Forums > Game Forums > Thoughts from followers of the series?
BurningStickMan (17916) on 4/9/2010 5:22 AM · Permalink · Report
This apparently is a radical departure from the previous games, so I'm wondering what series fans' take on it is. Will we be seeing an Oleg review, for example?
For my part, I'm enjoying it so far. Certainly a refreshing change of pace from Western games. Sure the Australian (or part-time Australian... she can't seem to settle on an accent) girl is ridiculously quirky, and the idea of a baby chick living in a black man's afro is... odd... but I like the overall feeling of optimism. Too many Western games seem in love with their own misery. It's nice to play Final Fantasy with a smile.
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 4/9/2010 5:44 AM · Permalink · Report
Will we be seeing an Oleg review, for example?
I don't think so. First, I don't have a PS3, and I'm going to wait at least a year more before I buy it. Too many unfinished games, I have to stay focused.
Second, even though I will eventually buy a PS3 - that is, if Infamous, God of War 3, and the upcoming Last Guardian will stay PS3-exclusive - FF13 is not on the list.
Again, two reasons for that. One: the storylines of Japanese RPGs refuse to grow up. Meanwhile, Western RPGs learned to adopt the best elements of Japanese story-telling. Before, I played Japanese RPGs because they offered emotional stories Western games didn't have. But now, why would I settled for a second-grade story-telling product if I can have first-grade ones?
Two: Final Fantasy 12 clearly showed that the old turn-based system was a thing of the past. The free-flowing, fast-paced model is the only way. If FF13 switched to that, or even real-time combat, I would certainly try it. But knowing that it did away with FF12's daring step and brought back a stone-age system, peppered by unnecessary gimmicks and complications, I've lost interest.
Bottom line: either a revolution happens in the world of Japanese RPGs, or I'm done with the genre.
Just for the record, I recently finished Cosmic Fantasy 2 which is an 18 years old game, and enjoyed every moment of it. Which means that I didn't lose my love to Japanese RPGs, I just don't like what's happening with them now.
BurningStickMan (17916) on 4/9/2010 6:38 AM · Permalink · Report
What about Resonance of Fate? I don't know enough about it (or really the JRPG genre) to make a comment myself, but every review I've read so far has called it close to this revolution you're talking about the genre needing.
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 4/9/2010 7:08 AM · Permalink · Report
I haven't played it, since I don't own any current-gen console; but judging by the reviews, the "revolutionary" aspect is a combination of complex gimmicks - which is just what Japanese RPGs don't need now. What they need (beside better stories) are non-linear environment and dialogue choices. This genre is stuck in time.