FINAL FANTASY Versus XIII Trailer 2011 - Lookin pretty good!

[Xeogred]

Dude noise have you even beaten FFXIII yet? I always hear you're just a few hours in.

I'll admit my experience with the game makes no sense, but I hated it at first (watching my friends play it), then picked it up... it grew on me a little bit until 30 or so hours in (this is when the tutorial ends or so), then I beat it. When I realized that the original Final Fantasy probably has a deeper plot and better characters, I saw the light. I really wish I could explain how and why I beat it. I know it was one of the only games I had to play at the time, so that's one excuse... but man, why. Looking back at it I'm just disgusted through and through. The characters, the inconsistent music (seriously I hate when they bring in composers that tend to work on anime/TV stuff or whatever and not games, games are different and some composers don't seem to get that), the Crystarium menu pisses me off tremendously, the battle system was so stupid, I could not stand not having any control for my AI at all. It was the biggest step backwards ever when comparing AI control (there's NONE!) to it and FFXII, which was amazing in that regard. Oh hey thanks Vanille or Hope for casting buffs/debuffs in an order that makes no sense, oh thanks for healing that character that was about to die but guess what when I the main character dies it's game over so you just killed us all. etc.

See how angry I get thinking about the game thesedays, sheesh.

[brunoafh]

I really wish I could explain how and why I beat it.

I'd be interested in hearing an explanation for how anyone could bring themselves to complete the game.

[noiseredux]

Dude noise have you even beaten FFXIII yet? I always hear you're just a few hours in.

I'll admit my experience with the game makes no sense, but I hated it at first (watching my friends play it), then picked it up... it grew on me a little bit until 30 or so hours in (this is when the tutorial ends or so), then I beat it. When I realized that the original Final Fantasy probably has a deeper plot and better characters, I saw the light. I really wish I could explain how and why I beat it. I know it was one of the only games I had to play at the time, so that's one excuse... but man, why. Looking back at it I'm just disgusted through and through. The characters, the inconsistent music (seriously I hate when they bring in composers that tend to work on anime/TV stuff or whatever and not games, games are different and some composers don't seem to get that), the Crystarium menu pisses me off tremendously, the battle system was so stupid, I could not stand not having any control for my AI at all. It was the biggest step backwards ever when comparing AI control (there's NONE!) to it and FFXII, which was amazing in that regard. Oh hey thanks Vanille or Hope for casting buffs/debuffs in an order that makes no sense, oh thanks for healing that character that was about to die but guess what when I the main character dies it's game over so you just killed us all. etc.

See how angry I get thinking about the game thesedays, sheesh.

I have not beat it yet, no. RPG's take me a pretty long time. Especially since I'm juggling a few of them right now. I'm actually pretty into FFIV The After Years this week. That being said, I feel like what most people hate about FFXIII is the presentation -- the characters, and the linear story/progression. In that sense, it's like a movie or a book. And really that's all taste. I like a lot of movies that people think are trash. I hate a lot of movies that people think are brilliant. Some things just connect with us and it's ineffable really. I could sit here and TRY to explain to you guys WHY I connect with FFXIII, but what's the point? For whatever reason, it makes me happy to play it. And for whatever reason it didn't make others happy to play it. Shrug.

[MrPopo]

Yeah, I have to agree with Noise. I thouroughly enjoyed FFXIII because I felt the story they were trying to tell was done very well. It is a different kind of story from most FFs, which I think is what causes a lot of the ill feelings. I also liked the battle system, though I feel it's one of those things that some people are just not going to like, and others won't like until they've figured out how to properly exploit it.

[Gamerforlife]

Dude noise have you even beaten FFXIII yet? I always hear you're just a few hours in.

I'll admit my experience with the game makes no sense, but I hated it at first (watching my friends play it), then picked it up... it grew on me a little bit until 30 or so hours in (this is when the tutorial ends or so), then I beat it. When I realized that the original Final Fantasy probably has a deeper plot and better characters, I saw the light. I really wish I could explain how and why I beat it. I know it was one of the only games I had to play at the time, so that's one excuse... but man, why. Looking back at it I'm just disgusted through and through. The characters, the inconsistent music (seriously I hate when they bring in composers that tend to work on anime/TV stuff or whatever and not games, games are different and some composers don't seem to get that), the Crystarium menu pisses me off tremendously, the battle system was so stupid, I could not stand not having any control for my AI at all. It was the biggest step backwards ever when comparing AI control (there's NONE!) to it and FFXII, which was amazing in that regard. Oh hey thanks Vanille or Hope for casting buffs/debuffs in an order that makes no sense, oh thanks for healing that character that was about to die but guess what when I the main character dies it's game over so you just killed us all. etc.

See how angry I get thinking about the game thesedays, sheesh.

The AI is actually what I think makes both FFX III's combat and FFXII's combat so brilliant. Things happen quickly. You simple CAN'T micromanage everyone on your own, especially with combat happening in real time and with you trying to get characters to coordinate attacks simultaneously in FFXIII. It just wouldn't work with you in complete control. It's a team effort and it's designed to be that way. Maybe if combat paused periodically than giving you complete control might work, but all rpgs do that. I like that FFXIII never gives you a chance to breathe. By relying on ally AI, it makes it feel like I really and truly am part of a party of characters and not just some god moving characters around a chess board like other rpgs

Personally, when it's done right, I LOVE games with AI characters. I like the sense of working in a team, helping other characters, etc. It's nice to get that in a single player experience since I tend to not like multi-player games for various reasons

I think once a player gets accustomed to it, FFXIII's combat is the best in the series. No other game had combat as fast paced, cinematic, epic, and satisfying(seeing my characters sync up their attacks to interrupt enemies or just take turns air juggling an enemy into oblivion is immensely satisfying). I've not enjoyed a combat system so much probably since playing Grandia

[XxBroBuzzxX]

Huzzah, I'm not the only person in the world who likes FFXIII
Can't say I'm excited for Versus XIII though, I never liked KH's battle system.

[noiseredux]

The AI is actually what I think makes both FFX III's combat and FFXII's combat so brilliant. Things happen quickly. You simple CAN'T micromanage everyone on your own, especially with combat happening in real time and with you trying to get characters to coordinate attacks simultaneously in FFXIII. It just wouldn't work with you in complete control. It's a team effort and it's designed to be that way. Maybe if combat paused periodically than giving you complete control might work, but all rpgs do that. I like that FFXIII never gives you a chance to breathe. By relying on ally AI, it makes it feel like I really and truly am part of a party of characters and not just some god moving characters around a chess board like other rpgs

Personally, when it's done right, I LOVE games with AI characters. I like the sense of working in a team, helping other characters, etc. It's nice to get that in a single player experience since I tend to not like multi-player games for various reasons

I think once a player gets accustomed to it, FFXIII's combat is the best in the series. No other game had combat as fast paced, cinematic, epic, and satisfying(seeing my characters sync up their attacks to interrupt enemies or just take turns air juggling an enemy into oblivion is immensely satisfying). I've not enjoyed a combat system so much probably since playing Grandia

totally. Don't get me wrong, I love classic turn-based combat... but FFXIII is like RE4, if that makes sense. It's this just fast-paced rollercoaster ride, which is something strange in an RPG.

[brunoafh]

FFXIII is like RE4, if that makes sense. It's this just fast-paced rollercoaster ride, which is something strange in an RPG.

Exactly, but that's a major reason I dislike it so much. It's more of a visual masturbation fest than a video game, it pretty much plays itself while you sit there like !?!?

I'm not really into stuff like that, but for people that are, I can certainly see how the game would be really fun for them.

[Xeogred]

Well I'm just curious to see if your opinion will change if and when you beat the game noise, plus all my AI complaints with the battle system don't really pop up until later in the game when everyone has a lot more abilities and whatnot.

Another issue I had with FFXIII's storytelling is that it was 90% about the 6 or so main characters and that was that. So you're out of luck if you don't like them, because they don't really develop anyone or anything else. Also as much as I hate Seymour from FFX, I'd put FFXIII's main villain below him, who was just absolutely worthless as a character and was very forgettable.

[noiseredux]

I'm not really into stuff like that, but for people that are, I can certainly see how the game would be really fun for them.

well I'd argue that RE4 was a lot less masturbatory.

I'm normally NOT into that kind of thing either. In fact, I'm not a big fan of FFX -- but somehow FFXIII just resonated with me. Don't know. Part of it could be that it was my second PS3 game, so it was like Hey! THIS is what yr new system can do! BOOYAH! Right? But like I said, I also personally enjoy the characters (which I can't say about X) and the story, and honestly I guess I just find the extreme linearity fitting. I know what to expect, so when I'm in the mood for it, I pop it in and make some more progress. It's the sort of RPG I can play in pieces and take breaks from and when I come back to it I don't have to strain to remember "OK, WHERE the F was I supposed to go next now?"