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[Rahxephon91]

The PS3 version isnt that much better. So if you can't handle the ouncy bit of frame drop in the xbox version you probably can't handle the PS3 version.

You should just not buy the game.

 

[BocoDragon]

I absolutely despise the camera in the demo; I know the game is much less linear than FF-XIII but jesus christ, the angles are awful. Also the frame-rate on the 360 version was terrible. I might just pick up FF-XIII again instead since I never finsiehd it; definetely on the fence for XIII-2 and will wait for reviews.

The angles..?

I mean, you are actively controlling it with the right analog stick, right? You choose your own angles

 

[Jeels]

The angles..?

I mean, you are actively controlling it with the right analog stick, right? You choose your own angles

You can also adjust the camera sensitivity in the menu.

 

[mudkyp]

Oh no, I've played my fair share of FFXIII. Twice, and got the plat (and thus most of my time with the game was spent turning into Shredder and making Turtle Soup). The only way to take a break from turtle hunting for me was to experiment with alternative parties and scenarios for certain late-postgame bosses like The Undying for the Shaolong Guis/Long Guis.

But given that I spent a lot of time with the game, I don't really want to play it now. Not for a long time, anyway.

Ah that makes since. I platinumed the game pretty close to release, so I haven't played it for over a year at this point.

 

[BocoDragon]

I was showing a slice of XIII to my girlfriend last night.. Suddenly the "XIII-2 looks bad by comparison" comments make sense.

Putting aside the framerate concerns, XIII-2 looks fine. It's a very polished, modern HD game. It looks pretty good.

But XIII still looks insane, in a way that's hard to put into words. Something about the lighting in every scene gives it this "sheen" that makes it look more like a CG movie than a game. XIII-2 just looks like a game.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

The angles..?

I mean, you are actively controlling it with the right analog stick, right? You choose your own angles

of course I was; still thought controlling it was clunky as hell

 

[jimmypython]

I was showing a slice of XIII to my girlfriend last night.. Suddenly the "XIII-2 looks bad by comparison" comments make sense.

Putting aside the framerate concerns, XIII-2 looks fine. It's a very polished, modern HD game. It looks pretty good.

But XIII still looks insane, in a way that's hard to put into words. Something about the lighting in every scene gives it this "sheen" that makes it look more like a CG movie than a game. XIII-2 just looks like a game.

i guess just look forward to Versus then?

 

[RedSwirl]

Forgot to post these if anyone's interested:

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=r5h2agjktd1ss2l&thumb=4

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=ba78u9jrndkdrgc&thumb=4

Custom box art for the game.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Better download it soon guys before the FBI takes that shit down!

I started playing XIII again today. The game has an amazing beginning.

 

[burgerdog]

I've also been replaying 13 whenever I don't feel like playing the backlog. What sticks out the most is the lighting, it is so good. I just hope that the area from the demo is the only one with subpar lighting compared to 13.

 

[Perfo]

The game has an amazing beginning.

XIII-2's one is way better than that
I think it features the best first twenty minutes in the series. Builds up momentum perfectly, presents the new characters, blows you with cool CGI and better directed cutscenes, and you immediately get in touch with the epic and sweet side of Hamauzu's part of soundtrack. Top notch stuff.

Anyway I'm a bit distracted but I noticed only now the references to Paddra Nsu-Yeul made in XIII's analects:

IV. The Heavenly DeceitEdit
Obtain: Clear Mission 28: Faded Glory
Ragnarok took wing; made to smite Cocoon, and thereby deliver us our everlasting peace. But Her Providence would not let it be.
The Goddess pitied the fools who so blindly bowed to Lindzei's will, and so She robbed Ragnarok of power, putting the l'Cie to an early crystal sleep, Focus yet incomplete.

-- Sermons of the seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul

IX. Her ProvidenceEdit
Obtain: Clear Mission 58: The Culler of Many
Her Providence sought nothing.
Her Providence made nothing.
She but looked on, silent in Her sorrow.
The Goddess pitied mortals, destined as they were to die, and so She deigned to intervene in the hour of their greatest peril. She averted cataclysm that was to be, and put to rest the ones who would have robbed so many of what time fate had ordained.
Her compassion did not end at this.
The Goddess pitied also those subjected to that fate of Focus, crueler still than death. To them She sent Her messengers, to deliver hope when all was lost.

-- Sermons of the seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul

 

[Dark Schala]

Yeah, you'll get to learn more about Yeul and what her role is in Final Fantasy XIII-2, don't worry.

As for my favourite intro in the series... well... y'know, I should really talk about this in the Community Thread later before the thread goes OT yet again. ^_^

I really do have to say one thing, though. My friends were kind of shocked that I didn't really care for the Chapter 12 opening CG scene in FFXIII... and actually, I can say that for a lot of the scenes in FFXIII. They look pretty, but I'm not really attached to them at all. It's kind of disappointing that I can't find the same kind of enjoyment as my friends out of the cutscenes because I just don't have much material to talk about when it comes up in conversation.

I think it comes down to two things:
1) I come to FF to play it rather than watch cutscenes. When it comes to text-based scenes, I can control the flow and how quickly the scenes go without making it jarring.
2) I don't really care for photorealism much. I much prefer stylization, I suppose.

Forgot to post these if anyone's interested:

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=r5h2agjktd1ss2l&thumb=4

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=ba78u9jrndkdrgc&thumb=4

Custom box art for the game.

That looks niiiiiiice. Thanks.

 

[desu]

XIII-2's one is way better than that
I think it features the best first twenty minutes in the series. Builds up momentum perfectly, presents the new characters, blows you with cool CGI and better directed cutscenes, and you immediately get in touch with the epic and sweet side of Hamauzu's part of soundtrack. Top notch stuff.

I thought the opposite, especially after playing 13 the intro of 13-2 felt kind of silly to me.

 

[Perfo]

Yeah, you'll get to learn more about Yeul and what her role is in Final Fantasy XIII-2, don't worry.

Now that I think about it, can you travel back in time in XIII-2?

I thought the opposite, especially after playing 13 the intro of 13-2 felt kind of silly to me.

I'm not a big fan of XIII's beginning

My friends were kind of shocked that I didn't really care for the Chapter 12 opening CG scene in FFXIII...

I'm a big fan of Visual Works's stuff but I was not impressed at all by that scene. Pretty chaotic and confusing, more annoying to the eye than pleasing. There are better directed CG scenes in XIII actually.

 

[Zoe]

Now that I think about it, can you travel back in time in XIII-2?

Spoiler

Only in a paradox ending

 

[Perfo]

Spoiler

Only in a paradox ending

Thx

One more question, do the paradox endings expand the plot or are just there for fun?

 

[bubnbob]

one more week, pretty fking hype.

unfortunately nobody seems to be doing any deals for the game, but that's ok.

 

[jimmypython]

Thx

One more question, do the paradox endings expand the plot or are just there for fun?

Spoiler

they are just "if" events

, like

Spoiler

if Serah and Noel did this they would end up doing that

BTW, you can close any gate after

Spoiler

getting certain items for each gate

, which basically resets the whole section of that gate and you can play it as if you never touched before but with the leveled characters.

 

[Zoe]

Thx

One more question, do the paradox endings expand the plot or are just there for fun?

I'd say some touch upon things, but it doesn't really expand the plot.

If you want to know specifics:

Spoiler

One confirms that Alyssa became a traitor (some people didn't pick up on this apparently), and another goes into a little more detail on why Pulse is no longer habitable after Cocoon falls in the original timeline.

 

[Toth]

Samples of the Piggyback Collector's Strategy Guide guide here:

http://www.piggyback.com/en/guides/downloads/?id_guide=61#d1573

Looks great and similar in style to 13's.

 

[dakkumauji]

Samples of the Piggyback Collector's Strategy Guide guide here:

http://www.piggyback.com/en/guides/downloads/?id_guide=61#d1573

Looks great and similar in style to 13's.

I like it. Nice how it does look similar to their 13 guide and looks like it has a bunch of info in it again.

 

[Dark Schala]

I'm a big fan of Visual Works's stuff but I was not impressed at all by that scene. Pretty chaotic and confusing, more annoying to the eye than pleasing. There are better directed CG scenes in XIII actually.

Yeah, the Chapter 12 scene was definitely designed to be entertaining and actiony with quick camera cuts and whatnot. It was kind of messy now that I think about it.

Samples of the Piggyback Collector's Strategy Guide guide here:

http://www.piggyback.com/en/guides/downloads/?id_guide=61#d1573

Looks great and similar in style to 13's.

They have a Role Analysis section? Neat.

...Was the FFXIII Role Analysis sections good? I know the CE guide looks like a textbook, but I'd rather figure things out for myself by exhausting the systems. But I'd like to see what they came up with in their Role Analysis section, like if it's similar to the stuff I figured out while playing the game, I mean. That kind of tactical analysis made FFXIII a little... fun.

Edit: Huh? Are these accessories that they are referring to? Kinda reminds me of the jewels from FFIX.

Reading the text regarding the mathematics, well, the statistician in me is jumping at the chance to test some of this stuff out.

 

[Perfo]

Yeah, the Chapter 12 scene was definitely designed to be entertaining and actiony with quick camera cuts and whatnot. It was kind of messy now that I think about it.

Add to that the atrocious not-synched voice acting and everything was even more annoying. The problem with XIII's CGI is also discrepancies in quality and style. The models of the characters change alot of times for example.

@roleoring, @zoe: I'm not gonna read the spoilers but you answered my questions even without, so thanks to both

 

[HamPster PamPster]

Oh man, I miss playing my Final Fantasy games with a guide, now I'm thinking about picking that hard cover up. I haven't purchased a guide in years...

Also this game really snuck up on me. Hard to believe it's next week

 

[APZonerunner]

Guide looks real nice. I'll buy it and then never read it, LIKE I ALWAYS DO BECAUSE I'M A SUCKER SOMEBODY STOP ME

 

[Synless]

Is GameStop giving out the preorder bonuses when you preorder or do you get it when you pick up the game?

 

[Perfo]

New key-art: http://www.ff-xiii.net/images/media/4f1dc344_Final-Fantasy-XIII-2-Artwork.jpg

It's the same we've seen in the Ultimania guide but with Caius and Yuel added.

 

[BocoDragon]

Is GameStop giving out the preorder bonuses when you preorder or do you get it when you pick up the game?

When you pick up the games.

 

[Dark Schala]

Canadian EB Games midnight launch locations towards the bottom of this page.

Man, I wish I still went to school in Toronto and thus picking something up at the Eaton's Centre would be convenient. Ah well, I won't be playing it until Thursday or Friday anyway, so I'll be starting up around the same time as PAL-GAF.

It's interesting to note that both the Genji Bow and the Summoner's Garb will be available as preorder bonuses, but that's because we don't have that PowerUp or whatever card here, I guess. *shrug* The Genji Bow doesn't seem like it bestows worthy bonuses upon the player anyway.

 

[Synless]

When you pick up the games.

Damn, I remember the good old days when you would get it the day you preordered.

 

[Autofokus]

I only played XIII a few hours nearly 2 years ago. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I remember seeing enemies and approaching them actively, did they change this? I played trough the XIII-2 demo and there were only invisible random encounters, which annoy me, I'm just not used to them anymore.

 

[Perfo]

I only played XIII a few hours nearly 2 years ago. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I remember seeing enemies and approaching them actively, did they change this? I played trough the XIII-2 demo and there were only invisible random encounters, which annoy me, I'm just not used to them anymore.

Just few enemies are visible on the field now, the majority just ambush you. You can still evade most of the encounters though, even more easily than in the previous game that forced you into corridors without a way to pass through enemies unnoticed.

 

[Jay Sosa]

Quick question..played the demo and had massive problems understanding basically anyone (especially those masked dudes) cause the music was too loud/voices too low. I know I can turn on subtitles (which I hate but it seems that is the only option), but that just seemed odd to me.

Or is it just me and I need to reconfigure my DS setup?

Also the battle system is very confusing and hectic, is this something you get used too?

 

[Perfo]

Also the battle system is very confusing and hectic, is this something you get used too?

The retail game will teach you the basics from the beginning. This is just a DEMO with lots of options already opened, so it's kinda normal to be confusing. Haven't you played XIII already?

 

[Jay Sosa]

The retail game will teach you the basics from the beginning. This is just a DEMO with lots of options already opened, so it's kinda normal to be confusing.

Oh ok, makes sense.

Haven't you played XIII already?

Nope, from what I read about it FF13 seems to be the exact opposite of what I want from a JRPG.

Thanks!

 

[Castor Krieg]

This is the first FF game I will not get Day 1, simply because there are so many games coming out, and this FF doesn't hold special place like previous did. Besides, ME3 demo is out on the 14th, and then all time stops.

 

[Optical_Matrix]

I was showing a slice of XIII to my girlfriend last night.. Suddenly the "XIII-2 looks bad by comparison" comments make sense.

Putting aside the framerate concerns, XIII-2 looks fine. It's a very polished, modern HD game. It looks pretty good.

But XIII still looks insane, in a way that's hard to put into words. Something about the lighting in every scene gives it this "sheen" that makes it look more like a CG movie than a game. XIII-2 just looks like a game.

I agree. I was playing FFXIII the other day actually. Working on my Platinum trophy as I only have two more to get. And I was thinking damn, this looks better than XIII-2. At least the PS3 version looks better than XIII-2.

The colour saturation. The lighting. It just looks a lot better and more polished in my opinion. Even the NPC's.

 

[Slayer-33]

I agree. I was playing FFXIII the other day actually. Working on my Platinum trophy as I only have two more to get. And I was thinking damn, this looks better than XIII-2. At least the PS3 version looks better than XIII-2.

The colour saturation. The lighting. It just looks a lot better and more polished in my opinion. Even the NPC's.

So the final version of 13-2 def looks like the demo too?

 

[Optical_Matrix]

So the final version of 13-2 def looks like the demo too?

I've only played the final version briefly bare in mind. But from what I've played of it, it doesn't look THAT much better than the demo. That said I think that maybe it's because I was playing through the ruins section again with those ugly weather effects.

 

[Slayer-33]

I want this game now! GOD DAMMIT

 

[Perfo]

The colour saturation. The lighting. It just looks a lot better and more polished in my opinion.

It's also a matter of change in style though. But the game yes, it's a bit less impressive technically than its predecessor. It's still a good looking AAA japanese title in the end, worth playing for its graphic too if you ask me.

 

[Electivirus]

Oh gosh, only a week left. And I'm nowhere close to finishing every mission in XIII. @_@

 

[BocoDragon]

I think it's not so much that XIII-2 looks bad, but that XIII looked very good. If nothing else, it had some of the most highly polished graphics ever.

 

[Optical_Matrix]

It's also a matter of change in style though. But the game yes, it's a bit less impressive technically than its predecessor. It's still a good looking AAA japanese title in the end, worth playing for its graphic too if you ask me.

Definitely. Still looks better from a technical standpoint than any other Japanese RPG I've played this generation. Not long now. That Crystal Edition is gonna rock my wallet something fierce T__T

 

[Electivirus]

I think it's not so much that XIII-2 looks bad, but that XIII looked very good. If nothing else, it had some of the most highly polished graphics ever.

I remember running through the Vallis Media a few days ago and stopping just to admire the sunlight streaming through the valley entrance (dem lighting effects). I hope I can have moments like that with XIII-2, as well.

 

[BocoDragon]

I remember running through the Vallis Media a few days ago and stopping just to admire the sunlight streaming through the valley entrance (dem lighting effects). I hope I can have moments like that with XIII-2, as well.

Me too.

 

[Slayer-33]

I think it's not so much that XIII-2 looks bad, but that XIII looked very good. If nothing else, it had some of the most highly polished graphics ever.

It's almost hard to believe that they would downgrade the graphics of a game that's what 2 years newer?

Must have some sort of tradeoff improvement or some shit, I don't know.


Average framerate improvement?

 

[BocoDragon]

It's almost hard to believe that they would downgrade the graphics of a game that's what 2 years newer?

Must have some sort of tradeoff improvement or some shit, I don't know.


Framerate avg improment?

It was just because XIII was polished like mad, because it was supposed to be a benchmark for next-gen tech (Crystal Tools, PS3 lol).

 

[Perfo]

Also because they worked on it six years. Final Fantasy XIII outside of Nintendo's titles, it's probably the most polished game of this generation afterall.

Something is definitely improved with XIII-2 I think, that is animations.

 

[BocoDragon]

Also because they worked on it six years. Final Fantasy XIII outside of Nintendo's titles, it's probably the most polished game of this generation afterall.

Something is definitely improved with XIII-2 I think, that is animations.

Yeah.. I did like Serah's animations in the demo.