Final Fantasy XIII Versus A.K.A. "Not FFXIII"

[Akihiko]

The 360 version was only released in the west. for XIII and only sold 1.5 million compared to the PS3's 4 million. When you consider a big budget game like that... Well... Obviously "Yay extra money" but from a purely business standpoint it wasn't a rousing success. now I'm not saying it was a bad business decision and I'm not going to get into the whole "Was content cut out" or blah blah blah. It was more of a "Yeah it made some money, but not enough to have meant something"

That is still 27% of sales. That is still quite a large profit margin. It won't have costed anywhere near that to port it to the 360. So, from a business stand point, it was a sucess. The only time it would have been a failure if they didn't turn in any profit at all, which quite clearly, that isn't the case.

It would, however, have been pointless to release it on the 360 in Japan, that I agree with. 360 sales are poor in Japan, and most gamers already have a PS3 anyway. There would have been no profit in releasing it there, agreed.

Eitherway, that all said. I question whether Versus XIII would come to 360 anyway. They had problems fitting Final Fantasy XIII onto 3 disks, and that was linear. I don't want to think how many disks it would require if it's an open world game...

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

The 360 version was only released in the west. for XIII and only sold 1.5 million compared to the PS3's 4 million. When you consider a big budget game like that... Well... Obviously "Yay extra money" but from a purely business standpoint it wasn't a rousing success. now I'm not saying it was a bad business decision and I'm not going to get into the whole "Was content cut out" or blah blah blah. It was more of a "Yeah it made some money, but not enough to have meant something"

That is still 27% of sales. That is still quite a large profit margin. It won't have costed anywhere near that to port it to the 360. So, from a business stand point, it was a sucess. The only time it would have been a failure if they didn't turn in any profit at all, which quite clearly, that isn't the case.

It would, however, have been pointless to release it on the 360 in Japan, that I agree with. 360 sales are poor in Japan, and most gamers already have a PS3 anyway. There would have been no profit in releasing it there, agreed.

Eitherway, that all said. I question whether Versus XIII would come to 360 anyway. They had problems fitting Final Fantasy XIII onto 3 disks, and that was linear. I don't want to think how many disks it would require if it's an open world game...

I thought the problem was in the coding. something about Versus being coded in OpenGL or not being coded in OpenGL (I heard the info a few days ago so I'm kinda fuzzy)

Anyway don't want to start a war of anykind with anyone so let's get back to talking about the game game.

---

I have this odd feeling we're going to be depowered, because if you START the game a multi-wielding telekinetic flash stepping bullet blocking army slaughtering badass... Well there's not many places to GO from there. I believe (based on the trailers which have most likely changed) that when you confront the man in white (which resolves itself by Noctis summoning enough pointy objects pointed at the man from all angles to pretty decisivly make sure if he twitched he would die. Gotta love a protagonist who isn't shitting around) he just takes your power. Because again, if you START as God you can't go much higher, besides starting you that strong and then taking away the power is much like the Metroid Prime method of "give you a taste of power then cruely tear it from you"

 

[wkrepelin]

Look, on the FFXIII debate, it was a good game and everything but it was a huge disappointment because it was announced four years before it came out and when it did it was just "good" it wasn't great or excellent . . . just good.

I like your points about versus XIII and hope that it's a game on the level of quality that we were hoping for with XIII.

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

I will say that technically XIII's design fit it's themes, that you were fugitives and thus couldn't travel like other FF parts could. But in almost EVERY FF game your a fugitive (though not necissarily feared) and can move through towns.

Also consider that I just came off a Medarot DS playthough (fun game, didn't understand a work) so my mind set was quite different.

I will say that the story was better than White Knight Chronicles and I loves WKC's gameplay. But in any game where you're main character and the princess literally fall in love after 10 minutes (said 10 minutes spent running for there lives!)and then he spends literally the entire game mumbling her name under his breath like a lost puppy is not winning whatever gamings equivilent of a Pulitzer is. (That's WKC, not FFXIII)

 

[Harlemura]

Apparently I'm in a massive minority here, but I thought XIII was pretty good, battle system and all. Maybe it's because I like the story so much I'm blotting out the bad points but, for the time being, I like it.
Couldn't they leave the Kingdom Hearts style gameplay to Kingdom Hearts? I thought XII was the attempt of fusing the two, and I just couldn't get the hang of it.

 

[foxfax]

Hopefully, this will restore my faith in the FF frachise. I found 13 to be the biggest pile of tosh I've played in the series. That's right, I think FFX-2 was better than FFXIII. At least there, there was some semblance of exploration, not the rail-roading we are (hopefully) getting away from with XIII Versus.

 

[Twilight.falls]

Apparently I'm in a massive minority here, but I thought XIII was pretty good, battle system and all. Maybe it's because I like the story so much I'm blotting out the bad points but, for the time being, I like it.
Couldn't they leave the Kingdom Hearts style gameplay to Kingdom Hearts? I thought XII was the attempt of fusing the two, and I just couldn't get the hang of it.

There does seem to be an awful lot of hate for XIII.

Now, I'm opening myself to veteran FF fans here, but I've never played another Final Fantasy game until 13. I can't say how it compares as a Final Fantasy game, because I don't know other Final Fantasy games. That may be why I find it good, I don't know.

Anyway, I found the game to be incredible. The locations, yes, were linear, but I'd rather play a linear game where things are to the point rather than a sprawling behemoth of a world where you could easily get lost for a while. The locations are also absolutely stunning. Lake Bresha has a mystic quality about it and Nautilus really gives the feel of a large fun loving city. People don't seem to realize it's a story driven game, heavily story driven in fact. The levels being linear makes it easier for the story to follow a set path.

As for the story itself, I found it engaging. Here you have 5 (then 6) individuals who are essentially exiled from society and are trying to protect the people that hate them. Each character, although somewhat cliched, is unique.

Lightning is the typical loner that warms up. Snow is a brash man who will do anything for his love. Hope is vengeful after his mother died. Vanille copes with her difficult life in what's probably not the best way, and Fang is a motherly figure who is Vanille's only true friend.

One of the most moving scenes is when Sazh confronts Vanille. The emotions in that scene are very moving, a man has to confront a friend who is revealed to have effectively murdered his son. He questions if he has anything to live for.

Then the actual gameplay. Those saying that the entire thing plays autonomously are making good use of hyperbole. You definitely could not go up to the Adamantoise or Vercingetorix and spam Auto Battle. There is a lot of strategy involved. Don't use the right people with the right Paradigms and up-to-date Crystarium? They'll wipe the floors with you. The battle system makes such fights as Barthandelus, to say the least, Epic. Not to mention the soundtrack is superb, really setting the mood for touching cutscenes or tense battles.

To conclude, I personally think Final Fantasy 13 is a good game with, most of all, an engaging plot. It is a VERY heavily story driven game. I may be omitting the bad parts, but I don't think there is anything truly bad about it, other than being a little long. But with such a story heavy game you're expected to be patient.

As a game, I think it's superb. As a Final Fantasy game? I can't say.

Please remember that these are only my views, I can't speak for other people. I realize that the game may not, and does not, appeal to everybody.

 

[Akihiko]

One can argue with the idea of fugitives in XIII was much more wide spread. In FF7, you're fugatives of shinra, which are mainly siuated in Midgar and Junion. In FF8, the enemys are situated in Galbadia. I could go on with other FF's, but you get the point. What I'm trying to say is, you were more enemys of one particular faction, rather than the entire world. Consequently, you will be able to go into towns in the places which aren't held by the said faction. However, in Final Fantasy XIII, that isn't the case, you aren't just the enemy of a faction, you're the enemy of the people. They've been brainwashed into seeing L'cies as the enemy, and so even the public hate you. The only place where any 'shopping' or standing around and talking would be possible would have been in Pulse, however that doesn't have any towns any more. I wish they'd of added some minigames in Nautilus, in the brief moment when you're running around it freely, though.

Ah well.

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

It's been confirmed that Versus will be showing up at TGS, now we have to hope it's not a private showing.

 

[qazmatoz]

The outfit system just made up my mind about this game.

 

[Always_Remain]

Well. Fuck. That settles it. Fuck you Xbox. The only reason i was going to buy a new one of you is so I could play Mass Effect 3 and New Vegas but I can play both of those on the PC. I now can officially say I am a Sony fanboy. Oh it feels great. I really hope this and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep sells well. Not only do they look and sound great but I really. Really. Want Kingdom Hearts 3. MUST. PREVENT. THE DERAILING.

 

[WorldCritic]

Yeah your first comment made me stop listening to anything else you had to say. How about next time you say IMO?

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

Yeah your first comment made me stop listening to anything else you had to say. How about next time you say IMO?

I don't think I will. If I want to use hyperbole to make a point I will and I couldn't care less if you don't read it. To deny the games fanbase is horribly horribly divided is to lie.

If it's so insulting just imagine I said IMO at the beginning of everything.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Final Fantasy XIII felt like a cold, rusted bayonet, slowly pushed between a pair of ribs. Once FFXIII is released, we will see if that blade is withdrawn or twisted.

A note on the characters real quick: They all seem to be humans who know how to dress like muggles. That one screen shot of the 'supporting characters' showed a very mundane looking scene which could easily be about street gangs about to brawl. Where are the moogles, chocobos, tonberries or, cactar!? It's good to see the lack of flamboyance sure but where is the Fantasy.

 

[Snarky Username]

So basically they're taking FFXIII and adding the reasons the other Final Fantasies are good.\\Sounds awesome!

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

Final Fantasy XIII felt like a cold, rusted bayonet, slowly pushed between a pair of ribs. Once FFXIII is released, we will see if that blade is withdrawn or twisted.

A note on the characters real quick: They all seem to be humans who know how to dress like muggles. That one screen shot of the 'supporting characters' showed a very mundane looking scene which could easily be about street gangs about to brawl. Where are the moogles, chocobos, tonberries or, cactar!? It's good to see the lack of flamboyance sure but where is the Fantasy.

Every other country, this city is Noctis's kingdom which is a 'First World' nation in this world. It gets more and more swords and sorcery the further you get away because no other nation has a crystal.

We've already seen a Millitary Behemoth and if there is a millitary version that leads me to believe there's a wild version.

 

[WorldCritic]

Yeah your first comment made me stop listening to anything else you had to say. How about next time you say IMO?

I don't think I will. If I want to use hyperbole to make a point I will and I couldn't care less if you don't read it. To deny the games fanbase is horribly horribly divided is to lie.

If it's so insulting just imagine I said IMO at the beginning of everything.

Way to make a big deal out of one comment. I don't want this to turn into an agrgument because I truly despise internet fights but please try to learn to ignore some comments. Like this comment for example, if you respond to this you are only proving my point.