To be honest I do bash on XIII a lot but it's usually in jest, it's definitely not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. I just think it strayed too far from what people were hoping for in the then "next-gen Final Fantasy." And I'm one of the few weirdos that loved XIII-2
While I didn't include it, I agree with Shauna regarding the battle system. Compared to earlier titles, I felt XIII had me doing a lot more than pressing X to win.
EDIT: And Aul, I wouldn't say that you're one of the "few weirdos that loved XIII-2" because most people that played XIII-2 actually enjoyed it, and a number of people around the forums have noted it's pretty much what XIII should have been. I think it's widely regarded as better than XIII... but not enough people played it to get the attention it deserved because of their experiences with XIII.
Bow before the mighty Javoo!
Maybe I would have lasted longer if they stayed on Lightning and Sazh. When they switched to Snow and the kids I just wanted to get back to Lightning, and by the time I finally got back to Lightning I was already bored of it. I'm just glad I have a strict rent it before you buy it policy.
I see your point, but I'm going to counter it by saying:Originally Posted by Loony BoB
I liked Vanille.
I wonder if any noms for 13 were people just trolling.
It's really hard for me to believe that anyone would think it was one of the best games of this generation.
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Me too, but I'll concede we're in the minority on that one. xD
Bow before the mighty Javoo!
Then you were playing XIII wrong. Aside from swapping between 3 different paradigm setups it was just mash auto-battle to win. Even in the toughest boss fights. And to add to that the game had you doing nothing of any value outside of battle.
Sure, mashing X in just about any RPG can carry you through most of the normal enemy battles, but at least in games like FFV, VII, IX, XII, etc. there were options for different character builds, and in tougher fights you had to read a situation and make more decisions than the obvious I need to heal now, I need to use physical attacks now, and I need to use magic now. Or even if you didn't need to make those decisions to scrape by, they were still there so you could play more optimally. You never get that level of decision making in XIII at all. Not even the option for it in fact. At least not until you're already snuggling up to the end game, and making players wait about 30 hours before they get any actual agency in the game just isn't acceptable. Sure, some people might not mind or notice as much as others, but it's still just bad game design.
And all of those previous FF titles also had more going for them than just the battle system and the story. At least if you didn't like one or both very much there was still more to them than those.
I blitzed through the entirety of FF7 barely doing anything other than Attacking. The only decision I ever had to make other than Attack was I need to heal now. Which is very similar to what I did in FF13. I never went for the option to do anything else, because I never felt any sort of need to. But, that's just the way I play games, so the fact that there is any other way to do things makes no difference to me. :3
Although, as I have said previous, FF13 often made me think about what I was doing and flat out required me doing something other than simply using the same command over and over. I had to switch to other classes to deal with certain battles, no way around it. I may have had some kick-ass materia in FF7, but I never felt that I actually had to do anything else other than attack to win.
Mass Effect 2
2010 – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
6 Nominations
The universe of Mass Effect is an intricately crafted one of sci-fi, philosophy, sociology and much more besides. At first glance the games in this series might just appear like another cookie cutter entry into the cover-based shooter genre, but that would be far from the truth.
Mass Effect 2 streamlined a lot of the more bulky elements of the first. Gone are the awkwardly controlled driving segments, gone is the weapon manufacturing and deeply customisable ability system. Some fans of the series mourned the loss of such features, but the core gameplay was still there which kept this feeling distinctly Mass Effect.
What better way to introduce this change up by blowing up everything you knew and held dear from the original Mass Effect. As the Normandy was destroyed, a new, more convicted Shepard arose from the ashes.
No longer working officially for the Systems Alliance, our protagonist Commander Shepard reluctantly aids the morally ambiguous pro-humanity group Cerberus. Throughout the 30 hour so journey, you assemble a rag tag bunch of misfits and throw yourself space first into a proverbial space hell.
The beauty of the series as a whole, maybe with the exception of the endings in 3, is that your Commander Shepard is your Commander Shepard. You could toe the line and be the very best by following the path of the Paragon, or perhaps you could do whatever it takes - no matter seemingly how evil or detached, to get the job done as Renegade. Or maybe you'd just walk a fine line between both. Although the central plot may not deviate a huge amount based on your decisions, it still becomes a system that begs multiple playthroughs. In one play through you might choose to take the higher ground in an argument, in the next you could punch that guy in the face - with each decision subtly changing the interactions between characters and ultimately affecting your survival chances in the very last mission of the game, aptly titled the "Suicide Run."
Refinements to the AI and gameplay meant that when firefights did break out, they were a blast, and the streamlined new ability system still left players with enough variation to conjure up some seriously devastating combos.
From intense set pieces, to tear jerking cut scenes - the breadth and depth of what it means to be human, or simply just to be alive in the Milky Way, was explored in a truly memorable experience.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (3)
Team Fortress 2 (2)
Far Cry 3 (2)
Okami HD (2)
Beyond: Two Souls (1)
Street Fighter IV (1)
Dragon Age: Origins (1)
FIFA 12 (1)
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! (1)
Hatoful Boyfriend (1)
Finally something I nominated made it on the list and is well deserved. It's a worthy sequel to the first one and improve on the factors I didn't care too much for in the first game and the Collectors made their presence felt every time they made an appearance. BioWare losing the rights to make Star Wars games for a while is the best thing that ever happened since that what led to them developing the first Mass Effect.
Oh hey, something I nominated! The write-up was pretty good too *cough*
A very very good game. I personally enjoyed 3 more, but 2 was a 9/10 for me.
This post brought to you by the power of boobs. Dear lord them boobs. Amen
Far Cry 3! Nooooooooo!
Bow before the mighty Javoo!
I will say I love XIII-2 as well. It is way more enjoyable than XIII as well (and I did enjoy XIII quite a bit).
Anyways, I need to get around to completing the Mass Effect series. I did play Mass Effect 1 and 2 when I had a 360, but I sold my 360 before 3 came out. Mass Effect 2 was a great game; though, it's definitely not a top game for me. That's mainly just because I simply don't enjoy shooters of any kind very well.
Mass Effect becomes more cover-based shooter the further is goes along the series.
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