Final Fantasy 13

[LanceCalvis]

On March 9th, 2010. This game was released in stores all over the country. This game is the first of its kind. Releasing a different version of Final Fantasy 13 on several different platforms.

My own personal opinion of the game so far.

From start to the point I am at right now. I've found the graphics to be quite awesome. The game play itself is very fast paced. Making use of a tactical system. Where time passes in real time. This game forces you to think tactically. By restricting the level of power you can achieve at certain points in the game. Final Fantasy 13 does not use a level system. Instead, it relies on a system referred to as Crystallization.

Those of you that have played Final Fantasy X. Will be familiar with this current system. Though, it does vary slightly from the Sphere Grid. The method on which you obtain experience. Is still the same. The major difference being. That the amount of power you can achieve. At certain points in the game. Is limited to the level you are allowed to advance your Crystallization. Filling up all available "nodes" for any given chapter. Will pretty much ensure that your party will have an easy time. With almost all of the monsters you will run into. At certain points in the game. But, that does not mean that you can just button mash the attack button at this point. The game still requires that you use tactical use of Paradigm's. Against stronger enemies for your current area of the game. Along with careful switching between classes. When you come up against bosses. Paradigm's basically change your character's class in the middle of battle. Some characters are more suited for Offensive Paradigms. Having higher Hit-points than the rest of the available party members. While others have higher base Strength and/or Magic than others in the party. Switching between these Paradigms and learning how to use them properly is critical. In addition to your statistics. Certain character can learn skills. Which are exclusive to that character alone.

There was one thing I didn't like about the game. When you save your game. It saves your game in one of about 35 save slots. The game randomly mixes up your saves. In no particular order. So, you have to cycle through a list of your current saves. Just to find your most recent save. Seldom will your most recent save. Ever be in the first slot. When you go to load up your game. So, this will be something you will have to adapt to.

Feel free to post your own experiences with the game. Along with any questions that you might have. I currently have a hard-cover special edition strategy guide. So, I will be able to answer. Any question you might have about the game.  

[Blind Hodd]

FF sure has come a LOOOOOOOOOOONG way since the NES. Personally 12 was the first one I had any inclination to pick up, the turn based system was just too ridged for me.... I liked 12's battle system more than many other games I've played.  

[followthemoose]

I sort of got left behind by the Final Fantasy franchise when XI was published as an MMO. For me, it seems like the series really stopped at X. The story for XII just didn't really interest me, and I haven't heard much about XIII, at all. Although from what LanceCalvis said about the save file issues, I'd probably be too flustered to even make it past the load screen, anyway. I pity the fool who messes with my basic game mechanics! mrgreen  

[LanceCalvis]

Something else I discovered about the save feature. It numbers your saves from 1 to 99. But, once you hit your 100th save. Instead of it actually saying save number 100. It just picks a random number between 1-99. The odd part, is the save feature. Says save 001 for your first save. Along with save 099 for your 99th.

I suspect it was made this way. Due to the fans asking for this. Let me explain why I think this is the case. See, when you save your game in any of the past Final Fantasy games. You get a handful of save features. More than most will ever use. Due to the system actually overwriting the file you asked it to. Now, in this games case. It correctly overwrites the file. The time you have spent playing the game is correct. However, the number of that particular save may not be correct. This I doubt was intended. I suspect it is some sort of a coding glitch. That may only be encountered in some game disks.

More save features means. If in the unlikely scenario where your save feature becomes corrupted. There are already up to 34 extra save features left. More than likely, a few of them not far from your original main save.

The gameplay itself is very fast paced and fluent. All actions are carried out in real time. Hard Core Final Fnatasy fans. Will definitely recognize many things about this game. Because it was built up from all past successes of the previous Final Fantasy's. Some character you may or way not recognize. There is a women that could very well be the daughter. Of Cid from Final Fantasy 12. The main character Lightning also closely resembles the princess from that game. But, it was not just all taken from Final Fantasy 12. Sazh resembles Barret (FF7), Vanille resembles Rikku (FFX). Every member of your main party. Resembles a past character from Final Fantasy. But it doesn't just stop with the main character.  

[followthemoose]

That does make more sense with the save files, though I've been able to make multiple saves for my FF games before. Maybe I'm just lucky? lol

About the "repeated" characters... Is SquareEnix trying to tie all of the FF games together? What's the underlying story for this? Now I'm just curious.  

[LanceCalvis]

You are Lightning. A former member of an organization. Specializing in seeking out and destroying all Fal'Cie. Fal'Cie are basically humans that have been given a "focus". The focus is a task which they must complete. After being captured by a creature named a Fa'Cie. They are branded with a mark. They then have a finite amount of time to complete whichever mission that has been given to them.

Fulfillment of there task. Mean the host will turn into Crystal.

Failure of there task. Means they will become Cieth. Basically, the Cieth are mindless creatures. That have basically lost there will as humans.

This Militarized government and its population fear the Fal'Cie. There government deems anyone that has become a Fal'Cie or come into contact with one as dangerous. So, they have all been rounded up on a train. So the lost can be segregated. Those that do not comply with there demands are destroyed.

(I was as careful I could with this post. Not to post any spoilers).  

[l-VK-l]

That's weird, do you have it for Xbox or PS3?
I have FFXIII for PS3 and haven't had any trouble at all with the saves. I have well over 40 saves because I keep them to walk my fiance through the game and they stay in order all the time.  

[l-VK-l]

LanceCalvis

You are Lightning. A former member of an organization. Specializing in seeking out and destroying all Fal'Cie. Fal'Cie are basically humans that have been given a "focus". The focus is a task which they must complete. After being captured by a creature named a Fa'Cie. They are branded with a mark. They then have a finite amount of time to complete whichever mission that has been given to them.

Fulfillment of there task. Mean the host will turn into Crystal.

Failure of there task. Means they will become Cieth. Basically, the Cieth are mindless creatures. That have basically lost there will as humans.

This Militarized government and its population fear the Fal'Cie. There government deems anyone that has become a Fal'Cie or come into contact with one as dangerous. So, they have all been rounded up on a train. So the lost can be segregated. Those that do not comply with there demands are destroyed.

(I was as careful I could with this post. Not to post any spoilers).

You mean l'Cie.
The Fal'Cie are the one's in control of everything, like making people l'Cie.  

[LanceCalvis]

So, what part of the game are you on Penguin?  

[l-VK-l]

LanceCalvis

So, what part of the game are you on Penguin?

Not too far yet. I haven't had much time to play. @_@
Right now I'm right after Barthandelus the first time. @_@  

[LanceCalvis]

Fighting Barthandelus for the first time is difficult.  

[C2 Witch of Britannia]

i like it, it reminds me of the older ff games. i'd like it if the upcoming remake of FFX was on PS3 AND Xbox 360, but i only have heard of a PS3 version. slightly disappointing as i had owned the original Xbox during the time the PS2 was around. great game, it's a little confusing regarding the paradigm/crystal thingy system. but i'm learning, i got the guide and am at chapter 3 as i type this.