Final Fantasy XIII: A Retrospective

It doesn't seem possible that Final Fantasy XIII has been out for nearly two months in North America - time flies - but it might be interesting to explore the after-effects of playing and completing the game.

For me, I think it's important to address two things: firstly, I stand by my review, as I expected I would. Secondly, there seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that FFXIII proved to be a bit of a letdown to long-time fans; it's like people are quick to throw out the "suck" label at every turn. They feel a little betrayed and so suddenly, a great game suddenly becomes a piece of trash. Now, while I'm the first to call out that combat system - which I still believe to be a mistake - I am also quick to point out the pluses- FFXIII still featured sky-high production values the whole way 'round, and I especially liked how the game really opened up at Gran Pulse. Granted, it shouldn't take 20 hours to make me feel like I'm really playing a deep, engaging RPG, but it still helped, and the storyline was decent. I also liked many of the characters; Fang turned out to be my favorite and the ending was quite satisfying. Vanille finally became tolerable.

The bottom line is that FFXIII is well worth playing, almost regardless of who you are or what your personal gaming preferences may be. The CGI alone is worth seeing; it's just plain gorgeous, as it always is for any true FF installment. But that being said, and I know I'm going to risk those unwarranted, "yeah, I know, the game sucks!" comments, I'm ultimately disappointed in the gameplay. That feeling never changed, regardless of how good everything else was, and I really wish I could say otherwise. There is some micromanagement going on outside of battle, but not much and in the end, I really do feel as if it was "RPG Lite," and that it felt stripped-down for the sake of novice role-players. They made too many decisions for me, plain and simple, and I firmly believe that they could've added more depth and strategy with a simple pause command (ala Dragon Age). If we could've simply stopped combat and issued new commands and stuff like that, it would've been a hundred times better.

And so, I'm left in the weird position of saying that FFXIII is one of the better games you can play...while at the same time, it's my least favorite FF of all time (with the possible exception of FFV). This is what happens when one comes to expect nothing but singular wonder and awe with each and every entry in a series, and I've talked before about how this can be a detriment. The game is great but for the first time in more than a few eras, a Final Fantasy title won't be listed among my favorites of the generation.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII

5/3/2010 9:25:28 PM Ben Dutka

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Comments (97 posts)

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Dancemachine55
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 9:57:05 PM
Reply

Got it on day 1, and I still haven't played it.

I'm trying to finish God of War 3, then I got the God of War Collection, Splinter Cell Conviction on 360, Monster Hunter Tri on Wii, and Alan Wake is coming in 2 weeks.

You'd think a game like FF XIII would be top of the list, unfortunately, it isn't. In this day and age, quick action games that are 7-15 hours long are the preferred games. Very few people over 20 have time to sit down and play through a whole 50-60 hour game.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:08:48 PM

GOWIII is soooo cool, but still nothing compared to Dante's Inferno.

0 up, 28 down

fluffer nutter
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:23:35 PM

This game is going to be 29.99 tomorrow. Thinking about picking it up for this price.

0 up, 0 down

Hitch
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:29:23 PM

God of War 3 is 10,000 times better than Dante's Inferno!

19 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:39:02 PM

I THINK World just likes the whole Medieval world better than the Greek world/mythology

I prefer Greek mythology, always have

Last edited by Scarecrow on 5/3/2010 10:39:17 PM

3 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:08:14 PM

I prefer Asyrian as they created the best demons.

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:21:03 PM

Er...Inferno better than GoWIII?

I can't think of a single solitary element of video game production that Inferno does better. Really. Not one.

18 up, 0 down

Mavfan321
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:36:17 PM

GOW III and Dante's Inferno should only put in a sentence together if referring to rip offs.

8 up, 0 down

Hitch
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:10:31 AM

@Ben Thats because there is none.

@Mavsfan Yeah rip-offs that still fell short. And Go Rockets!!!

5 up, 0 down

Hezzron
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:25:21 AM

Dante's Inferno is the poor man's God Of War 3.........actually, scratch that. A poor man would just save up longer and get God Of War 3.

11 up, 0 down

LegendaryWolfeh
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:29:09 AM

the only thing in DI i like that gow3 doesn't have, the ability to hold one button to go along the ropes and other things faster, instead of spamming x to get farther along. other than that, gow 3 is godly.

1 up, 0 down

Dante399
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 2:18:08 AM

YEAH! Monster Hunter Tri on Wii XD
I can't wait to play that game but I better first buy a Wii lol

0 up, 0 down

___________
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 3:18:32 AM

level design?
thats about the only aspect i can think of that dantes did better than GOW.
well, actually come to think of it it had a better morale system, better upgrade system, better enemy variety.
GOW3 was a massive disappointment in the shadow of the previous 2 titles.

0 up, 13 down

Banky A
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 3:18:36 AM

World, I don't get it :L

0 up, 1 down

Oxvial
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 9:09:32 AM

Those person that think DI>GoW3 in level design are really bizarre .

7 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 11:16:21 AM

World you gotta be joking. I can see why people like Dante's Inferno but better then God of War III? really??

12 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 1:13:46 PM

World = troll.

4 up, 1 down

Alienange
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 1:22:25 PM

Yeah World! How dare you have an opinion!11!11

1 up, 4 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 5:54:22 PM

wow I pissed you guys off, well eff you, Inferno is still better. GOWIII used the same 2 levels for 8 hours.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 5/4/2010 5:55:07 PM

0 up, 6 down

Scarecrow
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:10:02 PM

@World,

Don't get me started

Dante's Inferno's level design consists on COUNTLESS arenas with veins and/or crosses
---

PS: Remember guys, there's a difference between facts and opinions. One might LIKE a game's level design better than another, but that doesn't MAKE it better. There's an objective analysis to these aspects of games. There's way more dynamism to GOWIII's level designs which relate to the story, the journey, the flow of the game, and the overall variety. From what I've seen/played of Dante's Inferno, it's just a guy plowing through demonic levels (tied to the story, but really messy in its overall presentation of these locales)

3 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:12:10 PM

World, you had it comin'.

To make a bold statement like "GOWIII is soooo cool, but still nothing compared to Dante's Inferno." and then...nothing...after that.

That was troll 101 right there.

Better to make a bold statement, and then back it up with a well reasoned arguement, so folks could sink their teeth into some meaty. Instead you gave them the verbal equivelant of an anorexic crack whore.

7 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:44:59 PM

Okay kids, I'll back it up then. GOWIII obviously has the graphics and epicness ready, but the Inferno has an interesting story of a man confronting his sins while the Jockstrap Kratos continues the flimsiest excuse to go after the Gods for the same thing Hercules was tricked into doing.

Inferno has separate levels with much scenery that doesnt exist in GOW, GOWIII just has the same few pieces of scene over and over and over.

Kratos has the better weapons, but they are useless because there is no need for them unless you want to look cool.

There are far worse close up textures running at 30fps versus Dante's 60.

I have them both, I love them both, but it's foolish to think that GOWIII is little more than an add-on with a bad ending.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 5/4/2010 6:46:17 PM

1 up, 4 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 7:56:20 PM

World, I'm speechless...

But I'll just leave it at that.

5 up, 0 down

Nynja
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 3:54:01 PM

Dante's Inferno had a better backdrop for Hell, but in my opinion thats about it. I enjoyed Dante's Inferno for what it is, an almost exact clone of GOW, but feel that God of War III remains on top.

@World;

Even though I disagree with you, I won't slam you for preferring one over the other. No hard feelings.

0 up, 0 down

eLLeJuss
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:35:08 PM

Hey hey i enjoyed it too! you are not alone :).

0 up, 0 down

I_defenestrate
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:51:47 AM

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree, I finished VIII. I have absolutely no desire to finish XIII. That says something to me. I got more enjoyment out of Nier than I did XIII.

1 up, 0 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:42:58 AM

You dont get to plan as much strategy in FF13 since everything was speed up like it was a pure action game. try setting up your buffs from the manual menu before an adamantoise stomps you to death. after playing for a while, i find myself just mashing the x button to attack, i just plainly got bored. Its a great game but it falls short of final fantasy standards.

The one thing i want from this game is a cutscene viewer because i dont really want to play that first 20 hours of tutorials over again. They put that luca theater in FFX so why dont they have it after that? i want to have the ability to see those scenes whenever i want on my ps3 in high def.

oh, im so pissed that i spent all my time level grinding and getting top accessories and weapons but the enemy can still kill me as usual. I want my team to be god like damn it! why? because having 2 damn medics at the same time cant even figure out how to use a revive spell on you.

Last edited by johnld on 5/4/2010 6:46:15 AM

2 up, 0 down

Riku994
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 9:59:05 PM
Reply

Got in day 1, played it for like a week, didn't finish it, lent it out, haven;t got it back yet, don't care when I do. Gimme FFv13 please :P

5 up, 0 down

JofaMang
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 8:35:22 AM

I second that sentiment, bring out the real FF13 please. I am hoping VS will be the apology for FF13.

The battle system was oversimplified and deeply flawed. Character advancment was boring and underwhelming. The linearity for the first 60% of the game was dissapointing.

But for all those flaws, I would have been satisfied with the experience, if the dialogue didn't sound like it was written by a bunch of bored 14y old self-cutters. The drama was ALL interpersonal, not situational. Every response and interaction was drenched in emo melo-drama. For the first time in an FF game EVER I skipped a few cutscenes, even though it was my first run through, because of the painfully poor writing.

After experiencing the writing of FF12, I never in a million years would have guessed they would have taken this many steps backwards in a single sequel-count.

5 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:00:18 PM
Reply

Personally I'd rather use that money on creative/mind blowing games like Modnation Racers, Red Dead Redemption, GOWIII, etc.

I would actually THINK about getting it. But when there are other great games out there it just doesn't make sense to bother with FFXIII.

Maybe when there's a huge drought of great games. But so far the ps3 is STILL releasing AAA games every month.

I rather wait for FFXV (maybe I'll even like the character designs better).

Last edited by Scarecrow on 5/3/2010 10:01:50 PM

4 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:03:12 PM
Reply

Vanille tolerable? Vanille in my sex tent now. Sazh was my favorite. And yeah, as I plan a new thread for the forums, as much as I DID like this game, it may come close to dead last in my favorites of FF.

Oh and Ben, if you want a real RPG experience that is so customizable and tweakable tell Arnold to send you his copy of WKC.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 5/3/2010 10:05:36 PM

8 up, 1 down

Scarecrow
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:11:27 PM

That game TRULY feels like an rpg.

Even the story mode takes you through a believable journey in where you can explore the heck out of the world*

The characters are very rpg-ish too, I like that.

The combat is definitely FFXII-ish in every way, which is great.

1 up, 1 down

Alienange
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:12:50 PM

I was "tolerating" Vanille from the get go as well.

1 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:21:58 PM

I played WKC and didn't really like it. I'll stick with Nier for now.

4 up, 0 down

piratedrunk
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:44:00 AM

I got pretty sick of WKC. It felt like it was making up for its lack of story by being so incredibly slow feeling. There were a lot of cool ideas in there but it felt to me like it didn't do any of them particularly well.

I love exploration in games but that one did nothing to make me actually want to see everything the world had to offer.

0 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 5:59:26 PM

I find it an improvement on FFXII, I can't believe you didn't like it Ben. Everything is custom, even the combos. I mean yeah the combat can be monotonous but a lot less than FFXII's.

Actually you probably fell into the trap that I nearly did, the first ten hours are a bit generic, but then it gets sooo good and even uses story elements we haven't seen before.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 5/4/2010 6:00:38 PM

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:19:24 PM
Reply

I certainly don't think you're alone in enjoying FFXIII but not counting it among your favorites of the generation.

I certainly don't mind a light beer, but a light RPG makes me all sad on the inside. Rather frustrating to go through a FF game and be enjoying it and yet at the same time seeing all the things they coulda/shoulda done.

2 up, 0 down

ebterp
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:26:57 PM
Reply

Just started a couple days ago - I am a relatively new gamer so this will be my first Final Fantasy ever - I wonder if I could bring a interesting perspective on this one once I am done??

0 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:29:03 PM

After you're done with FFXIII. Give FFX a go and let us know which battle system is better

PS: FFX had the best battle system out of all the FFs, imo.

2 up, 3 down

SnipeySnake
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:05:00 PM

Yeah, i really hate the battle system in FFXIII. They should of either kept it turn based or made it a straight action game.

2 up, 0 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:49:36 AM

i agree, i liked the battle system in FFX where i can switch party members on the fly to adapt to enemies. i also like the fact that if your team leader is down, you can revive them. i may have to play FFX again just to remind myself what a great final fantasy title is supposed to be like.

2 up, 0 down

FlyingKickPunch
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 4:23:27 PM

materia was the best system in any FF, if i may opine.

4 up, 1 down

Shams
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:31:02 PM
Reply

Thanks, Ben. Convincing retrospective. I'm a n00b to FF (only one I played was the 7th which I adored). Looks like this one will be one to pick up (maybe on the cheap).

0 up, 0 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:50:28 AM

its gonna be 30 bucks at kmart this week, if you dont want to go to kmart, just price match at best buy.

1 up, 0 down

Shams
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 9:21:23 AM

Awesome! Thanks John!

0 up, 0 down

kraygen
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 10:32:36 PM
Reply

Sorry but I don't have $60 to spend on pretty visuals. I'll get it when its $20, but gameplay is the most important factor, because if it's not fun then what's the point.

I'll save my money for modnation and RDR. WKC will be able to fill my rpg desires, because it's an rpg, not a wannabe.

1 up, 2 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:22:54 PM

I don't play games for 70 hours that aren't fun. And beyond visuals, it's about the sound, presentation, and general slickness that sets FFXIII apart.

And let's not forget that the gameplay isn't "bad." Just not up to FF standards.

3 up, 1 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:54:12 AM

what about getting it for $30? thats the cheapest price for it this week. I agree about what ben is saying, final fantasy 13 is a great game but it doesnt quite live up to its name/franchise. It falls short of what makes a final fantasy game a final fantasy game. being a big fan of the franchise, i just had higher expectations for it.

0 up, 0 down

SnipeySnake
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:02:19 PM
Reply

I got it on day one, played till chapter 11, got stuck on ambling bellows and just gave up.

0 up, 0 down

SnipeySnake
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:08:12 PM

You know i bet the perfect rpg for me in my taste would be Eternal Sonata. Sadly, its impossible to find. What i find wierd is the games i usually want but came out like a year or 2 ago are hard to find, and when you do find them new, there like 60$. So what, devs just make us pay 60$ for it and if not much people buy it, they just take it off shelfs right away? That sucks...

Last edited by SnipeySnake on 5/3/2010 11:09:57 PM

0 up, 0 down

JSHidaka
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:09:16 AM

stuck on a lineal game... wow.. thats hard...

0 up, 3 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:56:38 AM

I already beat the game and planning to go back for the last trophies later. However, i dont remember ambling bellows. last thing i remember doing was killing a giant cactuar and beating the gaias trials. oh and grinding adamantoises since i did that a lot.

0 up, 0 down

BTNwarrior
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:41:37 PM
Reply

Well I'm not sure if anyone else has tried it yet but the new game Record of Agarest War has a really satisfying combat system. So if you were let down by the one in FF13, you should definitely give this one a go

1 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Monday, May 03, 2010 @ 11:51:57 PM

God, I've been wanting to get that game (it's made by RED, the makers of Thousand Arms <3)

Great suggestion, will so get it ASAP

0 up, 0 down

piratedrunk
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:48:15 AM

Even after my bitching about it not being on a disc like the 360 version I went ahead and picked it up anyways. I have been enjoying it for sure.

Scarecrow it kind of reminds me of Thousand Arms meets Disgaea. It doesn't quite have the charm of either but it has some very satisfying gameplay and hilarious dating sim aspects.

1 up, 0 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 7:00:01 AM

all i heard about that game was fanservice and breeding. never took it seriously. If reviews sound good to me i might try it. but the price is too much for me to spend on a digital copy. i dont like buying a big game and not have the actual disc and case. I like building my collection and seeing it on my shelf gives me satisfaction.

0 up, 0 down

Hezzron
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:33:28 AM
Reply

Yet another article about trying to figure out if FF13 was any good or not? Stick a fork in it, it's done.

The hype for this game died the minute it was released.

7 up, 1 down

I_defenestrate
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:53:55 AM

Couldn't agree more.

It'd getting traded in towards Red Dead Redemption ASAP.

Last edited by I_defenestrate on 5/4/2010 12:55:03 AM

2 up, 1 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:36:39 PM

No idea what you're talking about.

I did one editorial about the game, and that's it.

3 up, 0 down

spiderboi
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:34:03 AM
Reply

I'm waiting on my friend to finish his copy so I can borrow from him :) I'd rather spend my money on something innovative on the good side (i.e. RDR) rather than a hodgepodge of twitch-mania. Honestly, when I saw him play, I was thinking "such as waste of fine graphics when all you do is look at bars". He goes on to mention that you can still look at the characters and the GFX on lesser enemies. The adamantoise monster is quite a spectacle but when you battle it you can't even savor the fine detail on that piece of "monstrosity".

0 up, 1 down

SmokeyPSD
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 2:36:40 AM
Reply

no my opinion hasn't changed, I picked up Dragon Age, and finally I've had an RPG worth it's weight in salt this generation.

I'm not buying it still, not at the current price point for sure.

1 up, 0 down

swapnilgyani
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 2:50:17 AM
Reply

This is my first Final Fantasy game, and indeed my first RPG (yeah, i missed out on Dragon's Age - have been looking for it for months now, but in vain)

My experience so far - its one of the best games I've ever played, and I've not even reached Gran Pulse yet!

I love the whole concept a lot, and the certain battles started being a lot more enjoyable after I started to change the battle speed as required.

Worth every buck I spent!

2 up, 0 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 7:01:59 AM

using final fantasy standards, its only gonna get better from here whichever older NUMBERED series release you decide to try next.

2 up, 0 down

___________
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 3:20:15 AM
Reply

ahhhhh what were they expecting?
i could of told you 2 years ago that this would be a massive disappointment.
its because square are betraying there roots and trying to expand there consumer base, and in doing so there ignoring, and in a sense giving the middle finger to their hardcore fans.

2 up, 1 down

Rinoa
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 4:05:36 AM
Reply

the game was ok
i liked the story. definitly not among my favourite final fantasies titles though. i finished the story but didnt do much more than that.
i might buy the game when it's cheaper since i didnt buy my own copy, i played my boyfriend's copy. i'll buy it mainly cause it's ff and i might pick it up again once in a while.

3 up, 0 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 7:03:38 AM

theres a good deal at kmart right now, 30 bucks for FF13. i shouldve waited to get it at this price but the final fantasy fan in me bullied me to get it day 1.

1 up, 0 down

Rinoa
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 7:03:55 PM

i'm in europe
amazon uk has it for 28 pounds but they are out of stock

0 up, 0 down

Ultimadream
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 5:11:44 AM
Reply

I still stand saying i enjoyed the game very much, while i can understand the game was lacking in a few things such as a strong antagonist, much else to do after you beat the game, and a very silly weapon upgrade/gil system.

It was a very tight game still, i never felt bored while playing through the game. The story was very well paced, no new location stayed longer than it was welcome. It solved my biggest gripe with XII being we actually heard more about the story, in XII there was not enough focus on the story or characters, i just remember running through landscapes and temples.

While i guess the playable characters arent particularly memorable, i still liked them, every one of the in fact. They we're more charismatic than XII's cast which is a relief because they were so dull (not count Balthier there).

I enjoyed the battle system, while i can understand it can limit your control, It was fresh and interesting, while playing through i never felt like i could relax in battle like some previous FF games, the enemies really packed the punch at times.

Overall i was happy with the game, it was a thrilling adventure and did not disappoint.(well not me anyway). i dont rank it up there with 6-10, but i certainly rank it moderately with the rest.

1 up, 0 down

Tristan
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:09:50 AM
Reply

I've finished the game last month and I'm a bit disappointed, maybe my expectations were just too high or maybe I was just comparing it to FF7.

0 up, 0 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:36:23 AM
Reply

If final fantasy 13 was your first final fantasy game and loved it. Then its all good news for you. No matter which final fantasy title you pick up next, the games before 13, then its only going to go up in quality. Of course, i mean final fantasy standards.

2 up, 0 down

Mr Bitey
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 8:42:03 AM
Reply

I think having towns in RPGs is overrated. We tend to remember games with out rose tinted glasses on.

The fact is that in RPGs towns usually equate to fetch and grab missions, and the annoying wander around the town looking for the one random person to talk to to move the story forward. I've also played White Knight and Star Ocean this year, and the towns are usually one of the more tedious parts of RPGs.

FF XIII is by no means perfect. Still the new battle system does work pretty well. The focus is moved away from individual actions and placed solely on switching Paradigms. It's strange at first, but it works surprisingly well.

XIII's cast in among the best in the series. The story was also pretty good, but not quite as good as past entries.

XIII is a solid Final Fantasy. Not the best in the series, but pretty decent nonetheless.

1 up, 2 down

Oxvial
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 9:16:15 AM
Reply

Grand Pulse is overrated imo , I see it only like a giant version of The Calm Lands...roaming monsters and quest points where you kill a monster and get the reward,I dont see the big deal .

Last edited by Oxvial on 5/4/2010 9:17:35 AM

1 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 10:20:39 AM

Um...how about a giant area that you can actually explore at will, in total contrast to the gameplay that came before it?

0 up, 0 down

coverton341
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 11:11:30 AM

Ben,
But in and of itself that is a huge drawback, there is ONE big area to explore, if you go through the story and walk to where they want you to it is over way too quickly, but most of all I think that after the agonising first 60% of the game we, us gamers who welcomed Gran Pulse, are actually feeling the effects of battered wife syndrome. We have been repeatedly beaten with repetition and redundancy over and over again (much like this sentence) and finally, HEY! a little glimmer of freedom and we are just so grateful to see it that we lose focus of the fact that it is the only point in the game where you are free to do anything really, and it is over and then you have to wait until completion to of the game to have any more freedom.

Gran Pulse, the month when the beatings at home stop and make you think that you really can change that drunk into a respectable man.

1 up, 1 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:35:43 PM

I know what you're saying, but that's not entirely true.

It wasn't just the one area of Gran Pulse; it was the teleportation stones that really opened the game up and allowed you to run around most all of that area. The Missions alone would have you visit several different places in Gran Pulse that are well outside that one big area. It felt a lot more like an RPG right then, and it's not just because of the size; it was also due to the sudden inclusion of enemies one couldn't fight.

We had to really advance and we suddenly WANTED to advance because we were faced with new challenges. This is why the game was so very different after the halfway point.

1 up, 0 down

Ultimate_Balla
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 10:23:19 AM
Reply

Still 15minutes into it. For 2 weeks now. Hahaha

1 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 11:15:43 AM
Reply

Nice characters, good story, fantastic production values, crap game play. The game play ruined it for me. I'm at the very end and haven't played in a 3 weeks. I'm a little irked i paid full price for it. Uncharted 2 and Bad Company 2 have grabbed and held my interest.
It's sad because with previous FF titles, i'd spend hours on end playing those games. Mastering them to the T and some how this one failed to grab me like that.

Fail Squeenix, Fail.

2 up, 1 down

MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 1:04:55 PM

Jawk, 1 fail out of 13 is a great statistic. And in a sense, it wasn't necessarily an epic fail, just a good game amongst their roster of great FF games right? It is impressive the high level of games they have churned out over the years, and after it is all said and done, FF13 is still an impressive product.

Hey, if you go 12 out of 13 and get 12 hits, 12 baskets, 12 catches, you name it, you are a god.

Plus you don't have to wait very much longer for the next FF entry into the series. So you have that going for you.

Could be worse. Failed domestic policies, failed border control, failed support of the states, failed oil spill control, failed health insurance takeover, failed Olympics bid for Chicago, failed support of demo candidates who end up losing, closing of gitmo, failed IRS head, failed Homeland Security Advisor, failed, er, you get the point.

Squeenix for Pres.

Last edited by MyWorstNightmar on 5/4/2010 1:12:10 PM

1 up, 1 down

Jawknee
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 2:42:30 PM

squeenix would certainly be a pro business president. They love money unlike The One.

Last edited by Jawknee on 5/4/2010 2:43:44 PM

2 up, 1 down

johnld
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 2:53:25 PM

its not really 1 out of 13, more like 1 out of 3. Squaresoft handled the series till X in my opinion. square enix is a completely different company in my eyes. I loved every FF i played until X but it just kept going downhill after that.

1 up, 0 down

totozero18
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 2:15:23 PM

@World *Claps hands really slow and starts gaining speed while standing up*

0 up, 0 down

telly
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 11:23:05 AM
Reply

The five or so hrs I played were so boring -- I literally fell asleep on my couch watching one of those long, confusing cinemas -- I had to walk away from the game. I may yet go back and power through. The production value is sky-high, the worlds of both Pulse and Cocoon just LOOK so damn cool I still wanna see more of them, etc. But for a game to turn me off so strongly, not for the first five minutes, but the FIRST FIVE HOURS, I just can't forgive that. This is the series that gave us FF VII. Maybe it's not fair to expect that level of amazing every time out, but then again it's not fair to us to be let down so much.

Glad to hear a lot of you enjoyed your play-through. But this one is just not my kind of game.

1 up, 0 down

nogoat23
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 11:55:00 AM
Reply

FF13 wasn't everything I hoped it would be, but I enjoyed it enough to sink 115 hours into it.

1 up, 0 down

MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 1:28:02 PM

Damn, to have 115 hour to give to something I enjoy.

You know who gets all my free time? Well, whatever time I get after work goes to the wife, kids, and dog. My only "free" time is my time inside of the bathroom. As soon as that door gets locked, you got kids banging on it, or a dog or cat paw reaching under it. Thinking of puting a PS3 and tv in there, for those "free" moments.

1 up, 0 down

nogoat23
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 6:30:56 PM

115 hours over 6 weeks, but yeah, I don't have a wife or kids or pets.

0 up, 0 down

SuMtOnE
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 12:15:37 PM
Reply

I brought the game when it came out but never had a chance to open it up... work, wife, and a 6 month old... ah!!! my life as a gamer is slowly disappearing =(

0 up, 0 down

Deleted User
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 3:44:10 PM
Reply

Editors really need to find other articles to write about. People gave their opinion on this game already and 2 months later you want to ask again to see if it has changed.

jeez.

0 up, 4 down

MyWorstNightmar
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 3:58:13 PM

FF is a rather large franchise that gamers like to talk about. As you point out, the game came out a few months ago, but with as many hours as gamers can put into this game, and then add in the large backlog of great games that are out now, it stands to reason that many gamers are still working their way through this game. So, IMO, this is still a valid topic of discussion.

6 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 7:57:48 PM

Readers who haven't the slightest clue what running a site or writing game articles entails probably shouldn't comment.

Just saying.

3 up, 0 down

Nynja
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 3:56:20 PM

@Worst; Well put. Saves us from having to type the same thing.

@Ben;

Can't please them all. I suppose some people just aren't familiar with PSXE yet. Keep up the great articles. You still have an audience who appreciates your pieces whether it's breaking news or reflecting on the past.

On that note; You going to do an article on MGS4? I was talking with a friend about the game recently and we both agreed that it is still one of the best games. Even after beating it 5 times, I have been considering another play through because it's just that good.

Last edited by Nynja on 5/5/2010 3:58:25 PM

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 7:50:01 PM

I already did a long time ago.

http://www.psxextreme.com/feature/318.html

1 up, 0 down

Nynja
Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 11:24:35 PM

Tuche.

0 up, 0 down

The CEO
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 3:58:59 PM
Reply

This game ruined my longtime love affair with Final Fantasy. F U C K You Square Enix. The game was a boring grindfest. Even the story was dumber than usual.

4 up, 2 down

FlyingKickPunch
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 4:24:12 PM

*gasp* you broke the no swearing rule! :O

0 up, 0 down

Rinoa
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 7:13:51 PM

i still have hopes for FF Versus XIII, if they ruin that one then i dont know what to think about them anymore
i guess i'd have to give all my RPG love to Sega and Level 5

0 up, 0 down

AirplanePeanuts
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 @ 4:10:50 PM
Reply

I walked in with relatively high hopes, and walked away disappointed. There's a lot of singular things the game does that I admire, in some places bucking established genre conventions in the interest of better streamlining the gameplay. But some of those decisions panned out much much better than others, and overall the game is ridiculously inconsistent.

I know I don't have the same tastes as most Sony-era Final Fantasy fans, but I'd rather replay any of installments 3 through 12 over this game.

1 up, 0 down

Gordo
Monday, May 10, 2010 @ 1:26:49 AM
Reply

JB-HiFi in Australia has FFXIII free if you trade in two used games.
(obviously exclusions apply but pretty much most decent games can be traded).

That's pretty good for a 2 month old game (maybe that tells you something!)...

So picked it up and am enjoying it so far. If I get 40 hours of entertainment out of it I will be happy.

0 up, 0 down

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