This post is funny to me. When I played XIII, all I could think was, "I'm so happy the series is back after the disappointing XII."
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Is Final Fantasy XIII really that bad?
- Thread starter Uzumaki Goku
- Start date
This post is funny to me. When I played XIII, all I could think was, "I'm so happy the series is back after the disappointing XII."
XIII-2 is the best jrpg on PS3. If you can get past the whacky story, it address literally every single complaint that fans had about the first game and dials everything up to 100. It's seriously fun and you can tell the devs listened very carefully to what the fans were saying online.
I didn't like it for a couple of reasons.
My main reason is that they stereotyped the hell out of Sazh. It wasn't just the chicken in his hair, it was that he was put in to be comedic relief. They treated him like he was some dumb black guy that can't do anything right. He was clumsy and IMO, projected as a weak idiot. I do like that they emphasized the relationship with his son though. That was fantastic.
Secondly, as many have said, it was extremely linear. While it didn't bother me too much in the beginning, it got a little tiresome. IIRC, it opened up near the middle or it tried too. By that time, I had already bailed on it, due to the above.
The story was confusing too. I don't know what the hell happened in that game. It's was really a forgettable experience for me.
My main reason is that they stereotyped the hell out of Sazh. It wasn't just the chicken in his hair, it was that he was put in to be comedic relief. They treated him like he was some dumb black guy that can't do anything right. He was clumsy and IMO, projected as a weak idiot. I do like that they emphasized the relationship with his son though. That was fantastic.
Secondly, as many have said, it was extremely linear. While it didn't bother me too much in the beginning, it got a little tiresome. IIRC, it opened up near the middle or it tried too. By that time, I had already bailed on it, due to the above.
The story was confusing too. I don't know what the hell happened in that game. It's was really a forgettable experience for me.
Hmmm interesting. They are coming to Gamepass at some point aren't they?
I quite enjoyed XIII, and would rank it in my top 3 in the series. (I've played all but 1-3, 5, and 15)
If it got a remastered collection I'd honestly pick them day 1. I keep hoping for a Switch announcement.
If it got a remastered collection I'd honestly pick them day 1. I keep hoping for a Switch announcement.
Most people much prefer XIII-2 over XIII. It's a fantastic game.
Lightning Returns, IMO, is the most challenge FF game. Period. It is not for beginners or people who don't like difficult gameplay. It's like they took a huge Looney Tunes style syringe of steroids and speed and injected it into the ATB system.
It is incredibly rewarding to play once you nail it. The final boss in that game will test your reflexes and problem solving in ways that no other FF game has. It's pretty fucking dope!
Best combat in the whole series. Once you get down to the planet it was sooooo good.
Yes it was linear though the story,the same as X and FF7R. If the story and characters were anywhere near as good as those two games you wouldn't see as many complaints.
Yes it was linear though the story,the same as X and FF7R. If the story and characters were anywhere near as good as those two games you wouldn't see as many complaints.
Oh no, it's worse than that (13 1 and 13 2, dunno for returns).
The writing is atrocious, characters look like idiots you could never care for. But the camera and poses try far too hard to make them look cool. It's painful.
Battle system can be "played" but it's quite boring/simple so it works for people who like flashy "gameplay".
Problem is the growth system is even more linear and useless than the main game.
You have this ridiculous screen with supposed abilities to unlock and you basically just press a button to see a dot follow a line unlocking more samey battle effects that don't change anything to the battles.
So it's playable if you are ok with everything being shallow and pretentious.
It's not that great but it's not nearly as bad as people make it seem. The sequels are definitely better though.
It felt like it was still teaching you things (i.e. in tutorial mode) like 5 hours in if not more. It was bizarre.
For that reason it really did feel like it was holding your hand during battles as pretty much everything was automated until much, much later. On top of that it hardly felt necessary to vary strategies until end game.
Also the whole game apart from one area is One. Long. Corridor.
For that reason it really did feel like it was holding your hand during battles as pretty much everything was automated until much, much later. On top of that it hardly felt necessary to vary strategies until end game.
Also the whole game apart from one area is One. Long. Corridor.
I like FFXIII a lot. It's obviously not a game for everybody.
I think it's an incredibly confidant game. It knows what it's good at - combat - and all other aspects of play are sidelined in favor of the battles.
People who aren't into the combat system are going to have a rough time. It's inevitable when a game stakes its entire premise on a single system.
That said, much of what XIII was criticized for appeared in prior Final Fantasy titles; especially Final Fantasy X, which I believe is a significantly inferior game when compared with XIII, but one that benefited from releasing when and where it did in history, giving it a significant boost in popularity and exposure. Final Fantasy VII received a similar boost (despite being, in my opinion, a notable step down from VI.)
I think the more interesting question than "Was FFXIII good or bad?" is "Was FFXIII a good or bad Final Fantasy game?" It certainly failed to deliver on what many had come to view as series gameplay staples, and for any player that puts out $60 for a new AAA title, being sucker-punched by the realization that the product they paid for is not the product they thought they were buying can be a bitter pill to swallow.
I think history has largely vindicated XIII as a flawed game with some excellent ideas rather than the pile of garbage many felt it was on release. The sequels were relatively well-regarded, and the game's DNA is obvious in FFVII Remake. Games don't need to be for everybody, but we would have several fewer good games without XIII.
I think it's an incredibly confidant game. It knows what it's good at - combat - and all other aspects of play are sidelined in favor of the battles.
People who aren't into the combat system are going to have a rough time. It's inevitable when a game stakes its entire premise on a single system.
That said, much of what XIII was criticized for appeared in prior Final Fantasy titles; especially Final Fantasy X, which I believe is a significantly inferior game when compared with XIII, but one that benefited from releasing when and where it did in history, giving it a significant boost in popularity and exposure. Final Fantasy VII received a similar boost (despite being, in my opinion, a notable step down from VI.)
I think the more interesting question than "Was FFXIII good or bad?" is "Was FFXIII a good or bad Final Fantasy game?" It certainly failed to deliver on what many had come to view as series gameplay staples, and for any player that puts out $60 for a new AAA title, being sucker-punched by the realization that the product they paid for is not the product they thought they were buying can be a bitter pill to swallow.
I think history has largely vindicated XIII as a flawed game with some excellent ideas rather than the pile of garbage many felt it was on release. The sequels were relatively well-regarded, and the game's DNA is obvious in FFVII Remake. Games don't need to be for everybody, but we would have several fewer good games without XIII.
Because 7R has a lot more gameplay variety, actual towns and sidequests. It also has a much more grounded, 90's sci-fi world rather than the way out there mythos of 13, the core conflict of FF7 is much easier to understand, twists and all.
I haven't played 13 since it launched, and I remember liking it after a point. The problem was that point didn't come until about 20 hours in. The gameplay was good and the world was fascinating but dang is that game one-note.
I do enjoy towns, by the way, but just thinking out loud.World design. Take FFX, there are NPCs that offer valuable insight. Take the old man Maechen. He exists to give exposition and explain Spira's history.
All of Maechen's Stories - Final Fantasy X HD Remaster PS4
Papa Maechen out here dropping knowledge."Maechen is a non-player character and scholar in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. He has a vast knowledge of ...www.youtube.com
He adds tremendous value to the story. FFXIII has no such character. Instead, you read from a datalog.
Kingdom Hearts offers exploration (trinity signs), teases things for you find later with new abilities, has a non-lienar structure (you can choose to do many worlds in your own order), has towns, and is far more fun to play than FFXIII. Compounded with the sheer amount of side quests (gummi ship, colliseum;etc) and this is a beyond baffling and reductive comparison.
That FFX example is a good one but going back through many RPGs of the past, I've found that most NPCs don't provide anything close to that. You're just cycling through useless text boxes.
I think FF7R actually did something special in that regard - the people in towns voice their lines as you walk past them. They're basically having conversations around you. That helps give the world a sense of place without needing to walk around clicking on every NPC.
It's not terrible but from a franchise that gave you a couple masterpieces with some of their earlier titles and then you play a game which the first half is go to point a to point b. Then finally the last 3rd of the game feels like a final fantasy game. Lighting is a badass and a cool character. Hope is a whiny bitch. For the time the cutscenes were top notch but gorgeous visuals can't save a game with a mediocre story. All and all if you love final fantasy and you want to play all the games great you'll get the little things here and there they sprinkle in for fans of the franchise but the game is in no way a game that you must play.
It is not bad.
The graphics are still awesome today, the soundtrack is great, the fighting system becomes super fun once you have it fully open (some 40 hours later), and the story was ok, not great but ok, at least it had a story unlike FFXV.
The downside as i said above, is that the game opens up after 40 hours of corridors and tutorials.
The graphics are still awesome today, the soundtrack is great, the fighting system becomes super fun once you have it fully open (some 40 hours later), and the story was ok, not great but ok, at least it had a story unlike FFXV.
The downside as i said above, is that the game opens up after 40 hours of corridors and tutorials.
I played through the Remastered XII for the very first time last year and, honestly, in every possible sense it made me dislike what Square did with XIII even more.
In fact a lot of people mention its linearity and filler chapters? The point is, VII has better characters, dialog and aruably better combat. Its linearity is simply a lesser issue than in XIII. Plus it has chapters that offer some side stuff and interaction, which XIII didn't except for dozens of boring cie'th stones chucked in one chapter.
I said it numerous times, VII R is the same as XIII just with a better story, characters and certain points in the game that let you do side stuff. But, an action chapter like 5 in VII R is straight up FFXIII.
This is also why I'm kind of disappointed with VII R right now. Its not nearly as fun to play or collect missables since I beat the game. Its like the most pathetic post-game ever. I'm just more of an XII guy. I don't like the direction of XIII and VII R. And XV is straight up trash in my book.
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It has a fun battle system, looks great and has a beautiful soundtrack. If it was named something other than "Final Fantasy" it'd probably be a niche hit.
I think it probably showed that an intriguing story, impressive characters and an immersive world are the most important things fans of the series look for and it didn't have any of those.
I think it probably showed that an intriguing story, impressive characters and an immersive world are the most important things fans of the series look for and it didn't have any of those.
I was overall disappointed with the game at the type, but I sure would like to try out the trilogy on my Switch. You here that SE? Bring the games to Switch!!
Yeah, I've hung out a lot in the OT quite a bit over the last week and tons of people have brought up 7R's linearity, some even referencing co-director Toriyama (who obviously directed XIII).
It's a very flawed game, but the battle system alone makes it better than any previous FF game, IMO.
Paradigm Shift + Staggering was one of the coolest concepts of its generation.
Paradigm Shift + Staggering was one of the coolest concepts of its generation.
As flawed as XV is in its execution, I unironically love that game as I feel it has a lot going for it and has its heart in the right place with a lot of great concepts and ideas.
XIII is just rotten to the core; it was conceptually flawed from the start. That's not to say there aren't good parts to it: the battle system was fun and it had a confident art-style.
XIII is just rotten to the core; it was conceptually flawed from the start. That's not to say there aren't good parts to it: the battle system was fun and it had a confident art-style.
I honestly didn't mind the linearity that much, freedom was never crazy in FF (unlike some would have you believe), the problem was that it FELT linear. FF has always been good at making it look like there was a lot of freedom, while there really wasn't all that much. FF XIII didn't even attempt to make you feel free, you were constantly aware of the fact that you were walking down corridor after corridor.
What annoyed me the most was how all these crucial story components were told in datalogs.
Final Fantasy XIII actually did a lot of things right if you ask me, but they fucked up a couple of key things. Soundtrack and combat system were ace though.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 fixed most of it and I really like that game.
What annoyed me the most was how all these crucial story components were told in datalogs.
Final Fantasy XIII actually did a lot of things right if you ask me, but they fucked up a couple of key things. Soundtrack and combat system were ace though.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 fixed most of it and I really like that game.
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His DNA is clearly visible in this project. I had the game since like April 2nd and immediately called it "XIII done right". Which it is. If XIII was exactly structured like this (with Palumpolum being something like Wall Market) I would probably still be disappointed by its linearity coming after XII and even X, but I would probably like the game much more than I ended up doing. Not to mention if Lightning was like this Cloud, which I think is an exceptional character in the remake.
No it isn't. The battle system for instance is one of my favorites. Some of the visuals are gorgeous even if the game is mostly linear until the very end. And the music is really, really damn good.
But the story is an incomprehensible mess and too many of its characters are dull. Really, only Sazh is interesting. The rest are mostly insufferable.
So it's not horrible but it's not amazing either. Still worth playing, IMO. Especially if you get it cheap (Game Pass or PC).
But the story is an incomprehensible mess and too many of its characters are dull. Really, only Sazh is interesting. The rest are mostly insufferable.
So it's not horrible but it's not amazing either. Still worth playing, IMO. Especially if you get it cheap (Game Pass or PC).
My only issue with Paradigm Shift, which they thankfully fixed in XIII-2, was how the first shift of a battle took longer as they had camera shots of each character which could sometimes be detrimental. Subsequent shifts were more instant, which was the case for the first shift in XIII-2 as well.
There's a difference in quality. There's good linearity and bad linearity. FFVIIR is just leagues better than XIII in execution, though I will admit (and have said so in the past) that the general level-design in FFVIIR is not very good. If done well, being linear is never a detriment to the game. The same goes for open-worlds: if you have a well-designed world with plenty of varied content it's a lot of fun, but a vast empty wasteland with nothing meanignful to do its just tedious as hell. It all boils down to what the devs do with what they have and whether it works or not is purely up to them, be it linear or open-world.
People will say that it's as linear as FF VII R, but they are wrong
FF XIII is made by corridors devoided of NPCs and ambience. It's very, very sterile.
I wouldnt say the story is nonsensical, but it's not gripping at all. It's hard to get invested, specially with those characters.
Soundtrack is awesome and it's a really pretty game, tho.
Combat system ... exists. It wasnt fun, but it wasnt horrible either.
FF XIII is made by corridors devoided of NPCs and ambience. It's very, very sterile.
I wouldnt say the story is nonsensical, but it's not gripping at all. It's hard to get invested, specially with those characters.
Soundtrack is awesome and it's a really pretty game, tho.
Combat system ... exists. It wasnt fun, but it wasnt horrible either.
My problem with XIII-2 was that it was too easy, but I agree with you
I hated the combat system, basic encounters took far too much time and the pattern was always the same; overall this game was just time consuming for no reward.
Also ultra linear and I didn't understand anything about the plot, they lost me as soon as they started with their l'cie, lacie, or whatever it was.
I just remember that crystal dust is toxic from the second game, that's all.
Also ultra linear and I didn't understand anything about the plot, they lost me as soon as they started with their l'cie, lacie, or whatever it was.
I just remember that crystal dust is toxic from the second game, that's all.
Same. I don't remember a single character from FFXII. I don't remember anything about the story.
Did it even had a villain? Even the soundtrack. After masterpieces from FFIX and X i can't remember a single track from XII.
I do remember hating the combat system though.
I played XIII on ps3 way later after it was released, so my expectations for it were kinda lowered since reception was not as good as previous FFs. I was pleasantly surprised by the time I finished the game.
The combat system gets really good after all tutorials are said and done and once you finally reach the more 'open' sections of the game it really becomes a better experience. Had a blast getting the better weapons and accessories for the characters, minimaxing them all.
That aside, there is definitely issues with it, characters are less memorable than previous entries (Fang was cool though). And the story is so convoluted I stopped caring about it, what made me keep going was the combat and side content.
I honestly prefer it over FFXV. Got even more lost on what story they were trying to tell, combat was changed to action and manages to have less depth than any other FFs entry and all that emphasis on open world and it was just a slog to travel through it. Worst part of XV is without a doubt that ridiculous linear section where combat gets way worse.
The combat system gets really good after all tutorials are said and done and once you finally reach the more 'open' sections of the game it really becomes a better experience. Had a blast getting the better weapons and accessories for the characters, minimaxing them all.
That aside, there is definitely issues with it, characters are less memorable than previous entries (Fang was cool though). And the story is so convoluted I stopped caring about it, what made me keep going was the combat and side content.
I honestly prefer it over FFXV. Got even more lost on what story they were trying to tell, combat was changed to action and manages to have less depth than any other FFs entry and all that emphasis on open world and it was just a slog to travel through it. Worst part of XV is without a doubt that ridiculous linear section where combat gets way worse.
LOL I'd say it's the first FF game to actually release in a unfinished state - barely any side characters, story, and I'm pretty sure no towns.
The next full FF after that, FFXV they barely finished, but it had proper towns and (some?/one or two?) side characters but had to oversimplify the story for it to end properly.
FFVII Remake imo is the first FF SE have properly finished since FFX and had everything the above two games were lacking, including the leeway to put in traditional goofy FF humor and minigames.
I bounced off pretty quick on PS3, but I think I'd actually play a Switch port.
I played Final Fantasy XII on Switch and utterly despised it, so I'm a glutton for punishment, apparently.
I played Final Fantasy XII on Switch and utterly despised it, so I'm a glutton for punishment, apparently.
Initially when I first played it when it was released, I had a ton of fun with the game. It's a terrible RPG, a terrible Final Fantasy, a terrible story, but it has fun gameplay.
I've replayed and finished it just last month and had a medicore time this time around. The gameplay is really shallow once you dive deeper into it and get around to do all challenges... the obscene XP-grinding required for post-gamestuff is also off-putting and locking progression behind new story-segments, with the last being behind beating the game is also dumb as fuck.
So overall I can't really recommend the game to anyone tbh.
I've replayed and finished it just last month and had a medicore time this time around. The gameplay is really shallow once you dive deeper into it and get around to do all challenges... the obscene XP-grinding required for post-gamestuff is also off-putting and locking progression behind new story-segments, with the last being behind beating the game is also dumb as fuck.
So overall I can't really recommend the game to anyone tbh.
