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ultima espio
Guest
Jihl Nabaat DLC battle
No word on whether she's tameable or not though.
No word on whether she's tameable or not though.
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Prince Lex
Guest
Seriously, if you "mashed x to win" in this game you wouldn't get very far at all. In FFXIII you can do that for a large first portion of the game, because they baby you with non stop tutorials. This one isn't like that at all.
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StickySock
Guest
Actually, I bet most people who hate FFXIII would be surprised how soon that strategy becomes not an option, and you are forced to experiment in battle unless assisted by the aid of a walkthrough video. You can't even beat an Eidolon that way.
The auto-battle function is actually very useful in the later part of the game where you want to kill an enemy that is weak to fire and not have to go into the menu and hit "fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire" each time for one attack. It's not so much that it plays the game for you but becomes a way of easily selecting attack combinations on enemies you have already discerned the weaknesses for.
If you actually can stand the linearity and poor story (background mythology aside) and stick with the game long enough the battles become more enjoyable and complex. But the thing is, that is all there is this game. Battle battle battle, cutscene, battle battle battle, and some optional chocobo digging at the end.
Dahaka, all of the Barthandelus boss battles, Orphan I, , Mark mission 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 62, Attackus, Vercingetorix, and the Long Gui all provide difficulty. The question is, can you stand to make it that far?
For me, I've played all the final fantasy's for the sake of trying, and although this game did seem like a step back and isn't near as good as my favorites in the series, it certainly isn't the worst. There are A LOT of cons to FFXIII but I would say the battle system isn't one of them, but if you really made the case that it is, it would be at the bottom of the list of problems.
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DLPB_
Guest
It does not change the fact that the game is still dumbed down over what the series used to be, you have even less characters in battle, I have read people who still complain about the lack of strategy,
It is just a cash in.
It is currently scoring among the very worst FF in history at Metacritic by user score (actually I do believe THE worst). 7.2 for playstation 3 and 5.9 (FIVE POINT NINE) for Xbox
http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/final-fantasy-xiii-2
Even FFX-2 got 7.7
You can't tell me this is coincidence?
and to top it off, the story is awful and ends with a "to be continued".
It is just a cash in.
It is currently scoring among the very worst FF in history at Metacritic by user score (actually I do believe THE worst). 7.2 for playstation 3 and 5.9 (FIVE POINT NINE) for Xbox
http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/final-fantasy-xiii-2
Even FFX-2 got 7.7
You can't tell me this is coincidence?
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Prince Lex
Guest
The game is not remotely dumbed down. It has a very complex levelling and battle system, and there are a shit load of side quests that aren't empty (as in, there are a ton of sub plots with VA recorded dialogue, a purpose for each one). The characters all have depth, reasons for what they're doing and no plot point is useless (though there are a few plot-holes).
It's all about choice. You can choose how you want to level your characters, which roles you want them to advance in for the strategies you're going to use in battle.
If there was no strategy required, I would be able to spam auto battle all the way through, and you seriously can't do that. If you choose to level the wrong roles or don't have the correct paradigms set before battles, it's actually very easy to get a game over.
The story is actually not bad. There was at least a running narrative this time, and the characters were finally real enough to care about. The only problem was TOO MUCH CHOICE leading to a slightly fractured narrative, but that's only me because I'm a completionist and had to do everything as soon as it was available.
You have 2 characters in battle, and another 150 monsters to choose from. This makes for some very interesting (and fun) strategic planning. I'm not going to pretend I don't miss having my 6 characters to choose from as in XIII or any other FF game, but what I will say is that I fucking LOVE taking a Tonberry into battle with me. It's hilarious and keeps the battles from getting stale.
If there's one thing I'm going to complain about, it's Serendipity. It just feels quite empty. The chocobo races are impossible to consistently win on the highest class without a totally levelled Silver/Gold chocobo, and even then they're repetitive. Not to mention my rage at trying to get that 7777 coins fragment. Literally just got 20000 coins from the exchanger and sellotaped L1 down.
Got my platinum trophy this morning. The game is worth every penny, and Square Enix have taken the complaints with XIII and actually implemented every single one.
The ending was a bit of a mindfuck, but it was still totally worth it. I wouldn't be defending it's predecessor nearly as much as I'm defending this, and that's because every fan complaint has been dealt with. If people want to keep bitching they have a right to an opinion, but I think people that have played it from start to finish are pissed off because they can see they fixed what they didn't like about XIII, and they still don't like it. Which is a shame.
To be honest, the biggest mistake they made was calling the auto-battle button auto-battle. Having recently replayed VII and VIII, you're doing the same fucking thing for the first few hours anyway. Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack. You do the same thing at the start of EVERY FF game. Just attack to win. Hold X to win, as it were. Then you might have to cast magic once in a while to kill something new, or to heal. Technically speaking, XIII and XIII-2 actually require more button presses to do this, what with the paradigm shift before you press "auto-battle" again hahaha
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EDIT: I've just re-read this and I would like to make it clear that I am in no way saying that this is the best ever Final Fantasy game, but it's still a damn good one. I just feel the need to vehemently defend it since a lot of people seem to have made the assumption it's just like it's predecessor when it's a completely different game.
It's all about choice. You can choose how you want to level your characters, which roles you want them to advance in for the strategies you're going to use in battle.
If there was no strategy required, I would be able to spam auto battle all the way through, and you seriously can't do that. If you choose to level the wrong roles or don't have the correct paradigms set before battles, it's actually very easy to get a game over.
The story is actually not bad. There was at least a running narrative this time, and the characters were finally real enough to care about. The only problem was TOO MUCH CHOICE leading to a slightly fractured narrative, but that's only me because I'm a completionist and had to do everything as soon as it was available.
You have 2 characters in battle, and another 150 monsters to choose from. This makes for some very interesting (and fun) strategic planning. I'm not going to pretend I don't miss having my 6 characters to choose from as in XIII or any other FF game, but what I will say is that I fucking LOVE taking a Tonberry into battle with me. It's hilarious and keeps the battles from getting stale.
If there's one thing I'm going to complain about, it's Serendipity. It just feels quite empty. The chocobo races are impossible to consistently win on the highest class without a totally levelled Silver/Gold chocobo, and even then they're repetitive. Not to mention my rage at trying to get that 7777 coins fragment. Literally just got 20000 coins from the exchanger and sellotaped L1 down.
Got my platinum trophy this morning. The game is worth every penny, and Square Enix have taken the complaints with XIII and actually implemented every single one.
The ending was a bit of a mindfuck, but it was still totally worth it. I wouldn't be defending it's predecessor nearly as much as I'm defending this, and that's because every fan complaint has been dealt with. If people want to keep bitching they have a right to an opinion, but I think people that have played it from start to finish are pissed off because they can see they fixed what they didn't like about XIII, and they still don't like it. Which is a shame.
To be honest, the biggest mistake they made was calling the auto-battle button auto-battle. Having recently replayed VII and VIII, you're doing the same fucking thing for the first few hours anyway. Attack, Attack, Attack, Attack. You do the same thing at the start of EVERY FF game. Just attack to win. Hold X to win, as it were. Then you might have to cast magic once in a while to kill something new, or to heal. Technically speaking, XIII and XIII-2 actually require more button presses to do this, what with the paradigm shift before you press "auto-battle" again hahaha
.EDIT: I've just re-read this and I would like to make it clear that I am in no way saying that this is the best ever Final Fantasy game, but it's still a damn good one. I just feel the need to vehemently defend it since a lot of people seem to have made the assumption it's just like it's predecessor when it's a completely different game.
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dkma841
Guest
Looks like i'll give this a try il wait a bit more for it to be a bit cheaper
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Timber
Guest
hahaha @ this
The fact that XIII is higher than XIII-2 is pretty obvious proof that these kind of scores should be taken with a grain of salt, wouldn't you agree?
Sure, you can argue that the unique XIII style battle system isn't as good as <insert favourite FF battle system here>, but the whole 'things just keep getting worse and worse' attitude is pretty darn silly.
The fact is, from playing XIII-2, you can see that Square have taken HUGE steps in the right direction, and taken on a TON of player feedback.
Things are looking up my friend. Based on what I have seen, I'm actually pretty excited for what the next Final Fantasy will bring. It also will certainly not use the same XIII style battle system, another plus in your books.
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DLPB_
Guest
I disagree.... I think when you get user scores that low for an FF game (the lowest), there is a very good reason for it.
The reason it has gone lower than XIII is likely to do with fan backlash.
The reason it has gone lower than XIII is likely to do with fan backlash.
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Timber
Guest
Exactly right, these aren't level headed reviews to be taken very seriously. These are fans still pissed off from XIII and XIV. This is why the actual score, not the user score, is much better.
This gametrailers review is pretty spot on actually:
Or just read Prince Lex's mini review above, he's on the money. Especially about Serendipity lol, it really is a pretty shitty attempt at a 'Gold Saucer'.
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Lion
Guest
tell me this though,
would you put it in the top 50% of FF games? i think our expectations for final fantasy have dropped so low that basically we feel a feeling of surprise when a game that is somewhat decent comes out.
i doubt it will top FF4, 6-10. And 11 doesn't really count imo
would you put it in the top 50% of FF games? i think our expectations for final fantasy have dropped so low that basically we feel a feeling of surprise when a game that is somewhat decent comes out.
i doubt it will top FF4, 6-10. And 11 doesn't really count imo
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Timber
Guest
No idea. I wouldn't be able to rank the ones you listed either - they are all great games in their own way, even 11
But that's my point really, XIII-2 is a cool game in it's own right. Don't get swept up in the 'but these final fantasy games were better' nonsense. If you like JRPGs it's worth a try, and if you don't like it, maybe the next one will be more your flavour?
I can only imagine how much better received the game would be if it didn't have 'Final Fantasy XIII' in the title..., or even 'Final Fantasy' for that matter. People get too emotional, and can't help but compare it to their others favourites!
But that's my point really, XIII-2 is a cool game in it's own right. Don't get swept up in the 'but these final fantasy games were better' nonsense. If you like JRPGs it's worth a try, and if you don't like it, maybe the next one will be more your flavour?
I can only imagine how much better received the game would be if it didn't have 'Final Fantasy XIII' in the title..., or even 'Final Fantasy' for that matter. People get too emotional, and can't help but compare it to their others favourites!
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DLPB_
Guest
The reason I bought FF was because it was great and because it was worth the money... these "things" aren't, and for me personally these are not worth the console either.
The older FF's were better, in pretty much every way apart from graphics. If this is an FF game, it should be held to account AS a FF game. I don't buy for 1 second the argument that we should forget the whole reason we bought the series in the first place. To me, it sounds like an excuse for just how far the series has sunk.
If I stay at a 5 star hotel every year and then when I go back one time, it has become to a 1 star hotel, I don't pay the same money for it, or stay there. I go elsewhere. It does not comfort me to know that even a 1 star hotel has a bed.
The older FF's were better, in pretty much every way apart from graphics. If this is an FF game, it should be held to account AS a FF game. I don't buy for 1 second the argument that we should forget the whole reason we bought the series in the first place. To me, it sounds like an excuse for just how far the series has sunk.
If I stay at a 5 star hotel every year and then when I go back one time, it has become to a 1 star hotel, I don't pay the same money for it, or stay there. I go elsewhere. It does not comfort me to know that even a 1 star hotel has a bed.
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Prince Lex
Guest
Except this game was worth the money. FFXIII was also worth the money, there was just almost no point in having a controller for the first 6 hours! Hahaha. But which was more worth the money, if you're looking for a FF experience? XIII-2.
I can't refute that the focus and therefore limitation with XIII was the graphics. Stunning, and I think the best I've seen this generation in both games. Interestingly, XIII-2 isn't quite as pretty, which seems to fit everyone's gameplay over graphics argument.
People are understandably butthurt about XIII, XIV and maybe even some from XII. These people have gone to the cynical place in which I usually dwell, where a blanket of hatred is placed over everything new because mistakes have been made. XIII-2 is their way of saying "OK, we get it, we did it wrong. Here, is this any better?" and the answer is YES, it most certainly is better. But the user scores are jaded fans, again butthurt and probably annoyed by the "to be continued".
For me, it is most certainly the game that has felt most like a FF game since FFX. XII was directed by the tactics team while the "real" FF team worked on XIII (originally for PS2 then PS3, hence the huge dev. cycle). XIII deviated too much from the formula. XIII-2 is like an amalgamation of old and new, and the system works beautifully.
Would I rank it in the top 50%? For quality (and I don't mean graphics) yes. For story? It feels like a middle chapter. So probably not. For me, the golden 3 are PSX era. In my head they cannot be beat. I loved the SNES era too, IV or VI I cannot choose between.
Everyone says "oh if it wasn't called Final Fantasy we wouldn't be talking about this and it would be amazing blah blah blah" - and that's true. But it doesn't matter, because what I'm saying is Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a FINAL FANTASY GAME. XIII didn't feel like one, granted. XIII-2 does. That's what I'm trying to get across here.
And DLPB, if we're going for hotel metaphors, I really have to be honest and say that your 5 star to 1 star thing is not applicable. It's more like you've been going to a 5 star hotel, then you back another time, it's a renovated 5 star hotel. That's a bit more plausible. XIII is not a 5 star experience, but it is jaw dropping. XIII-2 is, but it's less jaw dropping. It's also the least linear FF game i've ever played aside from XII, so that argument doesn't really hold anymore. Though all FF games by nature are linear, so that's irrelevant.
I can't refute that the focus and therefore limitation with XIII was the graphics. Stunning, and I think the best I've seen this generation in both games. Interestingly, XIII-2 isn't quite as pretty, which seems to fit everyone's gameplay over graphics argument.
People are understandably butthurt about XIII, XIV and maybe even some from XII. These people have gone to the cynical place in which I usually dwell, where a blanket of hatred is placed over everything new because mistakes have been made. XIII-2 is their way of saying "OK, we get it, we did it wrong. Here, is this any better?" and the answer is YES, it most certainly is better. But the user scores are jaded fans, again butthurt and probably annoyed by the "to be continued".
For me, it is most certainly the game that has felt most like a FF game since FFX. XII was directed by the tactics team while the "real" FF team worked on XIII (originally for PS2 then PS3, hence the huge dev. cycle). XIII deviated too much from the formula. XIII-2 is like an amalgamation of old and new, and the system works beautifully.
Would I rank it in the top 50%? For quality (and I don't mean graphics) yes. For story? It feels like a middle chapter. So probably not. For me, the golden 3 are PSX era. In my head they cannot be beat. I loved the SNES era too, IV or VI I cannot choose between.
Everyone says "oh if it wasn't called Final Fantasy we wouldn't be talking about this and it would be amazing blah blah blah" - and that's true. But it doesn't matter, because what I'm saying is Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a FINAL FANTASY GAME. XIII didn't feel like one, granted. XIII-2 does. That's what I'm trying to get across here.
And DLPB, if we're going for hotel metaphors, I really have to be honest and say that your 5 star to 1 star thing is not applicable. It's more like you've been going to a 5 star hotel, then you back another time, it's a renovated 5 star hotel. That's a bit more plausible. XIII is not a 5 star experience, but it is jaw dropping. XIII-2 is, but it's less jaw dropping. It's also the least linear FF game i've ever played aside from XII, so that argument doesn't really hold anymore. Though all FF games by nature are linear, so that's irrelevant.
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Lion
Guest
i think when people say linear they mean the illusion of choice. i mean we all know FF games have one ending, and more often than not you'll eventually hit dead-ends in all paths but the correct one but FF fans love to explore.
for example the cavern of stolen fayth was the definition of linearity to me. here was a dungeon, that in previous games you had to work for an aeon like yojimbo, but instead it's a completely linear dungeon with dead-ends that you can see from your minimap. you just run down those paths to collect a treasure chest and move on. there is no exploration.
for example the cavern of stolen fayth was the definition of linearity to me. here was a dungeon, that in previous games you had to work for an aeon like yojimbo, but instead it's a completely linear dungeon with dead-ends that you can see from your minimap. you just run down those paths to collect a treasure chest and move on. there is no exploration.
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ultima espio
Guest
Well I just finished. Wtf was that? xDD
SPOILERS
Talk about twists. So much for Lightning's happy ending. Is Serah dead or what?:/
SPOILERS
Talk about twists. So much for Lightning's happy ending. Is Serah dead or what?:/
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Prince Lex
Guest
I'm pretty positive she is, from reading the exclusive interview in the collector's edition guide.
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ultima espio
Guest
I guess Lightning's scenario will explain it all then.
Hopefully when they announce XIII-3, the other characters will be playable.
Hopefully when they announce XIII-3, the other characters will be playable.
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Prince Lex
Guest
FANG. I WANT FANG.
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ultima espio
Guest
Well SPOILERS
Sazh saved hers and Vanille's crystal, so if they find a way to revert them (you know they will), then they could be playable. Maybe.
Things that confuse me though:
What year is Sazh from? He and Dajh look exactly the same, and how did they get there?
Caius said that he killed Lightning before Noel and Serah get to Valhalla. Does that mean that he killed her once Lightning sent Noel for Serah? And that the Lightning in New Bodum 700AF was actually one from just before that fight?
Sazh saved hers and Vanille's crystal, so if they find a way to revert them (you know they will), then they could be playable. Maybe.
Things that confuse me though:
What year is Sazh from? He and Dajh look exactly the same, and how did they get there?
Caius said that he killed Lightning before Noel and Serah get to Valhalla. Does that mean that he killed her once Lightning sent Noel for Serah? And that the Lightning in New Bodum 700AF was actually one from just before that fight?
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Prince Lex
Guest
Caius was lying. According to Toriyama, Lightning turned to crystal "so her sister's sacrifice would not be in vain".
Sazh and Dajh are from 2 years after the events of the original XIII. He was able to use the gates to time travel. Both Lightning and Sazh's full stories will be available in episodic DLC. Again from the interview I'm talking about.
Only I wish they'd hurry up, because I hate seeing those 2 greyed out gates on my Historia Crux map!
Sazh and Dajh are from 2 years after the events of the original XIII. He was able to use the gates to time travel. Both Lightning and Sazh's full stories will be available in episodic DLC. Again from the interview I'm talking about.
Only I wish they'd hurry up, because I hate seeing those 2 greyed out gates on my Historia Crux map!
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