Current Events > FF-XIII was a good game that was overshadowed by bad characters

(+) Yeah! (+)

my main issue with the game. I thought the combat system (paradigm shifts) was well done but pretty much all the characters were so unlikable.


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No. Lightning is waifu and the only reason I started playing Opera Omnia again >:(

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I didn't even think the characters were bad tbh. I liked Snow and even Hope and Vanille.

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What made FFXIII bad in my opinion was the story being told all out of order. It feels like it starts too late in the story. You get these big events happen to characters you dont even know, and THEN they give you a flashback of "why you should care".

By then, though, the moment has passed. My other complaint is that every normal encounter basically feels like a boss fight with sponge enemies that take ages to wear down and can generally 1 shot you. It just felt like a slog for me.

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Hallway simulator.
Battle system doesnt open up till chapter 11/13
Awful characters bar Fang and Vanille.
Too much of the story is told via the encyclopaedia.

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You have to admit, this boss battle scene is pretty epic:

spoilers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3UT8g3jQG0

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The combat system was absolute trash.

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l'Cie? You mean me? Oh child, perish the thought. I am more than that! [Assumes true form] I am fal'Cie. My name is Barthandelus. Voice of the Sanctum and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie. Your kind feared the darkness, so we gave you light.You begged us for the Purge. and did it not come to pass? Now your spurn our counsel? You must learn your place!

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One of the best Final Fantasy games

I feel like I'm in the minority who does think the combat system is good.

However, the combat system can be the best shit ever created and it wont matter a bit when literally all you do for 30 - 40 or however many hours the game is the exact, or close to exact same thing over and over again. The game desperately needs combat encounters that challenge you differently than the basic ones. And it needs them BEFORE the post game. But it's not even limited to the combat encounters. The game is literally nothing but fight fight fight walk straight forward fight, walk forward fight fight fight, walk forward repeat ad nauseum. Even the best combat system grows stale from that over an extended period of time. The game needed to be abou 20 hours shorter if it wanted to focus so relentless on combat. There's a reason action games can usually be beat in a couple of hours.
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It felt like a long tutorial until it opens up at the end.

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Yeah, the bad characters. Totally not the super linear levels and the dumb story that made no sense and gave zero context for anything.

Totally

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HarryCaNab posted...

One of the best Final Fantasy games

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVMib1T4T4

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I feel like to be truly good they would have to simplify the terms a bit, change the combat system so you controlled all characters in battle, and make it less like a hallway simulator. Add some small outposts and towns.

The game really needed more freedom

randy_123r posted...

Without spoiling FF15, is F13 better than FF15? I've been meaning to play FF15 sometime.

FF15 is... not a diamond in the rough. A mediocre sandwich in the extreme rough.

FF13 is an exceptionally well-polished turd.

Your mileage may vary, but I prefer the sandwich.
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Senta posted...

What made FFXIII bad in my opinion was the story being told all out of order. It feels like it starts too late in the story. You get these big events happen to characters you dont even know, and THEN they give you a flashback of "why you should care".

Yeah, on my first playthrough I never had a solid grasp on wtf was going on cause it kinda just tosses you right in with all the l'cie and falcie mumbo jumbo with little explanation. I enjoyed the game far more on my replay though the characters are still pretty meh.

The lore and world building of the trilogy as a whole is great though. Pretty much the main reason I went back and gave XIII a second chance.

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DeadBankerDream posted...

FF15 is... not a diamond in the rough. A mediocre sandwich in the extreme rough.

FF13 is an exceptionally well-polished turd.

Your mileage may vary, but I prefer the sandwich.

And I prefer the sandwich. 13s story may suck, but at least it has a story that is a little easier to understand than 15s. Christ, half the time I didn't even know why I was doing things in 15.

I don't know why from then, they avoided turn based combat like a plague.

Persona 5's combat was really fun. I like choosing options and then characters act it out with style and then see those big numbers.

The baton passing, showtimes and gun criticals were cool and stylish af.

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Shiva turning into a motorbike and that dude called Snow is all I really remember about that game

Awful experience

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Sazh is an all time great character tho

FF13 is the second worst game I've beaten.

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nfearurspecimn posted...

You have to admit, this boss battle scene is pretty epic:

spoilers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3UT8g3jQG0

Dude cockblocked me for a few weeks, that battle was tough.

13 was eh, but 13-2 was an amazing game and everyone should play it.

Horrible battle theme and horrible battle system

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The game had potential despite its faults, but was held back by a convoluted story, awful pacing, and nonsensical jargon. It's a shame as well, the art design and aesthetics of the world was amazing. A pitty it was wasted on a game only about 30-40 hrs long. And soft rebooted twice.

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Prismsblade posted...

The game had potential despite its faults, but was held back by a convoluted story, awful pacing, and nonsensical jargon. It's a shame as well, the art design and aesthetics of the world was amazing. A pitty it was wasted on a game only about 30-40 hrs long. And soft rebooted twice.

I actually think FF13 would have been significantly better if it was like half its length. That would probably mean trimming a lot of scenes I guess, but that would probably be an improvement as well.

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RetsuZaiZen posted...

Horrible battle theme and horrible battle system

Best battle system in the series imo.

Also some of the best music, likable characters, decent story and I enjoyed the database method of making things clear. The final area before the end boss is trippy and cool.

Top Final Fantasy games for me are X, IX, IV, XIII

HarryCaNab posted...

likable characters, decent story and I enjoyed the database method of making things clear.

Nani?!

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Idk if the story is as bad as some people are saying here but I loved the combat system. Yes it was kinda of a hallway simulator but it didnt detract that much for me. I do remember the Barthandalus fight.

I don't know why I read these topics, they physically hurt me.

The only thing I didn't like about the game was Hope mostly and maybe some minor things I forget.

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Everything was bad about that "game" except for the graphics and parts of the OST.

nfearurspecimn posted...

You have to admit, this boss battle scene is pretty epic:

spoilers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3UT8g3jQG0

Why he's moving his head like that

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I hated that there is literally no customization of the individual characters. The weapons were a pain in the ass to craft and upgrade and they were all useless.

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The first 2 hours I played of FF13-2 were better than the 60+ hours I played of FF13

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The characters were actually pretty good and interesting, the problem is that the story told with them was bad

They had a lot of awesome moment backed by great cinematics, but the whole puzzle was like... a border
You start a puzzle by finding border pieces, but for XIII... that was the whole puzzle

The characters didn't actually take meaningful shape in any kind of picture in the middle. Nor the story.

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I feel that XIII-2 fixed most of the issues XIII had. It was less linear and the combat system opened up much quicker. Its just too bad the story was an even bigger mess than XIIIs was.

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