Final Fantasy XIII

[OrangeAfroMan]

I know I'm late to this party, but I saw this for XBox for just $30 new the other day.

As someone who really enjoyed FFVII and FFX (FFXII didn't really rustle my jimmies) do you guys think I'll enjoy it? Worth $30?

[Armag3ddon]

it's shit

[halbarad]

It's not worth it. I played about 3 hours and it was extremely linear, no alternate paths or anything. A friend managed 25 - 30 hours and it never improved. It's a real shame for a FF game to make such a break from the classics like 7 and 9 (I never played 6 or earlier).

[Chakrai]

If you have a PS2 grab hold of XII instead.

[Omega Supreme]

http://failheap-challenge.com/showth...highlight=xiii The XIII-2 thread since if you like 13, you'll want to play the sequel.

The old XIII thread seemed to be back on the SHC boards so I can't be bothered to go get an archived link. But basically XIII:

* Has blatant lesbians
* Has a bitch of a lead role, as compared to the naive maiden turned action girl of the previous 6 FF's
* Has Transformer summons
* Has :awesome: music

There's a bit of XIII stuff in the XIII-2 thread, mostly that XIII's battle system was the shakeup the series needed. Upto XII the series was using the CTB system established in FF1 with few, if any alterations. XII was the first major attempt by Square to move away from CTB, XIII refined it and remade the Gambit aspect. For example if your Ravagers know an enemy is weak to a certain element, they'll use that element instead of automatically using something else. Unlike XII where you'd have to have accounted for that manually and assigned Gambits correctly.

[alpreb]

When I make my preparations around exam time, I tend to have a let's play in the background of a game I'm curious in, but not planning to play. Last summer I choose HCBailly's Final Fantasy XIII. After having seen most listened all of the main plot, here's the short review:

It's a beautiful game, the cutscenes is really something to watch. The game itself is actually so good looking that sometimes it manages to move from cutscene -> in-game fight without you noticing when the switch was made. This is probably the main reason the tunnels are so annoying, you really want to walk in all that beautiful terrain the game teases you with.
The combat system for me seems to be a hit or miss. I actually think only controlling one character and then switching job classes on the whim is a good idea, but the way they have done it, unless you're interested in getting the best rating for each match, the system fails. For most fights you can probably defeat the opponent without lifting a finger and that rubs people the wrong way.

The characters go from good (Lightning, Sazh) to horrible people who needs to be erased from my mind (Vanille, Snow and Hope). J-RPGs stereotypes are just a turn off for me.

The story is .... bad? Non-existant? Confusing?

For a game that spans 60 hours (HCBailly version cuts savings, any fights that has been seen before, level ups etc. and it still takes some 20-25 hours) with hours upon hours of pure dialogue know this: I cannot to save my life explain what Final Fantasy XII plot is. Spoiler even if is incomplete and odd.

  Spoiler:

In short it is something about humankind living on a built moon, Cocoon, controlled by a pope/god thingies, Fal'Cie. The main cast have been blessed/cursed by the gods to do a quest they don't know what or timeframe they have to complete it. Failure turns you into a monster (and would you believe hundreds of these roam the moon?), success traps you in a crystal. The HEROES try to kill the pope/god to begin with, but fail and learn they have to kill some god, who keeps the moon afloat by letting one of the main people turn into Ragnarok, a being of destruction. The person in question turned into Ragnarok centuries ago, but isn't keen on doing it again. In the end a solution is made which makes no sense. At all. Honestly.

When most the HEROES are turned in monsters for failing to kill the god, the one who could be Ragnarok turns and tries, but fails(!?!). While the god heals, then tortures the last hero, the other ones, who know reverted back to normal form due to Ragnarok succesfully tranformed, kills the god. They then turn the person into Ragnarok (How?) and this being of destruction saves the moon and humankind. There is more to the ending, but fuck it

Also, you can ride Chocobos + one of the cast has a young Chocobo as pet.

Music is excellent although the iconic Final Fantasy victory song is missing

TLR

Given that a game like Final Fantasy XIII lives or dies on the story and this ones is ??? a final rating would be "crap"

[Nordstern]

I know I'm late to this party, but I saw this for XBox for just $30 new the other day.

As someone who really enjoyed FFVII and FFX (FFXII didn't really rustle my jimmies) do you guys think I'll enjoy it? Worth $30?

Bought it for PS3 for $13. Finished it after 90-some hours. The story was not as good as X, but the characters and voice acting were far better.

Can provide short tips if you want.

* Has blatant lesbians
* Has a bitch of a lead role, as compared to the naive maiden turned action girl of the previous 6 FF's

1. IT DOES NOT. However, Vanille does sound like she has constant orgasms.
2. Initially, she is a bitch, but grows compassionate, which I like. Now she's badass.

[Omega Supreme]

I know I'm late to this party, but I saw this for XBox for just $30 new the other day.

As someone who really enjoyed FFVII and FFX (FFXII didn't really rustle my jimmies) do you guys think I'll enjoy it? Worth $30?

Bought it for PS3 for $13. Finished it after 90-some hours. The story was not as good as X, but the characters and voice acting were far better.

Can provide short tips if you want.

* Has blatant lesbians
* Has a bitch of a lead role, as compared to the naive maiden turned action girl of the previous 6 FF's

1. IT DOES NOT. However, Vanille does sound like she has constant orgasms.
2. Initially, she is a bitch, but grows compassionate, which I like. Now she's badass.

Get your gaydar fixed, Fang and Vanille are carpet munching. Apparently that shit got toned down for the NA release, go figure.

ANd Lightning really is a fucking relief after Yuna, Tifa, Rinoa, Garnet and Ashe.

[jbend9620]

you will, of course, provide evidence of said carpet munching

>_>

<_<

vanille may be the most fucking annoying character in any game, ever.

[Omega Supreme]

you will, of course, provide evidence of said carpet munching

>_>

<_<

vanille may be the most fucking annoying character in any game, ever.

Train Gay Detection V man. It's most evident when she finally catches upto Vanille mid-game. Not to mention the obsession with protecting Vanille, as well as finding her.

Edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnQwqZxWG3o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyDOQgMvYCY This one too!

Clip demonstrating there's some definite sexual tension between the two.

[jbend9620]

:P chill dude

i actually quit just after the party reached pulse after fighting bahamut. fucking boring game.

[filingo]

started playing a while ago, stopped due to the wife saying IM SICK OF THAT FUCKING LOOP OF MUSIC PLAYING

should pick it up again i guess, its just very linear

graphics are great

[Jason Marshall]

Im running out of fingers to count these things.

[Nooby]

It is very bad. Combat system is boring, story is confusing. I think the writers didn't know how to make a ~deep~ story and tried to cover it up by making it incomprehensible.

[Nordstern]

FF XIII had the same problem as Assassin's Creed II, in that the game was too ambitious and large in scope to be contained in one game. You need to pay close attention to Barthandelus's dialogue and the analects from finishing missions to understand what's going on. XIII-2 fills in many plot holes from the first game, and also explains what was going on in the background.

alpreb's synopsis of the plot is sorta correct. This is how I understand it:

  Spoiler:

Millennia ago, "the goddess" created Gran Pulse and the Fal'cie to assist her. Remnants of this creation were used to create humans. Fal'cie were limited in power, so they created L'cie from humans to assist them. L'cie are given a "focus", or task. Those who fulfill their focus become immortal crystals. Those who fail become Cieth (the reason for this is never explained). The goddess then hid herself from the world, for reasons unknown.

After a while, Barthandelus (a Fal'cie) gets bored and butthurt. He can't grow in power and he can't have ambition, and he's jealous of humans since they have no limits on power and they DO have ambition. So he wants death. Unfortunately, he's immortal, and nothing can kill him...except the Maker. Barthandelus and a few other rebel Fal'cie decide to create Cocoon, a place explicitly designed for the future harvest/genocide of humans. Barthandelus believes that if enough humans die at once, the energy released will summon the Maker and bring death to everything, including himself. In essence, suicide by cop. Fang and Vanille are made L'Cie and are tasked with destroying Cocoon ("that pit of vipers"). Fang becomes Ragnarok and attacks Cocoon. The goddess intercedes, however, and stops her. Cocoon is partially destroyed, and Fang and Vanille are turned to crystal, their focus considered fulfilled anyways.

CENTURIES LATER...

The Bodhum Vestige (a Pulse Fal'Cie) is found, and the Purge begins. Lightning and crew mistakenly believe that Anima is responsible and slay it. Anima then turns them into L'cie with the power to stop Barthandelus and save Cocoon (but this is not explicitly stated). The heroes spend the rest of the game trying to flee the police and armed forces. Barthandelus keeps an eye on them throughout all this (that white owl). Eventually, the party pieces together what's going on (sorta). Barthandelus is hoping for one of them to transform in Ragnarok and kill Orphan, who keeps Cocoon afloat. With Orphan dead, Coccon will fall and be destroyed, killing everyone. The massive deathtoll "should" summon the Maker, bringing the sweet release of death to the Fal'cie.

Everyone says "fuck that noise" in typical J-RPG fashion and Snow fulfills the role of thick-headed, stubborn, blonde dumbass. They flee to Pulse, hang out for a while, then come back. Eventually, they kill Orphan and Barthandelus. Fang and Vanille transform in Ragnarok and stop Cocoon's fall. Thus, having saved Cocoon, everyone turns to crystal. Lightning, Snow, Hope, Sazh, Serah, and Dahj are turned turned back to normal shortly thereafter. Fang and Vanille remain crystallized.

THE END.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyDOQgMvYCY This one too!

Clip demonstrating there's some definite sexual tension between the two.

You do realize she's only checking her cutie mark brand progression, right? PDAs are not uncommon in clan-based societies like Oerba.

[Pacefalm]

Only played VII & VIII crew checking in

[Swiss]

Only played VII & VIII crew checking in

9 is worth playing. 10 is tolerable

Both are better than 8 tbh

All of them are better than 13. Lighting is a woeful and predictable character.

[Iloni Atoriandra]

XIII is pretty awesome if linear, it takes about 30 hours to get into it though so bare with it.

XIII-2 is ok and less linear although its a lot shorter.

[Omega Supreme]

FF XIII had the same problem as Assassin's Creed II, in that the game was too ambitious and large in scope to be contained in one game. You need to pay close attention to Barthandelus's dialogue and the analects from finishing missions to understand what's going on. XIII-2 fills in many plot holes from the first game, and also explains what was going on in the background.

alpreb's synopsis of the plot is sorta correct. This is how I understand it:

  Spoiler:

Millennia ago, "the goddess" created Gran Pulse and the Fal'cie to assist her. Remnants of this creation were used to create humans. Fal'cie were limited in power, so they created L'cie from humans to assist them. L'cie are given a "focus", or task. Those who fulfill their focus become immortal crystals. Those who fail become Cieth (the reason for this is never explained). The goddess then hid herself from the world, for reasons unknown.

After a while, Barthandelus (a Fal'cie) gets bored and butthurt. He can't grow in power and he can't have ambition, and he's jealous of humans since they have no limits on power and they DO have ambition. So he wants death. Unfortunately, he's immortal, and nothing can kill him...except the Maker. Barthandelus and a few other rebel Fal'cie decide to create Cocoon, a place explicitly designed for the future harvest/genocide of humans. Barthandelus believes that if enough humans die at once, the energy released will summon the Maker and bring death to everything, including himself. In essence, suicide by cop. Fang and Vanille are made L'Cie and are tasked with destroying Cocoon ("that pit of vipers"). Fang becomes Ragnarok and attacks Cocoon. The goddess intercedes, however, and stops her. Cocoon is partially destroyed, and Fang and Vanille are turned to crystal, their focus considered fulfilled anyways.

CENTURIES LATER...

The Bodhum Vestige (a Pulse Fal'Cie) is found, and the Purge begins. Lightning and crew mistakenly believe that Anima is responsible and slay it. Anima then turns them into L'cie with the power to stop Barthandelus and save Cocoon (but this is not explicitly stated). The heroes spend the rest of the game trying to flee the police and armed forces. Barthandelus keeps an eye on them throughout all this (that white owl). Eventually, the party pieces together what's going on (sorta). Barthandelus is hoping for one of them to transform in Ragnarok and kill Orphan, who keeps Cocoon afloat. With Orphan dead, Coccon will fall and be destroyed, killing everyone. The massive deathtoll "should" summon the Maker, bringing the sweet release of death to the Fal'cie.

Everyone says "fuck that noise" in typical J-RPG fashion and Snow fulfills the role of thick-headed, stubborn, blonde dumbass. They flee to Pulse, hang out for a while, then come back. Eventually, they kill Orphan and Barthandelus. Fang and Vanille transform in Ragnarok and stop Cocoon's fall. Thus, having saved Cocoon, everyone turns to crystal. Lightning, Snow, Hope, Sazh, Serah, and Dahj are turned turned back to normal shortly thereafter. Fang and Vanille remain crystallized.

THE END.

What's funny is:

  Spoiler:

They were actually dead during the end of XIII. The fact they lived was due to Etro (the goddess of XIII) intervening and basically saying "Fuck that, you guys get to live" and completely fucking up the time continuity which led to the events of XIII-2. And on top of that, Caius is the ultimate FF troll. Not only does he win in the end, he completely manipulated the player into achieving his win. He pulls off a Xanatos-Thanatos Gambit. His death forced the death of Etro and it was all according to his plan.

He literally could not lose at all, the player winning was actually the player losing.

Even Kefka/Sephiroth didn't pull that shit.