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FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 |OT| Change the Future

Muffdraul

Member
FFXIII was the first FF that left a really, REALLY bad taste in my mouth after finishing it, so I wasn't the least bit interested in FFXIII-2. But for some mysterious reason I changed my mind the other day. I'm so anal that I can't bring myself to play the NA version first without playing the JP version first, since that's how I've been doing it ever since FFVII. Thankfully the JP version is about $20 cheaper now than it was at launch so I grabbed it. Played it for a couple of hours last night... so far so good. I'm not blown away by it or anything, but at least it hasn't offended me yet.
 
I think I did something stupid and missed important plot information...but cant go back to that place

Can someone tell me if I've missed anything...its regarding Chapter 3-A

so I finished the yaschas massif alternate timeline bit & then it took me to a historia crux selection screen showing only 2 places; both fuzzed out. I went to one and it turned out to be a Void. Noel told the legend about Etro and then he said lets explore the void. I stupidly went back to the gate as I wanted to see what the other fuzzy place was on the historia crux screen (its serendipity but locked)...now I can't get back to the void!!!!

What have I missed!!!

Thanks!
 
So...........how are people enjoying this? I hear they improved the battle system, added some towns, a bit of freedom, some NPCs, etc.

But is it all adding up to a better game?

Is there a single intentionally humorous moment anywhere in there? XIII was so damn "serious."

And, my biggest beef with XIII, is there any sense of pacing whatsoever? Does stuff actually happen? Are there moments of tension and release, moments of relaxation and exploration? Or is it just one mad dash like XIII was?

I quit XIII somewhere in Chapter 10 I think.

There are quite a few humorous moments in the game. I've been surprised by just how many times the game has made me laugh (intentionally). It seems to have a pretty good sense of humor from what I've played so far.

There's definitely a lot of exploration and relaxation in the game. The pacing is very different from XIII in just about every way.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
GF squeed that it was only 1 disc on Xbox this time too.

Lol. I'd rather have more content and get off my butt once or twice during 60 hours of gameplay to switch a disc.. But yay for efficient use of disc space, I guess. :p
 

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
I must say as someone who really liked the characters of FF XIII in concept and design, and really liked the world in concept in design, but was very disappointed by how all that was used:

XIII-2 is exactly my antidote so far. Such a different experience, it's mindblowing what a difference it makes.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
There are quite a few humorous moments in the game. I've been surprised by just how many times the game has made me laugh (intentionally). It seems to have a pretty good sense of humor from what I've played so far.
I know I laughed at "WHAT'S A THEME PARK? :D"

...and also the part where (character spoiler)
Snow got blocked by the Gate
and Noel was pretty casual about it. That's great. Actually, the bits where
Noel bagged on Snow
were better than the JP version, imo, just because the voice actor voiced the lines pretty well.

Noel's pretty much the best bit of the game from a character/dialogue perspective, imo.
 

reKon

Banned
yeah, so I'm pretty sure I got the ending spoiled for me. For anyone who beat the game, you can confirm for me by checking the threads on the Amazon product page for this game (towards the bottom).

If you haven't beat it, you should avoid that bottom part.
 

Peff

Member
yeah, so I'm pretty sure I got the ending spoiled for me. For anyone who beat the game, you can confirm for me by checking the threads on the Amazon product page for this game (towards the bottom).

If you haven't beat it, you should avoid that bottom part.

Hm.

Let's just say that it's not as big of a deal as it may seem at first.
 

d0c_zaius

Member
I must say as someone who really liked the characters of FF XIII in concept and design, and really liked the world in concept in design, but was very disappointed by how all that was used:

XIII-2 is exactly my antidote so far. Such a different experience, it's mindblowing what a difference it makes.

I've heard this a couple of times from different people, and I felt the same way about FF13.

Can you give some specifics?
 

exhume

Member
Haha, I was playing this with a few friends on the couch and one of the Live Trigger events popped up.
Noel was having a deep moment about Yuel in Oerba and we replied with "oh sorry i drifted off". Noel's reaction was to just stare with open-mouthed horror.
I feel guilty ;_;
 
Load times from the Historia Crux are terrible, close to a minute.

Really sucked in
Chapter 3A
and the battle you couldn't run from when you got caught. :-/
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
So is there an achievement/crystal fragment tied to have tamed/scanned every single enemy?
No.

There is Bestiary trophy/achievement, though. You don't need the full report, just the enemy's entry in the Bestiary.

Load times from the Historia Crux are terrible, close to a minute.
They are pretty ridiculous. I just turn the camera around with the R-stick or get up and stretch.
 

Neki

Member
it's because they have to load all the different alternate timelines that could happen in each zone

right?

right.
 

kayos90

Tragic victim of fan death
No.

There is Bestiary trophy/achievement, though. You don't need the full report, just the enemy's entry in the Bestiary.


They are pretty ridiculous. I just turn the camera around with the R-stick or get up and stretch.

Not as bad as Star Ocean 4. Rofl
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
Not as bad as Star Ocean 4. Rofl
Those were downright awful. I can only imagine what it was like on 360 with the disc swaps.

Also not as bad as Sonic 2006's nightmarish load times either.
XTe1m.gif
 

MechaX

Member
There is some advantage in picking the most ridiculous options in the live trigger sequences. It has definitely warmed me up to Noel and Sarah a lot, actually.
 

Reveirg

Member
Is there a preferrable order in which to retrieve the
Graviton Cores
? (not really a spoiler but better be safe than sorry).

There seems to be more than 5 of them, does choosing 5 specific ones make any difference?
 

Pooya

Member
Is there a preferrable order in which to retrieve the
Graviton Cores
? (not really a spoiler but better be safe than sorry).

There seems to be more than 5 of them, does choosing 5 specific ones make any difference?

naturally the ones located in areas you've already visited and explored are easier and faster to find than those which you're yet to unlock. you need 5 for story but there were 7 or 8 of them I think, doesn't matter which you get.
 

Droplet

Member
Sigh, Amazon still hasn't shipped my order. What gives. D:

Anyway, I'm probably a bit late to the party in asking this, but were the concerns from the demo about the vocals being absent present in the final build? That'd be kind of a shame, Invisible Invaders is one of my favorites from the OST and I really liked a lot of the other vocal tracks as well.
 

Thoraxes

Member
End Ch.4: I just got to the part after you collect the
gravitons
and then right after
Alyssa betrays
you.

Fuuuuu-
 
It's amazing what simply adding GRASS can do for a place.

I KNOW!!!

And when it rained the music that came on...one of my fav area themes (gapra whitewood). I just stopped the game and listened to the music while looking at the place, amazing.

Right guys this whole monster infusion business...it keeps saying something like "The monster has no role abilities available for infusion"...what does this mean exactly. I'm trying to put all the abilities from other COM's in my Chocobo COM
 

kayos90

Tragic victim of fan death
Nice review...I'm still only in chapter 2,part 1,after my bad experience with the Boss in part 2 hehe but so far the story is fine I guess,I just don't complicate it for now,I think of it has just Serah looking for Lightning...we shall see later on if I still like it...

Thanks. I really liked the game. I'm just hoping people don't look just at the score and flip out.
 
Oh man, the
Academia 400 AF
section was REALLY intense.
SO MANY CIE'TH. The boss battle with Zenobia was really cool, too, if a bit easy for me. I'm loving Limit Break! more and more.
 

Neki

Member
There is some advantage in picking the most ridiculous options in the live trigger sequences. It has definitely warmed me up to Noel and Sarah a lot, actually.

well serah asking ridiculous questions during live triggers sounds pretty canon to me, so you're only following canon!
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
Sigh, Amazon still hasn't shipped my order. What gives. D:

Anyway, I'm probably a bit late to the party in asking this, but were the concerns from the demo about the vocals being absent present in the final build? That'd be kind of a shame, Invisible Invaders is one of my favorites from the OST and I really liked a lot of the other vocal tracks as well.
No vocals in that section in the retail product, unfortunately.

Electivirus said:
It's amazing what simply adding GRASS can do for a place.
Seriously. This is what
the Steppe
really needed. I can just discard that
Steppe/Gaur Plains
pic now, because I really like what they did with the place in general with the
weather system
. Too bad the change isn't dynamic, but the atmosphere is nice. My favourite is the
lightning storm since Will to Fight places during it.
>.>

kayos90 said:
Thanks. I really liked the game. I'm just hoping people don't look just at the score and flip out.
Your review text makes it seem like you think the game is good and it matches the score, so don't worry about it.
 

irriadin

Member
Playing this game makes me see FF13 in a better light. Well, the characters at least. I'm oh so lukewarm on both Serah and Noel. Not even close to as interesting as Lightning, Sazh or Fang. Anyhow, Just unlocked 200 AF. The music isn't nearly as bad as everyone says it is, btw.
 
Seriously. This is what
the Steppe
really needed. I can just discard that
Steppe/Gaur Plains
pic now, because I really like what they did with the place in general with the
weather system
. Too bad the change isn't dynamic, but the atmosphere is nice. My favourite is the
lightning storm since Will to Fight places during it.
>.>

My favorite has to be the
dusty/windy segment you begin the area in. The sepia filter, wind, The Vile Peaks, and dust clouds in the background
give it a really great atmosphere.
 
So can anyone tell me how open the level design in this game is?

Are the levels as big, long and open throughout as FF12, or are there big areas as Gran Pulse from FF13?

I'm also guessing there is no world map, right?


Is the entire game just the demo, which was basically a FF13 map/area with added branching paths.
 
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