Game: Final Fantasy XIII

[Archangel]

Story

The plot focuses on the fal'Cie (pronounced /ˈfæl si:/), beings created from the crystals residing inside them. The people marked by the fal'Cie for a greater purpose are named the l'Cie. But being a l'Cie has a price; for should they die before fulfilling their Focus, they will turn into monsters called "Cie Corpses". Some thirteen centuries ago, a fal'Cie constructed a paradise for humanity: The shell-like city of Cocoon floating high above the surface of the world now known as Pulse, both maintained by their own fal'Cie. Cocoon's fal'Cie created life forms and machines for its inhabitants to use, and humanity flourished. Over time, the people of Cocoon began to fear for the safety of their world, and were worried that it would be cast down from the sky into the hell that they see Pulse to be.

In present day, the wilderness of Pulse has strange effects on people, and the theocratic Cocoon Sanctum quarantines and exiles anyone who has been influenced by Pulse from the city with the help of its mighty army, PSICOM. However, as Snow leads Team Nora in a vain attempt to stop the purging, the mysterious Lightning fights her way past PSICOM soldiers to find Pulse's fal'Cie with the aid of Sazh. But by a chain of events, these three along with two of the Purgees, Vanille and Hope, are chosen by the fal'Cie of Pulse against their will to become l'Cie among others, and with that become enemies of humanity that would bring about the downfall of Cocoon.

E3 09: Final Fantasy XIII Trailer

That video gave me one hell of a woody

It looks like they're going for more real and less fantasy, and i can't say i don't like where this seems to be heading

[Ryllharu]

So I watched the official English dub of the trailer here [joystiq].


Now I must rant.

Good lord, this franchise is cheesier than ever. I've noticed a trend among JRPGs looking back to become more melodramatic each generation. This one takes the cake. What happened to all the heroes in JRPGs games? It's just been groups of characters getting progressively exaggerated.

I loved JRPGs of the SNES and PlayStation era. While there was a decent amount of melodrama, it wasn't the primary focus and it wasn't overwhelming. The main characters still acted like heroes. Square-Enix has definitely become the worst of the lot. Their casts have become almost primarily pacifists and complainers. They never seem to want to own up to the task given to them. Somewhere along the line, they seem to just up and forget that they were complaining and just finish things for the sake of ending the story...

...which usually has the same generic overall premise lately too.

"We may not like what we're doing, but we have to do it for the sake of saving Spira/Spira(again)/Dalmasca/Cocoon"

Ugh. I'm just tired of the same generic premise. I get it, they're reluctant heroes. Why don't they step up like the old FF protagonists used to do? The only role playing I get out of the games anymore is pondering why I should care about saving the world if the characters aren't even that into it.

Hardcore fans of JRPGs like to bash recent Western RPGs for trying too hard to be "edgy." While that is occasionally the case, at least the heroes still act like heroes, even if some of them are the occasional anti-hero (or the player can make them into one if they so choose).


So, after lusting after this game seeing the initial trailers, and listening to Maaya Sakamoto play the lead in the Japanese dub, my interest is beginning to cool. I don't have a problem with the dub, Squeenix typically does a much better job on their trademark franchise than the crap they role out for their other series. All in all the English dub is fine.

But the story is really turning me away from this.

[masamuneehs]

i thought the preview trailer made one thing clear to me: i do NOT like the voice acting in most JRPG video games. in fact, i don't think i can remember a recent RPG with voice acting that I really did like.

the characters are pigeon-holed by the writers, but back in the old days, you could imagine to yourself how they might deliver the lines. there's something about the pathetic, angst-soaked words and the 'woe-is-me' voices that combines to be simply almost unbearable for me.

i might not get this game for a considerable while (i don't have a PS3, and this sure isn't going to be the reason i finally spring for one). the action looks cool, but the story and characters just don't raise my interest. in fact, they make me wary of the whole thing. i dunno. just seems wrong that the characters and story are what turn me off from a freaking RPG... I used to gruelingly play through samey-as-fuck RPGs for precisely those two elements...

[darkshadow]

Eternal sonata jVA's were good, Lost Odyssey eVA cast is great and star ocean 4 has some great eVA's as well.

[animus]

Except Lymle XD

[Dark Dragon]

I too am sick of this cyberpunk style fantasy setting. I think the depressing moping main chars come naturally with the setting.

It would be lovely to see a traditional fantasy setting with all of the new gameplay mechanic.

Stuff like Lost Odyssey was ok but it was a little bit too "old school" to be completely entertaining.

[Ryllharu]

star ocean 4 has some great eVA's as well.

A little bit offtopic, but who in that game even remotely resembled "great?"

I hated every single one of the SO4 english VAs. Before I gave up on the game completely out of grindy boredom, I turned the sound off just to get through some of it. They were all either nearly emotionless, painfully obnoxious, or completely forgettable.

[animus]

A little bit offtopic, but who in that game even remotely resembled "great?"

I hated every single one of the SO4 english VAs. Before I gave up on the game completely out of grindy boredom, I turned the sound off just to get through some of it. They were all either nearly emotionless, painfully obnoxious, or completely forgettable.

And the guy that does Edge's voice is in practically every single recent Japanese RPG I can think of.

[darkshadow]

A little bit offtopic, but who in that game even remotely resembled "great?"

I hated every single one of the SO4 english VAs. Before I gave up on the game completely out of grindy boredom, I turned the sound off just to get through some of it. They were all either nearly emotionless, painfully obnoxious, or completely forgettable.

Since you already hate them with a passion, its rather pointless to debate this with you. To each his own.

[RyougaZell]

Im buying Star Ocean 4 International and Final Fantasy XIII regardless of whatever others think anyway

[Ryllharu]

Since you already hate them with a passion, its rather pointless to debate this with you. To each his own.

I'd still appreciate an answer.

Lymle was obviously worse than the others, and Welsh was one you'd either appreciate or outright hate depending on the person. Faize was okay (emotionless is a phone-it-in skill), Edge just sounded way older than he looked (despite actually being 20), Reimi was fairly forgettable most of the time, etc.

FFXIII just looks like a similar situation, but largely more acceptable voice work. The cliche story is what will make me pass on it. If all the reviews are phenomenal, then maybe I'll pick it up for cheap later on. But given that it is a FF title, I suspect most of the reviews will be glowing regardless.

Eternal Sonata has been the only JRPG this generation that I really enjoyed overall. The story had some low points due to linearity, and the dual audio was a nice touch since both tracks (barring one character in English) were great, but overall it was a much more enjoyable title.

Disclaimer: I have never gotten into the Tales series, so I can't judge that game

[Idealistic]

Heh, I thought I was the only one. I wonder when they are going to go back to the medieval-like setting. All this futuristic, yet not so futuristic stuff is cool and all, but I'm also getting tired of it.

I MIGHT pick this up. It does look pretty cool, but I'm not as hype about it as everyone else is as there are so many other games out there I'm more excited about. Plus, I'm not a big fan of the characters. If I do pick it up, it's just to add to my PS3 RPG collection.

Will have to see how XIII Versus is.

[animus]

The only real problems I have with XIII is the seemingly bland characters (exceptions with the black dudes whose afro nests a baby chocobo), and their lame names.

[Archangel]

The only real problems I have with XIII is the seemingly bland characters (exceptions with the black dudes whose afro nests a baby chocobo), and their lame names.

Wasn't that the exact same problem XII had? Personally i loved it as a game, but as an rpg the story and characters were nothing special, and for a Final Fantasy that's just sad

[animus]

XII had much more wrong with it, mostly in the story or the lack of it.

[Marik]

Final Fantasy XIII Announcement Trailer

Coming to North America and Europe on March 9, 2010.

[animus]

Looks like I need to pick up 2 games in the month of March, this and GoW3.

[Ryllharu]

Dear Sony and Square-Enix,

Please bring the limited edition FFXIII PS3 bundle to the United States. If you do, I will buy it, rather than the Xbox 360 version of FFXIII I was considering. Hope to hear from you before March.

Thanks,

Ryll

[animus]

I'm getting the PS3 version since I don't feel like disc-swapping =/. And that it's banned =(.

Not to mention the PS3 Blu-Ray boxes look pretty sweet.

[Marik]

A free Xbox LIVE Avatar item for Final Fantasy XIII has been unlocked! Claim yours..

United States

Canada