Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ending (very minor spoilers)

[Del Murder]

I've just read the Game Informer review of FFXIII-2 and they dropped a pretty major tidbit on the FFXIII-2 ending. They don't reveal the actual ending, of course; it's something else. Let me quote the article directly.


To make matters worse, you aren't even getting a complete story. The canonical ending (there are multiple other "what if" endings) concludes with the words "to be continued," and it's not a scenario likely to be resolved with future DLC. After the credits, I sat in disbelief, wondering if I had done something wrong or somehow missed the true ending. I didn't. Square Enix intentionally left the story incomplete. The announcement of Final Fantasy XIII-3 is inevitable.

What do you all think about this? I'm personally kind of miffed. First, I don't like the idea of playing a story without a satisfying conclusion. And I'm also probably not willing to go on another adventures with the characters from FFXIII. Two was pushing it as it is. Of all the games to make into a large franchise! Why does SE love FFXIII so much?

[Hollycat]

This has got to be some kind of joke right?
SE couldnt do something that lame could they?

If this is true I will write a strongly worded letter to the head office.

[VeloZer0]

Because after the disaster that was FF13's production they are afraid to work on FF15?

[charliepanayi]

I've heard Square have stated that there will be no FFXIII-3, though of course they could just be lying. I also heard the ending that review mentions is not the ending you get if you complete the game fully.

[ShinGundam]

It's very different, from say XIII or normal FF; the plot is uncovered at the rate that you decide to uncover it. I personally didn't think the no-closure ending was a bad thing. If there is something unique about XIII-2's story does well is that it does not have a clear narrative flow, which might seem initially bad for a series known for explosive narrative but I enjoy when a story does something to shake up the typical foundations. In a story about time travel and alternate universes, it seems to dovetail well.

In other words, this game does have a different "storytelling structure" to begin with from XIII. To clear up the image. Exploring that is kind of the entire point of the game. You're traveling and dealing with parallel universes. Which one of these threads is the "true" history or the proper way things should go is a fairly big theme in the game.

[Freya]

Oh man yeah. I saw that in the game informer. To be honest it turned me off on preordering it. I was going to get it day one, I had been on the fence and was leaning toward preordering, but after I read that review I decided to wait till after it's been out for a bit.

[Del Murder]

Oh man yeah. I saw that in the game informer. To be honest it turned me off on preordering it. I was going to get it day one, I had been on the fence and was leaning toward preordering, but after I read that review I decided to wait till after it's been out for a bit.
That's the same reaction I had. I was fine with giving this another ride to check out the improvements but I'm not sure if I want to invest myself in this franchise long-term because there are other, much better, games to get into.

[Elpizo]

I thought XIII-2 had 9 different endings, depending on how many artefacts you collect?

[Slothy]

Why does SE love FFXIII so much?

Because they already made the engine and much of the art assets, so a lot of the work is done. That's really the only explanation I can come up with for wanting to squeeze more life out of it the series.

[VeloZer0]

I remember a long time reading a MAD comic which detailed Walt Disney being unfrozen/re-animated and being toured around the modern day company by an executive. Each stop on the tour was:
"first we create the cutest most marketable mascot we can think of"
"then do you make the movie?"
"no then we design collectible figurines"
"then do you make the movie?"
"no, then we think of clever lunch box designs"
"then do you make the movie?"
....
and after the seeming end to the marketing steps Disney asks again "then do you make the movie?" only to be replied "well actually that step is really expensive and risky, we are hoping to be able to phase it out very soon."


Every time I see SE announce a new sequel/spin-off I think of this. It is almost like creating a new IP to spawn off of is a big hassle that they just want to get out of the way before moving on the their main business.

[Jessweeee♪]

That is kind of lame, but it doesn't really affect my decision to buy it any. I don't pick up a Final Fantasy direct sequel for its kick ass story. Though FFX-2's story has grown on me quite a bit over the years xD

I do hope there's some closure. If there's just room for them to continue it, and I'm thinking this is the case, then okay. If it ends on a massive cliff hanger or just ends very abruptly, then that is pretty balls.

[G13]

I'm kind of a sucker for cliffhangers, but only if they're done well. Not sure how I feel about the possibility of a XIII-3 when I haven't even played XIII-2.

[Jessweeee♪]

Okay ME2 was a pretty good cliffhanger. But otherwise, balls.

[Quindiana Jones]

Credit to Square for actually having the balls to directly do what every other company does indirectly. They released an incomplete game and, rather than polish it up with overpriced DLC, they're going to polish it with an overpriced game.

[ShineTheLion]

I'm surprised no one has said it yet, but they interviewed Director Toriyama about this. He said the "to be continued" text at the end is not an indication of a FFXIII-3 game, but a message to the gamer that there are multiple endings which can be unlocked via side missions or by replaying specific parts of the game and making different choices. I do not know, however, if any of the endings are considered a conclusive ending, or if they are all just "possibilities".

I found a handy list online that tells what you have to do to unlock each ending, without giving spoilers about what each of the endings entails. So anyone looking to try them all, have fun with this.

http://www.justpushstart.com/2012/02/02/final-fantasy-xiii-2-complete-paradox-endings-guide/ (http://www.justpushstart.com/2012/02/02/final-fantasy-xiii-2-complete-paradox-endings-guide/)

[Del Murder]

Hey, that's helpful. Thanks!

[ShineTheLion]

Hey, that's helpful. Thanks!

No prob! Looking at the article I read that info in, it was posted on February 6, the same day I found it and posted the info here. Must be why nobody else had noticed it. It was pretty recent news, I guess!

[FFIX Choco Boy]

I just beat the game today. And I would like to say, the "To be Continued" doesn't really kill the story for the player. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I think that they did it right. I would definitely say Final Fantasy is back. Nearly as good as Final Fantasy IX was.

[Loony BoB]

Finally finished the main story and upon seeing those three words, thought "WHAT!?" I was pretty miffed. I really, really enjoyed the game, which makes that statement even worse.

I'll keep playing and see what happens with the 160 artefact completion thing (not to mention what it says once the endless credits finish :p) - oh, and what the official book says, as in the walkthrough & tour guide it doesn't say anything of the 'Continued' bit.

EDIT: Given that it's impossible to get all 160 artefacts before finishing your first finish of the storyline (some only appear after the final battle), I guess it's a guaranteed to be continued... so hopefully that's not to say that the 'secret' ending is still leaving you on a cliffhanger. Give me another day and hopefully I'll know for sure!

[FFIX Choco Boy]

You'll like the secret ending BoB! Trust me.

[ShineTheLion]

BoB, don't waste your time. Watch the alternate endings on Youtube. Unless you really want to for gameplay's sake, don't waste your time playing just to get the endings. They are all pure crap. I watched them online, and I'm glad I did because if I had played the game to get those I'd have been pretty ticked. None of them are even as good as the horrendous "canonical" ending. I feel completely jipped. Looks like we're gonna have to wait for DLC for a real ending, and shell out more cash. Ugg.

Also, the secret ending? Ugg, nothing secret about it. It doesn't reveal anything the original ending didn't. ~shudders~

[Loony BoB]

BoB, don't waste your time. Watch the alternate endings on Youtube. Unless you really want to for gameplay's sake, don't waste your time playing just to get the endings. They are all pure crap. I watched them online, and I'm glad I did because if I had played the game to get those I'd have been pretty ticked. None of them are even as good as the horrendous "canonical" ending. I feel completely jipped. Looks like we're gonna have to wait for DLC for a real ending, and shell out more cash. Ugg.

Also, the secret ending? Ugg, nothing secret about it. It doesn't reveal anything the original ending didn't. ~shudders~
Just because one person doesn't enjoy it doesn't mean everybody else won't either. :p I could say the same for half the movies in the world but a lot of people love them, so power to them for that, I guess. I enjoy the gameplay of the game and am a bit of a completionist when there are trophies around, so I'll almost certainly be seeing every ending without 'cheating' by going on YouTube. Part and parcel of being enthusiastic about EoFF's frontsite, for me, is being enthusiastic about Final Fantasy. :)

[ShineTheLion]

Just because one person doesn't enjoy it doesn't mean everybody else won't either. :p I could say the same for half the movies in the world but a lot of people love them, so power to them for that, I guess. I enjoy the gameplay of the game and am a bit of a completionist when there are trophies around, so I'll almost certainly be seeing every ending without 'cheating' by going on YouTube. Part and parcel of being enthusiastic about EoFF's frontsite, for me, is being enthusiastic about Final Fantasy. :)

As a strong supporter of the series, and of FF13, one of the games that has caught the most criticism in the series, I feel compelled to inform others of the potential disappointment in this game. I think many will agree that the ending(s) don't live up to the FF standards, which is why I give the advice that the only reason most people should go after them is if they are "a completionist" as you put it. You might even enjoy them more if you have to work for them, but I can say I'd have personally felt duped if I had played for them because I am NOT by any means a completionist and am only interested primarily in completing the main plot of most video games. I would have done a lot of needless grinding just to see them and felt royally cheated out of my reward, as I don't find them very rewarding. Everyone is welcome to their own opinions of the endings. That goes without saying.

[Loony BoB]

Getting all the paradox endings is just part of the gameplay for me. While I say 'completionist', after viewing some of them I can't help but feel they belong as part of the 'main story', and the fights you go through to get to them are decent enough.

Also, anyone who has not got to the paradox ending you get through the Sunleth Waterscape is missing out in such a big way. That is the most epic ending I have ever witnessed. :D

EDIT: You would not have done a lot of needless grinding just to see the alternative endings. I have done no grinding whatsoever - I went straight to them, running away from every enemy that spawned randomly, and went straight to the bosses and beat them and got the ending. If people have told you that you need to grind in this game, I would personally say they are mistaken - I have grinded all of once and that was because I wanted to make a 'perfect' racing chocobo and required some 46 potent essences (took me something like an hour). Far less grinding than I've done in other RPGs, that's for sure, including my all-time favourite FFVII (which is always a grindfest for me, because I love to max out materia :D). I'm just chocobo racing now to get some more fragments, I think I only need 10-20 more now and I'll be done for the final ending.

[Hollycat]

BoB, don't waste your time. Watch the alternate endings on Youtube. Unless you really want to for gameplay's sake, don't waste your time playing just to get the endings. They are all pure crap. I watched them online, and I'm glad I did because if I had played the game to get those I'd have been pretty ticked. None of them are even as good as the horrendous "canonical" ending. I feel completely jipped. Looks like we're gonna have to wait for DLC for a real ending, and shell out more cash. Ugg.

Also, the secret ending? Ugg, nothing secret about it. It doesn't reveal anything the original ending didn't. ~shudders~
Just because one person doesn't enjoy it doesn't mean everybody else won't either. :p I could say the same for half the movies in the world but a lot of people love them, so power to them for that, I guess. I enjoy the gameplay of the game and am a bit of a completionist when there are trophies around, so I'll almost certainly be seeing every ending without 'cheating' by going on YouTube. Part and parcel of being enthusiastic about EoFF's frontsite, for me, is being enthusiastic about Final Fantasy. :)
Well said!

[Mirage]

Just got through the ending.

This is the biggest pile of liquid poop I have ever seen in my 20 years of gaming.

I seriously don't think there is a single person left at SE who is actually good at writing stories anymore. Not one single person.

I'm actually not sure if I'll ever take my chances on a SE game again without reputable sources first telling me the game actually makes sense. I'm at the point where I really hope they go bankerupt from all this fucking shit, even if it means I won't get to see the last SE game I actually have a tiny bit of confidence in. Versus 13.

[Sephex]

Yeah, I wasn't so thrilled about the ending either. No matter if DLC or a possible (even though SE is denying it) FFXIII-3 is forth coming, it should have been more conclusive. If they want to make more games and expand the universe, that's fine. At least have an ending that is concrete.

[Loony BoB]

The more I think about the 'initial ending', it is frustrating, but on reflection two of the best games I have played in my life both ended similarly. If anyone has played Dreamfall or The Longest Journey, they will know what I am talking about. And the kicker is that while XIII-2 will possibly get a sequel in a year or two (at this rate), Dreamfall was out in 2007 and the sequel, Dreamfall: Chapters, has no release date and has been 'on hold' for years. Although the man responsible for the series keeps stating that it will happen. But yeah, he's been saying that since whenever. And I still love the story so much that I keep checking to see if any news has come about... because the game was that good.

The ending was poor, but much like Dreamfall and The Longest Journey, the ending does not a game make. In fact, endings of FF games in general, VIII excepted, have never really felt satisfying enough for me.

[FFIX Choco Boy]

BoB, you didn't feel IX's ending was worth it? I've seen it like 10 times and I STILL cry.

[Loony BoB]

I haven't seen that one yet. :) I'm playing IX after I finish VI...

[Dignified Pauper]

My only sentiment for this ending is hate....