These graphics are fookin’ amazing. It took me quite a while to finally decide that these are the gameplay graphics, and not the movie graphics.
Square Enix is making their characters look more life-like each game! So, what do we think is next? Do we think that the graphics will continue to reach for a real-life look, or do you think they’ll keep a more animated look just for the sake of keeping it fantasy-like?
Buy me a PS 3!
The graphics will continue to reach for a real-life look(in my opinion)
that would actually be "Fucking"
Yes, thank you, http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/7306/foto144nd5.gif
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Do you guys prefer the graphics in FF XIII or Lost Odyssey?
Both are great! The resolution seems high in both of them, but so far I like the actual "design" in Lost Odyssey a little bit more, off the top of my head. If I research this a bit more I’ll know a bit more. Anyways, 2006 has FF XII, 2007 has BD and LO, and 2008 will have FF XIII(hopefully), and possibly FF V XIII!
EDIT:
This is the reason that I’m getting a PS 3 also! Also, I’m getting it for Final Fantasy Versus XIII also! I’m not sure if I’m interested in White Knight Story, The Last Remnant, or Disgaea 3. What other console exclusive top rpg’s are coming out for PS 3?
Other than that, LO’s battle system seems to be a classic turn based one. A bit dated when it comes to modern gaming. But if DQVIII is any indication, a classic style can be successful if the game has the right balance in every aspect. But I can’t help be feel it’s a shame Sakaguchi is staying in the past as far as game mechanics goes. Nothing risky so far. Take Blue Dragon for example. Just a typical classic "RPG" battle system with great graphics patched to it. Still a good game, but not what I was hoping Sakaguchi would achieve on a next gen system. (To those saying the FF series will never be the same now that he’s gone… I say that’s a good thing. No sense in dwelling in the past forever! Just hope Nomura won’t get to big a hold on the series. Screw those MTV "inspired" games.)
FFXIII on the other hand seems to be introducing a new battle system that is really intriguing to me. I hope S-E will reveal more info about it soon.
Let’s just hope the story will be better, or if you prefer, more prevalent and emotional than the one from FFXII.
just making sure you werent one of those 10 year old momas boys that thinks swearing is a capital crime.
This happens to be my point of view as well. I certainly do not mind graphics that stunning, but I’d play FFV over FFX any day, just so you know what I’m saying.
Truer words haven’t been said often.
I hope it doesnt turn to be another Junction System case
I hope it doesnt turn to be another Junction System case
I think it’s a given that these numbers are in fact the cost in ATB points.
Not that I don’t think the PS3 is capable of graphics like that, mind you – I’m hoping that it actually DOES happen, because i’d love to see a game that actually gets anti-aliasing right. Jaggies were supposed to disappear LAST generation, and PCs can do it, so why do I still see jaggies in my next gen games?
Also, as much as I was looking forward to Lost Odyssey, the latest trailer has made me lose a lot of interest. The cutscenes are amazing, but the ‘in-game’ graphics leave a LOT to be desired. They only look marginally better than a high-def FF12 =/
Not that I don’t think the PS3 is capable of graphics like that, mind you – I’m hoping that it actually DOES happen, because i’d love to see a game that actually gets anti-aliasing right. Jaggies were supposed to disappear LAST generation, and PCs can do it, so why do I still see jaggies in my next gen games?
Source please?
I know the trailer to FF VS XIII is pre-rendered, but I followed the production of FFXIII pretty closely and I haven’t seen anything mentioned about that.
I don’t doubt it could be pre-rendered, but I would prefer reading the actual interview than to believe someone who read something god knows where.
Oh, well then that’s okay. And I’m not; I just like changin’ it up sometimes.
…off topic. =B
@ Raidenex: Oh really? What a bummer. Well, let’s hope the step up and make the whole game look like that.
And yeah, graphics aren’t a must (Katamari Damacy; simplest graphics, best gameplay), but you’ve got to admit they’re a nice add-on. =D
Here:
…off topic. =B
one time i spelled shit "shitteh"
White Engine
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation 3
Genre: Game Engine
Website: Square Enix’s Global Website
The White Engine is an exclusive seventh generation game engine built to be used with "all of the [Square Enix’s] forthcoming next-generation games" on the PlayStation 3, as commented by Final Fantasy Versus XIII character designer Tetsuya Nomura. The first games to utilize it will be Final Fantasy XIII and its spinoff title Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Nomura commented that the platform switching of Final Fantasy XIII from the PlayStation 2 to the PlayStation 3 was difficult, saying that "the hurdles are greater than they were in the move from the PS1 to the PS2." This in turn gave way to the creation of the White Engine.
One of the main aspects of the engine is that it allows photorealistic CGI to be rendered in real-time. Nomura has commented that the White Engine will be able "to recreate battle scenes reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children." It also handles advanced audio processing, cinematic cut-scene transition, physics effects calculations and special effects rendering. The White Engine reportedly uses 4 of the 6 synergistic processing elements (SPEs) that are available to games running on the Cell processor, to achieve near-pre-rendered CGI quality in realtime.
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation 3
Genre: Game Engine
Website: Square Enix’s Global Website
The White Engine is an exclusive seventh generation game engine built to be used with "all of the [Square Enix’s] forthcoming next-generation games" on the PlayStation 3, as commented by Final Fantasy Versus XIII character designer Tetsuya Nomura. The first games to utilize it will be Final Fantasy XIII and its spinoff title Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
FF Versus XIII isn’t a spin off… just so you know. It is an entirely different game than FF XIII, and although they share the same digit, they are not connected together in any form.
But I’ll be fair and give him the benefit of doubt.
The game was critisized a lot for that and I’m confident they’ll improve the formula for XIII. As far as storytelling goes, I don’t see how they did a major step-back. All the post SNES games had compelling stories, even if flawed at times (mainly for VII and VIII), but they still delivered the same quality of storytelling as far as I’m concerned.
FFXII had a really good story, but the many hours of "farming" in between the story events diluted it.
Now, just because one game in the series (not counting X-2) doesn’t seem to be on par with what came before doesn’t really warrant all these "accusations" that S-E have become more and more graphics whore than they actually are. There are just a few developers out there who manage to give the gamers the total package (great graphics+addictive gameplay+awesome music+compelling storylines) and S-E is still one of them.
But I do understand your worries about all that. Particularly since Nomura is gaining more and more freedom in the games he develops. And this guy is well known as being the "OMFG! More power=more coolness and coolness beats anything" kind of guy.
I think a lot of people didn’t like FFXII because they were expecting this grandeur tale of good, evil, and a shit-ton of bad guy ass-kicking for destroying what the main character holds dear. Instead of any that, SE gave them FFXII, where a lot of people had trouble identifying with the characters… Especially Vaan with his Barbie doll-face and metro-sexual get up.
Shiva, Ifrit, and the rest of the usual summons gang didn’t make an appearance. They were replaced with a slew of menacing summons that were seen in FFT (obviously because this is set in Ivalice). I don’t know about you guys, but when I play a FF game and see a summon, I think to myself "I knew you when you were in FF-whatever. My, how you’ve grown over time."
Love for country, love for the sky, and love for the throne. The undercurrent of a love theme wasn’t present (which is prevalent in all FF games). And if it was, I was either out getting oreos or I’m a real dunce and didn’t catch on to it.
And in the end, you don’t save the world, you save a city. Granted it’s a big city, but it’s not the world like so many of us are used to saving. That sense of accomplishment in the end is absent. Credits role and that’s it.
Under his direction, the graphics are nicely done, but at the cost of what’s most important; the story. It’s like he focuses on looks, then is like "oh shit, I forgot that it has to make sense! What was I thinking!?" Then along comes a re-release of Kingdom Hearts (dubbed Final Mix), exclusively for Japan. He may have well just called it "Kingdom Hearts: This is How it REALLY Went Down." How many times have we seen re-releases of games that are (not completely, but enough) different from the first release to make an impact? Take Xenosaga for example (yes, I know it’s not well-liked). There’s been a I, II, and III. Then along comes "Xenosaga I & II" that completely changes up/"fixes" the "broken story" elements.
Back in the old SNES days, CG graphics and in-game voice acting was unheard of. Thus, we were forced to use something we’ve been using since childhood; our imagination. Those little game sprites were merely a foundation to start on. Our brains would fill in the rest of gaps for voice acting, etc.
In the newer FF titles, all of that has been taken care of. It’s kind of sad in a way.
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Is that a Sahagin
They already tried photorealism with Spirits Within, and according to most sources it didn’t go down too well due to the freakiness of things looking real but just not quite right.
anyway bak to the topic!
yea the graphics is good better yet excellent but without great storyline the game would juz make people regret playing the game…lets hope it ff 13 and v13
comes in both packages!
In the newer FF titles, all of that has been taken care of. It’s kind of sad in a way.
Well said. I totally agree with you about the deprivation of letting people imagine that’s happening. Voice acting can be nice, but it cuts down on reading (which I actually like to do in video games; more practice ’cause I suck at reading). Also, voices prevent the naming of your characters (which I miss dearly :[ ) and also thinking on your own how some names are pronounced: if FF7 had had voices, I would’ve died of annoyance listening to them say "Teefa" (for Tifa) the entire game.
Those are good graphics
aww, im getting a wii instead so i cant play it. *sob*
You Have 377 post count now….
Hmm, I think I should Buy this GAME!
They do look amazing and the attention to detail is astounding, however to call them realistic is a joke.
We MIGHT get something, but I’m not hopeful. You’d think in an era where interconnectivity can factor heavily into the game making process, it would be exceptionally stupid not to include some kind of multiplayer option. But looking at Infinite Undiscovery, I think Prak has a point on this one.
Good graphics, btw.
I dunno, Prak… for cave paintings, they’re pretty detailed. If you’re comparing a JRPG to an ARPG, I dare say that Japan’s a little ahead when it comes to storytelling, music composition, and graphics. If they lacking in anything, it’s gameplay or replayability.
guess i can safely up my post count here
Cheating your post count? You are the epitome of shit.
As for storytelling in those games, it’s usually pretty basic stuff, more or less what you’re likely to find in a mid-to-high-tier anime title. When you compare that element to the true western counterpart, adventure games, they pale in comparison. And of course, jap games cannot even begin to parallel the replayability of western RPGs.
It really is very obvious that Japan has fallen behind. They got too stuck in their ways and only polished what they already had instead of keeping pace with western innovation. Of course, they have a rabid enough fanbase that they can get away with it, which is a shame, but I basically hold JRPG developers on the same level of uselessness as shovelware developers.
They are backwards… I wonder. Western developers have done a huge leap from where they were years ago, but they’ve already started to get in the same kind of corners as the Japanese did. Most western game developers are doing the same games over and over again, and it’s now hard to find any real innovations in their games.
I hate the way you talk about them. When you say they are backward, I say they do different.
If all developers were doing FPSs, Baldur or Oblivion clones, then where would be the choice?
As for your remark on story telling, I haven’t played a game with a really clever storyline since god knows when. All stories these days are pretty basic stuff, like you say. The major difference between one game an an other lies in the directional seat. And that is just a matter of opinion whether one is better than the other.
And don’t worry, I’ll get to play that game you mentioned one day soon.
As for story-telling, I guess it all depends on the pace you like a story to have. Games like MGS4 have a story told at a really fast pace, while games like FF XII are slower paced while maintaining focus on gameplay. On a personal note, I do prefer games built like Shenmue, Mass Effect and GTA IV, where the story is almost seemless in the gameplay (although Mass Effect and Shenmue do indeed take the NPC conversations a bit too far and they tend to get boring quite fast).
Most JRPGs would be more liked if people could move around like he characters do in the cutscenes. One of the most disappointing aspects of Dirge of Cerberus was that Vincent was hopping around like Spider-man in all of the CG scenes, yet when playing him, you couldn’t do ANY of that.
The fact that "combat system" even remains in modern gaming’s lexicon is entirely the fault of the Japanese. Compared to the western counterparts, most of their action games are rigid and restrictive. It amazes me that people still tolerate their crap. I can’t tell whether it’s because of ignorance or a fundamental inability to accept advancement beyond whatever their earliest gaming experiences happened to be.
Yes, I am denigrating pretty much the entire gamer demographic. And if you don’t agree with me, your opinion doesn’t count.
You seem to expect every games out there to allow you life-like movements and possibilities or dream of virtual reality.
Your opinion is based on your own little need as a gamer. Not the need of every gamers out there. Some games are made to make you feel as if it was really you who was thrown in the action, while others take a more "third person" approach as if you were watching a TV show or a movie.
To say that one aproach is backward compared to the other is nothing more than an open statement on your part of your own preferences.
In the game of Chess, I wonder if you think it sucks that the horse cannot rush straight to the king instead of walking in this strange "L" pattern.
Game systems that are well implemented in a game give a structure that the players can learn to use to their advantages. Some players are smart enough to make good use of them, and will often consider it a flaw if they think it makes the overall experience too easy (we’ve seen this with many Final Fantasy titles for example). The problem is not that the games use a "system" per se, but that quite often these systems aren’t used in ways clever enough for most of us, or that even if clever enough, the developers fail to deliver one that can have a long lasting novelty. Developers have to think a lot harder to find clever systems then in making everything life-like (which really revolve around the horsepower of the platform).
I personally don’t want every games to play in first person mode with life-like realism in freedom of movements or physics.
I still greatly enjoy working my ways through the game’s systems and mastering them.
After all these years, I still enjoy playing Chess.
In any case, you’re wrong when you say the Japanese is entirely at fault when it comes to "battle systems". These systems are seen in just about every western RPGs. Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect, Oblivion, World of Warcraft, KOTOR, Fable, and even the (personally eagerly awaited) Fallout 3 have restricted Battle systems.
As for battle systems, you are extremely wrong about several of the examples you listed. Mass Effect, Oblivion, and Fable (along with numerous others I can name) tend to be far more free-form in their combat than most other games. They’re fluid, requiring constant motion and attention, with precision and timing being far more important to survival than whether you choose a melee attack or spell.
The timing of a spell or an attack is as important in a turn based battle system (a well designed one, at least) than it is in a real time one. The difference really is by the way the game is presented. Most games actually allow the same actions, but they present them differently.
In Mass Effect for example, you only control one character, but you pause the game to assign special actions to your teamates (which kind of feel a bit like FF XII, except for the "automatic" gambit you set).
I mentioned Oblivion because you seem to be waiting for the day RPG like this will be played as if you were put in some kind of virtual reality where every movements you perform will be represented in the game. Oblivion still has a basic move patern that is highly restrictive, unrealistic and repetitive, with sword swing paterns that are just hiding the fact that it’s still the same as it was in Zelda (first of the name) where Link’s sword swing was the same at every button press. Fallout seems to be getting around that somehow, allowing you to target specific body parts, but again using a "pause" screen that is part of its battle system.
Fable is a lot like Zelda when it comes to control, but you still can’t jump or swing at your enemies legs to make them come at you slower for example.
The controls might be intuitive and fluid, which is always a plus, but in no way are you more free than in a regular turn based game.
I understand though where you are coming from. I too like games where the action is faster and involve more reflexes, but some other times, I just feel like taking it relax working my way through a good turn based system.
It’s still more of the same. The envelop makes it seem like it’s different.
We might be nearly to that point you mention, but The western developers aren’t really doing a better job to achieve it.
Games like Mass Effect give you the impression that you have a lot of freedom and choices, mainly because they put NPC dialogs in fragments (that the japanese would give you in one or two straight "chat box"), let you explore tons of planets that are most of the time useless unless you’re at the right point through the plot, let you choose the appearance and gender of your character, etc…
More of the same, just a different coating.
Sure those details improve the immersion, if your need is to be "disconnected". But in no ways are the western "systems" any different from what we’ve been fed the last 2 decades.
As I said, it’s still progressing. When it reaches the inevitable conclusion, there will be no similarity.
All Japanese games.
That step might be right at the corner, but who knows who will take the next big step.
I don’t know why you seem to dislike Japanese games so much. My guess is that the "coating" of their games tend to be more colorful/cartoon-like and less realistic. That would be a generalisation that works for pretty much all the western gamers of late.
So I wonder. Do you dislike all or most of the game that comes from Japanese developers (except for the games from the Big N… of course)?
Objectively, I see innovative stuff coming from both sides, from time to time. Do they always fit my tastes? Of course not. But I’m glad these developers are at least trying, even if they often fail. It shows that they want to push the format further.
But in no case do I see any of these sides taking over the other. Both are currently relatively stagnant right now (and have been for years) and when they make steps, they’re baby ones.
It doesn’t really help that a game now nearly costs the same as a summer bluckbuster movie. But with the current gen’s development tools made available for small designers, we’re now seeing a new wave of innovation that can only help push the stagnant "systems" currently in place.
I think a lot of our anger is mainly pointed at Square, which has (to me) become a Completely commercial entity…they continue to make the same sorts of games b/c enough ppl buy them for the company to make a fair profit…and if its not broke why fix it? Obvious example is the 13 port to 360 to increase profits.
when i think of final fantasy, chrono cross/trigger, kingdom hearts, i think its the same game with just different artwork..and as mentioned above ppl just continue to consume it
Take Bioshock… It went on the 360, shortly followed by the PC and then the PS3. It’s a logical way to go, and any sane developer should take the same route. As long as the user install base warrants it.
The rest of your comment is ignorant at best, so I won’t bother replying to it.
I remember a time when a certain number of people would only play western video games, like certain people would only use Apple products. The rest would play the nintendo’s and the sega’s and so forth.
Right now, with computer technology, western games could surpass Japanese games in innovations, but the Japanese culture is proud and will still stick to their style of games. Microsoft knows this, that’s why they are buying a lot of Japanese video game developers, to capitalize on the market. It’s working so far. At the TGS, the Xbox 360 booth was packed for the first time at one of those shows.