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    Final Fantasy XIII-2

    Fizzie
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    Post by Fizzie Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:49 am

    Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ff132300
    Chojin
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    Post by Chojin Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:51 am

    I hope this one isn't as fail as X-2 was.
    Fizzie
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    Post by Fizzie Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:03 am

    So I played the demo a little while ago. It's a very pretty looking game, and I can't tell you how happy I am that they've removed that horrible delay when you change Paradigms for the first time in battle. So. f*kkin. Happy.

    And I think I'm coming to embrace having the option to make a team-mate out of a defeated enemy.

    And I love the battle music!!

    But there were a few things that really bugged me...

    First of all, the raindrops hitting the screen. I found this very distracting and it only serves to put a barrier up between the player and the game. You can't lose yourself in a world that's constantly reminding you that you're not in it.

    The victory theme. Whilst not horrible; it's not right. When will they learn that all we want is the original fanfare? They took it away from us before, and now they've replaced it with this. =/

    Cinematic Battles. I've a problem with this because focusing on a select part of the screen (for which buttons you're meant to press next) distracts from the actual video itself. All time and effort put in to making these beautiful scenes is now lost.

    Mog. I hate it's design, and I hate that it says anything other than "kupo". Don't get me wrong, I know moogles talk. But I'm not fond of the voice they've given it (and I say "it" because it sounds like a girl, but have no doubt we'll find out it's a boy), and I can see it's ending each sentence with "kupo" becoming as annoying as Lymle from Star Ocean and her "k". In which case, I will hate Squeenix forever as they will have ruined something cute and adorable for me.

    Crystarium. If it works the way I think it does; it's sh*t. They've given you one template to level, not one for magic, one for physical, etc. Just one. One. And you mix and match everything. This doesn't mean, however, that your character can use all of these on one Paradigm. No. You still have to change Paradigms to use their abilities. Just, now you have a whole lot less of them because you only had the one template to fill up.

    I think that's about it really. I'm not the biggest fan of puzzles in FF games, but we'll see how annoying (or not) they get later.

    As for the story itself... *groan* The story, from what I know so far, kills it. Even if it was a perfect game, with nothing wrong with anything else... the story kills it alone.

    Oh, don't take me too wrongly. I may be listing out niggles (and some just pure hates), but that doesn't mean I don't think this game'll be fun. I'm sure if I ignore the crappy storyline and get used to some of the crap they've changed, I'll actually enjoy it. But, I'll enjoy it as a "game" rather than as a "Final Fantasy". If you get what I mean?
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    Post by KnightMarauder Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:03 am

    I'm half and half with this game at the moment. I mean XIII was not that bad, especially considering the one that came before it was dreadful.

    Although after playing the demo which was released yesterday, my hopes for this game have really gone down alot.
    I must say my favourite new thing they've added is the Cinematic Battle Sequences. Always enjoyed it from Kingdom Hearts 2 and it was great from the small parts of it you can use in the Demo.

    I also definitely agree with the Lymle being exactly the same as Mog. It's bad enough aswell they made Mog's voice so monotone and ridiculously annoying like Lymle's was aswell, it really is annoying. Takes the epicness out of a Moogle, just makes them seem so dull and boring when they're always the complete opposite.

    Also have to agree with Sam on the front of the story. A story is one of the main things which build the foundations of an awesome game, yet they failed so badly. It's the main element of Time Travel for me... It's just really badly executed by the looks of it, with the whole Time Gates and such.

    It's seems like it's going to be alright, although the hopes for it aren't very high. But who knows, something awesome we've no idea about might pop up out of no where. (Lets hope it does tbh)
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    Post by Fizzie Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:17 am

    KnightMarauder wrote:It's the main element of Time Travel for me...

    As is for me too. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I watched the trailer a while back and heard about the time travel stuff... I swear my heart just sank right there and then. =(
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    Post by KnightMarauder Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:29 am

    Kukikoi wrote:
    KnightMarauder wrote:It's the main element of Time Travel for me...

    As is for me too. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I watched the trailer a while back and heard about the time travel stuff... I swear my heart just sank right there and then. =(

    It's the one small element which is not mean't to be put into stories where it don't work. It really could make or break the game.
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    Post by Fizzie Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:36 pm

    KnightMarauder wrote:It's the one small element which is not mean't to be put into stories where it don't work. It really could make or break the game.

    In all honesty, I feel like I shouldn't judge the game on any one element... but this really is something that, as you said, could make or break it.

    And, to me, this was unnecessary. If they could go nowhere with XIII but time travel, then they should've just left it alone, and moved on to the next game.

    So glad I didn't do what I was planning and pre-order the Crystal Edition (which is £80). I'll save my big spending for whenever they release an epic Final Fantasy game again.
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    Post by Fizzie Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:26 am

    Though I wonder... am I being too stuck in the old ways? Final Fantasy has always brought us change. Maybe I should just enjoy the games fully for what they are instead of comparing them to past games?

    But then again, the best Final Fantasy games have brought us change, but also still kept their very "Final Fantasy" feeling. And that's something I've found to be lacking in the more recent games.
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    Post by Fizzie Fri Feb 17, 2012 5:08 pm



    So I made an entry previously about the Final Fantasy XIII-2 Demo, and obviously since then, the game has come out and landed on our doorstep. =p

    I haven't had as much time to play it as alot of people (for various reasons), so I'm only nearing the end of Episode 3.

    First of all, Serah is one of the most boring heroines ever. Her hair has always f*cked me off (but that's personal preference). But she's seriously dull, and a complete f*cking idiot. You get points in there game where you have to choose a question for her to ask, and several of the options (if not all) are always stupid, and things she should already know, or has even already commented on.

    Noel, on the other hand, is awesome. He's got some baggage, so he has his quiet emo moments, but that just keeps him from having a flat character (like Serah). For the most part, he's upbeat and ready to roll. He's refreshing. And he's much more fun to use in battle too.

    I think I mentioned in my demo entry, but you can tame monsters, have them in your party, and level them up. This is fine, until you get them to a certain level and you then can't buy or find any items to level them up with anymore (my current problem).

    I was intending to have a team of chocobos, but I fell for the cute Cait Sith and don't have the heart to kick it off my team. That, and I haven't come across any chocobos I can actually fight and tame yet. =/

    You can also name your monsters. Sounds great, right? Sure. Until you realise it won't let you input a name of your choice. You have a pick from a rather poor list.

    Starting a battle can be abit tedious. The monsters randomly appear around you and you have to hit them. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Oh, but it can be. -_-; Especially if you're using Serah. She doesn't seem to react as quickly as Noel, and I quite often sit there thinking (or saying) "Just hit the f*cking thing!".

    Note: If you're going got the Clock Stopper achievement, do it with Noel.

    The battle music is awesome!! But the victory fanfare is, worse than not being there; it's new, and it's not great. Why can't Square grasp that the victory fanfare is one of our greatest joys?

    Alot of the music is great, but there's far too many vocal tracks. Unless you're an opening or an ending theme, lyrics are unnecessary in a game. Especially when you consider that any one track will be repeated several times during a level, so even if you like a song the first few times you hear it, you'll soon be wishing it would shut the f*ck up a little later on.

    The exception to this is the Crazy Chocobo. It's amazing beyond words. X'D

    Oh, and during battle, your status effects flash before disappearing. This is something I felt was lacking from XIII. It may have been there, but if it was, I never saw it. This time around, they give you more warning to when your buffs and stuff will be wearing out.

    The raindrops hitting the screen are still annoying the hell outta me. There's no need for it, and it just creates this barrier between game and player. It also fucks with finding hidden treasures because you'll constantly mistake a raindrop for one. Such a waste of time and a horrible eyesore.

    The snow, however, doesn't hit the screen. Go figure. And I was impressed with the characters visually getting snow on them... until they went back inside and it magically disappeared. They didn't brush it off, shake it off, and it didn't just fall off as you went alone. It literally just disappeared. Same when you go back into the snow; it's magically there again. It doesn't build up or anything. Still though, it's better than not having it at all (like when they're in the rain but their hair is never actually wet).

    Speaking of snow, am I the only one who thinks Serah's very un-originally named cat, Snow, has a f*cked up face? o_O Seriously... what is wrong with that thing!?

    The cinematic battles are still bleh. I'm not impressed by them one bit. And they're just annoying me because, when I wanna watch this pretty cinematic, I'm being forced to focus on a two select parts of the screen and wait for my cue. And they interrupt my killin'!!

    The Crystariums aren't as bad as I thought they were. It's a stupid way to go about it, but luckily, it's still possible to level everything up to max. So it's all good.

    As for Mog... I still hate his design. And yes, it's a confirmed "he" even though it very clearly sounds like a girl. It's not as annoying as I thought it'd be though, thank goodness. It's actually alot of fun. =)

    Chocolina. Oh wow, Chocolina. I won't spoil who she really is, but you have no idea how disappointed I am at this ridiculous "thing" they've done. If I think of her as just some random merchant characters, it's fine. She's just a crazy lady in a chocobo costume. But accepting her for what she really is? No. Not happening. It's the stupidest thing they've ever come up with. f*ck off.

    Oh! Paradigms!! You've no idea how happy I am with the Paradigm Shifts! No more of this waiting around when you shift for the first time. You just pick it, click it, and you're done. This is, without a doubt, the best thing they've changed.

    Other characters I've seen/met? Lightning, who's costume I hate. Caius, who looks cool but needs to die. Yuel, die please (someone even more bland than Serah - gasp). Snow, looks crap and acts like a douche (and I loved his character in XIII). Hope, who's not so emo, I think, but is still boring. Alyssa, who gets kind of annoying later, and I'm sure she's evil.

    Something this game has changed, which I have to say is better than XIII, is that it's not "a straight line". Now, I never had much problem with following a story. It's what FF does. But so many people had massive issues with XIII's story play. But, eventhough I didn't mind the way XIII played, having this game be massively open is brilliant. And as much as I hate this time travel story line, I'm loving being able to go wherever I want.

    Although, speaking of this time travel, what's up with "when you change the future, you change the past" crap? So this is their plot device (which makes no sense) to make me the bad guy? Riiight...

    The game is alot of fun to play, don't get me wrong. But where most people prefer this over XIII, I actually prefer XIII. As much as I love the new improvements, XIII had a much better selection of characters, better characters on the whole (Noel's the only person I like in this game so far), a better story (until the end where nothing made any sense to me - the bad guy wants them to kill him, they say they won't do what he wants, but they kill him anyway - wha?), and was just much more fun.

    It's still early days for me though (and I've probably missed alot of stuff in this entry too). Like I said, I think I'm nearing the end of Episode 3 now, so I've got alot of playing left to do. =3
    Fizzie
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    Post by Fizzie Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:28 am

    Just wanted to share a few small joys I have with this game. ;p

    Mog Throw. The ability you receive to fling your moogle in any direction you please (and later, you get an ability that allows you to throw him even further - joys). And you have to throw him. There are items you can't get to that only he can reach. Why you don't just have the option to ask him to fly over there is anyone's guess. Perhaps someone at SquEnix just really hates moogles.

    But anyway... as cruel an act as this may sound, it's fun. Too much fun. I should not enjoy throwing this poor winged cat thing through the air as much as I do. Maybe it's because of the cute noises he makes as he literally begs you not to. "Fly then". I think is my answer. He's meant to be helping me. So why doesn't he just fly over there and get it for me?

    Incidentally, throwing Mog was Snow's idea.

    What amuses me most about this though, is that the people around you will chase after Mog when you send him flying. It's brilliant! It's like playing fetch with a bunch of humans! And even chocobos will run after him. This is why I enjoy Mog Throw so much. XD

    Also, whilst I hate hate hate the raindrops landing on the screen itself, I do love that their feet splash in small puddles and stuff. Even when there's no obvious puddle, but you know the ground would be soaked and you'd kick-up some water if you ran on it; that's exactly what it does. I love this little touch. No if only they'd remove these stupid drops from my screen, I wouldn't have to avoid rainy areas.

    I think that's about it really. I can't remember much at the moment (not feeling well). Though I am p*ssed they haven't given us the downloadable costumes yet (even though one of Serah's is f*cking ridiculous). ¬_¬

    And I'm still not out of Episode 3 yet. What the hell!? The other two were so short and this one just goes on forever!!

    Anyways, more on this game as I play it.
    Fizzie
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    Post by Fizzie Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:24 pm

    So I finished Final Fantasy XIII-2 today... what a let down.

    Spoiler:

    Oh, but wait! The "true" ending isn't even included in this game. It's either going to be released as DLC, or as another f*cking sequel.

    First of all, an ending only available as DLC? Seriously!? It better be free. And evenso, it should've been included in the game. Why release an unfinished game!?

    Secondly... another sequel? Just how many more fans are you trying to lose, SqueEnix? -_-; Stop releasing half-assed sequels and give us something amazing to look forward to. Like in the good old days.

    So, was this game better than Final Fantasy XIII? No. I didn't hate it, but it's become the second Final Fantasy game I'll never play through again (I play through all of them at least twice, with the exception of XII and now XIII-2). I may play the Sazh DLC I just bought, but as it's nothing more than abit of gambling in Serendipity, I might not bother. And I may play the other worlds I've yet to unlock.

    Honestly, it was fun. So I may continue to play through those other times/worlds. But it was no way worth the price they were asking. And it's definitely not better than Final Fantasy XIII. I know alot of people had a problem with the linear gameplay of that one, but side quests can get very boring, very fast. And they have. Hell, I was brought up on the classic Sonic games. I don't remember any side questing in those (except, if you like, the Chaos Emeralds), and they were the best games of my childhood.

    I just think a game should be judged on it's story, characters, and system (battle, etc). Side quests are an extra and should be treated as such. It's great having other little bits to do, but I don't think they should be what makes or breaks a game.

    PS: Noel x Vanille FTW!! ;p

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