Why Final Fantasy XIII-3 Could Be The FF Fans Really Want
For Final Fantasy XIII-2, the reaction was lukewarm at best. And now we've got this "to be continued" ending along with a few somewhat confusing Paradox Endings and a whole lot of questions that need answers.
At this rate, it almost seems inevitable that Square Enix will announce yet another sequel. They appear to have adopted the "annualization" trend of Activision and other Western publishers by trying to release a new Final Fantasy title every year. Of course, there's always the possibility that Final Fantasy Versus XIII might someday emerge from the shadows, but we probably shouldn't hold our collective breaths.
So what about FFXIII-3? What if they do produce a third entry? Well, before you get all cantankerous and negative, let's try to look at this from an optimistic point of view: First of all, there's no denying that Square Enix significantly improved upon the gameplay (specifically, the combat) in FFXIII-2. Faster Paradigm Shifts and the ability to change the Leader (and if that Leader dies, it isn't automatically Game Over) are definite upgrades, although the more streamlined Crystarium is questionable. Also, they tried to address the "too linear" complaint common when talking about FFXIII.
Some say they went too far, that they sacrificed a cohesive story for almost complete freedom. And to some extent, that's true. But think about it- If you combine FFXIII and FFXIII-2, pick out the very best elements of both, and combine them...don't you have the RPG long-time fans have wanted all generation? I mean, considering the flaws are also dealt with and the story is a little better overall. There's no guarantee that Square Enix will know exactly what to keep, what to change, and what sort of new ideas to implement, so perhaps this is all just a pipe dream. But it's possible, so maybe we should cling to that.
What do you think?
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII-2
Tags: ffxiii-2, final fantasy xiii2, final fantasy xiii-3, final fantasy xiii 2 sequel
3/22/2012 9:03:17 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (58 posts)
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 10:18:10 PM
godsman
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 9:59:33 PM
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One problem that FFVersus may suffer is that it may take a decade to complete. By the time it releases, the graphics will not be as impressive anymore. It may even be out of date.
grayfox2k8
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 10:05:02 PM
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shadowscorpio
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:41:08 AM
Ludakriss
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 5:49:51 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 10:45:15 PM
Reply
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 3/22/2012 10:45:49 PM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 11:01:15 PM
ZenChichiri
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 11:16:46 PM
It would also add a lot more to do during battle, which currently can be a bit lacking. It would separate those who can micromanage and those who can't. It would just make it more fulfilling and fun to play, especially when you succeed with it. I hope they implement this.
I do know that in XIII-2 you can switch leaders, but you have to scroll to it and it's not very accessible on the fly, especially with how fast paced the battles are. We need immediate swapping for it to be implemented succesfully.
Edit: This would also be useful when your libra hasn't kicked in yet, but you know what the weakness of the enemy is by using your actual eyes. Ice monster? Well duh, use fire! Oh wait the libra isn't activated so they won't automatically do it, I guess I should swap and load the ATB with fire spells then switch back to my main.
Last edited by ZenChichiri on 3/22/2012 11:20:17 PM
dmiitrie
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 11:46:36 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:05:54 AM
ZenChichiri
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:13:54 AM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:18:46 AM
And World, I don't think I understand that. XIII-2 has everything XIII had in terms of depth and about twice as much, really. All you could do in XIII is select your commands with the Leader, and that was it. Being able to switch between the characters and also having faster (almost instant) Paradigm Shifts put us more in control.
Furthermore, being able to assign specific roles to each Paradigm for a character (for instance, Wide to attack everything on the screen, Cross to focus on a single enemy) adds even more depth. That's not even to mention the incredibly intricate process of capturing, training, and infusing monsters.
That's all a ton of extra direct control and depth that FFXIII did not offer.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 3/23/2012 12:19:18 AM
ZenChichiri
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:20:47 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 2:08:47 AM
Ludakriss
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 5:51:57 AM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 10:07:21 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 3:06:20 PM
karneli lll
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:02:48 AM
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Jutter
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:03:59 AM
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I don't really care if they do it or not but if it releases before Versus 13 (which is highly likely) I'd be sincerely pissed.
Last edited by Jutter on 3/23/2012 12:05:51 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:07:35 AM
godsdream
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 1:18:41 AM
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I said all this just because I really don't have high expectations in the next FF, I'm tired of having.
Russell Burrows
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 2:22:09 AM
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___________
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 3:38:10 AM
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versus has a much better chance of being the FF fans want, but by the time that comes out fans will be pushing up century old daises!
daus26
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 4:05:02 AM
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For every FF installment, I always look forward to new characters, environments, and stories. So yeah, even if FFXIII-3 turns out good, I don't like the direction of the franchise at all, if it is where they're going. That includes any DLC extensions!
JohnnyGold
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 6:14:30 AM
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protip #1 for fixing the series: adopt an uncharted style of voice recording. mic an entire room, and let your voice actors walk around it and place themselves in space relative to where their characters will be on screen. act out the actions that are happening when you say your lines - if vanille is being dragged away by sanctum troops and screams "help," well... have some guys drag her across the room while you record that dialogue. it sounds disconnected to have it perfectly recorded in a soundbooth. also - please kill the jpop tracks as background music for every scene. please.
Lotusflow3r
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 8:14:40 AM
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It carries with it far too many problems that go way beyond just linearity or Battle Systems.
It's a sub-par RPG, ok game, bad FF.
I don't get this obsession with Enix and the need for them to "do something amazing" again after they fail ridiculously every time, whilst others have already replaced them AND have games that will rival any of their products.
"This is the RPG PS3 players have been looking for. If you miss the Final Fantasy of 1992-2001, it fills all those voids and arguably, even more"
"The script is so brilliantly written, the game systems are everything JRPG fans have been wanting, and there is some real challenge here. Are you one of the million net nerds complaining about that certain special flavor that Final Fantasy has lost? Then this game is the pill for your ill, and if you pass it up, you waive your right to complain about the RPG genre."
Two fresh comments from respected sites about a certain upcoming RPG (and the fact you know that game from these comments is telling) that does it all, the latter comment being extremely relevant here.....but hey, maybe FFXlll-3 will be that game.....
Optimism is cool, i love it....but when something fails your expectations 99% of the time, yet others compensate and yet the former receives countless pointless write ups....you just gotta be wondering what the hell is happening.
Maybe we just all love to complain.
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 2:04:24 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 3:09:01 PM
darxed
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 8:46:11 AM
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Maybe I liked the ending because of how much I liked Caius... Most relatable FF Villain in a long time...
DrRockso87
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 9:10:13 AM
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Still, I do hope Square-Enix announces Final Fantasy XIII-3. They've already become a laughingstock in the world. Just dig that hole deeper, Square. Watch the little credibility the series has left vanish.
Sakaguchi must look back at this series and cringe.
shadowscorpio
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:12:26 PM
Excelsior1
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 9:54:41 AM
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 10:14:08 AM
And although you're a genius who always lectures everyone else - and is amazingly always wrong - there has been a Final Fantasy on some platform basically every year all generation. That includes PC and PSP, you know, not to mention a game we haven't seen yet in the US (Type-0). There has been Dissidia, FFXIV, Duodecim 012, Crisis Core, and if they plan to release Versus XIII in between, that's just more annualization, basically.
And by the way, nothing annoys "old-timers" more than know-it-all kids telling them how they should feel about a favorite franchise.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 3/23/2012 10:19:05 AM
Underdog15
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 10:58:30 AM
Anyways, Mass Effect 3 and FFXIII-2 are the only big name titles really in the last 2 months. There's bound to be lots of both.
There's been far more ME3 news lately than FF news. By quite a longshot. But Excelsior would never complain about that. It isn't stuck in his head like a disease.
Another indicator of a know it all "kid"? His throwback to the past goes alllllll the way back to FFX... lol. As if for him, that's the retro age.
Cute lil' young'uns.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 3/23/2012 11:04:10 AM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 12:03:59 PM
Underdog15
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 1:25:09 PM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 2:02:50 PM
darxed
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 2:32:35 PM
Dotaownz
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 5:19:09 PM
Reply
Last edited by Dotaownz on 3/23/2012 5:19:32 PM
homura
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 6:04:12 PM
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OmniTetra
Sunday, March 25, 2012 @ 12:26:47 PM
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Underdog15
Monday, March 26, 2012 @ 9:28:53 AM
SS4
Sunday, March 25, 2012 @ 4:34:44 PM
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The games are good but arent following the tradition that each FF is a new story... Now like i said since it changed so much they need to rename the games. Just like they have FF tactics, make a similar naming scheme for anything that came out after FF X.
FF online (1 and 2) makes more sense then FF XI and XIV....
So theyve had talks about FF Versus XIII, just drop the number and start as a new series FF Versus, FF something i dont care but stop with the XIII, XV and so on as its hurting the name more than anything since its not the same anymore. Keep the FF common terms but change the name of make a number game that actually IS a numbered game (Pre FF X style...)
ProfPlayStation
Monday, March 26, 2012 @ 12:06:10 AM
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FINISH FF13-Versus--the only Final Fantasy that people are actually looking forward to--and let that be the end of it. They should learn from these mistakes and start anew. Final Fantasy XV or bust!
Noel_Kreiss
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 @ 1:40:18 AM
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Aleister22
Sunday, May 20, 2012 @ 6:04:46 AM
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Final Fantasy XIII-2









BikerSaint
Reply
Thursday, March 22, 2012 @ 9:48:35 PM
<<<<First of all, there's no denying that Square Enix significantly improved upon the gameplay (specifically, the combat) in FFXIII-3.>>>
It should read FFXIII-2, not 3, right?