Forum - View topicGAME: Final Fantasy XIII-2
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Ryu Shoji
Posts: 676 Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom |
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*Sees As and Bs in the final score* Er... I'm not sure if the words of the review and the final score really add up to be honest. Anyway, my experience with Final Fantasy XIII was minimal as I only owned a PS3 for about a month before my brother sold it. Me and my older brother love Final Fantasy, but couldn't stand XIII. Even if I still had my PS3, I wouldn't have bought this. Final Fantasy games haven't been good since X in my opinion. |
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GWOtaku
 Posts: 678 |
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As a game it's good and better than XIII, but the experience does lack closure. Imagine Final Fantasy VII ending after Sephiroth does you-know-what, or Final Fantasy VI stopping halfway and you'll have an idea of how wrong it would be for the story to end here.
Also, thematically speaking... spoiler[ XIII-2's story, as it stands, seemingly subverts XIII's theme of overcoming fate. It's no good leaving it as-is. On that point, at the game's ending you get one last cinematic action to decide something Noel does. But whichever option you pick the fundamental outcome is the same. That's just frustrating. ] The time travel bit might be better compared to Radiant Historia than Chrono Trigger, honestly. |
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Volibear
 Posts: 344 |
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from the several reviews i've now read on the game it would appear that both games sort of lack what the other has
Whilst i still enjoyed FFXIII, it was nothing more than a story, albeit a very, very good one (both story and characters). It was more like an interactive movie than an actual game, there was no element of gameplay to it and it really hurt it Now, from reading reviews on FFXIII-2 it would appear that they've fixed all the gameplay issues with open worlds instead of straights alleys and more diverse battles instead of auto attacking for 50 hours but it's come at the expense of a decent and fulfilling storyline and good characters i can't help but feel it's best if SE just finish up the set of Fabula Nova Crystallis games and just move on from it, so far all the things they've tried out haven't been received with the kind of acclaim they or we were expecting (i include FFXIV as well, although it isn't part of the FNC set) and it may be better to not overextend its stay and get cracking on something new earlier |
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belvadeer
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I'm currently enjoying the game for its combat options and exploration incentive, but not for its obnoxious puzzles (I'm fine with puzzles, but the ones in this FF feel out of place) and certainly not for its weak-in-the-knees story. The monster allies make for some fun combat, the Paradigm Shifts are no longer weighed down by those silly poses and combat goes by much more smoothly. Heck, unlike XIII, I actually want to do and complete everything this outing has to offer, especially before Graces F comes out in March.
As far as the so-called story is concerned, it's like Chrono Trigger and Back to the Future got drunk and had a baby out of wedlock; its name is FFXIII-2. All things considered, I wasn't expecting a "fantabulous" storyline here or anything. However, I will say this: I've grown quite sick of hearing the word "paradox". -_- |
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Arisato-kun
 Posts: 17 |
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I'm about 15 hours into it and it's worth buying IMO. While I do agree with what you said about the story being weaker it seems like the areas the game makes up for it with totally overcome that. Battles are fun, monster system is well implemented, everything else just plays better. Plus it's definitely brought back some of the humor that has been ever so lacking in Final Fantasy titles as of late.
At least IMO the soundtrack is phenomenal. I'll take Caius's Theme over One Winged Angel any day of the week. Plus Uematsu proves he's the champion by trolling everyone hard by composing only one song on the soundtrack: Crazy Chocobo. I don't see how people can hate it when it's clearly just meant to be hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEUOOgNzOv4 |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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No...not terrible. Ultimately though, the story's failure to ever really go anywhere and the lack of anything to do outside of the main game make it a pretty empty experience. This is why, for the life of me, I just can't muster even a shred of excitement for XIII-2.
Ah, so they'll be following the DC comics school of plot development. When in doubt, time fracture that shit!
Aaaand that does it. This game has been demoted to $10 bargain bin material. |
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Konopan
Posts: 399 |
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Ahaha, no. Let's just avoid this topic, though. Sounds like X-2 all over again; good "game" aspects with some far-detached relationship to an already crappy story in addition to its own lackluster scenario. Why not just make another Chrono game, Squeenix? Why not just forget about XIII until the end of days (you know, when Versus gets its release date)? |
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Mr. sickVisionz
 Posts: 2175 |
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Im 50/50 on this game. While FFXIII was completely linear 90% of the time, I enjoyed the pacing and that the plot that was constantly driving you forward. Much of the Lacie and Falcie stuff was jibberish to me unless I distilled it down to good guys and bad guys but I enjoyed the feeling of always knowing where I needed to go and being compelled to get there in order to do what needed to be done in the story. 13-2 throws all of that out and feels like more like, wander around and do random stuff. Once you've done enough random stuff you'll meet Lightning. If this was an open world game like Skyrim, maybe that would be interesting, but it's not.
I'm truly surprised that the viewer finds the Crystallarium to be more useful or understandable this time around. None of the stat upgrades or traits of a skill are listed anywhere so you're just flying blind the entire time. There are a couple of core mechanics to the leveling system that are never even mentioned in the game and I didn't find out about until browsing around on websites. Leveling up your monsters and infusion... there are some basic mechanics of the leveling system that are never brought up or explained at all. Some of the other changes are pure head scratchers to me. Was there really that much fan backlash against being able to put characters into your party? Calling back on the leveling system, were people really pissed off that they could see information about how leveling would impact their character? Many changes in the game just don't make any sense to me. It's far from a bad game, but for my tastes it's worse than 13 in nearly every way imaginable. Other than that now there's a bit of voice acting when you get a quest to go kill a monster, I can't think of much that it made better unless you're in the camp of a linear game is a bad game and a non-linear game is a good game. |
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Freakmasta
 Posts: 370 |
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So if Noel is Marty McFly, then who's Doc Brown?
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Yttrbio
 Posts: 3670 |
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Non-linearity isn't that hot if there's nothing to go see, is it? I've never found FF "freedom" to be particularly valuable. At some point in FF XIII, the game said "Okay, now you have the freedom to wander these undifferentiated plains and fight different-colored versions of monsters. Have fun!" And sure, it wasn't linear, but I can't think of it as any kind of improvement. I certainly didn't bother with it. Final Fantasy worlds just aren't developed enough to consider being able to explore them as much of a boon.
I haven't picked up XIII-2 yet... does the flexibility actually add anything, or does it just make it harder to find the content of the game? |
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TolueneTyrant
 Posts: 9 |
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There has only been two games released in North America from Fabula Nova Crystallis, FFXIII and its sequel. I think you're being too hasty, especially when every complaint on a message board now-a -days has to mention the lack of FFXIII Versus. Also, Final Fantasy Type-0 has gotten generally solid reviews in japan so I'm optimistic that an American release will be announced.
Yes! I completely agree, every time I had to do a fetch quest between time lines I kept thinking back to that game.
Really? The story was so watered down that I couldn't tell half of the time whether or not the antagonist was some big joke. The fal'cie had the worst motive of any FF villain ever, and the final boss looked like something from a Picasso painting.
I think you need to play Heavy Rain again, the difference between something like that and FFXIII is that the story changed based on character choice and the plot was mostly told in engine. If a prerendered FMV is considered interactive or in engine than I'm F***ing Popeye. If anything, the live trigger sequences in XIII-2 are closer to this. |
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sillyriri
Posts: 56 |
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I'm not quite done with the game yet (I'm at the end of it, but ended up quitting my attempt at the final boss 'cause of how long it was taking me).
For me, I've really enjoyed it, but I think it kinda suffers by being a sequel. Noel and Serah aren't really bad characters; but, because the party characters of XIII were one of its strongest points of that- in my opinion, at least- I spent most of the game missing them rather than really warming up to the heroes of XIII-2. Likewise for the story. It isn't really bad (although, some parts seemed a little disjointed to me), but in comparison it's lacking. @Arisato-kun; I think I've annoyed many people I know this week because Crazy Chocobo is stuck in my head. I can't help it if I randomly start singing those stupid lyrics. 
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Beatdigga
 Posts: 4597 Location: New York |
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Final Fantasy is pretty fortunate as a franchise that it can re-invent itself between installments, both gameplay and plot wise, but the whole of 13 seemed like a gigantic misstep. I can safely say I've enjoyed more FF games than I've disliked, but everything about FF 13 seemed wrong.
This game, while admirable, seems to be the equivalent of putting a band aid on a gigantic gash that needs stitches and disinfectant. You fix the little things, but the core plot and elements are still Spoony Experiment fodder. |
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charizardpal
 Posts: 30 |
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Agreed with the first part, however earlier FF games were fun to explore for their time. I remember loving when I first got onto the big map of FF 9 and discovered I could actually explore alternate continents with my airship, or Super Mario RPG's world (also by the same Square,) or Chrono Trigger. Not sure how those maps would compare with the standards of GTA/Red Dead Redemption today though. |
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toddc
 Posts: 164 |
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Our grading system doesn't have an entry for "Plot," and that's where the game leaves you wanting. I factored it into the overall score, however, and I don't think a "B" is off-base for something with good gameplay and a lame story. |
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