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Why is Final Fantasy X considered much better than Final Fantasy XIII?

V

Via Purifico

Banned
X's illusion of freedom went a very long way as with XIII its linearity was hamfisted.

Not being able to backtrack hurts XIII as well as the lack of branching paths.
 
X

Xbro

Member
DR2K said:
Final Fantasy X-2 is even better.
Click to expand...

6081114162_eae14ba471_o.gif
 
K

KZXcellent

Member
What makes X a lot easier to get into than XIII is the fact that it's story is properly explained to you. You get a decent explanation of Al Bhed, Summoners, Sin, Sinspawn and Yevon.

XIII just throws you in with Pulse, Cocoon, PSICOM, L'Cie, Fal'cie and expects you to read the datalog in between cutscenes. The game needed a REAL intro. Jumping in with an action scene with little explanation was a horrible way to start.

DR2K said:
Final Fantasy X-2 is even better.
Click to expand...

You're not wrong. Once you get past the very awkward first impression you have an interesting story with really cool concepts. Also Vegnagun. I love Vegnagun.
 
A

Atlantis

Member
Both games are linear, but FFXIII was so bad I can actually recall times where I'd get turned around after a battle and would only realize it when I'd come across an open treasure chest.
 
ULTROS!

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Here's a challenge, what elements or parts are better in FFXIII than FFX?

I know for one Blinded by Light is probably one of the best regular battle themes.
 
O

orborborb

Member
FFXIII has a vastly more interesting combat system, especially for non-boss battles and especially in the latter half

FFX understands basic storytelling and tells a story you might care about, it even has a little bit of good NPC interaction though not nearly as much as the better games in the series

both have great monster designs and well directed cutscenes

both have good music and character designs

neither have good exploration elements or puzzles
 
D

Dangansona

Member
darkistheway said:
It has better story, better characters and better gameplay.

XIII-2 is better than both.
Click to expand...

This is the truth.

ULTROS! said:
Here's a challenge, what elements or parts are better in FFXIII than FFX?

I know for one Blinded by Light is probably one of the best regular battle themes.
Click to expand...

Based on my post on the first page, I would say maybe characters (I really don't give a shit about Lulu, Kimahri, and Rikku), battle system, and music.

I'm not crazy enough to say that XIII is definitely a better game than X. But I think that it is always good to remember that everyone likes different Final Fantasy games and in my opinion XIII doesn't deserve the hate it gets.
 
V

Via Purifico

Banned
KZXcellent said:
What makes X a lot easier to get into than XIII is the fact that it's story is properly explained to you. You get a decent explanation of Al Bhed, Summoners, Sin, Sinspawn and Yevon.

XIII just throws you in with Pulse, Cocoon, PSICOM, L'Cie, Fal'cie and expects you to read the datalog in between cutscenes. The game needed a REAL intro. Jumping in with an action scene with little explanation was a horrible way to start.
Click to expand...

This was also a problem, as well as the fact that
Lightning runs into Yaag Rosch her former instructor at the academy
but never mentioned in the game at all.

They might have changed that at the last minute tho but considering its other issues it probably wasn't.
 
K

KZXcellent

Member
ULTROS! said:
Here's a challenge, what elements or parts are better in FFXIII than FFX?

I know for one Blinded by Light is probably one of the best regular battle themes.
Click to expand...

I'd say music is the only thing that comes close for me. Tracks like the Sunleth Waterscape are incredible.

Via Purifico said:
This was also a problem, as well as the fact that
Lightning runs into Yaag Rosch her former instructor at the academy
but never mentioned in the game at all.

They might have changed that at the last minute tho but considering its other issues it probably wasn't.
Click to expand...

Also the end of XIII is ridiculous
Let's not kill Orphan, it's apart of the bad guys plan! No wait let's do it anyway! Oh no we're becoming Cieth! Nevermind it's fine we broke through it I guess? Cocoon is saved thanks to a literal miracle.
 
ULTROS!

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Dangansona said:
Based on my post on the first page, I would say maybe characters (I really don't give a shit about Lulu, Kimahri, and Rikku), battle system, and music.

I'm not crazy enough to say that XIII is definitely a better game than X. But I think that it is always good to remember that everyone likes different Final Fantasy games and in my opinion XIII doesn't deserve the hate it gets.
Click to expand...

I'd say FFXIII has my favorite battle system in the FF series, next to FFXII: The Zodiac Age's battle/gambit system that's upped 2x/4x (if that counts). I mostly prefer fast combat systems.
 
J

jiggle

Member
FFX hallways were not straight A to B, rinse and repeat though
You could backtrack
There were towns and temples
A bunch of mini games
Secret weapons and summons
They all helped to disguise the linear nature of the game imo
 
L

Lindsay

Dot Hacked
I remember playing FFX for the first time and thinking how its super linear and hallway heavy and made me wonder if FFXIII wasn't all that bad! But then I remembered hearing it had kinda inherited the mmo-like combat FFXII has an decided I could live with never finding out how good or bad it may have been!
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
FFX's story is actually followable. I still have no idea what FF13 was about. Also blitzball>anything in FF13. I spent way too much time in that game mode lol. I mean it's cheap once you learn Jchet shot but improving your team and teammates was pretty fun.

Also finding Ultimate weapons for each character was fun. Unlike FF13 which is just farm those turtles.
 
P

Poppy

Member
Lindsay said:
I remember playing FFX for the first time and thinking how its super linear and hallway heavy and made me wonder if FFXIII wasn't all that bad! But then I remembered hearing it had kinda inherited the mmo-like combat FFXII has an decided I could live with never finding out how good or bad it may have been!
Click to expand...

this is me, because i hated FFXII, and i bought FFXIII anyway because it was on mega sale

and then i learned that it was in fact not a game i ever wanted to play again

but in fact FFX is great. yes it is linear, and maybe it's just because of the tech upgrade when i first played it, but i thought they did a good job at making it still feel like a big interesting world. not that it's my favorite final fantasy, but i quite like a lot of things about it
 
P

PepsimanVsJoe

Member
I like FFXIII, but it's nowhere near as good as FFX.

My biggest problem with XIII is that it never takes the time to establish anything. There's no sense of place, and the characters just fly from one location to the next. Any and all attempts at world-building come off as incomprehensible.

This is something that literally every other game in the series has gotten right.

KZXcellent said:
I wouldn't really say XIII inherited combat from XII. It's basically giving characters a specific role, having them switch to it during a situation and then mashing Auto Battle until you win for most fights.

I feel like you have more input and freedom making Gambits in XII than you do in all of XIII's gameplay period.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Not to mention you can also swap out party-members, gambits, and/or equipment at almost any time. There's just so much more agency.
 
K

KZXcellent

Member
Lindsay said:
I remember playing FFX for the first time and thinking how its super linear and hallway heavy and made me wonder if FFXIII wasn't all that bad! But then I remembered hearing it had kinda inherited the mmo-like combat FFXII has an decided I could live with never finding out how good or bad it may have been!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't really say XIII inherited combat from XII. It's basically giving characters a specific role, having them switch to it during a situation and then mashing Auto Battle until you win for most fights.

I feel like you have more input and freedom making Gambits in XII than you do in all of XIII's gameplay period.

PepsimanVsJoe said:
I like FFXIII, but it's nowhere near as good as FFX.

My biggest problem with XIII is that it never takes the time to establish anything. There's no sense of place, and the characters just fly from one location to the next. Any and all attempts at world-building come off as incomprehensible.

This is something that literally every other game in the series has gotten right.
Click to expand...

That's a very good point. X spends time establishing new areas. With Tidus being clueless about the world the got to explain each location and give some background and build up the world. XIII had very little of this and felt more like an amusement park.
 
V

Vincent Grayson

Member
ULTROS! said:
I'd say FFXIII has my favorite battle system in the FF series, next to FFXII: The Zodiac Age's battle/gambit system that's upped 2x/4x (if that counts). I mostly prefer fast combat systems.
Click to expand...

I'm sure some will disagree, but I actually love playing XII at the 4x speed. I wish the actual combat just ran that fast normally.
 
W

WhoaIsThatMars

Member
You literally spend most of FFXIII not knowing what you're fighting for. Half the story was in those text things hidden in the menu and they were poorly written. Also, you don't really get to play the actual battle system until 30 hours in. Voice acting was trash and none of the characters were memorable imo.

I still have no idea wtf happened in that game. Staggering was fun tho...
 
L

Lightning

Banned
jiggle said:
FFX hallways were not straight A to B, rinse and repeat though
You could backtrack
There were towns and temples
A bunch of mini games
Secret weapons and summons
They all helped to disguise the linear nature of the game imo
Click to expand...
The mini games of FFX are some of the worst in the series, they are fucking horrible. Chocobo chasing is not fun, dodging 200 lightning bolts in a row is not fun, blitzball is WAY too long and way to boring, butterfly catching is annoying.

As for the enemies. Fighting slightly stronger variants of the same enemy over and over again for 20+ hours is hardly fun and the kicker? They make you do it twice with fiend catcher.

FFX is a really average game. Not great at all.
 
S

Squire

Banned
I never liked "too linear" as such a common criticism of XIII. The game is mediocre at best and has problems, but that's a buzz phrase that doesn't convey the actual issue.

It's not that XIII is too linear, it's that it's masked very poorly. X creates interesting spaces for the player to go through and actually gives them real context in the narrative. In general, X is much much better at actually explaining its story and world and relatively naturally at that.

For example: As formulaic as it is for characters to explain the culture/customs of Spira to Tidus, the game is very smooth in how it does this. Tidus is typically fairly inquisitive himself and there are no overly long diatribes about the history of the world where a slide show of heiroglyphics plays. The game even uses his ignorance to create a dynamic between Lulu and he. I think this is really smart since Lulu is the type of character that would probably have no need or desire to speak to him otherwise.

But I digress. The areas in XIII are somewhat diverse in art direction (I mean, the art is all over the place honestly), but not in structure (you do move in very obvious straight lines/tunnels a LOT.)

It's not that it's linear, it's that once you notice, the game won't let you forget.
 
O

orochi91

Member
The story and characters in FFX are pretty memorable.

Couple that with the god-tier OST, lore and turn-based combat, you've got an all-time classic.

FF12 is a brilliant game, but it doesn't reach the emotional heights of FFX, nor is the OST as good.
 
K

Keym

Member
A good story, likeable cast, towns and npcs everywhere, shops, more than one kind of sidequests (fuck you hunts), the monster arena, backtracking, an interesting, coherent and interconnected world, etc. It's a long list.
 
F

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
DR2K said:
Better battle system
Better cast of characters
Better world
Better story
Better level up system

For me, and most people who've played both.
Click to expand...

That and it being the one of the 1st big RPGs on a new generation with graphics that totally blew the gen before it out of the water.
 
S

silva1991

Member
- better characters
- better story
- better music
- better battle system
- better world overall.

Bonus:

- actual good enemy and summons designs compared to whatever the fuck we got in FFXIII

I mean look how stupid Behemoth and Bahamut look in 13 for example
latest

latest
Click to expand...
 
Z

ZeoVGM

Banned
I love both X and XIII.

My fiance and I plan on getting L'Cie tattoos as the game meant a lot to us during a special time in our relationship.

(But I do think X is a better game due to the ability to backtrack.)
 
T

Tyraniboah

Member
Story that's relatively easier to follow and better. Don't have to read text logs to understand the world around you. Once you cross a point in FFXIII, it's likely that you're unable to go back there. In FFX,you can go back during most of the story if you need to and you can take the airship late game. There are side quests and neat little minigames. Although the main cast in X is only solid, they sure as hell are better than just about everyone in XIII...and I actually like Lightning. XIII has hunts.

Soundtrack and battle system are up to your personal tastes. I enjoyed both games, but X is a much better experience.

I'd like to add that I really enjoyed Final Fantasy X's take on organized religion.
 
J

jviggy43

Member
Better characters, better story, excellent combat, summons being controllable for the first time (Op however). I played at least 100 hours of 13 and couldn't tell you a single thing about that story, not even when I was going through it. Most of the time I had no idea what was going on; never felt that with 10.
 
jimmypython

jimmypython

Member
FFX and FF13 both have awful level design but the overall flow of FFX is less linear

FF13 is unfinished if measured by FFX's standard.
 
K

KZXcellent

Member
ZeoVGM said:
I love both X and XIII.

My fiance and I plan on getting L'Cie tattoos as the game meant a lot to us during a special time in our relationship.

(But I do think X is a better game due to the ability to backtrack.)
Click to expand...

The L'Cie markings are pretty cool. Work well as a tattoo and don't come off as potentially awkward as other gaming tattoos.

Meowster said:
You just reminded me of how incredible Fighting Fate was.
Click to expand...

Yeah, while I don't think XIII holds a candle to X I will concede it has a killer soundtrack. Gotta a lot of love for a lot of songs in that game.
 
D

Dinjooh

Member
Dangansona said:
I actually talked about this in our team Slack today at work. I honestly believe that a lot of the things people hate in XII, XIII, and XV can be found in X. In addition to what OP has expressed, I am playing through XII now and despite all the shit Vaan gets for being a poorly designed annoying protagonist, I think he is no worse than Tidus on those fronts. And I like Tidus!

I also think that at some point XIII's reputation snowballed out of control, and when combined with mixed feelings on the franchise as a whole around this time and that the fact it got two sequels has led to a hatred of the trilogy that the games themselves don't deserve.



- Disagree
- Debatable tbh. I think XIII's cast has higher highs and, in particular, one lower low.
- You're probably right.
- Agreed on that front.
- Not sure how I stand on this actually.

Edit: Also XIII's soundtrack kicks ass.
Click to expand...

I really enjoyed FFXIII but the leveling system in that game was horrible.
 
G

gogosox82

Member
Well you can follow the story and it isn't a bunch of nonsense.
Characters are overall better.
Structure is also better. Its linear but you can go back at any time and their are towns,npcs, and side quests unlike XIII.
 
S

Squire

Banned
orochi91 said:
The story and characters in FFX are pretty memorable.

Couple that with the god-tier OST, lore and turn-based combat, you've got an all-time classic.

FF12 is a brilliant game, but it doesn't reach the emotional heights of FFX, nor is the OST as good.
Click to expand...

I think the OST is much more consistent, the world is just as interesting, and the combat and character progression are leagues better. X is my favorite, but XII is just a different flavor of Very Good.

Gunslinger said:
Lol what? I guess it's your opinion and all....but damn that's gotta be a very unpopular one.
Click to expand...

The music is and always was the very best thing about the game, I think. It's got that on both X and XII.
 
D

Dinjooh

Member
gogosox82 said:
Well you can follow the story and it isn't a bunch of nonsense.
Characters are overall better.
Structure is also better. Its linear but you can go back at any time and their are towns,npcs, and side quests unlike XIII.
Click to expand...

Can't say if it was indeed the towns, the npc or the side quests that made a difference for me, but I cared much more about Spira than I ever cared for... uh.. I don't even remember what their world is called.
 
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