ファイナルファンタジーXIII

[Patters]

On topic, I expect to pick up FFXIII, numbering should probably have stopped numerical titles for these a long time ago, I doubt I will pay full price though, with plenty of Jrpgs in my back catalogue. I very much doubt it will be one of my favourite Jrpgs however, which is not to say that it won't be a good game, just the 13th iteration and their admission of this is kind of silly to me.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I'm going to make an idiotic generalisation: Maybe if you loved 7, it was your first JRPG...? That's what it is was for me... I LOVED that game, even if it was all a bit silly and the story was bloody difficult to follow (and Cloud was irritating). I loved it because I'd never played a game with that atmosphere before... the crazy world, Japanese oddness, melodramatic moments that occasionally hit home. Amazing music. Wonderful artwork. It was just really, really cool.

Now I've played more of them I still have nostalgia for it, but I can see how it fits in and really, the others are equally as good or better (although I found 8 a bit tiresome -- but I'll try it again one day). 9 was a great reaction to the forced Westerness on 8 -- totally stupid fantasy again, wonderful.

4 does indeed have a great story -- I've just picked it up again after a year of not playing it and been totally sucked in (can't wait to finish it).

Ah, I do love the crazy, semi-serious worlds of Final Fantasy.

[SoulChicken]

Final Fantasy was my first console RPG and I completely loved it. VIII I didnt play more than 3 hours of and I recently tried it again and decided my decision to stop had been a good one.

IX I liked a lot, X was fun too. I have played FFXI and exploring the world and environments in that game is amazing. The downside being the ridiculous bar you have to cross in being able to even set foot in most of them in terms of time spent levelling. Final Fantasy XII was probably my favorite, it was like a fun IX.

So I'm looking forward to XIII AND XIV next year. I really haven't played many other JRPGS, skys of arcadia and tales of symphonia, so playing a FF is a really nice change of pace from all my other games. I guess I am a massive kawaii Final Fantasy fanboy then, shit. Having said that XIII looks ridiculous but then X looked way worse before it came out. We shall see.

[Tobli]

On topic, I expect to pick up FFXIII, numbering should probably have stopped numerical titles for these a long time ago

Well that is because numbered iteration is simply a simple way of differentiating between main releases in the franchise, and the side stuff.

[Fuzzy Lobster]

Jeez, you new people are so defensive. Put that flameshield away. You don't need it here. If you ever do, that's my cue to leave.

But.. I've just been so hurt before..

The scars... the scars don't fade... *single tear*

I'm going to make an idiotic generalisation: Maybe if you loved 7, it was your first JRPG...? That's what it is was for me... I LOVED that game, even if it was all a bit silly and the story was bloody difficult to follow (and Cloud was irritating). I loved it because I'd never played a game with that atmosphere before... the crazy world, Japanese oddness, melodramatic moments that occasionally hit home. Amazing music. Wonderful artwork. It was just really, really cool.

That may be a fair generalization, actually. Well, or you could be a huge fanboy.. that's the other option. I didn't dislike it, I just don't quite understand the cosplay inspiring adoration...

Oh yeah, and 4 is really great. I meant to say 4 and not 5, since I can't remember if I've played 5 at all... oops... heh.

[Garple]

Man, I've always liked the idea of JRPGs, but the combat turns me off 100 % What JRPGs do you think transcend the genre?

[DrStrangepork]

I'm new to jrpgs. I've always been like wtf, your dudes just stand in a row and beat on each other?! But actually now that my housemate (fuzzy lobster) has forced me to play a few final fantasies, it's making more sense.

Combat's all about the special abilities, ripping down the bad guys defenses while debuffing them so that they can't kill you. That's what makes the boss battles so hard and so interesting, you really have to adapt your strategy of ability use to the specific opponent. It pretty much needs to be turn-based, otherwise you wouldn't have enough time to think about how to use everyone's load of abilities. IMO that's where FF XII fell down big time. Combat in that game was downgraded to worse than WoW-style button mashing due to the severe paucity of non-spell special abilities. Plus, you could not control all of your people in real time, and that control of your whole team was the thrill of traditional FF combat.

I never have gotten used to the massive grinding of "trash mobs" in final fantasy games (hordes of weak enemies), but I also totally hated that in WoW. That's my 2 cents from a FF newb.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Man, I've always liked the idea of JRPGs, but the combat turns me off 100 % What JRPGs do you think transcend the genre?

I've heard Chrono Trigger was something really special, but I haven't played it myself.

[Garple]

But actually now that my housemate (fuzzy lobster) has forced me to play a few final fantasies, it's making more sense...

Oh, man, so he got you into the Idle Thumbs forums, too? That's so cute. Housemates, Unite!

[ThunderPeel2001]

Combat's all about the special abilities, ripping down the bad guys defenses while debuffing them so that they can't kill you. That's what makes the boss battles so hard and so interesting, you really have to adapt your strategy of ability use to the specific opponent. It pretty much needs to be turn-based, otherwise you wouldn't have enough time to think about how to use everyone's load of abilities.

Yeah the strategy involved can be really satisfying. (If it wasn't, games like FF Tactics couldn't exist and still have fans.)

[Fuzzy Lobster]

Actually, if there's one thing about the leveling/combat system in traditional JRPGs that I could really do without, it's the whole grinding, random encounters thing of the older games... I get very weary of random encounters. It does seem to be going the way of the dodo in some recent games (except Lost Odyssey), I guess.

Personally, I think that JRPGs might benefit from the ability to select a difficulty level at the beginning and then do away with a lot of the petty fights. I'm not sure if other people who've played a lot of this style of game have had this experience, but I basically never die ever. Once you're used to the ability uses and menu systems, you can pretty much fight in your sleep, even on boss battles, since the system is more or less the same in every game, inside of the FF series or out. That could well be part of the super-rote, unoriginality of this game style that people often mention.

Of course, changing the battle system to a more directed, action-style and doing away with random encounters might make it.. a western RPG. Well, damn it, I want that then, but more foofy and fantasy-y with big spells and abilities.

I adored Chrono Trigger. It's well worth a play for the fun story, but the combat system is as traditional as it gets.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I didn't dislike it, I just don't quite understand the cosplay inspiring adoration...

Well VII was somewhat special because so many Westerners experienced a JRPG for the first time. It was like a global event. You felt connected with all the other people who had sunk tens of hours into it. I remember that me and two of my housemates literally played through the entire game together.

Then VIII came out and everyone was like... "*sigh*, you mean these things have different characters and worlds every time...?" And those that stuck it out (like me) got bored, despite the beautiful opening sequence promising amazing things.

So VII was special for a lot of people. I mean, you couldn't go to some cosplay event dressed as Cecil from FFIV. I mean, you could, but hardly anyone would understand who you were.

[Fuzzy Lobster]

Well VII was somewhat special because so many Westerners experienced a JRPG for the first time.

I can see that. I think that X was that way too, maybe to a lesser degree. I know a lot of people who had never played an RPG in their lives really got into it, mostly due to how gorgeous it was, which was the same deal with VII, just on the previous console generation.

So VII was special for a lot of people. I mean, you couldn't go to some cosplay event dressed as Cecil from FFIV. I mean, you could, but hardly anyone would understand who you were.

Plus, all that armor? Bah. Too heavy.

I bought my brother a magnet made of those colored circles that you melt together to make shapes that looked like Rydia at a convention. The lady who made them was pleasantly surprised that I knew what it was. I think I may be old.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I bought my brother a magnet made of those colored circles that you melt together to make shapes that looked like Rydia at a convention. The lady who made them was pleasantly surprised that I knew what it was. I think I may be old.

You mean... these things? (I was actually looking for some pictures to illustrate my point that Edge from FFIV looks like Eddie Campbell, but I couldn't find the right ones -- and then they appeared!)

Pretty cool stuff, actually.

Edit: Oh wow, this is quite a popular craze -- I had no idea!

[Fuzzy Lobster]

HAHA!

Yes, those would be the ones. It does appear to be quite a thing. Who knew?

Now I want a megaman one.

[Sombre]

Hey fellas.

For what it's worth, the 360 version is throwing out free chocobos for your xbox avatar at the moment, for December

UK version here

USA version here

FREE STUFF!

[Fuzzy Lobster]

Mine.

Thanks for the info!

[brkl]

These guys are gonna be doing the Deus Ex 3 cinematics. Yup. It's gonna be awesome.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Woot. Thanks for the heads-up!

[miffy495]

Hmmm... apparently Canadians get nothing. Woo!

[Sombre]

Hmmm... apparently Canadians get nothing. Woo!

Change the UK/US in the link to a CA.

Receive chocobo!

[miffy495]

Excellent. Code is mine. Despite the fact that I still haven't played XII. I'll get around to taking the shrink wrap off sooner or later, I swear.

[mikemariano]

I was horrified by this image from Kotaku: the maddeningly narrow, linear path of the first six hours of Final Fantasy XIII.

I never want to play this game.

Yeah, I know everybody does mostly the same stuff in a JRPG anyway, but this promises to be endless cutscenes, some battles, and zero exploration.

I know people will tolerate this type of gameplay, but look at that image. Is that conducive to fun role-playing? Compare that to Chrono Trigger. Compare it to a Western RPG like Fallout 3. Compare it to Diablo, which lets you leave the dungeon every once in a while.

Is that image what people want?

[Murdoc]

Compare it to a Western RPG like Fallout 3.

Sure; how long did it take with that bullshit in the vault in fallout 3? Maybe not 6 hours, but from memory it felt like it.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Is that image what people want?

That does look astonishingly linear, but I've not played it, so I don't know how it feels. FFXIII could be the one that kills the franchise, for all we know. I mean, god knows they've put out some great stuff in the past, but it can't all be jelly.

Still, I'm happy to reserve judgement until I play it.