Ben-DutkaThe latest update for Final Fantasy Versus XIII included a very cool 7-minute video , which showed us both story footage and gameplay situations.
And a few more details have been translated from Square-Enix's press event. The info centers on the main character, Noctis, who is a prince; his father rules over a "country that possesses the world's only crystal." For some reason, Noctis can't become king, and there may be some hope for an anti-hero character, in that Noctis might actually be trying to overthrow his father. As for gameplay, Noctis will be able to use "multiple weapons and swords" and although you will only have direct control over one character, you will do battle with different characters as time goes on. Unfortunately, this sort of means we won't have a party; we'll always be fighting solo, even though we won't fight with the same character throughout. As times goes on, it looks and sounds more and more like Square-Enix's Kingdom Hearts franchise, at least in terms of gameplay.
The darker setting and theme is certainly unique to Versus XIII and stands in stark contrast to the colorful Disney atmosphere in KH. But other than that…well, let's just say Versus XIII won't be interesting to those hoping for a more traditional RPG, but the game may still be amazing.
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Fine by me if isn't traditional, I'm pretty sure they told us it would be a real time action rpg. I just want this to come out already…been waiting so long…
I know, right? I mean ever since I saw the first trailer of this back in E3 2006…I kind of wondered why on earth people even thought it was going to be another Final Fantasy game.
Lead designer: Tetsuya Nomura…Developed by KH Team.
How on earth did anyone get "Traditional Final Fantasy, turn based JRPG?"
I'll definitely be getting the game even if it's an average 7/10. If it's terrible…well ok I may skip it, but I highly doubt it considering I have enormous love for the KH series.
This practically is KHIII…minus Disney characters.
Now I'm just hoping this game comes out before FFXIII-2. How on earth that game got a release date before Versus XIII pisses me the hell off.
I'm good with the way Versus XIII is turning out.
I skipped FFXIII, but if Versus XIII stays this course, then I'll likely be picking this one up.
Why did you skip XIII? It got great reviews and was an enjoyable game.
@LV
It got great reviews, but almost everyone of them said, "but is not as great compared to past FFs"…. That and what I call the "different than my favorite FF, so it sucks" syndrome…
It's like Ben said all along, had not the game been called Final Fantasy but other name, everyone would have praised it as one of the best of the generation.
darx,
I'm aware of the whole "Great game, bad FF game" mentality. That doesn't justify "skipping" the game. As a huge fan of FF I too was disappointed by the drastic changes in gameplay found in XIII but it is a fun game and I'm not going to "skip" a game simply because it isn't the best game in a certain gaming series.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have simply waited on FFXIII, and now that it is cheap there is no good reason to skip it really.
@LV
Yeah, those were my thoughts exactly when I bought It… I walked away liking it a lot… so far my least liked FF is XII, only because the story/characters didn't quite grab me. Still played through it thou, even if I didn't unlock all things and saw all secrets, It was a great game.
*sigh*
This is not the FF game you are looking for…
You can go about your business…
Move along…
Last edited by TheHighlander on 1/24/2011 5:19:12 PM
uhmm why? because It's not turn based? If I remember correctly, the dev team said it will have a world map, towns and npcs…. if the story is good then It will be a great FF, probably even better than FF XIII…
darxed, It's more like Kingdom Hearts than Final Fantasy. Which is what it was said to be all a long which is fine by me.
@Jawknee
The differences between KHs and FFs were the combat system and the more juvenile direction in the KH series… since this will be have a more mature / darker story, I'd say it has more in common with the FFs than with the KHs. I mean, every FF has had a different combat system, but they all dealt with mature / dark themes (Not saying the KH series was all didn't deal with serious topics, just that it deal't with them in a kinda fairy tale way), and for me the decisive factor for which you can tell if a Final Fantasy game is a Final Fantasy game, it's the story the tell and the character development they let you immerse in.
Last edited by darxed on 1/24/2011 5:52:26 PM
Square Enix HQ. You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.
It's not wise to upset an FF fan.
>But sir, no one ever worries about upsetting a regular gamer.
Yeah, because regular gamers don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose. FF fans are known to do that.
> I see your point, let the FF fan win
😉
Yes I don't know how people can be disappointed it's a spinoff the important game was XIII and it frigging failed at being the rpg people wanted.
Versus til now in all areas is what I expected, such a shame XIII lacked some of the things the spinoff gonna have.
This IS the Versus I've been looking for though.
@Temjin
Je je, that was funny… Was that directed at me? I know I can be a bit of a FFtard sometimes… what can I tell you, ever since I played FFVI, my life hasn't been the same…
"sighs"
Nope, just playing along with Highlander. But it sounds like FF has turned into something of a religion for you…
So take this advice.
Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side kid 😉
@Temjin
Yeah, I get what you're saying… but what can a FFFan do these days?
We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.
je je
@Temjin,
LOL! Thank you, I'm glad someone can follow on…
All I have to say is;
They're headed for a new RPG
That's no RPG, that's an action game.
It's too Final Fantasy to be an action game.
I have a very bad feeling about this…
OK, that's not all, but I had to follow from Temjin's posts.
Darxed, this was supposed to be a game that would somehow redress the balance after FFXIII obliterated the FF RPG within. Clearly it's not going to redress that balance at all. That doesn't make it a bad game, but it's not an RPG and I don't have to like it to validate anyone else's opinion of the game.
It's not a Final Fantasy RPG which is what an FF game has been/is/always will be – to me at least. So, this really isn't the FF game I've been looking for, and I doubt I am alone.
Alright, hold onto something. We're going into turn-based!
*Sound of an engine failing.*
No Turn-based?
No Turn-based!
They've disappeared from our screen, my Lord!
What? That's impossible! No ship with a level that small has the flee ability!
or
There's something not right here… I feel cold. Death.
That place, is strong with the dark side. A domain of action-RPG's it is. In you must go.
What's in there?
Only what you take with you.
This turn based system will never get us passed that blockade!
This turn based system has a few surprises left in her, Sweetheart!
More? lol
Last edited by Underdog15 on 1/25/2011 9:10:14 AM
lol
I'm really rooting for the antihero bit here… can't remember when was the last Final Fantasy that had one as the MC…
I really liked the trailer… here's hoping for an english subtitled one…
Last edited by darxed on 1/24/2011 3:51:23 PM
To some extent you could say Cloud was an anti-hero, yes Shinra was painted as the giant evil corporation but the actions of Avalanche against the government were very terroristic and caused innocent lives to be lost.
Anyway, just my observation 🙂
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 1/24/2011 6:00:45 PM
Maybe english subs within the next few months? I mean if they have something out for XIII-2 versus shouldnt be too far behind…in fact it should be more about versus then XIII-2. Come on SE, roll out the red carpet and give us what we want.
Or FFIV's Cecil, started out as a dark knight overthrowing otherwise peaceful nations in pursuit of the crystal.
Or in FFVI, Terra starts out as a tool of the empire and attacks Narche (is that the city name? I can't remember off the top of my head)
Or FFIX, Zidane's mission is to kidnap a princess.
Lots of them start off as a sort of anti hero, like Cloud starts out, but if you want my opinion, the same will be true for FFvXIII. The main character will start out as an anti-hero, but eventually be motivated to do something hero-esque. Same old idea, really. They might just prolong the anti-hero approach out a little longer before getting to the motivation right off the bat.
Yeah I get the starting out as an anti-hero, but I'd like for it to last the entire game… that I have never seen in a FF… I think It'd be cool.
Hey Ben, go to this link:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/01/21/killzone-3-multiplayer-video-of-mp03-bilgarsk-boulevard/
(Notice how freakin EPIC that level looks!)…ehm, skip to the bottom & it shows that PS move support will be in the open beta released on PSStore on the 2nd Febuary.
This means my first credit on news piece, yesh? 😛
In the "About Us" link, you can send news tips to Ben directly. Half the time, he already knows, so you might not get any credit. It's just a part of being in a co-operative smaller online gaming community, really. ^.^
Everyone knows I have high hopes for this game, and Ben I'm not really sure what you mean by not having a party. Your companions will be with you, but you get to switch control of them, almost like in Genji, but they'll still be fighting by your side the rest of the time.
However, I'm completely content with this game having the same fighting system as KH, I need a good fix for that. And when KH3 comes out in 4 years, hopefully that'll be just as good as I know Versus will be.
Last edited by Riku994 on 1/24/2011 4:10:41 PM
Personally, I loved Kingdom Hearts. And besides, it's not just Kingdom Hearts. It was stated a while ago that the gameplay would be a combination of Kingdom Hearts and Dirge of Cerberus.
And let me state once again that this design choice is by all accounts NOT part of Square-Enix's effort to appeal to the west. Tetsuya Nomura and his team were dabbling with this sort of gameplay well before the merger happened.
The game looks like japanese goodness =)
Can't control my other characters!? LAME. That brings a greater connection to the characters. However, I promised myself to be open minded, so I will be awaiting further details.
Who didn't know this was coming. I think I like the story premise. I was still going to Import/buy US release anyway. Hurry up with the release already.
So basically a watered down RPG, yippy.
Welcome back! 😀
Thx, cutie 🙂
Where's the optimism LV? XIII was a watered down RPG, this game may actually let you go in more than one direction!
As much as I try to stick up for XIII there is no denying it wasn't much of an RPG. I still have the watered down taste in my mouth from XIII so I'm still skeptical about Versus, hell even more than I was with XIII before its release.
I was hoping for a return to turn-based RPG or party control like in older FF's, but that 7 minute video made it pretty clear this was not gonna happen.
Well, that's only one issue, if other issues like story, character depth, relationship developments, a world map (which is a must in FF titles) are all done incredibly well in Versus XIII, I may forgive S-E for taking combat into more action oriented areas.
Erm…this game was said to be an action RPG from the the word go..so why are you surprised?
This is what happens when SE ruin the main FF game, people try to find comfort on a spinoff hoping it would give them a ride to the good ol days.
Crisis Core was action oriented but still brought me back, and not just because it was a VII spinoff.
Most FF spinoffs from the original number aren't RPG or turnbased in nature. X-2 isn't really a spinoff, since it's a direct sequel in number, much like I expect XIII-2 to remain RPGish in nature (albeit even XIII was hard to identify).
Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, that weird DS FF12 game, Tactics… if it's not the actual number on it's own, you can bet on something not quite famliar in gameplay style.
I like the new direction SE is taking with the storyline of the crystals. This whole "one crystal to rule them all" in FF vs XIII might not be so bad.
I want a crystal that gives me the power to control content in XIII-2 🙂
You think that is new?
Does the Crystal Chronicles spin-off ring a bell?
Nobody pays attention to Nintendo FFs anymore.