Reviews

[LowCaloriePie]

14. THIS ISN'T A GAME. It is a movie. I play games for gameplay and for story, not one or the other.

Despite this, Metal Gear Solid 4 still received perfect scores.

[Flying Arrow]

that is why this game is getting panned.

From what I've heard and read, the game is hardly getting panned. Criticized, yes, but for the most part it's mostly thumbs up.

[seiferalmasy2]

14. THIS ISN'T A GAME. It is a movie. I play games for gameplay and for story, not one or the other.

Despite this, Metal Gear Solid 4 still received perfect scores.

yes it is quite a puzzle, considering it was 80% bad movie and 20% flawed gameplay. However, a lot of users online have written reviews explaining why the game fails. But an FF game is an FF game. People will not be expecting the relentless cutscenes and linear nature like an MGS fan would.

MGS4 was still an MGS game of sneak mission variety. FFXIII is no longer a JRPG and that will be its downfall. Expect worse reviews from users.

[LowCaloriePie]

FFXIII is no longer a JRPG and that will be its downfall. Expect worse reviews from users.

jRPG = Japanese RPG
I fail to see how that's changed.

[seiferalmasy2]

FFXIII is no longer a JRPG and that will be its downfall. Expect worse reviews from users.

jRPG = Japanese RPG
I fail to see how that's changed.

no towns, almost no minigames, almost no exploration, 1 linear line that you are forced to walk for 20 hours, no NPC, no revisiting areas

The game director himself has said he does not consider it an RPG and that they were moving more towards an FPS vibe.

FFXIII is not an RPG in the sense that 6,7,8,9,10 and 12 are. It is missing some of the most basic things that make an RPG an RPG. If I come into a classroom and take away the blackboard, take away the chalk, take away the desks and stools and add in amazing posters of naked women, is it a classroom anymore?

no. It's only resemblance is it is still room. When you take away the most basic elements of a traditional RPG it cannot be an RPG.

XIII is the only game to have strayed from the formula by this degree. People who pkay XIII on the whole are going to expect loads of towns and areas to explore. They are going to expect numerous side quests like X. They are going to expect load sof weapons and armours, they are going to expect loads of NPC.

And when they realise that there isn't anything except battles and cutscenes, get ready for the biggest backlash you have ever seen over an FF game.

[Kitase also stated it shouldnt be called an RPG Final Fantasy XIII Review (Xbox 360) ]

[LowCaloriePie]

The game director himself has said he does not consider it an RPG and that they were moving more towards an FPS vibe.

Link to an interview plz.

FFXIII is not an RPG in the sense that 6,7,8,9,10 and 12 are. It is missing some of the most basic things that make an RPG an RPG.

So you really expect a franchise to remain static throughout its entirety? Please elaborate on all of these features that are present in every Final Fantasy game and not present in XIII. And please explain why they are a necessity.

If I come into a classroom and take away the blackboard, take away the chalk, take away the desks and stools and add in amazing posters of naked women, is it a classroom anymore?

I know X-2 wasn't the prime of the franchise, but you didn't have to sink that low.

XIII is the only game to have strayed from the formula by this degree. People who pkay XIII on the whole are going to expect loads of towns and areas to explore. They are going to expect numerous side quests like X. They are going to expect load sof weapons and armours, they are going to expect loads of NPC.

And who says that's really a bad thing? XII strayed from the mold and many perceived that to be the best games of the franchise. If a game developer doesn't experiment they're never going to go anywhere with the franchise.

And when they realise that there isn't anything except battles and cutscenes, get ready for the biggest backlash you have ever seen over an FF game.

The battles have been highly praised in most (if not all) mainstream reviews. The game has also been praised for its jaw-dropping production values. If both of these hold true, I won't mind the lack of exploration. It's disappointing, indeed, but if the game plays well enough to the point where I'm not thinking about the linearity, then the developer did it's job.

[Kitase also stated it shouldnt be called an RPG Final Fantasy XIII Review (Xbox 360) ]

Final Fantasy XIII ≠ First-person shooter. Honestly, that comparison makes no sense to me.

[seiferalmasy2]

Kitase is saying it shouldn't be an RPG? And you are going to argue with him too? Time to take off the blinkers and realise this game is not anywhere near the level of 6-10.

I would go over your points but I have answered them all numerous times. You asked why it isn't an RPG (of FF1-12 standard), I told you why and I shwoed you what Kitase said. That should be enough.

You ask me "why does that matter" and I have a perfect anology why. if you take away from an RPG what makes it an RPG it is not an RPG. It really is that basic. XIII is missing tons of things that classify a game as an RPG. How more simple can I make that?

[Loony BoB]

Joystiq - Review: Final Fantasy XIII

It seemed like a pretty even-handed review, though I will only know for sure once I play the game. I find their point about linearity interesting~

Nice... pic?

[champagne supernova]

no towns, almost no minigames, almost no exploration, 1 linear line that you are forced to walk for 20 hours, no NPC, no revisiting areas

Generally, the player controls a small number of game characters, usually called a party, and achieves victory by completing a series of quests. Players explore a game world, while solving puzzles and engaging in tactical combat. A key feature of the genre is that characters grow in power and abilities, and characters are typically designed by the player. RPGs rarely challenge a player's physical coordination, with the exception of action role-playing games.

These games usually have a highly developed story and setting, which is divided into a number of quests. Players control one or several characters by issuing commands, which is performed by the character at an effectiveness determined by that character's numeric attributes. These attributes increase each time a character gains a level, and a character's level goes up each time the player accumulates a certain amount of experience.

Do not see where towns, NPCs and non-linearity fall into that definition. And you definitely explore in FFXIII - unless you don't move your character at all in the game and stay where you are.

And, seeing that you haven't played the game, how can you exactly critique the story. There is not near-universal criticism of it. Some reviewers love it, some like it, some dislike it and some hate it. It truly would appear to be in the eye of the beholder. Same with the characters.

And the battle system has received almost universal acclaim - many reviewers consider it the best ever.

The only universal criticism is that the battle system unlocks too slowly. I don't believe a game should receive a low score because of this.

And as for your argument about linearity, for the first 20-odd hours, X is the most linear game I've ever played. You go in a straight line from Besaid to Zanarkand. And literally, in a straight line. Even the world you explore is on railway tracks. Yes, you can play Blitzball and speak to NPC, but these are (expanding upon your culinary metaphor) garnishes and sides to the main course. If the main course is good enough to stand by itself, I can honestly say its great without needing anything else.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Yeah, apparently I copy paste fail, though I fixed the link~ I can't believe I didn't notice that! T_T

Review: Final Fantasy XIII -- Joystiq

[Loony BoB]

xD Happens to the best of us.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Thanks for telling me though~

seiferalmasy2, I love how one of your major source simply copy-paste from 2chan, which is the Japanese mother of 4chan. Moreover, part of their earlier "argument" for why FFXIII is bad is because it did not get a perfect score from Famitsu. Okay, so maybe they've been handing more perfect scores (40) out lately, but 39/40 is not a bad score by any means, unless you fail at fractions. So I really am not taking that source to be anything too credible.

As for Kitase's comment, first it wasn't Kitase that said it shared a lot in common with a FPS. Also, they didn't say FFXIII is an FPS either, comparison does not mean equality.

We didn't really intend to work within with the RPG template," he says. "We wanted to create a new game, even a new genre. The way we look at it, there's isn't a certain format that we have to keep to and build a game around. Rather, it goes the other way around. We create a game and, depending on what works or doesn't work within that game, it ends up reflecting different staple elements

and

Because players are presented with multiple different situations on the field, in a lot of senses FFXIII is more like an FPS than an RPG

Source

[charliepanayi]

Kitase is saying it shouldn't be an RPG? And you are going to argue with him too? Time to take off the blinkers and realise this game is not anywhere near the level of 6-10.

I would go over your points but I have answered them all numerous times. You asked why it isn't an RPG (of FF1-12 standard), I told you why and I shwoed you what Kitase said. That should be enough.

You ask me "why does that matter" and I have a perfect anology why. if you take away from an RPG what makes it an RPG it is not an RPG. It really is that basic. XIII is missing tons of things that classify a game as an RPG. How more simple can I make that?

You don't like the game. We get it. Now stop trying to convince us with almost religious zeal that we should assume your point of view. And the game is hardly being universally panned, the reviews are a mixed bag but lean slightly towards the positive, and I imagine the response from gamers will too. So it'll be like most FF games in that respect.

[seiferalmasy2]

Kitase is saying it shouldn't be an RPG? And you are going to argue with him too? Time to take off the blinkers and realise this game is not anywhere near the level of 6-10.

I would go over your points but I have answered them all numerous times. You asked why it isn't an RPG (of FF1-12 standard), I told you why and I shwoed you what Kitase said. That should be enough.

You ask me "why does that matter" and I have a perfect anology why. if you take away from an RPG what makes it an RPG it is not an RPG. It really is that basic. XIII is missing tons of things that classify a game as an RPG. How more simple can I make that?

You don't like the game. We get it. Now stop trying to convince us with almost religious zeal that we should assume your point of view. And the game is hardly being universally panned, the reviews are a mixed bag but lean slightly towards the positive, and I imagine the response from gamers will too. So it'll be like most FF games in that respect.

I ain't tryin to convince anyone, but if you insist on trying to paint a picture that isn't there of course I am going to reply. The reviews are a mixed bag , yes and that hasn't happened before in the same way it has for XIII, that should tell you something straight away.

I am not trying to convince you not to buy it or to hate it, but to accept there are genuine faults here and you can't say there aren't. That is the problem here, some of you are trying to delude yourselves into believing either these reviews are wrong or lying or that you can compare XIII's linear nature to previous titles when it goes well beyond.

The same thing with the other criticisms. It is ok still liking the game and defending it, but like elsewhere, trying to say these things do not count/matter/exist is not ok.

Also, I have as much right to attack the game as you have to sday it is glorious. maybe I will start a new thread nearer the time to keep my obviously dangerous opinions to 1 place

[Sephiroth]

That is the problem here, some of you are trying to delude yourselves into believing either these reviews are wrong or lying oe that you can compare XIII's linear nature to previous titles when it goes well beyond.

Well, I have Final Fantasy XIII for almost three months now so i can say the reviews are wrong.