Try Some Extra-Curricular Activities in Final Fantasy XIII-2

@Spiritof

Final Fantasy fan; actively angry.

That sounds about right.

I consider myself a Final Fantasy fan, but this trailer makes me actively angry for some reason.

I like how, in other promotional material for this game, they're touting QTEs as though they're really cool and add a lot more depth to combat or something. Someone else in these comments pointed out that Square's problem is that they're trying to make the game they think westerners want, which I feel is an absolutely valid point. I wish they would just focus on making a game that is good rather than try to go down a bulleted list of features they think will make people buy their game. Great games aren't pigeon-holed into some perceived gaming void (for the most part). They're made with care and they're polished and people buy them because they're good.
 
I don't think Square is approaching this with a "let's make a quality game" approach. I think they're approaching it in a "we have all of this tech and our last game made money, so let's churn out another game in a relatively short amount of time and try to stuff in all of this other stuff that we think people will like because that's the impression we got from reading stuff on the internet." Combat could be button-mashy? Add QTEs. Story was too linear? Dialogue trees and time travel! Not enough stuff to do? Chocobo racing and slot machines! Did we mention that this game won't be linear?! It has multiple endings!!
 
I sort of feel alone in this, but I didn't have a problem with how linear the story was in FF XIII. My problems were too much of the story being buried in the log (whatever it was called) and most of the characters being completely awful. I don't know if they have addressed the story problem, but the videos I have seen have led me to believe that they have not addressed my problem with the characters...which might just be a Final Fantasy thing. I don't know anymore. I haven't found any Final Fantasy characters compelling for quite some time, so, after the irritation I felt throughout XIII, I finally allowed myself to stop being fooled by nostalgia for this series. Other people will like this game, and that's great. I'm glad when people enjoy games. I have moved on, and I will not buy this, unless I read several reviews that say "I despised the characters from XIII, but the characters in this one are great." There are too many alternatives out there that are asking for my gaming time. I'm much more intrigued by Reckoning, because it's more of an unknown, and it comes out just a week after this game.
 
Sorry for the essay.

@Marokai said:

@Puck said:

They still don't get it. It looks like 2012 graphics on top of 1997 mechanics.

The Final Fantasy team needs to get out of the bubble they are living in.

In fairness to SquareEnix I really think this is a common misconception about Final Fantasy these days and Japanese video game development more broadly. Lately I think a bigger problem is them trying to emulate western development and it resulting in retardedly simple games and a lot of QTEs. The problem with FF isn't that they're still trying to do what they used to do, the problem is that they keep trying to reinvent the wheel and they completely misunderstand what emulating a western style of RPG means.

The development of FF14 is a perfect example of that. Stubborn developers that were obsessed with the idea of doing everything different, and forgetting to do everything well. Lost Odyssey is 1997 Final Fantasy with current-gen graphics. And for all the criticism people can lob at that game it's at least sticking to some sort of identity and trying to stand out by using an everything-old-is-new-again development approach. Final Fantasy is just becoming aggressively generic. Focusing on all the bad parts and ditching all the good.

I'm sorry, but aside from some of the interesting back story on Kaim with the short stories, everything about Lost Odyssey was completely generic, from the characters to the story. Final Fantasy has developed it's own super clean and bright style that is not really done by anyone else. Whether you like that style or not is a different story.

This game looks so weird. I can't wait. Definitely getting a X-2 vibe from this.

Not a FF fan so I somewhat enjoyed XIII, might have to give this a try, even if it's just for the pretty graphics.

Time Paradoxes? Psshhh just solve this puzzle.

Only a few more days to go! Trying to wrap up another playthrough of FFXIII before this comes out to prepare.

I recognize that guy from the thumbnail!

This looks great. I played the demo and loved every second of it. My copy of the limited edition was preordred a long time ago, along with the collector's edition of its strategy guide. Can't wait to play this. Fuck the haters.

I haven't played a FF game since IV. Maybe I'll pick this one up, it looks...good?

Meh. I'm still down.

@Marokai said:

I find it really sad how desperately they keep pointing out "HEY GUYS WE HAVE OTHER STUFF TO DO NOW!!!" in these trailers. I understand why they're doing it, but..

I have to agree, it's really.. weird. It's like they tossed this stuff in just to appease the complainers whether it makes sense in the game or not. FF7 was full of silly, ridiculous mini-games, but at least they made some sense in context. In FFXIII-2.. not so much it looks like. These additions and trailers are all extremely lazy pandering. They were never able to replace Sakaguchi, they haven't had any logical focus in their games since.

Them announcing the "end" of the game as a DLC package pretty much cements it as a no buy for me already. Anyone who buys it new is really getting screwed.

...and for some reason I just did not imagine Funky student having that voice.

I'm already gonna buy the damn game square I don't need to see another trailer

Funky Student is much better than this piece of shit, how dare you Perry.

Woah son

Yay minigames?

Captain Cryptics looks like Lando...just sayin'.

I think they did get out of their development bubble. The people who call themselves FF fans want 1986 mechanics, and remixes of old stale music. I'd be satisfied with NO
MORE
OUTTA
PLACE
QUICK
TIME
EVENTS .

YO GUYS CHECK OUT THAT RAD CONNECT THE DOTS PUZZLE?

TOO HARD? OKAY, CHECK OUT THAT NON-INTERACTIVE CHOCOBO THING!

I liked FF13, and I liked the demo of this. Preordered this and the collectors strategy guide. Did the same with FF13... I'm sure I'll have alot of fun with it.

Final Fantasy has a rich history of having terrible minigames that have nothing in common with things that are enjoyable. At least this time they are pretty.

But anyway, I know deep down that I will end up getting this game. However I think it is for the same reasons that Jeff bought that shitty special edition of DJ Hero. It's there, and I already have the other one.

... Welp.

Fuck you Square Enix. Just....fuck you.

They still don't get it. It looks like 2012 graphics on top of 1997 mechanics.

The Final Fantasy team needs to get out of the bubble they are living in.

I closed my eye while pressing X repeatedly for 5min in the demo and I had enough

@Talon64 said:

Funky Student, post-Great Expectations.

I will definitely buy this game in 2014 when I can get the GOTY edition with all the stupid DLC.

They still don't get it. It looks like 2012 graphics on top of 1997 mechanics.

The Final Fantasy team needs to get out of the bubble they are living in.

Funky Student, post-Great Expectations.

YO CAPTAIN CRYPTIC, HOW DID YOU GET SO FUNKY

Now if they just axe this Noel guy, I might actually be interested.

I wouldn't compare Chrono Trigger with this turd....

@Marokai: Yeah I'm feeling the same way.

I find it really sad how desperately they keep pointing out "HEY GUYS WE HAVE OTHER STUFF TO DO NOW!!!" in these trailers. I understand why they're doing it, but..

Not exactly the largest fan of 'mini games' but it's nice to see some efforts are made to include extra things for people to do.

Also, I'm ready for some rhymes and riddles from funky.