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Is Final Fantasy XIII really that bad?
- Thread starter Uzumaki Goku
- Start date
You can get over the game being linear but the characters are bad, def the worst cast in any modern ff game. Hope and vanille are annoying and have no redeeming qualities. It's the only ff game I struggled to beat.
I couldn't stand it. The story was shit and it holds your hand for what feels like over 15 hours. I also heard that by the time it opens up its basically over. Bad FF game in my opinion.
I mean, I don't think it's some hidden masterpiece, but I enjoyed it more than X or XV. Snow can absolutely just fuck off though.
FF and MGS are some of my fave series ever and I would love to discuss them but the toxicity on Era is something else.
I end up not participating or just ignoring most of the threads.
It's the only game i have ever beat where i couldn't tell you a single plot point or even tell you remotely what happened. Sahz is the only character i remember due to him having a baby chocobo in his hair so that kinda speaks volumes about the story and characters. I do remember a few of the areas you walk through tho so i guess that's a plus
VII R has very similar non battle gameplay, level design and everything. Its very similar in a lot of ways. Even the combat. The combat of VII isn't static but it has the same stagger mechanic and certain moves required to build it. VII is in every respect a deeper version of XIII. The combat is deeper, with more emphasis on builds, weaknesses, statuses et al. You're also controlling 3 characters. VII R has much better pacing, it has chapters that focus on NPC interaction (though there aren't many NPC you can converse with), side missions, minigames. Helps too that, outside of the already controversial climax, VII has a FAR better story and cast than XIII for a fact. Another issue XIII has is its insufferable cast and bad story. If the story was legit great then the linearity might've even worked out in its favor.
X, I've never really compared X to XIII. X was the most linear before XIII was a thing but X is still quite a bit different from XIII and even VII R. X lets you go everywhere. Aside from a world map it has a fully realized world. You can fast travel to Luca, Besaid, even Baaj Temple.. you can revisit nearly everything. If you missed an item in Besaid, you can go back and claim it. Now, if you've missed the second Elemental or Aerith's Limit Break in VII R, sucks to be you. You have to know what chapter and replay it from square one and do everything all over again. If you missed something in XIII before Gran Pulse, you're fucked.
Remember that dungeon after you defeat Barthandelus and it's the longest fucking hallway ever? Like damn, they could've cut it in half and it still would feel to long.
This
Played through a bit of it last year and had some fun. It's stunning on my 1X and the combat is still pretty good. But the story and characters aren't great and it's way too linear without any of the positives of modern linear games.
At least FF7R has actual town areas and side content (albeit there isn't enough of it as I'd like), you're allowed to backtrack occasionally, and it features locations and characters I love. XIII is just an entirely linear series of highly polished tunnels in the company of assholes.
i'm currently playing this again on the one s, and wow it still looks good... seriously, production is through the roof
i always liked the game, and re-visiting i find myself still liking it
paradigm'ing at the speed of light when shit gets real never looses its magnificence
i always liked the game, and re-visiting i find myself still liking it
paradigm'ing at the speed of light when shit gets real never looses its magnificence
FF XIII has th best battle system in the series. yes seriously its that good. however the rest of the game is bad. i mean graphics are still top tier but aside of that its bad.
i will say that FFXIII-2 fixes a lot of the problems though (despite having a similarly confusing, convoluted story that makes Kingdom Hearts like shakespeare)
i will say that FFXIII-2 fixes a lot of the problems though (despite having a similarly confusing, convoluted story that makes Kingdom Hearts like shakespeare)
It's a very, very linear game with few ways to venture off the beaten path until towards the end of the game. Near the end, the game opens up and allows you to explore, take on monster hunts, and freely customize your characters' fighting styles, but by then, you've already played the game for 20 hours or more. I enjoyed the game, but it definitely isn't for everyone.
The sequels are much better in that regard, giving you a lot more freedom pretty much from the start.
The sequels are much better in that regard, giving you a lot more freedom pretty much from the start.
Yeah it is. Outside of the technically stunning graphics and the pretty good soundtrack, I disliked everything about it. Hated the level design and how Cocoon felt like bunch of places randomly slapped together with, hated the combat system which barely gave you any control, mostly disliked the art style, story was incomprehensible nonsense even if you read the damn codex, and the characters were universally terrible. It's still the worst RPG I've ever played and I've played some pretty bad ones.
Yeah, same for me.
I am a big fan of most FF games up to IX, but I didn't enjoy XII so much. After reading the vast criticism about XIII, I was prepared to hate it. However, I ended up finding the game quite enjoyable (despite many defects like all the corridors, Hope etc), and found it as good as XIII-2. Beautiful OST and artwork, fun combat, kind of a cohesive world and experience once you get used to the terminology. I guess it is my favorite single player FF after IX? It doesn't come nowhere close to III - IX, but it is still a good game. Way better than the butchered mess of a game which is XV.
It is. I didn't play XIII until last year, but when I did.. well, it's a really boring game. Extremely linear progression, mediocre story, terrible level design, and on and on... I did enjoy it enough to finish it, but it's not as good as X or XII, not even close.
Yeah I've said it before but VIIR is in many ways XIII done better(bar the endings). You can see a lot of the similarities but having side quests, minigames and most importantly Imo likeable characters amd interactions/dialogue goes a long way. I don't necessarily need my characters to be likeable to be into them but I think that really affects people's enjoyment of a JRPG
Well 1 is my favorite KH and I have criticized 2 for being more linear. Haven't played 3.
Y'know I really just can't emphasize how bad the cast of antagonists are. Like I can accept different tastes and that there are people who legitimately like the good guys... but XIII's villains? Holy hell there isn't even anything there, how does that happen?
Final Fantasy games since VIII have become very divisive, as each game tries its own set of concepts and ideas.
XIII along with the first version XIV were the games that endangered the brand. And that is a fact.
XIII was a game that suffered from serious development issues and lack of direction and vision, and it shows on the cast, the level design, the battle system, and so on.
The battle system and soundtrack are strong. But the battle system only opens to its' true potential after 20 hours or so. And it definitely hurts the game from a gameplay perspective.
I won't even discuss the linear design. X is linear, but each setting tells its own story and has interesting substories that goes along with the player journey.
This is not the case on XIII. The game is disjointed in that sense (and I have played the whole trilogy). You can't connect to the characters, not because they weren't supposed to be believable and relatable, but the director chose to focus on aspects of them that were not interesting.
I agree XV is divisive as well, but I think it holds better than XIII on many aspects. It also recover the brand along with XIV 2.0.
Comparing XIII and XV from a gameplay and structure standpoint does not make much sense (for me, at least). I would relate XIII to a poorly envisioned game that fails to capitalize on the strengths of X and VII.
XIII along with the first version XIV were the games that endangered the brand. And that is a fact.
XIII was a game that suffered from serious development issues and lack of direction and vision, and it shows on the cast, the level design, the battle system, and so on.
The battle system and soundtrack are strong. But the battle system only opens to its' true potential after 20 hours or so. And it definitely hurts the game from a gameplay perspective.
I won't even discuss the linear design. X is linear, but each setting tells its own story and has interesting substories that goes along with the player journey.
This is not the case on XIII. The game is disjointed in that sense (and I have played the whole trilogy). You can't connect to the characters, not because they weren't supposed to be believable and relatable, but the director chose to focus on aspects of them that were not interesting.
I agree XV is divisive as well, but I think it holds better than XIII on many aspects. It also recover the brand along with XIV 2.0.
Comparing XIII and XV from a gameplay and structure standpoint does not make much sense (for me, at least). I would relate XIII to a poorly envisioned game that fails to capitalize on the strengths of X and VII.
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That game was so bad that I not only stopped playing it after giving it a fair chance (5-8 hours) it made me non interested in anything FF from that time going forward. I finished every FF since 7.
I still dont feel like picking up FF7re because I'm still disappointed and fear it's the same linear crap all over again. Never even thought about buying or renting 15.
I still dont feel like picking up FF7re because I'm still disappointed and fear it's the same linear crap all over again. Never even thought about buying or renting 15.
An JRPG game with no cities or villages or NPCs to interact with.. just the main 6 characters interacting with each others most of the game in liner paths and when the game opens up it's just very big open empty depressing spaces.. very lonely world that you interact with freaking STONES.
.... What SE were thinking -_-"
.... What SE were thinking -_-"
No, i liked it a lot. Great combat system.
Was pretty cool to see the staggering mechanic come back in FF7R.
Was pretty cool to see the staggering mechanic come back in FF7R.
It really falls off after the first hour. It's beautiful but very on rails. I have replayed nearly all the FFs and this one is one I just came being myself to finish. Very few NPCs to interact with. Battle system is the smoothest form of ATB out there that isn't straight up action.
Definitely not.
It was very good, imo. It's one of those games where almost no reason apply to its criticism anymore - "auto battle until the end" is still alive, for example?
I thought Hope was kinda bad, but same as Tidus, a lot was because of the voice actor. But oh well, it was fine.
It was very good, imo. It's one of those games where almost no reason apply to its criticism anymore - "auto battle until the end" is still alive, for example?
I thought Hope was kinda bad, but same as Tidus, a lot was because of the voice actor. But oh well, it was fine.
Absolutey loved it. 100%ed it, would do it again if they remastered it. Very challenging and flexible combat system (in my opinion. It starts off really restrictive though), one of the best soundtracks in the series and I adored the end/postgame.
Don't play it for the story though. Even after beating it twice, I still couldn't tell you what it was really about.
Don't play it for the story though. Even after beating it twice, I still couldn't tell you what it was really about.
I still find it really funny that Jihl Nabaat was hyped up (to the extent I remember her name) and she's killed off in a cutscene and IIRC doesn't even talk to any of the cast, except maybe Sazh?
Cid Raines and Space Pope are the only ones I actually remember, and they only even really tried with the former, and not very hard
At least Caius is fun in the sequels
It's nowhere near the worst game ever and it's actually decent fun to play, the issue is that it's a slog to progress through.
And whenever people pointed out it was linear, you're told "wait until Grand Pulse" which you get to and all that does it expands the corridor our and then funnels you back in.
It was at that point I was just done.
And whenever people pointed out it was linear, you're told "wait until Grand Pulse" which you get to and all that does it expands the corridor our and then funnels you back in.
It was at that point I was just done.
I basically only liked the combat system and the graphics when it released. The problem with the combat system is that you don't actually start to really use it till the game's almost over. So for the entire main story you're stuck with (obviously imo) shitty characters, pretty boring level design, a random ass story too and half a combat system.
Even the battle system in 13 blows, it's way too grindy to actually build up the roles you want on each character even after the game "opens up." Also the battles are too slow for their own good and the later enemies/bosses become ridiculous HP sponges. Also also having to watch that 3 second animation every time you paradigm shift for the first time in a battle is beyond obnoxious.
13-2 was still way too grindy for its own good but if you're bored enough to put the time in you can actually get some fun out of it.
13-2 was still way too grindy for its own good but if you're bored enough to put the time in you can actually get some fun out of it.
I never really thought the "linear corridors" complaint was an issue since I still ended up enjoying the game. I mean, FF 7 Remake is basically the same thing again and I'm so far fine with it.
I only played it on the PS3, but I imagine the game still looking really good at 4k with something like the One X.
I only played it on the PS3, but I imagine the game still looking really good at 4k with something like the One X.