Zedzero said:
So FFXIII was recentlly released, now I have never been interested in the series, but this one caught my attention, no not due to those cheesy ass trailers but due to the high ratings and new looking combat system (my knowledge extends to that FF is infamous for turnbased, which isn't bad but it has grown old). So this has me intrigued, and I'm on the fence to buy it or not. I want an RPG to last, yes I have DA:O it is good but it's missing that oumph, does FXIII have it? Is it a game that would be inviting to newbies to JRPGS? Or is it more of a "If your a fan you will like it, if not avoid it" kind of deal. A short review would be nice along with feedback of what I should do.
Update: March 15 2010: Seems to be a mixed bag in here. Those who like it actually make valid points while the ones who didn't seem to just want to rilled fanboys/girls. Ugh maybe it will go on sale at walmort or something so I won't feel horrible if I hate it.
Still on the fence, just saying the lover make good points, especially kawaiiamethist, and Space Spoons.
An opinion from a non-fanboy (sort-of), who hasn't played a JRPG in a while...
I love a little bit of everything when it comes to gaming, but the JRPGs haven't been able to hold my interest in a while. The last one I really played (as in to the end) was FFX (which I liked). I have also played FF 1,2,3,6,7,8 and 10. So I used to be a bit of a whore to the franchise. But FF11 being on online wanna-be, I said goodbye to the series, until FF13. Yes I was a victim of hype, but I'm glad I was. A quick "review" for you and any others interested from a 28 year video game veteran.
There may be minor spoilers, but only in referenece to gameplay, no story spoilers here...
First off, I will say that having not seriously played a JRPG since FFX, I was pleasantly surprised by this game. It takes a while to really get started (i.e. you unlock all the intracacies of the battle system) but once you have the full combat system at your disposal, it is very deep and rewarding. It is not turn based but ATB based in that all characters have a time bar that slowly fills and once it is full you can perform an action (or several). More powerful actions will take up more of the time bar, so there is a little strategy there. One thing that when I started I thought I would dislike is the fact that you only every directly control one character, the computer controls the direct actions of the others in your party. Before paradigms are unlocked, this seems very limiting, but once you unlock the paradigm system, the combat is amazing. Almost every battle requires your full attention (unlike the mindless grinding I remember from previous JRPGs) and your use of the paradigm system is paramount. Selecting between major assault to healing to buffing/de-buffing is very tricking in some battles and requires thought. Especially when you add the stagger mode. Stonger enemies must be staggered in order to deal any real damage to them. It is a matter of having character that deal chain damage + characters that keep the chain gauge from depleting. It can be very tricky as you will need to heal, but also have to keep the pressure on. You may change paradigms after every action of your main character. It is intense and deeply satisfying. I will say that it is my favorite combat system of the JRPGs I've played.
That is combat, how is everying thing else? Well, as I'm sure you've heard, the game is VERY liniar. I'm only in Chapter 9 and I hear it "opens up" in one of the later chapters, but so far it is straight line city. I don't really mind this so much. It does make the game a little more accessable to noobs as you can't get lost and you know where your next objective is (a problem with some JRPGs I've played). But I admit that I am looking forward to a world that is a little more open. I am also looking forward to the time when I can chose my party members. You will float between MANY different partys, and all are chosen for you. At first I didn't like this, but then I was given a party that had no strong attack character and I was forced to play a little different. Then I was given a party with a really stong character and a really weak one, again, forcing me to play different. So it keeps the game fresh (and obviously is meant to move the story of the charters along). The invintory system has a perk to "upgrade" your weapons, but it seems I don't really have enough resources to do it. You could get them by farming somewhere, but as the game is very linear, you don't have any real farming opportunities. Well, you sorta do, you can save your game and reload and area and when you do, the enemies will respawn. I found myself doing this in one area because the combat was pretty hard and I was enjoying the battles.
The story is good. One feature they added was a jounal to give you the back story and it updates with each important even that happens in game. Think of it like the codex from Mass Effect. I have found it helpful. Something that sorta turned me off to the JRPGs is that they always tend to add character that are really annoying. It is usually a young brat (their anime does the same thing). When I saw a young brat potential in the begining of this game, I was about to roll my eyes, but the character has actually turned out to be pretty good and not a whiny brat. Who knew?
And then there are the summons. I like the new "transformer" summons, it is a neat little twist. However, I don't like that only the party leader can summon one and only the summon tied to that character. Does this change later in the game? If I have characters in my party that have a summon ability, I should be able to use it. So I don't like that part of it. And the Gestalt mode seems a little tacked on, although it offeres the most damage. Also, the summons seem weak. They use to be kind of a game changer in previous FF titles. Now they just seem to be a punching bag that can do a little damage and it you can't use them that often (a balancing thing I'm sure). I might not be using them correctly, as I haven't called on them much, but they are cool.
So in summary, I don't know the meaning of a short post. The combat system is very good, IMHO, you are forced to play the game a little differently by being given intersting character combos. Where I havn't minded the "forced" parties (and actually enjoyed it), I am really looking forward to the time when I can pic the party because each charter is completely unique (the bufferes/de-buffers have different spells/abilities) and they all have different class sets. I want to build my own party (as I am becoming fond of certain characters) and see how they do.