Evironments!

[nirojan]

It's in french, but who really cares:
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, Xbox 360) : Environments - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxEboE6DtJU&feature=player_embedded)

Thanks to ShinGundam for the Historia Crux & Fields video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqAMEpEnEfY

[Rostum]

Well, there's no denying that Square can pull off some nice visuals. Let's just hope the camera isn't shit enough to not be able to look at the environments like with the original game.

[Del Murder]

I found the camera work in FFXIII-2 to be much better.

[ShinGundam]

More about Fields and Historia Crux
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Historia Crux & Field - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqAMEpEnEfY)

[Meltdown]

Anyone else notice the glaring lack of water effects in the open-wide chocobo section? I'm not sure why I notice these things :/

[ShinGundam]

Anyone else notice the glaring lack of water effects in the open-wide chocobo section? I'm not sure why I notice these things :/
True, the game doesn't feature several visual effects while walking on sand fields not that a big deal to me.

[nirojan]

Updated 1st post with the video* Thanks Shin

Looks like I'm playing most of the game as Noel, Serah has a really stupid running animation, like they tried to make her look like a sassy uniformed schoolgirl (that they love soo much).

[ShinGundam]

Updated 1st post with the video* Thanks Shin

Looks like I'm playing most of the game as Noel, Serah has a really stupid running animation, like they tried to make her look like a sassy uniformed schoolgirl (that they love soo much).
But she doesn't look like that in artwork
http://i.minus.com/i0fe21wSWyHy7.jpg

[Meltdown]

Updated 1st post with the video* Thanks Shin

Looks like I'm playing most of the game as Noel, Serah has a really stupid running animation, like they tried to make her look like a sassy uniformed schoolgirl (that they love soo much).

Despite my previous criticism, I think her running animation's one of the best in the series. She veers into the direction she's running... I'M SOLD!

[chionos]

Well, there's no denying that Square can pull off some nice visuals. Let's just hope the camera isn't tit enough to not be able to look at the environments like with the original game.

This. I'd almost forgotten how much I hated FFXIII's camera. I'll probably give 13-2 my blessing if they did nothing more than fix the camera. The new environs look fantastic.

[VeloZer0]

I find it interesting how many people disliked FF13's camera. I don't think I ever even noticed it. Which is interesting because I have a vast collection of games that I can't even play because of the camera.

[chionos]

It may be that I was personally so distracted by the camera because of my long experience with FFXI which has a very flexible camera that remains in a constant state of manipulation. I'm used to perpetually looking around me everywhere I go (especially as a "puller") so it's just instinct to have a camera that points where I want it to point. Too much of FFXIII's gorgeous artistry was wasted by not allowing the player to actually see anything clearly, and it wasn't just the camera I suppose, it was the combination of the static camera and the placement of the tracks, walls, etc. In any case, it substantially detracted from my enjoyment of the game. The camera should be one of the top three most important things a developer works on in a game. The last thing they should ask before releasing a game is, "Is the camera perfect?"

[VeloZer0]

I guess that is why I like it. For me any time I have to actively control my camera it lowers the immersion of my game experience.

I totally understand about cameras in MMOs though. When I played WoW I used to have my camera position zoomed so far out that everyone wondered how I played like that. I always wondered how they could play with such a limited field of vision.

[Flying Arrow]

I'm getting a very XII vibe from these videos. This game was absolutely not on my radar but it is now. I loathed XIII, too, so that's really saying something.

I've also heard about time travel. If anyone knows, will we get to play around with it a la Chrono Trigger or is it strictly plot-controlled?

Also, the music is really excellent.

[Loony BoB]

Big exclamation marks above characters: Do not want! Why can't they just do the obvious thing and have a person wave their arms around like a maniac to try to get your attention?

I like the environments that are in the wild. The civilised ones look very dull. Too much 'standard' architecture, too clean. But still alright when in the more modernised ones, and I'm sure the towns will end up different to each other enough to make it interesting.

[Flying Arrow]

Big exclamation marks above characters: Do not want! Why can't they just do the obvious thing and have a person wave their arms around like a maniac to try to get your attention?

Seriously. I really hate this about nearly all modern games. What's the point of all the updated, realistic, painstakingly rendered graphics if you can't even communicate shit to the player without flashing lights and arrow pointers.


I like the environments that are in the wild. The civilised ones look very dull. Too much 'standard' architecture, too clean. But still alright when in the more modernised ones, and I'm sure the towns will end up different to each other enough to make it interesting.

You mean the way FFXIII's locations all had distinct, recognizable layouts to keep everything from becoming tiresome? Sorry, easy joke. :(

[Meltdown]

Big exclamation marks above characters: Do not want! Why can't they just do the obvious thing and have a person wave their arms around like a maniac to try to get your attention?

This! And also the fact that everytime something happens, the game feels the need to reassure you with text i.e. the way 'cinematic action', 'anomaly resolved', 'live trigger' etc flash up on screen! This only serves to make the game less immersive and more gimmicky/led by the leash, I feel.

[Loony BoB]

It's why I love how Elder Scroll games have couriers who come and find you to deliver missions. That's far more realistic and avoids any need for crap like that.