[360/PS3] Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Now with official review!)

[EddieA]

The demo is out now on XBLA (1.3 GB) and presumably will be available on PSN when it gets updated later today.

[Gratch]

Debating on whether to bother with the demo or just wait for the full game, as RPG demos are traditionally awful.  Playing a small slice of a huge game without any context or real understanding of combat systems never makes a good impression. 

[metallicorphan]

Debating on whether to bother with the demo or just wait for the full game, as RPG demos are traditionally awful.  Playing a small slice of a huge game without any context or real understanding of combat systems never makes a good impression. 

Spot on....i played the Blue Dragon demo and it was awful,thankfully i decided to still buy the full game and loved every minute of it

turns out that part of the demo was from past half way through the game

[Gratch]

I remember played the FF XII demo, and almost didn't buy the game because the demo was so awful.  Thank goodness I changed my mind, as FF XII is one of my all time favorites.

[EddieA]

I just finished the demo, and it nicely bucks the trend of bad RPG demos.  There's plenty to do - exploration, dialogue, cutscenes, battles, sidequests, hidden treasure hunting, monster collecting, puzzles, and a boss battle.  It took me about an hour and a half to get through it, and I didn't even spend any time customizing the paradigms.  I knew about the monster party members, but I was impressed by just how deep this element looks to be.  You can have up to three monsters in your party at once and you slot them into your paradigms as you would your combat roles.  They level up and they even have their own crystarium spheres to gain new abilities.  You can also equip them with both normal and silly-looking adornments.

Tri-Ace had a hand in the development, and it shows, as I got a definite Star Ocean vibe from the demo.  The game already looked good from the previews, but it was even better than I was expecting.  It's hard to tell much about the story, but it looks the gameplay will be a lot of fun.

[walie]

Never played XIII...I'm hoping I don't need to play it to enjoy XIII-2?

[jersoc]

enjoyed the demo. I think i was a bit under leveled for atlas, I sorta rushed through because GSL was on and only played about an hour.

Keeping preorder.


Well, if you haven't played 13, some things won't make sense as you won't know what a falcie or a cie'th and stuff like that are. I want to say there's something in the game to get players up to speed though, but not sure. I mean, it would just be logical to do so.

[Gratch]

Thanks for the impressions, I may have to give this demo a shot.

Tri-Ace had a hand in the development, and it shows, as I got a definite Star Ocean vibe from the demo.  

This does not bode well for me.  The next Tri-Ace game I enjoy will be my first, and I've tried them all.  Something about their storytelling and combat systems just rubs me the wrong way...hoping the FF influence can overcome that.

[EddieA]

Thanks for the impressions, I may have to give this demo a shot.

Tri-Ace had a hand in the development, and it shows, as I got a definite Star Ocean vibe from the demo.  

This does not bode well for me.  The next Tri-Ace game I enjoy will be my first, and I've tried them all.  Something about their storytelling and combat systems just rubs me the wrong way...hoping the FF influence can overcome that.

The Star Ocean vibe was more from little things like the map completion percentage, the seemingly large amount of stuff to do, and the really chirpy and overly excited recurring merchant.  The combat system is mostly the same as in FFXIII and I'd assume the story was the work of Square Enix too.

[Gratch]

Thanks for the impressions, I may have to give this demo a shot.

Tri-Ace had a hand in the development, and it shows, as I got a definite Star Ocean vibe from the demo.  

This does not bode well for me.  The next Tri-Ace game I enjoy will be my first, and I've tried them all.  Something about their storytelling and combat systems just rubs me the wrong way...hoping the FF influence can overcome that.

The Star Ocean vibe was more from little things like the map completion percentage, the seemingly large amount of stuff to do, and the really chirpy and overly excited recurring merchant.  The combat system is mostly the same as in FFXIII and I'd assume the story was the work of Square Enix too.

OK...whew. 

[metallicorphan]

the demo was alright,still gonna wait until price drop

[metallicorphan]

Achievement list from 360a.org,nice looking picture from GameInformer talking about the achievements







Achievement list in the spoilers,very few actual spoilers and vague descriptions which is what GI were talking about

Spoiler for Hiden:

      
   Choco-boco-holic   14
Spent a fortune at shops

   Clock Stopper   15
Responded swiftly to the appearance of enemies.

   Staggering   15
Staggered a significant number of enemies.

   Quick Draw   15
Performed a significant number of preemptive strikes.

   Wild Thing   16
Successfully used Feral Link abilities a significant number of times.

   No Retreat   16
Fought a significant number of battles without using the "Retry" option.   

   Strategist   18
Performed a multitude of paradigm shifts.

   Budding Hunter   30
Defeated an army's worth of enemies.


Secret Achievements
 
   Early Riser   15
Accepted a new fate in a world where everything has changed.   

   Time Traveler   15
Left behind a normal life, and began a journey through time.   

   Future Espier   15
Visited the place where clues to the future lie waiting to be discovered.   

   Past Gazer   15
Visited the place where the saviors of the past dream in crystal.    
 
   Threat Facer   15
Acknowledged the threat facing the world, and decided to fight back.
   
   Sooth Seeker   15
Prepared to face a test of your determination in the rift where hidden truths slumber.
   
   Promise Keeper   15
Turned your back on empty dreams and joined the battle to save mankind.   
 
   Trigger Finger   30
Obtained five Cinematic Bonus rewards.

   Anomalous   30
Witnessed every possible Paradox Ending.   

   Epic Finisher   90
Followed the story to its conclusion

   Saddle Sore   12
Went the distance on chocobo-back.   
 
   Serendipitous   12
Amassed a fortune in casino coins.   

   Fragmented   30
Completed an entire fragment category.   
 
   Defragmented   90
Completed every fragment category.   

   Scarlet Medal   14
Defeated a powerful enemy with graceful poise.   

   Cerulean Medal   14
Defeated a powerful enemy with valiant skill.   
 
   Obsidian Medal   14
Defeated a powerful enemy with perfect execution.   
 
   Supreme Being   30
Fully developed all abilities.

   Big Game Hunter   30
Defeated every worthy opponent.   
 
   Giant's Fist   90
Dealt 99,999 damage with a single attack.   

   Beast Tamer   90
Befriended a most unfriendly monster.

   Fair Fighter   90
Defeated a powerful enemy on equal terms.

   Chronosavior   90
Obtained the highest possible result in the battle to determine the fate of the world.

[Scraper]

Never played XIII...I'm hoping I don't need to play it to enjoy XIII-2?

Well it is a direct sequel. So I would say go play XIII first.

[Gratch]

A mostly positive review from IGN.  I like to hear they've improved the battle system (which I thought was awfully good to begin with), but bummed to hear that the story isn't as strong.

[EddieA]

The Game Informer review said pretty much the same thing - great gameplay, but the story takes a backseat.  Hopefully, if there's a FFXIII-3, they'll get both parts right.

[metallicorphan]

CVG-7.7

Unfortunately, Square Enix's desperation to create a dynamic, flashy battle system has come at the expense of control and tactics, and half the time you feel like you're fighting the game systems as much as you are the enemies.

By listening to the fans' complaints and addressing the grave mistakes of the last game, Square Enix have succeeded in crafting a significantly better title than Final Fantasy XIII offered in 2010. But the design-by committee process has still fallen well short of recapturing the highs of the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 games, relegating XIII-2 to the status of (yet another) one of the core series' less memorable entries.

Eurogamer-8(no shit)

Final Fantasy 13-2 is a mixed success, then. Smart, engaging mechanics and a novel structure ensure that it is compelling on a functional level. But it presumes you care about fixing a broken world that the previous game failed to make loveable, or even knowable.

For all its mechanical cleverness and forward-thinking design, Final Fantasy 13-2 is also convoluted, complicated and unfriendly to newcomers. In Square-Enix's desperation to discover what its flagship series looks like in the modern world, what should be an interesting curio has been inflated to blockbuster proportions. Hurling money at a development team that has been labouring without firm creative leadership for close to a decade now has led to a game that is, in many ways, as disjointed as its world, as rambling as its lead character. In those fragments excellence, confusion, beauty, strangeness, wonder and loss may all be found.

GameSpot-7.5

The Good   
* Monster collection is fun and addictive 
    * Multiple heartfelt moments combine story and gameplay in effective ways 
    * Caius is a fantastic villain 
    * Impressive, varied visual design.

The Bad
    * The best characters were sidelined in favor of less interesting ones 
    * Multiple sequences bog down the pace 
    * Main story is relatively easy and short.

Just remember to keep your expectations in check: Final Fantasy XIII-2 isn't a timeless adventure in the grand tradition of the beloved series. But if you're curious to see the next stage in this ongoing tale, there's no reason you shouldn't chase after Lightning.

[Azhag]

Well, my expectations are lowered a bit going in now, but I still had it pre-ordered at a good price so I'm game.

[EddieA]

Gametrailers gives it 8.8/10 in their review.

[metallicorphan]

Ouch!!

Edge-5/10

[Knightshade Dragon]

I gave it an 85.

http://gamingtrend.com/game_reviews/final-fantasy-xiii-2-ps3-review/

[disarm]

I gave it an 85.

http://gamingtrend.com/game_reviews/final-fantasy-xiii-2-ps3-review/

It's interesting that you mention liking the music as this is something I've seen criticized in a number of other reviews.  Most other things you mention seem to be pretty in line with other reviewers...fun game and a decent enough addition to the franchise, but still a few minor issues.  I'll probably play it at some point, but it's not one I'm rushing out to buy on release day.

Ron...I hate to bring up corrections to a review, but there was one little mistake in your writing that you might want to straighten out for the sake of clarity.  In the second paragraph, you refer to Caius as the 'protagonist' of the game.  I haven't experienced the game yet, but aren't Serah, Noel, and Lightning the primary hero characters of the story that you're following?  That would make them the protagonists, while Caius is the antagonist of the plot; he's the challenge to your characters and Lightning.  It's kind of a stupid semantic thing, but it did immediately stand out to me when I was reading the review...

[jersoc]

got the CE finally. came too late to play for an hour before work. I gotta say, I'm disappointed in the art book. it's like 10 pages :|

will ride the chocobo later imo.

[skystride]

Only played a little bit but I liked what I saw so far.  No surprise since I enjoyed FFXIII.  Not as much as XII but I still liked it.

There's a pretty good recap of past events for anyone who is worried about being lost.  I found it helpful to refresh my memory.

[Scraper]

Only played a little bit but I liked what I saw so far.  No surprise since I enjoyed FFXIII.  Not as much as XII but I still liked it.

There's a pretty good recap of past events for anyone who is worried about being lost.  I found it helpful to refresh my memory.

I've played about 2 hours so far and I feel exactly the same way.

[jersoc]

I'm enjoying it a lot too, I also dug 13. I think battle system is one of the deepest square has done so far. Finally having a save anywhere is great. I hope this starts to become standard in these games. Means I can play even if I have an hour to devote instead 3 or 4. The pokemon aspect is pretty neat too.

[PR_GMR]

I'm enjoying it a lot too, I also dug 13. I think battle system is one of the deepest square has done so far. Finally having a save anywhere is great. I hope this starts to become standard in these games. Means I can play even if I have an hour to devote instead 3 or 4. The pokemon aspect is pretty neat too.

OMG, a post from jersoc where he actually like a game and doesn't say the word 'fuck' every sentence.

(PR faints!)

[Gratch]

Nice review Ron.  I'm looking forward to this one...feels strange not to be playing a new FF title until 3 weeks after release.  Stupid travel schedule.

One question:  FF XIII had a (ridiculously complex) crafting system.  Does that return in any way in XIII-2?

[jersoc]

I'm enjoying it a lot too, I also dug 13. I think battle system is one of the deepest square has done so far. Finally having a save anywhere is great. I hope this starts to become standard in these games. Means I can play even if I have an hour to devote instead 3 or 4. The pokemon aspect is pretty neat too.

OMG, a post from jersoc where he actually like a game and doesn't say the word 'fuck' every sentence.

(PR faints!)

 
hopefully you stay fainted. you could just ignore me like i'm about to for you. the day you post something relevant is the day the earth stands still.

Gratch, so far all I've ran into was needing items to buy weapons, items from mobs and what not. I'd say the monster replaces the crafting.

[PR_GMR]

I'm enjoying it a lot too, I also dug 13. I think battle system is one of the deepest square has done so far. Finally having a save anywhere is great. I hope this starts to become standard in these games. Means I can play even if I have an hour to devote instead 3 or 4. The pokemon aspect is pretty neat too.

OMG, a post from jersoc where he actually like a game and doesn't say the word 'fuck' every sentence.

(PR faints!)

 
hopefully you stay fainted. you could just ignore me like i'm about to for you. the day you post something relevant is the day the earth stands still.

Someone's humor sensor failed this morning. I was joking with you. But, that's fine.. feel free to hit that ignore button. 

[Scraper]

Ron and I were talking about this in a private discussion, but man am I glad that Hope is 10 years older in this game. His character is much improved in XIII-2, mostly due to the fact that he isn't sitting around moping like a little girl the entire game.

[The Grue]

Ron and I were talking about this in a private discussion, but man am I glad that Hope is 10 years older in this game. His character is much improved in XIII-2, mostly due to the fact that he isn't sitting around moping like a little girl the entire game.

Makes your Hope fan fiction less creepy, huh?

[Scraper]

Ron and I were talking about this in a private discussion, but man am I glad that Hope is 10 years older in this game. His character is much improved in XIII-2, mostly due to the fact that he isn't sitting around moping like a little girl the entire game.

Makes your Hope fan fiction less creepy, huh?

I'm more of a Moogle fan fiction kind of guy 

[Gratch]

I'm a couple hours in, and enjoying it so far.  Glad to see they didn't change the combat system much, as FFXII's system is one of my favorites of all the FF games.  Bugged they went back to random battles though, especially the way they're implemented here.  When that timer starts, I find myself randomly swinging my weapon in every direction hoping that I catch something.  Need to read up on Crystarium leveling too...seems like it would be really easy to gimp a character.  Not sure if it's better to create each character as well-rounded, or focus them specifically on an individual Com, Rav, or Sen line.

Oh, and one save slot?   

[skystride]

I'm a couple hours in, and enjoying it so far.  Glad to see they didn't change the combat system much, as FFXII's system is one of my favorites of all the FF games.  Bugged they went back to random battles though, especially the way they're implemented here.  When that timer starts, I find myself randomly swinging my weapon in every direction hoping that I catch something.  Need to read up on Crystarium leveling too...seems like it would be really easy to gimp a character.  Not sure if it's better to create each character as well-rounded, or focus them specifically on an individual Com, Rav, or Sen line.

Oh, and one save slot?   

I still prefer the combat system of FFXII over FFXIII.  This new system is alright but with everyone doing their thing simultaneously, I feel like I can't really enjoy individual spell effects in all the chaos.  FFXII/Dragon Age where I can get direct control of anyone and issue orders while paused is still my favourite system.

I don't mind the new encounter system.  You can usually run away if you want to avoid it.  There's plenty of time to find the spawned mob and hit it.  I seem to get initiative in 95% of my battles.

I don't get the point of the Crystarium.  Why do they have something that looks like the Sphere Grid of old when you don't have any non linear/branching decision to make?  All you are picking is which class to put a point in.  It's possible I missed something and the size/type of the sphere should factor into your decision when to put a point into which class but it's not obvious if that's the case.

I was pretty much forced to dual class so far to get past certain encounters.  I might be forced to triple class soon but so far I'm avoiding it.  I kept waiting for a new party members but so far, nothing.  I'm starting to wonder if maybe the whole game is Serah/Nolan+Monsters?  Easy enough to look up I suppose but I don't want to get spoiled on characters.  I'm really struggling right now for not having a Saboteur/Synergicist in my party yet.  I don't have leveled up monsters to fill those roles either.  I was playing the game pretty linearly (left to right on the time map) but I finally hit a boss that seems unbeatable so I went over to a different time.

I'm still loving the game so far despite a few complaints.

BTW. You can save multiple slots once you are in the "main hub"  which you get to after the starter area.

[The Grue]

I don't get the point of the Crystarium.  Why do they have something that looks like the Sphere Grid of old when you don't have any non linear/branching decision to make?  All you are picking is which class to put a point in.  It's possible I missed something and the size/type of the sphere should factor into your decision when to put a point into which class but it's not obvious if that's the case.

In FFXIII, I definitely don't just put every point I can in a role.  For instance, with Lightning I tended to skip a lot of the Magic stuff in the upper levels of Commando, because I would rather only put CP into Strength there and use the CP I was saving to put into her Ravager role.

[skystride]

I don't get the point of the Crystarium.  Why do they have something that looks like the Sphere Grid of old when you don't have any non linear/branching decision to make?  All you are picking is which class to put a point in.  It's possible I missed something and the size/type of the sphere should factor into your decision when to put a point into which class but it's not obvious if that's the case.

In FFXIII, I definitely don't just put every point I can in a role.  For instance, with Lightning I tended to skip a lot of the Magic stuff in the upper levels of Commando, because I would rather only put CP into Strength there and use the CP I was saving to put into her Ravager role.

Doesn't seem to be any choice like that in this game.  No branches, straight linear sphere grid.  They should call it sphere line.

Edit: I did a bit of reading and apparently the size of the sphere determines bigger bonuses.  So if you character is focusing magic for example, you want to buy Ravager when on a large sphere.

Bunch of things they don't tell you in game like the bonus on spending point on Synergicist/Saboteur is different based on if it's odd/even level.  I suppose it only really matters for a min/maxer.

[The Grue]

Doesn't seem to be any choice like that in this game.  No branches, straight linear sphere grid.  They should call it sphere line.

Edit: I did a bit of reading and apparently the size of the sphere determines bigger bonuses.  So if you character is focusing magic for example, you want to buy Ravager when on a large sphere.

Bunch of things they don't tell you in game like the bonus on spending point on Synergicist/Saboteur is different based on if it's odd/even level.  I suppose it only really matters for a min/maxer.

Ah, ok.  I haven't played XIII-2 yet because I am still trying to finish up XIII (at the end of chapter 12 right now), so I just assumed it worked the same.

[jersoc]

I'm at the final area now. Well I can go to it, the game makes it pretty obvious that this is the point of no return. So i'll beat the main quest tonight and finish up other things.

I'm a bit sad how easier they made the game though. I've been beating bosses quicker than normal fights now. Serah is maxed rav and almost max medical and about 40 into sab. Noel is max com and sen and half max syn.
I got a com monster that can deal 6-8k on a stagger enemy. One of the enemies of augusta tower I believe. I think the original had the right mix of difficulty. Though some bosses were beyond stupid cheap.

Tried for 2 hours last night to get a green chocobo and the fuck wouldn't drop for me. Probably not needed, but whatever, now it's a point of principle.

Probably got about 30 some hours into it so far.

Also yes, level what you're focusing on at the moment on the big spheres. Basically breaks the game lol.

[The Grue]

Just finished up FFXIII, so I can now start on this.  Looking forward to it, though not sure how I will play both this and Amalur at the same time.

[Knightshade Dragon]

I gave it an 85.

http://gamingtrend.com/game_reviews/final-fantasy-xiii-2-ps3-review/

It's interesting that you mention liking the music as this is something I've seen criticized in a number of other reviews.  Most other things you mention seem to be pretty in line with other reviewers...fun game and a decent enough addition to the franchise, but still a few minor issues.  I'll probably play it at some point, but it's not one I'm rushing out to buy on release day.

Ron...I hate to bring up corrections to a review, but there was one little mistake in your writing that you might want to straighten out for the sake of clarity.  In the second paragraph, you refer to Caius as the 'protagonist' of the game.  I haven't experienced the game yet, but aren't Serah, Noel, and Lightning the primary hero characters of the story that you're following?  That would make them the protagonists, while Caius is the antagonist of the plot; he's the challenge to your characters and Lightning.  It's kind of a stupid semantic thing, but it did immediately stand out to me when I was reading the review...

I appreciate the feedback - I'll get that corrected.