Ben-DutkaFor Final Fantasy XIII-2 , the reaction was lukewarm at best. And now we've got this "to be continued" ending along with a few somewhat confusing Paradox Endings and a whole lot of questions that need answers.
At this rate, it almost seems inevitable that Square Enix will announce yet another sequel. They appear to have adopted the "annualization" trend of Activision and other Western publishers by trying to release a new Final Fantasy title every year. Of course, there's always the possibility that Final Fantasy Versus XIII might someday emerge from the shadows, but we probably shouldn't hold our collective breaths.
So what about FFXIII-3? What if they do produce a third entry? Well, before you get all cantankerous and negative, let's try to look at this from an optimistic point of view: First of all, there's no denying that Square Enix significantly improved upon the gameplay (specifically, the combat) in FFXIII-2. Faster Paradigm Shifts and the ability to change the Leader (and if that Leader dies, it isn't automatically Game Over) are definite upgrades, although the more streamlined Crystarium is questionable. Also, they tried to address the "too linear" complaint common when talking about FFXIII.
Some say they went too far, that they sacrificed a cohesive story for almost complete freedom. And to some extent, that's true. But think about it- If you combine FFXIII and FFXIII-2, pick out the very best elements of both, and combine them…don't you have the RPG long-time fans have wanted all generation? I mean, considering the flaws are also dealt with and the story is a little better overall. There's no guarantee that Square Enix will know exactly what to keep, what to change, and what sort of new ideas to implement, so perhaps this is all just a pipe dream. But it's possible , so maybe we should cling to that.
What do you think?
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII-2
Ben, slight numbered typo here….
<<<<First of all, there's no denying that Square Enix significantly improved upon the gameplay (specifically, the combat) in FFXIII-3.>>>
It should read FFXIII-2, not 3, right?
Yeah, I fixed it.
So they will delay Final Fantasy Versus further for this?! FFX probably second in line. I always wonder how many employees SE has that allows them to do so.
One problem that FFVersus may suffer is that it may take a decade to complete. By the time it releases, the graphics will not be as impressive anymore. It may even be out of date.
If they do that, I swear I'll book a flight to Japan and burn down Square Enix HQ.
SE can do XIII-3 after
Versus XIII
FFX
Secret game?
Another KH
Dissidia
FF XV
Based on the earliest footage and anouncements, Versus sure have been out after FF 13 and before FF Type-O.
Ahhh man. Not only do I agree with you but…Type-0! Formerly Agito, it's so ominous and all. xD It looks like kids having to deal with some mature problems.
I'm not one to pass up a story of that magnitude.
I like your optimism Ben, but it's hard to share. I have a feeling that it would be even more superfluous than XIII-2 is. Instead of making a better story they will probably have an even worse one that attempts to tie the two previous ones together. And that cockamamie battle system needs to be redone from the ground up.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 3/22/2012 10:45:49 PM
It really doesn't. The battle system works fine now; it's just a matter of preference.
As for the rest, I don't know. I can only hope.
The only change I wish for the battle system is to have complete control of your party if you so wished. A way this could work would be enabling the player to freely switch between characters using R1 and L1. It would automatically be set to auto battle (as it currently is) for members you currently aren't controlling, but if you so need to get that specific spell out of another member you could immediately swap characters by hitting the R1 or L1 buttons. This way it retains what makes it unique, but at the same time when you're in a pinch you can get out that specific ability/spell you want out of your other characters.
It would also add a lot more to do during battle, which currently can be a bit lacking. It would separate those who can micromanage and those who can't. It would just make it more fulfilling and fun to play, especially when you succeed with it. I hope they implement this.
I do know that in XIII-2 you can switch leaders, but you have to scroll to it and it's not very accessible on the fly, especially with how fast paced the battles are. We need immediate swapping for it to be implemented succesfully.
Edit: This would also be useful when your libra hasn't kicked in yet, but you know what the weakness of the enemy is by using your actual eyes. Ice monster? Well duh, use fire! Oh wait the libra isn't activated so they won't automatically do it, I guess I should swap and load the ATB with fire spells then switch back to my main.
Last edited by ZenChichiri on 3/22/2012 11:20:17 PM
I agree with World. You're optimism is kinda refreshing, Ben. You remind me of a friend if mine who's from Ohio and a hardcore Browns fan: every season he raves about the progress the team's made in the offseason and how good their draft was only to suffer the habitual disappointment by November. All I can say is that your love of FF, like his love of the Browns, is true and so much stronger than mine. Lol.
In XIII I at least felt like I was, currently, at this time in the battle, the leader. The way XIII-2 works it just removes you from the battle even more. The action in front of you just becomes a bunch of rapid visual noise as you navigate the next menu for the next command. I just feel like a backseat driver at all times in that battle system.
I never really get that feeling, but I feel that if you could swap to other players at will it would defenitely remove that back seat feeling in battle you have. The auto battle is meant to still be used of course because the battles are quite fast paced, but having the option to switch and use some particular abilities would make it feel a lot less automated (even though the option would still be there for those less skilled I suppose, but to become better at the game you would have to learn to switch between characters to optimize).
Yes, as you noted, you can switch the Leader. It really isn't that difficult.
And World, I don't think I understand that. XIII-2 has everything XIII had in terms of depth and about twice as much, really. All you could do in XIII is select your commands with the Leader, and that was it. Being able to switch between the characters and also having faster (almost instant) Paradigm Shifts put us more in control.
Furthermore, being able to assign specific roles to each Paradigm for a character (for instance, Wide to attack everything on the screen, Cross to focus on a single enemy) adds even more depth. That's not even to mention the incredibly intricate process of capturing, training, and infusing monsters.
That's all a ton of extra direct control and depth that FFXIII did not offer.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 3/23/2012 12:19:18 AM
I mentioned that you can indeed switch leaders but the battles are pretty fast paced and I don't feel like scrolling to it and then switching every time I want a specific ability put out. Make it instantaneous with a tap of the R1 or L1 buttons and I'll be happy.
My opinions come from the immediate feeling I got that (aside from the true improvements like changing the leader and not dying when the leader dies) that the "depth" added to the system feels completely grafted-on. It just gives the illusion of more depth when it's really just another ball in the air.
Cockamammie xDD what a polite way to curse out a flawed bastard, steroid-pumped of a battle system.
I really don't think you played it long enough, World. The additions are more depth, and more role-playing depth, too. Not really any other way to see it.
I'm 20 hours in and it's back on the shelf for now, it's so repetitive because you do the same thing to kill every enemy. I'm going to finish it but it's going to take some force. I want to enjoy it, it's just so hard.
No thanks the characters of XIII are awful and the verse is meh.
Last edited by Oxvial on 3/22/2012 10:48:30 PM
No no no.Such ideas like ffXIII-3 is what is killing the gaming industry and if wasnt for sony exclusives, we would be playing 3 hour games. I hate what square and activision are doing to the gaming industry and should not be encouraged at all.
I believe Kitase or Toriyama (I apologize, read it a while ago) was interviewed and said the "to be continued" was put there to make room for DLC and alternate endings. This could just be SE trying to throw everyone off though.
I don't really care if they do it or not but if it releases before Versus 13 (which is highly likely) I'd be sincerely pissed.
Last edited by Jutter on 3/23/2012 12:05:51 AM
We all keep thinking about how Square bought FFXIII-3.com
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 3/23/2012 12:07:43 AM
You have a point World..
I don't have FF XII-2 yet, and it's the first time a haven't bought a FF game in day 1 since FFVIII. I'll probably wait till it's around 30 bucks new or less in used mint condition, that seems fair to me. I'm just disappointed, I refuse to give them my full purchase, just not anymore until proven they came back to earth and do same thing they did back in the glorified days.
I said all this just because I really don't have high expectations in the next FF, I'm tired of having.
If, if and if SE hired a million monkeys to code on a million computers then besides the works of Shakespere then maybe,maybe?? we get a worthy Final Fantasy game.
Hmmm sadly the number of SE monkeys is far,far below whats needed.
i think thats about as likley as me waking up tomorrow and finding the worlds upside down, im the king of the world and all humans have turned into lions!
versus has a much better chance of being the FF fans want, but by the time that comes out fans will be pushing up century old daises!
Meh, even if it was the FF we really want, FF, to me, is never meant to be a trilogy. If it extends to a second part, especially after that (FFXIII-3), the characters will start to get very stale. Extending a FF franchise to a second installment (e.g. FFX-2, FFXIII-2) is already pushing it. Extending a third time is over the line.
For every FF installment, I always look forward to new characters, environments, and stories. So yeah, even if FFXIII-3 turns out good, I don't like the direction of the franchise at all, if it is where they're going. That includes any DLC extensions!
just finished ff13 last week. was pretty disappointed with it, really. VERY melodramatic. maybe im just getting too old, but my god, it was embarrassing at some points to be playing.
protip #1 for fixing the series: adopt an uncharted style of voice recording. mic an entire room, and let your voice actors walk around it and place themselves in space relative to where their characters will be on screen. act out the actions that are happening when you say your lines – if vanille is being dragged away by sanctum troops and screams "help," well… have some guys drag her across the room while you record that dialogue. it sounds disconnected to have it perfectly recorded in a soundbooth. also – please kill the jpop tracks as background music for every scene. please.
This story arc has made me so sour there's practically no way of me getting into ffxiii-3.
That wisually enhanced ff10 is the only thing I can safely look foward to from this country.
Last edited by Teddie9 on 3/23/2012 7:23:28 AM
Absolutely not.
It carries with it far too many problems that go way beyond just linearity or Battle Systems.
It's a sub-par RPG, ok game, bad FF.
I don't get this obsession with Enix and the need for them to "do something amazing" again after they fail ridiculously every time, whilst others have already replaced them AND have games that will rival any of their products.
"This is the RPG PS3 players have been looking for. If you miss the Final Fantasy of 1992-2001, it fills all those voids and arguably, even more"
"The script is so brilliantly written, the game systems are everything JRPG fans have been wanting, and there is some real challenge here. Are you one of the million net nerds complaining about that certain special flavor that Final Fantasy has lost? Then this game is the pill for your ill, and if you pass it up, you waive your right to complain about the RPG genre."
Two fresh comments from respected sites about a certain upcoming RPG (and the fact you know that game from these comments is telling) that does it all, the latter comment being extremely relevant here…..but hey, maybe FFXlll-3 will be that game…..
Optimism is cool, i love it….but when something fails your expectations 99% of the time, yet others compensate and yet the former receives countless pointless write ups….you just gotta be wondering what the hell is happening.
Maybe we just all love to complain.
You may not realize this, but your factual claims are, you know…opinion.
All the old fans want to be optimistic about Final Fantasy, objectively it is one of the greatest game series of all time. Personally, it is THE greatest of all time for many of us. And we all think if someone at Square Enix just wakes up and looks at their own past in Squaresoft they can make great games again.
Was I the only one that liked the FF XIII-2 ending? The thing is… well I think SE did a good job with this game… not only the gameplay was better, the linearity was gone, there were a ton of minigames, but Noel, Serah and especially Caius were great characters… Sure you get to the ending and say WTF! But to me It's only a bad ending if the story ends there (kinda like the ME3 ending adding that theory that's going around)… I'm really looking for a FF XIII-3 and I'm hoping that It improves as much as FF XIII-2 improved on the first one.
Maybe I liked the ending because of how much I liked Caius… Most relatable FF Villain in a long time…
no. We didn't want XIII-2, we don't want XIII-3.
well the majority at least.
Perhaps XIII-2 is better than XIII. But they went down the path of DLC inflation so I will have to wait for a later version of the game.
lol… uh…. 3rd time's a charm?
Final Fantasy XIII wasn't even the Final Fantasy I wanted! I seriously doubt a third installment would help.
Still, I do hope Square-Enix announces Final Fantasy XIII-3. They've already become a laughingstock in the world. Just dig that hole deeper, Square. Watch the little credibility the series has left vanish.
Sakaguchi must look back at this series and cringe.
Just think. What would FF13 be like today if Sakaguchi was still the head?
An anual rrelease would imply a FF game every year. It was two full years between FF13 and 13-2. Just sayin. Please, we need more FF coverage here. Can't get enough. :/ I wonder if there is some type of clinic that treats FF compulsive disorder? For the types of people that like to live in 1998. My God, it's was a great series at one time but I dare say the majority of the gaming community has moved on. Except for some old timers. Square is nowhere near the company they used to be, Thinking that the current leadership Square would give us a spectacular FF game like the did with FF10 is dreaming and wild speculation at best with their current leadership.
Yeah, that's what it is. Only "old-timers." That's why "Final Fantasy" remains one of the most searched-for terms in all of gaming.
And although you're a genius who always lectures everyone else – and is amazingly always wrong – there has been a Final Fantasy on some platform basically every year all generation. That includes PC and PSP, you know, not to mention a game we haven't seen yet in the US (Type-0). There has been Dissidia, FFXIV, Duodecim 012, Crisis Core, and if they plan to release Versus XIII in between, that's just more annualization, basically.
And by the way, nothing annoys "old-timers" more than know-it-all kids telling them how they should feel about a favorite franchise.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 3/23/2012 10:19:05 AM
Ben, I'm convinced, you could write no mention of FF in 3 years, but the second you do, someone will say, "UGH! Another FF article!!!!"
Anyways, Mass Effect 3 and FFXIII-2 are the only big name titles really in the last 2 months. There's bound to be lots of both.
There's been far more ME3 news lately than FF news. By quite a longshot. But Excelsior would never complain about that. It isn't stuck in his head like a disease.
Another indicator of a know it all "kid"? His throwback to the past goes alllllll the way back to FFX… lol. As if for him, that's the retro age.
Cute lil' young'uns.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 3/23/2012 11:04:10 AM
"Ben, I'm convinced, you could write no mention of FF in 3 years, but the second you do, someone will say, "UGH! Another FF article!!!!"
Of course, that's 100% true. People only believe what they want to believe.
I am always for MORE Final Fantasy.
XIII-3 would be perfectly welcome in my book. However, Versus and Type-0 would be a bit MORE welcome.
-Arvis
My thoughts exactly…
All I want is a damn HD rerelease of
Final Fantasy X, X-2, XII and Dirge of Cerberus in their international editions.
I want to get rid of all my cursed PS2 titles.
My 60 GB ps3 won't last much longer. If my ps2 collection is converted to ps3 then i can upgrade my ps3!
this guy might be editor in chief, but he knows less about rpgs than he does square and 13-2
I find his articles are better when I actually read them. And people respect opinions better when you can support them.
might help ya there, champ. It's also not good to make multiple accounts.
Go back to N4G and stay there.
I'd list the 50+ RPGs I've played and the obvious fact I've been playing games longer than you've been alive, but I really won't bother. Just leave.
Ooohhhh you're so right! I mean how can the editor of a 10 years+ old videogames site and RPG aficionado know more than you, anonymous poster with the username "stealth"?
/sarcasm
Seriously, If you don't like the site, go away and don't come back, trust me, you won't be missed…
f*** ff13….. i want my kingdom hearts 3 for cryin out loud! >.>