Ben-DutkaAnybody who wants to say, "it's not up to FF standards," I agree with you. Anybody who says it isn't worth playing, or isn't one of the better games of the generation…you and me are gonna have words. See, I put 100 hours into it and if you say it sucks, that sort of implies I waste my time with bad games.
And I don't. I really don't have time to do that. But I will acknowledge that it might not be worth the full price of admission for some players; FF has never been for everybody, anyway. That being said, you can't possibly turn it down for the absurdly attractive price of $19.99, can you? Right now, you can nab FFXIII from Amazon for $10 less than the cost of a Greatest Hit title. Most people tend to complain about $60 games that don't last long enough to suit their tastes – to which I say, if one feels fulfilled at the end, length is entirely irrelevant – and in this case, it's $20 for a bare minimum of 50 hours of gameplay. Hard to find a better deal. And as I just said, there isn't much point in waiting until it becomes a Greatest Hit, because it'll be $29.99; hence, now's the time to strike. There's no knowing how much longer it'll stay at that silly low $20 price tag, either.
It's a steal and a half. And with the holidays right around the corner, you know money might be a little tight, so such deals are too good to pass up.
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII
Edit:
"things can't get anymore confusing" should be "things can't get more confusing".
By the way, thank you for listing the FFxiii user review links. I read Lawless's review last night as well, and found it to be very informative, as well.
I can't say AC2 has become a top 10 favorite series of mine, but I can definitely see what all the positive reputation is about. A few things that stood out to me were this.
A uniquely distinguished setting and story. With so many open-world games that take place in urbanized modern day cities it's quite fresh and intriguing getting to go back in history to see these iconic and memorable locales.
The voice acting was also superb. When a game makes a big enough effort to tell a good story I'll stop and pay attention, and AC2 succeeded in spades on this end.
And very significantly, AC2 blended stealth action into an open-world design remarkably well. Stealth action fans will get their sneaking and prowling fix with a new paradigm of open world design.
While I can nit-pick many functional aspects of the game, the overall package heavily outweighs any contrivances. Granted, the combat action is clunkier and less refined than to my liking(not to say it doesn't present a whole list variables to keep battles interesting). I sometimes wonder if the controls could be better refined–3 input commands to run at full speed? The closer and final details of the graphics are often muddied and lacking in polygonal complexity; seeing that this game is so wide in scale it's totally understandable.
Another noteworthy point I'd like to make. AC2 is a perfect example of what this generation of hardware has done for us. Some games are just so sophisticated in overall design this gen that they can't just be scaled back visually to accommodate lesser the processing(Wii COD4) and still deliver an experience as finely executed. Just look at the PSP AC game. So much of the core essence of the game had to stripped away and scaled back to accommodate the lesser PSP spec that the game simply can not produce an experience that does justice to the series. Other genres are much more scaleable in this regard. Linear action games, and fighters can retain so much of their appeal even while running on lesser hardware.
That's exactly what i thought when i played AC1. I thought at the very least, this was a next-gen game, and something we couldn't see or play before. So, I appreciated that about AC2. It indeed was an improvement in almost every way, even adding features, like the ability to swim or boat, and the ability to store your weapons/armor, and purchase new ones, and upgrade your villa. My only misgiving with the game was the actual gameplay, clunkiness of the controls, and the ring-around-the-rosy combat. I appreciated the fact that even that they tried to improve it, and will say the kill animations and parkour represent the very pinnacle of animation in gaming.
Thanks Shams. If you're interested in my opinion, I'd go Valkyria over Final Fantasy XIII. The story engaged me better, and FFXIII felt derivative at times, so yeah.
Peace.
BTW Master Shams, there is a VC demo available on PSN for download. I personally haven't gotten into that game. From what I've played of the demo I could tell it is a quality effort.
I also remember you stating that on prior post that you were interested in Burnout Paradise. It is a good game running at a smooth 60fps and there's nothing else out there quite like it. Criterion should be commended for adding the motorcycle add-on for free. A lot of game value for only $20.
I got my version off of PSN. It works great as a quick pick-up and play style game (just be sure to turn off the game start-up info browser in the options, otherwise getting into the game at launch takes so long).
hehe, and I have every intention of buying Uncharted 2. I happened to have a Blockbuster Game Pass when the game launched. I checked it out two times during the month that service was active. I was able to get some solid time in with it during that time. Including completing the campaign and spending some time online. I was actually working through the game on Hard mode when my first PS3 crashed and died.
And man, I now back-up my game save files to a USB stick. It really was sad to lose all my game data when my PS3 died. I even tried hooking up my old 60GB HDD to a Windows computer to try and extract the saves.. Unfortunately, the file type Sony uses is unreadable on Windows.
Lawless, yes, i would be interested in your opinion, and especially considering how much you liked FFxiii from what i gathered from your review, your must've really enjoyed VC if you'd recommend it over the FFxiii. So that is reassuring.
Sensei Temjin, you have a very good memory. I am interested in picking up Burnout:Paradise (I'm such a fiend for 60fps animation, as well as a speed freak). On the weekend i went to a local gamestop, and i was surprised to find it for the price of $20. Not that it isn't worth that, and then some, but i distinctly remember finding it at gamestop for a value of 7.99 and 12.99 on different occasions. Perhaps, I'm just being a cheapo, but it seems that GS has increased the used retail value of the game. And though I'd like to save as much as possible at Gamestops, I don't mind spending an extra buck on all the dlc, just to reward the developers on a job well done.
And thanks for the heads-up on backing up games. i should really do that, too.
And i feel ya about enjoying U2, yet not purchasing it, yet, but planning to. I'm sure with a wife and kids, you can't buy every game you'd like all the time. So some games gotta wait (especially those selling at full retail price). I'd say that U2 and inFamous represent my very favorite games this generation that i've played so far (with Wipeout HD/Fury, NGS2, GTA4, and R&C's not trailing far behind).
There's just simply better games to spend money on and play atm. Or DL one of the old Final Fantasies and have a trip down nostalgia lane 🙂
I haven't played XIII since making it to Gran Pulse and I think the story is the main thing that kept me going to that point. I still want to finish it.
I don't think the game is bad, but my expectation going into the game is what makes the game feel weird to me. I thought I would get more of a similar experience to past efforts than I did.
Try to beat it. I felt a great deal of satisfaction after finishing it, something I didn't feel after beating GoW3. It took me about a month or two. I mention GoW3 cause I feel it was much more disappointing than FFXIII seeing as they all took like forever to release, and FFXIII even made it early.
After all that wait, I beat GoW3 in 3 days and am like "wow, GoW3, is this what really went into development for all those 1000 years, look at your cousins Uncharted 1 & 2, they both made it before you and Among Thieves even sits way higher than you at metacritic, wow GoW3, wow!!!"
Last edited by www on 9/13/2010 7:24:42 AM
You're quite right, WWW, if i may say so. I have often called Drake the Kratos of this gen. Although one game is a cover-based TPS, while the other is a hack'n slash with the traditional setup of skirmishes scattered across each level, boss-fights at the end of each, and upgrading weapons, magic, and move sets throughout, they both have the summer box-office-hit vibe to them. In fact, Jaffe often said movies like Indiana Jones were the inspiration behind GOW, and Uncharted clearly shares that influence, and even to a greater extent. They are both highly cinematic action-adventures.
Yes Shams, Drake is definitely the new Kratos, the new mascot for Sony this gen, I think he appeals to a wider audience,young and old.
@WWW
I do plan on getting back to it sometime soon. I just have to be in the right mood. I can't let this one be the only one I don't finish.
13 was a letdown for me. I as doing hunts in Gran Pulse then it died for me (the interest for the game). Such a shame. I returned the game to my friend even before I finished it as it was just gathering dust.
I've never played a Final Fantasy game, If I start playing it from XIII…will the whole thing make sense, or are the story lines for each game all one long huge story?
None of them are related to each other, with the exception of FFX-2.
However, if you're not into RPGs – or JRPGs, specifically – you might not be interested.
it is on Amazon UK new for £19.99. Not quite as good as your US deal but still better than paying full price.
Eh…I might look into it, I've been getting tired of playing 3rd person shooters, maybe it's time to try a new genre for a bit.
The story in ff13 was really good and well thought out. I thought the battle system was engaging and just a very sped up form of a turnbased rpg. As Ben said about the strategy before battle I prefere my strategy during mid battle. It feels more realistic to me. Changing strategies before battle just seems cheap and cheating. Though the battles where fast and fun I would have enjoyed it slowed down and allow me to think about what I am going to do then just choosing paradigm shifts that are the same throughout the game. the characters just seemed to one dimensional to me with the exception of a few. Lighting was created to be to much like cloud that it failed to me. This is my main gripe about 13 and is the main reason why I love FF so much is because of the characters to me. Haha sorry for the rant:p
Last edited by SayWord on 9/13/2010 1:09:20 AM
Agreed.
no problems! I pretty much agree too. My main beef with the battle system was how un-customizable the AI allies were. It can be really frustrating if, say, you need your sabateurs to cast poison ASAP, but they never do until they've gotten every other spell to stick first…
know what i mean?
I just brought FF13 this saturday, thought I give ago being it was half price on play.com.
Wow, great deal for a great game. I got it for $70AUD and was happy. So, that puts it at about $30-35AUD. Yeah, it's a crime to pass that up, even if you have a problem with the battle system and characters. I'm not going to harp, if you want to read that you can check the review. Over there <<<<<—.
Peace.
meh, as far as im concerned its not even worth 5 dollars.
to be honest the only RPG i have really enjoyed this gen is fallout 3 and Neir.
fallout 3 because there is so freaking much to do, you could literally spend 10 hours just doing side quests and not touch the main story.
Neir because it felt like a old school traditional RPG.
But GT5 is worth $800?
Fair price to be honest.
I picked up FF13 at Best Buy a couple of months back for $19.99. It was on sale for $39.99 and there was a $20 coupon for it online in their Gamers Club.
….oh, and "if one feels fulfilled at the end, length is entirely irrelevant" is word for word my old pick-up line.
The hero could easily turn villain with the least mistake, ask Tiger Woods or any influential person, and that's just what happened to FFXIII.
I spent more hours in FFXIII than Fallout 3 and most of those games there in the top 20 Metacritic games. FFXIII is just a case of a hero being punished just for quite a few mistakes. We all agreed if FFXIII were to be a whole new never before seen game, it woulda scored higher. FFXIII hasn't been treated fairly at all. It's a great game and simply worthy.
This isn't the best FF but people are manking it look so bad, okay assume it's not FF and just play it, damn!
Last edited by www on 9/13/2010 7:05:55 AM
I got it for $37 and then Amazon gave me $20 for trade-in. The fact that it's in the bargain bin already speaks volumes.
I'm through with this whole Final Fantasy subject – after 15 hours of XIII I was pretty much in a monotony-induced coma. I've never in my life experienced such a pathetic excuse for gameplay.
Since then I've platinumed Fallout 3, played through Red Dead Redemption, and now I'm on Dragon Age Origins. Elder Scrolls Oblivion is in the queue, and GT5 is arriving Nov. 2.
I don't think anyone could make a serious argument that my time would have been better spent slogging through another 35 hours of that if/then statement that SE tried to pass off as a video game.
If game = crap Then
location = bargain bin
Else
location = gamer's console
end If
Script kiddie! 😉
Believe me guys Buy Yakuza 3 now and try to play Yakuza 1 and Yakuza 2 and wait for Yakuza 4 ,forget about Final Fantasy.I Beg You!
Great alternative
These Yakuza games have some really engaging stories. A great alternative.
It looks like the sale is off, its up to $33 now. I'd have bought it for $20, but i dont think i'll pay much more than that.
Yep, the sale is done. back up to $32.89
I just bought it for €20 second hand from GAME.. ah well, its in perfect condition anyway
Wish I had waited for the price drop! I may not be so bitter toward XIII if I hadn't paid full price.
To be honest, I thought Final Fantasy XIII was the most disappointing game I've ever played. I've played Final Fantasy 1, 4 – 10, and 12, and enjoyed all of them (some more than others) but this one was just terrible.
Cringeworthy dialogue, stock character designs, incoherent story, bland music soundtrack, broken battle system, summons are worthless, etc. If I could go back in time and stop myself from wasting 65 dollars on this "game" then I would. Worst purchase ever.
With that said, I suppose if people out there are still interested and want to play (well, more or less endure) this trash then they should be lucky that they won't have to waste 65 dollars like I did. I just hope Final Fantasy Versus XIII can wash the taste of XIII out of my mouth (granted it left an AWFUL taste).