Final Fantasy XIII-2

[ShinGundam]

Release window :2011 in Japan

http://i.imgur.com/DVREB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PPuuA.png
-Toriyama is back for you :p
-They were only able to show a short trailer at the event, but development is progressing well, says Toriyama. They are working so that the game serves as the answer to the opinions they received about FFXIII.
Lightning seems to be at the core of this new episode.
A brand new character will accompany Lightning on her journey.
The FFXIII-2 trailer showed Lightning in armor. She was engaged in a sword fight with a purple haired man.

----------------------------------------------------

Final Fantasy Type-0 on PSP this summer in Japan
http://i.imgur.com/Hjcx0.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/enigaldr9lqj9r3xhxw1soqm1v.jpg
-Shipping on 2 UMDs.
-Tabata says Agito has been renamed because he didn't think it was enough like Final Fantasy XIII.
-There's over 30 different speaking characters in Type-0.
- 12 Playable character with Multiplayer
-Tabata says Agito has been renamed because he didn't think it was enough like Final Fantasy XIII.
http://www.square-enix.co.jp/fabula/0/

------------------------------------------------------

Final Fantasy Versus XIII
http://i54.:bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:/wi9e75.jpg
- Still PS3 exclusive.
- The trailer appears to have a whole lot of gameplay footage, including combat scenes with swords and guns, a scene where you control a tank-like vehicle, a scene where you climb aboard a bipedal robot, a battle with a massive creature (this may be the combat scene from the TGS trailer), and a battle where Noctis wields his sword against a group of soldiers.

[Silent Warrior]

Ugh, another debate on whether or not I should get a PS3? Ick!

[ShinGundam]

I just watched Type-0 trailer, MY BODY IS READY
OMG

[Shaibana]

woah!!! :O for real!! Omg Yes!! =D
@ silent warior.. Absolute!! get ps3!! xD

i rlly like that picture of lightning with that black armor :O
it kinda reminds me of a MMORPG i play :O

xD i guess i gotta hurry now finishing FF13.. im near the end but still havent finished it :3

[ShinGundam]

Type-0 ~
YouTube - PSP (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC5P3Jxvtzg)

Versus XIII trailer
YouTube - PS3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A0AU1eNSXk)

[champagne supernova]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Announced - PS3 News at IGN (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/114/1144400p1.html)

And so it is now official. Squenix are hoping to milk a cow (or maybe rescue a game with promise).

The most curious aspect of what has been revealed is a 2011 Japan release. Which would probably mean December-ish, roughly 2 years after the release of XIII. What this suggests to me is that there will be a lot of reused content (and perhaps that stuff they couldn't fit in).

What is more promising is that there is a new character, which hopefully means this won't be a rehash of old concepts.

So what are the thoughts around here? Will it be better/worse/the same as the original? Should we care?

I am slightly optimistic. XIII had a lot of beautifully detailed areas already, so hopefully in the 2 years they can expand it out and make it a fully-fleshed world. And maybe make some use of the mythology that they have created. It does beg the question why they didn't just wait 2 years to release it in the first place, but what's done is done.

[VeloZer0]

"They were only able to show a short trailer at the event, but development is progressing well, says Toriyama. They are working so that the game serves as the answer to the opinions they received about FFXIII."
I hope this isn't part of the horrible FF10->FF12->FF13 ping pong match of not knowing what they are doing.

That said, the high point of FF13 for me was watching Lightning rip :bou::bou::bou::bou: up, so there is some promise in this. I don't have any confidence this will elevate past FF13's poor writing, but with some gameplay tweaks I will probably find it worth playing.

[Elpizo]

Logo:

http://www.hellandheavennet.com/files/uploads/final-fantasy-13-2-logo.jpg

I also read they announced Final Fantasy Agito XIII is no longer Agito XIII but Final Fantasy Type-0. It's no longer part of FF XIII series, they want to make it into its own series (which is why they registered the names Type-1, Type-2 and Type-3 already too, I guess). Dunno if it's true, but if it is, this whole FNC is really becoming the joke of the gaming century.

EDIT: Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObiaNbDtF3Y&feature=player_embedded

I really hate to sound positive, but Lightning as a knight looks cool. Aside from that, nothing can be said about the trailer. It's more like a teaser.

[champagne supernova]

DMKA posted this in another thread. It's a translation of the epilogue of the international version of XIII that was recently released in Japan.

-Dilly Dally, Shilly Shally-Lissar's Translations: Final Fantasy XIII: Episode i (http://dilly-shilly.blogspot.com/2010/12/final-fantasy-xiii-episode-i.html)

It's long, so here's my quick summary.

Basically right at the end of the ending FMV. People are being evacuated off Cocoon. Sazh decides he wants to help by being a pilot. Serah decides she wants to start a school. Snow decides he wants to build a new home town. Hope decides he wants to do something to help (typical Hope - useless). Vanille & Fang are still stuck in crystal and tell everybody to not come after them. Lightning decides they're all busy being kids or looking after each other, so she sets off by herself to try find a way to get Vanille & Fang out of their crystal stasis. Ends up with some bizarre dreamy illusion about being at a sea.

With the noises coming out of Squenix combined with the epilogue, it would seem that the game will only feature Lightning and one new character, and not the entire cast. Which would imply a very different type of battle system - maybe one where you control Lightning directly and the other character is only A.I.

Anyway, there is also a mention of the Goddess in the epilogue, so maybe the game will start getting its lore together in a way that makes sense.

EDIT: That teaser is quite teasing. I just hope they have a clear vision this time. I won't say XIII wasn't focused, because it was, but I think the linearity was a result of all the other elements they were trying to incorporate not making sense and having to be cut.

[kotora]

Oh my god

this game is going to combine the suck of FFX-2 and FF13

what have they done

[Elpizo]

Let's try to remain optimistic, shall we? I know, it's hard, but the game deserves a chance. You'll never know a miracle happens. ^^"

[DMKA]

OMG OMG OMG AHHHHHHAHAHAH! I am so friggin excited! Yaaaay! I haven't been this excited for a game in ages! Yay!

The FFXIII hater tears will be delicious!

[Wolf Kanno]

33967

[kotora]

OMG OMG OMG AHHHHHHAHAHAH! I am so friggin excited! Yaaaay! I haven't been this excited for a game in ages! Yay!

The FFXIII hater tears will be delicious!

Well you're not getting any of mine. Since FFXIII I don't have any more tears to shed.

[Elpizo]

33967

Personally I'm much more disheartened by the stunt they pulled with Agito XIII, Wolf.

[Dreddz]

How about taking the opinions people had of FFXIII and creating FFXV with them in mind instead of giving us more XIII. I doubt they are going to make a game that fans are happy with, especially in such a short span of time.

Vesus XIII looks exactly like Crisis Core. Then again Crisis Core was arguably the last good game Square made so maybe thats a good thing.

[Dreddz]

What a waste of time.

[ShinGundam]

Okay looks like Versus XIII has progressive day and night cycle.
Still they didn't show the world map or airship yet.

[DMKA]

You're all a bunch of sour patch kids. Sheesh.

Something that gives me hope though, from Episode i, however:

"Gran Pulse was far larger than anyone on Cocoon could imagine, and airships would be a big part of people’s lives here."

Airships, you say? I would very much like an airship to fly around Pulse in. Though I'm not counting on it. None the less I still can't wait for this game. :D

[kotora]

Even if we get an airship we'll still only be able to travel in one line between the clouds or something retarded like that

[Bolivar]

Well, I liked XIII as it was already, I can't imagine this game will be anything but better. It seems like they may be going with a more high fantasy look as well with Lightning being a knight in armor, no more crazy technology. They may just be making this the most apologetic, fan-focused Final Fantasy yet!!!

[Depression Moon]

I wonder how many people will buy it, because if I had played the first entry of a series and didn't like it at all, why would I be compelled to buy a sequel?

[champagne supernova]

I seriously doubt Square-Enix are going to make the same mistakes in terms of linearity again. It will also be kind of hard to explain why nobody is speaking to them now that they are no longer l'Cie.

What is making me most curious is that both the noises coming out of Square and the epilogue in the International Version make it sound like there are only going to be 2 playable characters, which should make for an interesting battle system.

[Ouch!]

Well, if everyone is on Pulse now, this may be a bit of an improvement. Gran Pulse was far and away the best part of FFXIII (probably because it was the only part that wasn't a linear piece of :bou::bou::bou::bou:).

Still, not happy. If they want to use what they learned from FFXIII, do it to make FFXV. Fuck this :bou::bou::bou::bou:.

[Roogle]

I have merged an existing thread on this topic. Please use the Final Fantasy XIII forum to discuss issues related to the Final Fantasy XIII series.

I am glad that they are recycling items from Final Fantasy XIII because the production cost and turnaround time was substantial. At least they'll be able to release a new Final Fantasy within the year rather than within the next three to five years!

[champagne supernova]

I have merged an existing thread on this topic. Please use the Final Fantasy XIII forum to discuss issues related to the Final Fantasy XIII series.

Looks like you're going to have to create another forum now that Agito is now its own stand-alone FF series.

But I agree with you about getting a new FF out soon rather than in donkey years. I doubt XV will be on this current console cycle anyway. I just hope that they change the battle mechanics (which seems likely) and add to the locations, otherwise it might as well be some DLC.

[DMKA]

What is making me most curious is that both the noises coming out of Square and the epilogue in the International Version make it sound like there are only going to be 2 playable characters, which should make for an interesting battle system.

What "noises" would you be referring to, and what leads you to believe this? The game just got announced. Remember when FFXIII first got announced? The only character we saw or knew anything about was Lightning. We ended up getting a full cast though.

I just watched the teaser. Lightning looks awesome. But why is she in armor I wonder? Perhaps she's using the warrior dressphere? :tongue:

[champagne supernova]

What "noises" would you be referring to, and what leads you to believe this? The game just got announced. Remember when FFXIII first got announced? The only character we saw or knew anything about was Lightning. We ended up getting a full cast though.

I just watched the teaser. Lightning looks awesome. But why is she in armor I wonder? Perhaps she's using the warrior dressphere? :tongue:

Squenix apparently said Lightning would be joined by a new character. Not the cast, but Lightning. The artwork focuses on 2 characters and the epilogue that you linked to leaves the rest of the cast in crystal stasis or busy with their own vibe.

[DMKA]

What "noises" would you be referring to, and what leads you to believe this? The game just got announced. Remember when FFXIII first got announced? The only character we saw or knew anything about was Lightning. We ended up getting a full cast though.

I just watched the teaser. Lightning looks awesome. But why is she in armor I wonder? Perhaps she's using the warrior dressphere? :tongue:

Squenix apparently said Lightning would be joined by a new character. Not the cast, but Lightning. The artwork focuses on 2 characters and the epilogue that you linked to leaves the rest of the cast in crystal stasis or busy with their own vibe.

Meh, you have a point, I really hope that isn't the case though. The jury's still out, I say!

[Mercen-X]

may purchase this...

[Sword]

Type-0 is still part of the Fabula Nova Crystalis series.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

If they make a cool combat system like FFX-2 had, I'll wind up playing. I'll probably find the story mind-numbing, just like FX-2, but I'll play it.

[Elskidor]

Not sure what to think, but I'll buy and play em all. Good to know we'll have some new games from them this year at least.

[Wolf Kanno]

33967

Personally I'm much more disheartened by the stunt they pulled with Agito XIII, Wolf.

You know... Agito was the only part of the XIII FNC I was actually interested in so having it be removed from a terrible travesty of a title like XIII is just good news to me. :p

Honestly, XIII-2 will probably not make me happy but that's because it wasn't just the gameplay that disappointed me but also the story and characters. While the opportunity to play a Vanille free XIII is tempting, if the title is suppose to address fan complaints, then we may also bear witness to Squenix's answer to "Awesome Raiden" from MGS4, where Hope will be transformed into a gun toting, motorcycle riding, dead hooker body disposal badass from the 8 circles of Hell. That possibility is enough to make me not touch the game.

I still need to watch the trailer for Versus, I still have low hopes because Nojima is the main writer but maybe the gameplay will make up for it? Maybe I'll just wait for The Last Story...

[Del Murder]

If they make a cool combat system like FFX-2 had, I'll wind up playing. I'll probably find the story mind-numbing, just like FX-2, but I'll play it.
That's pretty much how I feel. X-2 had the best battle system of any FF for the last several years. The story was pretty crap, but the gameplay was superb. Since I liked Lightning and the story wasn't that bad, I have hopes for this game. For starters, the game taking place on Gran Pulse is a good start.


then we may also bear witness to Squenix's answer to "Awesome Raiden" from MGS4, where Hope will be transformed into a gun toting, motorcycle riding, dead hooker body disposal badass from the 8 circles of Hell. That possibility is enough to make me not touch the game.
Are you kidding? It would be freaking awesome if they did that!

[DMKA]

then we may also bear witness to Squenix's answer to "Awesome Raiden" from MGS4, where Hope will be transformed into a gun toting, motorcycle riding, dead hooker body disposal badass from the 8 circles of Hell. That possibility is enough to make me not touch the game.
Are you kidding? It would be freaking awesome if they did that!

Agreed. I'd buy ten copies.

[Yar]

I'll buy this game if:

*They all wear skimpier clothes in this game
*It gets a new job system
*Lightning becomes a J-pop sensation
*They recognize that XIII was a horrible mistake

[Elpizo]

Type-0 is still part of the Fabula Nova Crystalis series.

So Type-0 is now a sub-series within a sub-series? :confused: SE has lost it.

[ShinGundam]

Make it a very slow turn based :p.

[Loony BoB]

I'll definitely be playing this. :)

Also, with regards to the whole "I'd rather they just make FFXV" thing, perhaps they are making an intelligent move and doing this in order to get a better feel for exactly what people are after before they jump into making FFXV. If they continue with three games per generation, they'll want to finish off the PS3/360 generation with a really good one. Especially due to not wanting to have three games in a row panned.

Oddly, I recently read on IGN that the reviews for FFXIII were generally heading towards good while in Japan they were much worse. It's a good read, the article - something like Japan in Decline or something.

[Hot Shot]

The way I see it is if XIII left you disappointed then buy it. Because the first one wasn't good, the sequel will in no way ruin it and you won't have high ecpectations (unlike X-2). If you did like it, be wary, because chances are, they changed things around. So ironically the sequel will more likely please those who hated XIII than those who liked it.

[Bolivar]

then we may also bear witness to Squenix's answer to "Awesome Raiden" from MGS4, where Hope will be transformed into a gun toting, motorcycle riding, dead hooker body disposal badass from the 8 circles of Hell. That possibility is enough to make me not touch the game.
Are you kidding? It would be freaking awesome if they did that!

Agreed. I'd buy ten copies.

"Light... THIS TIME, it's my turn to protect you!"

[Serapy]

Regarding Final Fantasy XIII-2
I was surprised when they had announced the release date for this game. That's quite a change of pace, considering that Square-Enix likes to release games after years and years. It wasn't like this back in old PSX-PS2 days.

Well, I guess sequels are an exception. They probably use the same stuff from XIII to develop XIII-2. That's probably why it's a lot faster to finish it. For example, Killzone 2 was developed for 5 years or so, and then Killzone 3 gets developed within 1 or 2 years after that.

I like the XIII-2 teaser; love her new clothes! But I have a question... You figure that while playing XIII nearly the end, Sazh, Hope, Vanille, Fang, Snow and Light sympathise with each other; like to work with each other; are determined to end the whole thing (the boss) with each other. They are great friends. Like, they are destined to be with each other. So, shouldn't they help Light and that new character to rescue Vanille and Fang in XIII-2? It doesn't make sense if they decide not to help them and rather move on. Unless, something happened to them too?

Regarding Final Fantasy XIII Versus
What a fantastic trailer. The low quality graphic looked almost real! Especially the starting CGI scenes. Before this trailer, they released like 10-30 seconds trailers. Was pleased that this was like a 6 minutes trailer... it's about time, lol. But I was disappointed when they didn't mention the release date. Dunno if that's a good thing or not, but it'd would imply that Versus would be released after XIII-2. Can't wait for the HD version

Regarding Final Fantasy Type 0
The trailer was awesome. Nuff said.

[Lamia]

While I am excited that XIII-2 will be made, the release date worries me.They rushed 14 to the market, they really don't need to rush any more games. I understand that time has been but from the development process due to teh fact theat they can use content from XIII, but it still worries me. I also don't like Lightning's new outfit. Other than that, I can't wait for the game and I hope it will be awesome.

[DMKA]

While I am excited that XIII-2 will be made, the release date worries me.They rushed 14 to the market, they really don't need to rush any more games. I understand that time has been but from the development process due to teh fact theat they can use content from XIII, but it still worries me.

Yeah, same here. The one thing I can't stop thinking about is the fact that it's slated for this year's release...that's awfully soon.

Of course, it only took Ubisoft a year to make Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood which gave me the same concerns, and it ended up being one of my favorite games ever and the best AC game (in my humble opinion). So who knows, maybe developers are just getting faster.

[champagne supernova]

While I am excited that XIII-2 will be made, the release date worries me.They rushed 14 to the market, they really don't need to rush any more games. I understand that time has been but from the development process due to teh fact theat they can use content from XIII, but it still worries me.

Yeah, same here. The one thing I can't stop thinking about is the fact that it's slated for this year's release...that's awfully soon.


Yeah, but it doesn't mean they've only started developing it now. There have been rumours about DLC and then a sequel since shortly after the international release. And the production team that Squenix assigned to make XIII were not officially assigned to another project, as far as I am aware. Combine that with the fact that they have content already from XIII and additional content that apparently would be enough to make another game before they started developing XIII-2, and the release date seems quite manageable.

[Wolf Kanno]

The way I see it is if XIII left you disappointed then buy it. Because the first one wasn't good, the sequel will in no way ruin it and you won't have high ecpectations (unlike X-2). If you did like it, be wary, because chances are, they changed things around. So ironically the sequel will more likely please those who hated XIII than those who liked it.

That doesn't help with someone like me who strongly disliked FFX and then ended up dying a little on the inside from FFX-2. I can only imagine what a crappier sequel to XIII would be like and I have this sneaking suspicion that the game will play (structure wise) like X-2, by being mission based and filled with countless mini-games of which only two are actually interesting. Combat just needs to be fleshed out and get rid of the MegaTen influence (leader = dead = game over) or at least do a better job of ripping off the idea so it actually works like it does in MegaTen (Leader is usually a one man army and the hardest character to kill).

Who knows, I'm not feeling Lightning's "Sophia from SC" inspired new outfit and part of me wonders how combat and customization will work since everything depended on them being l'Cie. Are we going to Lightning become a new l'Cie or has PSICOM developed technology that imitates the power of a l'Cie? Is this game finally going to address the biggest missing elements from XIII's plot, mainly the fate of humanity from Gran Pulse and the "enemy from beyond"? Are we going to try to fill up the plot hole about the fal'Cie wanting the Maker to come back? Is Snow going to spend the whole game angsting about being a daddy like Wakka did in X-2? Is Hope still going to be an annoying little bitch?

The only way I might play the game is if it opened with the cast being murdered by Sahz and then turned out to be a new Chocobo Dungeon game with special guest star Sahz. :eep:

[Jessweeee♪]

I always felt like the battle system of FFXIII already was a lot like FFX-2, but with only six dress spheres :confused:

[champagne supernova]

Are we going to Lightning become a new l'Cie or has PSICOM developed technology that imitates the power of a l'Cie? Is this game finally going to address the biggest missing elements from XIII's plot, mainly the fate of humanity from Gran Pulse and the "enemy from beyond"? Are we going to try to fill up the plot hole about the fal'Cie wanting the Maker to come back? Is Snow going to spend the whole game angsting about being a daddy like Wakka did in X-2? Is Hope still going to be an annoying little bitch?

The only way I might play the game is if it opened with the cast being murdered by Sahz and then turned out to be a new Chocobo Dungeon game with special guest star Sahz. :eep:

-Dilly Dally, Shilly Shally-Lissar's Translations: Final Fantasy XIII: Episode i (http://dilly-shilly.blogspot.com/2010/12/final-fantasy-xiii-episode-i.html)

This is the link of the translation of the epilogue of XIII in the international and it would seem to set up the plot elements of XIII-2 (which further suggests that XIII-2 has been in the pipeline for some time). There is a mention of the Maker, so hopefully it fills us in about the mythology. And it looks like the rest of the cast will not be playable. I'm guessing they'll be like the rest of the cast of X in X-2.

[Loony BoB]

The way I see it is if XIII left you disappointed then buy it. Because the first one wasn't good, the sequel will in no way ruin it and you won't have high ecpectations (unlike X-2). If you did like it, be wary, because chances are, they changed things around. So ironically the sequel will more likely please those who hated XIII than those who liked it.

That doesn't help with someone like me who strongly disliked FFX and then ended up dying a little on the inside from FFX-2. I can only imagine what a crappier sequel to XIII would be like and I have this sneaking suspicion that the game will play (structure wise) like X-2, by being mission based and filled with countless mini-games of which only two are actually interesting. Combat just needs to be fleshed out and get rid of the MegaTen influence (leader = dead = game over) or at least do a better job of ripping off the idea so it actually works like it does in MegaTen (Leader is usually a one man army and the hardest character to kill).

Who knows, I'm not feeling Lightning's "Sophia from SC" inspired new outfit and part of me wonders how combat and customization will work since everything depended on them being l'Cie. Are we going to Lightning become a new l'Cie or has PSICOM developed technology that imitates the power of a l'Cie? Is this game finally going to address the biggest missing elements from XIII's plot, mainly the fate of humanity from Gran Pulse and the "enemy from beyond"? Are we going to try to fill up the plot hole about the fal'Cie wanting the Maker to come back? Is Snow going to spend the whole game angsting about being a daddy like Wakka did in X-2? Is Hope still going to be an annoying little bitch?

The only way I might play the game is if it opened with the cast being murdered by Sahz and then turned out to be a new Chocobo Dungeon game with special guest star Sahz. :eep:
I'm still not entirely sure, Wolfy boy. Did you like FFXIII? Don't sit on the fence, now. :D

[DMKA]

Who knows, I'm not feeling Lightning's "Sophia from SC" inspired new outfit
Because Namco invented armor...


part of me wonders how combat and customization will work since everything depended on them being l'Cie.
Apparently you missed the entire first part of the game where they were all fighting BEFORE becoming l'cie...


Is this game finally going to address the biggest missing elements from XIII's plot, mainly the fate of humanity from Gran Pulse and the "enemy from beyond"?
Fang and Vanille explained, in depth, how this happened...did you skip the cutscenes?


Are we going to try to fill up the plot hole about the fal'Cie wanting the Maker to come back? Is Snow going to spend the whole game angsting about being a daddy like Wakka did in X-2? Is Hope still going to be an annoying little bitch?
I can't wait to find out!

We get it; you hate Final Fantasy games. Just save your money and don't play them anymore. I don't get why you people act like SE is holding a gun to your head making you play games you just can't stand. And post on message boards about the games you can't stand. And keep playing tens of hours long game all the way through and hate every last minute of it.

lol internet

[Ouch!]

We get it; you hate Final Fantasy games. Just save your money and don't play them anymore. I don't get why you people act like SE is holding a gun to your head making you play games you just can't stand. And post on message boards about the games you can't stand. And keep playing tens of hours long game all the way through and hate every last minute of it.

lol internet
Oh get off your high horse, dude.

Final Fantasy XIII was the only Final Fantasy game I've ever returned because I never wanted to touch it again after I beat it. There's no use discussing what about the game disappointed me so much since that's a conversation that's been had over and over. There are legitimate reasons to dislike Final Fantasy XIII, and a bunch of people did, in fact, dislike it. Just because they were optimistic, bought a copy, played it, and ended up hating it doesn't mean they feel like they had no other choice. I had to force myself to finish FFXIII because I love the series; still thought it was a piece of crap, though.

I don't often jump to Wolf Kanno's defense, but his concerns were, for the most part, justified. The battle system in Final Fantasy XIII revolved around powers the characters obtained as a result of becoming l'Cie. With their focus complete and the Fal'Cie destroyed, we can reasonably wonder whether or not they still have these powers. At the very least, I would expect a change in the battle system that could reflect this possible change.

Further, a number of plot elements discussed regarding the Maker and the world's mythology was relatively poorly addressed. When the characters reached Gran Pulse and started to explore there and started getting history lessons, I thought the plot was finally taking a turn for the interesting. Then everything ended in a pretty poorly plotted deus ex machina. FFXIII-2 has the potential to pick up the pieces that FFXIII dropped in this regard.

Also, given Final Fantasy X-2's utter failure (for as much crap as I give Final Fantasy X, I thought it was one of the best-told stories in the series even if I didn't really end up liking the story as some of the others, if that makes sense) to deliver as a sequel, I think worried comparisons to the only other numbered sequel in the series is valid.

[Wolf Kanno]

Who knows, I'm not feeling Lightning's "Sophia from SC" inspired new outfit
Because Namco invented armor...

More like you have to be smurfing blind not to notice the similarities and this wasn't even a real jab at the game. :roll2



part of me wonders how combat and customization will work since everything depended on them being l'Cie.
Apparently you missed the entire first part of the game where they were all fighting BEFORE becoming l'cie...

You mean the first 3 boring hours of the game where all I could do was hit attack and throw grenades, oh that's going to be fun. How about you stop and think about the fact my comment was about how you are going to make an engaging combat system when you wrote out the ability to use magic instead of making baseless and irrelevant comments?



Is this game finally going to address the biggest missing elements from XIII's plot, mainly the fate of humanity from Gran Pulse and the "enemy from beyond"?
Fang and Vanille explained, in depth, how this happened...did you skip the cutscenes?

I'm referring to the Analects which tells me only one of us really played this game. :p


We get it; you hate Final Fantasy games. Just save your money and don't play them anymore. I don't get why you people act like SE is holding a gun to your head making you play games you just can't stand. And post on message boards about the games you can't stand. And keep playing tens of hours long game all the way through and hate every last minute of it.

I have no intention of buying the game but it doesn't mean I can't still ponder how a sequel would even work or whether it will actually answer all the plot holes and story elements that were introduced and never gone into. The fact it comes off as a troll response is just showing how much XIII had some shoddy writing and problems cause simply stating the obvious shows how poorly thought out everything was. Course a real grasp of the game and a few minutes of actually thinking about what I was saying instead of trying desperately (and pathetically) to troll me would have made you come out looking better from all of this. ;)

Edit: Thank you Ouch!

[champagne supernova]

As much as the plot of XIII got lost somewhere around Barthandelus (or whatever his name is) was revealed as a fal'Cie, there were aspects of the story that were good. I quite enjoyed the political fear mongering that was evident throughout the game, as well as the semi-Matrix feel of the machines providing for humanity to harvest them later.

The characters were believable (for video game standards) and they drove the game for me. They're personalities were crafted by their histories and they changed semi-realistically based on their circumstances.

Ouch mentioned certain elements of X-2's story being likeable. I found that too - the setting with a world struggling to find its identity now that an ever-present oppressor is no longer continuing to cause fear in their lives. I liked the political parties and how they end up standing against each other because of their different views on the way to move forward. The rest of the story about Shenmue (or whatever his name was) & Lenne was a bit ridiculous and not particularly mature.

Hopefully XIII-2 will be able to continue with strong characters and at least an intriguing background, while filling in a mythology and putting together a good story. About Lightning's strength, there is mention of her searching for Pulsian technology in the epilogue, so maybe that is where she derives it. I doubt she'd let herself become a l'Cie again (and unless it is well explained, then that will dash all hopes). And from the epilogue, it seems that it is going to be an adventure to get Vanille and Fang out of stasis (which also resembles X-2's bringing Tidus back).

[Elpizo]

I think we shouldn't judge the game yet, or at least not make claims like how it's going to be the worst piece of filth ever, the unholy mother of @$$. It's not E.T. for the Atari, people. :p Granted that previous Final Fantasy sequels have been hit or miss for most people and the critical reaction to them has been mixed as well. It's human to do so, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that "previous sequels were bad so this is going to be THE WORST GAME EVER!" is a pretty baseless statement. ^^" Yes, I'm exagerating, I know, I know...

As it stands, we know nothing about the game aside from the fact that Lightning wears armour. I deem that too little to condemn a game by. Yes, I know, most people had (a lot of) complaints about XIII, and I won't deny that I agree the game had serious flaws. But XIII having those does not necesarily mean XIII-2 will too. Chances are big it will, I'll give everyone that much, but still. Comparing it to X-2 is logical, but not entirely fair either. X-2 was hit or miss for a lot of people. I never played it, I didn't like X enough to be interested in its sequel. But saying XIII-2 will be bad because X-2 was is kind of the same reasoning as saying XIII will be great because XII was (or insert whatever FF title you want here). And we all know how that turned out! :D

I'd say: the game deserves a (very small, if you will) chance. Brutally killing this 1 week old foetus of a game (yes, I know, it's been in development longer than that, but I'm talking about time we know the game exists and facts we know of the game), like what most seem inclined to do, is a bit much (just a bit!). At least let it be born before you beat it to death. No need for abortion. It makes Sazh his chocobo cry. :cry:

Wolf, not trying to troll you, but maybe try being 0,01 % optimistic and 99,99% pessimistic instead of the full 100% "No hope"? ;) I know, it's hard, and XIII gave you little reason to hope, I know and respect that (months after I played it, I don't think much of it anymore either, I'll admit) but still, one never knows for sure, does he? Maybe one of the developers gets hit on the head by a crate of XIII games and suddenly sees the light. Then XIII will have ended up doing something good for you still! :)

[Miriel]

This is kinda like Pixar putting out a Cars 2 movie. I mean of all the games to give a sequel to, they chose FFXIII? Weird.

[Ouch!]

This is kinda like Pixar putting out a Cars 2 movie. I mean of all the games to give a sequel to, they chose FFXIII? Weird.
That's... disturbingly accurate.

[Del Murder]

This is kinda like Pixar putting out a Cars 2 movie. I mean of all the games to give a sequel to, they chose FFXIII? Weird.
Wait a minute...Lightning...Lightning Mcqueen...PIXAR SQUARE ENIX CONSPIRACY!

[DMKA]

You guys are hilarious.


Oh get off your high horse, dude.

No thanks, I'm far too comfortable up here! :smug:


Final Fantasy XIII was the only Final Fantasy game I've ever returned because I never wanted to touch it again after I beat it. There's no use discussing what about the game disappointed me so much since that's a conversation that's been had over and over. There are legitimate reasons to dislike Final Fantasy XIII, and a bunch of people did, in fact, dislike it. Just because they were optimistic, bought a copy, played it, and ended up hating it doesn't mean they feel like they had no other choice. I had to force myself to finish FFXIII because I love the series; still thought it was a piece of crap, though.

And, believe it or not, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO LIKED IT TOO! ZOMG!!!! Myself being one of those people. It's all matter of opinion, and I've never insisted otherwise. It's fine if you don't like it. And why would you force yourself to finish a game you don't like just because it has "Final Fantasy" stamped on it?


The battle system in Final Fantasy XIII revolved around powers the characters obtained as a result of becoming l'Cie. With their focus complete and the Fal'Cie destroyed, we can reasonably wonder whether or not they still have these powers. At the very least, I would expect a change in the battle system that could reflect this possible change.

Thank you for stating my very point...


Further, a number of plot elements discussed regarding the Maker and the world's mythology was relatively poorly addressed. When the characters reached Gran Pulse and started to explore there and started getting history lessons, I thought the plot was finally taking a turn for the interesting. Then everything ended in a pretty poorly plotted deus ex machina. FFXIII-2 has the potential to pick up the pieces that FFXIII dropped in this regard.
Fair enough. I agree that many plot points weren't fleshed out and elaborating on them is much needed. I hope XIII-2 does this.


Also, given Final Fantasy X-2's utter failure (for as much crap as I give Final Fantasy X, I thought it was one of the best-told stories in the series even if I didn't really end up liking the story as some of the others, if that makes sense) to deliver as a sequel, I think worried comparisons to the only other numbered sequel in the series is valid.

Did I ever say a comparison to X-2 was unfair? Nope. I agree 100%. But then I loved X-2 too. :p



More like you have to be smurfing blind not to notice the similarities and this wasn't even a real jab at the game. :roll2
More like you have an extremely limited imagination (or are very young) to compare her new look to, of all characters, one from SoulCalibur. Name calling is fun!


You mean the first 3 boring hours of the game where all I could do was hit attack and throw grenades, oh that's going to be fun. How about you stop and think about the fact my comment was about how you are going to make an engaging combat system when you wrote out the ability to use magic instead of making baseless and irrelevant comments?

I frankly didn't find that portion of the game boring, but it was by far the least intriguing battle wise, I'll agree. And how about YOU try comprehending my comment before calling it irrelevant and baseless? I wasn't implying that XIII-2 would, could, or should be like the first three hours of XIII, but rather, that those first 3 hours of XIII are proof to the contrary of your comment; the entire battle system was not based off them being l'cie nor is a battle system with them not being l'cie impossible.


I'm referring to the Analects which tells me only one of us really played this game. :p

So am I. I also finished all 64 mission to unlock and read them all. Nice try though. Perhaps I'm not hip to what the kids consider "really playing a game" is now. Oh well!


I have no intention of buying the game but it doesn't mean I can't still ponder how a sequel would even work or whether it will actually answer all the plot holes and story elements that were introduced and never gone into. The fact it comes off as a troll response is just showing how much XIII had some shoddy writing and problems cause simply stating the obvious shows how poorly thought out everything was. Course a real grasp of the game and a few minutes of actually thinking about what I was saying instead of trying desperately (and pathetically) to troll me would have made you come out looking better from all of this. ;)

I'll let you in on a little secret: Just because someone disagrees with you/points out your inconsistencies equals not trolling, and when you resort to calling something trolling that isn't anywhere near trolling, it's just sad. But thank you for playing, and the hearty laughs your post provided me. :p

Edit: Thank you Ouch! Your post helped provoke the post that provided my evening entertainment. I'll be back tomorrow night! :heart:

[Wolf Kanno]

This is kinda like Pixar putting out a Cars 2 movie. I mean of all the games to give a sequel to, they chose FFXIII? Weird.

OMG! It's so true. :jess:

champagne supernova: I agree there were some good elements in XIII but it's there total squandering that bothered me about the game. It could have been meaningful and settled for sub par and since it's the same team, it's not very unlikely they may make the same mistake. With that said, it's not like XIII doesn't have a lot of elements that can be used to make a sequel, perhaps even a good sequel, the sad truth is that it does and it's just kinda sad that the game really seemed like it was made for that very reason.

Elpizo: It was not trolling just a call for civility and I can appreciate that. :cool:

Yes, I'm too negative when it comes to XIII (and FFX, SE, Nojima, Motomu Toriyama, the Compilation of VII, fun, Zelda, the future of gaming, Sony, and the laughter of children... etc...) and I can't say for sure how the game itself will be, but I can say with some certainty that the game has little hope of impressing me unless that dev guy does get the cosmic boot to the head he needs ;)

Toriyama's team just has a very bad track record with me, as he has pretty much made all of my least favorite titles from SE in the past decade (FFX, FFX-2, FFXII:RW, and FFXIII). He's got a lot going against him for me, but its not like he's trying to make this game for me, nor should he, this belongs to the actual XIII fans and possible the people on the fence about the title. I probably won't pick it up but I'm sure I will probably play it at some point, just not on release day... or maybe not even this console generation. There is always a possibility of some hope, but I leave that for the other people like Ouch!, Roogle, and Bolivar to point out. I prefer to stay on the pessimistic side cause at least then it takes a lot to get disappointed and more often then not, I'm usually impressed (like with the trailer for Versus XIII).

DMKA: Wow... um way to retort without actually making a point or actually addressing anything relevant. :screwy: I'm not going to respond cause its a waste of my time and you obviously wouldn't get it anyway. :roll2

[McLovin']

Can't make out what the hell is going on in any of the trailers. The Agito one had no sound so was pretty meh & the XIII-2 trailer was cool i guess but was over in a second.

Now the Versus trailer...holy smurfing :bou::bou::bou::bou:! I have no idea what the hell is going on but IT LOOKS FREAKING FUN AS HELL. Looks like they're going for the interactive environment style like in Uncharted 2. Looks promising. Hope Square finally delivers and makes a decent FF. Haven't played a goddamn Final Fantasy in forever.

[Elpizo]

English trailer:

https://member.eu.square-enix.com/en/blogs/watch-first-final-fantasy-xiii-2-trailer

[Rostum]

So is this game going to have Sazh? If not, what's the point?

[Del Murder]

Frocobo should be a playable character.

[kotora]

I'm sure they'll add another token minority character to the cast to please all the white people, so they can pretend to be totally down with brown people by saying how much they love the character

[Rostum]

I'm sure they'll add another token minority character to the cast to please all the white people, so they can pretend to be totally down with brown people by saying how much they love the character

That is not the reason why I liked Sazh and his baby chocobo.

[Silent Warrior]

woah!!! :O for real!! Omg Yes!! =D
@ silent warior.. Absolute!! get ps3!! xD
Fie! Thou misspelleth!
Hm, the price HAS dropped considerably - 3000 SEK (YOU divide by 7-ish to get a USD-estimate... :P €300-350) for one with a 160 Gb harddrive, 4000 for 320 Gb. Runnin' outta excuses here...

[Cloudane]

This is another "we shall see" but it needed to be done and I shall certainly be buying it. The whole fabulous nova wotsit represents my last hope for the series, but XIII itself wasn't half bad at all... vast improvement over XII anyway.

(I "get" XII now after actually watching the original Star Wars and realising that it's one giant reference where Ashe is Princess Leia, Balthier is Han Solo, Fran is Chewy, Basch is Luke, and Vaan and Penelo are C3P0 and R2D2 but it's still crap and it doesn't stand up on its own without watching Star Wars first)


Squenix apparently said Lightning would be joined by a new character. Not the cast, but Lightning. The artwork focuses on 2 characters and the epilogue that you linked to leaves the rest of the cast in crystal stasis or busy with their own vibe.

Ah another one with minimal playable characters. YRP in position... no wait.. Lightning, Bolt and Wind... LBW? Lightning, Pyro and Gust... LPG? :)

Has to be a job switching thing again, surely. Cool. I'm waiting to see Sazh in a Lady Luck outfit. Oh wait he's not playable... HMPH! Not interested after all!


This is kinda like Pixar putting out a Cars 2 movie. I mean of all the games to give a sequel to, they chose FFXIII? Weird.

You kidding? With the complete mess that constituted FFXIII post-Pulse-visit and its ending, this is the ripest FF for a sequel EVER MADE. It absolutely needed to be done for the sanity of all involved. Even FF7 would've survived without AC, but XIII without a XIII-2? No.

[Del Murder]

A crappy game with a crappy ending does not make it 'ripe' for a sequel. :p

[Old Manus]

http://cdn1.knowyourmeme.com/i/000/093/678/original/1289787961745.jpg?1295222427

[Cloudane]

A crappy game with a crappy ending does not make it 'ripe' for a sequel. :p

Ah but it's a awesome game with a crappy ending :D

[Elskidor]

A crappy game with a crappy ending does not make it 'ripe' for a sequel. :p

But I imagine making a sequel is just way too easy and profitable too pass up rather than focusing all their attention in a new fresh title.

[VeloZer0]

To be fair, I also agree that FF13 is probably the most apt of all the titles for a sequel. Though a lot of it rides on how poor the ending was and unfleshed out the story was.

[LunarWeaver]

Hmm, I'm actually for this. Square has been pretty open about listening to fan feedback. Maybe they will give everyone what they were always bitching about. I didn't hate or love XIII either, so this is just another game I can watch and probably play. Since gaming is my only hobby beside extreme sports rodeo, I'm always glad when one that grabs my interest pops up. I cross my fingers I get another long, unnecessary piggyback in the sun too.

[Skyblade]

As long as the world is still so empty, I am not really interested. I liked the characters, the music, the gameplay, but the world was just soooo disengaging. When a few hunks of stone have more dialogue than random NPCs in your game, you know something is wrong.

[ShinGundam]

As long as the world is still so empty, I am not really interested. I liked the characters, the music, the gameplay, but the world was just soooo disengaging. When a few hunks of stone have more dialogue than random NPCs in your game, you know something is wrong.
I want unique NPCs not random. :p Anyway, i don't think it will make or break the game.

[Skyblade]

Sorry, should have made a better word choice. I meant NPCs who aren't directly tied to the story or conflict for the whole game.

I mean, compare this game to other FF games. Apart from the main heros, we have, what, a dozen other characters? Versus all the lovely little NPCs we got in the other games? Face it, if you aren't an named NPC in XIII, you might as well not exist, because you will spout one line of dialogue that has zero personality. I mean, part of why FFVII was so popular was that it had an engaging world that felt alive, and part of that was because of characters like Joe and Estelle, Dio, Lord Godo, Shera, Don Corneo, Palmer, the Chocobo Sage, Dyne and Mr. Coates, not to mention how many hundred other unnamed NPCs who nevertheless have personalities and make the world seem alive?

[kotora]

This lack of depth is pretty much the problem of every aspect of FF13

[Loony BoB]

Sorry, should have made a better word choice. I meant NPCs who aren't directly tied to the story or conflict for the whole game.

I mean, compare this game to other FF games. Apart from the main heros, we have, what, a dozen other characters? Versus all the lovely little NPCs we got in the other games? Face it, if you aren't an named NPC in XIII, you might as well not exist, because you will spout one line of dialogue that has zero personality. I mean, part of why FFVII was so popular was that it had an engaging world that felt alive, and part of that was because of characters like Joe and Estelle, Dio, Lord Godo, Shera, Don Corneo, Palmer, the Chocobo Sage, Dyne and Mr. Coates, not to mention how many hundred other unnamed NPCs who nevertheless have personalities and make the world seem alive?
I always was under the impression that not only are there NPCs (you don't talk to them specifically, but you do overhear what they say), but the reason you don't have much involvement with them is because you're trying to not be noticed. It fitted the atmosphere of the game, much like the linearity did. Unfortunately, that didn't make for the best gameplay in the world.

[Cloudane]

To be fair, I also agree that FF13 is probably the most apt of all the titles for a sequel. Though a lot of it rides on how poor the ending was and unfleshed out the story was.

It's kind of true that it was shall we say lazy writing, that made it need a sequel in the first place. Maybe it should be released as a free service pack :p

[Skyblade]

Sorry, should have made a better word choice. I meant NPCs who aren't directly tied to the story or conflict for the whole game.

I mean, compare this game to other FF games. Apart from the main heros, we have, what, a dozen other characters? Versus all the lovely little NPCs we got in the other games? Face it, if you aren't an named NPC in XIII, you might as well not exist, because you will spout one line of dialogue that has zero personality. I mean, part of why FFVII was so popular was that it had an engaging world that felt alive, and part of that was because of characters like Joe and Estelle, Dio, Lord Godo, Shera, Don Corneo, Palmer, the Chocobo Sage, Dyne and Mr. Coates, not to mention how many hundred other unnamed NPCs who nevertheless have personalities and make the world seem alive?
I always was under the impression that not only are there NPCs (you don't talk to them specifically, but you do overhear what they say), but the reason you don't have much involvement with them is because you're trying to not be noticed. It fitted the atmosphere of the game, much like the linearity did. Unfortunately, that didn't make for the best gameplay in the world.

Yes, it does seem to fit the storyline. But I don't think it created the atmosphere it should have. It doesn't feel hostile, oppressive, or unwelcoming, just empty. There have been plenty of other RPGs that have conveyed that sort of attitude much better (the idea of hostile villagers is hardly something new to XIII). And it also undercut the player's connection to the world, which is one of the biggest mistakes I think an RPG can make.

[ShinGundam]

First details :
-XIII's ATB returns.
-XIII-2's story begins in Gran Pulse after the ending of XIII.
-Won't feature jpop feel like X-2(no dancing Lightning booooo).
-Difficulty selection
-Other characters will return, but expect them to be different.

[Cloudane]

Yes, it does seem to fit the storyline. But I don't think it created the atmosphere it should have. It doesn't feel hostile, oppressive, or unwelcoming, just empty. There have been plenty of other RPGs that have conveyed that sort of attitude much better (the idea of hostile villagers is hardly something new to XIII). And it also undercut the player's connection to the world, which is one of the biggest mistakes I think an RPG can make.

Agreed.

I think the worst decision they made was to make the Pulse people long-wiped-out. It would've been far more engaging to find that Pulse cities and their people were still around even if only in small settlements and being able to explore their culture, maybe have some things that you have to do to earn the trust of the Pulsians etc.

But no.
{For those old enough to remember or geeky enough to watch 70s sci-fi - "There is nooooooo Sanctuary", heck there's not even an old man looking after some cats}
There's nothing but monsters, animated stones and rubble :(

[nirojan]

No Pop Songs For Final Fantasy XIII-2, Sequel Will Explain Events In XIII

By Spencer . January 25, 2011 . 12:59am

ffx132Also in Dengeki, there are some new details about Final Fantasy XIII-2. Producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama make it clear that Final Fantasy XIII-2 won’t have a pop feel like Final Fantasy X-2. By playing Final Fantasy XIII-2 you’ll see the complete story. This game will cover the events behind the scenes of Final Fantasy XIII and have a dark feel to it. The story will have mysteries and won’t be straightforward.



The game picks up where Final Fantasy XIII ends and the booklet from the booklet bundled in Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International. Players will search for a gate to the invisible world called Bunibelle. Etro, a goddess, will be a central character in the story. While we’ve only seen Lightning and her rival, other characters from Final Fantasy XIII will return too. Other characters from Final Fantasy XIII will return with major and unexpected changes. The team says the battle system is evolved and to please wait for a future report regarding changes. Easy mode, a feature added to Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International, is under consideration for the sequel.



Dengeki’s interview also notes that the development team listened to criticism from people outside of the company and overseas. Opinions regarding the characters, story, and interface were taken in.

[Depression Moon]

what's the source?

[nirojan]

what's the source?

Well I can tell you must have dazzled your elementary teachers with your reading skills! In the article it clears says "Dengeki" magazine (very popular in Japan)
No Pop Songs For Final Fantasy XIII-2, Sequel Will Explain Events In XIII // Siliconera (http://www.siliconera.com/2011/01/25/no-pop-songs-for-final-fantasy-xiii-2-sequel-will-explain-behind-the-scenes-events-in-xiii/)

[Depression Moon]

Well yeah I was the top in my class when it came to it. I got high marks and was at least a couple of grades above my class reading level and in addition I won my class spelling bee.
Thanks for the source link.

[nirojan]

Well yeah I was the top in my class when it came to it. I got high marks and was at least a couple of grades above my class reading level and in addition I won my class spelling bee.
Thanks for the source link.

Ahh, I believe congrats are in order.

[Cloudane]

Sounds good. I always get a bit concerned when everything that is coming out is described as "dark" but as long as it's not an onslaught of depression, which I'm sure it won't be by the end, it's all good.

The talk of major character changes is interesting. They pretty much seemed like fixed characters. Is it just a hint that Fang and Vanille will thaw out, will there be something stupid like one of the good guys turning bad (please don't make Hope a Sasuke. Thanks.)? Sazh getting a haircut? :p

Friend will be over the moon at the easy mode as he always goes for the easy mode in this type of game (more of a watcher than a player). It was his first FF - and pretty much first RPG - so he got extremely irritated at the difficulty of XIII at times. Admittedly with some of the bosses (Proudclod), so did I!

Great to hear they've been listening to the people. Obviously this has to be done with care (as car inventor Henry Ford said, if he'd asked the people what they wanted they would've said "a faster horse") but it's still very beneficial to do that if it's with balance which it sounds like it could be. And they did need to listen a bit with this one :) Also that's two positive changes (back) for the better that I've heard about S-E in one hour. It sounds like they may have noticed the way things had been going - great news.

[ShinGundam]

Our very first fanart :p

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9676/6bf237c5f789a84bfd2fb1f.jpg

Dengeki previews

Reishiki
http://dps.dengeki.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/dps_new488_02.jpg

XIII-2
http://dps.dengeki.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/dps_new488_01.jpg

[Cloudane]

BIGGER! :)

They named a character after Spira's ancient technology?

[black orb]

>>> Lol, FF13-2 the really did it! SE has no shame :D..:luca:

[nirojan]

>>> Lol, FF13-2 the really did it! SE has no shame :D..:luca:

why?
honestly, what if they're trying to undo their mistake by making a better game so we have fonder memories of the FF XIII saga? Yes, this could be a shameless cash-in, but I'm a bit more optimistic. With their recent failures in FFXIV and the dismal reviews for FF XIII (albeit it sold well), I think SE is just trying to step up here in the quality scale.

Ask yourself: Would you really want FFXV out the gate right now? That'd be 3 numbered entries in the series in the course of like 2 years! I know most people just want to erase the memory of XIII & XIV, but seriously, THEY'RE TRYING!

[Hot Shot]

>>> Lol, FF13-2 the really did it! SE has no shame :D..:luca:

why?
honestly, what if they're trying to undo their mistake by making a better game so we have fonder memories of the FF XIII saga? Yes, this could be a shameless cash-in, but I'm a bit more optimistic. With their recent failures in FFXIV and the dismal reviews for FF XIII (albeit it sold well), I think SE is just trying to step up here in the quality scale.

Ask yourself: Would you really want FFXV out the gate right now? That'd be 3 numbered entries in the series in the course of like 2 years! I know most people just want to erase the memory of XIII & XIV, but seriously, THEY'RE TRYING!
I completely agree and I'm somewhat hopeful for this title (and even more hopeful for Versus). SE said that they have taken fans opinions on board when making this game.

[Cloudane]

There's a cynical way of viewing anything. I doubt their intention, however, was "ooh let's create a game that has a really crappy last few chapters then release another game at the same price to fix it, mwahahahaha" - it's a bit of a gamble.

[black orb]

but seriously, THEY'RE TRYING!
>>> I hope they dont try then, that may actually work :P..:luca:

[Ouch!]

If you honestly believe that this action was motivated by anything other than profit margins, you're sorely mistaken. If they're trying to make improvements because of disappointment at the previous title, the only reason they're making a sequel is to save the game's image so they can move forward with future projects on a positive note. That decision, too, would be primarily motivated by money.

[Elpizo]

If you honestly believe that this action was motivated by anything other than profit margins, you're sorely mistaken. If they're trying to make improvements because of disappointment at the previous title, the only reason they're making a sequel is to save the game's image so they can move forward with future projects on a positive note. That decision, too, would be primarily motivated by money.

No arguing there, but if XIII-2 ends up a good game despite all odds, that's no bad thing. Then it's a win-win situation. For the gamers who get a good game, and SE who gets money. Depends on XIII-2, of course.

[nirojan]

If you honestly believe that this action was motivated by anything other than profit margins, you're sorely mistaken. If they're trying to make improvements because of disappointment at the previous title, the only reason they're making a sequel is to save the game's image so they can move forward with future projects on a positive note. That decision, too, would be primarily motivated by money.

Of course it was for money. Why would any company bother making games if it wasn't for money. All I said was that I hope it isn't a "cash-in", as in a sewed together project of unused material to suck all the available $$ out of JRPG market. I never said they were doing this for some crazed loyalty to their customers. There is no company in the world (whether it be gaming or not) that isn't in for the money.

And for your other point of them making the XIII look better, that's obvious too. With Versus XIII on the horizon, they can't leave a sour taste in the mass market with XIII, they need to refortify the brands image to maximize profit for Versus (when it drops). I think you made assumptions about what I said or misinterpreted it. Black Orb had such a negative attitude to the series, so I provided my thoughts as to why the next 2 games would surely be better (of course, I could be wrong). Hope that clears any confusion!

[champagne supernova]

If you honestly believe that this action was motivated by anything other than profit margins, you're sorely mistaken. If they're trying to make improvements because of disappointment at the previous title, the only reason they're making a sequel is to save the game's image so they can move forward with future projects on a positive note. That decision, too, would be primarily motivated by money.

Of course it was for money. Why would any company bother making games if it wasn't for money. All I said was that I hope it isn't a "cash-in", as in a sewed together project of unused material to suck all the available $$ out of JRPG market. I never said they were doing this for some crazed loyalty to their customers. There is no company in the world (whether it be gaming or not) that isn't in for the money.

This is a hugely cynical point of view. The corporates who authorise the game and provide a budget are in it for profits. However, a lot of the people who develop and make the game are not in it solely for the money. For most of them, they want to be in games development and want to make the best game ever.

[nirojan]

@champagne supernova
To be fair, i never specified the devs as the moola fiends. But the importance of $$$ to SE has become soo predominate in the last few years and you can see that in the sheer number of Final Fantasies there green lighting and no longer taking as many chances with side projects, because they feel like they're all going to bomb.

[Ouch!]

I just think being even remotely optimistic about the title as an effort to make things right in anyway is giving Square Enix more credit than they currently deserve.

[Roogle]

It is not unheard of for a sequel to outperform its predecessor in nearly every way. I hope that this is the case with Final Fantasy XIII-2 because of the amount of time that they took to develop the graphics engine and mechanics. It would be a shame for this project to go out on such a negative note!

[nirojan]

It is not unheard of for a sequel to outperform its predecessor in nearly every way. I hope that this is the case with Final Fantasy XIII-2 because of the amount of time that they took to develop the graphics engine and mechanics. It would be a shame for this project to go out on such a negative note!

True, Mass effect and Uncharted come to mind when I think of sequels that trump their predecessors (almost like night and day). I just hope we get the best game possible. Ohh and don't worry too much about the Crystal engine. It got used for XIII, XIII-2, XIV and VERSUS XIII. I'm just glad they stopped with those crappy UE3 games (Last Remnant I'm lookin at you). I heard the Crystal engine is extremely difficult to program for and as such the long development cycles for the SE team. Everything from textures, structural alignments, motion physics, facial animation, etc. is a bitch to do. That's why SE took up the UE3.
I remember when Wada announced that the rest of the games they'd make this gen will all be utilizing the UE3. Glad that idiot didn't get the last call on that one (investors saw how much the UE3 games bombed and probably put pressure on SE). Proprietary engines always seem to churn out amazing results. Another great RPG coming out this year is "The Witcher 2". The studio behind the game (polish-based CD Projekt) built their own engine (CD RED engine) and that game just looks amazing!

[kotora]

yeah because the UE3 engine accounts for the :bou::bou::bou::bou:ty game-making skills of SE. The only thing that was "amazing" about FF13 was how much it sucked.

[Skyblade]

yeah because the UE3 engine accounts for the :bou::bou::bou::bou:ty game-making skills of SE. The only thing that was "amazing" about FF13 was how much it sucked.

I don't know about that. For me, the amazing thing was how much work, effort, attention, and care clearly went into it, yet, at the same time, how badly they missed the entire point of what they should have been aiming for.

[Elpizo]

There's no denying that the technical side of things of XIII did not suck, and the graphics were great (not gonna say the best on the system). Give credit where it deserves it. It's more like Skyblade said, they missed the point, true, but the game was polished. From a technical point it was an achievement, it just lacked in gameplay and fun department, IMHO.

[Hot Shot]

Well the good thing about XIII-2 is that it seems like SE had the plot in mind whilst making the original so, hopefully, it shouldn't feel like X-2.

[nirojan]

Well the good thing about XIII-2 is that it seems like SE had the plot in mind whilst making the original so, hopefully, it shouldn't feel like X-2.

Not too sure about that. I mean the ending of FFXIII left room for some DLC mabey, but an entire game? They'll definitely have to switch alot of things around. Like how'll Lighting fare in combat without magic, summons, etc.? That being said, remember on the train at the beginning of the game? How did she use that sparky-floating power without being a L'cie at the time?

[Rostum]

There's no denying that the technical side of things of XIII did not suck, and the graphics were great (not gonna say the best on the system). Give credit where it deserves it. It's more like Skyblade said, they missed the point, true, but the game was polished. From a technical point it was an achievement, it just lacked in gameplay and fun department, IMHO.

Definitely in agreement here!

[Ouch!]

Well the good thing about XIII-2 is that it seems like SE had the plot in mind whilst making the original so, hopefully, it shouldn't feel like X-2.

Not too sure about that. I mean the ending of FFXIII left room for some DLC mabey, but an entire game? They'll definitely have to switch alot of things around. Like how'll Lighting fare in combat without magic, summons, etc.? That being said, remember on the train at the beginning of the game? How did she use that sparky-floating power without being a L'cie at the time?
That was a piece of technology, not magic.

[Skyblade]

Actually, the Analects give some hint at a future story as well. Specifically, the one discussing the purpose of the Arks. Created for a war with something that lies "beyond", created even before the creation of Cocoon. What enemy do the Fal'cie think is coming?

[Jessweeee♪]

They've been talking about releasing DLC since before they even released the game. Though I do recall them saying that they did not want to use DLC to add to the game's story in one of those same articles.