Final Fantasy Discussion Thread

[AcidLameLTE]

A week tomorrow

[Perpetual Change]

Has anyone read any reviews yet?  Apparently FFXIII isn't really a return to more traditional FF gameplay after all.  Oh well... I'm still excited for it.  Kinda...

[AcidLameLTE]

Any links to said reviews?

[icysk8r]

I have had mine preordered since december.  I'm excited but mostly for the graphics.  I would rather have the ffxii gameplay.

[AcidLameLTE]

I have had mine preordered since december.  I'm excited but mostly for the graphics.  I would rather have the ffxii gameplay.

N00B.

[Perpetual Change]

Any links to said reviews?

There was a review in Game Informer (yes I know that GI sucks but it was worth it for the edge card) that mentioned how there's no airship and no shops: you buy things from Save Points apparently.

[AcidLameLTE]

No airship eh? Strange.

I've never read Game Informer because, as far as I know, we don't get it in the UK.

[yorost]

The no airships isn't that strange, it was almost just a throwaway aspect of X and XII.  It was already dropped down to a facade over a simple menu choice takes you there instantly implementation.

I understand the lack of cities due to time and money, as it makes sense trying to do intricate cities in HD graphics could be very space, time, and money consuming for now.  As much as I know it would have pissed people off if they did cities in lower quality graphics, I would prefer that over none at all.  Even better might be to just have very limited access to cities to allow prerendered HD graphics.

[soundgarden]

Has anyone read any reviews yet?  Apparently FFXIII isn't really a return to more traditional FF gameplay after all.  Oh well... I'm still excited for it.  Kinda...

The combat system is so much more complex as there are so much configurations available.  It seems though that once you get it, it will be a lot of fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVQtiLBhHM0

1 week!

then god of war 3 after that  

[Perpetual Change]

I understand the lack of cities due to time and money, as it makes sense trying to do intricate cities in HD graphics could be very space, time, and money consuming for now.  As much as I know it would have pissed people off if they did cities in lower quality graphics, I would prefer that over none at all.

I knew no stores but no cities? Seriously? Fuck that.

For me, FF is all about the world-building.  That's what made my favorites, 7 and 10, so awesome.  I don't see how you can have decent world building without towns to explore.

Oh well.  I'll still play it, but it's pretty low on my list of games to buy now.  I'll certainly get Bioshock 2 of ME2 before it now.

[Genowyn]

The music doesn't seem very good either, imo.

[Perpetual Change]

Yup.  I knew Square were all about releasing half-assed spin-offs for cash now but I thought the FF series was still kind of sacred.  Apparently, getting this game out and having the best graphics possible is more important than having cities.

Well, I'm not gonna judge it before I rent it, but I'm not excited at all now.

[glaurung]

The music doesn't seem very good either, imo.

Are you joking? XIII's soundtrack one of my favorites from the series so far. Lots of great songs in it.

[Arcaeus]

I have had mine preordered since december.  I'm excited but mostly for the graphics.  I would rather have the ffxii gameplay.

N00B.

No, I would too, and I am not a FF noob.

The music doesn't seem very good either, imo.

Are you joking? XIII's soundtrack one of my favorites from the series so far. Lots of great songs in it.

However, I will have to give the game this. Amazing, amazing soundtrack.

[Genowyn]

Well, I've only listened to the battle themes, and while they're good, they don't fit. At all.

[Elsydeon]

the new chocobo theme is awesome. so jazzy i love it

[j]

Well, I've only listened to the battle themes, and while they're good, they don't fit. At all.

I haven't heard any of the new soundtrack, so I'm really in no position to talk, but historically the battle themes have not been anything close to the strong points of FF soundtracks.  IMO, of course.

-J

[Genowyn]

Whaaaat? I mean the boss themes too. The battle themes are always my favorite bit, and the ones from FFXIII are all...cinematic sounding. The regular battle music goes for about a minute before it has a melody. The battle will be over before the song gets started.

[j]

Well yeah, the boss themes tend to be very good.  But the regular battle themes are another story.  I can't say whether or not the new ones "fit" just yet, but hopefully I'll have time to listen to the soundtrack within the next few days.

-J

[AcidLameLTE]

I have had mine preordered since december.  I'm excited but mostly for the graphics.  I would rather have the ffxii gameplay.

N00B.

No, I would too, and I am not a FF noob.

Note how I also highlighted the fact that he was excited "mostly for the graphics".

[Genowyn]

Protip: XII had awful, boring gameplay. True story.

[AcidLameLTE]

I thought it was okay but I definitely wouldn't hope for it again.

[glaurung]

Protip: XII had awful, boring gameplay. True story.

XII had really great gameplay.

[Ultimetalhead]

The XII battle system took some serious getting used to. It was a totally radical change, and I really hated it at first.

ZOMG ONE WEEK

[j]

XII's battle system was great and very innovative (thought it took some getting used to), which is something that can't be said for any other FF game over the past 15 years or so.  It's too bad the game got crucified for creatively stepping outside the ancient formula for once.

-J

[Genowyn]

I have made my argument against that battle system countless times and I guess I'll make it again:

If I buy a Final Fantasy game I have certain expectations and expect them to be met. If I buy a Dream Theater album I expect to receive progressive metal. If I recieve synthpop, I will be understandably disappointed. It doesn't matter if it's a really, really great synthpop album, that's not what I thought I was getting. If they had called it something else like "Super Vaan Adventure", that would be fine, but they didn't, they called it "Final Fantasy XII".

Even if they had called it that, I wouldn't have played it because I think it's boring, though.

[AcidLameLTE]

Another thing I didn't like about XII was the story.

It bored me so much that I can't even remember it.

[j]

If I buy a Final Fantasy game I have certain expectations and expect them to be met. If I buy a Dream Theater album I expect to receive progressive metal. If I recieve synthpop, I will be understandably disappointed. It doesn't matter if it's a really, really great synthpop album, that's not what I thought I was getting. If they had called it something else like "Super Vaan Adventure", that would be fine, but they didn't, they called it "Final Fantasy XII".

I get that sort of, but is there not a point at which the old formula becomes totally stale from being re-used in EVERY...SINGLE...GAME with at most a minor twist?  I guess my expectations have more to do with the quality of the game, and I don't mind if they stray from their usual exact mechanics to make it.  Sometimes being surprised by something you weren't expecting can be a good thing.

Another thing I didn't like about XII was the story.

Can't argue there.

-J

[Genowyn]

Except that I LIKE that battle system, and that's why I play Final Fantasy games.

[glaurung]

If I buy a Final Fantasy game I have certain expectations and expect them to be met. If I buy a Dream Theater album I expect to receive progressive metal. If I recieve synthpop, I will be understandably disappointed. It doesn't matter if it's a really, really great synthpop album, that's not what I thought I was getting. If they had called it something else like "Super Vaan Adventure", that would be fine, but they didn't, they called it "Final Fantasy XII".

I get that sort of, but is there not a point at which the old formula becomes totally stale from being re-used in EVERY...SINGLE...GAME with at most a minor twist?  I guess my expectations have more to do with the quality of the game, and I don't mind if they stray from their usual exact mechanics to make it.  Sometimes being surprised by something you weren't expecting can be a good thing.

This! They tried something new and I think it worked our really great. It keeps the time gauges and the systems in place for things like magic or status ailments are exactly the same. But it adds whole new elements of strategy other FF games lack. I loved how things like your position/orientation to the enemy and area of effect spells changed the combat. More options is always a good thing for games like this and it showed, especially on boss fights.

I will agree with you on the story though. For most of the game it is pretty boring and there really is no point for the main character to even be there. Though everything picks way up closer to the end of the game, Vann grows a lot and starts to play a much bigger part in the group.

[j]

Except that I LIKE that battle system, and that's why I play Final Fantasy games.

I don't dislike it, it's just kinda been done to death.  Whatever, to each his own I suppose.

I will agree with you on the story though. For most of the game it is pretty boring and there really is no point for the main character to even be there. Though everything picks way up closer to the end of the game, Vann grows a lot and starts to play a much bigger part in the group.

I think the characters were fairly weak overall (especially Vaan: I couldn't stand anything about him), as was the plot in general.  Probably the weakest story in an FF game that I can remember, although there were a handful of cool characters/scenes.

-J

[glaurung]

I will agree with you on the story though. For most of the game it is pretty boring and there really is no point for the main character to even be there. Though everything picks way up closer to the end of the game, Vann grows a lot and starts to play a much bigger part in the group.

I think the characters were fairly weak overall (especially Vaan: I couldn't stand anything about him), as was the plot in general.  Probably the weakest story in an FF game that I can remember, although there were a handful of cool characters/scenes.

-J

They aren't all bad. I really like Baltheir, Basch and Ashe. Fran was just Baltheir's sidekick but I didn't really have a problem with her and  Pennelo was a waste of space. Vann started off as a really stupid character but he grows a lot over the course of the game and becomes really important.

[yorost]

I finished VIII, will post a mini review of it sometime in the next week or so.  While I have mostly praise and no substantial criticisms for it, I was left feeling like I should have loved it instead of really loving it.

For the main series games I have played I would rank them:

II
IX
XII
IV
VII
III
VIII
I
X

[glaurung]

VIII is still my favorite FF.

Junctions > Materia

*prepares flame shield*

[AcidLameLTE]

I'm usually not THAT bothered about the way magic etc. works in FF games but I really disliked junctioning.