"If I am a vessel, I am an empty one."
So says Lightning, aka Claire Farron, aka the heroine of Final Fantasy XIII, and now, the heroine of Lightning Returns. And she's right. In her newest adventure, Lightning is not interesting in and of herself, but because of what she means to others, and what others mean to her. To Bhunivelze--that is, God--she is the means of readying humanity for the new world soon to be born. To old friend Fang, she is the key to retrieving an artifact that holds untold power. As for Lightning, the only force driving her is her love for her dead-but-not-really sister Serah, and the possibility that they may be reunited--but even that possibility doesn't stir Lightning's emotions. Indeed, Lightning is a vessel for holding and pouring plot devices, but little more.
To be fair, Lightning's stoicism is a story point in Lightning Returns, yet it's this same stoicism that makes it nigh impossible to connect with her; she has but one personal motivation, and is defined solely by that motivation. In fact, every character in Lightning Returns is defined by the most basic of traits, all of which serve the needs of the plot, rather than the plot flowing from the needs of the characters. How amazing, then, that these characters never stop talking, finding new ways to explain the simple events occurring around them with as many words as possible. For having so little to say, the characters of Lightning Returns sure do talk a lot. You could say the same things about many other Japanese role-playing games, as well as plenty of anime and manga, but I can't remember the last time I played a game with so much dialogue that went absolutely nowhere.
The stage for all of these histrionics is the world of Nova Chrysalia--or, more accurately, four fairly large regions of Nova Chrysalia that you traverse over and over again as you perform the tasks required of you. The world is soon to end, and Lightning is the key to God's plan for a new beginning. She is the savior, the one who will rescue as many souls as possible in order to guide them to the new world, and Serah is God's bargaining chip. In turn, returning character Hope Estheim acts as Lightning's guide in his ark, a base that exists outside of time's flow, and houses Yggdrasil, the famed tree of life that has become a JRPG mainstay.
Lightning Returns is not a game about Lightning, but about events that unfold with such melodrama and visual panache that you can't help but gawk at the beautiful spectacle before you. Some of these events have some semblance of sense, while others (such as the arc that explains the ever-annoying Chocolina's backstory) are absurd fluff, but the "whoa" moments come and go with some degree of reliability, making you wish that they were part of a sophisticated narrative in addition to being sensory delights. In my favorite of the game's many cutscenes, Lightning dons a gorgeous mauve gown and takes center stage in a theatrical production that make a Cirque du Soleil show look like a flea circus. The music swoons, fireworks and other vibrant flourishes fill the screen, and for a moment, the pageantry sweeps you away in an exuberant gust of sound and light.
Lightning is a vessel for holding and pouring plot devices, but little more.
If only there were a stronger character who could readily support the weight of a full game on her shoulders. Lightning's friends from Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2 have roles to play, but their stories are typically self-contained, culminating in final speeches that might represent 180-degree turns of the emotional positions they held just moments before. At least some of the actors deliver their lines with enough gusto to make you believe in their proclaimed passions. Final Fantasy XIII-2's misunderstood villain Caius Ballad has the most stage presence among them, thanks to actor Liam O'Brien's resonant baritone, though even Vanille finds redemption now that she no longer must bear the burden of an entire world (rather literally, at that). Elsewhere, Lightning Returns embraces the usual monosyllabic coos and shrill vocal deliveries that characterize Final Fantasy, though this isn't a matter of acting choices, but rather of inconsistent voice direction.
Sadly, the mediocre audio production is a major distraction. You explore and reexplore the game's four zones as Lightning, who usually travels alone, with Hope chattering in your ear via transponder so frequently, you wish he'd just shut up. He drones on so often, in fact, that he's constantly cut off mid-sentence whenever a battle suddenly occurs, when you trigger a cutscene by walking into a new area, or when you engage another character in order to complete quests. In the most extreme examples, Hope cuts off his own dialogue, though even when he isn't the one providing his own interruptions, lines are constantly shut down mid-sentence, sometimes to be repeated, and sometimes to be forgotten. The game drowns you with unnecessary audio, as if developer Square Enix were fearful that you'd forget what you were doing or why you were doing it.
You might think you could simply wait for dialogue to finish before venturing forward or engaging other characters, and in theory, you can. However, Lightning Returns is designed to make you hurry. You see, the world is going to end whether you like it or not, and the clock is always ticking. The game adheres to a strict timetable, automatically returning you to the ark at 6 a.m. every day. To see Lightning Returns to its finale, you need to add several more days to the calendar by saving the right souls--which in turn means completing story quests. Stopping to listen to entire lines of dialogue uses up precious minutes, so when faced with the decision to do nothing while you listen to Hope ramble or to move on and risk interrupting his exposition, you move on. The countdown is anti-story.
The music swoons, fireworks and other vibrant flourishes fill the screen, and for a moment, the pageantry sweeps you away in an exuberant gust of sound and light.
Not only does the time management mechanic collide with the overzealous audio, but it collides with almost every other aspect of the game. I suspect that like me, many people will discover just how frustrating the flow of time is when they reach the world's end before they have progressed far enough to have saved its populace. In this circumstance, the game abruptly concludes, and then invites you to start over again with all of your spells, weapons, and so forth intact--a New Game Plus. The moment came as a slap in the face after 33 hours of playing on medium difficulty, and the slaps continued as I played through a second time, during which I could so clearly see all of Lightning Returns' attempts to pad the gameplay and waste my time. You can mitigate the frustrations by playing on easy, but doing so bandages the wounds without addressing the disease.
How does Lightning Returns waste your time? It does it in how it handles exploration. As you complete certain side quests, others may open up, but you may not know where and when they do so, or even if they will. In that sense, the game invites you to return to regions again and again, seeking out new activities. But the clock is always working against you, and the time you spend exploring previously visited areas may not yield any fruit, making the entire journey a pointless one; even traveling to other regions by train uses up additional time. In that sense, the game punishes exploration by pushing you ever closer to imminent Armageddon. The countdown is anti-exploration.
How else does Lightning Returns waste your time? It does it by forcing you to lose an in-game hour whenever you escape from battle, but not effectively communicating if you have the right tools for major enemies beforehand. You might be well equipped for the creatures in the vicinity, only to discover that you are not powerful enough for the boss that concludes your quest, or the miniboss that stands between you and the next phase of your journey. The combat system itself encourages you to try different approaches, but the clock punishes you for doing so. The countdown is anti-experimentation.
That combat has plenty of bright spots, however, and were it not for some execution issues, it may have even found a place among Final Fantasy's better battle systems. The paradigm mechanics of the previous games have been reimagined, and Lightning is the only character you directly control. At the heart of battle--and indeed, at the heart of character progression and customization--are combat templates called schemata. Schemata, in turn, are attached to the outfits Lightning wears. She can wear up to three at any time and switch between them at will during battle. Not only do various outfits have their own attributes, but so do the weapons, attacks, and accessories you can equip to them. As you earn new spoils in battle, visit vendors, and complete quests, your options grow, and schemata customization becomes more and more compelling. I enjoyed fine-tuning each schema, giving them descriptive names and maximizing various qualities with ornate shields and impossibly large katanas.
On the battlefield, additional strategic elements come into better focus. For instance, each schema has its own maximum health, but when you take damage in one schema, that damage is reflected in other schemata by the percentage of health you lost, rather than in the actual amount of damage. As a result, it's best to have the schema with the most health points equipped when the enemy lands its blows. In addition, certain costumes have a particular attack hardcoded into them; in other cases, equipping a given item or casting a particular debuff may change the nature of certain attacks. The inherent freedom of schemata makes them deeply appealing.
The game punishes exploration by pushing you ever closer to imminent Armageddon.
Once combat begins, however, you must face Lightning Returns' vexing blocking mechanic. Each attack you unleash costs a certain number of ATB (active time battle) points, and the ATB meter replenishes more slowly than you use it up. As a result, you must switch between schemata frequently--a strategic consideration similar to the one paradigms introduced in the other XIII games. It's the newfound emphasis on staggering that leads to the greatest aggravation on the battlefield. Staggering an enemy typically (but not always) makes it temporarily impotent in battle, and allows you to deliver a lot of damage without opposition. You can stagger enemies by bombarding them with the spells and slashes they are particularly vulnerable to, but precisely blocking their attacks is even more effective. And if you want to avoid grave injuries, it's sometimes a requirement.
The most obvious problem with blocking is that Lightning Returns, like its predecessors, values visual pageantry over precision. That was fine in the previous XIII games, which required little exactness, but when the camera is swaying about, framing the fluid animations, brilliant explosions, and fearsome monsters, it's rarely giving you a consistent view of your surroundings. You can click a thumbstick to watch from a better vantage point, but even then, the game's insistence on forcing beauty on you comes at the expense of granting you a proper perspective. Avoiding damage can require split-second timing, but you can't block attacks you can't see. And remember: while you can escape battle, it costs you time, though Lightning Returns does give you some methods to ward off the pain of lost hours, such as the limited skill to slow time to a crawl for a short while and prove yourself a one-woman army.
Nevertheless, the foes you face while pursuing story quests prove a roadblock the first time through, forcing you to pursue other opportunities and hope that making various citizens' dreams come true will help extend the clock. You might suppose that grinding for levels would boost your battle effectiveness, but Lightning doesn't gain levels, and there is no experience to gather. Instead, completing quests, whether they be story quests, side quests, or tasks offered from Chocolina's minor mission board, rewards you with additional health, additional strength, or other perks, such as an increase in the number of recovery items you can possess. Pursuing Chocolina's tasks is much the same as level grinding, only instead of fighting to earn experience, you are fighting to reap objects that you can turn in for a small boost to your attributes.
Most missions are of the usual "fetch" or "kill" variety, and have you crisscrossing the desert, weaving through forests, and roaming city streets. Menial tasks like checking the time on a dozen clocks or growing greens to feed to your chocobo mount aren't absorbing on their own, but they do get you out into the world, where you can complete assignments in any order you choose. And while treading across the same sand dunes and winding paths grows tiring, there are countless details to admire. When I first encountered a trio of miniature moogles roving the woods, chirpily greeting each other and announcing it was their bedtime, I was utterly delighted. I shuddered when I looked closely at a beastly gorgonopsid's razor-sharp teeth, before vanquishing it with a shimmering bolt of frost. And Lightning herself dons meticulously tailored outfits, with every button polished to a shine, each pair of boots carefully constructed, and each fabric impeccably embroidered.
Those details carry over into garb like the amazon warrior outfit, which covers only the minimum amount of skin, and features a panty line so low that Lightning looks like an extra from a hypersexual Onechanbara game. These outfits speak to the game's tonal inconsistencies; Lightning's costumes have always been body-conscious, but they've never been overtly provocative, and the sudden spotlight on Lightning's ladybits run contrary to her aloofness and professed desire to avoid the limelight. If you'd rather giggle than ogle, you can always equip Lightning with an adornment, like a bushy goatee or a feline tail, and then change her clothing colors to a garish puce-and-pea-green combo. Lightning doesn't smile, so you can't laugh with her--but at least you can laugh at her.
Games have successfully used timers to evoke a sense of urgency in the past; The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask leaps immediately to mind. Yet Majora's Mask handled its time limits with care, whereas Lightning Returns layers them on top of mechanics that don't support them. This supposedly final chapter of Nova Chrysalia's story leaves me befuddled. It's a collection of ideas and concepts that don't come together in a coherent way, led by a character who has shown no identifiable growth since her first appearance four years ago. The promising schemata system and grandiose cutscenes are solid pillars from which a great RPG could have been constructed, but Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII falls well short of greatness.
Discussion
I've only enjoyed the FFXIII series in short spades. I admit that part of the reason is due to the fact I prefer old-fashioned RPGs, particularly those in the Final Fantasy franchise. However, the first instalment was fast, frenetic and enforced with a desperate sense of urgency; the sequel, in my opinion, was slow, stagey and painfully dull at its worst. It left me feeling rather disconnected and disinterested from checking out this game because, essentially, I ended up not caring enough whether Lightning saw her journey through or not. I don't know if I can stomach a story with endless scenes of characters uttering a whole lot of nothing to each other.
This is a very underrated game, the time limit can be annoying sometimes but theres a few ways around it at least. This game is very decent by it's battle system alone, the other ones had better story but the customization in this makes up for that, cause that's what was missing so much in the older 13s. And on top of all this game is hard, unlike the other 13s, so easy to kill anything.
To each his own. Do I think the XIII series was as good as it could've been? Not in the slightest. Are the characters somewhat offputting? Yeah for the most part. Do I agree with the score? Yes, Ive been looking at these reviews for the better part of 5 years and they haven't failed me once, even when I bought games regardless. Do I believeyou should criticize people are enjoying this game? Not at all, to those who enjoy it; lets hear what you like most about it. to those who don't; ....well we already know how yall feel haha. But as a group let us pray that regardless of whether you liked or disliked this series or this game in particular, that XV is a beacon of renewed faith in a series that has more games standing by its title than any other.
Must-play for hardcore fans~
The combat and systems seem a lot more entertaining than the original FF13, at least.
I really used to love the final fantasy series. 7, 8, 9, 10 are some of my favorite games. But what has happened to it? I bought Final Fantasy 13 and could not believe what they had done to it and its expansions are no better. Forgettable characters and story, no open world to explore, terrible side quests. I fully understand that Square are trying to do something different and reinvent the series but they have err greatly in this. And three add on about the same story - absolute snoozefest. Remake FF7 and make DLC for that story. That was a story that deserved more adventures with the characters. Lightning and her mates are like guest to a party that wont leave. Just plain annoying
I relised I wasn't a Final Fantasy fan as soon as I relised the only one I have ever like was FF8, and I have no idea why. Played all 4 disks about 4 times through, can't play another one for 2 hours.
I finally received Lightning Returns in the mail this weekend. After about 12 hours in I can confidently say it is an enjoyable experience for any final fantasy fan. Surprisingly enough the game is not combat focused, so you’ll spend more time running around and talking to npcs than participating in (awesome) fights.
I will say that combat is not as difficult as most reviewers will have you believe. Not once have I had to escape a fight, nor have I had any gameovers. And this is coming from someone who struggled through many of the fights in FFXIII. My only complaint with Lightning Returns thus far is the fact the 13 days time mechanic is both a boon and a bane. Hope Estheim effectively guides you throughout your journey helping you reach your goals before they deadline. It’s nice because in this way the game passively holds your hand, allowing you to do what you want when you want. On the other hand this mechanic isn’t much fun because on rare occasion you will miss a deadline and have to wait another day in order to complete an objective. While this isn’t game-breaking, it does lead to insurmountable amounts of frustration in which I advise you to save your game and walk away.
Overall this is a Final Fantasy unlike any other. If you have liked their games in the past, I would recommend it. It’s full of lore and does a decent job of filling in the gaps between the events of FFXIII and FFXIII-2. If you want to read more on Final Fantasy follow me on my website here!
It makes me sad that Final Fantasy has been reduced to complete garbage.
Its for games EXACTLY like this im glad I got a Gamefly account 3 years ago vowing to never buy a non-PC game.
STILL hasn't bit me in the ass: even the 3 months I kept Skyrim out didn't even add up to half of the cost of the game. Helps that Im virtually next door to one of their distribution factories, but still....
The game looks pretty niche though, like one of those truly hate it or love its kinds of games.
Might still get it and give it a go, immensely enjoyed the demo so that's good.
R.I.P. FF 1987 - 2014 (Not the MMORPG ones).
For all the gamers who are having fun with this game, I am their frustrated counterpart. I picked up the game this morning (it was released today in Europe), played a couple of hours and I'm just frustrated about almost everything in this game.
There's no connection with the characters (anymore). All the character progression everyone went through in the previous installments was just wiped away and replaced by some robots (who like to remind me every five minutes they don't feel anything). In FFXIII, Lightning was the first to go against her 'Gods', now she's just become God's puppet, 'no questions asked'.
I just finished the third day and I feel like I wasted lots of time because there were no clear clues/indicators. Hope gives you a deadline which doesn't appear to be a deadline at all, the NPCs are so over the place (e.g. they'll be on an intersection telling you your next clue is 'this way' but not actually pointing in any direction). Not to mention the NPCs who are indicated but that can't give you any clues 'right now'. So I'm just running around hoping to encounter something useful.
The only redeeming part for me is the battle system. It's fast paced and the schemata are very flexible.
I'll admit I'm pretty OCD about a lot of things, and games are no exception. I'm the one to explore every corner of the map, collecting all treasures, talking to everyone, ... The countdown just makes me feel stressed out. I don't get a kick out of fast paced action games, I don't like to play against any kind of competition (be it other players or a countdown timer). I'm sure there's an audience for this game and I think it can attract new players to the series, but I'm not feeling this. I agree with Kevin's score and remarks.
I said it before, but a 5 is quite a harsh score for this game. The reviewer is entitled to his opinion, but I disagree with some of the points he made. I'm just over 15 hours in and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
The clock mechanic really isn't a hindrance like he makes it out to be. It only runs during exploration, not battles, not menus. It's explicitly stated that you can't complete every quest in one playthrough, you have to pick and choose.
I get that what drew many to the Final Fantasy series is the story, and I'll agree that it's a bit inconsistent, but it's not awful like this review claims.
I never understood the "uninteresting character" argument. Who would be a better protagonist? Maybe I'm alone in this, but none of the characters in the Final Fantasy series are particularly interesting, they didn't even have voices before FFX.
I think a lot of people already made up their minds about the game before it even came out/played it for themselves, but if you're on the fence about whether you so buy it don't take this review as gospel and try the game out yourself.
What happened to the amazing story telling in FF games?
It's like they don't listen to fans at all...
I'm too pumped for FFXV to care about this game...and I'm glad the FF XIII "era" is finally over.
While I would lean a tad closer to 6, I find myself (again) agreeing entirely with Kevin. In spite of my tilt I can see why he thinks it's a 5 and totally respect that.
Still glad I didn't buy it.
ok I lost all respect for game spot and kevin. I never trusting another review on here ever again. and i`m going to say the game is aleast a 7 or an 8 not some crappy score like 5. i`ve been playing rpgs all my life and I know what i`m talking about.
@mrwellversed I agree with you honey that would be the case if we shared our opinions but ask those people who liked this game if they know this franchise or wanted to play a JRPG, naturally the answer is no they don't know anything but you constantly see them opening their mouths to state a ''fact'' about it they only started to play FF because something changed to fit their worthless interests and behind that change is the removal of the traditional JRPG elements the very essence of the genre, is that the right decision? of course not FF was supposed to be a franchise for the people who want to play a JRPG and that is what you expect of any title labeled as ''final Fantasy'' all this happened because of their greed and they followed the easier and worst way to fullfil their goals the veteran gamers can't accept this.
@cyclonebw FF8 is the best one, but I do enjoy a few others, as well. None after FF10, though.
@Coldpain It's a FF unlike any other honey? it's funny really let's throw away the abominable story time limit, the nonsensical story,the dull characters and the fan service that SE gave for the protagonist and then we can consider it a good game.
@koospetoors If you enjoyed the demo, I'd say definitely give the game a shot. While I respect the reviewer and he's entitled to his opinion, I disagree with many of his negative points with the game.
I've logged about 30 hours into the game, done about 3/4s of the optional quests, still have 4 days left on the clock and enjoyed every minute of it. I'm still on the first playthrough by the way.
@FinalDuo1886
1987-2014!?
Much more like 1987-2001.
Final Fantasy hasn't been good since 10.
@michyeosseo Honey you could clearly see how pathetic the game really is it's a shame that there's few people like you that knows a JRPG and can elaborate a fair critic about it, i'm impressed you mentioned even the details related with the NPCS i have that problem as well it annoys me to death it's nothing alike the previous games not even the previous abominations of this installment,aww honey youre not OCD you only want to play a JRPG like me you want to see every element to enjoy one to its fullest and that clock is the sworn enemy of all the fun,that is unaceptable.
@michyeosseo Concerning your first point, you haven't got far enough in to the game yet.
About your second point, in my opinion most of the quests are pretty straightforward. The main quests and Canvas quests tell you exactly what you need to do. The only ones that require exploration are the Side quests. Personally, I don't mind that they don't hold your hand. A lot of the negative comments I remember about FFXIII was that is what too linear. I think this is Square's attempt to allow freedom in gameplay. Remember, you don't have to complete every Side and Canvas quest to progress the game.
I can understand your comments about being OCD. It was explicitly stated very early in the game that you can't complete every single side/canvas quest (this is what multiple playthroughs are for btw), you have to pick and choose. So, for a gamer like you, picking up a side quest and not being able to do it is a fair argument.
You gave specific reasons why you don't like it, I can appreciate that.
@jbhnc11 I agree that Kevin described the countdown mechanic to appear much more of a nuisance than it actually is. I must wonder if he knew at all about the EP ability "Chronostasis", which stops the countdown clock for a few minutes.
If you can take initiative, you can spend the 1 EP to use the ability, get into a couple of battles (where the countdown stops anyway) and get the EP back before the countdown starts again. I played the game for a good 10 hours yesterday, and my countdown timer is still "6 Days Left". Considering you start with 6 days and can add more, I've still got plenty of time left. I am still yet to feel the sense of urgency, but then again, I am still in the early segments of the game.
@jbhnc11 Honey the reviewer was fair in every sentence and if you really played the game and paid attention you can clearly see that's how the game really is it's not opinions, you enjoy it? good for you i don't know how someone can enjoy this abomination [i don't care btw] but the game is not really a JRPG and SE dared to implement mechanics to throw the gameplay against you, it's incredible how you could possibly like that time mechanic novice gamers are really a funny species that was enough to destroy the gameplay and the game, you even failed to realize the importance of the traditional elements that existed in FF oh god...i hope that you can save this generation,the story is only incosistent? it was a nonsense since the very begining with FFXIII and no matter how you look at it nothing could possibly give a hint about its sequel [FFXIII-2], they invented that time travel plot only to make the game more interesting but in the end they failed and XIII-2 became another nonsense the same can be said about LR and i will refrain from talking about this one it's too ridiculous and it make me doubt about the sanity of the people behind the project of the game, you never understood why the characters are uninteresting? can you be more delusional honey? Lightning or Claire for example don't even have a personality she is like a robot and the ones who have a personality are too whiny to like or care about,that is your mindset about the characters?their emotions are enough to transmit their feelings and the dialogue boxes gives a boost for that looks like you don't know this franchise after all, the hate was predicted even before the release or do i have to tell you that the last two games failed miserably? for your information the vast majority of gamers who loved FF like me never wanted this abomination to have sequels or even exist.
@jbhnc11 Totally agree! I am having a great time with this game as well. The demo sold me on this game. Was not expecting it to be so fun.
@warriors30
FF XV is FF XIII Versus. Same universe and identical combat as in Lightning Returns.
In other words, FF XIII isn't going anywhere...
@Jah_Glow Honey personally i would give this game a zero like i did with the previous FFXIII games Kevin is too kind SE is milking FF and that's enough for me,as a JRPG gamer i'm infuriated with all this nonsense i don't know how a JRPG gamer could possibly like a game with a nonsensical and twisted story,a gameplay with mechanics and elements that contradicts all the concept of fun that existed in this franchise or any other JRPG and to make things worse i frequently see people here praising FFXIII and its sequels, this new generation of gamers is the worse if SE never cared to give them their ''fan'' service and all they would never have any interest to play any FF game it's easy to assume that when you know the fact that they don't care or like the common elements of a JRPG,they just want to go after something that satisfy their worthless interests that is the portrayal of the gamers of this new gen.
@resident_jisen Honey you don't know Kevin he is a veteran gamer and he knows what he is talking about, in this review he clearly mentioned all the flaws, fan services and more nonsense that existed in LR there's few reviewers like him around that could develop such a fair and honest review like nasvig said you disrespect him because his opinion differ from yours and that's ridiculous isn't it?no you dont' know what youre talking about honey...
You've lost ALL RESPECT for a man because his opinion differs from yours?
@linthes999 Totally agree. I haven't even messed with the ability that much because it's not really necessary, but using it really makes the clock issue non-existent.
I'm glad there are others who enjoy the game.
@linthes999 It doesn't matter honey that time limit should have never existed to begin with it only served to spoil the gameplay.
@cory_vet_gamer @jbhnc11I'm a novice gamer because I enjoy the game? Ok.
Regardless, just like the reviewer, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I do own the game and I do enjoy it.
I never said I love or hate the time mechanic, I'm indifferent about it. It hasn't really hindered my gameplay. Yourself, the reviewer, and many others appear to hate it, I was stating my opinion.
In your opinion, who would make a better protagonist? I don't find any of the characters in the Final Fantasy series particularly interesting.
I don't think you speak for the majority of gamers, their have been others in these comments that are enjoying this game as well. I'm sorry it isn't enjoyable for you, but it seems this is the direction Square Enix is taking the series.
@joke_man Yes honey that was the impact that FFXIII and it's sequels caused...FF is the new victim of this new ''order'' of the gaming world i doubt SE will bring back the tradition that existed in the previous games.
@joke_man @warriors30 The combat systems are nothing alike.
@joke_man @warriors30 From what I've seen in gameplay videos / trailers...I think you're wrong.
I don't know where FF XV takes place (could be the FF XIII universe) but the story and characters seem VERY different. Noctis > Lightning IMO and the combat in FF XV seems to be much more action paced, almost DMC-ish.
@cory_vet_gamer As a non-JRPG fan and someone who weighs games both on their individuals merit and and as part of their respective franchises, I can safely say that I had some fun in the game but like Kevin, the negatives far outweighed the positives, hence the low score ("Mediocre"). I can agree (after a few more days thought) that this title is mediocre at best. Zero? No. Numbers lower than 5 are reserved for games that are so badly broken that they cannot be played properly.
@linthes999 Honey you want to see things that actually don't exist is stop please...if i look at XIII and XIII-2 i could clearly see the nonsense that ''ties'' the two games SE is very good to develop such things these days and what they did with LR is not different,when i mentioned the grind i also had in mind the maximization you don't considered that you know how much time you will waste in that process? if you want to do everything in the game you WILL have to do that and are you really talking about reviews honey? i admit that famitsu did some great reviews but lately they are sucking that rate is ridiculous it's obvious considering how pathetic the game is i told you the game is hated in japan there's no review that can change this, honey now youre making me laugh i'm too proud to admit that LR is a good game? i'm still laughing yes it would be good if we stoped this will lead nowhere youre unable to forget your opinion and anything that confirm your bias to talk about the declines that this franchise suffered i don't even know why i expected you to do that in the first place youre only a novice gamer that don't know this franchise.
@cory_vet_gamer @linthes999 I stated nothing about graphics. As a matter of fact, I find them lackluster, watered down and outdated. Spell effects are overbearing and taxing on the hardware, showing notable dips in framerate. And facial animations are practically non-existent. The game as a whole is a flawed gem, is what I was getting at. That doesn't specifically mean it looks pretty. Perhaps you should think before blatantly spurting out your nonsensical arguments.
The lore behind 'stopping' the clock: Lightning has the power to do so. Being a servant of Etro and now Bhunivelze has its benefits, albeit temporary and costly.
The item grind isn't noticeable as you're fighting enemies regardless if you're after the items or not. More often than not, you have the items on you when you accept a quest, allowing you to finish it right there and then.
Reviews from Japan vary, as they vary in the rest of the world. Famitsu gave the game 37/40. Not really what I would call "hated".
And now, I'm done talking to you, as it seems that you want to lead the hate bandwagon without actually playing the game. Even if you did play it, you would be too proud to admit it's enjoyable. A shame really. The game, by itself is decent and fun, and you can see the Final Fantasy charm during the story, especially when meeting up with the original characters. It's not the best Final Fantasy, by any means. But it's not as bad as people are making it out to be.
@linthes999 Grind for items honey...what else it could possibly be in this game? oh i can see the ''lore'' and how much sense exists in that clock and the way you can temporarily ''stop'' the destruction of the world everything makes sense! if i wanted to boycott the game what would be the problem? it's not what i or any other fan of a traditional JRPG wanted to begin it if you think im harsh towards it you have to see what the japanese thinks about it, you know this game is hated in japan don't you? and the game deserved to be hated it is mediocre for a JRPG SE is not listening the fans and they are still continuing this nonsense with FFXV do we need more reasons? your last setence indirectly showed me the portrayal of the gamers of this new generation honey it's all about graphics...as long the graphics are great the rest doesn't matter even empty and nonsensical games like FFXIII and it's sequels are great in your little world.
@cory_vet_gamer @linthes999 4 Main quests complete, still on 3rd day. The clock isn't a nuisance. It's basically a guide for Day/Night quests and events. I am comfortable with the clock, as it's also apart of the lore. The end of the world is coming, and this clock is a helpful reminder that time will run out. Does it make me rush or fret about running out of time? No. The time is manageable in every sense of the word, I am never racing against it.
What grinding are you talking about, if I may ask? You don't level up in the traditional manner in FFXIII-3, so grinding is non-existent. The only case of grinding that I have found, is in the side-quest (optional) on hunting every monster to extinction.
It's obvious that you're hellbent on boycotting this game, and far be it from me to deny you your opinion. It just seems to me that you're being way too harsh. The game is flawed, yes, but in the same way a valuable gem is flawed. It's not perfect, but that doesn't stop it from drawing you in with its beauty.
@linthes999 Honey you still don't understand... i will ask you something are you really comfortable with that clock? you don't wanted to enjoy the game without having to care about it? what about the grinding you started to grind in the game yet? if you have 12 hours then i guess not... it takes a lot of time i wonder if that clock will let you do what is necessary to achieve your goals no matter how much time you have left in that clock it will not last forever if you want to do everything in the game then i assure you honey that clock will start to annoy you at some point.
@cory_vet_gamer @linthes999 It hasn't spoiled the gameplay from what I've seen. I spent a good 12 hours in the Wildlands and with clever use of Chronostasis, the timer only went from 8:00am to 9:00am. I completed all possible side-quests, and the entire mainquest. Now I can teleport to another area, which doesn't cost any time, and do the same for there. When I've completed those areas, it's just a matter of waiting until 7:00pm so that the evening events begin. I'm still on my 3rd day with 6 days remaining, and am thoroughly enjoying the game.
@Fresh_C What is so great about this new team honey? the majority of the skilled programmers left,the talent that existed in the past is gone and looks like nothing will bring it back we have to be realistic here they are unable to keep the basics features behind the gameplay that always follow the same pattern not to mention the story which is more complicated to develop,to make things worse not even Uematsu is around to develop his wonderful lyrics FF is doomed.
@joke_man @FolkIore
You're right in that they are the same universe, but you have to take into account the team that's making the game. When Tetsuya Nomura has been the main director of a game, he has yet to let me down. ( minus a few portable Kingdom Hearts games that were obviously souless cash-ins...and even those weren't terrible. Just not great.)
@FolkIore
I love how I explain things, provide an article, etc., and you just say something as a matter of act...SMH
@warriors30 @joke_man
Here's an article:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/19/why-final-fantasy-versus-xiii-became-final-fantasy-xv
FF XV is FF XIII Versus. It's based around the same Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology and universe, etc., that all of the XIII series has been. Different characters and timeline, but same universe, etc. (as I said).
And, as I said, the combat is like Lightning Returns--not XIII and XIII-2. Large differences being you get 3 characters, but you can only control one. Some have compared it to Kingdom Hearts...
@Jah_Glow Honey the game in question don't deserve a zero but remember SE is still not listening to its fans,they are still neglecting the potential that this franchise always had did you know the record time that they ''developed'' LR? god and some things they carried from the previous games like the monsters they don't care about FF at all and that infuriates me and other gamers who wants to see a FF game true to its origins again.