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| Pollyanna 2806th Post
 
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
    
    
    
    
     
|  "Re(4):Happy happy" , posted Tue 15 Dec 18:34
I'm not going to argue about KOF XII sucking or not sucking because I've already done that. I'll also keep this game-related (for now).
(C'mon guys, I know I've forgotten some stuff...refresh my memory!)
Good:
Bayonetta. I can't say enough great things about this game, so I won't even bother. Instead, I'll just say that it makes other games of its type unplayable, and will continue to do so for months.
Fighting games. SF4, KOFXII, 2002UM, Tekken 6, BlazBlue...plenty to play. My satisfaction varies from game to game, but when it comes down to it, I just love fighting games.
RPGs...on Wii!? My Wii is good for something! I didn't waste my money on it after all!
Arc Rise Fantasia might be my new favorite traditional RPG. They took the traditional turn-based battle system to the absolute limit. One fantastic boss fight after another, a good cast and a non cop-out ending.
Then, squeezing in at the end of the year, Tales of Graces. I had fairly low expectations for the game, but I've been blown out of the water so far. Even after Bayonetta, the fights are still fun. I hope the game doesn't spoil it in the last 1/3, though. I'm a bit worried, because the protagonist (who was previously fairly compelling) has turned into a "state the obvious, repeat your catchphrase" character. Thankfully, the rest of the cast is holding up.
Honorable Mention?:
Sin and Punishment 2, Yuusha 30, Biohazard 5, Dragon Quest IX, Demon's Souls...?
Bittersweet:
Monster Hunter Tri The game is tons of fun...so much fun that it rendered 2nd G unplayable. It just...works better. Unfortunately, it's also a bit short, and since I had a lot left to do on 2nd G, I feel like it took away more game than it gave me. Rrrrgh...and I still keep thinking of what it would've been like on PS3.
New Mario Bros. Wii Fun with 2 players and a total blast with 4, but way too sterile and slow if you're playing alone. Old-school is fine, but the game sort of says "the only thing we've learned in 20 years is that it's fun to play with your friends."
BAD:
I don't think I bought any games that I disliked this year, but I had several terrible ones given to me, and I (very) recently had a TERRIBLE NEW GAME NIGHT at a friend's house. It included Darkside Chronicles, which has too much jerking the camera around nonsensically, too much plot, terrible sound effects and a feeling that you're not effecting what's going on whatsoever.
Next up was Sengoku Musou 3, which, in my opinion is an embarrassment and is completely unplayable after Bayonetta.
Then, to my deep regret, it was Guitar Hero Van Halen. It was offensive to the ears of non Van Halen fans (naturally) and offensive in its execution to actual fans. Still, I suppose it was worth the price they paid for it...which was nothing.
If there were any other bad games, I didn't play them. (or forgot about them...?)
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99
246th Post
Frequent Customer
| "Re(6):Happy happy" , posted Wed 16 Dec 03:13
quote:
And by the way, video game periphials .
C'mon, how many periphials do we need for the current generation game consoles?
The Wii is and has been the worst offender in terms of cheap crap accessories. From the second it was released, dozens of stupid hunk of plastic sleeves for the Wiimote have been available to make the controller look like tennis rackets and golf clubs. I blame the targeting of non-game-players to some extent.
BUT in terms of expensive, high-end(ish) accessories, I'm amazed to see how in the midst of tough economic times game enthusiasts have been convinced to buy Rock Band, which has a huge buy-in cost, much higher than the standard low-end DDR dance mat.
I've found 2009 to be a mediocre year game-wise, but then again I'm in my periodic kali-yuga phase of game playing and buying of late, which I'm sure colors my opinion. For instance, I've bought at least a dozen PSP games in the past season, only to leave them languishing on a shelf. Eh, except for Super Mario Brothers Wii, I suppose, which I've enjoyed. Have I mentioned so far that I've found much more Super Mario World influence than I thought I would? I had been seriously expecting a straight SMB3 rehash, from all the previews I had seen.
Bu there's a separate thread for that I think, isn't there?
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| Toxico 4817th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
|  "凶" , posted Wed 16 Dec 05:31:
I don't really want to comment on my year, but let's just say that the post title covers it all.
quote:
BUT in terms of expensive, high-end(ish) accessories, I'm amazed to see how in the midst of tough economic times game enthusiasts have been convinced to buy Rock Band, which has a huge buy-in cost, much higher than the standard low-end DDR dance mat.
Well, in theory, according to the economy theorists and such, when economy is crap you need to spend as much as possible, you need to keep money circling through the market so that it can boost jobs, incomes and whatever; instead of keeping the bills trapped rusting in your mattress.
obscene voodoo dance teleport
目に焼きつけて、死ぬがいい・・・
Translation txt currently off line.
Now sponsoring : video game analogies (ES)
Last update : Chapter 14 as of 11/12/09
[this message was edited by Toxico on Wed 16 Dec 05:32] |
| Pollyanna 2811th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(8):This year sucked (year in review)" , posted Fri 25 Dec 12:31
quote:
I don't even know what a game named Final Fantasy is supposed to be anymore so I doubt FFXIII can fail me in that respect. But what is the game doing? Is the game engine and story working for you so far or are you still stuck in the first five hours of cut-scenes?
(note: I haven't played FFXIII for a tremendously long time yet. The systems take a while to "warm up", and I've gotten past that point at least, but I'm maybe 1/4 of the way through at most. My opinion could completely change by the end)
Stiilll...
So far, I loooove it. It's a blast. So much creativity, so much to look at, so beautiful. Not just in a like "pretty graphics" way, but in terms of design, in the depth of the environments, in the subtleties of the character's expressions.
In my opinion, there's a good balance between gameplay and cinemas. Before I can get bored with the game, they hit me with a cinema...and as soon as my fingers start itching, they throw me back into the game.
But I mean...that's going into the game expecting something plot-intensive. If you're the type of person who likes to power level and explore and do things like that, the game is a complete disaster. It is, indeed, terribly linear. It's not just that it's linear...you can't even go back. You can't go around...you just walk on a beautiful beautiful line. On the other hand, although the "dungeons" don't offer a large area to explore, I find myself motivated to explore every (virtual) square inch just to see what there is to see.
I like the battle system, but the game has a bad habit of not challenging you enough. In the battles where you're forced to get creative with the system, it's a lot of fun...really dynamic. Unfortunately, like so many Final Fantasies before it, you can finish many of the fights by just jamming on the "accept" button.
This is especially unfortunate, because the game is built in a way that would benefit from higher difficulty. Because it is so linear, and because you don't have EXP (you level up through job points and your job levels max out at plot-related points), the game always has a good idea of how strong you are and what you're capable of. Also, since it lets you retry after losing, it's no big deal if you get in over you head. It just seems like they could've managed the difficulty much better in an environment like this.
But more than anything, the game is engaging. The systems are simple, but but reasonably fulfilling, the battles are flashy, fast-paced and brilliant when they're challenging...the music is lovely and atmospheric...the environments are rich...and of course, the cinemas are a sight to behold.
I think even if people complain about the cinemas, they're still better than most modern RPGs, where creators seem to think that "more dialogue is better" even if the characters are just blankly staring at each other repeating the same tired, old lines for 20 minutes at a time. If nothing else, FFXIII gives you captivating facial animations (or flashy explosive things) to look at, even if you don't like the dialogue.
Really, most of the complains about the game are well-founded and it doesn't offer a lot if you're looking for a really intensive RPG experience...but it does what it does well enough that I can't help but be delighted by it. To me, it breaks the "good or bad" scale. On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a "totally sweeeeeeet~!". I don't know if its good points outweigh its bad points, but I don't know if that's even relevant.
Random note:
Whenever I play a game, I always make my character "dance". usually I accomplish this by running in circles, running left and right in rapid repetition, strafing or whatever. I assume this is a common practice, but maybe I'm the only one who does this. Anyway, in FFXIII, when you do this (running in circles or back and forth), the characters stop and do a special animation...usually shaking their head or shrugging or whatever.
At any rate, the point is, Sahz has the best dance I've ever seen.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Spoon 1865th Post
Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(9):This year sucked (year in review)" , posted Sat 26 Dec 10:29
quote:
Random note:
Whenever I play a game, I always make my character "dance". usually I accomplish this by running in circles, running left and right in rapid repetition, strafing or whatever. I assume this is a common practice, but maybe I'm the only one who does this. Anyway, in FFXIII, when you do this (running in circles or back and forth), the characters stop and do a special animation...usually shaking their head or shrugging or whatever.
At any rate, the point is, Sahz has the best dance I've ever seen.
I love doing that, too!
I remember playing MGS and trying to determine what was the fastest possible rate that Snake could twirl around at, either in prone or while standing (or the fast rate that a Nikita missile could spin at).
That is possibly the most thoughtful feature of a recent 3D game I've heard of.
Personally, I was thinking that one day somebody would just make an achievement for "rotate X times in Y seconds".
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| Grave 1261th Post
Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Come on 2010!" , posted Sat 26 Dec 14:30
My only sincere hope for 2010 is that all the SSF4 character lists have contained a typo and Hakan is actually Hazzan.  MESSATSU
Okay, no, my other hope is that when Continuum Shift comes home, lots of you get it for PS3 and play with me, mbisonhatclub and friends! I don't think I got to play with anyone from here other than Polly, though I remember trying with misantroop (Evenor?) a few times. This will not do. Also SSF4 will have lobbies, as much as I don't love SF4 I'll probably be picking it up. Maybe in 2010 I'll get a decent Xbox controller so I can play fighting games on that too!
Things to reply to!
quote:
reading Naruto degrades your family, your god and yourself
This is true! But it's also really, really funny. Watching Kishimoto lower the bar every week and stumble through more crap he made up a few days ago is amazing. If this guy has a plan for the series he sure hides it well. It's sad because the first two arcs were so good. Too bad that was so many years ago and there's really no reason to read it now other than to giggle at sharingan arms.
quote:
See Undead Fred and Shingo the One post again.
Have SFIII characters in SSFIV...hey, an internet idiot can have dreams too.
These are also things that I would like!
quote:
I've noticed that the older I get the worse I get at video games, so I tend to play them less. I think my PS3 has spent the majority of it's "on time" playing movies and downloading system updates.
I just find myself turning them on a lot less. I still have a lot of fun when I do and I'm still okay at them, it's just that I don't feel the pull as strongly. MW2 was an exception, but most of the hours I logged were with a friend, taking turns playing online. I doubt I would have done it alone.
quote:
A few years back, I think it was labeled as a "homosexual gaming site", but lately it just feels like a "disenchanted aging gamer" forum.
Why can't it be both?
quote:
Personally, I was thinking that one day somebody would just make an achievement for "rotate X times in Y seconds".
You can make Big Boss throw up. That should be achievement enough for anyone.
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| Ishmael 3647th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):This year didn't suck" , posted Thu 31 Dec 06:17
quote:
Whenever I play a game, I always make my character "dance". usually I accomplish this by running in circles, running left and right in rapid repetition, strafing or whatever. I assume this is a common practice, but maybe I'm the only one who does this. Anyway, in FFXIII, when you do this (running in circles or back and forth), the characters stop and do a special animation...usually shaking their head or shrugging or whatever.
Thanks for the information about FFXIII. It sounds like you spend a majority of the game sliding down a single, pretty line but that may not be a bad thing. Recently I've played several games that gave me a wealth of options in how I could approach the gameplay but in the end I realized all the games had given me was even more opportunities to screw up.
quote:
I think the former is hilarious and maybe truer than I might have thought though as for the latter, I'd say it's just a group of discerning critics---the Cafe is the arthouse movie theater of game talk, where people are actually interesting and where it's small enough that you can actually see how one person's personality (at least as represented here) relates to their tastes and impressions of this strange little hobby/art/entertainment.
The arthouse label isn't bad in and of itself but that mind-set can lead to a sense of ennui and unwarranted entitlement. Yes, we should do our best to be overly intellectual about our hobbies. But we should also write as if someone is waiting in the wings to hit us upside the head with a metal pipe, oil drum or some other beat'em up weapon if we get too full of ourselves. It would help keep us honest.
Speaking of the year in review, I realize that 2009 was the year I was able to perform a fatality on Superman. I still don't know what to make of that.
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| Pollyanna 2818th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Thu 31 Dec 18:32
I think if FFXIII has a good conclusion, it'll edge out Bayonetta for me. The game keeps getting better and better. It accomplishes something really impressive that I have to rant about.
The game is not especially cinema-intensive. There are no towns and you will often do several dungeons in a row with little dialogue in-between. However, the visuals are so immersive that they tell a story in themselves.
It doesn't hurt that the characters will talk to one another or make comments based on their environments...and certainly the music is wonderfully atmospheric...but more than that, you understand how the characters feel because you're feeling it with them. Even if you don't relate to their personal struggles, you feel the wonderment of visiting a new world, or the melancholy of searching through a long-deserted town. When you're up high and you look down, you feel dizzy.
I remember looking over a cliff into a massive valley (as I often do) and saying "wow" out loud. By coincidence, immediately afterward, Sahz said "It's beautiful, isn't it?" There are numerous similar scenes, but to mention them in specific would be a spoiler.
There are many non-cinema scenes I can look back on that have an emotional impact. I think that's one of the highest accomplishments that a game can hope to achieve.
quote:
Thanks for the information about FFXIII. It sounds like you spend a majority of the game sliding down a single, pretty line but that may not be a bad thing. Recently I've played several games that gave me a wealth of options in how I could approach the gameplay but in the end I realized all the games had given me was even more opportunities to screw up.
Oh no, you'll have plenty of opportunities to screw up in FFXIII with your equipment at least. For almost the entire game, there's no easy way to make money and resources are scarce. Choose to upgrade your weapons/accessories unwisely and you could definitely gimp yourself.
It's nice, though...having to make a choice...deciding how you want to build your team. I hate RPGs where you walk into a town and can easily buy the best of everything, then do the same thing 20 minutes later. What's the point?
In FFXIII, the sky is the limit when it comes to upgrading your equipment, but you really have to prioritize.
quote:
I didn't play many games this year, but the one which utterly impressed me in its combining of old and new into something fun and awesome was Half Minute Hero (or Yuusha 30).
Glad someone else enjoyed this! I'm still loving the soundtrack.
quote:
That leaves us with Demon's Souls and Bayonetta, and I think I spent slightly more time on the later than on the former (even though Bayo was released more than 6 month after DS). I think they both win, in the sense of "I'm happy some Japanese teams still manage to make good games that are at the same time completely Japanese and adapted to the current situation of the market and the industry", something I wouldn't say of FFXIII, for example.
I liked Demon's Souls and I appreciated its "traditional Western fantasy look", but I didn't appreciate its traditional Western From Software roughness around the edges. The game works great in the "normal" sword fights, but on some of the larger enemies there were too many times where I felt like I was fighting the system as much as the monster.
Still, I'm happy for all the positive publicity its received.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| nobinobita 669th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member
| "Re(1):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Fri 1 Jan 02:00
quote:
However, the visuals are so immersive that they tell a story in themselves.
Beautifully worded. You've just described my favorite thing about videogames (and comics, movies, TV shows, paintings etc).
quote:
Thanks for the information about FFXIII. It sounds like you spend a majority of the game sliding down a single, pretty line but that may not be a bad thing.
I have a feeling this game will be torn apart by the press for this very reason. It seems that alot of people WANT to hate this game. They will say things like, "this game is linear and that's bad" even though there's nothing inherently wrong with being linear. They will also say it's just the another non innovative JRPG, despite the fact that every Final Fantasy has a different cast, setting, story, theme and gameplay system (the differences between any 2 Final Fantasies are much more concrete than the differences between any two Halos). But I guess I should stop worrying about what other people think and just enjoy myself.
Anyway, I'm way more excited for FFXIII after hearing your impressions.
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| Iron D 3352th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Fri 1 Jan 12:57
quote:
However, the visuals are so immersive that they tell a story in themselves.
Beautifully worded. You've just described my favorite thing about videogames (and comics, movies, TV shows, paintings etc).
Thanks for the information about FFXIII. It sounds like you spend a majority of the game sliding down a single, pretty line but that may not be a bad thing.
I have a feeling this game will be torn apart by the press for this very reason. It seems that alot of people WANT to hate this game. They will say things like, "this game is linear and that's bad" even though there's nothing inherently wrong with being linear. They will also say it's just the another non innovative JRPG, despite the fact that every Final Fantasy has a different cast, setting, story, theme and gameplay system (the differences between any 2 Final Fantasies are much more concrete than the differences between any two Halos). But I guess I should stop worrying about what other people think and just enjoy myself.
Anyway, I'm way more excited for FFXIII after hearing your impressions.
I, on the other hand, am still skeptical. Seeing as Polly was one of the people who can't play a fighting game if they "can't get past the character select", I'm seeing that her praise is, again, based almost entirely on the aesthetics. What about the gameplay?
I mean, Chrono Cross is such a pretty game that I think it's still beautiful even compared to more modern games, but it still played like shit and was cumbersome as hell.
Er.....
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| Pollyanna 2820th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Fri 1 Jan 19:53:
EDIT: Reply to Nekros' question after my huge rant.
quote:
I, on the other hand, am still skeptical. Seeing as Polly was one of the people who can't play a fighting game if they "can't get past the character select", I'm seeing that her praise is, again, based almost entirely on the aesthetics. What about the gameplay?
I mean, Chrono Cross is such a pretty game that I think it's still beautiful even compared to more modern games, but it still played like shit and was cumbersome as hell.
It's more than just "pretty", though. It does something with its visuals. Like Shadow of the Collosus is a great-looking game, but it's the presentation that makes it so strong. In FFXIII, it's not just that the environments look pretty, it's how they were designed and how they are presented as well.
Similarly, with the expressions that the character's make...sure, the renders look nice, but it's the thought behind those expressions that matter...and the grace of their execution. It's different than just looking pretty vs looking ugly, it's a feeling that permeates the entire game.
From a gameplay perspective...I think it's going to be hit or miss for a lot of people. And I'll try to be fair about this, so my opinion may be a bit more trustworthy.
If you aren't into the visuals at all...if you're just looking at the mini map while you're going through dungeons, you're probably going to feel bored. There are wonderful sights to see and wonderful things to explore, but they require attention from the player. I've found something meaningful in the minute details where there is less complexity in the "maze" design. The environments feel real...like you're moving through a real location. For better or worse, they do not feel like mazes.
The battle system is one of my favorites in any RPG...I like the high speed and the sort of "flow" where your characters switch "roles" (like jobs) at the push of a button to reflect the changing tide of battle. Building up and pushing towards a crushing offense is very gratifying. Seeing your damage climb from 100 to 99999 for the big finish never gets old.
To me, setting up quick-change roles (powering up at the start of battle, changing to defensive roles when things get ugly, pushing to offensive roles when you have an opening) is engaging and exciting. On the other hand, I felt like FFXII's gambit system was interchangeably too "hands on" (setting up complex gambits felt like solving a math problem) and too "hands off" (once you set them up, the game took care of itself).
However, other players may feel frustrated by the lack of specific control of their characters. It's not like having one player character with two AI dimwits, but it's not like old-school FF either. (Still, the battles are way more like the older games' than 12's were.)
Nearly every system in the game takes a "streamlined" approach, where you have control and customization, but in a relatively simple way. I don't think there's anything shallow about it, though. You can choose from a decent variety of weapons (all uniquely useful) and accessories that can all be upgraded and transformed into different accessories. Although your "job" paths for each character are fairly straightforward, your choice of equipment can significantly alter how those characters are played. Also, the chemistry between each combination of characters is different, so it can be enjoyable to mix it up from time to time.
Although I personally feel that every system in the game is strong, there is one huge downside that will almost certainly prevent me from replaying the game.
They introduce the systems to you very gradually, and it's not until fairly late in the game that all of your options become available. By the time you can do everything, the game is phenomenal, but before then, it's only exciting because you don't know any better. I can't imagine going back to the beginning of the game after playing the end. I feel like it would be terribly boring. Going through the first time, I was just learning the basics bit by bit...but after you already know everything, how can you go back?
The first half of the game is very limited in that respect. It's not boring, but you're very much on tracks. You can't really level up or save up money...you can't go back anywhere...you just push forward and push forward. The result is that it's a fairly balanced and fast-paced experience, but it's not much like what you would expect from an RPG, either.
Later, there are tons of sidequests, huge areas to get lost in and plenty of optional pseudo-bosses to challenge yourself with. Still, this is very separate from the core experience.
In the end, I have no doubt that this game is very good at what it does. However, what it has to offer and what its audience wants may not be the same thing. You have to be flexible in your expectations from both Final Fantasy and RPGs in general to enjoy the game. It certainly made some polarizing decisions (no towns!), but outside of its lack of replayability, I don't think anything in the game is "bad", just "not necessarily for everyone."
quote:
So, FF13 is shojo-driven as usual?
Ermmm...maybe? Cid is STUPIDLY hot in a totally pandering way and Hope is pretty much the ultimate cute little boy, but there's a lot of really tough girls and implied lesbianism too...? Snow is pretty off-beat for a leading FF guy. He's loud, stupid and obnoxious in a beer-guzzling manly kind of way. I usually refer to him as "Super Bro" or "The Ultimate Bro". Also, although he's impossibly hot under his hobo gear, it's in a non-traditional FF way. Obviously Sahz totally breaks the mold, too.
There is a prominent love story in the game, but it's not between the main characters. Think like...FFX if Yuna and Tidus didn't fall in love and Tidus was fighting to get back home to his girlfriend.
I don't know...the game does have a sort of "shoujo" feel, but not quite in the same way as the previous games. Maybe like Rose of Versailles or something? Hahah...I don't know. I really wasn't ready for this question.
*sigh* I want Lightning to be my prince. She can carry me away on her Transformer Horse any day.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Fri 1 Jan 20:12] |
| Iron D 3353th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Fri 1 Jan 21:00
quote:
EDIT: Reply to Nekros' question after my huge rant.
I, on the other hand, am still skeptical. Seeing as Polly was one of the people who can't play a fighting game if they "can't get past the character select", I'm seeing that her praise is, again, based almost entirely on the aesthetics. What about the gameplay?
I mean, Chrono Cross is such a pretty game that I think it's still beautiful even compared to more modern games, but it still played like shit and was cumbersome as hell.
It's more than just "pretty", though. It does something with its visuals. Like Shadow of the Collosus is a great-looking game, but it's the presentation that makes it so strong. In FFXIII, it's not just that the environments look pretty, it's how they were designed and how they are presented as well.
Similarly, with the expressions that the character's make...sure, the renders look nice, but it's the thought behind those expressions that matter...and the grace of their execution. It's different than just looking pretty vs looking ugly, it's a feeling that permeates the entire game.
From a gameplay perspective...I think it's going to be hit or miss for a lot of people. And I'll try to be fair about this, so my opinion may be a bit more trustworthy.
If you aren't into the visuals at all...if you're just looking at the mini map while you're going through dungeons, you're probably going to feel bored. There are wonderful sights to see and wonderful things to explore, but they require attention from the player. I've found something meaningful in the minute details where there is less complexity in the "maze" design. The environments feel real...like you're moving through a real location. For better or worse, they do not feel like mazes.
The battle system is one of my favorites in any RPG...I like the high speed and the sort of "flow" where your characters switch "roles" (like jobs) at the push of a button to reflect the changing tide of battle. Building up and pushing towards a crushing offense is very gratifying. Seeing your damage climb from 100 to 99999 for the big finish never gets old.
To me, setting up quick-change roles (powering up at the start of battle, changing to defensive roles when things get ugly, pushing to offensive roles when you have an opening) is engaging and exciting. On the other hand, I felt like FFXII's gambit system was interchangeably too "hands on" (setting up complex gambits felt like solving a math problem) and too "hands off" (once you set them up, the game took care of itself).
However, other players may feel frustrated by the lack of specific control of their characters. It's not like having one player character with two AI dimwits, but it's not like old-school FF either. (Still, the battles are way more like the older games' than 12's were.)
Nearly every system in the game takes a "streamlined" approach, where you have control and customization, but in a relatively simple way. I don't think there's anything shallow about it, though. You can choose from a decent variety of weapons (all uniquely useful) and accessories that can all be upgraded and transformed into different accessories. Although your "job" paths for each character are fairly straightforward, your choice of equipment can significantly alter how those characters are played. Also, the chemistry between each combination of characters is different, so it can be enjoyable to mix it up from time to time.
Although I personally feel that every system in the game is strong, there is one huge downside that will almost certainly prevent me from replaying the game.
They introduce the systems to you very gradually, and it's not until fairly late in the game that all of your options become available. By the time you can do everything, the game is phenomenal, but before then, it's only exciting because you don't know any better. I can't imagine going back to the beginning of the game after playing the end. I feel like it would be terribly boring. Going through the first time, I was just learning the basics bit by bit...but after you already know everything, how can you go back?
The first half of the game is very limited in that respect. It's not boring, but you're very much on tracks. You can't really level up or save up money...you can't go back anywhere...you just push forward and push forward. The result is that it's a fairly balanced and fast-paced experience, but it's not much like what you would expect from an RPG, either.
Later, there are tons of sidequests, huge areas to get lost in and plenty of optional pseudo-bosses to challenge yourself with. Still, this is very separate from the core experience.
In the end, I have no doubt that this game is very good at what it does. However, what it has to offer and what its audience wants may not be the same thing. You have to be flexible in your expectations from both Final Fantasy and RPGs in general to enjoy the game. It certainly made some polarizing decisions (no towns!), but outside of its lack of replayability, I don't think anything in the game is "bad", just "not necessarily for everyone."
Hrmmm....sounds....interesting. Sounds like I'd have to play it to know for sure if I'd like it or not.
Here's a question: does each character feel unique? One of the things I did not like about...say...FFVIII or X was how you could pretty much make any character do anything. You kind of implied that XIII's battle system did that as well.
I prefer VI, VII and IX for the fact that each character was unique and had abilities that were unique, thus making me want to take the time for them to improve.
Er.....
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| Pollyanna 2821th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(5):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Sat 2 Jan 05:43
Note: I am intentionally avoiding using the official terminology for the game in all of these posts to avoid confusion.
quote:
Here's a question: does each character feel unique? One of the things I did not like about...say...FFVIII or X was how you could pretty much make any character do anything. You kind of implied that XIII's battle system did that as well.
I prefer VI, VII and IX for the fact that each character was unique and had abilities that were unique, thus making me want to take the time for them to improve.
The characters are customizable, but unique within those customizations.
I mean, the characters are more unique than VII, that's for sure. In VII, I had a team of three attacker-healer-mages. No character could do anything much better than the others.
In XIII, each character has three main "jobs". No two characters have the same set. Some are hybrid characters (Lightning is attacker/healer/mage) and some are polarized (Hope is mage/healer/buffer). At the end of the game, you can try to make Hope into an attacker, but he'll never be good at it. Even characters that have hybrid classes are unique about them. For example, if you want to do magic with Fang (I can't imagine why, though), she is a debuffer. Some of those spells can be used for damage, but they're like...curses and such. Not normal elemental magic.
Even when characters share a class, they learn different moves. For example, Sahz's buff spells are offense-based (haste, attack up, adding elemental damage to a weapon), while Hope's are defense-based (defense up, elemental defense). For that reason, I used Sahz for most of the game. Hope eventually does learn attack up and haste, but he never learns the different elemental buffs, just how Sahz never learns the elemental defenses.
Also, each character has a unique summon with totally unique attacks and animations related to it.
I hope this all makes sense. I'm trying to be thorough without rambling too much.
And...
quote:
Never has a man nipple been so precisely crafted in any videogame ever.
No kidding.
I kind of wish more people had taken their shirts off, even if it resulted in "the most precisely crafted middle aged black man chest hair in any videogame ever."
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Iron D 3356th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(6):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Sat 2 Jan 20:51
quote:
Good questions, IronD, and I get this feeling below too, except:I prefer VI, !!VII!! and IX for the fact that each character was unique and had abilities that were unique
VII???? There's not a speck of uniqueness to those characters unless you count limit breaks, and if that's the case, then clearly VIII would win out as more unique given that limit breaks are meant to occur all the time in the latter, no?
Both you and Polly are correct on this. It's been a while, but thinking back on it now, the characters weren't that different outside of limit breaks. Damn rose-tinted glasses.
I just don't seem to recall the materia system working the same way as say...X's sphere grid as far as making it so that any character could basically do anything they wanted rather than each having their own abilities. However, I'm willing to admit that my nostalgia may be warping my view here.
Damn....been a while since I played VII.
Er.....
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| Time Mage 2783th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(7):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Sun 3 Jan 05:13
quote:
There are some really good, strict cases, like FFV or FFT where even if characters could have access to the very same skills, equipment wise you couldn't afford to having them exactly the same.
Or FFXII, where everyone can learn everything, but how you customize them (equipment and gambits) makes them useful in 1-2 roles at most. I can make a scary "multi hit berserk masamune slicing machine" that is an inept at doing anything other than phisical damage, or a impregnable tank that always has the enemy attention and receives the lowest damage, but doesn't do really good damage, or the ultimate "plow through dungeons one shotting groups of enemies with the correct elemental magic" that can't take a hit or do any kind of physical damage.
The problem is when everyone can do everything at the same time. when you have the option to do everything, but you have to choose your role... Well, that's awesome, in my opinion.
"News flash big guy: You can wax on wax off all you want I'm still... KICKIN' YOUR ASS!"
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| Pollyanna 2822th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(8):Holy crap I love FFXIII" , posted Sun 3 Jan 05:32
quote:
it is true about the Sphere Grid, but each character was unique in the beginning since they have a different start point on the path. Also, abilities are influenced A LOT in the initial part of the Sphere Gird (ie: Rikku is a "thief", Auron a "warrior", Lulu a "mage", etc.).
FFXIII is similar in this, right?
Yes and no. In FFX you were all on the same sphere grid, in FFXIII, each character has their own...or rather, they have a set of their own, each dealing with a different job. They all start with 3 main jobs. You unlock the other jobs for them later, but the "sphere grids" they get for those jobs aren't as good as the ones the other characters have.
Although some characters can be similar if you work at it, each character is absolutely unique, even if they share the same jobs. Some characters in some classes share numerous moves, but no character has the same set.
Also, as Time Mage put it...
quote:
Or FFXII, where everyone can learn everything, but how you customize them (equipment and gambits) makes them useful in 1-2 roles at most.
Although the characters are more unique, FFXIII is a bit like this as well. Each weapon is highly specialized, so you have to choose between being well-rounded or extremely powerful in one role. Also, since you switch jobs frequently and on the fly, you don't have different equipment sets for each job.
I hope this finally makes sense now?
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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"This year sucked (year in review)" , posted Tue 15 Dec 03:55
"Re(7):This year sucked (year in review)" , posted Sat 19 Dec 11:46
. Surely, I must be cursed or something.
