Yeah, because Final Fantasy games have never reviewed well, sold well, revered or hyped in any way. Those Japanese companies, always getting shunned. lol
It doesn't start you back at the save point when you die? Seems too easy. I haven't used the paradigm system yet(2 hours in, but of course that has been more videos then anything).
The paradigm system is basically the foundation of everything, IMO. It's the main element that makes the battle system more than hitting Auto-Battle a lot. The system is incredibly boring without it, but it completely changes it into something quite fun. Some bosses and monsters have taken significant strategy and flipping of paradigms to defeat, too, which is great fun.
People who have played JRPGs for years know that linear gameplay is a given for most JRPG titles. For all those b****ing about linearity and quoting reviews, stick with Fallout 3 and other great American RPGs that let you create who you are. I love the Final Fantasy series for the most part and have enjoyed 13 thus far.
I'll also note that because of the paradigm system, I actually really, really like the battle system.
No, it doesn't. But trust me, it gets way harder when you actually have to start paradigm shifting. If you try to "auto" it, you're going to die pretty fast. One mistake and it could cost you dearly. It definitely is easy to start with, but it gets way more complex (and more fun). Especially when you start unlocking new abilities and such.
Yeah, I hate the ol' days were I got lost in a dungeon (or cave) and had to waste hours getting back to my original spot while fighting weak monsters with every step or two. Also if you take the wrong path you could end up fighting the boss and missing out on some valuable treasures and then you can't go back to get them because after you have beaten the boss, you get transferred to some other location! Linear isn't a bad thing if done right.
I'm definitely not far enough into the game yet. I'm not used to dying in FF games. I can remember playing FF8 with my playstation that couldn't recognize memory cards anymore. Finally died on the 3rd disc, which of course really sucked to have played that much for nothing.
Hmm...how does the "linear" gameplay of FF 13 compare to say The Answer from P3? I've been trying to get an idea of the gameplay, and that seems like it might compare (The Answer was nothing but dungeon crawling IIRC). I could possibly see how that would get to be a bit much after 30-40 hours...especially if the gameplay wasn't as good (yeah, I really like the SMT mechanics).
It's linear like God of War, you follow a certain path fighting enemies along the way and at certain spots there are cutscenes/boss fights to progress the story. I'm about 7 hours into it and really like it so far. The paradigm system is growing on me and makes the battles pretty interesting. I like all of the characters so far except for Hope, he's just annoying.
I am getting used to the battle system as well and am starting to enjoy it as it opens up. As far as the linearity thing, yeah they've all been somewhat linear in that you end up in the same place. Having the freedom to explore areas and find side things was pretty cool though.
That exactly what I did. At the time the Playstation 2 was coming out within a year, so I didn't want to waste money on a new Playstation, but I really wanted to play.
Haha, I did that back with FF7, before I owned a PSX. I rented the system and the game from Blockbuster, but it didn't come with a memory card so I just left the system on the whole time. I eventually traded my N64 for a PSX. Great trade.
Actually, I didn't die to Odin! I forget what Paradigms I used but it was just enough to get me through without dying. I remember the first thing I did was Med + Syn till both had protect & shell. Then had one attack and the other med. Then when he was charging have both attack, then switch back to attack + med. It's funny, I never really utilized status effects before, but I find them very helpful in FFXIII.
Yeah, I made the mistake of starting out offensively several times. Protect/Shell are a must, which I realized, and often employ during boss fights and trickier random monster fights now. Agreed. Deshell and deprotect are two of my favorite spells now. I actually like Sazh/Vanille specifically because Vanille can be a saboteur. The fights feel much more strategic than previous FF's, and I am enjoying paradigms very much.
I think the biggest difference that I'm enjoying is... how to put it? It feels like instead of playing the role of soldier in battle, I guess I feel more like the general. More directing the flow of battle than the specific actions. Sometimes you've got to step in and make more minute choices, but for the most part it's, "ok, let's debuff these guys, buff ourselves, boost the chain gauge, then wail on 'em," as opposed to, "ok, you cast protect, you cast shell, etc." Generally speaking, your AI-controlled teammates are pretty damned smart about what to do.
Any way to compare it to another RPG though? Or preferably a jRPG? Linear like GoW isn't bad when GoW is ~10 hours or so, while this is 60 hours (or whatever). Point I was bringing up is that The Answer did seem a bit similar in many ways, at least compared to what I've read (who knows how accurate that is though). Not quite as long though...and it was an extra chapter, not a full $60 game. I do love this, although I wish they'd go maybe even further. I loved the gambit system in FF XII, and I wish they stuck with it (or something similarly complex and advanced). Dragon Age was kind of nice too, although not quite as good. Just kind of tedious to do the same repetitive tasks, especially for long battles. Would be so much better just to say "If health < 30% Then Heal, Else Attack". Glad to hear that battles are tougher and require more strategy. I remember playing SMT Nocturne for the first time after playing mostly FF games. That was a bit of shock. Those games definitely force you to use those support skills/spells. Makes it that much more satisfying when you discover the strategy to beating a tough boss (as opposed to simply pressing attack over and over).
