From what I've seen and read as far as story and characters go....I'm not too hyped about this one. Of course until I play the actual game I can't make an actual decision, but so far to me it doesn't look good.

I know X-2 was popular, but X was the last FF I really enjoyed. X was a really good game and IX was a true classic. In my eyes the FF series has derailed and if this one does not impress me...well...I guess we'll see how long they can cash in these spin offs.

I honestly think they should go back to the basics, especially with the technology available now.

With the capabilities of today's consoles, I think it would be silly to go "back to basics". Personally, I know I couldn't go back to the Pokemon style battles. XII went in the right direction in my opinion.

Don't get me wrong, I like the older games. And I could go back and play them again. But I wouldn't want them to take a step back now.

As for the game, I am looking forward to it. But it's not the highest on the list of games I'm anticipating. It'll be interesting to see how it all works on this new console. What changes they have made, and how the game plays differently.

Back to basics is already overused. They don't have to make new games that use old formulas with all the remakes they're so fond of releasing. As a long time fan, I could appreciate some kind of homage product, but not in a new game like XIII. The series should evolve with the tech. Not fight against it.

No they need to reinvent the wheel like they did with XII.

Yeah, I was thinking more of an homage project, as far as the Battle System goes I can always adjust when it is done right. I'm just hoping the game has a strong storyline.

Yeah, that would have been my worry coming off of FFXII, which I felt lacked a strong narrative.

Motomu Toriyama, the same guy who directed FFX-2 and wrote Revnant Wings will script XIII. Take that how you want it.

All I can say is I almost never worry about the stories. They're almost always average at best. If it's great, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Almost always average....


Final Fantasy VI (VII and VIII being debatable), IX and X had anything but average narrative. And as far as XII goes, it's also highly debatable.

I said "almost" for just such an occasion.

When half the games in the series have great narrative, it hardly qualifies as the "almost always average" you mentioned.

I'm glad you enjoy them and I'm sure others would agree with your appraisal.

FFXIII had greatly surpassed my expectations. Square Enix did an amazing job, its probably going to be one of the best games in the FF series! (^-^)

That's a bold statement considering that little of nothing is known about the game.

The game looks phenomenal, and I'm sure it's going to exceed many expectations. I'm anxious about XIII, and it's difficult to get me worked up about a game.

As aforementioned going back to basics isn't necessary as it could hurt, or hinder the game entirely. Square needs to keep in mind that technology is evolving at an alarming rate, and with that comes another heaping spoonful of high expectations. So instead of starting back from square one (no pun intended) Square needs to go with the flow, and evolve with it.

I've never actually been too hyped about an FF game since 8, and most often been proven wrong about it.
7 got me started and i got all giddy about it like the little kid i was back then.
When i heard of 8 coming out, starring uber-cool Mr. Squall, i got all hyped. Played the game, liked it, then everybody else started cursing it and i thought that was my duty too so i went with it.
Then 9 got announced, but since i was all into the 7-8 cyberpunk look, and for some reason got the feeling Square was loosing the touch after 8 which i still thought little of because everyone else thought little of it even though i actually liked it (and with all my expert opinion after having played two whole games out of eight), i dismissed it altogether. Years later i played it and totally loved it.
10 came out, i didn't really know what to think. The idea of no ATB really put me off, but since i had nothing better to spend my money on for my 1st PS2 game, i thought "screw it" and got it. Liked it a lot, even the battle system.
Never played 11 to this day.
(Played 6 sometime during this timeframe. And loved it too.)
Then 12, i hated the whole thing from the get go. Vaan's girly vest, that chick with the pink skirt that i couldn't tell whether was fanservice or just stupid, the rumors of the new battle system. Loved the whole thing once i started playing.

So for XIII, yeah, i dunno.
I mean, the whole thing looks screwed up. Square's half dragon quest, Sakaguchi's gone, Uematsu's gone, Matsuno's gone, Nomura seems bent on making everyone look trendy and uber cool, which is usually a recipe for disaster. Same for the whole look of it, judging from the trailers. Looking back on FFXII's trailers, they were all engaging and cinematic too, but they kinda felt real in a way these new ones don't. Square never seemed to be afraid of being childish if that's what it took to tell the story. Now they want to look all mature and important, flooding us with eye-candy and exposition by means of pretty text, somehow supposed to get people interested.
Yeah, cocoon...pulse...l-cie... something about ending the world... what do i care? Right, reading those words i get all excited. No way any 17 year old emo could ever think of something that creative and engaging to write into a trailer's black screen.
Then they go all Mr. Corporate: "oh, we've made a deal with this fashion brand to promote their clothes through the game", sure i've always dreamed about that in a fantasy game since my first pair of pants got all torn and rugged. As for the whole Xbox thing, i won't really condemn it, but i gotta wonder if there's still anything left in these big companies besides market study and risk management these days.

That said, maybe i'll love it. I dunno.


- Ooooh, that was long. Sorry.

I`m sure that FF will never go back to it`s core. I`d love to see the cast of FNC as good it was in FFVI, but Square-Enix is not able to pull it off. They`ve completely lost the idea of what FF is, and what it`s meant to be.
Though I think that FFvsXIII looks promising. Putting aside those costumes made by a clothes designer, Shakespeares` lines and everything else, I see a nice and promising storyline. Of course it`s a matter of Tetsuyas` haters and lovers too.
Going back to basics wouldn`t attract any new gamers so it`s not a good idea for a money-making company like Square Enix, besides who`d want to play a SNES-like FF game on the PS3.