantasy X to be better than 7,8,9, even though X abandons the world map in favour of linearity. Im not trying to point out contradictions in your post and discredit you. Im just trying to show why Im confused. Your enjoyment of particular games seems so inconsistent and circumstantial.

At any rate, it bothers me also that those songs you mentioned are not in Final Fantasy XIII, and I've made similar complaints to a friend of mine. But at the end of the day, they're just songs. There's enough other tributes in the game. They've used dozens and dozens of names for various things, that came from the early games. Weapons, locations, vehicles, personnel etc.

I think you just need to be open minded. A lot of your complaints are very much nitpicks, like characters faces supposedly looking the same. I can't believe you would say that given you compare the new stock of characters to those of the six games... who were sprites.

Stop expecting each title to be that redeeming game. They're not going to ever be like they were in the past. The best you can do is try and enjoy them for what they are. Final Fantasy XII was argueably the biggest world in Final Fantasy history

Enix, by the way, don't work on Final Fantasy whatsoever.

[loaf]

Did you know that Final Fantasy XIII is the start of the new generation of Final Fantasy.

[Belugn]

Did you know that Final Fantasy XIII is the start of the new generation of Final Fantasy.

Haha, that's just great. I sort of wish they could kick Tetsuya out as character designer though, give someone new and fresh a chance.

I guess we're in for more sci-fi fantasy then. For those who are more interested in the more traditional fantasy way, you should check out the information about Sakaguchi's upcoming "The Last Story" for Nintendo WII. I haven't been able to find very much information about it, but he's said he want to concentrate more on emotion, and stagger down (lol) on the Sci-Fi elements. I find it cute but also a little frightening (in an exciting way) that once again Sakaguchi has decided to go with a title such as "The Last Story."

Ok but that was just really off topic and unneccessary, pardon. FFXIII's story, as far as I've gotten into it, still contains LOADS of unanswered questions, and I'm excited to go on and have them revealed.

[Heartless Angel]

I hadn't even heard about Last Story. Sounds like something to watch for. I'm also hoping they turn Losy Odyssey into an ongiong series like FF. Seriously, Lost Odyssey is the best Final Fantasy I've played in quite some time <.<

[theblackmonster]

I hadn't even heard about Last Story. Sounds like something to watch for. I'm also hoping they turn Losy Odyssey into an ongiong series like FF. Seriously, Lost Odyssey is the best Final Fantasy I've played in quite some time <.<

yea i absolutely love that game.

It pretty much is a final fantasy title considering the team behind it and just the game itself gives off that feel.

i would buy a xbox 360 again just for Lost Odyssey. i traded my last 360 for a PSP lol

[loaf]

For those of you more interested in old school Final Fantasy, go play old school Final Fantasy.

[Heartless Angel]

I know right, it felt more like a Final Fantasy than the last 3 Final Fantasies combined >.<

And for those of you who don't like the way FF's have always played and prefer new games which are completely different, stop bying Final Fantasies.

[anthonyaudi]

Sorry I haven't got back in a few days I just read all your posts.
Like I said I'm going to probably really like Final Fantasy 13 because well it's Final Fantasy I can't stop myself from playing it and finishing it. I'm sure the story will be good BUT I just can't see myself getting into the story as much as I did before. Maybe I'm used to the magic and the castles and the world maps that I can freely walk around. Like I said I didn't finish the game so I don't know if I can aimlessly walk around the world and stray far from my airship. I just don't know, now if I can that's great from what I see so far I can't. I see myself walking and no matter which road I take I get to where I have to be. As someone pointed out before the world map is huge so maybe it does have this feature that I haven't seen yet.

I didn't say FFX was better than 7 I said it just stood out more than 8 and 9.

Basically yes it is true it's a matter of opinion and starting a thread like this in a Final Fantasy forum it's normal that many people will back up the game. I to won't be afraid to say that the game probably WILL get better. I just feel like it has become a "generic" rpg game..maybe I'm explaining myself wrong maybe I am just not saying what I think properly but I am saying that it just does not feel like the older games. And like the post above says "If you like old FF games play the old games" I guess that is another way of looking at it but I would love to see a game like FF4 or 5 which was ridiculously hard and well made instead of all the futuristic science fiction type Final Fantasy that I've grown to see more and more of.

I personally like the games where magic existed and it was in a time where you knew (at least in my mind) that it wasn't set in the future but a long time ago in the past. (Maybe I interpreted the time the games were set wrong I don't know, maybe it's the fact that the graphics were so basic that I had no choice to love the story more, or maybe it is because I grew up to the first Final Fantasy games that I just grew to love those more) Whatever it is the newer Final Fantasy games just feel like it's just another game SE comes out with to boast crazy graphics with a story.

But that's just me.

I will give the game a chance and I will 100% finish it, most likely I will spend many hours doing so and I will probably get all the trophies for it too, but I cannot see how in my head this game will sit as "The game of the series" to me because I just think it is not.

For me I think that the series has strayed way to far from what I remember FF being about in my younger years.

Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's because I'm a little older, maybe it's because I'm used to seeing very dumbed down graphics, whatever it is though for me I think that what they call a leap forward in the games evolution is to me starting another branch to go a completely seperate way with the game.

But that is just my two cents.


P.S. (As mentioned earlier someone wrote this is the hardest FF to date...You die and restart at your last death enemy. You replenish ALL your health after every battle. Need I say more?)

That aspect in itself takes away strongly from the game. I want to be able to have 1 potion left and have to think about who I'm going to ration it to. I want to be able to say "Holy crap all my characters have 9 HP left and if I die I start at my last save point maybe I should rethink fighting Weapon again. That to me is something that lacks in this game. Winning a battle and being rewarded by getting all my HP back or not caring about how I fight an enemy because I know if I die I can restart a new strategy 10 seconds later is not really what an RPG is to me.

But again that's just my opinion based on what I have seen so far in the game and what I have come to know about the series.


(As far as Resident Evil I do think RE4 was a great game what I meant to say was I think 5 ending up being more of a FPS than an actual RE game, and I have played RE5 enough to know that it was not the best of the series in my opinion. I much prefer the dark gloomy RE than this new "monsters and zombies in the everywhere" approach they took)

Lost in Nightmares is what I think a new RE should look like. Deep and disturbed. Throw them back into the mansion make them go deep underground trap them in a place where on the outside it just looks like a small place but on the inside it is a world in itself.

But once again, that's just my opinion as a gamer.

[Belugn]

I hadn't even heard about Last Story. Sounds like something to watch for. I'm also hoping they turn Losy Odyssey into an ongiong series like FF. Seriously, Lost Odyssey is the best Final Fantasy I've played in quite some time <.<

I'm so curious about Lost Odyssey, I've had the concept art taking up space in my computer for SO LONG but eh shame, no Xbox 360, and I'll probably never have one, either. : <

One thing I've noticed in FFXIII, is that, although not as outrageous as those moments in older FF's could be, they've actually tried to put down some humour in it again this time. The dialogue isn't solely instructive and stiff as it was most of the time in FFXII, they characters are feeling more like individuals again, cracking jokes etc. I really enjoyed the Sazh and Vanille "quality time", such a light mood there, at least for a while.

And I still love that Sazh's got a chocobo chic in his hair, feels like something silly that could've been in earlier titles as well.

[Heartless Angel]

Actually, Lost Odyssey sold me a 360 <.< Wasn't going to buy an Xbox until I heard about that game, and its console exclusivity... Decision wasn't all bad, I've only had to replace it once so far <.< And I have plenty of other consoles to screw around with while I'm waiting for snail-mail.

Yeah, XIII is definately making steps back in the right direction. As different as the game is, I still feel like I'm playing a Final Fantasy; not some random game that happens to have a similar title. That's the way I felt about 11 and 12.