is it necessary to play FF13 before playing this one? i've heard pretty horrible things about FF13 so I'd rather save the time but if i'm gonna be completely lost i may give it a try
I actually liked FF13. Sure it's linear until the second half of the game which pissed many people off but for $20 it truly is worth it and I would say it is necessary because 13-2 is a direct continuation. Many references for the first are made in 13-2.
I think people didn't like it because of the linearity. I didn't mind it and actually preferred it somewhat to the open world part because that's when the story really slowed down until you could level up enough to continue. Anyway, the story was very good and if you're into that, it'd probably be a good idea to play the first one.
The game was so short if you discount the videos, and you don't spend time doing the mission stones. Once you get a hang of the battle system, the game becomes extremely easy, especially if you are willing to grind out battles. I still miss controlling all of my characters, but do like the paradigm system.
Linearity was one of several problems with FF13. If it actually had a good story (or a story that made sense), I might have enjoyed it despite some of the flaws. I wouldn't say it is necessary to play FF13 first...but I don't think you should be playing either game if you were wanting a good story. Go play Persona 4 or something if you're interested in a good RPG.
It seems that FF13's story is hit or miss with people. I personally thought it was utter crap. And got so bad I was skipping certain scenes, which for me is almost blasphemous for a FF game. But I LOVED the battle system. It's fairly easy to handle and very fast paced. Add to that the (IMO) awesome battle music and fighting was quite fun. As for FF13-2, it reminded me of FFX-2, which I also enjoyed as a lighthearted game. I would say 7/10 with a mixture of good and bad, but more good than bad.
I hated the story in FF13 as well but for some reason enjoyed FF13-2's storyline. As far as it being lighthearted, I dunno about that. The ending was totally unexpected.
The ending was ridiculous. Not bad ridiculous. Not good ridiculous. Just ridiculous. I wasn't impressed with 13-2's storyline, though. It seemed like it was thrown together just to have another game. I think 13 had a better plot, but 13-2 is overall a better game.
