Final Fantasy XIII-2 Confirmed, Hits Japan Late 2011
Final Fantasy XIII-2"She must not be forgotten." At the time, we almost didn't dare believe Nomura was referring to a Final Fantasy XIII sequel.
We didn't even dare believe it when we saw that "FinalFantasyXIII-2TheGame" domain, as clear as it appeared. We could only hope. Well, it's all true- Square-Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIII-2 will arrive for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next winter. In fact, it'll be out in Japan towards the end of 2011, as multiple sources have reported. It was unveiled at the Square-Enix Production Department event today and yes, it will be a direct sequel to FFXIII and be directed by franchise guru Motomu Toriyama, so that's good news for the fans. Lightning will return as the protagonist and although we have no other details at this time, there's one piece of information that makes us hope for something very, very special: Toriyama specifically mentioned the team would consider fan feedback from FFXIII. That being the case, we could never find fan feedback anywhere that said things like, "make it faster and dumber!" and "yeah, no towns, this is awesome!"
Here's the debut teaser trailer:
So there's just good news all over the place. It should also be noted the game is being "simultaneously developed" for the PS3 and 360 this time around, and all we know about the combat is that it will have "evolved." By the way, FFXIII is probably closing in on 6 million in worldwide sales (last financial check had the number at over 5.5 million), so a sequel is perfectly warranted. And in our eyes, many of the characters were just starting to get interesting in the latter half of FFXIII, including Lightning. So let the discussion begin...we imagine there's plenty to talk about, even without any specific gameplay details.
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2
Tags: final fantasy xiii, final fantasy xiii-2, ffxiii-2, square enix
1/18/2011 9:29:39 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (102 posts)
Riku994
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 9:59:52 AM
1 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:09:06 AM
0 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:15:02 AM
There is only one trailer for FFXIII-2, as far as I know.
0 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:30:39 AM
If XIII had the same battle system as Versus,will it have been better received ?
0 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:26:03 AM
3 up, 0 down
nilos95
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:00:53 PM
0 up, 2 down
Scarecrow
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 9:53:36 AM
Reply
This is sad.
If you guys expect them to get it right you are TRULY naive. Mark my words.
3 up, 6 down
Veitsknight
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:05:34 AM
Square-Enix is not the biggest catastrophe in gaming history, but they are close. Naming XIII as a FF game made it loose a lot of fans.
0 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:01:10 AM
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Which is strange for me... I literally waited 4 years in anticipation for FFXIII with that famous trailer not only downloaded onto my computer but on my desktop.
P.S.
Anyone know when that SE conference takes place?
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/18/2011 10:02:39 AM
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totozero18
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:11:28 PM
Last edited by totozero18 on 1/18/2011 3:13:14 PM
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Oxvial
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:02:17 AM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:03:00 AM
Reply
...I could only sense Dissidia when I saw it. If they take ANOTHER step away from RPGs, rather than TOWARD the genre, I will pass entirely.
Just saying.
9 up, 0 down
Oxvial
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:08:18 AM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:23:15 AM
1 up, 1 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:24:38 AM
I believe that we will have to accept that SE has abdicated it's position as the leader in the RPG/JRPG genre. It's time to place that crown elsewhere. If WKC2 fulfills the potential is possesses when it finally hits these shores, perhaps they can be the interim holders of the crown.
That said, I am beginning to feel that the crown may need to be broken and instead we should simply look to Level 5, NIS, Atlus, and Gust for any further RPG/JRPG games. Namco has given up on JRPGs in the west (d#mn them), SE almost seems to be willfully destroying the genre, and I've yet to see anything from CapCom that suggests that they know what the heck they're doing with JRPGs.
It appears that the entire genre has become nothing more than a niche genre. Not sure who I should 'thank' first for this, but it's clear to me that the demise of the genre occurred with this current generation of console. It's notable that Microsoft's interference with leading publishers/developers in the JRPG genre really didn't occurred until the 360 arrived.
Circumstantial evidence perhaps, but the early exclusivity contracts greatly restricted the sales of JRPGs because the 360's market presence in Japan is slight. Combined with the fact that JRPG interest among 360 gamers in the west is very thin on the ground. I don't blame Microsoft completely, SE, Namco and others bear their share of it too. But it's extremely clear that the PS2 was replete with JRPGs, but with the current generation, the arrival of the 360 and Microsoft's attempt to corner the JRPG market through exclusivity has had a hugely detrimental impact.
I've said it all along, Mirosoft's selfish drive to buy exclusivity is/was bad for the industry. I am certain of this now, and the state of the RPG/JRPG genre is the smoking gun.
</rant>
(edited to break the super-long paragraph up)
Last edited by Highlander on 1/18/2011 11:29:15 AM
3 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:27:44 AM
The gameplay found in some Level 5 and Atlus efforts and the production values from Final Fantasy and Square-Enix.
That's it. Right there.
6 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:35:35 AM
Or do we need SE to wake up and restore the more sophisticated and strategic game we knew before?
Sometimes change is good, things move in cycles, and SE appears to be at the end of it's cycle. Perhaps it is time for someone new, like Level 5, to take the lead?
BTW you have no idea how hard it was when dumping that rant into a comment to restrain my language concerning Microsoft and Square Enix. Microsoft in particular have been incredibly bad for gaming this generation. economically speaking, life is great - for a few mega publishers. In other ways though, the health of gaming hasn't been worse since the dark days after the collapse of Atari.
Last edited by Highlander on 1/18/2011 11:38:11 AM
3 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:39:41 AM
0 up, 0 down
shadowscorpio
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:41:21 PM
I have to always restrain my language when mentioning Microsoft's influence this gaming gen. I'm someone who thoroughly agrees with you on this particular topic.
1 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:13:20 PM
However, none of them have the flash and panache of a Final Fantasy. FFXIII, love it or hate it, did retain at least one element from past installments: the absurdly high production values. There's CGI and artistry in there we just don't see elsewhere and unfortunately, the smaller guys don't have what it takes to produce that level of quality.
But in time, others could. And it's more likely we'd see something like that from Atlus/Level 5; it would sooner happen S-E returning to its roots.
1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:51:08 PM
Regarding Microsoft. I think I saw the first major sign of them moving away from the 360 today. They confirmed official support for Kinect on PCs in Windows (presumably version 7). I don't know why, but it's felt like they were drifting back towards PCs for a while now. Their incredibly lack luster first part development efforts in the past couple of years, and looking forward to 2011 do nothing to dis-spell that feeling.
Given the damaging influence MS has had this generation, if they were to leave the console space, it couldn't possibly be a bad thing.
1 up, 0 down
frylock25
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:19:10 AM
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3 players are setting guinness world records and they are live streaming the whole thing for us to watch.
Last edited by frylock25 on 1/18/2011 10:21:14 AM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:38:29 AM
2 up, 0 down
frylock25
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:43:43 AM
there is a dude dressed up as a giant sackboy doing an interview.
Last edited by frylock25 on 1/18/2011 10:45:12 AM
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Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:24:41 AM
Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1A0AU1eNSXk
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Snaaaake
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:27:31 AM
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Versus XIII has been in the dark for too goddamn long ever since that announcement a few friggin' years ago and it still doesn't have a release date.
FFXIII-2 is definitely not for the fans or the twitch community, it's most probably just for milking when their profit number hasn't been pretty lately.
1 up, 0 down
Veitsknight
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:35:58 AM
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Veitsknight
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:43:06 AM
Gameplay starts about half-way through.
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WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:34:58 AM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:10:16 AM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:03:57 PM
http://psp.ign.com/articles/114/1144404p1.html
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b3mike
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 1:14:05 PM
Perhaps due to the fact that Square Enix is porting Versus for the 360 as we speak? Since it wouldn't be fair to the 360 owners to deprive them of a game they have no interest to begin with!
2 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 4:30:41 PM
Somewhere in the comments archive is a post by me saying the same thing about 6 months ago.
:(
1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 10:38:53 AM
Reply
4 up, 1 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:09:31 AM
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Square Enix can literally fold up and die for all I care now. At this point I require some kind of demonstration that SE can still produce a game worth the name Final Fantasy - or my time. It's up to them to win this gamer back.
2 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:17:55 AM
You may already be aware of this but at one point Mircrosoft wanted a 360 version of MGS4. But the problem was that the engine for MGS4 was pretty much built around the PS3's processing power. I believe that Hideo Kojima even said that he didn't believe that the 360 would be able to handle it. Therefore a 360 version of the game would have been exceptionally hard to pull off and would have taken at least a year. Microsoft found this to be unacceptable so they gave up on MGS4 and instead settled for a 360 version of Meta Gear Solid Rising.
I think we may be in for a similar scenario with Final Fantasy Versus XIII. And besides, have you seen the latest Versus trailer? It's amazing.
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:21:29 AM
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:26:30 AM
SE would have to squat down and lay a diamond encrusted platinum egg of a game before I would be interested. They have screwed the entire PlayStation user base this generation, despite many years of loyal purchases by those same gamers. I didn't abandon them, they threw me aside.
4 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:47:56 AM
I really can't say that I blame you for feeling that way. SE has given you little reason not to.
However, I strongly suggest that you at least keep an eye on Versus. There is a good chance that the situation with Versus will either contradict or justify your position.
Another reason to hope is FFXIV. All of the SE attempts to get a 360 version of the game going have failed. And with the botched launch of the game they are likely going to be looking to the PS3 version for salvation. In light of this they would do well not to piss off PS3 fans again.
Having said that I myself am losing patience with Square-Enix. If Versus does go multi-platform I'll probably buy it anyway out of respect for Mr. Nomura. However after that there is a good chance that it will be the last Square-Enix game I ever buy. Final Fantasy or no Final Fantasy.
Incidentally I have a suspicion that the sales of FFXIII-2 are going to be used to gauge whether they will seriously entertain the idea of making Versus multi-platform. However even if that is true the odds would still be in our favor considering the lopsided sales of FFXIII.
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:55:55 AM
Last edited by Jawknee on 1/18/2011 11:56:17 AM
1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:04:11 PM
To say I'm jaded with respect to SE is to understate my feelings by a couple of orders of magnitude. I am almost to the point where I simply don't care what they do, it will not encourage me to buy anything they make.
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:09:18 PM
To be more specific Nomura has no DIRECT control over such things. However as I'm sure we all know there are other ways to influence them.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/18/2011 12:14:20 PM
0 up, 1 down
Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:16:09 PM
You said almost. You might want to try and hold on to that for a while longer.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/18/2011 12:21:02 PM
0 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:31:16 PM
"Multiplatform is when you start development on a game with the assumption of optimizing for multiple platforms. Porting is something that's done after you've developed a game specifically for a particular platforms[sic]. The debate over porting is decided by the management based off the current market and the costs. All I can say right now as a developer is that Versus is being developed specifically for the PlayStation 3."
1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:56:01 PM
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 5:39:15 PM
Yes, I am well aware of that. He does seem to acknowledge that the decision is perhaps ultimately out of his hands. But it is within his power to make that decision harder to make.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/18/2011 5:43:14 PM
0 up, 1 down
Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 5:44:41 PM
Fair enough. But that slightest wrong move hasn't actually happened yet.
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Akuma07
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 5:31:51 AM
That trailer looks insane.
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pepinoatomico
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:10:06 AM
Reply
http://www.baixakijogos.com.br/noticias/12452
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Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:37:07 AM
I tried to Google their claim but nothing comes up.
0 up, 0 down
Looking Glass
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:51:16 AM
I wouldn't even bother. Stuff like that doesn't really matter until the game actually gets released.
And besides, consider the source.
Last edited by Looking Glass on 1/18/2011 11:51:41 AM
1 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:53:41 AM
Last edited by Jawknee on 1/18/2011 11:57:57 AM
0 up, 0 down
556pineapple
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:13:36 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Oxvial
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:18:06 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Ultimadesires
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 11:44:21 AM
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Though i have to admit i dont like the look of the new character a bit TOO anime-ish.
As for the game, i reckon they will give us more exploration, i would like them to keep the gamplay similar to keep it consistant. As long as it doesnt become completely immature and irrelevant i will be happy. I just wish it was out this year in the UK as i need an RPG!
Last edited by Ultimadesires on 1/18/2011 11:49:47 AM
2 up, 0 down
Alienange
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:07:06 PM
Reply
Doesn't make sense to not release these first.
Besides, how will we know if XIII-2 will be the best XIII? Maybe vs XIII will be the best XIII and not like the first XIII that's not related to Agito XIII. If XIII-2 turns out to be the best XIII then maybe the other XIIIs won't be necessary.
2 up, 0 down
Oxvial
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:08:39 PM
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0 up, 0 down
DIsmael85
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:12:54 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:16:11 PM
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DIsmael85
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:18:46 PM
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Lawless SXE
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:34:25 PM
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Lawless SXE
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:14:39 PM
Reply
And clearly the ending was pre-rendered, but it could easily be a clue as to the direction of the combat system itself. They could be letting you take control of your character entirely. That would be wrong, though. I wonder what an "evolved" combat system means. What possible evolution could there be of the FFXIII combat? See, when I think 'evolved' I generally think sophistication. Maybe they'll revamp the Crystarium to give us more options. Maybe they'll do as I've said all along and make it turn-based quick-time. Or maybe, just maybe, they'll take note of the WORLDWIDE fan hate and give us something akin to the early games. Let the leaks begin.
Peace.
P.S. Prototype box art images have been leaked and they're exactly like the ones of old. Potential further evidence that S-E is dedicated to righting this sinking ship.
Last edited by Lawless SXE on 1/18/2011 12:21:00 PM
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Highlander
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:53:23 PM
1 up, 0 down
kraygen
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:33:47 PM
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0 up, 0 down
FM23
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 12:38:41 PM
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Slycly
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 1:19:51 PM
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1 up, 0 down
shadowscorpio
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:44:43 PM
1 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 9:45:36 AM
0 up, 0 down
DemonNeno
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 1:28:25 PM
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You've taken away everything that made FF such a great series. From the looks of it, nothing screams they've learned from their gigantic mistake and because of that my interest in this is nonexistent.
3 up, 1 down
Nynja
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 1:33:20 PM
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Someone at Sony needs to contact Mistwalker and beg for some RPG goodness. S-E and Sony RPGs haven't been the same since Hironobu Sakaguchi left. Apparently he felt the same way about S-E's direction so he went and made one of the best RPGs of this generation on 360.
I'll stick with my Western and 8bit RPGs until WKC2 or FFvXIII.
2 up, 0 down
nilos95
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:04:57 PM
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DeathOfChaos
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:39:48 PM
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0 up, 0 down
DeathOfChaos
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:46:02 PM
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0 up, 0 down
bigrailer19
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:51:01 PM
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0 up, 0 down
Alienange
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 2:54:40 PM
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4 up, 1 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:17:53 PM
Polished XIII scraps repackaged for $59.99.
2 up, 0 down
Ultimadesires
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 3:39:03 PM
0 up, 2 down
Jawknee
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 4:30:40 PM
http://www.thekoalition.com/content-cut-from-final-fantasy-xiii-was-enough-to-make-another-game
http://kotaku.com/5446974/interview-there-is-enough-discarded-final-fantasy-xiii-to-make-another-game
Last edited by Jawknee on 1/18/2011 4:32:06 PM
3 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 9:44:19 AM
0 up, 0 down
tes37
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 4:22:41 PM
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Versus XIII looks a little more promising at the moment.
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BikerSaint
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 7:51:20 PM
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Mystearica
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 9:48:56 PM
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keybladesman
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 12:14:02 AM
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Just a thought.
1 up, 2 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 9:42:14 AM
Apparently 92% fewer than SE originally thought!
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Highlander
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 11:33:17 AM
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keybladesman
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 12:25:00 AM
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0 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 5:33:18 AM
We want the FF games we know and love.
The reason why Squeenix has ruined their RPG history is because of people like you who don't care at all, as long as the game is entertaining.
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Ultimadesires
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 7:00:30 AM
0 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 9:40:51 AM
X-2 had increadible gameplay. Warrented, the storyline and dialoge won't gel with many people, but the gameplay is nearly PERFECT. XI had excellent gamplay and stories too, if you can manage to get into MMO's. And XII... you're just wrong about that one. It's pretty excellent.
XIII was good too, imo. It deserves the 8.3 average it got. It's no 9+ game. I think people need actual control to get a 9+. Either that or become far more original with a new IP altogether.
@Keybladesman and Ultimadream
Square-Enix = 92% drop in projected profits.
That is all. Still not convinced they're doing something wrong?
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___________
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 @ 1:47:12 AM
Reply
FF, the new COD!!!!!!!!!!
1 up, 2 down
Veitsknight
Reply
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 @ 9:52:42 AM
Well, I am definitely gonna get this somewhere down the line. I do hope they will include an option to chose what language the characters will be speaking, like Star Ocean.