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What is the contemporary consensus on the FFXIII trilogy? Do FF fans actually hate it?
- Thread starter hwarang
- Start date
I enjoyed the battle system but it was the first entry in Final Fantasy that didn't feel unique to me. By the end of the first game and start of the second, the entire world and story had become so convoluted and derivative of every other JRPG that I ended up disliking it.
There is no "consensus" on almost any FF, haha.
If you didn't think what you played of FFXIII was that bad, you'll probably think it and the others are worth playing.
It was a pretty crushing disappointment to me, though. Like, I was literally disheartened that that is what FF had been reduced to.
If you didn't think what you played of FFXIII was that bad, you'll probably think it and the others are worth playing.
It was a pretty crushing disappointment to me, though. Like, I was literally disheartened that that is what FF had been reduced to.
XIII wasn't as bad as some people make it out to be, but it's definitely got issues. People trash it for its linearity, but X was guilty of that as well. The problem with XIII's linearity is there was little to no deviation from the path. Straight lines everywhere. The minimap was an absolute joke. The writing was pretty subpar as well and the fact that you had to wait for certain story beats to level your character was absurd. XIII was really the Skyward Sword of the Final Fantasy franchise.
13 itself I think is really good. The battle system is pretty nuanced and you actually have to be pretty smart about the paradigm shifts. The game's environments and soundtrack are gorgeous too. The story is nonsensical but kinda fun.
I was into the idea of sequels but then I played the demo of FFXIII-2 and it was one of the worst experiences I had with any game last-gen. It only had two party members, it ran at like 10 FPS or some shit (on the 360 at least, this could have just been restricted to the demo), and the whole thing just felt cheap. I canceled my preorder and still to this day have never touched either of the other 13 games, though I own them on Steam.
I was into the idea of sequels but then I played the demo of FFXIII-2 and it was one of the worst experiences I had with any game last-gen. It only had two party members, it ran at like 10 FPS or some shit (on the 360 at least, this could have just been restricted to the demo), and the whole thing just felt cheap. I canceled my preorder and still to this day have never touched either of the other 13 games, though I own them on Steam.
The answer is the same as 99% of modern square games. The game has a dedicated fanbase who love it, a slightly wider fanbase of casual fans who aren't super invested, and a very loud segment of the audience who thinks its ruined the franchise. This has been the case for every FF game since probably X-2???
The battle system kept me playing, but the story was a complete mess. The way they very gradually pace out every aspect of combat over 20 hours or so prevents me from wanting to ever replay the game, even ignoring the story.
There's no consensus.
I really enjoyed all three games and I really love that they look so good on the Xbone X and I wish the PS4 Pro would get a similar collection. Maybe I could hope for a PS5 collection instead. Didn't have an issue with the linearity, enjoyed the characters all throughout the series (especially Caius and I believe that his voice acting puts him as one of the best characters in the entire FF series) and I really enjoy that they just went completely insane by the end of Lightning Returns. The gameplay is very good all throughout all three games as well.
I really enjoyed all three games and I really love that they look so good on the Xbone X and I wish the PS4 Pro would get a similar collection. Maybe I could hope for a PS5 collection instead. Didn't have an issue with the linearity, enjoyed the characters all throughout the series (especially Caius and I believe that his voice acting puts him as one of the best characters in the entire FF series) and I really enjoy that they just went completely insane by the end of Lightning Returns. The gameplay is very good all throughout all three games as well.
This is pretty much exactly how I feel.
It's an incredibly uneven set of games. I think I might like each each installment more than the last, not because they get better but because they get more interesting as games. For a series as vaunted as FF, it's a trilogy of fascinating failures.
It's hard to tell if the majority hate it or if it's just a very vocal minority but phew boy do a lot of people really hate it.
Personally, I enjoyed the trilogy, although I prefer viewing XIII-2 and LR as stand alone games because I don't like what they add to and change about XIII and its characters (LR especially just shat on like everyone, and had the dumbest secret ending ever).
XIII had the best story and designs imo, XIII-2 the best OST and the most refined combat, and LR I found the most intriguing from a concept perspective -- like the countdown stressed me out, but the idea of it all really fascinated me.
Personally, I enjoyed the trilogy, although I prefer viewing XIII-2 and LR as stand alone games because I don't like what they add to and change about XIII and its characters (LR especially just shat on like everyone, and had the dumbest secret ending ever).
XIII had the best story and designs imo, XIII-2 the best OST and the most refined combat, and LR I found the most intriguing from a concept perspective -- like the countdown stressed me out, but the idea of it all really fascinated me.
Everytime I think of this trilogy I think of the sequels chocobo theme song:
www.youtube.com
I 100 percent promise you if you blast this song in your car radio you will get girls (or guys) like crazy.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Soundtrack - Crazy Chocobo
The classic tune by Nobuo Uematsu arranged in metal fashion for Final Fantasy XIII-2
www.youtube.com
I 100 percent promise you if you blast this song in your car radio you will get girls (or guys) like crazy.
Never tried FFXIII-2 or LR simply because i was against the idea of direct FF sequels but i'm really curious about them at the same time. Specially Lightning Returns that seems kinda unique.
I think FFXIII is okay, not a big fan but i don't think it's a worse game than X/XII/XV. It is unique enough to be memorable, even if full of flaws.
I think FFXIII is okay, not a big fan but i don't think it's a worse game than X/XII/XV. It is unique enough to be memorable, even if full of flaws.
I enjoyed playing FFXIII. The battle system is super fun, the graphics are amazing (assuming they still hold up now), and the story is serviceable. I remember devouring it when it came out.
FFXIII-2 I also really liked but never finished. It's way less linear than the first game, but I feel like that's exactly why I never finished it (that and the story is somehow a billion times crazier than XIII). If it was a little more tightly structured I may have been inclined to stick with it. I've also never been super fond of "catching monsters" kinds of games.
Never bothered with Lightning Returns.
FFXIII-2 I also really liked but never finished. It's way less linear than the first game, but I feel like that's exactly why I never finished it (that and the story is somehow a billion times crazier than XIII). If it was a little more tightly structured I may have been inclined to stick with it. I've also never been super fond of "catching monsters" kinds of games.
Never bothered with Lightning Returns.
Yes it's awful
Linear
Characters are bland
Battle system is frustrating (designed for 3characters but most the game you play as 2)
Once it opens up the map is useless
The crystarium is locked and doesn't let you level up how you want (which further exacerbates the battle system problem)
It takes 30 hours before you can upgrade your weapons
Don't bother upgrading your weapons as it doesn't do anything.
Staggering sucks
It's like a 50-60 hour running away scene
I'd say only play it if you are doing it for educational purposes
The game is not fun but it is interesting as a sort of history lesson...
I could go on but I won't...
EDIT: I didn't read right
I only played the first one
I would probably give the other two a chance if they made a collection on switch or something
Linear
Characters are bland
Battle system is frustrating (designed for 3characters but most the game you play as 2)
Once it opens up the map is useless
The crystarium is locked and doesn't let you level up how you want (which further exacerbates the battle system problem)
It takes 30 hours before you can upgrade your weapons
Don't bother upgrading your weapons as it doesn't do anything.
Staggering sucks
It's like a 50-60 hour running away scene
I'd say only play it if you are doing it for educational purposes
The game is not fun but it is interesting as a sort of history lesson...
I could go on but I won't...
EDIT: I didn't read right
I only played the first one
I would probably give the other two a chance if they made a collection on switch or something
I made it about halfway through XIII (so a couple hours past "the tutorial"), and I keep telling myself I should go back and give it another shot. There are things I like about it. Once you give in and accept not having full control over characters, taking on a more QB role is interesting: set up your Paradigms, swap between them when appropriate, but don't bother micromanaging. That's pretty neat. I can dig that. And the general idea of a bunch of randos being given compulsory quests by evil gods (who might not be as evil as society has always told them, because this is a JRPG and the mainstream religion is always bullshit)? That's a great story hook right there.
But man, there's just so much stuff in the way. So much faffing about. Yeah, I get it: when Satan's mark appears on your forehead you're gonna be torn between giving in and doing his bidding or saying "screw you Satan, I've got my own shit to take care of." But you can only draw that indecision out for so long before I get bored, and FF13 goes well past that mark.
And I do want to get to XIII-2 and Lightning Returns. XIII-2 has time travel, which I generally like, even if it's done poorly (which I hear it is). And it has pokemon, which are also generally a mechanic I like. Meanwhile, the brief demo of LR I played was super sweet: class changing, 1-on-1 action combat stuff. But can I really hop straight into that? When there are two games that I feel I really ought to play beforehand?
And I'm home all the time anyway. Shoot, I just sunk 70 hours into Resonance of Fate, and that game wasn't anything special. Surely I can find the time to at least give 13 one more chance, right? Considering how well so many other games in the series have treated me?
But man, there's just so much stuff in the way. So much faffing about. Yeah, I get it: when Satan's mark appears on your forehead you're gonna be torn between giving in and doing his bidding or saying "screw you Satan, I've got my own shit to take care of." But you can only draw that indecision out for so long before I get bored, and FF13 goes well past that mark.
And I do want to get to XIII-2 and Lightning Returns. XIII-2 has time travel, which I generally like, even if it's done poorly (which I hear it is). And it has pokemon, which are also generally a mechanic I like. Meanwhile, the brief demo of LR I played was super sweet: class changing, 1-on-1 action combat stuff. But can I really hop straight into that? When there are two games that I feel I really ought to play beforehand?
And I'm home all the time anyway. Shoot, I just sunk 70 hours into Resonance of Fate, and that game wasn't anything special. Surely I can find the time to at least give 13 one more chance, right? Considering how well so many other games in the series have treated me?
I really liked the gameplay in 13-2, especially the monster collection pokemon stuff. The ending was also hilariously great.
Never finished Lightning Returns cause goddamn I hate time restriction stuff and putting it in an RPG where I like to chill at my own pace is a death sentence
I barely have an opinion on 13, not the worst thing ever, the embodiment of meh, can't remember anything about the story.
Never finished Lightning Returns cause goddamn I hate time restriction stuff and putting it in an RPG where I like to chill at my own pace is a death sentence
I barely have an opinion on 13, not the worst thing ever, the embodiment of meh, can't remember anything about the story.
the consensus for 13 is basically the same as the consensus for all final fantasy games except like two of them, which is that there is no consensus
for what it's worth, I like all three of the games in the series (although LR is more of an "I really respect what they did here" rather than an "I'd recommend someone play this game" thing), and I'd say it's worth going through at least the first two games in the series if you remember enjoying the battle system.
for what it's worth, I like all three of the games in the series (although LR is more of an "I really respect what they did here" rather than an "I'd recommend someone play this game" thing), and I'd say it's worth going through at least the first two games in the series if you remember enjoying the battle system.
I didn't play Returns, but just couldn't bear 13 and 13-2.
Both has boring battles and scenes, all showing-off, no substance.
The animation and lines from lots of characters made them look incredibly stupid.
It was just horrible to see.
But I wasn't invested in FF when it released, so I don't think it's a good or bad FF or anything like that. Just the worst type of game for me. Right now I have 0 attachment to the series anymore as I grew up liking most of them less and less.
I'd say I'm ok with 6 and 9 now, lost interest in the rest. I'd rather replay a lot of other Square/Enix games than these honestly.
Many fans of 6 heavily disliked what it became as well.
But 13 is easily one of the least liked, maybe with 2...
Maybe a matter of lows being at their lowest.
Both has boring battles and scenes, all showing-off, no substance.
The animation and lines from lots of characters made them look incredibly stupid.
It was just horrible to see.
But I wasn't invested in FF when it released, so I don't think it's a good or bad FF or anything like that. Just the worst type of game for me. Right now I have 0 attachment to the series anymore as I grew up liking most of them less and less.
I'd say I'm ok with 6 and 9 now, lost interest in the rest. I'd rather replay a lot of other Square/Enix games than these honestly.
Since 7 at the very least.
Many fans of 6 heavily disliked what it became as well.
But 13 is easily one of the least liked, maybe with 2...
Maybe a matter of lows being at their lowest.
You can't get a consensus on FF games as the fanbase and games are so varied and wide. All you can get are personal opinions really.
I liked them progressively more. LR in particular I adore for its combat system.
I liked them progressively more. LR in particular I adore for its combat system.
They don't live up to the series high expectations (especially back then, closer to the 6-10 golden age), but I think they're solid games. All 3 have an excellent battle system, great music, and were impressive graphically (... Except Lightning Returns). It's just the story/characters that were substandard. But even then I don't think it's quite as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
While JRPGs are often criticised as linear for having a direct story path to run through, XIII took that to new heights for having the first half of the game run on a corridor literally ten feet wide. You can't level up until you're told to, and any variety in pacing offered by the minigames and towns in other games happens in cut scenes instead. The whole thing just felt like a chore to me, with anything interesting either automated or given to the animators to render as a cut scene instead. If I'd have given a shit about the party I might have struggled through to the good bit people told me about, but I'd rather have a large JRPG party where half of them are stuck on the bench the whole time than follow Lightning, Hope, Snow and Vanille again. At least they weren't as bad as Star Ocean 4, but that's a pretty low bar.
I dunno if thats true, they both follow an extremely linear path, with little to no deviation, some maps are straight lines (ff13 opening areas, mi'hen highroad for example), some are straight lines with bends.
Both open up to a big open area at some point (Gran Pulse, Calm Lands) and then refocus back into a linear path again to finish. One could argue that because of the scale of Pulse over the Calm lands, that FF13 might be less linear sometimes, even large areas in FF10 like Bikanel are very limited in paths, with a couple of side areas and one main path through.
In my opinion, some of the linearity in 13 was due to the success of it in 10.
Hmmm...
I liked the first game. Did not love at all. Music/graphics were nice. Characters and story were trash. Battles were interesting but not my favorite.
Second game is the best if the 3. I liked battles more, characters were somewhat better, music incredible, and it sorta felt like an actual RPG.
I tried Lightning Returns a few times and it was just bizarre. Graphics were really terrible in a lot of areas. I hated only having 1 party member. Hated the time limit system the most. Music was Jude though.
Overall, I give the trilogy a 6/10. I wish we could have gotten different FF games than what we got because it didn't need to be a trilogy at all.
I liked the first game. Did not love at all. Music/graphics were nice. Characters and story were trash. Battles were interesting but not my favorite.
Second game is the best if the 3. I liked battles more, characters were somewhat better, music incredible, and it sorta felt like an actual RPG.
I tried Lightning Returns a few times and it was just bizarre. Graphics were really terrible in a lot of areas. I hated only having 1 party member. Hated the time limit system the most. Music was Jude though.
Overall, I give the trilogy a 6/10. I wish we could have gotten different FF games than what we got because it didn't need to be a trilogy at all.
They're all fine games. XIII-2 is actually one of my favorite games in the series. XIII also has the best ost in the series.
I loved the first game, still do and hope there will be a remaster of some kind some day. That being said, I hated what came after the first game, for me XIII-2 and LR is trash.
As some one who thinks FFIX is culmination of everything that makes FF a great series, FFXIII feels like the culmination of the opposite.
I loved 1 and 2 but hated 3 (played an hour and sent it back to GameFly) which is nothing at all like the first two and probably shouldn't be lumped in with them. With that in mind, I voted the second option since I can't say I loved it all.
It's honestly been kinda this, really, from what I've seen:
I do really like the games, but they have some serious faults with them, notably it should not take 20+ hours to finally get out of all the basic tutorials for Final Fantasy XIII. Writing is so bat-shit insane at times, specifically with XIII-2 and Lightning Returns, I don't hate it at all.
The true ending for Lighting Returns is also something.
I do really like the games, but they have some serious faults with them, notably it should not take 20+ hours to finally get out of all the basic tutorials for Final Fantasy XIII. Writing is so bat-shit insane at times, specifically with XIII-2 and Lightning Returns, I don't hate it at all.
The true ending for Lighting Returns is also something.
Lighting and everyone now existing in our world as a path to them starting a new life, as well as the fact that Lightning is now modeling in real life, is just an absolutely insane thing to me and I just can't help but love it. Which is why when I saw people wondering why Square Enix had Lightning model for fashion companies in real life, likely didn't know about the true ending spoilers, which made that just the more hilarious. The whole thing is just bat-shit insane.
On the whole, I'd put them on the same level as the FFX games. Not really what I want out of my Final Fantasies, but worth giving a play through if you're a fan of the genre. I think XIII-2 is my favourite of the bunch, but on the whole I'm not sure if it should have been three games. They could have probably done more with these games if they made the sequels its own thing.
Loved 13, loved the mythos, and really thought FNC had the potential to be dope.
13-2 was cool, I love the characters in the series, but the whole sancitity of the timeline and then Bhunivelze shit and 8383838 endings got confusing.
13-3 was probably my least fav. Just a 6/10 for me.
13-2 was cool, I love the characters in the series, but the whole sancitity of the timeline and then Bhunivelze shit and 8383838 endings got confusing.
13-3 was probably my least fav. Just a 6/10 for me.
I don't love these poll options.
As for the main game (FFXIII)... I think the combat is excellent, I think the music is great, and it is a very pretty game.
However, the tutorialization is the most egregious we have ever seen in a game. Ever. The mechanics are still absolutely bare ten hours into the experience. It takes an absurd amount of time for the game to let you actually play it (which is why so many people think the combat is bad). Moreover, the story is over-written trash. There is nothing about it that deserves praise. It is genuinely embarrassing.
So yeah, I like the parts where you play the game, but it takes way too long to get to the meat of the experience and the story is so bad that it is extremely difficult to motivate yourself to slog your way to the point where the game becomes fun to play.
FFXIII has earned its reputation.
As for the main game (FFXIII)... I think the combat is excellent, I think the music is great, and it is a very pretty game.
However, the tutorialization is the most egregious we have ever seen in a game. Ever. The mechanics are still absolutely bare ten hours into the experience. It takes an absurd amount of time for the game to let you actually play it (which is why so many people think the combat is bad). Moreover, the story is over-written trash. There is nothing about it that deserves praise. It is genuinely embarrassing.
So yeah, I like the parts where you play the game, but it takes way too long to get to the meat of the experience and the story is so bad that it is extremely difficult to motivate yourself to slog your way to the point where the game becomes fun to play.
FFXIII has earned its reputation.
13 is trash
13-2 is pretty okay but the ending sucks.
I didn't play 13-3, I had more than enough by then.
13-2 is pretty okay but the ending sucks.
I didn't play 13-3, I had more than enough by then.