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[ULTROS!]

The battle system definitely had flaws however most of which could be easily fixed without a complete overhaul.

Probably the only "flaw" is that the battle system is restricted to one character (and if that character dies, game over). If they allowed the changing of characters (like the previous FF games), then it would be fantastic.

 

[Pooya]

Nicely spotted. However, this could very well be because that's the opening sequence of the game and the Stagger mechanic hasn't been (re)introduced yet.

yeah, 12 , 19 must be early.

There's a three sectioned bar at the top though....maybe thats for overdrive moves though. I beat FFXIII about this time last year and hadn't touched since so there's alot I don't remember.

you mean the ATB bar?

 

[scy]

She and Snow had a baby, she became a mom, and somehow magically became tough.

Moms are tough.

 

[Neki]

The FF13 battle system was one of the redeeming factors of the game, glad to see it back.

Probably the only "flaw" is that the battle system is restricted to one character (and if that character dies, game over). If they allowed the changing of characters (like the previous FF games), then it would be fantastic.

I don't get how hard it would be to let you switch characters.

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

Wait this game will be pretty much more of the same? Blegh!

 

[brotkasten]

Hell no, that was the only redeeming quality with FFXIII

Pressing X and L1 all the time was pretty entertaining, yes.

 

[Orayn]

I don't get how hard it would be to let you switch characters.

If they did that, took out auto-battle, and slowed it down a little bit, the battle system would be spectacular.

 

[arnoldocastillo2003]

It looks awesome!

 

[RustyNails]

Hey guys, you know what I'm doing? I'm skipping FF13-2. Maybe when it hits the bargain bin, I will get it. No way I'm getting the same thing again, UNLESS THERE ARE TOWNS AND AIRSHIPS! GAH! AND THE ENTIRE GAME IS NOT ONE GIANT DUNGEON! GAH!

 

[LiK]

Pressing X and L1 all the time was pretty entertaining, yes.

Hence ONLY redeeming quality.

 

[ultron87]

Don't reset my paradigms when I switch out a party member. It can't be that hard.

 

[dragonballjoseph]

Day 1 and whatnot. ^_^
Really enjoyed the first one, so this is a must for me.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Pressing X and L1 all the time was pretty entertaining, yes.

Try that on Barthandelus and tell me how that goes.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Hey guys, you know what I'm doing? I'm skipping FF13-2. Maybe when it hits the bargain bin, I will get it. No way I'm getting the same thing again, UNLESS THERE ARE TOWNS AND AIRSHIPS! GAH! AND THE ENTIRE GAME IS NOT ONE GIANT DUNGEON! GAH!

feel better now?

 

[truly101]

Don't reset my paradigms when I switch out a party member. It can't be that hard.

They need to save them once you have them set for any of the characters. Thus when character X leaves and character Y comes in, they'll already have the paradigms you set the first go around for that group of characters...so at worst, you should only need to do this once....if they are smart.....which is up for debate

 

[jjasper]

Probably the only "flaw" is that the battle system is restricted to one character (and if that character dies, game over). If they allowed the changing of characters (like the previous FF games), then it would be fantastic.

yeah that would be one of them.

I would love a gambit system to have more complete control over the party but I know that isn't going to happen so hopefully they improve the AI so I don't randomly have someone do something stupid.

 

[Granger Danger]

Try that on Barthandelus and tell me how that goes.

If you have to spend 40+ hours of just pressing X and L1 occasionally just to get to a challenging fight where you actually have to do a little thinking, something is seriously wrong. I enjoyed the last quarter or so of the game because it actually gave you a little challenge, but the utter borefest before that makes me never want to replay the game again just to get to that point. The prettiness did not make up for the utter boredom of those first 40 hours.

I still can't believe they added an easy mode for the Japanese director's cut, too. That was the very last thing that game needed, the only mode it had was basically just Very Easy already.

 

[brotkasten]

Try that on Barthandelus and tell me how that goes.

Who? Do you mean the pope? I can't remember having much trouble with him. The only boss that made me rage, was that huge plant monster you fought with Light and Hope.

 

[protonion]

I will buy it at February 31st.

 

[Calcaneus]

Pressing X all the time is not unique to XIII. FF is usually pretty easy outside of a few key fights.

 

[Granger Danger]

Pressing X all the time is not unique to XIII. FF is usually pretty easy outside of a few key fights.

I-VI are like Demon's Souls compared to XIII.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Square-Enix is really stepping out of their comfort zone here, huh.

 

[Sydle]

They're keeping paradigm shifts...

Any shred of interest I had just vanished.

 

[badcrumble]

Square-Enix is really stepping out of their comfort zone here, huh.

Now I'm depressed, thanks.

 

[Acquiescence]

I enjoyed FFXIII to an extent; I even got the platinum for it. But does anyone out there really, truly, genuinely want a sequel for it?

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

No Hamauzu in the staff list?

FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....

Graphics look nice as usual. Now just give me more gameplay variety, 1-2 towns, branching paths/open environments and tweak the battle system ever so slightly to keep it fresh.

 

[brotkasten]

Pressing X all the time is not unique to XIII. FF is usually pretty easy outside of a few key fights.

FF XIII takes away that little strategy you had to use in the old titles, where you had to select the attacks by yourself. In FF XIII it's just "analyze the enemy and auto-battle will do the rest".

 

[sixghost]

Still forcing the player into 2 person parties through plot contrivances?

Still forcing the player into 2 person parties through plot contrivances.

 

[MurkyZebra2417]

FF XIII takes away that little strategy you had to use in the old titles, where you had to select the attacks by yourself. In FF XIII it's just "analyze the enemy and auto-battle will do the rest".

Some of the later Hunts and bosses were some serious action, i don't know what people are talking about when they say the whole game is pressing X or is "auto battle"...

 

[cj_iwakura]

If you have to spend 40+ hours of just pressing X and L1 occasionally just to get to a challenging fight where you actually have to do a little thinking, something is seriously wrong. I enjoyed the last quarter or so of the game because it actually gave you a little challenge, but the utter borefest before that makes me never want to replay the game again just to get to that point. The prettiness did not make up for the utter boredom of those first 40 hours.

I still can't believe they added an easy mode for the Japanese director's cut, too. That was the very last thing that game needed, the only mode it had was basically just Very Easy already.

I wasn't bored. I enjoyed the environments, picking things up as I went, and not having to wander around lost in dungeons. FF13 felt streamlined, and it was better for it.


And I enjoy dungeon crawling games too, but for FF13, I think the linear approach worked.

 

[RaijinFY]

No Hamauzu in the staff list?

FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....

Graphics look nice as usual. Now just give me more gameplay variety, 1-2 towns, branching paths/open environments and tweak the battle system ever so slightly to keep it fresh.

Ay, so they put away the only good thing of the first game?
Genuis S-E, absolute geniuses...

 

[brotkasten]

Some of the later Hunts and bosses were some serious action, i don't know what people are talking about when they say the whole game is pressing X or is "auto battle"...

Later? You mean after the first 25 hours of zzzZZZZzzzZ? Yeah, I remember that.

 

[JustAnotherOtaku]

God I can't wait for this. Loved XIII so more of the same is fine by me.

 

[StuBurns]

The dude looks terrible, like some Tri-Ace reject.

 

[durrrrrrrrrr]

Auto-battle haters are people that needed it to finish the game, callin' y'all out.

Platinum'd FFXIII and could not be more hype for Paradigm system returning.

 

[mjemirzian]

Don't worry, they'll probably get rid of the ranking system and doom timer so you won't have your feelings hurt for playing poorly.

Auto-battle does take quite a lot of the challenge out of the game, though.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Noel is so cool, but I hope Hope returns. Serah should have been playable in the first.

 

[Macstorm]

I do not see Hamauzu on this 'all-star' production.

THERE IS NO HAMAUZU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ((

Don't worry, they'll probably just use the same OST.

 

[dramatis]

Vanille is the deepest character this franchise has ever had, her character arc probably just flew way over your head or you never got beyond her faux ditzy phase in the storyline.

I really do hope you're kidding, because Hope is easily a better character than Vanille if we go by "deepest character this franchise has ever had", which doesn't say much. Vanille's character arc? What arc? I count that one decision she made at the very end as some sort of momentary character development, I suppose. Is that an arc? She's not a compelling or deep character at all, considering that despite her simple motivations she couldn't even put her head on straight and face reality.

I will find it hilarious if they go on and on in the advertising with Lightning again, but in the end it will probably be just like FF13 where she's about as important as an NPC. At this point she might as well be Hrist from Valkyrie Profile.

 

[Jarmel]

Serah? Fuck, fuck, fuck.

New Vanille confirmed.

 

[miksar]

Is it like X-2 to X, meaning people who hated the first one can enjoy the second one a little bit?

 

[Hellsing321]

A dude in a final fantasy direct sequel? Do not want!

 

[Rad-]

Job system better be in.

 

[MurkyZebra2417]

Later? You mean after the first 25 hours of zzzZZZZzzzZ? Yeah, I remember that.

The game had serious pacing issues, no denying that, but I really enjoyed the later fights and for me it is still a good game and a very good combat system because of this. They just need better pacing/difficulty curve for XIII-2 and the game will be awesome.

 

[VariantX]

Geez, you guys had a totally different experience than i did playing XIII, i was constantly changing paradigms trying to finish battles as quickly as possible. Anyway the game better have some actual exploration, side quests that involve more than just hunting shit down endlessly. Actual dungeons! Not those so called dungeons that are barely more than a straight line with one or two turns in them. And please, NEW GAME+ for chrissakes. XIII spent too much time with the melodramatic long winded cutscenes and keeping us from doing things at our own pace. It was like I played the CoD of rpgs.

 

[Hug-Dealer]

I'll admit, the auto-battle option made me cringe.

I'm just hoping for a leveling system that doesn't limit you based on story progression

 

[Vanille]

Looks like there is no chain/stagger bar to fill anymore.

But there's also no health bar, which leads me to believe the UI is incomplete in this particular screenshot.

 

[MichaelEM3]

I actually really enjoyed the battle system in FFXIII so I'm alright with this.

Playable Serah is cool, too.

 

[truly101]

I switched paradigms all the time, even in normal battles. I never found combat boring in XIII. Other things, yes

 

[brotkasten]

The game had serious pacing issues, no denying that, but I really enjoyed the later fights and for me it is still a good game and a very good combat system because of this. They just need better pacing/difficulty curve for XIII-2 and the game will be awesome.

Yeah, the later hunts were a challenge, I agree, but the problem is that I got so sick of the damn game and battle system, I had no incentive to play it after finishing the story. I mean, all you do is running in a corridor, fight, fight, fight, watch a cutscene and then fight even more. It was too much for me.