The Love Thread

[demondude]

Because I hate negative nancies! Post the things you love most about FFXIII here, and share the joy.

--Minor Spoilers--

I love the way the games opens up in Chapter 11. I spent ages this morning exploring the ins and outs of a couple of places, and discovered locations I didn't even think you could get to! I also love the way you can change party members freely now, and they make their comments at things randomly. I was walking to a mission when Sazh got worried about a high drop, and Snow comforted him. Whether the two lines were supposed to go together or it was coincidence, it was still great and immersive.

I also love the characters. Lightning is the first protagonist I actually liked more than the companions. Fang is simply badass, and Vanille has depth. Hope develops more than anyone, Snow is badass (sometimes) and Sazh is basically awesome and has a really sad story for such a cool dude. On top of that I love the battle system and how it is extremely fast paced yet still very tactical.

What do you guys love?

[Rad Bromance]

I love the battle system. It's like they took the best aspects of X-2 and XII's systems and meshed them together. :D

[Crowseye]

Because I hate negative nancies!

Wow, you make a love thread and choose to start it off with this (emphasis mine). :roll2

Anyway, Lightning has some of the best voice-acting ever IMO, and her animations are wicked.

Sazh is an awesome "sidekick" type of character.

The graphics in general are gorgeous.

I like how they threw you into the middle of a rebellion/war/battle at the beginning of the game. Many games take awhile to get going with a mild and light-hearted introduction, so it was nice to hit the ground running so to speak (even though the "tutorial phase" was overlong IMO).

This game, for a while anyway, dared to be something more than a heroes vs. villain thing, striving to be a commentary on society's need for order vs personal free will. While it eventually evolved away from that, it still deserves credit for the effort.

[demondude]

I apologise if I hurt your feelings.

[VeloZer0]

- The voice acting all fits very well.

- I am so happy to have a protagonist back that I enjoy playing as


and they make their comments at things randomly.
Yes, this definitely livens the treks across the map.

[Shlup]

When you first get to the Great Expanse in Gran Pulse, and it's open and huge and there are beasts running across the plain and fighting each other and flying through the sky... wow. Amazed.

Yeah, everything that most people complain about, I like. I like having an interactive movie.

[G13]

Yeah that reminded me of Jurassic Park a bit. :p

I love absolutely everything about this game. The linearity sucked at first but after a few hours of playing I didn't even notice it.

[VeloZer0]

New one:
I had a RAV learn all the -aga spells, and damn do they look awesome. I haven't yet gotten tired of being focused on my COM slashing it up, and then all of a sudden the entire battlefield explodes.

[Miriel]

I love not having to heal after battles.

I love the color of Lightning's lips. I've been trying to find a lipgloss color like that for weeks.

I love the random things the people in your party say while you're running about, or overhearing NPC conversations.

The game is so SO pretty!

[arcanedude34]

Love the characters' one-liners as you run around.
Love the graphics.
Love any scene with Sazh.
Love the confrontation scenes (Hope/Snow, Vanille/Sazh)
Loved the boss Tiamat Eliminator (one of the few that forced me to play strategically instead of brute forcing it)
Love the name Palumpolum.
Love all the puns that can be made with the main characters' names.
Love the battle system (at least for the first 3/4 of the game)
Love the Frocobo

[Loony BoB]

I echo pretty much everything Miriel said. I also echo the 'Jurassic Park' comment from G13. And the mention of Sazh's chocobo from arcane.

I also love the friendship that develops between Sahz and Vanille. I think it's adorable. It seems like such a lovely, genuine friendship that you simply don't see much of in other FF games, at least not in my experience.

[finaloblivion]

Yeah, everything that most people complain about, I like. I like having an interactive movie.

same here. im in love with this game, and everything about it. if there's one thing ive noticed, you either love em or hate em. proud to be in the love side of things. not being able to revisit the cocoon locations is a bit of a downer, but by no means does that turn me off in any way. SE didn't make any mistakes in development - they worked hard and for a long time to ensure that every part of the game and how you traverse through it is perfectly tuned and paced the way it should be. cocoon is very story driven and plays much like the interactive movie; gran pulse is wide open and throws you more freedom of choice. "two worlds, one game". they worked hard, and like i said you can either enjoy it for what it is, or you can't. it's not the end all RPG/FF savior, it's just a great game.

i just started getting into the true strategic development of my characters and the upgrade system here during ch10. picking and upgrading jobs and weapons for each character that suits the way i play and maximizes their abilities and strengths is a lot of fun.

and also choosing party members/corresponding paradigms?
im actually writing down different combinations that i like in different situations with different sets of characters. no FF game has ever made me calculate and strategize this much, and i love it. immersive as hell.

this thread needs to be full of more posts. :love:

[NeoCracker]

I actually think Fang and Lightning are the weakest members of the story, character wise that is.


Sahz and Snow, however, completely steal the show. Vanille is pretty awesome too.

The story has great build up and character building, all until the 'big reveal' after chapter 11, though the Characters themselves are really amazing.

And I don't really see what all this 'open world' is about. Really it just 'hey, instead of the story, go kill this fucker for a diversion instead'. Nothing really that great to be honest.

Though most of the areas are amazing, the cast and VA's are top notch, and the battle system is solid and engaging.

[finaloblivion]

And I don't really see what all this 'open world' is about. Really it just 'hey, instead of the story, go kill this smurfer for a diversion instead'. Nothing really that great to be honest.


honestly, XII was the most "open" of the FFs, and i would get so sidetracked from the story by walking around and not knowing what corner of the desert i was in, i didn't even care anymore. not that XII had a good or decent story anyways, so whatevs. But that's the point - XIII is designed to keep you glued and paced through the story, not get detached and distracted from it.

[NeoCracker]

And I don't really see what all this 'open world' is about. Really it just 'hey, instead of the story, go kill this smurfer for a diversion instead'. Nothing really that great to be honest.


honestly, XII was the most "open" of the FFs, and i would get so sidetracked from the story by walking around and not knowing what corner of the desert i was in, i didn't even care anymore. not that XII had a good or decent story anyways, so whatevs. But that's the point - XIII is designed to keep you glued and paced through the story, not get detached and distracted from it.

I get that's the point, and rather appreciated the game for doing that.

I'm just saying it's not really much of an open world, where as people were making it sound epic or something. :p

[finaloblivion]

totally. that's why "open" was in quotations lol. so we're in agreement there, definitely. even if u wanted to consider it open or take a look at games that actually are "open world" exploration, it's overrated anyway. everyone's got their likes and dislikes, though. im more of a story guy anyways. what is an RPG without a story anyhow? a shell. kinda like cocoon.

[Wolf Kanno]

Haven't finished but...

I love the Battle System. Can it be improved, hell yeah but what the game gives you is actually really good and with the exception of a few missteps here and there its definetly one of the better systems in the series.

Sazh - He is easily the games best character and will no doubt fall in line with other FF greats in the series. What makes Sazh stand out in comparison to the rest of the class is that he is instantly likable and probably the only truly realistic member of your party. He avoids the RPG Cliches (though sufferes from a few racial ones...) and he just gets better as the game goes along. His story is probably the most heart wrenching without being overly melodramatic like the rest of the cast. He is also has a freaking Frocobo and is the games best comic relief as well as its only voice of reason.

Gran Pulse -Its been more fun than the rest of the game so far and is easily the most awe inspiring location in the title. Its a shame the game waits so long to introduce it to you.

[finaloblivion]

I wish this thread was a little larger. the hate thread is so large because there's so many people throwing arguments back and forth. instead of arguing, why don't people who truly love the game post here and ignore the people who will not be swayed no matter what you say, and people who dislike the game (and some who haven't even played it?...) can stay in the hate thread.

i think the fact of the matter about this game is that many people hate the game for the same reasons people love the game. in a few years, once a few more FF titles have come out, this game will probably be remembered well, as most FFs that come into fire when they first come out do. it's different, yes. but most FFs are. that's the point on the series. these are not direct sequels of each other, they're individual entities that retain similar qualities of the other games. and does this game have many similar qualities? absolutely. but apparently they weren't the right qualities for every FF fan to embrace it. if this game didn't have FFXIII as the title and was called Cocoon Saga or something and it didn't have all these sweeping expectations to be the savior of final fantasy and RPGs in general (which is just ridiculous anyways, because no game could do that), and every one just accepted it for what it is and tried to enjoy it with no predispositions, i think a lot of the hate would be dimmed down. true, people just straight up don't like the systems or the story or whatever, but that's every single game in history.

short in short, i love it. probably always will. and ive taken the path of not letting anyone else' negative opinion on the game affect me, since ive also read many positive reviews (professional and non) and that's that. GI gave it a 9.25, and really...when it comes down to the only professional opinion that i truly respect, that's just dandy. but on the same token, they said the weakest link of the game is the story and dialogue. and i love both the story and the character's interactions, though typical of a JRPG or FF as they may be. although i daresay the character growth and relationships are anything that you could call the same as FFs from even a few years ago. fact is, they worked hard on making this aspect of the game mature from the rest of the series, and i appreciate it. and love it.

SO IN SUMMARY, everyone should just stop the arguing...and just accept that not all of us are going to agree and its really pointless to try and force our opinions on other people. so people who like it come here, and people who hate it go to the threads dedicated as such. woot.

[No.78]

I love everything except the weapon upgrading system.

Seriously. EVERYTHING, except that. Which I hate passionately.

The game could've been longer, too.

No but when I saw this thread title, I was thinking about character shippings and formulated the idea that Hope is in love with Snow. It's so obvious.

[PaulinasKnight]

I love everything except the weapon upgrading system.

Seriously. EVERYTHING, except that. Which I hate passionately.

The game could've been longer, too.

No but when I saw this thread title, I was thinking about character shippings and formulated the idea that Hope is in love with Snow. It's so obvious.

They would make a cute couple, only if Hope was older, lol

[Flying Arrow]

Big detractor of the game here, but here's some small things I dig:

-The Analects that open up during Ch. 11. It's not very substantial, but I'm a huge geek when it comes to details like that. I love it in XII and and in Elder Scrolls, too. I just wish XIII integrated them a bit more into the gameplay and exploration. They just kind of mysteriously appear in the datalog after killing random marks, which is odd.

-Field banter. More please! I was kind of hoping that once I got to Pulse Fang and Vanille would be belting out tidbits of info like tour guides. Like, instead of info mysteriously appearing in the datalog, they could tell the Cocoonians about old cities, Pulse culture, or general pieces of information that they have no way of knowing otherwise.

-Mark hunting. I like grinding. Grinding's fun to me especially when progress is made slowly but satisfyingly. Opening up new areas for doing marks is actually quite a reward for my curious little mind - I just wish it all felt a bit more natural (ie: why do random palings cut off certain areas that only a dead palette-swap can bring down?)

Lots of the things I like aren't really fully realized and take a bit of suspension of disbelief on the player's part (which is kind of silly considering the resources SE have), but they're still pretty good. FFXIII isn't really a labour of love by SE (it really does seemed slapped together in a number of areas), but there's still some sparks of intrigue to be found.


Anyway, Lightning has some of the best voice-acting ever IMO, and her animations are wicked

YES! I love her facial animation and how her face kind of drops when the wheels in her head are turning or when she comes to an unexpected realization. Excellent work by the SE artists - on all of the character models, really. Spectacular.

[demondude]

I like Lightning's Sentinel pose and the way she provokes the enemies for some reason.

[Flying Arrow]

After seeing the ending and being ultimately disappointed, it did make me think of one thing the game did well story-wise: the Bodhum flashbacks! I thought they were very well implemented and effective and I generally looked forward to each one. It's nice to see the characters being people because XIII has a good cast (with good voice acting) that unfortunately got sold pretty short by the end.

[Garnie]

i like the sheep lol! would have been cooler with cows!

[VeloZer0]

Hm, I don't think I've mentioned this anywhere else.

FFXIII is the only game with AI characters that I have ever found enjoyable to play.

[No.78]

i like the sheep lol! would have been cooler with cows!

YES, THE SHEEPS ARE THE MOST AWESOME SHEEPS EVER TO EXIST.

Yes, caps were definitely necessary. I think a thread needs to be made to appreciate the epicness of the sheep in FFXIII.

[Persephone Stephanie]

Field banter. The one liners. These made FFXIII so enjoyable for me; to hear the other characters talking as they run around the world with you made it much more immersive than silent companions simply following five feet behind. I also liked how characters would run off to check things out/sit down while waiting for you to catch up.

Sazh: *running over thin piece of metal in Lake Bresha* Do not shake the bridge! Do NOT shake the bridge! (or something to that effect)
Vanille: If you get scared, just close your eyes!

I hope they keep this kind of interaction in every future FF. Hell, when I make my awesome RPG (one dayyyy) I will use it, too.

[Pete for President]

After seeing the ending and being ultimately disappointed, it did make me think of one thing the game did well story-wise: the Bodhum flashbacks! I thought they were very well implemented and effective and I generally looked forward to each one. It's nice to see the characters being people because XIII has a good cast (with good voice acting) that unfortunately got sold pretty short by the end.

Word!

[Future Esthar]

Yes.Thank God they didn´t followed you roboticaly like on FF8.
Nor keep close to you like on FFXII.

[ModerateOsprey]

I want to do my bit to spread the love as well. I love everything mentioned above and am on my second playthrough and loving every minute of it. I think the game is exquisite.

One of the things I am enjoying the most is subtle dialogue referring to plot items yet to be revealed. I am also enjoying weapon/accessory upgrading with the help of my newly purchased guide book - also a lovely item.

I tried to play another game (fairly new release) this weekend just gone and it just seemed crude and uncouth after playing FFXIII.

I can't wait for the next one.

[finaloblivion]

Amen.

[Ragebrain The Enraged]

I love Gadot. >:} I wish he was a playable character all the way through the game. :D

[Future Esthar]

I tried to play another game (fairly new release) this weekend just gone and it just seemed crude and uncouth after playing FFXIII.


Same here for Assassin´s Creed 1 which I bought recently.
That game´s unlinearity is so boring it will make you be grateful for FFXIII´s linearity.

[finaloblivion]

speaking of Gadot...I thought it was awesome that he and Lebreau joined up with Snow's party for a bit in the beginning of the game :D

[Ragebrain The Enraged]

I know. :D The game would be so fun if they stayed! My party would be Gadot/Lightning/Lebreau for sure!

[ChickenHeart]

I think all the voice actors did an amazing job, they captured the exact feelings they were ment to uhh capture. Vanille's weapon was strange, yet somehow the coolest out of the lot.