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[Zeo]

Eh, FFXII gameplay sounds pretty shallow. I wasn't a huge fan of KoToR, and felt FFXIs battle system was only acceptable because it wasa MMORPG. I'm a little dissapointed.

Yeah, that's kind of my thing. I don't want it in a single player RPG unless they make it a lot less shallow.

I HOPE this ends up the best RPG ever but if the rest of the game feels like his impressions...

 

[Wario64]

oh shit, there's a front mission5 coming? rock!

 

[captain_amazo]

Fuck you SE. Is anyone really going to care when FFXII is eventually released?

 

[Ironclad]

Front Mission V? Awesome. No gameplay footage is a little off-setting but FM IV was great so as long as they fix the problems with IV, this should be great as well. Especially the damn VA.

 

[jiggle]

The trailer for FFXII sounds fantastic. Hopefully someone will upload a video later.
The long wait will be hard, but luckily there are enough good RPGs in between to ease the wait.

Not really worried about the battle system, non of its predecessors failed in that aspect before.

 

[Elios83]

I want to see the new trailer ...

 

[JackFrost2012]

The best part about the new KH2 demo is the Minnie escort mission where she keeps spamming Holy bombs as an AoE attack against the hundreds of Heartless swarming her. NOT MAKING THAT UP.

Also, the trailer shows the Steamboat Willie stuff, and it's kinda lame. There's a pipette Sora model (Goofy and Donald have regressed, too), but there's no grain filter or faux hand-drawn edges or jerky animation or anything. It just looks like another world only black-and-white, really. Pirates looks awesome, tho, and Nightmare is confirmed to be Christmas Town. The trailer also shows Minnie showing Sora "the foundation of Light" that's been overrun by darkness, a bunch of stuff with the XIII, a scene with DiZ talking to the black coat from Deep Dive, it's off the hook. IMO KH2 was by far the best game Square has going at the conference. Just super polished and lots of fun. FFXII, I'm still looking forward to, but it was hard to judge anything from the demo at all. G3 looks good (and on sale next week), Cerberus was ...... it will appeal to fans of FFVII.

 

[demi]

Kingdom Hearts II will be the second coming of Christ, it's that simple.

 

[Zeo]

Now I'm getting damn impatient. TRAILERS. ON. INTERNET. NOW. PLEASE.

 

[Doom_Bringer]

I don't think we will be getting any trailers...

First off, I’d like to apologize for something I have absolutely no control over. Square Enix was in serious high security mode at this event. There was no picture taking of television monitors, and absolutely no video of anything was allowed anywhere in the convention center. They literally had people patrolling everywhere keeping a close eye on anyone trying (who, me?) to capture the moment on anything. While I would have liked to give you a better glimpse of the action as it were, my play-by-play account will be the best I can do.

You can read the full FFXII impressions here

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200507/N05.0730.1538.30820.htm

New trailers reel: First of all, FFXII's latest trailer is incredibly awesome. The game looks (gameplay aside) like it could definitely be the greatest rpg ever made. In fact I've basically lost interest in G3 and ToL and upcoming rpgs after watching the ungodly holyness of FFXII. It's hard to even get excited about any next-gen games after that trailer. Ashe is a fucking badass; she's introduced as she's killing guards left and right in her sword and armor. She has a lot of scenes in the trailer and she definitely seems like the best female character ever in an rpg. The Judge CG stuff is pretty sick too and when you see them appear in the game you know you're gonna go "oh shit" ^^; What makes the game look so awesome is that every NPC general or story character is a realistic looking manly man with tons of facial hair and dirtiness to them. It looks like a gritty dark war rpg and I hope to god they aren't going to tone the story down with Matsuno off the project. Lots of in-game cutscenes and CG and battle scenes in the trailer. Basically it looks awesome and everyone is marking 3.16 on their calenders after that.

wow that's awesome! Thanks for the impressions

 

[sly]

Back from the SE show. So I'll give my thoughts on everything there.

New trailers reel: First of all, FFXII's latest trailer is incredibly awesome. The game looks (gameplay aside) like it could definitely be the greatest rpg ever made. In fact I've basically lost interest in G3 and ToL and upcoming rpgs after watching the ungodly holyness of FFXII. It's hard to even get excited about any next-gen games after that trailer. Ashe is a fucking badass; she's introduced as she's killing guards left and right in her sword and armor. She has a lot of scenes in the trailer and she definitely seems like the best female character ever in an rpg. The Judge CG stuff is pretty sick too and when you see them appear in the game you know you're gonna go "oh shit" ^^; What makes the game look so awesome is that every NPC general or story character is a realistic looking manly man with tons of facial hair and dirtiness to them. It looks like a gritty dark war rpg and I hope to god they aren't going to tone the story down with Matsuno off the project. Lots of in-game cutscenes and CG and battle scenes in the trailer. Basically it looks awesome and everyone is marking 3.16 on their calenders after that.

Front Mission V looked kinda nice. Seemed like Front Mission IV graphics but with an emphasis on a huge war feeling. So you have tons of human characters in 3d cutscenes (looks kinda like FMO) and tons of mecha in the battle cutscenes. No gameplay footage, but FM4 was pretty good so I'm definitely interested in FM5. Also the voices were all in Japanese which makes me wonder if they're going for a more serious epic tale so they don't want goofy English acting this time.

KH2 trailer was long and nice. Pirates stuff looked great in motion and the opening scenes with the new kid were really nice. Since it seems like they've fixed their mistakes from KH1, it should be a really great christmas game to hold the Japanese gamers until FFXII. The Japanese voice-acting for the non-disney characters was top-notch again so I guess I'll need to get both versions (No Johnny Depp = )

Code Age trailer looked ok (I hate the character designs though :\), but the actual hands on of the game was not so hot so I don't really care about it.

FFVII AC trailer was pretty spoilerish and mostly old footage but still looks like a lot of fun.

FFVII DC trailer looked pretty solid. I think the character designs on the new guys is awful and the environments are kinda sparse though.

---
Hands-on stuff:

Grandia 3: Only checked it out briefly to confirm the framerate. Walking around it's 30fps locked like most rpgs, but in battle it's a unlocked 60fps that dips here and there when lots of action is going on. Game seems like Grandia which is a good thing. On the main field you could rotate the camera around you so I'm not sure where famitsu was complaining about locked camera angles.

Code Age: Only played briefly but it's like KH1 except you only have like 2-3 moves and one of them is this really long 1000 hit move which is reptitive to watch after even the first 5 mins of the game.

FFVII DC: Hmmm, the game is ok I guess. The nice part is that it's a constant 60fps that never dips. Even the cutscenes are 60fps which is nice. Controls are pretty simple with a shot button and a magic shot (like grenade) button besides jump/dive/punch. Toggling between gun drawn view and not-drawn view works pretty well but can still be a bit disorientating. The actual shooting is pretty cookie-cutter. I'd compare it to something like the Fullmetal Alchemist games where it's a pretty standard shoot-em-up as FMA is a pretty standard beat-em-up. If it wasn't for the nice CGs and potentially good story/cutscenes (due to Kitase directing it), it would be a C-grade game. But maybe that stuff will make it a B-grade rental that's at least worth playing once. One of the CG sequences in the trailer has all the FF7 AC crew except Cloud shown.

FFXII: Hmmm, since I played it at E3 like 15 months ago it's changed a tiny bit. The animations have improved a lot and look downright amazing now. The enemies are all animated incredibly lively and are some of the best looking enemies ever. The summon system is new to this demo and is kinda lame I think. You summon a creature and your other party members disappear leaving just the one character + summon who walks around punch and killing enemies for a limited time. Hmmmmmmm, dunno if I like that. Also just like the previous demo the game is really shallow and easy. Like you don't even need to hold the controller whenever enemies are near, you just point at them and put the controller down and you'll fight and heal yourself until the enemy dies. Now back at E3 I didn't mind this because with Matsuno on board there was no way the game would end up easy and shallow; he'd make challenging boss and enemies that would require you to constantly be pulling up menus and ordering commands like a turn-based rpg in order to survive. But with him gone I'm a little worried about the gameplay. Also the E3 demos were waaaay better. You had like 4 areas with full on cutscenes and story which gave you a background to what you were doing in the demo. You also could walk around town and talk to people. But here it was just 2 empty dungeons with a few enemy types and a boss, so you just walk around and watch your people hit things. So yea....I dunno. Until the game actually comes out I doubt anyone will be able to tell whether the gameplay and the battle system are solid, so we just have a long 9 months of waiting.

Didn't play KH2 as I assumed it was just the E3 demo and skipped waiting in line 60mins to play Slime Mori 2, so that's about all I can comment on.

Thanks for the impressions Bebpo!!!!

 

[aceface]

So is Matsuno still on FFXII or not? I thought he was, but Bebpo says no?

 

[Rahul]

The second revelation, and far more surprising of the two, is that FFXII director, Yasumi Matsuno, is no longer working on the game. The former Quest developer (Quest made games like Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle for the SNES and Sega Saturn) is the mastermind behind such brilliant games as Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, but is said to be temperamental. When part of the FFXII team was said to have left Square-Enix for Hironobu Sakaguchi's new development studio, Mist Walker, Matsuno was reported to have not shown up for work for a month until the crisis was resolved. In fact, we're not sure what Matsuno is working on now, and whether he was kicked off the team or if he voluntarily removed himself, although he is still said to be at Square. The RPG powerhouse is reported to have a replacement at the helm already, the choice of whom is likely to raise the eyebrows of many people who have been following the troubled chapter's evolution. As we learn more about this development we'll let you know.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3142452

 

[SolidSnakex]

"the choice of whom is likely to raise the eyebrows of many people who have been following the troubled chapter's evolution."

 

[Doom_Bringer]

Look the script was finished a long time ago and they didn't fuck up the battle system. Plus the second trailer sounds pretty kick ass so that leads me to belive the current staff is doing what Matsuno would have done.

btw there is no source in the 1up article, for all we know they could be using the old 2ich forum rumours.

 

[Doom_Bringer]

"the choice of whom is likely to raise the eyebrows of many people who have been following the troubled chapter's evolution."

who is that? and what has he done?

 

[Bebpo]

"the choice of whom is likely to raise the eyebrows of many people who have been following the troubled chapter's evolution."

Meh, they should just team up with Konami and get Kojima to finish directing it. I mean Matsuno was already ripping off Kojima with Vagrant Story's visual style, might as well get the real thing this time around ;P

 

[SolidSnakex]

who is that? and what has he done?

That's Krazy Kawazu. He made Unlimited Saga.

 

[Doom_Bringer]

That's Krazy Kawazu. He made Unlimited Saga.

is ffxII doomed?

 

[JackFrost2012]

is ffxII doomed?

Roll some dice, spin some wheels, grow some vegetables...and find out for yourself!

 

[SolidSnakex]

is ffxII doomed?

I doubt it, even if he did. As long as Itou is on the team that'd probably be the most likely person to take over the directors role.

 

[Lakitu]

It was a good show overall, I'm glad we got to see something on FF12 again and good news about showing the FF7 ps3 trailer.

Believe!

 

[Amir0x]

The best part about the new KH2 demo is the Minnie escort mission where she keeps spamming Holy bombs as an AoE attack against the hundreds of Heartless swarming her. NOT MAKING THAT UP.

Also, the trailer shows the Steamboat Willie stuff, and it's kinda lame. There's a pipette Sora model (Goofy and Donald have regressed, too), but there's no grain filter or faux hand-drawn edges or jerky animation or anything. It just looks like another world only black-and-white, really. Pirates looks awesome, tho, and Nightmare is confirmed to be Christmas Town. The trailer also shows Minnie showing Sora "the foundation of Light" that's been overrun by darkness, a bunch of stuff with the XIII, a scene with DiZ talking to the black coat from Deep Dive, it's off the hook. IMO KH2 was by far the best game Square has going at the conference. Just super polished and lots of fun. FFXII, I'm still looking forward to, but it was hard to judge anything from the demo at all. G3 looks good (and on sale next week), Cerberus was ...... it will appeal to fans of FFVII.

Slightly disappointing about Steamboat Willie world, I was hoping they really went the distance with that. But man, KHII sounds so amazing. I'm stoked.

People seem to be skimmin' over Grandia III somewhat... I mean, did it compare favourably to past Grandia titles?

 

[Borys]

Bebpo, you fucking ROCK, you are the coolest person on this board.

Right behind duckroll that is :lol hey, where's duckroll BTW?

 

[Amir0x]

Bebpo, you fucking ROCK, you are the coolest person on this board.

Right behind duckroll that is :lol hey, where's duckroll BTW?

That's what I said. duckroll has rolled off the radar! I miss duckroll

 

[Doom_Bringer]

he was here a few days ago, said he is busy these days.

 

[SantaC]

Fuck you SE. Is anyone really going to care when FFXII is eventually released?

yeah, people are being pissed now, but when it releases they will be (inc me) all over it.

 

[Insertia]

Why haven't I seen any new FFXII screens or videos yet?

 

[Bebpo]

That's what I said. duckroll has rolled off the radar! I miss duckroll

He's got a new job that's working him like a slave so he's barely online these days

 

[Amir0x]

He's got a new job that's working him like a slave so he's barely online these days

Aw. No chips for games, no chips for discussing them.

Is it at least the type of job that'll settle down for periods of time so he can relax a bit?

 

[Simo]

Why haven't I seen any new FFXII screens or videos yet?

Screenshots from the demo, postcards and booklet for FFXII were posted over the last 3 pages. No video though.

 

[Johnas]

Lots of FFXII info

You, sir, are single-handedly responsible for reviving my interest in FFXII. For this I thank you.

Special thanks goes to Square-Enix

 

[Suikoguy]

After 10 (actually 11, if you count FFX2) games of Random Battles. I do think its time for a change, and it sounds like this works.

I'd like to however hear more about Grandia 3

 

[brocke]

Just curious, how different from FFXI does the battle system feel?

It has to be more involved than the FFXI battle system. I have yet to find this out based on the various impressions I have read.

 

[JackFrost2012]

 

[Chrono]

I want one. @_@

 

[SolidSnakex]

I'd like to however hear more about Grandia 3

IGN posted some impressions

This save point started us off in a desert environment filled with enemies. We were able to access a cave, but instead chose to enter an expansive desert plane where we encountered a number of enemies. Continuing series tradition, you can see your enemies ahead of time. This time, however, you can slash at the enemies and knock them out so they don't come attacking. The slashing action feels pretty refined, giving Grandia III an almost action-adventure feel (too bad there's no jumping!).

Even when you do get into battles, the game treats you mighty nicely with one of the fastest battle transitions you've ever seen. The transition is so fast that it feels as though the battle scene is sitting underneath the overworld map waiting to push its way out. This is something we think you'll notice when playing the game.

A few battles with the level 18 characters provided more than enough evidence that Gamearts hasn't lost its touch. Grandia's battles have always been full of action, with so much movement and animation that watching is truly as much fun as playing. This is true of Grandia III, which adds some gorgeous spell effects to the mix. The spells still manage to resemble original spells that were in the Saturn debut title, so purists won't have much to complain about (unless you're one of those true Grandia purists who wants Justin, Sue and Feena back).

We were also able to briefly try out a second save file, this one starting us off as the hero, Yuki, standing on a grassy hill beside a small biplane. Boarding this plane, you can use it as transportation. Grandia III gives you full control over the airplane. Time ran out before we could actually fly the plane on our own, but other players seemed to be getting some enjoyment out of speeding through the skies.

One area of Grandia III that caught our eye, particularly in the grassy area, was the game's overworld visuals. The screenshots suggested as much, but Grandia III's world provides tiny details and distant views, making for one of the loveliest game worlds we've ever seen. We can't wait to explore further. With the game's well designed map feature, exploration should be lots of fun.

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/637/637989p1.html

 

[jiggle]

1up has a run down of the Advent Children trailer.

spoilerish i guess. but it sounds terrific

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3142456

 

[Simo]

Too fucking cool but what is it? Is it just a display piece for the SE Party only or will Square produce some for mass retail?

 

[JackFrost2012]

Too fucking cool but what is it? Is it just a display piece for the SE Party only or will Square produce some for mass retail?

Just a display piece.

 

[neptunes]

so what about crisis core? did they show any gameplay footage?

 

[JackFrost2012]

so what about crisis core? did they show any gameplay footage?

They showed the same not-trailer they've been showing for month, of animated footage that most suspect is from Last Order.

 

[Bebpo]

oh, one thing I forgot to mention:

The FFVII AC trailer ended with big english words: Japanese Version: 9.14.2005

Still nothing on the US release makes me think it's not going to make it's originally planned same day release.

 

[Zeo]

oh, one thing I forgot to mention:

The FFVII AC trailer ended with big english words: Japanese Version: 9.14.2005

Still nothing on the US release makes me think it's not going to make it's originally planned same day release.

There hasn't been a damn word on English voices yet, has there?

 

[Simo]

oh, one thing I forgot to mention:

The FFVII AC trailer ended with big english words: Japanese Version: 9.14.2005

Still nothing on the US release makes me think it's not going to make it's originally planned same day release.

1UP mentions that the US release will be 1 week after the Japanese release. Not sure on the validity of that but with the full finished film debuting at the Venice Festival this month, perhaps they're skipping an English dub and keeping the original Japanese VA track and just having subtitles? Unless of course the English dub already has been recorded and we just didn't know about it..

 

[Zeo]

1UP mentions that the US release will be 1 week after the Japanese release. Not sure on the validity of that but with the full finished film debuting at the Venice Festival this month, perhaps they're skipping an English dub and keeping the original Japanese VA track and just having subtitles? Unless of course the English dub already has been recorded and we just didn't know about it..

Well after all this time, that would be pretty damn lazy. I'm sure they'd get quality voice acting.

Besides, they're going to need American voice actors for DoC and I'm sure they'd use the same ones from the American Advent Children, if there are any..

 

[robertsan21]

that congratulation text got to go

 

[Bebpo]

that congratulation text got to go

I don't think you need to worry about it as it says "Stage Clear". And I doubt the final game will have 'stages'

 

[robertsan21]

I don't think you need to worry about it as it says "Stage Clear". And I doubt the final game will have 'stages'

thanks then i dont have to worry

 

[dark10x]

Regarding GIII...

Even when you do get into battles, the game treats you mighty nicely with one of the fastest battle transitions you've ever seen. The transition is so fast that it feels as though the battle scene is sitting underneath the overworld map waiting to push its way out. This is something we think you'll notice when playing the game.

That's GREAT news, as it sounds like they've kept the same transition speed as Grandia Xtreme. Xtreme was SO fast, that it actually would make me jump from time to time. Those fast transitions work well with the fast paced gameplay.