Board 8 > So when does FFXV get...tolerable?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I mean, Gladiolus's version of the linear part is really fun, and the very end of the game is simply fantastic IMO. But, the story kinda gets funneled down and it feels like the developers just ran out of budget after a certain really important moment with Ignis until the very end.

Linearity is fine to me, but it didn't really make sense when the rest of the game let me see this vast last with a lot of big landmarks and then suddenly I'm stuck on a path. It doesn't even make sense like FFXIII's linearity - I always justified XIII's linearity because you were on Cocoon while it was linear because that was the very strict technological and artificial world, but when you went to Gran Pulse everything opened up because that world was wild and had been left alone for quite some time. FFXV's linearity just kinda happens, and there's a couple moments where it makes sense, but certainly other moments where it seems like there should be more to the environment you're getting to walk around.
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Honestly I think the game is fundamentally just not for me? I took this long to play it just because I realized that, but I was hoping to find something. I like my RPGs with lots of story cut scenes and a colorful cast and plot, and a very specific direction of where to go. The big open desert and casual chatter is....not my jam. Combat wise I just.....hate this floaty garbage, too. When I have action combat, I want something with a combo system and a bunch of special skills to mix and match.

I would say Tales of Berseria from a year ago is kind of my ideal, and this is basically the opposite of that.
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Also I cannot stress enough how much the lack of female characters in the party is causing me to not give a daaaaaaaaamn about these clowns.

As for the dreaded later chapter everyone talks about, that was never much of a worry for me! I survived THAT PART in FFXIII-2 (some future date in the game), and that was one of the worst gaming experiences I've ever had, and I can't imagine that the part in FFXV is worse than that.
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Conan's Clueless Gamer on XV is so good

that part where Noct & co were talking about a dress they all saw in a magazine I was dying
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LapisLazuli posted...

Honestly I think the game is fundamentally just not for me? I took this long to play it just because I realized that, but I was hoping to find something. I like my RPGs with lots of story cut scenes and a colorful cast and plot, and a very specific direction of where to go. The big open desert and casual chatter is....not my jam. Combat wise I just.....hate this floaty garbage, too. When I have action combat, I want something with a combo system and a bunch of special skills to mix and match.

I would say Tales of Berseria from a year ago is kind of my ideal, and this is basically the opposite of that.

I greatly enjoy the combat, but I'm with you on wanting lots of story cutscenes and a nice big colorful cast and plot beats.
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Even being a broken mess, it was still better than any non-Bravely Default game they've made in years.

Wait...I think XIII and BD is all they've made themselves in 5 years or so. They just license or remake stuff.

God SE sucks.
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Ardyn is all the color you need
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*Joke post above* (my post...just me being frustrated)

Anyway, I liked XV...a little. The "open world jukebox" is a nice feature (since I hate sitting around too much). It gave me time to browse the internet or get food. I also think I don't like open world games unless it has a Japanese aesthetic, like a Yakuza game or in this case, made by Japanese developers. The problem is that for the good ideas they had, they were unfinished.

I couldn't tell you what the fuck I was supposed to do during a certain "boss fight," because it was just meant to look nice, rather than function well. The villain was fantastic, but they left a great opportunity by the wayside with the last 2-3 chapters. Ardyn is the reason to play this game. Well, unless you like staring a car's ass for 50 hours, or Cindy's ass...I mean uh, ARDYN IS GREAT!. They put a LOT of focus on the weird ass dungeon near the end (turning the game into a RE game for fuck's sake). However, for what good it does the villain, the actual gameplay in that section is boring.

I never liked the battle system. I never felt the need to understand how magic combining works, or do anything other than spam Ignis's mass attack tech or healing stuff. That and figure out how to parry attacks after 20 hours...

I thought the idea of "leveling exploration stats" on the go, then sleeping it off" was kinda neat. The bromance in the game was better than the actual romance subplot...sad. Fishing is great, the soundtrack has some good moments, and Galdin Quay is a great pitstop resort place (that is TOO FUCKING FAR AWAY AND EXPENSIVE). But as said, only having one real town and a bunch of "rest areas," was kinda dumb.

Better than XIII by miles, and I liked it more than XII (though not in execution, just ambience)...but wasted opportunity is this game's name.
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glad to see you're enjoying my 2016 GotY
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Strife2 posted...

Even being a broken mess, it was still better than any non-Bravely Default game they've made in years.

Wait...I think XIII and BD is all they've made themselves in 5 years or so. They just license or remake stuff.

God SE sucks.

List of good Square Enix games since Final Fantasy 13 released:

Nier
Just Cause 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Sleeping Dogs
Theatrhythm
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Tomb Raider
Lightning Returns
Just Cause 3
Life is Strange
Hitman Go
Lara Croft Go
Deus Ex Go
Rise of the Romb Raider
Theatrhythm Dragon Quest
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
Hitman
Dragon Quest Builders
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
World of Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
The Turing Test
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Nier Automata
Dragon Quest XI
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I mean the ones Square made. As in "Hey, we used to be a great RPG developer".

Judging by those titles, they outsourced almost everything. Even Nier sounds like,"Someone else made these, but our name's on it."
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that may be the first and only time someone has listed Lightning Returns as good
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Oh man I totally forgot what they did with Ignis. I was invested in the characters enough that I was actually mad at the game when that happened, and it was definitely the beginning of the end for me.

It kind of took me out of it. Like why did you do this if it doesn't really change anything gameplay wise?
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davidponte posted...

Oh man I totally forgot what they did with Ignis. I was invested in the characters enough that I was actually mad at the game when that happened, and it was definitely the beginning of the end for me.

It kind of took me out of it. Like why did you do this if it doesn't really change anything gameplay wise?

Play episode Ignis. It's amazing, and it will make you understand.

And the time skip at the end? I spent so much time with these characters and then you just hand wave and fast forward through years of their lives?

I think I repressed all of these memories and now that they're coming back to me I remember exactly why I disliked the game. I was actively angry playing the game throughout the last third of the story.
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Lost interest in XV about 5 hours in.

ninkendo posted...

glad to see you're enjoying my 2016 GotY

Have you played Uncharted 4 yet
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Strife2 posted...

I mean the ones Square made. As in "Hey, we used to be a great RPG developer".

Judging by those titles, they outsourced almost everything. Even Nier sounds like,"Someone else made these, but our name's on it."

I don't get how a list of mostly internally developed games is outsourced?

SaveEstelle posted...

that may be the first and only time someone has listed Lightning Returns as good

it's the best tri-Ace game around

the story is atrocious. even as someone who thinks Final Fantasy 13 is among the worst in the series with a garbage story and cast of characters, nobody in Lightning Returns acts consistent with their established character motivations and the game goes out of its way to contradict points of development from the previous two games. but the game is so fun to play.
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Solioxrz362 posted...

Have you played Uncharted 4 yet

ff15 and uncharted 4 are unfortunately close in quality, and that hurts to say
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iiicon posted...

Solioxrz362 posted...

Have you played Uncharted 4 yet

ff15 and uncharted 4 are unfortunately close in quality, and that hurts to say

Wow, what? You didn't enjoy Uncharted 4? That game is great!
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I highly doubt the same people working on FFXV worked on freaking Hitman. Same company, but probably different parts of the planet.
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I liked near the end (stuff actually happens in the story and there are clear reasons for it!) and kind of wish I'd just ignored most of the fetch quests and hunts.
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iiicon posted...

Solioxrz362 posted...

Have you played Uncharted 4 yet

ff15 and uncharted 4 are unfortunately close in quality, and that hurts to say

i usually am cool with differing opinions but yours often run direct counter to mine and I have to say this is by far the worst one you've ever given

i mean i like ff15 but uncharted 4 is better than uncharted 2 imo and it's a 10/10
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yea icon is weird like that
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Strife2 posted...

I highly doubt the same people working on FFXV worked on freaking Hitman. Same company, but probably different parts of the planet.

Denmark and Japan are different parts of the planet, yes, but IO Interactive was owned by Square Enix the publisher until early in 2017.

SaveEstelle posted...

Wow, what? You didn't enjoy Uncharted 4? That game is great!

all of the pathos and conflict in that game comes from your ability to suspend belief about the sudden appearance of a major character and forget that the games major themes are the same as uncharted 3. it's a huge contrivance. the prologue and epilogue are wonderful; the rest, dull.

and they killed the multiplayer.
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you must be a very sad person icon
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Solioxrz362 posted...

you must be a very sad person icon

that checks out with most of his posts
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I meam, just based on the first game in the list, Nier was Cavia. Thought Strife was pretty clear about what he meant.
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Solioxrz362 posted...

you must be a very sad person icon

is it your belief that all people who found uncharted 4 underwhelming are sad, or is it just me. also what is sad.
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Uncharted 4 GOTY 2016 imo
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Top 10 for sure but it's no FF15!
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Uncharted 4 best timeskip 2016 imo
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Uncharted 4 best Crash Bandicoot game of 2016 imo
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That's a fine list defending Squeenix as a publisher but I'm not sure what part of it shows that they're still a good developer.
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Uncharted 4 and FFXV are both p good games.

Square is a p big company tho!
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I heard praise for Lightning Returns, aka the best battle system in FF history.
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davidponte posted...

Uncharted 4 best timeskip 2016 imo

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

Uncharted 4 best Crash Bandicoot game of 2016 imo

THEDavyJones posted...

I heard praise for Lightning Returns, aka the best battle system in FF history.

i'm sorry but the answer to all these questions, oddly, is HITMAN
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Hitman is a Final Fantasy game?
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it's a game where you go to far-reaching locales, assume different outfits and take down sinners. it's lightning returns 2
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I like to think a hypothetical sequel would be entitled Lightning Returns 2 Spira

Complete with all the headachey implications therein
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Lightning enters Spira at just the right place and time to see Tidus kick a bomb
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iiicon posted...

Solioxrz362 posted...

you must be a very sad person icon

is it your belief that all people who found uncharted 4 underwhelming are sad, or is it just me. also what is sad.

it is certainly my belief that if you don't think uncharted 4 was at least great then you do not enjoy life the way you should be enjoying life

because it really was a fantastic game

and no i will not understand that you simply have a differing opinion, OPINIONS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THIS HOUSEHOLD
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If Lightning was in FFXV, it'd be the best.
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THEDavyJones posted...

If Lightning was in FFXV, it'd be the best.

Oh god, now I am imagining Lightning in Cindy's place.

"These clothes are dumb. Fix your own damn car!"
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If you're curious about Square Enix development divisions, you can check them out here:

http://kh13.com/forum/topic/81536-square-enix-business-divisions-established-in-dec-2013/

Theatrhythm, Bravely Default, and FFXIII-2 are the only games they've developed this decade that I thought were great. I assume that even within the divisions there are separate teams, or did the BD staff work on DQ11?
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UC4 was great, but it's crazy to say that someone who didn't like the Uncharted series in the first place would suddenly change their mind because of it.

Now, if someone who LIKED Uncharted said UC4 sucked, that would just be nonsense.
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Strife2 posted...

"These clothes are dumb."

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Lightning was a flawed character, but it was still a shame to see them turn into....whatever the fuck they did.

They turned FF into KH.
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Lightning is a decent character fated to rough and/or uneventful storytelling.
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Lightning is a terrible character in a terrible game with a terrible story
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