Final Fantasy XIII is a beautiful underated epic. Yes, it truly is. - by Gab.

[DigitalAtlas]

I can understand what you're saying but I completely disagree. I could literally go on for hours about the numerous things I feel were done wrong in that game,I can only give it credit for being a stunning looking game and for not having an "mp bar".
It was incredibly linear and had virtually nothing on offer in terms of side-quests,it also had the excellent idea of controlling only a single character who's death would constitute a 'game over' (I mean why even have phoenix down and revive let alone a party if they can't be used properly)
There was also the single worst case of voice acting I have ever heard it,I have never hated a 'good' character as much as Vanille..

Except that it had 80 side-quests..... They were even labeled and high-lighted for the player.... Not too mention the achievements/trophies....

I do agree their are minor annoyances in the game, but I agree more with the reviewer here. The battle system gets fairly hectic later on in the game and the story is fascinating. As for no free-roam, when you get to 'Gran Pulse', this game makes Fallout look linear.

On Gran Pulse, you have an entire plane to free-roam. There are monsters on there that wil destroy you with a look, so progressing through Gran Pulse takes large amounts of thought, patience, and planning. That alone is impressive for an FF game whic, before this section, have all had a sense of linearity.

The game is great, and I wish people would at the very least finish it before they rant on it.

Furthermore, if you have finished it and did not like it, props to you. You've earned the right to complain.

 

[Jonesy911]

If it's the "most beautiful and engaging story I have ever seen", I suggest you experience more stories.

My Review:
This game felt like I was sticking my head in a beautiful linear meat grinder

These guys know what's up

 

[NewfieKeir]

What was that about not having to grind to beat the story?

Maybe I just sucked but I had to grind A LOT and I still gave up on the game because there was a boss I couldn't beat no matter how hard I tried, and which made me realize that I really didn't give a rats ass if every character turned into one of those evil things (I can't be bothered remembering). Eventually I did look up the ending cinematics on youtube (Saved myself the arduous gameplay) and was unimpressed. Not going to spoil anything but it was NOT worth the 30 hours I put into the game and definitely did not make me want to play 10 more just to have the satisfaction of watching--- sorry DOING it myself.

Any game that it felt like I was just forcing myself to play it just to get the the cutscenes would be better adapted for the big screen. That said, if they had adapted the gameplay portions in the game into more cutscenes and made it into a series of films, it would have been brilliant.

 

[Michelle Weiss]

It wasn't the best FF ever but it was definitely my favorite interactive movie :3

my sentiments exactly

 

[DigitalAtlas]

I'd like to cover the subject of character development in this game. See, people say that Hope and Snow held little development. Clearly, you played just the first act. Hope grew more evil with his intentions for quite some time. He went from scaredand simply needing to comfort to trying to murder Snow, then finally accepting revenge won't bring his mother back. It's cliche' as all hell, but it's done incredibly well. Snow is a tragic hero if I've ever seen one in a video game. He is well loved among strangers for his work, but he loses it when he let's a single person down. He can't handle the persona that he was given and he learns that. The only tragic hero I prefer is John Marston.

If you expect to see character development in the first six hours of a twenty hour epic, you're madder than a hatter

 

[Jonesy911]

I can understand what you're saying but I completely disagree. I could literally go on for hours about the numerous things I feel were done wrong in that game,I can only give it credit for being a stunning looking game and for not having an "mp bar".
It was incredibly linear and had virtually nothing on offer in terms of side-quests,it also had the excellent idea of controlling only a single character who's death would constitute a 'game over' (I mean why even have phoenix down and revive let alone a party if they can't be used properly)
There was also the single worst case of voice acting I have ever heard it,I have never hated a 'good' character as much as Vanille..

Except that it had 80 side-quests..... They were even labeled and high-lighted for the player.... Not too mention the achievements/trophies....

I do agree their are minor annoyances in the game, but I agree more with the reviewer here. The battle system gets fairly hectic later on in the game and the story is fascinating. As for no free-roam, when you get to 'Gran Pulse', this game makes Fallout look linear.

On Gran Pulse, you have an entire plane to free-roam. There are monsters on there that wil destroy you with a look, so progressing through Gran Pulse takes large amounts of thought, patience, and planning. That alone is impressive for an FF game whic, before this section, have all had a sense of linearity.

The game is great, and I wish people would at the very least finish it before they rant on it.

Furthermore, if you have finished it and did not like it, props to you. You've earned the right to complain.

"when you get to 'Gran Pulse', this game makes Fallout look linear.". Sorry to tell you this but Gran Pulse is just one big field mate. Granted it feels big but that's only because of the extended corridor simulator you have to play to reach it.

I really have trouble understanding what the Gran Pulse section of the game was supposed to be. Personally as soon as I got to it, I ran to the other side of the field, ran into a tunnel (corridor), a cut scene started and I was back on Cocoon. I was completely dumbstruck afterwards I looked online and saw lots of people saying it was the best part of the game, saying they spent hours and hours doing side quests. What the hell were they doing!?

 

[Shoggoth2588]

It was a beautiful game. The visuals really were stunning from time to time but I feel like other Final Fantasies did everything else better. The setting is straight-up Sci-fi as opposed to Fantasy (I understand that many FF titles have used futuristic settings but this one is over saturated with Science-Fiction imagery)

Every character was a human which annoys me. Most Final Fantasy games are like this but I can't stand it, especially since we've had entries like VI which game you a Moogle to play as and XI which gave you the Black Mage doll, and whatever the hell Quina, Amarant and, Freya are. I suppose it could be argued though that Vanille isn't human but I think she's just insane.

Final Fantasy XIII also forgoes such staples as Chocobo riding, Moogles are completely left behind, you can only control one lead party member, the movement in battle is completely artificial (meaning, everyone moves but you don't control where), the music and, plot were all completely unforgettable.

My opinion probably doesn't matter though since Final Fantasy XI was my favorite and that one is generally looked down upon.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

Before I read the description I thought you said Final Fantasy VIII
And I was like "I know, right?! Undiscovered gem!"
Imagine how disapointed I was when I realized you meant FFXIII
=(

 

[Jonesy911]

I'd like to cover the subject of character development in this game. See, people say that Hope and Snow held little development. Clearly, you played just the first act. Hope grew more evil with his intentions for quite some time. He went from scaredand simply needing to comfort to trying to murder Snow, then finally accepting revenge won't bring his mother back. It's cliche' as all hell, but it's done incredibly well. Snow is a tragic hero if I've ever seen one in a video game. He is well loved among strangers for his work, but he loses it when he let's a single person down. He can't handle the persona that he was given and he learns that. The only tragic hero I prefer is John Marston.

If you expect to see character development in the first six hours of a twenty hour epic, you're madder than a hatter

Nope, I completed it. Hope is driven by one thing through out the entire game, his distaste for Snow. It defines him, he is the most 2D character I've ever seen in a game besides Vanile and...

Snow. Snow is a wannabe hero much in the same vain as Zack Fair. The difference is that while Zack is driven by his father like mentor to reach his full potential Snow wants to be a hero just cause he feels like it. His motivations are pretty much non-existent.

It seems to me that people in this forum consider any character with an arc and a back story to be "developed". Not the case, a developed character is much rarer than that.

 

[Jonesy911]

It was a beautiful game. The visuals really were stunning from time to time but I feel like other Final Fantasies did everything else better. The setting is straight-up Sci-fi as opposed to Fantasy (I understand that many FF titles have used futuristic settings but this one is over saturated with Science-Fiction imagery)

Every character was a human which annoys me. Most Final Fantasy games are like this but I can't stand it, especially since we've had entries like VI which game you a Moogle to play as and XI which gave you the Black Mage doll, and whatever the hell Quina, Amarant and, Freya are. I suppose it could be argued though that Vanille isn't human but I think she's just insane.

Final Fantasy XIII also forgoes such staples as Chocobo riding, Moogles are completely left behind, you can only control one lead party member, the movement in battle is completely artificial (meaning, everyone moves but you don't control where), the music and, plot were all completely unforgettable.

My opinion probably doesn't matter though since Final Fantasy XI was my favorite and that one is generally looked down upon.

Actually, you can ride chocobos. It isn't explained well at all though and the hoops you have to jump through to unlock one are just tedious and boring

 

[gabmed]

If it's the "most beautiful and engaging story I have ever seen", I suggest you experience more stories.

I know I'm being kind of a dick, but we have amazing works of thought provoking art like "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, we have 1984, a brave new world, lord of the rings, pride and prejudice... and Final Fantasy XIII stands up to those? It's story was a haphazard mess, overwrought and entirely convoluted with itself. Even if the plot was interesting, there is no way I'll ever agree it was told well.

Correction: I've ever seen IN A VIDEOGAME.

Jeez. .-. I just forgot to put three words, take it easy there. I'm not that illiterate, mind you.

 

[Inkidu]

I can understand what you're saying but I completely disagree. I could literally go on for hours about the numerous things I feel were done wrong in that game,I can only give it credit for being a stunning looking game and for not having an "mp bar".
It was incredibly linear and had virtually nothing on offer in terms of side-quests,it also had the excellent idea of controlling only a single character who's death would constitute a 'game over' (I mean why even have phoenix down and revive let alone a party if they can't be used properly)
There was also the single worst case of voice acting I have ever heard it,I have never hated a 'good' character as much as Vanille..

Except that it had 80 side-quests..... They were even labeled and high-lighted for the player.... Not too mention the achievements/trophies....

I do agree their are minor annoyances in the game, but I agree more with the reviewer here. The battle system gets fairly hectic later on in the game and the story is fascinating. As for no free-roam, when you get to 'Gran Pulse', this game makes Fallout look linear.

On Gran Pulse, you have an entire plane to free-roam. There are monsters on there that wil destroy you with a look, so progressing through Gran Pulse takes large amounts of thought, patience, and planning. That alone is impressive for an FF game whic, before this section, have all had a sense of linearity.

The game is great, and I wish people would at the very least finish it before they rant on it.

Furthermore, if you have finished it and did not like it, props to you. You've earned the right to complain.

"when you get to 'Gran Pulse', this game makes Fallout look linear.". Sorry to tell you this but Gran Pulse is just one big field mate. Granted it feels big but that's only because of the extended corridor simulator you have to play to reach it.

I really have trouble understanding what the Gran Pulse section of the game was supposed to be. Personally as soon as I got to it, I ran to the other side of the field, ran into a tunnel (corridor), a cut scene started and I was back on Cocoon. I was completely dumbstruck afterwards I looked online and saw lots of people saying it was the best part of the game, saying they spent hours and hours doing side quests. What the hell were they doing!?

I imagine some form of psychotropic substance, that or massive, massive amounts of denial (Had that happen with XII and XIII).

I didn't even get to Gran Pulse. I got to the boss fight right after you can select your party for the first time (I imagine that was the end of the tutorial). I lost once. I knew I could beat him if I just hit A long enough. I didn't. I even bet my brother I'd buy him a brand new game if he could finish XIII. He couldn't. Got to Gran Pulse and was like, "Fuck it."

XIII is the gaming equivalent to monkeys with typewriters. You can literally hit random buttons and come out victorious eventually. Which is sad, because Zasz (SP) was really a well developed character at first, but quickly devolved into typical Japanese black-guy comic relief. They had to be thinking, "Oh, crap, he's not only funny but deep. We must fix this!"

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

FFXIII?

which one is that?, the 12th? I was never good with roman numerals.

 

[jebussaves88]

I knew it was linear when I bought it, so was not disappointed or a bit bitter towards it, and instead enjoyed it for what it was. Also, it is quite an accessible JRPG for those not big on them. I'd give it around 8/10 myself.

 

[JJMUG]

If it's the "most beautiful and engaging story I have ever seen", I suggest you experience more stories.

I know I'm being kind of a dick, but we have amazing works of thought provoking art like "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, we have 1984, a brave new world, lord of the rings, pride and prejudice... and Final Fantasy XIII stands up to those? It's story was a haphazard mess, overwrought and entirely convoluted with itself. Even if the plot was interesting, there is no way I'll ever agree it was told well.

Correction: I've ever seen IN A VIDEOGAME.

Jeez. .-. I just forgot to put three words, take it easy there. I'm not that illiterate, mind you.

You really need to experience more stories in a video game.

 

[gabmed]

If it's the "most beautiful and engaging story I have ever seen", I suggest you experience more stories.

I know I'm being kind of a dick, but we have amazing works of thought provoking art like "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, we have 1984, a brave new world, lord of the rings, pride and prejudice... and Final Fantasy XIII stands up to those? It's story was a haphazard mess, overwrought and entirely convoluted with itself. Even if the plot was interesting, there is no way I'll ever agree it was told well.

Correction: I've ever seen IN A VIDEOGAME.

Jeez. .-. I just forgot to put three words, take it easy there. I'm not that illiterate, mind you.

You really need to experience more stories in a video game.

I've played quite a lot of videogames, and I sincerely felt the story of that one was meaningful and that I cared for it. Can't say the same for, say, any Call of Duty, or Bulletstorm, or Demon's Souls. *prepares flame-retardant shield*

Thanks for the "constructive" criticism, though.

 

[Inkidu]

If it's the "most beautiful and engaging story I have ever seen", I suggest you experience more stories.

I know I'm being kind of a dick, but we have amazing works of thought provoking art like "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, we have 1984, a brave new world, lord of the rings, pride and prejudice... and Final Fantasy XIII stands up to those? It's story was a haphazard mess, overwrought and entirely convoluted with itself. Even if the plot was interesting, there is no way I'll ever agree it was told well.

Correction: I've ever seen IN A VIDEOGAME.

Jeez. .-. I just forgot to put three words, take it easy there. I'm not that illiterate, mind you.

You really need to experience more stories in a video game.

I've played quite a lot of videogames, and I sincerely felt the story of that one was meaningful and that I cared for it. Can't say the same for, say, any Call of Duty, or Bulletstorm, or Demon's Souls. *prepares flame-retardant shield*

Thanks for the "constructive" criticism, though.

Mass Effect 1 for an awesome space opera. Mass Effect 2 for an awesome Seven Samurai (Magnificent Seven) kind of space adventure. Metro 2033 the "Thinking Man's" shooter. Dragon Age has a less contrived universe and lore. Dead Rising two has deeper characters than most of the main cast of FF XIII.

They're caricatures of people in a world with tons of imagination but no real structure or believability. Seriously, if you put all the characters of the main cast into one person, you might have one person.

 

[Raeil]

I'm glad someone else shares my love for FFXIII. It's not my favorite (that will always be IX) of the Final Fantasies, but I truly enjoyed the game. Actually, when I started up FFX again, I realized just how similar the levelling and exploration system of it and XIII are. After all, the Crystarium is essentially the Sphere Grid (if you discount the International Version of FFX) and the exploration in X is extremely linear until you get your airship. Admittedly, XIII remains linear until the end, but grants full access to the world of Gran Pulse after that.

I love the music, think the characters are great (I'm also a huge shonen fan, so that might have something to do with it), and very much enjoyed the story. When FFXIII-2 was announced I was rather excited! Hopefully at E3 SE brings some awesome details for it.

 

[airrazor7]

You're entitled to like whatever you like but just know that even the FF13 developers admitted that the game turned out to be a mess.