Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review

[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?

Read Full Article

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.

 

[Palademon]

One of the 4 games I'm buying this friday, and one of the two I'm getting a collector's edition of.

I thoguht XIII was fine. It looked good, it's music was ok, it's characters were of arguable quality, and I liked the combat. But what really shows, and is even demonstrated in this video, is how people view the combat. They'll say it something along the lines of "Yeah, you just let the AI do all the gameplay, but if you really want to do something, you can paradigm shift." They're missing the point. In XIII the strategy comes from the paradigm shifting. That's the active choices you're making. They made the autobattle so that the fights flow well in real time. Paradigms are the equivalent of choosing what attack you're doing, only instead of a specific thing, it picks a category that the AI will most likely apply in the exact way you wanted. Sorry if that sounds like a rant.

 

[Plinglebob]

I was one of the few who really enjoyed XIII (I like liniarity, sue me) so some of the changes that were announced really worried me (conversation trees, really?) but the reviews have given me a bit of hope. Just hope it isn't another XII where all the critics liked it, but I could get on with it.

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...

Change IX's levelling to be less grindy and I'd agree with you. The fighting to learn skills from items really got old.

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

I'm not going to play the game because i just don't care.

I just wanted to give you props for the Doctor Who joke. My eyes are watering as i write this.

 

[TheLastSamurai14]

PSN had the FF series going cheap, so yesterday I bought FF7 and FF8.

That's all the JRPG goodness I'll need for a while.

If you haven't played it or considered buying it, I'd recommend picking up FF9. Easily the best out of the PS1 trilogy.

OT: Already pre-ordered this, and I'm getting it on the 5th. I liked XIII a lot, so I expect almost nothing but improvement, and that's definitely got me hyped.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review

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

Read Full Article

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.

Roman numerals are hard!

Thanks for pointing that out, we'll fix it asap.

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.

I did, in fact, name my Chocobo Daisy. You can choose a name for your monster from a pretty extensive list - another of my monsters is named Severus, for example, and my cat there is Fishstick.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

I never liked FF13s combat, because it required you to spend too much time looking at freakin' menus. I don't want to look at menus, I want to play the game! The other option was to let it run on automatic, I don't want to let it neigh on play itself, I want to play the god damn game!

Yeah, super cheap or no sale thanks.

(I don't hate the game, but it just doesn't meet my preferences).

 

[TilMorrow]

I did, in fact, name my Chocobo Daisy. You can choose a name for your monster from a pretty extensive list - another of my monsters is named Severus, for example, and my cat there is Fishstick.

Interesting, so does the game give you a preset list of names from which to choose? Or are you allowed to freely key in (aka button smash) whatever name you want? Because I was pondering over the possibility of having the opportunity of naming an Imp 'Bahamut' and a Tonberry 'Sir Stabby' for the laughs.

Also a Cait Sith called Fishstick? Nice one.

 

[Artemicion]

I for one am disappointed Dresspheres did not make a return.
However I do find most of the characters from XIII fairly likable, if perhaps unoriginal. Thanks for the review regardless.

 

[PunkRex]

10-2 had a terrible story but was at least fun. Would like to know weather 13-2 had that fun factor or not.

 

[Susan Arendt]

I did, in fact, name my Chocobo Daisy. You can choose a name for your monster from a pretty extensive list - another of my monsters is named Severus, for example, and my cat there is Fishstick.

Interesting, so does the game give you a preset list of names from which to choose? Or are you allowed to freely key in (aka button smash) whatever name you want? Because I was pondering over the possibility of having the opportunity of naming an Imp 'Bahamut' and a Tonberry 'Sir Stabby' for the laughs.

Also a Cait Sith called Fishstick? Nice one.

Preset list of names - no option to just key stuff in yourself. But the lists are quite wacky. There's the "recommended" list of names, the "wild" list, the "tame" list, and then "other." There's everything from silly to human names - I have a giant cactaur named Ned, for example.

 

[Thetwistedendgame]

Many people already said it, that doctor who joke made me crack up at the end.

 

[antipunt]

Ooo.. a slight recc by Susan. Now I'm torn a bit.

I've been on the fence on this one from the start. Started out really negative (eww serah?!). Then more neutral (oh neat). Then I found out about the ending (YUCK. To be continued. seriously?..)

then susans comments about the story being 'ok' (a little positive).

Then finding out about the DLC-trap that is the casino. (more negative... i hate the feeling of paying -more- than $60 for the complete game...)

and then discovering that the 'to be continued' is prob a setup for even more dlc... or something along those lines.

Basically I hate the feeling of getting 'jipped', considering that the price tag is hefty enough as it is...it just isn't satisfying.

The basic mentality is why start something if you're not going all the way. Even more importantly, why start something 'of only medium quality' and go all the way. That essentially kills it.

I like to complete things; hate being left hanging... -especially- if cash is involved. Partial reason why I dislike MMORPGs

 

[ManupBatman]

I'm very excited to try this out. Personally love the FF13 combat, a quick paradigm shift seems much more skillful and thoughtful than the ATB of yore. I just wish they really played to that, making it a bit more of a juggling act.

I'm going to go ahead and consider this the actual FF13, and the other one an OVA prequel.

Also, are the buffer and debuffer classes worth anything this time? Or did you not use that strategy?

 

[AetherWolf]

I'll wait for it for it to die at the bottom of a bargain bin.

Then I'll think about it.


(seriously, Square Enix doesn't deserve my money at their current state)

 

[littlewisp]

Serah was one of the characters in XIII whom I could not stand at all. I would groan whenever she came on scene, and spent a good portion of time thinking nasty thoughts about her. Is her personality the same in XIII-2? Is she still a wilting flower?