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[marathonfool]

Is there a way to make characters stay away from the Sentinel, or get the Sentinel to keep a certain distance from anyone else?

Use Ruin. Or Attack with Sazh.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Is there a way to make characters stay away from the Sentinel, or get the Sentinel to keep a certain distance from anyone else?

you know, this is probably my biggest complaint about the battle system. they really ought to have allowed some manual movement (if only a GO TO command) or better auto movement depending on roles.

 

[Combine]

I just started this game. I'm guessing I'm going to be retreading on old waters here, but is it just me, or did anyone else want to utterly kill Hope and Vanille in the most gruesome ways possible (I began imagining Kratos having a go at them)

Seriously, Vanille "I'm so cheerful! Why can't everyone be cheerful too! Oh and I'm from

Spoiler

Pulse

, but that's so not obvious now right?" and Hope "I'm full of generic emo rage! I love my dead mommy but hate my daddy and Snow too! But I'm a weakling who's taking the place of the tsundere girl character Square forgot to make."

Ugh, who writes this crap?

 

[Amir0x]

I just started this game. I'm guessing I'm going to be retreading on old waters here, but is it just me, or did anyone else want to utterly kill Hope and Vanille in the most gruesome ways possible (I began imagining Kratos having a go at them)

Seriously, Vanille "I'm so cheerful! Why can't everyone be cheerful too! Oh and I'm from

Spoiler

Pulse

, but that's so not obvious now right?" and Hope "I'm full of generic emo rage! I love my dead mommy but hate my daddy and Snow too! But I'm a weakling who's taking the place of the tsundere girl character Square forgot to make."

Ugh, who writes this crap?

Japan. Duh.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

for all the tackiness, I actually appreciated the Hope/Snow arc. Hell, I appreciated the character development in general. It's weird to see FF characters actually grow and develop somewhat in a cutscene that isn't during the last hour of a fifty hour game, even if they're still very much cheesy charactures. Baby steps!

 

[Dedication Through Light]

I just started this game. I'm guessing I'm going to be retreading on old waters here, but is it just me, or did anyone else want to utterly kill Hope and Vanille in the most gruesome ways possible (I began imagining Kratos having a go at them)

Seriously, Vanille "I'm so cheerful! Why can't everyone be cheerful too! Oh and I'm from

Spoiler

Pulse

, but that's so not obvious now right?" and Hope "I'm full of generic emo rage! I love my dead mommy but hate my daddy and Snow too! But I'm a weakling who's taking the place of the tsundere girl character Square forgot to make."

Ugh, who writes this crap?

i love reading the response to people when they first start th game and get through those hours, lol. Dont worry, I think several people have made those claims, lol.

 

[Crash Station]

I just started this game. I'm guessing I'm going to be retreading on old waters here, but is it just me, or did anyone else want to utterly kill Hope and Vanille in the most gruesome ways possible (I began imagining Kratos having a go at them)

Seriously, Vanille "I'm so cheerful! Why can't everyone be cheerful too! Oh and I'm from

Spoiler

Pulse

, but that's so not obvious now right?" and Hope "I'm full of generic emo rage! I love my dead mommy but hate my daddy and Snow too! But I'm a weakling who's taking the place of the tsundere girl character Square forgot to make."

Ugh, who writes this crap?

They get much better but many still can't tolerate them. I'm sure they'll grow on you. If not, no big deal.

Japan. Duh.

You're talking to one of the big guys over in the manga thread

 

[BocoDragon]

I just started this game. I'm guessing I'm going to be retreading on old waters here, but is it just me, or did anyone else want to utterly kill Hope and Vanille in the most gruesome ways possible (I began imagining Kratos having a go at them)

Seriously, Vanille "I'm so cheerful! Why can't everyone be cheerful too! Oh and I'm from

Spoiler

Pulse

, but that's so not obvious now right?" and Hope "I'm full of generic emo rage! I love my dead mommy but hate my daddy and Snow too! But I'm a weakling who's taking the place of the tsundere girl character Square forgot to make."

Ugh, who writes this crap?

I wish the writing was much, much better.. but I do think that Japan's willingness to embrace personal emotions in games is admirable. Everyone in American stories is just so hip, cool and "together".

I think there's room for someone to take these emotional storylines to another, more believable and artistic level. And not cringe-worthy to a mature audience. Like the videogame equivalent of Magnolia, or something.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

for all the tackiness, I actually appreciated the Hope/Snow arc. Hell, I appreciated the character development in general. It's weird to see FF characters actually grow and develop somewhat in a cutscene that isn't during the last hour of a fifty hour game, even if they're still very much cheesy caricatures. Baby steps!

I wish I had your optimism about Square's writing talent.

 

[BocoDragon]

I wish I had your optimism about Square's writing talent.

I think there is a beauty in the jRPG story style that Square Enix itself is probably not going to realize. I want to see another company tackle similar themes.. maybe even a western company.

Kinda like how the Italians in the 1960s took the simplistic "American Western" story-style and did something even more amazing with them.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I think there is a beauty in the jRPG story style that Square Enix itself is probably not going to realize. I want to see another company tackle similar themes.. maybe even a western company.

I wasn't aware there was a "style" to JRPG stories.

 

[Combine]

lol, I guess I was definitely retreading old waters here. Sorry but, I mean, when you're forced to be stuck with these characters (at least in BioWare RPG's you have the choice to never use their annoying characters, aka. Jack) for a long time and listen to them go on and on about the same things. Well, you can't help but take notice.

It also feels to me at this point that once again, these two "young" characters were tacked into the game like Vaan and Penele were in FF12 just to appeal to the Japanese kid audience. Even though the game would be better without them.

I'm also annoyed there are no non-human PC's in this game either. Didn't we do an all human cast last game Square? How about mixing it up a bit?

 

[Crash Station]

I wasn't aware there was a "style" to JRPG stories.

See, I'm not the only one that thinks it's a style

I'm also annoyed there are no non-human PC's in this game either. Didn't we do an all human cast last game Square? How about mixing it up a bit?

Actually, 13 is the first furry-free FF since 8.

 

[Combine]

Actually, 13 is the first furry-free FF since 8.

Ah, I forgot about Rabbit-ears girl from 12. Lol, talk about forgetful.

 

[Sydle]

Ah, I forgot about Rabbit-ears girl from 12. Lol, talk about forgetful.

How dare you!

 

[Fimbulvetr]

See, I'm not the only one that thinks it's a style

Styles aren't an excuse for shitty writing.

The retarded deus ex machinas concerning

Spoiler

the Maker

would still exist if XIII was written in a different style because the writers still suck.

In fact, I ended up getting surprised at the end

Spoiler

when Serah's tear didn't actually do anything because I was expecting it to save them at the last second or something.

Ah, I forgot about Rabbit-ears girl from 12. Lol, talk about forgetful.

Bubububu- dat ass.

 

[BocoDragon]

I wasn't aware there was a "style" to JRPG stories.

Of course there is. Stylized heroes set in an unconventional fantasy world, who may have tragic experiences in their past, who often discuss their personal hopes and fears in the context of a larger, world-threatening storyline.

It's a very distinct style. Just like Spaghetti Westerns have a style, Chinese Wuxia movies have a style, American "Die Hard" action movies have a style... etc.

As an aside: I don't really understand why people play these games if they don't at least have a fondness for that jRPG story style...... Well I do understand.. they're videogames that people can find appealing for their visuals or gameplay regardless of what storylines they actually prefer.. but as a consequence we have many people sitting through a storyline that was not really aimed at them anyway. Not many people would sit through Finding Nemo if they hated children's animation with cheeky jokes... but many people will sit through Final Fantasy XIII even if "they hate that jRPG bullshit".

Styles aren't an excuse for shitty writing.

The retarded deus ex machinas concerning

Spoiler

the Maker

would still exist if XIII was written in a different style because the writers still suck.

In fact, I ended up getting surprised at the end

Spoiler

when Serah's tear didn't actually do anything because I was expecting it to save them at the last second or something.

Please understand.. I don't think FFXIII is "secretly great writing" just because it has a style. I just think there is something in the jRPG story style that could be expanded upon someday.

It's like the difference between the cheap Kung Fu flicks of the 70s and the post- Crouching Tiger "art Kung Fu flicks".

 

[Combine]

How dare you!

Sorry, I just remember her having an annoying voice. Although in retrospect, I honestly didn't like the voices of most of the cast, they all seemed to have some strange accent that just irritated me.

Bubububu- dat ass.

:lol :lol

 

[Crash Station]

Styles aren't an excuse for shitty writing.

The retarded deus ex machinas concerning

Spoiler

the Maker

would still exist if XIII was written in a different style because the writers still suck.

In fact, I ended up getting surprised at the end

Spoiler

when Serah's tear didn't actually do anything because I was expecting it to save them at the last second or something.

Bubububu- dat ass.

I never said they were but deus ex machnia and plot holes are another matter entirely. Let's forget about those for a second and there's still something distinct about the script that doesn't fall into any other category.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Of course there is. Stylized heroes set in an unconventional fantasy world, who may have tragic experiences in their past, who often discuss their personal hopes and fears in the context of a larger, world-threatening storyline.

That's more like basic fantasy storytelling, which isn't exclusive to JRPGs.

There are already games that have done this type of story telling well.

I should know, I never shut up about them.

 

[Sydle]

Sorry, I just remember her having an annoying voice. Although in retrospect, I honestly didn't like the voices of most of the cast, they all seemed to have some strange accent that just irritated me.

I could listen to Fran and Balthier talk all day. I loved those two.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

I'm also annoyed there are no non-human PC's in this game either. Didn't we do an all human cast last game Square? How about mixing it up a bit?

I like my all human cast, thank you, lol. I dont know, it feels odd controlling anthropomorphic characters.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I never said they were but deus ex machnia and plot holes are another matter entirely. Let's forget about those for a second and there's still something distinct about the script that doesn't fall into any other category.

Really? Because the last time we talked about XIII's plot you were under the impression that people hated its style and not its blatant flaws.

 

[Crash Station]

Really? Because the last time we talked about XIII's plot you were under the impression that people hated its style and not its blatant flaws.

I was talking purely about dialogue. I'm not denying the flaws of the actual story. In certain places, it's a mess. I still think the actual story-telling is a style; something that encompasses tropes, dialogue and how everything plays out. I'm not including the holes and deus ex machina in the style because that's the fault of the actual story.

 

[BocoDragon]

That's more like basic fantasy storytelling, which isn't exclusive to JRPGs.

Let me put it this way.. when you're en route to fighting "the Empire", you're sleeping in an inn, and character 1 has noticed character 2 is missing... he goes outside to find character 2 looking up at the stars. Character 1 asks what's wrong, and character 2 goes on to explain the tragic moment in his past, a stirring otherworldly music plays....

That's an exclusively "jRPG" moment.

Do you think that FFXIII (flawed or not), focuses on moments of personal angst just because that's what stupid Japanese emo animes do? Not exactly. I'm pretty sure they are aware that these moments of character angst are intrinsic to the genre- It's not just about the main conflict.

I just wish they had to skills to pull it off more effectively... but we're not there yet.

I was talking purely about dialogue. I'm not denying the flaws of the actual story. In certain places, it's a mess. I still think the actual story-telling is a style; something that encompasses tropes, dialogue and how everything plays out. I'm not including the holes and deus ex machina in the style because that's the fault of the actual story.

I think you get it

My personal plan right now is to do a fan game that consciously works as a love letter to this style. I personally hope that I can transcend the cheap perception of jRPGs and actually move the style into something more artistic.. but that'll really be up to my writing ability.

Another option would be to embrace the cheap cliches of jRPGs and use it to construct something else altogether... like how Kill Bill was an artistic movie created out of the garbage scraps of cheap Kung Fu flicks, blaxpoitation and spaghetti westerns.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I was talking purely about dialogue. I'm not denying the flaws of the actual story. In certain places, it's a mess. I still think the actual story-telling is a style; something that encompasses tropes, dialogue and how everything plays out. I'm not including the holes and deus ex machina in the style because that's the fault of the actual story.

Oh right, the dialogue.

That shit was code yellow, no wait.... code blue bad.

Some of it was actually adequate but too many cringe worthy moments and Vanille pretty much killed it.

At least the VA was better than X's.

 

[Crash Station]

Oh right, the dialogue.

That shit was code yellow, no wait.... code blue bad.

Some of it was actually adequate but too many cringe worthy moments and Vanille pretty much killed it.

At least the VA was better than X's.

Yeah, some of the dialogue had me rolling my eyes and cracking up (seriously, that code scene was amazing :lol ) but it still seems like everyone treats the game as if that's all the characters ever say.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Let me put it this way.. when you're en route to fighting "the Empire", you're sleeping in an inn, and character 1 has noticed character 2 is missing... he goes outside to find character 2 looking up at the stars. Character 1 asks what's wrong, and character 2 goes on to explain the tragic moment in his past, a stirring otherworldly music plays....

So you're saying that no other genre focuses on characters with personal problems?

Because WRPGs do that too(albeit that most of that content is optional).

 

[Windom Earle]

Looking for a jrpg with great writing, story and characters? Play Nier

That game is like an antidote after 120 hours with FFXIII. Kainé is pretty much the opposite of Vanille. Not to derail the thread, but that game needs more attention.

 

[BocoDragon]

So you're saying that no other genre focuses on characters with personal problems?

Because WRPGs do that too(albeit that most of that content is optional).

You could boil down spaghetti westerns and american westerns to the same basic themes as well (cowboys, conflicts with bad cowboys, old west)... but they both have distinct styles in terms of storylines, characters, character moments, music style and dialogue. There are many differences between jRPGs and western RPGs as well.

Sometimes I wonder if some people just wish jRPGs would be told like western stories... and in that case, cosmicblizzard's defense of jRPG style and those who "don't understand it" does make perfect sense. The jRPG style is uniquely appealing to me and IMO there's something worth preserving in them, and I often couldn't care less about the stories in Bioware, Black Isle studios, Bethesda, etc even though I greatly respect them. I'm not into RPGs for that style of story. Sometimes what western geeks consider good writing: Joss Whedon, Battlestar Galactica, Tolkien, etc drives me up the wall just as the "emo anime" drives these geeks nuts. It's all a matter of taste.

That said.. jRPGs HAVE stagnated... which says more about the developers making them these days rather than the style itself. I want a better jRPG. But that won't mean cutting out the "emo elements", the stylized look of the characters, etc. That's the part I love.

 

[BocoDragon]

Looking for a jrpg with great writing, story and characters? Play Nier

That game is like an antidote after 120 hours with FFXIII. Kainé is pretty much the opposite of Vanille. Not to derail the thread, but that game needs more attention.

Kaine is a character specifically designed for the western edition of the game (and the Japanese 360 version).... so of course he appeals to western tastes?

And then, of course, jRPG-loving me finds his character design repellent :lol But I will check out the game itself at some point...

 

[Windom Earle]

Kaine is a character specifically designed for the western edition of the game (and the Japanese 360 version).... so of course he appeals to western tastes?

And then, of course, jRPG-loving me finds his character design repellent :lol But I will check out the game itself at some point...

I think you're mistaking Kainé with Nier (who is the main char). Kainé is the hermaphrodite and appeals to both audiences I guess

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Kaine is a character specifically designed for the western edition of the game (and the Japanese 360 version).... so of course he appeals to western tastes?

And then, of course, jRPG-loving me finds his character design repellent :lol But I will check out the game itself at some point...

Umm, Kaine is the hermaphrodite character.

You're thinking of Neir who is different between the JP and western versions.

Edit: Beaten.

 

[BocoDragon]

Umm, Kaine is the hermaphrodite character.

You're thinking of Neir who is different between the JP and western versions.

Ohhhhhh sorry

I am pro-hermaphrodite.

 

[Crash Station]

Another option would be to embrace the cheap cliches of jRPGs and use it to construct something else altogether... like how Kill Bill was an artistic movie created out of the garbage scraps of cheap Kung Fu flicks, blaxpoitation and spaghetti westerns.

This is EXACTLY what we need. It can't be excessive like Disgaea 3 but it also can't be too subtle.

I really would love to see a western take on the genre but without actually getting rid of the cliches. I guess you could say Black Sigil did that but that was a 16 bit handheld game. I guess what I'm trying to say is we need something between Black Sigil and Anachronox in terms of story-telling and presentation.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

This is EXACTLY what we need. It can't be excessive like Disgaea 3 but it also can't be too subtle.

Yeah, a deconstruction. It's what they tried(at least I think they might have tried :lol ) and failed to do with Snow.

 

[BocoDragon]

This is EXACTLY what we need. It can't be excessive like Disgaea 3 but it also can't be too subtle.

I really would love to see a western take on the genre but without actually getting rid of the cliches. I guess you could say Black Sigil did that but that was a 16 bit handheld game. I guess what I'm trying to say is we need something between Black Sigil and Anachronox in terms of story-telling and presentation.

Yup.. a "wink" at the camera goes a long way. Acknowledging that something is a cliche goes a long way in helping people to embrace that cliche, and something smart enough to do that will probably be aiming for a higher artistic rung than the original source material as well. It needn't be a "joke" or a "parody" either.. (I personally like the ultra-drama of FF and too much humor would water that down) just a self-conscious celebration of the source material.

Even one year ago I didn't think westerners could ever do a jRPG.. but now the world is so small, western developers are on top, and the Japanese themselves aren't necessarily elevating the style aside from production quality.... I definitely think it would be a good idea for someone to try. Hell, even Secret of Evermore 15 years ago, while not considered some great success.... it was undoubtably a western developed "jRPG". Even the music sounded like a jRPG even though it was done by Jeremy Soule. I hope someone really tries someday.. and I may take a crack at it myself eventually...

 

[dramatis]

It's not a 'story style', there is no such a thing. Style affects presentation of story, not the content of the story itself. Things like facial close-ups when someone is screaming and yelling, crying, etc. is a mark of 'JRPG style'. Or more common to all JRPG styles is the use of bright colors.

Perhaps what appeals is the focus on character drama and high emotion but that is definitely not restricted to JRPGs alone, nor is it the 'style' of JRPGs—I'd say that JRPGs suffer from incoherent style. JRPGs inflate character dramas to extremes, and often cannot link character substories to the central theme and plot. The result is something that feels superficial and pointless, a la the Lightning-Serah-Snow dynamic. You can't figure out from the presentation if 13 is a soap opera or an epic action movie.

Storytelling in screen narrative exists less in dialogue and plot and more in the visuals. That's why Kill Bill works—it does not deceive its viewers as to what genre it is or what the gist of its plot is. Despite changes in presentation it was consistently bloody and focused on elaborate action.

How is it possible to tell a story in 'JRPG style' when there is none to begin with?

 

[Daft_Cat]

Disclaimer: I love anything SE puts out that's Final Fantasy related (exaggeration.)

Anyway, with that being said, I just finished FF 13. I really loved it, and although I understand where a lot of the criticism is coming from, I personally feel it was overblown. Lets focus on the games clear strength: It reaches a new level of cinematic excellence, that, at least to me is bar none in gaming. The games main flaw? Besides the combat system, the gameplay was a little bit lacking in the depth I've come to expect from FF. I hope FF 13 versus, and FF 15 maintain 13's best attributes, but add to the gameplay aspects substantially. I actually think the perfect FF game would be a middle ground between the linearity of 13, and the openness of 12. Pulse was cool and all, but 13 really needed a hub to keep all the areas connected...and bring back airships!!

Discounting the 8-16 bit era..I'd probably hold 13 up there with 10, and 7, followed closely by 8, 9, and 12.

 

[Crash Station]

It's not a 'story style', there is no such a thing. Style affects presentation of story, not the content of the story itself. Things like facial close-ups when someone is screaming and yelling, crying, etc. is a mark of 'JRPG style'. Or more common to all JRPG styles is the use of bright colors.

Perhaps what appeals is the focus on character drama and high emotion but that is definitely not restricted to JRPGs alone, nor is it the 'style' of JRPGs—I'd say that JRPGs suffer from incoherent style. JRPGs inflate character dramas to extremes, and often cannot link character substories to the central theme and plot. The result is something that feels superficial and pointless, a la the Lightning-Serah-Snow dynamic. You can't figure out from the presentation if 13 is a soap opera or an epic action movie.

Storytelling in screen narrative exists less in dialogue and plot and more in the visuals. That's why Kill Bill works—it does not deceive its viewers as to what genre it is or what the gist of its plot is. Despite changes in presentation it was consistently bloody and focused on elaborate action.

How is it possible to tell a story in 'JRPG style' when there is none to begin with?

That's just semantics. If something is known for a combination of specific elements, we can classify it as a "style".

[snow mode]If there really is none, THEN WE'LL MAKE IT![/snow mode]

 

[Fimbulvetr]

That's just semantics. If something is known for a combination of specific elements, we can classify it as a "style".

But those elements exist in other places, that style is not exclusive.

 

[Crash Station]

But those elements exist in other places, that style is not exclusive.

Bah, I don't want to argue about this anymore. Can we at least agree that JRPGs can be easily identified even if you don't know the developer?

Edit: Yeah, BocoDragon knows what he's talking about whereas I don't. I'll leave this to him.

 

[BocoDragon]

It's not a 'story style', there is no such a thing. Style affects presentation of story, not the content of the story itself. Things like facial close-ups when someone is screaming and yelling, crying, etc. is a mark of 'JRPG style'. Or more common to all JRPG styles is the use of bright colors.

You're talking about "visual style". Of course stories can have a style.

-1930s serials like Buck Rogers (consiously evoked in Star Wars and Indiana Jones)
-Spaghetti westerns
-Korean dramas
-Paul Verhoeven movies blending ultra-violence and ironic newscasts with a subtext of social commentary.
-samurai flicks (actually very close in story style to spaghetti westerns)
-Hospital dramas

God, the list goes on and on. It's not just that these stories have specific visual language... they also cover similar story themes among entries in the genre.

jRPGs most definitely have a story style.

Perhaps what appeals is the focus on character drama and high emotion but that is definitely not restricted to JRPGs alone, nor is it the 'style' of JRPGs—I'd say that JRPGs suffer from incoherent style. JRPGs inflate character dramas to extremes, and often cannot link character substories to the central theme and plot. The result is something that feels superficial and pointless, a la the Lightning-Serah-Snow dynamic. You can't figure out from the presentation if 13 is a soap opera or an epic action movie.

This sounds more like a discussion of XIII's faults, though. I am not defending XIII. Yes the character moments often feel disconnected from the overall story.

I'd rather discuss FFVI.. in which character moments were sometimes connected to the main plot (Terra's history, Celes' defection), and sometimes were not (Locke's love Rachel, Setzer's dead friend Darryl).

Of course all stories have moments of character development. jRPGs do it in a specific way, at their best, and it is a kind of soap opera melodrama that can be delicious IMO.

Storytelling in screen narrative exists less in dialogue and plot and more in the visuals. That's why Kill Bill works—it does not deceive its viewers as to what genre it is or what the gist of its plot is. Despite changes in presentation it was consistently bloody and focused on elaborate action.

Not really. I cannot think of a movie which more often switched genres, and I don't mean just the outer shell. Sometimes it was a Kung Fu action flick, sometimes it was a Spaghetti Western action flick... and sometimes it was a dialogue-heavy Tarantino character drama such as the scenes with Hattori Hanzo or Bill.

How is it possible to tell a story in 'JRPG style' when there is none to begin with?

Fine, then there is no style for Kevin Smith movies, there is no style for Star Trek stories, there is no style in Wuxia films, there is no style for John Hughes movies......

While jRPGs often involve different styles (Shin Megami Tensei, Demon's Souls)... there is a definite thread of similar story style running through FF games, Chrono series, Lost Odyssey, etc. etc.

 

[Rahxephon91]

It's not a 'story style', there is no such a thing. Style affects presentation of story, not the content of the story itself. Things like facial close-ups when someone is screaming and yelling, crying, etc. is a mark of 'JRPG style'. Or more common to all JRPG styles is the use of bright colors.

What?

Noir style stories have a specific type of characterization and the way events unfold.

Giant Robot style shows have specific themes in them and the way characters act.

Slasher style movies have a specific way a story will unfold.

 

[CloakedPuppet]

So, I went back and forth on picking this up over the last month. On one hand, I've read the reviews and comments that slam the new and more linear approach of this game - on the other, I've seen people praise how fantastic and rewarding it is once things click in the second half. Given that most folks report around a 60 hour game, that's no little amount of time. That kind of commitment was another thing that made the decision a little tough - espceially given my current backlog. :lol

The one thing that tipped the scales for me is that I'm a complete sucker for great art direction in games. This is the overwhelming factor that has made every MGS game a day one purchase for me. Having previously experienced XII as my first Final Fantasy game (gasp!), I knew that this series had excellent design and presentation in spades. After seeing some hi-def videos of the PS3 version, I couldn't hold out any longer.

...and this is easily some of the finest art direction I've seen in a videogame to date. Every little detail in this game speaks to the massive amount of care, attention and talent that went into its creation. This is all presented with such breathtaking fidelity that I'm constantly just grinning at the screen.

It may sound weird but I find myself enjoying Final Fantasy XIII more or less exclusively for the visuals alone. It's almost like a piece of interactive art that I'm just eating up. Believe it or not, everything is else in the game is pretty much secondary to me at this point.

I think that this is the first game that I've played that I'm enjoying almost despite it's story or gameplay (both of which are very slow burns at this point). It's also the perfect compliment to the action games and shooters that I'm currently playing. Now, I realize that I may be in for a bit of a challenging ride with FFXIII - but, so far, I'm thoroughly enjoying every moment of it.

 

[Cornbread78]

Wow, a whole page, not (FFXIII) game related, go figure.....


Anyway, anyone else grind the

Spoiler

soldiers at the beginning of chapter 9 in the first indoor hallway?

It's perfect, you turn the corner and they respawn. How long did you do this for? Did you unlock everything available on the chryosarium up to that point?

 

[User 10639]

Oh right, the dialogue.

That shit was code yellow, no wait.... code blue bad.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The dialogue was CODE WHITE levels of bad at times, son.

Wow, a whole page, not (FFXIII) game related, go figure.....

Talking about storytelling styles in JRPGs in direct reference to FF13 is not related to FF13? Fine, let's talk about grinding up in this bitch.

 

[CloakedPuppet]

Wow, a whole page, not (FFXIII) game related, go figure.....


Anyway, anyone else grind the

Spoiler

soldiers at the beginning of chapter 9 in the first indoor hallway?

It's perfect, you turn the corner and they respawn. How long did you do this for? Did you unlock everything available on the chryosarium up to that point?

Funny...I thought I was talking about FFXIII?! :/

 

[Huevos de Oro]

Just wrapped up the fifth chapter last night. A good 12 hours in. Started tinkering around a bit with weapon upgrades and the Crystarium.

Breathtaking game, and music is mostly spot on, although some of the tracks are annoyingly upbeat, such as the one that followed me throughout most of the 5th chapter. I'm enjoying the battle system a lot, but I'm getting a bit tired of small parties. I need more room for experimentation.

 

[ULTROS!]

FFXIII had lots of potential to be astounding but it lacked depth in particular fields (namely the gameplay: mapping, etc., the worlds, and especially the story).

I'd totally give credit to the production values, the graphics, and a number of musical pieces. The game is very polished although lacking/incomplete.