My first impression of FFXIII was borderline negative, mostly because of the noted linearity of the game. It was running from point A to point B, fighting and fighting again. But as I advanced further into the game, the intricate mechanics of the battle system were unlocked and battles were made infinitely more fun. The paradigm shift system makes combat very strategic without complicating things, and access to Eidolons makes battles incredibly flashy. Accompanied by amazing visuals and a kickass soundtrack, I came to really enjoy the constant battles. Battles in Final Fantasy really have never been better.
Eventually, the story kicks in too, along with the unveiling of each character's story. The story takes it time, but I found myself really liking the characters as they developed through the crisis at hand. I particularly liked Sazh, who seemed the most real in terms of personality and behavior. Besides all that, I love Lightning's design. She's a lot of fun to look at (why can't real girls be that pretty), and her "I'm a woman and I take shit from nobody" attitude is sexy as hell.
Epic battles, engaging story, likable characters, amazing visuals, and a great soundtrack give this the Final Fantasy feel any fan would crave. Believe it or not, I came to love the game for its linearity. Let me explain before you prepare to e-stab me. Final Fantasy has always been linear, since the only way to advance through the story was to get from point A to point B. I've always hated exploring large areas crawling with random encounters while looking for where the next point is, and FFXIII totally simplified it for me. All I really want as a JRPG fan is to watch the story unfold, so what better way to do it than make it streamlined.
There was also complaint about the lack of towns or NPC's. Well, these towns have never really had anything important in them besides shops, which are all easily accessible in every save point in FFXIII. NPC's have also been notorious for having pointless things to say, so what's so bad about doing away with that. Instead of talking to people, you can hear what characters have to say just by walk by them. This is a faster, more convenient way of doing it. XIII just took away all the tedious aspects of the series and made it a smoother experience. That's why I like it.
I've just entered the world of Gran Pulse, which is the point where the game becomes more open ended and you get to take up sidequests. It isn't a huge addition to the gameplay, but its welcome. Its actually more annoying now because of all the tedious running around again. I want my linear paths again. When I finish the game, I might do a full review. I don't know if its necessary now, but I'll try anyway.
All images belong to IGN.
I came to like the linearity as well. With open maps that have random dead-end paths, I can't help wasting time exploring everything.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad that someone liked the game. Personally, I couldn't stand it and it took some real effort to finish the game.
ReplyDeleteStrangely, I didn't have any problems with the linearity or the lack of traditional RPG elements. My issues were simpler than that.
I hated how the story left out huge chunks of backstory and history about the terms and the world and forced you to learn about it by reading the encyclopaedia at certain points in the game but above all else, I hated the fact that it's game over if your character, and ONLY your character dies! It often leads to incredibly unfair battles, especially when your partners AIs aren't too intelligent anyway.
Oh, and the eidelion battles were really annoying as well, especially Vanilles!
True, Im with you on the lack of backstory and the game over when your leader dies. Though, I only found myself reading just a few key parts and that was enough to understand the holes. And I've played several excellent games (like the Persona series) where it was game over when your player character dies. It didn't really take away from the experience as long as you payed good attention to yourself.
ReplyDeleteEidolon battles were tough as hell too, but I expected the challenge each time and the game is really lenient with letting you start over from the beginning of the battle, so its all a process of being a challenge.
Sounds like all your complaints are rather arbitrary...
It was bearable in Persona because those games were turn based. It allowed you to plan ahead and change tactics to give you the greatest chance of survival (although it is still annoying as hell if the enemy gets you by some lucky critical hits)
ReplyDeleteSadly, that doesn't work in FFXII since it uses ATB and once the AI uses up all it's ATB points, it won't do anything again until the bar is maxed out. It doesn't let you plan too far ahead and more often than not, you end up changing to an ultra defensive Paradigm and simply praying that you survive, usually when you have around half your health left. Personally, I don't like leaving that much to random chance and having so little control over what will happen. it also really breaks the flow of battle. It's also incredibly frustrating when that occurs and the enemy has strong healing on its side (Bartandelus, I'm looking at you!). At the very least, it artificially makes battles longer as you are unable to attack.
All these things add up to make FFXIII feel more like a chore than a joy when playing and, to me, that's not a mark of a good game. Having said that, I know quite a few people who agree with me and only a handful who don't.