Final Fantasy XIII-2

[Pokémaniac]

I liked Final Fantasy 13 because I prefer linear games to non-linear ones, and most of the rest of the game outside of that was at least up to the standard of other Final Fantasy games. I had a lot of mixed feelings about parts of it, but bored was almost never one of them - even grinding is more fun then in other games, imo, because as the game goes on even the "random encounters" are difficult. I'm with Strawberry on the whole difficulty thing - personally, I found it pretty hard, but that's largely because one enemy may be taken down in 5 seconds by a Paradigm deck that would barely scratch another. (I really dug the Paradigm thing, btw. It probably was introduced too late, and at the same time too abruptly.)

 

[bashful crobat]

Please do not encourage SE to produce another third-trimester aborted trainwreck like Advent Children. It was seriously one of the worst things I have ever had the misfortune to sit through (funnily enough, Spirits Within is a tight contender for the top spot, so let's not go there). I mean, what is that film?

• Everyone is ill lol
• oh look sephiroth like guys
• hey look flashbacks
• herp derp many swords
• hey cool the world is safe but for how long???????

Genius.

Anyway, unless they pull some seriously magic cats out of their bags, this will just be another in a long line of pretty beige games. The only FF games I've been able to even bear since 6 have been 9 and 10-2, and I don't see that changing for the better any time soon.

 

[Ganstaquay5000]

You know, 10-2 wasn't all that non-liner. Technically 10-2 was a liner game with optional side-quest that all led to the road in the end. You got the same results weather you did those option side-quest or not.

 

[StrawberrySmiles]

Not really, doing all the optional stuff lets you get the very good ending, while just going through the end gives an "okay" ending. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to games, so I try to get everything. >.> I hated 10-2's story because it ruined the ending of 10 (which made me cry). But I liked the battle system and other systems - for reals.

It is true, though. Most sequels from this series, are not very good. Tactics was a masterpiece (in my opinion, but it's also my favorite game of all time), but advance was... eh. It felt so limited to me. And childish.

I am so going to play Tactics soon. /sigh

 

[Ganstaquay5000]

I think a non-liner game should be a game where the main story permanent changes based on the decisions that you make not just the ending so 10-2 was liner for me.

You're right about the ending but I'm talking about the main story leading up to the ending.

 

[bashful crobat]

Can you really call any FF non-linear? Not without trying very hard. The only one to date that I can't say for sure is 14 (like I'm paying for that lol), but the rest are, even 11.

Actually, broadening it to the whole paddock of jrpgs, do they often shit out games with actual non-linear/sandbox stories, rather than "lol multiple endings!" that don't really affect anything until the scripted fruition point?

 

[Petros]

You liked X-2 but you didn't like VII or even the original X?

 

[Ganstaquay5000]

You liked X-2 but you didn't like VII or even the original X?

It has to a sin to like X-2 more than VII and X. It must be.

 

[moog]

Can you really call any FF non-linear?

6 goes from linear to non-linear

 

[Petros]

Actually, broadening it to the whole paddock of jrpgs, do they often shit out games with actual non-linear/sandbox stories, rather than "lol multiple endings!" that don't really affect anything until the scripted fruition point?

No but that's kind of the point of JRPG's until recently, WRPG's non-linear style of storytelling lacked the compelling narrative of the JRPG's linear story telling however in recent years and with the advance of technology, games like Mass Effect are able to offer both sides of the spectrum. JRPGs were essentially interactive movies, WRPGS were essentially pre-programmed D&D/GURPS/InsertTableTopRPGHere. Which frankly is why up until the last five years or so, JRPGs ruled the market commercially and critically (also partially thanks to consoles). Since then however the JRPG developers are just riding on their sucess and refusing to evolve whereas the WRPG developers have taken what is good about a JRPG and implemented it into their WRPGs, what JRPG developers need to do is the same, especially Final Fantasy.

 

[StrawberrySmiles]

I still buy both J-RPGs and W-RPGs pretty frequently, as I like both genres.

I remember an old 1999 W-RPG that told a nice story that came out before all these shiny new graphics. It was called Torment: Planescape. It used the same engine as Fallout and Baldur's Gate on the PC. From what I've seen and have been told, it has an awesome story. I'm sure it came before Mass Effect.

I couldn't get into Mass Effect. It just felt like a 3rd person shooter game to me. We only have it because I told Star it had an action battle system. I don't think there is much difference in "compelling narrative" between the two genres.

They are two different genres - do you want them to be combined into one ultimate RPG genre? O_oa

 

[bashful crobat]

@petros my point was that pointing out that x-2 is pretty damn linear (Ganstaquay5000) means nothing as the entire franchise is linear as fuck

VII just isn't that good. I enjoyed it when I was 10 because I was 10. Looking at it now, it's sort of beige and uninteresting. I tried playing it through again sometime last year and it couldn't even drum up enough nostalgia value to convince me to finish the damn game. On top of that, I've had over a decade of the VII fanbase ruining anything positive the game once held (before you say "but you can't let the fanbase spoil something for you", let me tell you, I can).

X is very nice and there are many things in it that I like a lot. However, there are more than enough bad things to spoil the game as a whole, mostly the fact that tidus is an awful character. It seems petty but I find it hard to appreciate anything that brings furries with it. Sometimes, the subject at hand has enough merits of its own for it not to spoil everything (odin sphere, for example), but ugh I've seen so much (ronso)xanything that I'd seriously consider laser eye surgery to burn away the affected parts of my eyes. Also, it's far too lolsrs to take seriously.

x-2 you can just piss around and laugh when one of the girls dies spread-eagled.

 

[Aepriz]

As one of the few who accualy enjoyed FF13 alot, I'm looking forward to this..

I kinda like Lightning's Valkyrie look..

@bashful crobat
Just say FF7 suck, most poeple will agree on that

 

[coyotecraft]

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/0 ... 3_trailer/

New trailer showed some gameplay.

Serah, Lighting, and a new character Noel are playable. Noel uses two swords, Serah a bow. The mini-map looked like there was room to explore. What looked like a disappearing platform puzzle. Theres a floating moogle following you around.
The battles shots showed monster health bars under Noel and serah's like they were part of the team. Pulseworker, and a Feral Behemoth. The Feral behemoth had a extra gauge called "Feral Link". Also 3 monster portraits on the side like you could switch monsters maybe?
Lighting was fighting "Chaos Bahamut" while riding Odin, but did look like Gestalt mode.

Edit:
Another Trailer: http://e3.gamespot.com/video/6318726/
The moogle turned into Sehar's bow?

 

[coyotecraft]

Heres a interview explaining all the new gameplay mechanics. So far I'm happy with all the additions.
http://e3.gamespot.com/video/6318720/

Ugh, but the music has somekind of rap mixed in. Yuck.

 

[gRaViJa]

Towns, shops,something that looks like a puzzle and less non-liniar gameplay. I gotta say i like that. I am a little bit more positive about this game now. Is it me or does that Atlas monster feels like a rip-off from FFX's Sin? (huge monster that attacks random places on earth and that looks unbeatable)

 

[Aepriz]

They ditched Lightning for her younger sister? wow JRPG really keep there cast young xp Also Would that Cid look-a-like character be playable?

I like it that you can use monsters in battle, deffenly going to be awsome if you could youse an adamantoise xD (or or how was that big monster thing called that granted you a trophy if you beated it?)

 

[Jason]

I'm liking what I've seen of XIII-2 so far, although I wonder how much screen time Lightning will get, I know she's going to be playable (It's been confirmed), but meh, I hope most of our time isn't spent with Serah and Noel, although for some reason I reckon it will be...

I wonder which people from XIII will be making an appearence, I know the members from NORA will be in it, since I've seen Gadot and Lebreau in the trailer, didn't see Maqui or Yuj though, or I don't think so... but yeah anyways, I'd love to see people make returns in the game, especially Sazh since he was my favourite character of XIII, lol.

 

[Aepriz]

I'm liking what I've seen of XIII-2 so far, although I wonder how much screen time Lightning will get, I know she's going to be playable (It's been confirmed), but meh, I hope most of our time isn't spent with Serah and Noel, although for some reason I reckon it will be...

I wonder which people from XIII will be making an appearence, I know the members from NORA will be in it, since I've seen Gadot and Lebreau in the trailer, didn't see Maqui or Yuj though, or I don't think so... but yeah anyways, I'd love to see people make returns in the game, especially Sazh since he was my favourite character of XIII, lol.

We can be pretty sure about Snow appearing (Unless he allowes his wife to run off with some lady's man).
And I have a feeling that Cid look-a-like (aka Lightning's Rival) is accually Cid (unless they really liked Cid's face and copypasted it on the new guy).

And references to Vannile and Fang.

 

[Jason]

Well yeah I never thought about Serah and Snow, haha, they better bring him back otherwise that WOULD be a plot hole right there, lol... maybe Noel is going to try hitting on her then all of a sudden "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY WIFE... BY THE WAY, DID I MENTION I'M A HERO?!" Snow turns up and I don't really know...

I don't think Cid will come back due to what happened on XIII, however, there's a Cid in every Final Fantasy, and since he's already been established as the Cid of XIII, he's the only one that could appear, unless there are TWO Cid's in the XIII universe!

And yeah there's definitely got to be reference to Vanille and Fang, since y'know... yeah.

Does anyone think we'll see Sazh then? Because I would SO love to see him again, maybe even get to use him! And Hope, what about Hope too? He wasn't my favourite character but it'd be nice to see what happened to him too, since at the end of XIII they were all together