Playing FFXIII on psnow for the fist time. I'm about 20hrs in now and i'm having a great time with it. It's also my first FF, but i think the combat is very fun, and the story is pretty cool anime craziness. I'm also not a huge JRPG fan, this is actually one of a small handful to really hook me.
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Let's be honest guys, FFXIII is a solid 7.5/10 (RTTP)
- Thread starter vicissitudes
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I got plenty of criticism. The voice acting. The writing. The weapon system. The linear gameplay. All were shit in FFX and all were shit in FFXIII.
Voice acting ranges from poor to great, I feel if someone thinks FFX has terrible voice acting than they would have to apply that complaint to the majority of JRPGs, because it isn't bad. Same with the writing. I have no idea what a "shit weapon system" is. Linear gameplay, alright, FFX was pretty linear, but the brisk pacing makes up for that.
You said that FFX isn't like the golden age era Final Fantasy's, but FFVII, FFVIII, and FF IX all have huge issues. They aren't perfect jewels that radiate excellence at all times. So FFVII has better combat and boss battles than FFX? Right.
BassForever
Member
Its good but incredibly flawed, think I gave it a 7/10 maybe a 6/10.
You've never played the older games? Did you play FFX when it came out?
Because that is extremely important when comparing games - that you play them in their own release timeframe, not 5 or 10 or more years down the line. No game is timeless.
Not bad compared to other JRPGs. That's pretty laughable considering the budget FF has vs your typical JRPG. For example Persona 4 is way, way better in that department than both FFX and FFXIII.
Your point about combat and boss battles is debatable. I honestly liked FFX battle system regarding switching characters in and out of batte. To me that is the game's one redeeming feature. Along with Blitzball which was great (imo). Sphere grid vs Materia is another story.
I would also argue that the music is a clear step down in FFX (and XIII) vs the older FF games.
Ohmygoditsjrod
Banned
I enjoyed my time in FF13 quite a bit. I give it an 8/10. I dont think many people who rate this under a 5 have played actually broken poor games. I remember playing some games back on the PS1 that were straight up broken. Those were 3/10 or 1 /10 games.
Graphics and music are debatable, but you won't convince me with the gameplay.
That GIF is incredible.
On topic, the game is okay. I do think its hate is grealy exxagerated. I hated some of the end marks in the game (like vercingetorix). I like to feel my maxed out characters are incredibly strong and it didn't feel like that. Also, farming trapezohedron or whatever it was called was annoying as hell. Mostly not a bad game. I preferred 13-2 more but I'm not so sure that 13 should have had a triology at all
6.5 game. It can be entertaining due to the level of production, but once you get past that you realize that the game is at best mediocre and a lot of times worse than that. I played 20 hours and it was nothing but running forward, cut scene pops up, continue running forward, cut scene pops up, and this pattern repeated for the first 20 hours. And it felt like a chore because the plot is just a mixed together mess that tries too hard to be cool and mysterious.
Game play has potential, but is mediocre because the execution is just off. Not a pile of shit like the plot and can some times be entertaining.
Game play has potential, but is mediocre because the execution is just off. Not a pile of shit like the plot and can some times be entertaining.
I guess you could give it a 7.5, the issue is that the plot is stupid and impossible to follow, the characters are unlikable, the dialogue is embarrassing and not only does the game not present you with choices, it doesn't ever bother with the illusion of choice. Combat may not play itself, as you say OP, but everything else does: exploration, character customization... you can't even level up until the game decides you're at the right spot in The Corridor to gain levels again.
But some people dig the combat, and it's certainly a pretty game. I can see someone giving this game a score in the (low) 7s, but it sure as hell wouldn't be me.
But some people dig the combat, and it's certainly a pretty game. I can see someone giving this game a score in the (low) 7s, but it sure as hell wouldn't be me.
Yeah, a 7.5 sounds about right. There's no way to criticize the game on its music and graphics. They're both superb. The battle system is also good, although it gets stale near the end. The real problems are with the writing and characterization, both dreadful. It's a shame because the actual world building is quite good.
Randomizer
Member
Yeah, it's a 6/10 or 7/10 for me. The graphics, art and music are fantastic. The battle system is great and surprising tactical especially in the end game. But Jesus Christ the story, characters,game design and pacing are absolute shite. The unlikeability of the entire cast is a feat within itself, six characters each worse than the last. Any game that takes 20 hours to get good is not really worth the time investment needed to get to that point. Long, empty, linear corridors is literally the shitiest game design imaginable. And the less said about the story the better.
Honestly the end game is obviously the high point. If the main game was just as good it would have improved the game dramatically. The game mirrors FFX in that regard. The item upgrade system is interesting but drops are too infrequent making it a real grind to get Ultimate weapons. Honestly had to give up after putting more hours into grinding than I did for the main game lol.
Would love to play the end game again on the PC release but don't think I could stomach that main game again.
Honestly the end game is obviously the high point. If the main game was just as good it would have improved the game dramatically. The game mirrors FFX in that regard. The item upgrade system is interesting but drops are too infrequent making it a real grind to get Ultimate weapons. Honestly had to give up after putting more hours into grinding than I did for the main game lol.
Would love to play the end game again on the PC release but don't think I could stomach that main game again.
killatopak
Gold Member
Finally. Someone said the truth. The game was not as bad as some people said it was. It was a solid but flawed game.
mgs2master2
Banned
I came to post a serious reply but I lost it right here. Just lol man.
Game is a 8.5/10 for me though.
I enjoyed it plus the two sequels. I know I'm part of the minority
People should drop this. Shakespeare and other classics are something video game enthusiasts would be bored to tears experiencing. If games had "Shakespearean storylines" they'd be out of business.
Also, concerning the story, if you don't want to understand it, that's not the game's problem. Simple as that.
Nonsense like this keeps repeating. I've yet to see any concrete arguments to support such comments. All I'm getting is " If I don't like it, it's terrible and badly written, idiotic and confusing because yellow umbrellas".
4/10 in my books. Gameplay and Story were absolute trash, the game felt like a chore to get through, and I've only recently went and rewatched some cutscenes to make gifs outta them for the Steam release, and gosh, the writing and characterization is just as bad as I remember it. Somehow it manages to be even worse than those early 2000 JRPGs where the localization feels like it's been done with Google Translate.
However, Music and Graphics are superb. Especially the Music is fantastic; I have to say that Blinded By Light is one of my favorite battle themes accross all Final Fantasies even with its' long intro.
Just wish the battles were actually fun to play otherwise, though. Most bosses in FF13 were jokes with exception of the very last ones.
Overall I'd call it more an interactive movie than a game, and some people dig that. For me though, no, nothing for me, so I'm glad FF15 is going a far different direction, especially with the battle system.
HellofaMouse
Member
7.5 seems about right.
BUT, im not gonna play 7.5 game for over 45 hours
BUT, im not gonna play 7.5 game for over 45 hours
Dr. Buni
Member
Lol what. Every FF I played had terrible story, so by your definition, most games in the series aren't even good.
Oh joy. Look, it's the Final Fantasy Series. Asides from the Zelda fandom, you will never encounter such a divided fanbase. Everyone has the one game they think is the best and the one they think "ruined" the franchise with their presence. That being said, I enjoyed the XIII triology. I enjoyed the gameplay. Yes, auto-attack was an option but the game became so much slower if you did not try to understand the system. The story isn't as bad as people make it out to be and the characters, while annoying at times, do have their moments. Graphics are phenomenal and I think too many people put Uematsu on a too high of a pedestal. The music might not be the best in the series but the 1/10 seems overly dramatic. It got a solid 6/10 (good, but not great) from me.
I completely agree
paradise_circus
Member
I would say that the ffxiii hate is too harsh, especially after replaying the other 3d titles.
You are the first person I've seen say that, the story and characterization are usually things I see brought up as strong factors in the FF series.
For me XIII was a good but flawed game. If I had to give a score, I'd say that for me it'd be a 8/8.5. The game was really good to look at, with great music and a really fun battle system. I also really liked the way they decided to tell the story, which I thought felt like a good match and a good compromise with the fugitives style of game they made, though I can completely understand the criticism from people that consider it lazy or simply dislike it.
I like linear games, but FFXIII did go too far with it in the level design and also the pacing in the way the gameplay and battle systems open up was too slow. It also doesn't help that the villains were badly used, most of the cast felt boring or annoying (I only really liked Lightning and Fang) and the end to the whole thing didn't feel as fulfilling as I expected it.
When I saw the end I was disappointed, in a "what? that's it?" kind of way.
Basically the game was really enjoyable for me and way more fun to play and experience than I had with entries in the series like VIII, but not as cool as something like IX or VII.
I like linear games, but FFXIII did go too far with it in the level design and also the pacing in the way the gameplay and battle systems open up was too slow. It also doesn't help that the villains were badly used, most of the cast felt boring or annoying (I only really liked Lightning and Fang) and the end to the whole thing didn't feel as fulfilling as I expected it.
When I saw the end I was disappointed, in a "what? that's it?" kind of way.
Basically the game was really enjoyable for me and way more fun to play and experience than I had with entries in the series like VIII, but not as cool as something like IX or VII.
Honestly, it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the grueling first 20 - 30 hours. Which is saying a lot. I played up through Chapter 11 on the Xbox 360 after it released, but then later when I tried replaying on PS3 I just couldn't get past chapter 7.
The linearity is brutal. 10 was the same way I guess, but there's no Auron and Wakka here to maintain my interest.
The linearity is brutal. 10 was the same way I guess, but there's no Auron and Wakka here to maintain my interest.
toddhunter
Member
The problem with a "solid 7.5" is that it is a heck of a long "solid 7.5".
Do you really want to spend that much of your life playing a 7.5? I wish I didn't.
Do you really want to spend that much of your life playing a 7.5? I wish I didn't.
UnblessedSoul
Member
You have to remember inflated scores due to big ip on next gen consoles at the time, it was a terrible game
Rats Off To Ya
Banned
6/10 for the first 20 hours.
9/10 for the last 20.
Overall I'd give it an 8. I think the combat is brilliant and it's kept me going back to the game again and again for years, despite it's glaring and very real flaws.
On top of that, the soundtrack is fantastic. And Fang is a top-tier Final Fantasy character in my books. But I'm quite biased toward the Dragoons of the series, as my avatar can attest to.
9/10 for the last 20.
Overall I'd give it an 8. I think the combat is brilliant and it's kept me going back to the game again and again for years, despite it's glaring and very real flaws.
On top of that, the soundtrack is fantastic. And Fang is a top-tier Final Fantasy character in my books. But I'm quite biased toward the Dragoons of the series, as my avatar can attest to.
bigbaldwolf86
Banned
Graphics: Nailed it. I like the style of the game and was really impressed the first time I played it. 10/10
Music: It's ok but nothing is memorable or stands out for me. 6/10
Story: A complete mess. I didn't understand what was goung on half the time other than people turning into crystals or monsters. Putting so much information in a codex is bad story telling and not what I'm used to from Square. 3/10
Characters: Sazh and Fang stand out but everyone else is forgettable. Snow is an annoying meat head, Hope just cries for half the game, Vanille is just plain annoying and as for Lightning. Well she's a moody emo. 4/10
Gameplay: Only controlling one character wouldn't be so bad if I could switch characters mid fight or even not have a game over just because I was downed. I hated how restricted I felt in battle even with the paradigm system. It was all flashy sure and it looked great but it really was just auto auto auto. 4/10
World: One giant 20 hour corridor with a field at then end. People make comparisons to FFX but that game masked this so much better and it actually had towns! FFXIII was constantly pushing me down a hallway. I was annoyed it took so long for me to be able to pick my own party as well. You visit some towns but only to run through a linear path killing enemies before moving on. It didn't feel like there was really a world there for you. 3/10
So no I don't think it's a 7.5/10. This game was a graphical showpiece for it's time and nothing more.
Edit: As a side note. A hallmark of FF games for me is that even after 10-15 years I will still want to go back and play them again. I have no desire whatsoever to go back to FFXIII.
Music: It's ok but nothing is memorable or stands out for me. 6/10
Story: A complete mess. I didn't understand what was goung on half the time other than people turning into crystals or monsters. Putting so much information in a codex is bad story telling and not what I'm used to from Square. 3/10
Characters: Sazh and Fang stand out but everyone else is forgettable. Snow is an annoying meat head, Hope just cries for half the game, Vanille is just plain annoying and as for Lightning. Well she's a moody emo. 4/10
Gameplay: Only controlling one character wouldn't be so bad if I could switch characters mid fight or even not have a game over just because I was downed. I hated how restricted I felt in battle even with the paradigm system. It was all flashy sure and it looked great but it really was just auto auto auto. 4/10
World: One giant 20 hour corridor with a field at then end. People make comparisons to FFX but that game masked this so much better and it actually had towns! FFXIII was constantly pushing me down a hallway. I was annoyed it took so long for me to be able to pick my own party as well. You visit some towns but only to run through a linear path killing enemies before moving on. It didn't feel like there was really a world there for you. 3/10
So no I don't think it's a 7.5/10. This game was a graphical showpiece for it's time and nothing more.
Edit: As a side note. A hallmark of FF games for me is that even after 10-15 years I will still want to go back and play them again. I have no desire whatsoever to go back to FFXIII.
flatearthpandas
Member
Not a big Shakespeare guy? Adaptations usually do pretty well with modern audiences when they don't realize they're watching Shakespeare. One of the most infamous South Park episodes takes notes straight out of Tidus Andronicus. Moreover, Shakespeare was written to appeal to an extremely broad audience, with lowbrow jokes and plot easy enough to follow for even the lowest common denominator. Meaning Shakespeare would already be more appealing to your average gamer because no data log necessary.
And I'm likewise failing to see any concrete arguments as to how the story is any good in your post. Just exaggeration and frustration at people who don't like it.
7.5? Not in my opinion. The characters in 13 are so bad on their own (fuck you Hope, Vanille, Snow, Lightning, Fang and to a slightly lesser degree Sazh) to put this game in the sub-5 range.
The game did teach me a valuable lesson about not pre-ordering/buying games day 1 though, so there's always that...
The game did teach me a valuable lesson about not pre-ordering/buying games day 1 though, so there's always that...
FFXIII did at least prevent overleveling or overpowering your party before the time for that came.
All of the previous FF's can be broken due to that.
FFVII - Materia system is broken as fuck. Early Beta, Limit breaks etc can kill any difficulty the game has.
FFVIII - Junction system is broken. You can get very good playing cards for Triple Triad (Zell, Seifer, Diabolos, Qusitis and Ifrit) right near the start of the game making you unbeatable at cards which you can then use to get Lion Heart early, uber spells early. Broken game.
FFIX - Not a hard game, The only challenge comes from trying to steal rare items while bosses are kicking your ass. If you just fight the game is easy and just to be extra sure the infinite money trick with Cotton Robes can be done early in disk 1 giving you power items and abilities early and then the Chocographs are there to take the piss on the difficulty some more.
FFX - Game so fucking easy. Main game is a joke with rinse and repeat of slightly more powerful enemies fought the same way for majority of the game. Don't need strategy for the most part in the main game. Just use the right character against certain enemies for guaranteed win, which the game shows you to do anyway and for the lols the summons are way too strong.
FFXII - LOL, My favorite FF game but you can rip the difficulty out of this game right at the start. No need to even go into this, just totally broken. The game is so broken that you can set up your gambits making you not even need to touch the controller during boss fights...
Some of the boss fights in FFXIII handed me my ass it was refreshing since not since FFV did I have as many game overs as I did with FFXIII. FFV was miles harder but FFXIII was a step in the right direction difficulty wise, imo. Sadly other areas of the game were sorely lacking.
All of the previous FF's can be broken due to that.
FFVII - Materia system is broken as fuck. Early Beta, Limit breaks etc can kill any difficulty the game has.
FFVIII - Junction system is broken. You can get very good playing cards for Triple Triad (Zell, Seifer, Diabolos, Qusitis and Ifrit) right near the start of the game making you unbeatable at cards which you can then use to get Lion Heart early, uber spells early. Broken game.
FFIX - Not a hard game, The only challenge comes from trying to steal rare items while bosses are kicking your ass. If you just fight the game is easy and just to be extra sure the infinite money trick with Cotton Robes can be done early in disk 1 giving you power items and abilities early and then the Chocographs are there to take the piss on the difficulty some more.
FFX - Game so fucking easy. Main game is a joke with rinse and repeat of slightly more powerful enemies fought the same way for majority of the game. Don't need strategy for the most part in the main game. Just use the right character against certain enemies for guaranteed win, which the game shows you to do anyway and for the lols the summons are way too strong.
FFXII - LOL, My favorite FF game but you can rip the difficulty out of this game right at the start. No need to even go into this, just totally broken. The game is so broken that you can set up your gambits making you not even need to touch the controller during boss fights...
Some of the boss fights in FFXIII handed me my ass it was refreshing since not since FFV did I have as many game overs as I did with FFXIII. FFV was miles harder but FFXIII was a step in the right direction difficulty wise, imo. Sadly other areas of the game were sorely lacking.
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
FFXIII: 7/10
Lots of good things about it but the pacing and its general overlength really hurt it. Go back and play it from the point at which the party is together on Gran Pulse forwards and you may be suprised by how much better it is than you remember. I know I was.
FFXIII-2: 8/10
The strongest entry of the 3 by a comfortable margin, despite its relative lack of polish and substantially reduced difficulty. Likeable characters, a good antagonist, and an ending that would make Yoko Taro proud. Feels more like a traditional FF title than any other title in the trilogy, even if structurally most closely resembles Toriyama's equally divisive FFX-2.
Lightning Returns: 7/10
LR is a hard title to fairly evaluate as it really shouldn't be part of the XIII trilogy at all; its story/character connections to the other games really add nothing, and the overarching plot is simply superfluous. That said, the minute to minute gameplay is far and away the strongest of the 3, the time management aspect is interesting if not entirely successful, and when the area-based subplots work on their own-terms (the chocobo quest strand in the wildlands stands out) its a very engaging title to play. Although some criticism of the visual presentation is warranted -although again, at its best its still a good looking game- special recognition should be given to the sound design in LR, as its simply magnificent and its ever shifting soundscapes are amongst the best I've ever encountered.
Lots of good things about it but the pacing and its general overlength really hurt it. Go back and play it from the point at which the party is together on Gran Pulse forwards and you may be suprised by how much better it is than you remember. I know I was.
FFXIII-2: 8/10
The strongest entry of the 3 by a comfortable margin, despite its relative lack of polish and substantially reduced difficulty. Likeable characters, a good antagonist, and an ending that would make Yoko Taro proud. Feels more like a traditional FF title than any other title in the trilogy, even if structurally most closely resembles Toriyama's equally divisive FFX-2.
Lightning Returns: 7/10
LR is a hard title to fairly evaluate as it really shouldn't be part of the XIII trilogy at all; its story/character connections to the other games really add nothing, and the overarching plot is simply superfluous. That said, the minute to minute gameplay is far and away the strongest of the 3, the time management aspect is interesting if not entirely successful, and when the area-based subplots work on their own-terms (the chocobo quest strand in the wildlands stands out) its a very engaging title to play. Although some criticism of the visual presentation is warranted -although again, at its best its still a good looking game- special recognition should be given to the sound design in LR, as its simply magnificent and its ever shifting soundscapes are amongst the best I've ever encountered.
Nose Master
Member
The first one is fine, I enjoyed it. The second one is fun from a gameplay point, but the plot sort of shits the bed (even more.) The third is irrefutable dog shit.
HolyBaikal
Banned
I don't understand rating, really. It's hard to say how much I like a game in numbers and things.
But I do think that Final Fantasy XIII is my least favourite RPG I've played for the PlayStation 3.
But I do think that Final Fantasy XIII is my least favourite RPG I've played for the PlayStation 3.
TriangleMasher
Member
I wonder how many people on GAF actually did the Cieth missions or tried turtle hunting. That and the Bartho boss fights, are when the gameplay of FFXIII really shine.
Granted, a lot of people dropped the game long before that probably.
Granted, a lot of people dropped the game long before that probably.
SoulUnison
Banned
My only real problems with the game were interesting characters being criminally underused, (I'm looking at you two, Jihl and Cid,) and how the Crystarium artificially limits your ability to level up so that you're always at the level the game *wants* you to be at.
Also, the weapon upgrade system was just utter bullshit. Made absolutely no sense and seemed to be confusing on purpose just to give it the illusion of being in-depth.
I enjoyed the characters (Hope is realistically written for his age and situation and was actually the breakout party member of the game, for me,) and the story wasn't at all difficult to follow, even the first playthrough when I didn't even realize the Datalog was a thing.
I honestly think people that complain that the plot is impenetrable and that "l'Cie" and "fal'Cie" are too much for them to wrap their heads around are impatient people who shouldn't be playing an RPG in the first place, since they're obviously not willing to put in the minimum effort to understand the story and they seem to think that "complicated" is the same as "convoluted." SImilarly, nowadays "pretentious" seems to mean "it made me feel dumb and I'm insecure."
When someone complains that XIII was too hard to follow but then they tune into Game of Thrones every week and know all the Houses and allegiances by heart I just can't even.
Solid 7.5 out of 10, for me.
About the same for XIII-2.
6.5/10 for Lightning Returns.
Also, the weapon upgrade system was just utter bullshit. Made absolutely no sense and seemed to be confusing on purpose just to give it the illusion of being in-depth.
I enjoyed the characters (Hope is realistically written for his age and situation and was actually the breakout party member of the game, for me,) and the story wasn't at all difficult to follow, even the first playthrough when I didn't even realize the Datalog was a thing.
I honestly think people that complain that the plot is impenetrable and that "l'Cie" and "fal'Cie" are too much for them to wrap their heads around are impatient people who shouldn't be playing an RPG in the first place, since they're obviously not willing to put in the minimum effort to understand the story and they seem to think that "complicated" is the same as "convoluted." SImilarly, nowadays "pretentious" seems to mean "it made me feel dumb and I'm insecure."
When someone complains that XIII was too hard to follow but then they tune into Game of Thrones every week and know all the Houses and allegiances by heart I just can't even.
Solid 7.5 out of 10, for me.
About the same for XIII-2.
6.5/10 for Lightning Returns.
manipulate
Member
that doesn't really matter
I don't know how I'd rate it. I absolutely loved the plains of Gran Pulse. Realistically it's not well designed there either, there's not a wealth of meaningful content, it's just a big place with a bunch of kill quests end on end, but it was so expansive, and beautiful, and you'd finally got every aspect of the combat system unlocked. I got to that first save in the open area almost exactly at the 24 hour mark. I can't realistically call a game which I hated for the majority of its length anything close to a 7.5, even though I really loved about twenty hours of it. I would have to give it a six I guess. And I found XIII-2 to be a far worse game, contrary to the popular opinion.
R_thanatos
Member
FF13 is solid.
Honnestly , there are things that annoyed me but looking back i'd give it between 6.5 and 7.5
Honnestly i really think FF13-2 is worth much more like 8.5 to 9.0
LR-FF13 is a solid 5/10
Honnestly , there are things that annoyed me but looking back i'd give it between 6.5 and 7.5
Honnestly i really think FF13-2 is worth much more like 8.5 to 9.0
LR-FF13 is a solid 5/10
345triangle
Member
thread premise is hilarious about a game with an 83% metacritic. imagine the reaction at the time if everyone actually had given FFXIII 7.5 out of 10!
such a weird way of thinking about games.
such a weird way of thinking about games.