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Square-Enix Explains Necessity Of Linearity In FFXIII

Last week, Square-Enix tried to explain that some of the lower review scores for Final Fantasy XIII came because of two reasons: firstly, the Western viewpoints are different than Japanese and secondly, the reviewers didn't like the game's linearity.

We're still not on board with the former but as for the latter, it's definitely a possibility. Critics these days really don't like linearity for almost any reason, even when it's absolutely essential for the telling of a cohesive, well-written story. And Square-Enix boss Motomu Toriyama elaborates on this with an official statement over at the European FFXIII site ; it's right there in front of you when you click through. Oh, and to alleviate any concerns that the "entire" game is linear, he adds that the second half of the game places you in the open-world atmosphere of Pulse. But here's the most important aspect of the linear explanation:

"In order to allow the player to become absorbed in the drama of the storytelling and the new and exciting world of Cocoon and be drawn to the characters without getting distracted or lost we have deliberately used a linear game design for the introduction sections so they can be enjoyed in the same manner as watching a film. We are aiming for a vibe while playing that is similar to the experience of an FPS style game, where the player rapidly progresses through a series of dramatic events and experiences one after the other on an imposing and atmospheric battlefield.

This kind of design is also very beneficial for the player in allowing them to gradually and systematically learn the brand new battle system that this installment brings to the series. It is set up such that the player will experience and try out each character’s possible roles in battle and naturally internalise the intensely tactical nature of the paradigm shift system."

We have never questioned the need for linearity in story-based games. It's simply a necessity. Therefore, nobody should be condemning FFXIII because it isn't like Oblivion or Fallout 3 , two games that – in my opinion – nobody plays for the storyline. That bit about Western critics just not "getting" the appeal of the game isn't flying with me, though; Western reviewers have loved just about every major FF title in existence. So if they have problems with FFXIII, we shouldn't just gloss that over. However, to say "it's too linear" simply means you A. have no clue what is required to produce a great plot, and B. have no interest in stories in games…well, that doesn't fly, either.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII

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piratedrunk
piratedrunk
14 years ago

This is exactly what I had in mind when I first heard it was linear. I personally get bored with many open world games because the story doesn't drive me.

psxmax
psxmax
14 years ago

Guess I won't need a strategy guide now.

psxmax
psxmax
14 years ago

I will still buy FFXIII, but after I finish play GoW III. Oops I spoke too soon it looks like that will be an article in about a week (Ben's Poll).

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

When they say linear with no towns, is it more similar to Crisis Core? If that's the case, I'm not too happy with it.

karneli lll
karneli lll
14 years ago

Why cant they just grow some nuts and say the dvd brought a lot of cuts, Capcom did it (and without shame said it'll come later as DLC)!

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

I really respected Kojima when he made a public apology for delaying his game. If we gamers feel the same passion from Capcom or even Square Enix, I'm sure we'll respect and forgive them.

cLoudou
cLoudou
14 years ago

Nah, it's a necessity for SE to keep its mouth shut to continue recieving MS checks.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

@ karneli III – No… friggin'… kidding.

darxed
darxed
14 years ago

Well that's just what I've been saying all along… Games are not checklists where you deduct quality if an item is not present… "Ok, great characters?, check, good story? check, non-linear, what? this is a POS!" Games are an experience and can only be judged by that, not by arbitrary standards set by who knows… Day one for me! I'll be waiting for your review to get some vindication and deliver some "I told you so" to some people around here…

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

Completely agree with you. It's just disappointing because they created so much hype in the beginning as our ideal FF game. For the last couple years, we've been hearing news that strip us away from that ideal game. Think about what we heard in the beginning and now

FFXIII:
multiplatform
no towns
linearity
control 1 character in battle

It's not like GT5, where every delay, they bring up some bigger and better news

GT5:
custom tracks
1000+ cars
weather effect
day/night driving
damage to cars

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

This is just a bunch of BS from Square Enix to shut the nongaming press up. It would be an insult to us gamers' intelligence to believe their words.

The whole point of FF is to have a linear storyline, but not linear gameplay. I love the way in old FF games where you stay leave the town to find stronger spells, weapons, and leveling up, THEN return to the town after you are ready to face the next cutscene/mission/boss.

Of course I haven't seen much of the game myself yet, I cannot judge them based on what others say. For now, I don't like it.

SvenMD
SvenMD
14 years ago

You know I almost feel sorry for Square-Enix right now. Usually before a launch, most developers are holding press conferences to hype their game…it seems like everytime SE speaks it's to defend FF XIII or they have to EXPLAIN something.

I will still withold as much judgment as I can until this game is in my PS3…then I will see who's right and who's wrong.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Their two big mistakes with this game were first making lots of public noise about it being a PS3 exclusive and then backtracking on that commitment. Their second big mistake was ever admitting in a public manner that content had been removed. These two mis-steps have created more than enough evidence for internet chatter. There have been other things that could have been done better as well, but these are the two 'biggies' in my mind.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

I'm just wondering what else they screw up the game on where they were actually SMART enough to keep their mouths shut about, that we didn't know about.

Oxvial
Oxvial
14 years ago

lol FPS style that sounds bad.

ff was always good in the story department they don't need to try another style.

XxNoir
XxNoir
14 years ago

Actually i think its worst then that:

They're releasing kingdom hearts yearly to keep the fans happy? =( I no Happy.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

Im over it. I just want to play the game.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

word.

www
www
14 years ago

word again!

cLoudou
cLoudou
14 years ago

The bird is the word.

SnipeySnake
SnipeySnake
14 years ago

Wor…..I'm getting this game.

mexgeo86
mexgeo86
14 years ago

I don't think it's a good thing if they have to come out and defend more or less their game even before it's been launched.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

SE's word is turd

bridgera
bridgera
14 years ago

Storyline wise, there's been linearity in almost every FF game. Some allowed you to go other places and do sidequests, others actually had branching plots where as long as you ocmplete all the events, the order of completion didn't matter.

I guess now I'm not sure how this game is more or less linear than some of the other games.

Cavan
Cavan
14 years ago

i remember some critics knocking uncharted 2 for it being linea, crazy eh??

cLoudou
cLoudou
14 years ago

Only Uncharted 2 isn't an RPG.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

I wish SE would tell us what makes FFXIII an RPG.

Milonakis
Milonakis
14 years ago

I think that FF XIII was doomed since they announced it would be multi plat. I don't care if it's semi linear. I enjoy a good linear plot on occasion. I just am not down with the sacrifice of quality to be on the 360 as well.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Well, from the reports I am reading it seems that the only sacrifice in visual quality for FFXIII is on the 360. The PS3 version runs in real honest to goodness high definition, while the 360 version runs in a wonderful sub-HD (576p) mode which is perfect for PAL regions and is a resolution at which the 'free' AA hardware in the 360 is available without additional overheads. It seems as though the 360 version is a quick port which renders to a lower target resolution and uses AA and hardware scaling to trick the eye. Oops. So the sacrifice of quality that is demonstrable, is the sacrifice of visual quality for 360 owners. Looks like the PS3 version is the one to have – for once.

WolfCrimson
WolfCrimson
14 years ago

They did it to us with Bayonetta, we do it to them with FFXIII. An eye for an eye 😛


Last edited by WolfCrimson on 2/22/2010 11:49:14 AM

Milonakis
Milonakis
14 years ago

That's good to here, I thought we were gonna get boned over because Square wanted a quick buck in the pocket.

godsman
godsman
14 years ago

My question for TheHilander:

Are those screenshots of the xbox version the cgi cutscenes? Or are they in-game graphics? They look even worse than Xbox to PS3 ports. The screenshots show the character's hairs look like they've been scrubbing the toilet bowl with them.

How can the gamers and reviewers that claimed they saw the game side-by-side say they look identical? I know Xbox will look bad, but not THIS bad. There's something fishy about those screenshots.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

The dude that did the screenshot comparison was using HD captures of actual gameplay on both Xbox and PS3. He's someone that does a lot of this kind of thing for one of the better hardcore graphics forums on the 'Net. According to what he said, the side by side image checking was done using a late Beta of the PS3 version against a gold (production) copy on the 360.

Jawknee
Jawknee
14 years ago

sooo…a non retail build of the pS3 version was better then he retail Xbox version?

HAHAHA

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
14 years ago

Here Squeeeeenix, I'll let you hold my hand…

It's ok, I never needed you to hold my hand through FFVII, VIII, IX, X(maybe a little), X-2, or XII

But NOW, now after many many years, you feel like we're DUMB gamers

We need to be held by the hand and watch the story FORCEFULLY just because you say so.

It's ok, we're dumber now than we were in 1997! Aye aye!

Squeeeeenix knows we've caught them with their hands in the mud…

Seriously, for any other rpg it would have been OK, maybe an 8/10. For FF, this is unacceptable.

And he says for "half of the game." Yeah right! It's almost at the end of the game that you get to explore one big field…….. -_-

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

Well, I am reading what they are saying about this story requirement as 50% rationalization and 50% reality.

WolfCrimson
WolfCrimson
14 years ago

Well, I don't think SE themselves understand what the legit complaints are. What I've understood from different complaints is that "Too linear [gameplay]", in this case, means the game is basically a series of kill-tubes for the first 20 hours. Ok, first 5 hours, I understand. First 7 hours, yeah, sure, why not. First 10 hours, that's stretching a bit too far… but we'll overlook it. But first 20 hours?! Just… fail.

JackieBoy
JackieBoy
14 years ago

Hmm not sure about this "Fallout 3 and Oblivion not playing for the storyline" thing Ben…
I like freeroaming too but F3 had good story that kept me exited untill the very end (did't play Oblivion).

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

Oblivion's is good too. Probably better actually…

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

Sorry Jack, I loved Fallout 3 but the main story was pretty thin.

www
www
14 years ago

Yep Jack, like World said, Fallout 3's story was ridiculous. Find your Dad, help Dad activate something, and it's all over, I was like wth?! Still a great game though.

LimitedVertigo
LimitedVertigo
14 years ago

Ben my brain can't take anymore FFXIII information, it's going to explode.

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
14 years ago

I am at the mercy of headlines.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

I'm at the mercy of this site, I'm on here way too much, someone kick my ass.

Dancemachine55
Dancemachine55
14 years ago

WHACK!!

Oh, dammit!!! Sorry World, that was your crotch. You alright, man?

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

Ouch! I'll be okay in a about half an hour, oooooh the pain.

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

You know how I feel. It's all Microsoft's fault. This is the only way they could fit the game onto a 360 disc, well, 3 discs. I'll still buy it March 9 but my opinion doesn't change. My expectations for this game are not high. I think Yakuza 3 might be the best game of the two I buy that day.

Kr3sn1k
Kr3sn1k
14 years ago

i agree its microsofts fault the game wont be as good as it should be but the linearity of the game in my opinion was always gona be there and they never planned on adding towns and stuff like that just my opinion though

carl0975
carl0975
14 years ago

I might buy it on February 29.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

Actually, it's not MS's fault.

MS is only doing the only thing it knows how to do…..it uses the scent of wet b!tch-dog scented greenbacks as bait to lure greedy company's with Pinocchio sized proboscises, that are "in-heat".

So, in actual reality….
If SE allows itself to accept any of MS's pay-offs, then that now "enables MS" to attack & stifle it's competition once again.

It's SE's fault, & SE's fault alone!!!!!
Those greedy traitor bobble-heads up there in SE's hierarchy "ARE" the ones who decided to press their puckered lips up against MS' unwiped bung-hole & chop up the most famous and sucsessful RPG in gaming history.

And just so those "SE Whores of Babylon" could line their now-overflowing fanny-packs with the most cheapened of tainted baubles.

It was during their own version of "THE LAST SUPPER", that SE decided to turn against, & denounce all of it's own most religious followers.

SE HAS BECOME A "JUDAS" OF GAMING!!!!!!

DISCLAIMER FOR ANY SNEAKY SCUMBAG MS/SE LAWYERS:
This post in it's entirety, is just my own personal opinion, but here's a couple of 1-finger salute for each of you, just to help make you feel welcome…..& right at home.

BTW, I'll be using both barrels as usual, of course


Last edited by BikerSaint on 2/22/2010 5:19:29 PM