Ben-DutkaWhile I am indeed a fan of Final Fantasy XIII , I have often spoken about my mixed feelings concerning the gameplay. Although Gran Pulse makes it feel a bit more like FFXII, the decide-everything-for-me approach to the strategy still grates on me.
Now, I've wondered in the past if this is a nod to a new audience; to appeal to the "twitch-gaming" crowd that can't sit still for ten consecutive seconds without mashing buttons. And granted, you don't necessarily "mash buttons" in FFXIII but in order to speed up and streamline the battles so there is no "pausing" or break in the action, they simplified the approach. This to me is "RPG Lite." And then you factor in the lack of traditional RPG elements fans of this franchise have come to expect. I'm not saying they're essential; I'm merely saying there's still a place for them within the role-playing community who still pine for an FF they'd actually recognize. That being said, does anyone think Final Fantasy Versus XIII might boast more of a standard RPG feel; might FFXIII be the "new FF" for a new audience while Versus be more of a nod to the veteran, die-hard fans?
First, you've got the apparent existence of a map and airship in the game, which immediately reminds me of RPGs the way they used to be . Then you've got FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama saying that due to difficulties and obstacles with "new hardware" (which was new when they first started making FFXIII), they simply couldn't include those missing RPG elements. But at the same time, he says that now that the team has a firm grasp on things, those elements will return . Thirdly, now that FFXIII is out the door, many of the guys and gals that worked on the game have moved over to work on Versus XIII . Lastly, there's some logic worked in: FFXIII was the first FF that went to an Xbox platform and Square-Enix has been saying for several years they needed to cater more towards a Western audience. So a FFXIII release on the 360 makes perfect sense.
But I think Square-Enix knows that's a bit of a different audience. It's a group that tends to focus more on shooters (as Western gamers tend to do) and because of this, they may have factored this reasoning into the making of FFXIII. Would not the rapid-fire combat system of FFXIII appeal more to those who don't play much besides Modern Warfare 2 and Gears of War ? Now, we all know Versus XIII is exclusive to the PS3; Square-Enix knows the majority of FF fans are also PlayStation fans; they've been with them since the PlayStation and FFVII. They know that audience. Hence, considering all this, might it be safe to assume that the new FF could be best described as the true FF for the loyal fans? Well, we'd have to see some gameplay first, I suppose. If it's just an action/adventure game, than I say it's another spin-off and certainly not for the fans. But hey, based on the news and evidence…just thinking out loud, here.
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Its not. There is supposed to be some sort of connection but it will must like just be a theme within the story. The world and characters and… almost everything else is completely different amongst all three FFXIII games.
I hope that your thoughts re not simply wishful thinking Ben. Otherwise there will be no happy dance for this game. After the last couple of years, I need to see something concrete before I believe.
If Versus has towns, I won't mind it with Kingdom Heart style gameplay. Would I prefer my FF games turn based, and my Kingdom Hearts to be action rpgs yes but I'll take what Square gives me as long as they return to form with FF soon.
Isn't it an action rpg?….
I could never really get into Kingdom Hearts that much. Hope the battle system isn't too much like it.
Mistwalker, develop for PS3….problem solved, you get your turn based "final fantasy".
I gave up on Enix long ago. Im greatful we have alternatives today like Level 5, Tri-Ace, From Software, Atlus etc (Level 5 being the new SOFT in town) to get the classic JRPG.
Of course i'll bat an eyelid at Enix again if something looks promising but, it hasn't happened yet and fixes are coming from elsewhere.
Sorry to the KH lovers but I'd prefer not to have that super simple gameplay in an FF. Ben rounds up some good evidence so far, and Versus looks fantastic, but I would still rather have a REAL jrpg battle system.
Wouldn't it be the most awesome thing in the world if versus 13 gave you a choice between two battle systems?-The kingdom hearts style battle system or a turn based….In my dreams lol.
I don't understand why some are saying because it isn't turn based it isn't a true final fantasy,it's one element[sure an important one] for which more fundamental elements also stand along it,like mentioned;the world map and air ship.I'm sure their will also be more things in versus that will help others feel it is final fantasy.
Weather or not it is a true final fantasy is for the player to decide.Weather or not its a good game when the time comes to decide i just have a feeling it wont be denied.
"Airship and map"
I still see that in the Kingdom Hearts context…
Yes, a MAP you can FLY in…. (probably with ONE or TWO big towns, and 10 dungeons/worlds as in Kingdom Hearts)
I'd like to hope that Versus was the true FF we were waiting for. But I just see it as a spinoff (Kingdom Hearts style)
—
This doesn't mean it'll be bad though. I like Kingdom Hearts and Versus is dedicated to one console + will actually have towns, and a "dedicated" battle system, so it might be better.
I know some of you guys will probably rag on me for this but i was big sucker for the relationship between squall and rinoa in Final fantasy 8.I hated how he brushed her off in the beginning but eventually warmed up to her.I loved when he carried her from fishermans horizon the esthar while she was in a comatose state.
I think noctis and stella's relationship can possibly be one of the best in final fantasy history.Just watch the 5+ min FFVS13 trailer,its completely centered around them.It introduces them individually,then show's them in what appears to be them about to fight eachother,with the climax being when noctis and stella first meet.
As the trailer ends stella turns around and looks at noctis for the first time and smiles.Having to know noctis and stella's love is doomed prior to that first smile make's when they first meet feel sad because they have no idea what awaits them and gives an impending sense of tragedy.
If done correctly this could push out the aerith death scene out of #1 saddest FF moment.Just imagine noctic and stella both dead at the end =(
Last edited by XxNoir on 3/25/2010 8:08:42 PM
To me, the only "FF relationship" or "romance" which rivals Tidus' and Yuna's is Squall's and Rinoa
Hands down the two deepest romances in FF history.
Last edited by Scarecrow on 3/25/2010 8:40:40 PM
One word: No!
I'll confess, I'm a bit of a PS3 fanboy. That said, I'm very cautiously optimistic about VS13.
This is Square Enix after all and Wadda still runs the show. Let's not forget:
-Infinite Undiscovery (360 exclusive)
-The Last Raminate (PS3 version canceled without explanation)
-Star Ocean (timed exclusive)
-FF XIII delayed and 1/2 the game was cut for DVD
-Also Square Enix "accidentally" used PS3 screens of the game in a press kit for 360.
-360 exclusive bundle for FFXIII
I'm really enjoying FFXIII, and am looking forward to 13Vs. I enjoy SE's games, but let's be honest here, they sold us out a long time ago.
I'm actually really worried about Kingdom Hearts 3. I hope Wadda doesn't reduce it to a crappy Wii game.
Last edited by Mr Bitey on 3/25/2010 8:08:12 PM
Numora san said development has already begun BUT that kingdom heart 3's progress is depending on is versus 13's development.That kind of tells me that they are probably going to use the versus engine for kingdom hearts 3;which most likely wont work on the wii.
Last edited by XxNoir on 3/25/2010 8:21:56 PM
Good point. Let's hope so.
Well I wouldn't quite say its the FF for the loyal fans but its the FF that is needed right now. The true FF is FFVII:Reborn(do you guys like it? XD) but this one I always looked forward more to simply because the KH team is behind it. Still I can't wait for it. Its like Nomura knows what the FF fans want and Wada knows what they don't. Nomura should be ceo, really. But he's in love with Sony and the PS3 so some nintendo fans would be pissed XD who cares, FF for PS FTW!
@scarecrow
I never played FFX but i did spoil the ending for myself on youtube and it looked fantastic,wish i still had my PS2.
I'm quite excited about versus, the only thing I find myself eye-rolling over though is the typical pretty boy characters.
Haha yeah that is rather played out isn't it?
Right now I'm not thirsty for this game so I wouldn't ask for a release date but even if gameplay footage can't be provided now, I WANT SOME SCREEN SHOTS AND MORE VIDEOS!!
Versus is suppose to be a action RPG.
Agito would probably be more traditional than all 3 of the ff13s.
Last edited by King James on 3/25/2010 11:03:24 PM
no, 7 is!
My say on this is that FFXIII should have been a new different IP, while I believe that Versus would be a real Final Fantasy.
i hope so
People keep saying it's not going to be a real FF. Sure, it's going to be an Action RPG, but look at it this way: put Versus XIII next to FFXIII, and it's WAY more of a Final Fantasy game than FF13. Also, they've got an Airship, a world map, and towns and now you're complaining about this one? Wow…It's a spin off, that's why the word 'Versus' is in it's name. It's also started production 3 year before FFXIII. Hell, as long as it stays a PS3 exclusive, I'm gonna be happy. It will be nice to get a true turn based game again, though. I didn't like FFXII because it was more like an MMO than a Final Fantasy. I didn't even get too far in the game because the game was just bland. Havn't liked many FF games all that much since X-2. That game was the start of their failures…notice that it was when Enix joined the Squaresoft team…Squearesoft still sounds better than Square-Enix…>_>
It's a mixed bag. Some of the core elements (towns, world map) will be in this game but the gameplay doesn't sound anything like a true FF game. I personally didn't care for KH's battle system. You could go through KH2 without even using magic.
I believe every FF fan was ecpecting a dark kingdom hearts on versus
none of us was waiting for a turn based on versus and i wont be desapointed either way cuz i love the FF series as much as the KH series of course iam not comparing the gameplay betwen the two (i personaly prefer the FF gameplay) but its all about the feeling that both of them gave me
iam late on FF13 cuz iam in the land of far away but i belive its gonna be good (hate the leona lewis song) and iam cursing SE right now for making me a FF Junkie cuz even touh i hate the theme song so much iam trembling with the idea of playing FF again
but i belive in Tetsuya-han (for keeping the exclusivity) and for creating one of the best games i ever played KH and now he is trying to put some of that KH soul in FF so that fans can relate and have a All in one Expirience (as he said "iam making versus a FF as i would like it to be" i know the phrase is not correct but thats as much as i can remember so FFVS13 is somewhat personal to him and thats what iam waiting after KH iam curious to know what he is holding back
i have no idea wut FFv13 will play like, but i certainly do not feel it will become the classic turn based epic JRPG, not that I do not hope it. I believe under Wada, Squeeenix has probably lost its memory of past glory and its ability to build a classic traditional turn based JRPG like Chrono games, or FF1-10. ask them to define wut a classic "JRPG" should play like, see if they can give us a satisfactory answer, i doubt it.
Last edited by BigBoss4ever on 3/26/2010 5:08:45 PM
Final Fantasy Versus XIII is definitely the game to get. After I saw the trailer to this game, it reminded me of what makes Final Fantasy just so freakin' awesome and talked about. I had the privilege in owning Final Fantasy VII when it first released. Mind you that I never owned a Final Fantasy game nor an RPG game before nor after. I was a kid and we purchased FFVII because it was marketed as something epic, and indeed it was. The cut scenes and storyline were things I had never witnessed in any other game before. Simply said, I became a fan of FFVII, not the Final Fantasy franchise. FFVII didn't make me want to buy more Final Fantasy titles, it didn't make me want to branch out and play other RPG titles.
To be honest, I did anticipate FFVIII's release, only to find out that it was a completely different story, new characters, and those characters I grew to adore from FFVII were gone. I didn't care if the games that followed were just as good or better. It's like following a blockbuster movie franchise you're a die hard fan of, then Bruce Willis' character gets replaced by some new face. It could be an awesome movie, but the touch that made it recognizable is gone.
Final Fantasy XIII came out and it was hyped up like the next big thing, so I followed coverage and I was excited. Then I hear it came out being something the fans didn't recognize. Even the trailers were whack. Then I catch a trailer (as I mentioned before) on Versus XIII and it was like…WOW. FF Versus XIII is on my list as a must have because it really reminds me of that feeling I got when I first discovered Final Fantasy VII.
The only way Versus XIII can be a FF for loyal fans is if they go back to the Turn – Based battle system. I'm fairly certain most loyal fans don't want another game where you just constantly mash the "Attack!" button to get through the game.
That being said, Versus XIII does look like a step in the right direction. It doesn't look like a complete return to the style and systems that made X so great but it looks closer than XIII was.
Square – Enix need to return to their roots, the whole reason FF is so popular is because it offers a traditional, pure RPG approach for real fans. The last thing we need is it becoming closer to the garbage that comes out of western studios like Mass Effect, Borderlands or Bioshock.
wow, u just called out 3 really good games.
I dont know why you even threw bioshock in there, its not even an rpg, n while i havnt played mass effect, its obviously still a good game hearing the praise it gets.
And borderlands although it has rpg elements, its still a shooter. It may lack in some instances, (graphics, story, etc.) but its a good game. If your going to compare FF to something then pik something else other than these 3 "western" style games, that i can say 2 were good and entertaining.
To each his own, but there is a reason SE wanted to westernize FF, and im not saying it was a good idea, but people love these games.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 3/27/2010 11:27:41 AM
To be honest, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is the game in the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII series I've been looking forward to the most. Final Fantasy XIII was good, but Versus is the one I covet the most at the moment. In fact, it's the single video game I covet most, partly because it looks awesome.
I actually didn't mind the combat system to much in FFXIII. In my opinion, it was more stream line and efficient then previous Final Fantasy titles, some of which felt cumbersome. As a result the story and combat flowed a little bit better together from one to the other. In someways, I found the FFXIII was in someways closer to Kingdom Hearts in terms of combat.
However, I found this to be a very linear game, with little opportunity to explore beyond the path the that was set out for us. One of the great pleasure, at least for me in Final Fantasy was the ability to go back and revisit locations later in the game. This was something I missed from this title.
From what I've read, Versus XIII will be an action-RPG along the lines of Kingdom Hearts. Which is okay by me since I enjoyed that game immensely. I'd be hesitant to expect anything from Versus XIII you wind up being disappointed by the actual game for not living up to what you'd thought it would be.
Having said that, what interests me about Versus XIII is how it will fit into the universe established in Final Fantasy XIII. This was something I was constantly thinking about as I played FFXIII. What plots points, themes, etc, would be pick-up in Versus XIII, how will they impact that world and how will they ultimately shape our understanding of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII Universe.
after the , shall we call it fiasco? of 13, im not holding my breath..
that said, we might get more rpg elements, they are not targeting the xbox market this time around, and the groundwork is already layed in, like the engine and such, so i imagine they have more resources to devote to the rest of the stuff so we will see