-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 |OT| Change the Future
- Thread starter Kagari
- Start date
I agree with this.
Rahxephon91
Banned
They reviews are pretty much right on the money. It's a run of the mill game with a bunch of crap in it. A jack of all trades, but master of none. Sure it has towns, but they aren't that great. Sure it has better level design, but nothing really remarkable and they just feel like levels not an actual world, something FFX was able to feel like even though it was also linear. Sure it has no annoying characters(well it does have Mog), and Noel is great, but Serah is just bland and the story is well.....terrible.
It's at best an 8 and at worst a 5.
It's at best an 8 and at worst a 5.
Stockholm Syndrome.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I really like Mog too. He's legitimately adorable. There's occasionally a hint of sarcasm in his "Kupo" that I like.
Also so cute when you are about to throw him.
In some sense he's exactly how Moogles must have always been... I think his voice is just right. Actually, it would have been more of a crime if they turned him into some wisecracking Disney sidekick.
RPGCrazied
Member
You can't be serious? @_@
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Yeah he's cute.
Meccanical
Member
Annoying characters is not fixed and neither is non-physical shops.(chocolina does not count)
Though yeah, I think some reviwers are retroactively giving XIII-2 the score the first one deserved.
I feel sorry for poor little Mog when Serah is about to throw him. He cries as hard as he can and it doesn't even bother her. Serah is a psychopath!
lastflowers
Banned
Chocolina is awesome. She's my favorite non-main character in the game.
I hated Moogles until FFXIII-2. It made me a believer. I wish there was a hug button for hugging Mog like in A Boy and His Blob. Mog also has like the cutest voice ever. Soooo cute. When Serah says, "That's my Mog!" and Mog just go"KUUPOOO!" and I just went awww...and I never go awwww.
Ever heard of the saying, "So cute it makes you sick."? That's Mog. All that sweetness is giving me diabetes.
Ever heard of the saying, "So cute it makes you sick."? That's Mog. All that sweetness is giving me diabetes.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
^ uh oh... Do we have a Mog Defense Force brewing? 
He's made of cotton candy or something, lol.
I love the verbal exchange when you discover Mog throwing, where Snow is like "we're gonna throw you", and you think 'what a jerk.. Serah will stop him'... But then she agrees to the animal abuse!! So lol.
He's made of cotton candy or something, lol.
I love the verbal exchange when you discover Mog throwing, where Snow is like "we're gonna throw you", and you think 'what a jerk.. Serah will stop him'... But then she agrees to the animal abuse!! So lol.
Meccanical
Member
Kind of how I feel (although I've still not gone back and finished it, maybe later), I think I'd put it about the same level as XIII. Higher lows, lower highs, both maybe a kind 7.
I always found Moogles annoying in other FFs, particularly VI. I liked Chocobos more, until now.
Meccanical
Member
Yeah, I'm the exact opposite: I like Moogles in most every game and loathe him in this one.
I really hate the design, but on top of that I think of it as just a floating trollface in every single cutscene. Mog is just the most prominent reminder of how Toriyama shat up the XIII universe with inconsistent, atonal bullshit. Followed closely by the ever-feculent Chocolina.
I really hate the design, but on top of that I think of it as just a floating trollface in every single cutscene. Mog is just the most prominent reminder of how Toriyama shat up the XIII universe with inconsistent, atonal bullshit. Followed closely by the ever-feculent Chocolina.
Reviewers are idiots and jumping on a "let's hate on Japan because it's easy" bandwagon. You can see the bias instantly. They will talk about the OST and how it's worse, as if they haven't even played long enough to realize there are a bunch of XIII OST tracks played throughout, for example. Bear in mind I am not talking about the OST itself, rather how they are going about forming their opinions and how invalid they can be at times.
XIII-2 is better in every way. I'm fairly far into the game and the story is honestly no worse than XIII's, and the time travel concept at the very least makes it more enjoyable and allows you to take your mind off some of the silly dialogue.
A lot of this has to do with the younger kids now playing games more and having greater influence over the market. This is why Black Ops was just voted best game ending in the Guinness Book of World Records. It's not just Black Ops though, it's an obsession with open world games like Skyrim, and action/FPS "RPG" games such as Mass Effect. They are slowly dictating the expectations reviewers should have when trying to compare and contrast games, and what makes them stand out.
Gamers in their teens/early 20's are now really making an impact on the market and it's quite obvious where the journalists are going in terms of pandering.
FF, despite its flaws, represents a group of people who have some level of passion, imagination, and sensibility when it comes to playing a game. People hung up on COD and MW3 calling themselves "hardcore" gamers are extremely one-dimensional, and really know nothing about gaming besides spending 20+ hours a week on Xbox Live.
It's really sad, because these twits are doing a great job turning anything that isn't a bland, uninspired FPS into an endangered species, or at the very least making it much less relevant. The games we love will have a much harder time carrying on without a core demographic -- younger kids (I'd say 16-early 20's) -- buying into them as well.
Mog is going to snap and kill them all!
I <3 Mog. Kupo!
How does that stop it being a worse sound track?
Meccanical
Member
It doesn't, but I'm speaking to the obvious bias demonstrated. They haven't played long enough to realize that the OST they feel was better is actually still quite present in FFXIII-2, because they basically wrote off parts of the game before they even played long enough to see how they were really executed.
See above. I'm not talking about the OST itself, rather how reviewers are trying to identify "flaws" in the game.
Maybe I wasn't clear. How does having the older songs prevent people from thinking this sound track is worse? I think this sound track is worse, I don't understand how some XIII tracks make any difference. Does this make me biased against Japanese games too?
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Re: Mog
I don't think they make these cute characters for the average 20-something males I assume most of this board to be. Although I can dig em.
FF has been filled to the brim with cute sidekicks for two decades... Should probably get used to it. We'd be having the same conversation if there was voice acting for Fat Chocobos, FFVI Mog, Moombas, Cait Sith, Stilzkin, etc.
I don't think they make these cute characters for the average 20-something males I assume most of this board to be. Although I can dig em.
FF has been filled to the brim with cute sidekicks for two decades... Should probably get used to it. We'd be having the same conversation if there was voice acting for Fat Chocobos, FFVI Mog, Moombas, Cait Sith, Stilzkin, etc.
It doesn't, but to say that XIII had a lot of songs that were more appropriate for a JRPG as if they did not realize they are reused in XIII-2 kind of demonstrates the dismissive attitude people have about JRPG's. For what it's worth I think XIII has a better OST as well.
Nose Master
Member
His voice actor seemingly changed randomly for me in some areas, was really jarring.
Kupo, I always thought 13-2 Mog was pretty cool.
Although I feel really guilty when I have to throw him. He sounds like he's being tortured.
Oh, so you're saying all of XIII's soundtrack is in XIII-2, plus the new stuff? I didn't know that, fair enough.
No, I didn't say that. Can you read?
I am talking about patterns in gaming reviews, not the quality of one OST over another. I am also talking about the usage of songs in XIII-2 and how they've been commented on as though the previous OST that they loved so much was not featured in the game at all. That's it. Assume anything else and you are putting words in my mouth.
Yes, I can read.
What is complicated about preferring a different soundtrack when it is different? The only way your point can even begin to make sense is if every XIII track was on XIII-2, and even then it's throwing you a bone, because it's still added plenty of awful music, so even if the other OST was presented in it's complete form, it'd still get less play time in the game.
Kupo, I always thought 13-2 Mog was pretty cool.
Although I feel really guilty when I have to throw him. He sounds like he's being tortured.
It's also kind of sad to watch the little furball fade into a tiny white dot when you chuck him into a deep abyss. And then it takes him a minute to return. Poor Mog. At least he brings me treats!
No you can't, clearly.
You're talking shit, and hoped no one would bother questioning your non-existent logic.
How am I talking shit when you are the one who made assumptions (inaccurate ones, at that ) about what I said?
I'm talking about the way in which games are reviewed a lot of the time. You turned it in to FFXIII vs FFXIII-2 OST. Not me. I actually think the XIII OST is far superior myself, but that's not even what I'm talking about. Get off your high horse.
Maybe if you come out of your pretentious FFXIII-2 club bubble and learn how to argue with people in the real world, you'd understand.
Get some air and get off my fucking ass.
Let's make this very simple for you, you said this:
Which to me means you're saying if they say the OST is worse, it's because they're bias, and haven't played long enough. And you're saying it's worse. I'm saying that's moronic.
Rahxephon91
Banned
You know. Or maybe it's possible XIII-2 just isn't a great game. It's gotten some 8s, 7s, and some 6s. Those are pretty ok reviews. The game is pretty ok. It's not a indisputable great game. Some are really going to like it. Some are really not going to, and some are just going to be "eh whatever".
Reviewers aren't idiots. Not all of them. This generalization of them is quite annoying. I get it. They suck when you don't agree with you. I haven't read every review of XIII-2, but I have read some. Like Jeremy Parish's review. Mr. Parish is not an idiot and he sure doesn't go on this "Japan sucks" rant. In fact, no review I've read has done that. I'm not sure where this bias is. Some examples would be nice.
Um no????? So they have a bias because they dislike the new OST and aren't talking about the reusing of XIII tracks...and the reuse is supposed to be good? No, I don't see a bias here. I think most reviewers just want to mention the new music because well...it's new? And well maybe they don't like it, but the fact that it has some tracks for XIII isn't going to change the fact that the OST for XIII-2 may or may not be good.
And a great many think the story of XIII wasn't presented well and just wasn't good. Many reviews pointed that out. So saying it's nowhere worse then XIII doesn't say much. Regardless, I do think it's much worse then XIII, but even if a reviewer was to say otherwise I sure wouldn't think is a weaboo or something. No, I would just think he has another opinion.
And I think the time travel aspect is incredibly shitty and makes for random plot lines that hardly make sense.
As for XIII-2 being better every way? I don't agree. The battle system is hardly utilized as well as XIII. The story isn't as good as XIII. And I'd say the worldview isn't. Does this mean I'm an idiot with some sort of bias? No, it just means I think XIII is better.
How is this true? Plenty of games that aren't these types still get good reviews. Dark Souls, Bayonetta, Catherine, Mirror's Edge, Child of Eden. I mean Dark Souls was a heavy contender for GOTY at many places. No, good games regardless of what they are still get heavily praised. Do you have a bias against "open world games or FPS"? It seems if anything you seem upset that they get good reviews and not something Japanese like FFXIII-2. But those games are good and provide quality experiences for what they are going for. Skryim is an incredibly detailed and atmospheric world that sucks you in. XIII-2 isn't. Likewise, past FF games did have incredible well realized worlds, and they got good reviews. On the other side, Xenoblade, a jrpg also gets good reviews because it's world is unique and interesting. People want to experience it.
I mean to go back to your list you have games like Catherine that is nothing like a FPS or open world game targeted at dudebros. It's a erotic thriller and puzzle game. It got good reviews, because it was a good game that provided a uniqueness that other games don't have. It stayed true to what it was and it's story and characters were well respected because they were relatable. They were well written and they tackled a subject that games don't. So in this quote on quote dudebro era, a Japense erotic thriller puzzle game got good reviews because it had good characters. XIII-2 doesn't have that. It's characters arent anything special, nor is the story.
XIII-2 doesn't. All it's features pretty much represent someone apologizing for their last game. And for all their passion or imagination, they still can't tell you about their world as well as past FF games did or any other games.
Why do we need to generalize people who like CoD? And what does them liking CoD have to do with anything? It hasn't stopped games like Red Dead Redemption, The Witcher 2, Bioshock, Dark Souls, Mass Effect, Bayonetta or whatever from being made and finding an audience. People like those games and think they are good. Those games caught on and they sure aren't gruff military games. If FFXIII was great, people would have bought into just as well as they did previous games.
While I can't argue that there hasn't been a change in taste and views towards Japanese games, because well there has. But I can't blame everything on CoD or claim that anyone who plays it is one-dimensional. What does that do? Doesn't really reflect well on you. How about people just like those games, because they think they are fun? All this post did was make me think you have a bias.
No. I am talking about patterns in which you can identify a dismissive attitude when people dock points off a game for whatever reason. They talk about the OST as if they have not played long enough to realize it also very heavily relies on the XIII OST as well, as though it is not featured at all. I'm speaking to a bigger problem in how reviewers try to objectively praise or criticize a game, not the actual quality of one OST over another. That's a completely different argument. You assumed wrong. The methodology that many reviewers seem to demonstrate is what pissses me off. I don't care if someone likes one OST over another (but I personally think the XIII OST is one of the best game OST's ever, and you seem to agree with me).
I don't think you need to memorize anything for those. Just look for two crystals with the same color and start from there. Every time you complete a line, one of the crystals switches to a color you can use somewhere. As long as you keep holding the button, they don't change their colors.
That clock puzzle on the other hand, randomized and timed. Well, I already said that I cheated with those.
I don't think you need to memorize anything for those. Just look for two crystals with the same color and start from there. Every time you complete a line, one of the crystals switches to a color you can use somewhere. As long as you keep holding the button, they don't change their colors.
That clock puzzle on the other hand, randomized and timed. Well, I already said that I cheated with those.
You have to memorize the connecting points. You can't just connect same-crystals willy nilly or you fail and it starts you over.
I don't think so. I don't think it's ever possible to connect two crystals that aren't meant to be connected. I literally put zero thought into it ever, and never messed up.
Wow. I am surprised to see Rahxephon finally give in all the peer pressure and try to act cool to the FF13haters crowd (good job I guess). This game has and continues to be a FF13 lover's dream, fleshing out the storyline of 13 and giving us 700 freaking years of history to digest. The main storyline is fine. Far better than Skyrim's generica snorefest. It at least tries to be unique even if the writing is subpar.
You can connect all crystals that have the same color. They're never on a wrong line. Only problem I had was that white and grey crystals sometimes look too similar.
PhoenixSFT
Member
The crystals even change to the same color when you can connect them, it's ridiculously easy. Clock puzzles suck though.