Queen's Blood (Final Fantasy Thread)

[Benji]

I swore I wouldn't buy Lightning Returns first hand since FFXIII copped out with it's ending, but I'm getting the urge. I may just use my savings to buy a Vita next month just so I don't go out and buy FFXIII-3 >_>

[TKz]

XIII-2 was excellent and I fully expect Lightning Returns to continue the trend of "well, it's not like anyone cares any more, let's do whatever the fuck we want!". Square tends to make better games when no one's paying attention, it seems.

[Ruki]

I think Lightning Returns is going to be the best of the three. It's a sorta-kinda return of the Job System, and I, personally, am excited. So I will be picking it up on release!

Problem is...it's when all the games start to be coming out again. I haven't bought a game since Knack and BF4 (and before that? I can't even remember)....but February I am getting Thief and FF, then March is South Park.

[Pizza]

FF will be half the price in 6 months. Beat the other games first, then get FF for $20 in the summer/fall.

[Ruki]

But by then, more games will have come out!

I also need to beat Final Fantasy, South Park, and any other RPGs before fall/winter 2014....because that is when Persona 5 is being released.

[Pizza]

But by then, more games will have come out!

Wait for price cuts on them too!

[TKz]

Or just buy them and play them all.

Somehow I doubt Thief and South Park will be more than 10 hours each.

[Ruki]

South Park I can see being 15-20. Final Fantasy will be around 30.

[Thrilla]

Have any of the other FF releases been made in the same style as FF12, I can't decide if I like this style of gameplay or not.

[TKz]

Not really, it was pretty universally disliked. If you like the combat, I'd probably say the best thing to do would be to invest in FFXI or FFXIV. Monthly subs, but it's basically the same combat system. There's also an FFXII sequel for like, DS or something.

You might enjoy Star Ocean: Till The End of Time, that's kind of similar.

[Thrilla]

Surprised it was so disliked. I find it much more enjoyable than 8 and 10.

[TKz]

Different strokes and all that; FFVIII is my absolute favorite, followed by VII then X.

I just don't think it's what the average Final Fantasy fan wanted. It was the start of moving away from the usual turn based system which led to quite an outcry that people still haven't gotten over. Overall I didn't care for the world or the characters myself, but I think a few people have started to look back and say "hey, this wasn't THAT bad".

The FFXIII battle system is kind of similar, but it's also pretty radically different in a few ways. Not to mention how linear the rest of the game is can be kind of a turn off. I actually quite liked it on my second playthrough where I actually finished the game, but I'm in no rush to return to it.

If it's more of the world you're looking for, I think XII is based in the same world as FF Tactics. And Bravely Default for the 3DS has a lot of the same artists working on it, though it's closer to FFIV or VI than XII.

[Benji]

XII's world is magnificently beautiful and detailed. I love Ivalice and think it's my favourite world they've created, but like TKz said, the gameplay going away from turn based really irked me. Retrospectively it's a great game, and I'd have loved it and probably have given it more credit if it was the first in a series of new Tactics games, but it wasn't what I wanted from main series FF.

[TKz]

Yeah, much like every game post-FFX, I feel like the overwhelming opinion is "I'd have liked it if it wasn't a Final Fantasy game".

[Thrilla]

I prefer turn-based games but this roaming one has been alright, although against large and flying enemies I struggle to actually find an angle where I can see what is going on. I'm enjoying the story of the game as well, which is rare for a FF game for me. I can never be bothered playing past disc 1 of FF8 because it all gets too stupid for me to continue with, although I dig the concept of a fighting school that they start off with. I think in FF10 I've always stopped playing at the top of a mountain whenever I can't beat whatever it is that turns up.

I will have to look into getting FF Tactics. Got Suikoden lined up for after FF12 though.

[Skummy]

I honestly loved the battle system in 12; it wasn't the full-blown "you basically just sit back and watch" bullshit of 13, at least. If it had been anything but a Final Fantasy game, I'd have probably thought it was a fantastic battle system right away.

In fact, 12 is probably the only FF game where I didn't give a shit about the story, but just loved battling and grinding. I probably couldn't tell you a single thing about the story of that game any more, and I'd struggle to name you any of the characters or locations, but I'd spend hours going out exploring and fighting monsters.

I like that they made an effort to make the game world seem somewhat real. One thing that bugs me about most RPGs is that "monsters" just roam around and attack you, but it's barely ever commented on by anyone else in the game. They're completely apart from the game world itself. And I can't help thinking, when I kill a giant dragon that's been slumbering in a cave for hundreds of years, "shit, that was probably endangered".

I love how in 12, the monsters are basically just animals. Some will attack you, some won't. Sometimes they'll attack each other, or otherwise interact with each other and their landscape. Some are much stronger than you - they don't all get stronger at the same rate as you, which is a weird thing to happen, when you think about it.

I'm not saying it's a great game, but it certainly had its plus sides, and I enjoyed it more than I've enjoyed any other Final Fantasy game post-IX.

[Benji]

Totally with you on grinding. That shit was weirdly satisfying in XII.

[Thrilla]

Yeah, I basically spent my Saturday night doing a lot of the bounty hunts and running through everywhere just levelling up, its much more enjoyable than usual in this game.

[King Ellis]

Hey, Ruki, look! Left 4 Dead 2 Lightning Returns demo is out!

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/LRFF13-Demo-ver/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8025351881d

[Ruki]

Hey, Ruki, look! Left 4 Dead 2 Lightning Returns demo is out!

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/LRFF13-Demo-ver/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8025351881d

I no longer have Xbox Live!

But I went and pre-ordered it yesterday.