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[UberTag]

I can't imagine there's many people on GAF that will be buying the X360 version of this game.
I suppose it's nice for the mainstream X360 owners who plan on getting trolled by their first gaming purchase of the new year. It will still look & sound pretty.
And how about that? Only one disc this time, too.

 

[Zzoram]

Wait, why is the 360 version of FFXIII-2 only 1 disc when FFXIII was 3 discs? What did they cut in content? Lower quality CGI?

 

[Kagari]

Wait, why is the 360 version of FFXIII-2 only 1 disc when FFXIII was 3 discs? What did they cut in content? Lower quality CGI?

Less FMV, more real time scenes. There's still a good amount of CG though, but they no longer have pre-rendered scenes using in-engine assets... which means no high-poly models :<

 

[ULTROS!]

Here's Lightning's model comparison:

Real-Time Cutscene (FFXIII):

Real-Time Cutscene (FFXIII-2):

In-game Model (FFXIII, assuming this is the ingame model because you notice how less detailed it is compared to the real-time one, plus this is the start of the cutscene-battle seamless transition):

(if you're still dubious about it, feel free to point out a better close-up screen of Lightning's ingame model ).

In-game Model (FFXIII-2):

 

[Pooya]

her head is same copy/paste from XIII. it's the armor that looks bad, that doesn't look like metal to me. very low res and poor details. I guess it makes sense considering

Spoiler

she's not in the game for more than 30-40 minutes total

 

[Kagari]

You think they would have spent more time on it regardless

 

[Riposte]

her head is same copy/paste from XIII. it's the armor that looks bad, that doesn't look like metal to me. very low res and poor details. I guess it makes sense considering

Spoiler

she's not in the game for more than 30-40 minutes total

So like, the advertisement angle is

Spoiler

MGS 2

all over again? Neato

 

[Thoraxes]

Can we get the the part where someone accuses/starts a rumor that the 360 version ruined the cutscenes in both because SE didn't want to pay more money to print more discs yet? There's not enough drama in here.

 

[Dark Schala]

Her armour really took a hit in the in-game model. :/

The CG model looks great, though.

Can we get the the part where someone accuses/starts a rumor that the 360 version ruined the cutscenes because SE didn't want to pay more money to print more discs yet? There's not enough drama in here.

:lol

Did something like this happen with FFXIII on 360 (I know it had a few issues; I meant on GAF)?

 

[ULTROS!]

By the way, did Nomura design the outfits for XIII-2?

 

[benzy]

By the way, did Nomura design the outfits for XIII-2?

Nope.

 

[Kagari]

By the way, did Nomura design the outfits for XIII-2?

Nomura's involvement in this game consists of designing the faces for the main characters only.

 

[ULTROS!]

Lightning's in-game eyes look terrible upclose actually judging by that pic.

Did something like this happen with FFXIII on 360 (I know it had a few issues; I meant on GAF)?

I think there were a few people (not GAF I believe) who blamed the 360 for making FFXIII linear.

 

[Squire]

Can Kagari or someonelse playing say a bit about the colosseum or whatever they're calling it?

 

[jimmypython]

i'm 12 hrs into the game, i have to say 13-2 at least is fun to play.

one question: you can only

Spoiler

set 3 monsters

? if this is the case, you can

Spoiler

only use 3 roles max for the monster slot in the battle

, right? (But there are

Spoiler

clearly 6 slots for monsters at the paradigm set-up screen

)

edit: spoiler tag added, just in case. (no story element tho)

 

[Thoraxes]

Her armour really took a hit in the in-game model. :/

The CG model looks great, though.


:lol

Did something like this happen with FFXIII on 360 (I know it had a few issues; I meant on GAF)?

It was something like, since they had to make it fit as as few discs as possible, they cut a ton of content from XIII was because of the 360 version using too many discs, then that lead to more SE shot themselves in the foot, game is linear because of the 360 version wouldn't fit on enough discs, no towns because of the 360 version wouldn't fit on enough discs, and so on.

It was so wonderful

 

[firehawk12]

Wait, does that mean that their hands will still look like giant blocks on the end of arms like they did in all the in-game cutscenes in FF13? Boo.

 

[Kagari]

Can Kagari or someonelse playing say a bit about the colosseum or whatever they're calling it?

I've unlocked it... I got some ooparts from it then left. I might go back later... it's kind of a dreadful place.

 

[Pooya]

Wait, does that mean that their hands will still look like giant blocks on the end of arms like they did in all the in-game cutscenes in FF13? Boo.

nah, Serah & Noel look pretty good in cutscenes.

 

[Squire]

I've unlocked it... I got some ooparts from it then left. I might go back later... it's kind of a dreadful place.

Really? How so? Annoying enemies?

 

[Kagari]

Really? How so? Annoying enemies?

No, just dark and dreary.

 

[xion4360]

Wait, does that mean that their hands will still look like giant blocks on the end of arms like they did in all the in-game cutscenes in FF13? Boo.

No. Noel and Serah models are much better than XIII real-time cutscene models.

 

[Squire]

No, just dark and dreary.

Ah, I see.

On that note, what's your take on the general tone of the game? I felt like a lot of XIII ranged from melancholic to miserable.

 

[firehawk12]

nah, Serah & Noel look pretty good in cutscenes.

No. Noel and Serah models are much better than XIII real-time cutscene models.

Ahhh, whew.

 

[UberTag]

Those hands looks mighty pretty.

Ending:

Spoiler

-Caias is defeated, everything is fine and dandy. Hope's plan worked, they're going to be able to wake up Vanille and Fang or something.
-Sazh gets Vanille and Fang's statues from inside Cocoon and then saves Serah and Noel from falling to their deaths. They meet up with Hope.
-Serah and Mog suddenly die without a single explanation.
-No mention of Snow is ever made.
-Killing Caius was the wrong choice, now the world is fucked. Everything is getting destroyed.
-Close up to a frozen Lightning
-TO BE CONTINUED

That's literally it.

There's an explanation over on GameFAQs relating to the ending that's pretty incisive so I'll quote it here:

Spoiler

"So from what I gather pretty much everyone dies at the end right?"

At first, it looks like everyone dies. Later we learn that this is a never ending time loop established by Caius to free Yuel from her fate of dying repeatedly. Because this is a time loop, Noel survives and goes back in time to the very first sequence of the game, doomed to endlessly repeat the events of FFXIII-2 forever, meaning everything you do in the game is pointless. None of it has any permanent impact. Caius even taunts the players who go out of their way for 100% completion and basically laughs at them, telling them all their effort was wasted.

"Serah dies?"

She dies for no apparent reason. She has a vision of Etro's palace and then dies instantly. No explanation seems to be given.

"Mog is connected to her life force so he bites the dust too?"

He most likely dies because Caius kills Etro (At least that's the implication with the final extra scene you get for getting all the fragments). Since Mog was created from Etro's power, he dies when she dies.

"Lightning is turned to stone (by Caius?)"

Not directly stated, but the implication is that Caius kills both Etro and Lightning (Or just turns Lightning to stone and kills Etro, or killing Etro turned Lightning to stone. Take your pick. Either way, she's quite dead.)

"And Cocoon falls but from what I have heard either a.) Sazh or Hope manages to save their crystal before it falls. Now what was it they made Cocoon fall? Some stories I hear say Caius did it. Some I hear say Hope did it. But if hope did it, can someone explain why?"

Cocoon seems to fall as a result of Hope raising Buniberzei, Hope's own creation modeled after Cocoon, into the sky. I'm not sure how Hope became a genius scientist capable of replicating something a god made, but he did apparently. Also, the crystal pillar crumbles and both Vanille and Fang are crushed and killed as a result of this, either through disintegrating with the crystal pillar or being crushed by the falling Cocoon (Take your pick. Either way, they die and their sacrifice meant absolutely nothing.). The new Cocoon is also vaporized by the massive amounts of chaos spewing from a portal ripping open suddenly (You actually hear the screams of the people within as they are painfully vaporized by chaos) and the the visible and invisible realms (Land of the living and land of the dead) merging. We also see all the ships vaporizing as well, implying that Hope, Sazh, Noel, and Dajh die as well, though we later learn that Noel is doomed to repeat these events forever.

"Since Noel survives does that mean when he goes back to the first part in the story when he meets Serah everyone will be alive again since its an endless cycle?"

Pretty much. Yeah.

"You said Hope created this new world but Hope was alive in our timeline.....are you saying he is alive wayyyy into the future or is it just his idea and the world is built by someone else?"

Hope seems to be responsible for the new Cocoon. There are time gates so I guess that's the answer to this. I'm not entirely sure.

"I hear this whole thing was planned by Caius to prevent Yuel from rebirth. In the story it is said there is a new Yuel every generation but why would Caius want to stop it?"

Because he is close to her in someway. He seems to love her or at least share a close connection with her and wants to free her from her fate of endless death.

"Caius wants to stop Yuel from ever dying....but which Yuel does he want not to die? There's a new one born every century but if he gets attached to one of them I guess why I can see why he doesn't want that one to die. Also........is Caius immortal?"

From my understanding, Yuel is the same person regardless of her reincarnation. She retains all of the memories regardless of when she is. She is just doomed to die and remember the pain of that death. I think that's her deal. Caius seems to be immortal yes.

"Also I heard someone talk about a Buniberzei or some demi-god thing. Anyone care to offer any light on this?"

Buniberzei? It's a god in the FNC mythology. He apparently banished Etro and stripped her of power. He also created Lindzei, Pulse, and Etro. How much of this applies to FFXIII and FFXIII-2, I'm not sure. The mythology was supposed to just be a guideline. Anyway, Hope names the new Cocoon after Buniberzei (I'm not sure how he even know who Buniberzei is.).

I'm not entirely sure about this stuff though. It should hopefully make more sense after it is released in English over here, but I don't know. It is a Toriyama game.

 

[Neki]

you guys are making it really hard not to highlight these spoilers

 

[Deleted member 20920]

Can Kagari or someonelse playing say a bit about the colosseum or whatever they're calling it?

It does

Spoiler

not have anything at all until DLC it seems

. There was a scene plus some items.

 

[The Xtortionist]

*Reads spoilers*

I don't get it.

 

[Dark Schala]

I think there were a few people (not GAF I believe) who blamed the 360 for making FFXIII linear.

It was something like, since they had to make it fit as as few discs as possible, they cut a ton of content from XIII was because of the 360 version using too many discs, then that lead to more SE shot themselves in the foot, game is linear because of the 360 version wouldn't fit on enough discs, no towns because of the 360 version wouldn't fit on enough discs, and so on.

It was so wonderful

You're kidding! Oh wow... :lol

Who cares. As long as more people get to be able to play a game they're really looking forward to, then everything's peachy.

you guys are making it really hard not to highlight these spoilers

Do not highlight those spoilers! They spoil a hell of a lot of things that drive the plot forward, even if some of it is conjecture. Edit: actually, it seems as though they misunderstand a few things, but still... don't read it!

 

[ULTROS!]

You're kidding! Oh wow... :lol

Who cares. As long as more people get to be able to play a game they're really looking forward to, then everything's peachy.

I'm fine with XIII being linear and all since I wasn't heavily anticipated for the game.

Versus XIII on the other hand...

 

[Styles]

Lol. Leta probably rage quit since everything he did was pointless? This fucking game, this is too much. Weirdly enough watching the streams have reinvigorated my desire to play FFXIII.

Though the ending was a disappointment, all that hard work the player put in. Every viewer on Leta probably got toriyama'd so badly. I wish I was there to experience their disappointment.

 

[Squire]

It does

Spoiler

not have anything at all until DLC it seems

. There was a scene plus some items.

I say this as someone with very liberal views on DLC and their place in the medium: That's just fucking terrible, if true.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

I say this as someone with very liberal views on DLC and their place in the medium: That's just fucking terrible, if true.

Well the guide at the Casino also tells you

Spoiler

the card game is DLC

... At least the Omega fight is free for the first 3 weeks...

 

[Zwei]

Versus XIII on the other hand...

Versus XIII gives you free emoticons? Neat.

 

[Squire]

Well the guide at the Casino also tells you

Spoiler

the card game is DLC

... At least the Omega fight is free for the first 3 weeks...

What the FUCK, SE?!

 

[Realyn]

Lol. Leta probably rage quit since everything he did was pointless? This fucking game, this is too much. Weirdly enough watching the streams have reinvigorated my desire to play FFXIII.

Though the ending was a disappointment, all that hard work the player put in. Every viewer on Leta probably got toriyama'd so badly. I wish I was there to experience their disappointment.

Explain please.

I haven´t read any ending spoilers so far, but its hard to not get the whole "woah ending sucks ... cry cry cry" thing thats going on.

So yeah my guess would pretty much be Serah gets crystalized and we have FF XIII reloaded, which is stupid, because XIII-2 doesnt start right after XIII and neither will XIII-3.

Did the streamer try to unlock extra endings with grinding like shit and they were stupid as well?


Edit:
I allready fkn hate that the game is going to be so easy. Really. Do people in Asia have such a problem with challenging games?
Look at Tales of Vesperia. It had easy normal and hard. Easy was a real joke. Even my Grandmom(82, she beat it by her own btw .. with a little help on some bosses ) played it on normal. While hard was just right for the seasoned RPG guys. Monsters had a good chunk of extra hp, but not too much so it gets frustrating.

 

[Zzoram]

*Reads spoilers*

I don't get it.

I would imagine that's why people think the ending sucks.

 

[Yoshichan]

Hearing a lot of complaints but it's very hard to understand what they are without having to read the spoiler tags... not finding any gameplay complaints though...?

 

[wario]

Did the streamer try to unlock extra endings with grinding like shit and they were stupid as well?

i saw one of the paradox endings

Spoiler

where snow meets up with noel and serah. they talk and walk for a little bit. then, snow and serah jump on the shiva motorcycle and it flies right into a time gate. that's it, hella short.

 

[Squire]

Hearing a lot of complaints but it's very hard to understand what they are without having to read the spoiler tags... not finding any gameplay complaints though...?

XIII's gameplay was solid or something approaching it. I think that something that's generally agreed upon regardless of how people feel about the plot. XIII-2 builds on that gameplay in, from all I've seen, only smart ways. But I'll let someone playing comment.

 

[Perfo]

Hearing a lot of complaints but it's very hard to understand what they are without having to read the spoiler tags... not finding any gameplay complaints though...?

I didn't read any spoiler tag but "thanks" to another guy in another forum I've been spoilered just a small bit, and that plus what a guy just said above us clearly anticipate what's the ending about. Because now I fear I figured it all even if I tried my best in evading it, I suggest you to not even read normal comments like that because they clearly hide important details in it...
it's depressing going to play XIII-2 now that I think I figured out the ending without even wanting to do it. And I'm not depressed because of the type of ending, but because someone spoilered it to me.

I suggest also the guy above to spoiler tag is complainings about the ending. They bear serious spoilers if it is like I suspect

 

[Styles]

Explain please.

I haven´t read any ending spoilers so far, but its hard to not get the whole "woah ending sucks ... cry cry cry" thing thats going on.

So yeah my guess would pretty much be Serah gets crystalized and we have FF XIII reloaded, which is stupid, because XIII-2 doesnt start right after XIII and neither will XIII-3.

Did the streamer try to unlock extra endings with grinding like shit and they were stupid as well?


Edit:
I allready fkn hate that the game is going to be so easy. Really. Do people in Asia have such a problem with challenging games?
Look at Tales of Vesperia. It had easy normal and hard. Easy was a real joke. Even my Grandmom(82, she beat it by her own btw .. with a little help on some bosses ) played it on normal. While hard was just right for the seasoned RPG guys. Monsters had a good chunk of extra hp, but not too much so it gets frustrating.

Let's just say that the process of getting the last few fragments seemed tedious as hell and the reward for collecting all the pieces was less than satisfying.

 

[R_thanatos]

I didn't read any spoiler tag but "thanks" to another guy in another forum I've been spoilered just a small bit, and that plus what a guy just said above us clearly anticipate what's the ending about. Because now I fear I figured it all even if I tried my best in evading it, I suggest you to not even read normal comments like that because they clearly hide important details in it...
it's depressing going to play XIII-2 now that I think I figured out the ending without even wanting to do it. And I'm not depressed because of the type of ending, but because someone spoilered it to me.

I suggest also the guy above to spoiler tag is complainings about the ending. They bear serious spoilers if it is like I suspect

i've quoted someone with spoilers , so i have read some ...BUT thanks to a night of sleep and my selective memory i don't remember what was quoted anymore....

Now i'm glad the game mecanics are an improvement over the first game. from the start there are very few ways to handle the premise of this game properly so i don't expect anything than a nice ride no matter what the ending is.

 

[Petrichor]

God, reading those spoilers highlights for me that the FFXIII narrative is easily the worst final fantasy narrative in recent memory. Even FF8, complete with "we all went to the same orphanage but forgot" made more sense and was more enjoyable. Hopefully FFXIII-3 is never made and we can just draw a line under this low point in the franchise.

 

[Pooya]

What the FUCK, SE?!

Looks like someone at SE looked at Dragon Age Origins Stone Prisoner DLC and thought "oh! this is brilliant!" -_- I think they are looking too much at Bioware really.

 

[Dunan]

Every viewer on Leta probably got toriyama'd so badly. I wish I was there to experience their disappointment.

I wholeheartedly approve of this neologism.

 

[Jinfash]

I'm concerned about the difficulty. What's the highest difficulty mode available?

 

[Perfo]

ff-type0.net just reported this:

Square-Enix has filed two new trademarks in Japan with the word "Underworld" in them.

The first trademark translates as "Door of the Underworld and the Path of Nayuta."

The second trademark translates as "Root of the Underworld."

So what could this be? Tell us what you think!

Could it be something related to XIII-2's scenario DLCs?

Btw, do we have confirmations if the real-ending of the game is just one and all the other Paradox Endings happen before the end of the game as result of wrong paths?

 

[Neki]

Square just needs to implement Triple Triad in every FF game from here on. Just imagine how much better FFXIII would have been. You could play Triple Triad with all those NPCs you ran into during the game!

 

[ULTROS!]

Looks like the title of that UE3 game.