Strategy Guide, Whats the point

[*Devore*]

I've been thinking about getting one for a while, since I know that they are usually really useful. But with XIII having levels as linear are a ruler and treasure hidden as well as an elephant hiding behind a sofa, is there really any need. If you have already brought a strategy guide, can you please tell me if there is any need for one in this game.

[Shin Gouken]

Yep, don't really need it for simply playing through the game. The list of synthesis groups, synethesis abilities and which weapons and accesories activate which synthesis abilities was good. The weapons and their growth charts and a complete list of all accesories, what they upgrade into or dismantle into and all the components was also quite helpful.

[Ezme]

For general playthrough they're not much use but for geeky ultimate playthoughs it's great. All the lists like the person above said are invaluable, there's also strats for all the missions too.

[Loony BoB]

The locations for the mission stones was vital to me knowing where to go, and probably saved me a lot of traveling around aimlessly. It also has some interesting bits for things such as upgrading, item finding (on some of the less linear maps), which abilities each character gets in each role and (for me) the best bit was the extras which have background information for the overall story and some nice artwork. In fact, there are nice pictures throughout, if you're wanting some aesthetic value. They give advice for good leveling areas, too.

Basically it's not a must-have, obviously enough - it would be silly if you couldn't beat the game without the guide - but it does help you get though it more efficiently.

[Tseng]

The guide is somewhat like an iPad; when you see one advertised its mildly impressive but practically useless. Yet when you pick one up and play with it, a bit of techno-lust creeps up from within your innards. If you're going to get one then make sure to get the collectors edition, go big or go broke in my opinion. As far as content goes I am foggy on what exactly is included by the manufacturer in order to positively reinforce uber-nerddom or hapless fanboy-itis, but if one were going for aesthetics only then this edition thwacks the ball out of the park. Printed on thick, crisp artwork paper, the collectors guide sports quite an artsy-fartsy quality throughout. What sold me on the thing were the highly detailed character development graphs. Furthermore there are tables upon tables of recommended levels and strengths your party should have prior to advancement along the storyline. If you're going for a rapid play through then the book will most likely give tactical advice (a dedicated section) which will facilitate this endeavor.

[seiferalmasy2]

Why do people use guides to complete the game? That sounds kinda backwards to me, I play a game to not know what will happen and to figure it out...

[finaloblivion]

Actually the official guide, along with all other Piggyback guides I own, are some of the most well-written and spoiler free books I've read for video games. And really...if you don't want to know what happens at the next point in the gameplay, don't turn the page or read ahead of where you are? It's for help with road blocks.

This is a great book though, as far as guides go. Like BoB said, the extras sections has some great artwork (and throughout) and also some nice information on the story of the game (as Piggyback guides usually do)

[Depression Moon]

Why do people use guides to complete the game? That sounds kinda backwards to me, I play a game to not know what will happen and to figure it out...

I think people mostly use them for sidequests and obtaining the best items. That's what I do. I only buy guides for Final Fantasys and Zeldas.

[seiferalmasy2]

When I played FF7,8,9 and 10 I completed 95% of the game and sidequests without having to look up anything. Granted, there is always 5% you learn from a friend but nowadays you have the net for the endgame...

I am not having a dig, just that I don't see why people use guides when actually playing through the normal game. It seems to be destroying the whole point of playing a game...

maybe that is just me.

[Shin Gouken]

When I played FF7,8,9 and 10 I completed 95% of the game and sidequests without having to look up anything. Granted, there is always 5% you learn from a friend but nowadays you have the net for the endgame...

I am not having a dig, just that I don't see why people use guides when actually playing through the normal game. It seems to be destroying the whole point of playing a game...

maybe that is just me.

With most games, i'm happy to play them without a guide, and simply jump online if i'm having difficulty.

However, having a guide can contribute to your experience of the game. Generally i feel a first playthrough is always best without a guide, but a guide will show you many things you can easily miss, help to reduce tediousness by offering faster methods of levelling etc and provide in depth information that just isn't available in-game.

For example: there are scenes in FFXIII that a player can completley miss if you progress the story too quickly without some heavy exploration, which is a little unfair when the game drives itself forward and suddenley expects you to stop and change how you've been playing the game until that point.

Tbh i doubt many people completed Rikkus mix list in FFX without a guide, learned how to breed a gold chocobo in FFVII, found the zodiac spear in FFXII etc I wonder how many people legitamatley completed FFX-2 100% without outside help. Guides push you to get that little bit more out of a game and in that sense are definitley worth a few £££

[Depression Moon]

Also with a guide. I don't have to remember when I go to the library or school to print out stuff that I need to know about the game's secrets, and I could be doing that multiple times if I forget something or if I come across something else later that I need to look up. I would have to go all the way across town or into the next city just because I forgot to look up something. How damn tedious is that? With a guide all that info's right beside me. No need to get up and no frustration required.

[seiferalmasy2]

Tbh i doubt many people completed Rikkus mix list in FFX without a guide, learned how to breed a gold chocobo in FFVII,
---------

I didn't need a guide to work out which ones worked best with Rikku and with VII the idea was that eventually you found the chocobo sage as I did, and that gave you everything you needed to breed correctly. yes it was difficult at first and took time, but that made it all the better because you had to use your brain and the reward for doing it all without a guide was much better imho.

Oh well each to their own I suppose

[*Devore*]

I only really buy a guide to complete it on my second run through, like most modern people, if I get stuck first time round then I just find the solution online. Yes, completing a game 100% without a guide is a massize achivement and you guys that can do it should feel really proud, but for me, completing a game to about 85-95% takes me well into hundreds of hours of game. It's at that point that I buy a guide because it feels like im wasting my life away.

And no one can say that the aquired Excalibur II on FFIX just by chance. Who would decide try to get to the last dungeon of a 40 hour game in less than 12 hours.

[Del Murder]

Yep, don't really need it for simply playing through the game. The list of synthesis groups, synethesis abilities and which weapons and accesories activate which synthesis abilities was good. The weapons and their growth charts and a complete list of all accesories, what they upgrade into or dismantle into and all the components was also quite helpful.

The locations for the mission stones was vital to me knowing where to go, and probably saved me a lot of traveling around aimlessly. It also has some interesting bits for things such as upgrading, item finding (on some of the less linear maps), which abilities each character gets in each role and (for me) the best bit was the extras which have background information for the overall story and some nice artwork. In fact, there are nice pictures throughout, if you're wanting some aesthetic value. They give advice for good leveling areas, too.

These two quotes sum up why I found the guide useful. Plus it was 20% off or something when I bought the game, and it was technically free for me since I did a bunch of trade ins to pay for the game.

[Rad Bromance]

Strategy guides, unless you're a collector, really are a waste of cash when you have the internet.