I Don't Get the Complaints around XIII

[champagne supernova]

Okay, so I'm up to the final boss (just need to get my house in order before I beat him - tried just now and Instant Death is not my vibe), and am really trying to understand the gripes that people had with XIII.

1. Vanille is annoying
Seriously? Okay, she's not going to win the award for the most desirable person in the entire world, but reviewers really made her sound like the most irritating character in the entire world. Not saying she's a great character either, but people went overboard with her (and to be honest, I found Hope the most Tidus whiney, Squall emo and Vaan pointless character for the first bit of the game - although the development worked for him).

2. Linearity/Lack of Towns etc
Fair enough, for most of the game, you are walking down a straight track. And there aren't many side-quests (and I love side-quests). But, I started playing this game on Thursday evening and am yet to be bored. I think that there was an over-correction from the vastness of XII's world causing the story to lose momentum, but I don't think it was that troublesome. Would I have liked to see towns (like in previous FFs) and side-quests that involved stuff besides hit the monster? Yes, I would have. I am still trying to find out why Gran Pulse is EMPTY of humans (!!!!!!!!), but the designers really should have done a bit more with that world. But, I don't think this is as big a flaw as people made it out to be.

[Ragebrain The Enraged]

You're about to get a flood of people telling you all sorts of things. I just want to say that I love this game.

[Robostar]

Im with Ragebrain The Enraged this game rocks! I thought Vanille was one of the best chars. This game didnt need towns! Just like Heroes dont need plans!

[ANGRYWOLF]

as opposed to starting a new thread.
That is where people who like the game have been posting..just like those who don't have been posting in the flaws thread.

As I have already given my views I won't repeat them here.

[Shin Gouken]

You're about to get a flood of people telling you all sorts of things. I just want to say that I love this game.

Looks like i'm up first and tbh i'm just repeating myself. I'm not going to break the game into pieces and list every single last thing i disliked about it (everything more or less) but i'll share a couple of my biggest complaints.

Something which really bothers me is that even when the game "opens up" there is no incentive to fight anything except Adamantoises and their variations. They drop the hardest item to obtain, and will be your main source of both Gil and CP. Here i go bringing FFXII into the equation again but for FFXII, every weapon you could make in the game required different loot to act as ingredients, which forces you to explore the entire of Ivalice and fight every kind of monster. But again, FFXIII you get everything you need in one place, so all other enemies and locations become redundent.

The story, characters, the way the story is told with focus on the characters rather than the plot, it's down down to opinion and although i don't like it personally, i apreciate that others do. The same with linearity, fair play if it's what you want. But exploration is a deep part of what defines FF, and to remove anything which deviates from the given path and pre-set battles is a direct attack on FF fans, regardless of whether or not it was well received by half the fans or not, it's still like spitting on your fans. My question is, why remove exploration, customization and sidequests completley? As far as i'm concerned there is no good excuse they can give, i don't want to hear technology issues, time constraints, budget or experimentation, the fact is, that by removing them, they have created a game which does not in any way relate to anything FF except in its name.

I should point out, that unlike a lot of people who complain at this game and have never even played it, or started to play and gave up, i didn't just beat the game, i put in all the nessessary work to achieve the platinum. Which i feel is an incredable achievement when you consider the battle system gets stale long before you reach the end of the game. The difficulty dies out completley (the uber boss is a joke) and all that is required to achieve the platinum is hours and hours of tedious grinding and little else.

I'm going to stop there coz i could just go on and on.

[finaloblivion]

i very much enjoyed this game. still am, in fact. i think it's great! but you should probably go post in the strengths or love thread so those can gain some entries instead of starting a new one still tho, love this game. high five!

[Rad Bromance]

You're about to get a flood of people telling you all sorts of things. I just want to say that I love this game.

Same.

[seiferalmasy2]

I have listed over 20 things wrong with this game, some of them which are deeply flawed and I am not going to write them again though I might post a copy.

The game was literally one single line for 90% of the time you played, 2 of your characters were AI, there were precious few RPG elements to be seen, and even the developers themselves are defending it.

So, evidentally, even they see that there is a perceived problem. If you haven't seen all these flaws, you must have had your eyes closed while playing the game.....sorry, I mean watching the game, as it basically plays itself and then a cut scene cut scene cut scene.

Some of us don't rate games sorely on graphics or on famitsu or on flash. I prefer substance, gameplay and those things this game took away. In fact, it's a bout time we stopped calling these jokes games, and instead were truthful : "Interactive Movie"

[ShinGundam]

In fact, it's a bout time we stopped calling these jokes games, and instead were truthful : "Interactive Movie"

FMV=/= "Interactive Movie" because you don't interact with it and it lacks of making decisions within the storyline. The older FFs were more
of "Interactive books" to me.

[seiferalmasy2]

I don't remember an FF being so story driven and interrupted with flashy graphics in quite the same way as XIII.... In XIII it is always battle - FMV - Cut scene formula with no deviations apart from Gran Pulse.

[Persephone Stephanie]

1. Vanille is annoying
Seriously? Okay, she's not going to win the award for the most desirable person in the entire world, but reviewers really made her sound like the most irritating character in the entire world. Not saying she's a great character either, but people went overboard with her (and to be honest, I found Hope the most Tidus whiney, Squall emo and Vaan pointless character for the first bit of the game - although the development worked for him).

I don't think Vanille is as annoying as her voice is. I would have liked her more if her VA wasn't required to make her sound like a four year old. Otherwise she was just quirky and cute, nothing too abnormal, but dang the voice acting took it overboard.

Case in point: (SPOILER)The scene after Lake Bresha in the temple-y place when Vanille wanders off and is chased by a dragon? It would have been FINE if she'd just giggled a LITTLE and skipped off. But no, she was "AAH" and "OOH" and "AHAH" and "EE!" and "HHEHE :]"-ing literally with every step she took. Bad, annoying localization right there.

[Silvercry]

I'm not sure what all the hate is about either. FF XIII is the best visual novel I ever played. And that includes both Kana and Katawa Shoujo.

[seiferalmasy2]

Story is rather subjective, but this is a GAME and thus it needs gameplay and that is where a lot of hate is coming from. Games aren't meant to be visual novels, they are supposed to be GAMES primarily.

[Ragebrain The Enraged]

But there is gameplay.

[Karifean]

Story is rather subjective, but this is a GAME and thus it needs gameplay and that is where a lot of hate is coming from. Games aren't meant to be visual novels, they are supposed to be GAMES primarily.

I'm surprised you're writing this after all your griping in the FF XII thread.