Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review

[5ilver]

Apparently games play themselves these days. There's probably a "In Soviet Russia...." joke in there somewhere.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I still feel too burned from FF13 to buy this without seeing some player reactions.

 

[RJ 17]

"The return to a more classic form should earn Final Fantasy XIII-2 some goodwill from longtime fans..." Except the fact that the FF series has never been based upon direct-sequels - except 10-2 and we all know (or should know) what a godless abomination that game was - and as such the very premise of this game deviates from "classic FF form".

I'll cut my standard "The last good Final Fantasy was Tactics on the PS 1" rant and simply say that I don't like what Square-Enix has done with the series that I grew up with and who I considered at one time to be the gold standard of RPGs. The downfall started with 7...while still a solid and enjoyable game, I didn't have a nerdgasm over it like everyone else. 8 was decent but too easy and too emo, I mean Squall has the unique ability to get pissed off at his own thoughts and then burst out with something that leaves everyone standing there saying "What...the....fuck?" My favorite being the "I DON'T WANNA BE THOUGHT OF IN THE PAST TENSE!!!" scene before he runs out of the room leaving everyone utterly confused. 9 was too cartoony, 10 was playable but overall I liked Blitz-Ball better than the actual game and I consider any game a failure when the main boss is a god that you can't lose to unless you kill yourself twice. 10-2, as mentioned, was a horrid abomination that was a sin against man, god, and nature...it was a game that I rented and immediately returned 2 hours later.

Haven't played a FF since and I honestly don't intend to.

A week or so ago someone made a topic asking if people are getting pumped up for the re-release of FF10, and if not which FF would you like to be re-released. I suggested they should focus on coming out with one GOOD one before they go back and start re-making their mediocre/bad ones.

P.S. I wouldn't mind seeing a remake of any FF 1-6...so long as they don't take the George Lucas approach to remaking and just take a dump all over everything.

P.S.S. Well I guess I lied...said I wouldn't go on an anti-FF rant and that's kinda what this post turned out to be, my apologies.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

"The return to a more classic form should earn Final Fantasy XIII-2 some goodwill from longtime fans..." Except the fact that the FF series has never been based upon direct-sequels - except 10-2 and we all know (or should know) what a godless abomination that game was - and as such the very premise of this game deviates from "classic FF form".

I'll cut my standard "The last good Final Fantasy was Tactics on the PS 1" rant and simply say that I don't like what Square-Enix has done with the series that I grew up with and who I considered at one time to be the gold standard of RPGs. The downfall started with 7...while still a solid and enjoyable game, I didn't have a nerdgasm over it like everyone else. 8 was decent but too easy and too emo, I mean Squall has the unique ability to get pissed off at his own thoughts and then burst out with something that leaves everyone standing there saying "What...the....fuck?" My favorite being the "I DON'T WANNA BE THOUGHT OF IN THE PAST TENSE!!!" scene before he runs out of the room leaving everyone utterly confused. 9 was too cartoony, 10 was playable but overall I liked Blitz-Ball better than the actual game and I consider any game a failure when the main boss is a god that you can't lose to unless you kill yourself twice. 10-2, as mentioned, was a horrid abomination that was a sin against man, god, and nature...it was a game that I rented and immediately returned 2 hours later.

Haven't played a FF since and I honestly don't intend to.

A week or so ago someone made a topic asking if people are getting pumped up for the re-release of FF10, and if not which FF would you like to be re-released. I suggested they should focus on coming out with one GOOD one before they go back and start re-making their mediocre/bad ones.

P.S. I wouldn't mind seeing a remake of any FF 1-6...so long as they don't take the George Lucas approach to remaking and just take a dump all over everything.

P.S.S. Well I guess I lied...said I wouldn't go on an anti-FF rant and that's kinda what this post turned out to be, my apologies.

I disagree, I think the downfall started with FFX because everything was voice acted so it just became a linear movie. Dragon Quest 9 on the DS has way more depth than any of the recent Final Fantasy games and I'm sure text based conversations are the reason.
I quite liked FF X-2 but it really wasn't a Final Fantasy game and I am female which I'm sure helped...

 

[bobmus]

Never played a Final Fantasy game, but just wanted to pitch in my two cents to say that this game looks amazing visually from this video - people look exceptionally lifelike, the settings look great, and the combat looks like something from a movie. That being said, auto-battling and party planning sound like they make for horrible combat, so this would just frustrate me if I tried to play it. Ah well.

 

[Susan Arendt]

A couple of questions:

1) Do the quick time events ever get God of War annoying?

2) If you didn't want to use monsters, could you play without them or are they required to advance?

3) How difficult do the puzzles get?

1. No, I actually quite enjoyed them. They happen infrequently enough and are short enough to stay interesting.

2. Sure, you could skip them entirely. Might make your game a bit harder...though admittedly, I felt *really* overpowered once my little Medic cat was leveled up.

3. Not terribly. You might wish they didn't have so many levels, but they're not going to break your brain.

Whilst you do need to pay attention, you can't actually put the controller down and get a beer and comeback when it's done. The combat is some of the most laid back, effortless, thoughtless button pressing in history.

In fact the player is PUNISHED for trying to direct combat himself. The higher combat rankings are MUCH easier to get by just automating the entire battle. I tried a few myself and always got lower scores compared to just auto-attacking.

Truth. There is very little incentive to not just spam the "auto" button. Switching up Paradigms is the most involved you'll typically be in combat, and you really only need to do that during boss fights.

 

[The Great JT]

I don't really think there's any way of getting me to buy this one, shy of including an FF13-graphic-level version of Final Fantasy VI. Honestly, between the schizo-tech and annoying main characters, I'm kind of worried for Final Fantasy's future. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "every FF game since 7 sucks, they need to remake 7" people. Honestly, I think FF7 is good but really overrated, but the fans who keep saying "make the next one more like 7" are holding the series back. Think about it, 7 was where this wierd, overdesigned tech came from and the truly annoying characters started cropping up. If there's any game the FF series should be more like in terms of gameplay, playability and in-game tech, it's actually Final Fantasy 9. The characters are likeable (I'm still scouring around for a Vivi plushie), the story is lighthearted and the gameplay is actually playable. Actually, maybe if you took FF9's combat and added the tag-ins from FF10...

 

[Pariahwulfen]

Apparently games play themselves these days. There's probably a "In Soviet Russia...." joke in there somewhere.

In Soviet Russia, game plays YOU!
Remember folks to try your waitress, and tip the veal.

 

[masticina]

After FF XIII I didn't expect they could make a golden shining one again out of that backstory. Well XIII-2 at least might be reasonable, enjoyable.. offer fun and you know you playing the game instead of being put on the backseat.

I can dig that so yes I ordered FF XIII-2, hell even the monster addition [remember Enchanted Arms] can be very interesting.

Hey at least XIII-2 will allow me to actually play the game.

 

[Orange Monkey]

Doctor Who Theme at the end Have I mentioned I love you in a completely platonic non-stalkery way?

 

[Epona]

A couple of questions:

1) Do the quick time events ever get God of War annoying?

2) If you didn't want to use monsters, could you play without them or are they required to advance?

3) How difficult do the puzzles get?

1. No, I actually quite enjoyed them. They happen infrequently enough and are short enough to stay interesting.

2. Sure, you could skip them entirely. Might make your game a bit harder...though admittedly, I felt *really* overpowered once my little Medic cat was leveled up.

3. Not terribly. You might wish they didn't have so many levels, but they're not going to break your brain.

Whilst you do need to pay attention, you can't actually put the controller down and get a beer and comeback when it's done. The combat is some of the most laid back, effortless, thoughtless button pressing in history.

In fact the player is PUNISHED for trying to direct combat himself. The higher combat rankings are MUCH easier to get by just automating the entire battle. I tried a few myself and always got lower scores compared to just auto-attacking.

Truth. There is very little incentive to not just spam the "auto" button. Switching up Paradigms is the most involved you'll typically be in combat, and you really only need to do that during boss fights.

Thanks for the answers.

 

[RJ 17]

"The return to a more classic form should earn Final Fantasy XIII-2 some goodwill from longtime fans..." Except the fact that the FF series has never been based upon direct-sequels - except 10-2 and we all know (or should know) what a godless abomination that game was - and as such the very premise of this game deviates from "classic FF form".

I'll cut my standard "The last good Final Fantasy was Tactics on the PS 1" rant and simply say that I don't like what Square-Enix has done with the series that I grew up with and who I considered at one time to be the gold standard of RPGs. The downfall started with 7...while still a solid and enjoyable game, I didn't have a nerdgasm over it like everyone else. 8 was decent but too easy and too emo, I mean Squall has the unique ability to get pissed off at his own thoughts and then burst out with something that leaves everyone standing there saying "What...the....fuck?" My favorite being the "I DON'T WANNA BE THOUGHT OF IN THE PAST TENSE!!!" scene before he runs out of the room leaving everyone utterly confused. 9 was too cartoony, 10 was playable but overall I liked Blitz-Ball better than the actual game and I consider any game a failure when the main boss is a god that you can't lose to unless you kill yourself twice. 10-2, as mentioned, was a horrid abomination that was a sin against man, god, and nature...it was a game that I rented and immediately returned 2 hours later.

Haven't played a FF since and I honestly don't intend to.

A week or so ago someone made a topic asking if people are getting pumped up for the re-release of FF10, and if not which FF would you like to be re-released. I suggested they should focus on coming out with one GOOD one before they go back and start re-making their mediocre/bad ones.

P.S. I wouldn't mind seeing a remake of any FF 1-6...so long as they don't take the George Lucas approach to remaking and just take a dump all over everything.

P.S.S. Well I guess I lied...said I wouldn't go on an anti-FF rant and that's kinda what this post turned out to be, my apologies.

I disagree, I think the downfall started with FFX because everything was voice acted so it just became a linear movie. Dragon Quest 9 on the DS has way more depth than any of the recent Final Fantasy games and I'm sure text based conversations are the reason.
I quite liked FF X-2 but it really wasn't a Final Fantasy game and I am female which I'm sure helped...

I agree with pretty much everything you said (except for my thinking that the downfall started a couple games earlier). Indeed one of my biggest problems with 10 was that the voice-acting made my ears bleed and I do think that it seems Square-Enix is much more interested in making a cinematic experience than a gaming experience. I never played XIII but from everything I've heard it might as well have just been one big CGI movie.

As for 10-2, I liked the concept of the job changes and what-not because that was a mechanic from FF5 which I genuinely enjoyed...but indeed, it was just too girly for me and that was one of the biggest problems I had with it. That and the fact that Yuna was a pop-singer with a gun. So much for being a soft, timid, feminine summoner/white mage...no now she's a strong independent woman who's ready to take on all comers with a frickin' desert eagle .50 cal pistol. I don't mind so much the drastic character shift turning her into a "strong independent woman"...it's more the whole "I traded in my magical summoner's staff for a microphone and a gun."

 

[Epona]

I don't get what everyone is so pissed about. FFXIII was the single most revolutionary game in the entire YEAR! It dared to do what no other game did. Attempt to make the player as redundant as possible. In JRPG's the action and narrative was already driven by the characters without any input from the player, you know, like the famous yes or no question that can only be answered with Yes,

But FFXIII took it a step further. It completely automated combat. The only reason you would play a JRPG, cause hey your not here to listen to all the teenage angst, and Square Enix just told the player go stand in the corner whilst the AI fights for him.

Soon Square won't need "players" any more, you just load the disk into the console and enjoy a 80 hour movie.

This attitude is funny. Final Fantasy XIII requires the player to be really paying attention or you will get your ass kicked. It does not play itself.

This was part exaggeration and part truth.

Whilst you do need to pay attention, you can't actually put the controller down and get a beer and comeback when it's done. The combat is some of the most laid back, effortless, thoughtless button pressing in history.

In fact the player is PUNISHED for trying to direct combat himself. The higher combat rankings are MUCH easier to get by just automating the entire battle. I tried a few myself and always got lower scores compared to just auto-attacking.

I recently replayed Final Fantasy X and let me say that it is SLOW. It's not as slow as 9 but after you get used to XIII it's hard to go back to the slower paced games. With X you really could put the controller down and come back an hour later and still be in the same spot. With XII you could set it to auto battle and grind all night, while you slept. I never tried it but I have no doubt that you could if you set your gambits up properly.

So compared to the last 3 proper Final Fantasy games, XIII is the fastest paced and the most involved during combat. No other Final Fantasy game will hand you your ass faster than XIII. Sure, the combat had it's problems. There should have been a setting to slow things down for those who prefer not to use auto-battle. Being punished for not using auto-battle was a bad design move.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

After playing the demo, I just don't think enough has changed since the first installment. It's still a beautiful looking game and it may have opened up a lot more than I expected (multiple time periods with side-quests was unexpected) but I'm still really wary about it. Maybe I'll grab it anyway if the price is right since I'm curious to see what monsters you can summon to help you (like my favorite, the Tonberry) but I sincerely doubt it when I still have yet to experience 12 or, Dirge of Cerberus.

Question: Is the game separated into chapters again? Followup, if the game does have chapters, does it also have level caps which can't be topped until Chapter X is completed as was the case in 13?

 

[Epona]

After playing the demo, I just don't think enough has changed since the first installment. It's still a beautiful looking game and it may have opened up a lot more than I expected (multiple time periods with side-quests was unexpected) but I'm still really wary about it. Maybe I'll grab it anyway if the price is right since I'm curious to see what monsters you can summon to help you (like my favorite, the Tonberry) but I sincerely doubt it when I still have yet to experience 12 or, Dirge of Cerberus.

Question: Is the game separated into chapters again? Followup, if the game does have chapters, does it also have level caps which can't be topped until Chapter X is completed as was the case in 13?

I read that there is no level cap anymore. The entire leveling system has changed. Of course you know that since you played the demo but for others who don't know.

 

[Susan Arendt]

After playing the demo, I just don't think enough has changed since the first installment. It's still a beautiful looking game and it may have opened up a lot more than I expected (multiple time periods with side-quests was unexpected) but I'm still really wary about it. Maybe I'll grab it anyway if the price is right since I'm curious to see what monsters you can summon to help you (like my favorite, the Tonberry) but I sincerely doubt it when I still have yet to experience 12 or, Dirge of Cerberus.

Question: Is the game separated into chapters again? Followup, if the game does have chapters, does it also have level caps which can't be topped until Chapter X is completed as was the case in 13?

There are chapters, yes, but they're tied to the story, nothing else. You might not even notice the title announcing that you're in "Chapter 4" as it goes by. It's an indication of progress, that's about it. There is a level cap of 99 for each job, but that's not restricted by anything in particular.

 

[TilMorrow]

Now I have to ask did you name the Chocobo 'Daisy' or is the footage in the video from another source? Good review. I knew the story wasn't going to be amazing this time and it almost made me not want to get it but. then. epic. things. Long story short, I'm going to be getting it.

The funny thing is you know the demo that is out on XBL and PSN right now? Yea, I was playing the same thing at the end of september and the only change I noticed was there were side quests now, the characters no longer looked as ugly as they did then and you can name the creatures as well as level them up. Some progress was made at least.

Also the Doctor Who theme and the comment about "getting your ass kicked" as the action continues around you made me chuckle.

 

[AbstractStream]

Dammit, I had to pause it as soon as Susan said "spoilers."
Well so far from what I've heard and read, XIII-2 really is better than XIII in terms of gameplay and openness.
I've also heard that Caius is a bad-ass villain. I'm looking forward to seeing that. Apparently the biggest downside (again from what I've heard) is the story.
I'm not too worried about that. I liked the story from XIII so I have decent hopes for this one. I'm about to go pick it up. Once I play through a bit, I hope to get back to this video review. I've spoiled too much of this game for myself already ><

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I've seen the story and it is truly godawful; not even 8, 12, and 13 could match this and that's saying something. Last time Toriyama made a narrative based around time travel he made the 3rd Birthday which is probably the worst (and most disturbingly sexist) plot in Square Enix's HISTORY. Somebody get this man away from gaming, he's a hack and a pervert

 

[Okysho]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review

You won't love it, but hey, you probably won't hate it. That's something, right?

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video title says "Final Fantasy XII - 2" might want to fix that. lol

OT: I'll admit I don't own a 360 or PS3 on which to play any of the new final fantasy games (I'm stuck with the PSP, but dissidia is great ^.^) I've always liked the general direction Final Fantasy has taken though, mixing sci-fi with fantasy is always a challenge and extremely difficult to pull off. Lately because of my knowledge of how technology works, straight up fantasy classic (IE western fantasy RPGs) haven't been doing it for me because magic has become the "All purpose plot insulator" in most stories. This (and the fact that I love anime) is one of the reasons why JRPGs shine to me. Final Fantasy, despite people's complaints about it, is an exemplar of harmonizing story genres.