Final Fantasy XIII-2 Announced!

[Specially Cork]

Remember that really dissapointing Final Fantasy game that came out last year and how much you wanted a sequel to it? Remember how you loved those really long corridors and lack of towns? Remember how much you wanted the director who made those decisions to make another game?

Well you're in luck because your dreams will come true on PS3 and XBOX 360 this year (probably next year in English)

EDIT: Square Enix deleted the trailer off Youtube due to copyright. If they feel public distribution of promotional trailers somehow screws them over than that's their choice I guess.

I'm sure it will be great to focus on Lightning again, who lacks every human emotion except hateful bitch and never mentions why. I'm also sure it will be great to see a load of previously unmentioned characters and lore forcefully thrust into the world. I'm sure they'll also shake-up the battle system (the only good thing about the last game)

Square Enix are having money troubles at the moment, and it really suprises me that they'd greenlight a sequel to a poorly recieved FF game, especially when they could haul in the cash with so many other obvious things (FF7 remake, Chrono Trigger sequel, Kingdom Hearts 3)

I'll still end up buying it though.

[Thomas]

I didn't hate FFXIII, so I'll probably get this at some point.

[Specially Cork]

I didn't "hate" it...the last third of the game was amazing once the party, story and battle system all came together. But I was so close to quitting before that part so many times. Spending 6 entire zones as either Light/Hope or Sazh/Vanille was especially dull. Especially because the Paradigm Shift thing doesn't work with 2 people. RPGs love to base their battle systems around a rock-paper-scissors strength-weakness thing - and with 2 you were always missing something.

[Thomas]

I didn't "hate" it...the last third of the game was amazing once the party, story and battle system all came together. But I was so close to quitting before that part so many times. Spending 6 entire zones as either Light/Hope or Sazh/Vanille was especially dull. Especially because the Paradigm Shift thing doesn't work with 2 people. RPGs love to base their battle systems around a rock-paper-scissors strength-weakness thing - and with 2 you were always missing something.

Yeah it was really annoying with just two people. I had a hell of a time with the Odin battle. It was pretty annoying how linear it was at first, because it felt like you were a cog in the machine just pushing buttons on cue, but I loved it once it opened up. I had a lot of fun doing all the Ce'ith stone missions, and trying to 5-star them all. Not my favorite JRPG this generation, but I still really enjoyed myself while playing it.

[mrandyk]

Wow. Just wow.

[Jeeba Jabba]

Hate. that. company.

[BlackAura]

Square Enix are having money troubles at the moment, and it really suprises me that they'd greenlight a sequel to a poorly recieved FF game

Think of it this way - they spent five years making Final Fantasy XIII, and they had an enormous team working on it. It must have cost an absolute fortune to make. They wrote their own game engine (which they shouldn't have done), and created huge piles of art assets that still stand up fairly well today, including a lot of stuff that was cut from FF13 itself.

So basically, it sounds like a mission pack. The same general idea as GTA 4's DLC - they'd built a huge city and only used parts of it, so they built some new content around previously unused parts of the city, and released them as DLC. Except Square are releasing it as a stand-along sequel, on a disc, at full retail price.

From Square's point of view, it's probably a good idea. It can be made more quickly than the original game, and with far lower cost. They've not yet irreparably damaged the Final Fantasy brand, so there are plenty of people out there who would buy it just because it has the name "Final Fantasy" on the box.

Of course, if it turns out to be as poorly received as FF13 itself... Square could be in trouble. FF14 was spectacularly poorly received, FF13 was generally seen as boring, repetitive, linear, far too long, and full of cardboard cut-outs, and Square's other upcoming games seem to all be permanently delayed.

[Specially Cork]

Square Enix are having money troubles at the moment, and it really suprises me that they'd greenlight a sequel to a poorly recieved FF game

Think of it this way - they spent five years making Final Fantasy XIII, and they had an enormous team working on it. It must have cost an absolute fortune to make. They wrote their own game engine (which they shouldn't have done), and created huge piles of art assets that still stand up fairly well today, including a lot of stuff that was cut from FF13 itself.

So basically, it sounds like a mission pack. The same general idea as GTA 4's DLC - they'd built a huge city and only used parts of it, so they built some new content around previously unused parts of the city, and released them as DLC. Except Square are releasing it as a stand-along sequel, on a disc, at full retail price.

From Square's point of view, it's probably a good idea. It can be made more quickly than the original game, and with far lower cost. They've not yet irreparably damaged the Final Fantasy brand, so there are plenty of people out there who would buy it just because it has the name "Final Fantasy" on the box.

Of course, if it turns out to be as poorly received as FF13 itself... Square could be in trouble. FF14 was spectacularly poorly received, FF13 was generally seen as boring, repetitive, linear, far too long, and full of cardboard cut-outs, and Square's other upcoming games seem to all be permanently delayed.

The funny part being that they promised FF13 DLC then changed their minds after release. Quick money-making spin-off sounds about right though. I guess I just hoped they'd figure that winning back hearts and minds would be a better decision - especially after a dire 2010. Although Lightning seems to be showing off her ass cheeks in the trailer so....

[melancholy]

I think the best part of the announcement was that Final Fantasy Agito XIII was renamed to just Final Fantasy Type-0, mainly because the director didn't want it associated with XIII. And I have no doubt that this game will be x1000 more awesome than XIII.

[Specially Cork]

I think the best part of the announcement was that Final Fantasy Agito XIII was renamed to just Final Fantasy Type-0, mainly because the director didn't want it associated with XIII. And I have no doubt that this game will be x1000 more awesome than XIII.

Perhaps it's just me, but if youre developing a Final Fantasy game that has absolutely nothing to do with any other Final Fantasy game, then it's the next numbered game in the series. They may as well just all it Final Fantasy XV. Yes, it isn't on a beautiful HD console and filled with Blu-Ray FMV - but it might help bring the franchise down to Earth a bit. Not that it really matters. I don't even know what "Final Fantasy" represents anymore.

[Jeeba Jabba]

I really, really thought they had gotten their shit back together after 12, and fully recovered from 10 and 10-2. We're all wrong sometimes. And sometimes when you're wrong, you take off of work for a game's release, buy a PS3 for it, play it for 3 hours, then return the game and spend another hour trying to find something to play on your new system.

[Specially Cork]

But 10 and 10-2 were both awesome games. Especially 10, my favourite Final Fantasy.

[BlackAura]

I liked bits of FF10. The core gameplay mechanics were pretty decent. I really liked the battle system - it was functionally equivalent to that used in previous games, but completely cut out the boring bits where you're waiting for something to happen, so it was actually much quicker. No mad rushing through the menus before the enemy made a move. You had time to plan your moves, and the turn list (which can be manipulated) is really useful. And they managed to get rid of most of the annoying crap from earlier games, like the hour-long summoning animations from FF7 / FF8.

It's just everything else. The game is far too long, and moves at a snail's pace. It's full of pointless padding that just serves the stretch the game out even longer. You end up fighting the same enemies so often that actually playing the game becomes a chore. The story is pretty simplistic and predictable, and very boring. The characters are cardboard cut-outs with no personality or emotions whatsoever, and spend most of the game blundering around like complete idiots, or doing stuff simply because the plot says they have to.

None of that is enough to make it a bad game, as such. It's just kind of annoying. I wasn't playing it for the story or characters anyway.

Never played FF10-2 though. Didn't care to, since they'd removed the only bit of FF10 I actually liked. Otherwise, it seemed like fan service.

Although Lightning seems to be showing off her ass cheeks in the trailer so....

Oh dear. Fan service it is, then.

[Thomas]

English trailer made no mention of a 360 release... hmm.

[Thomas]

I assume it is too, and the trailer is from the Playstation youtube channel, so probably why it's not listed.

[Jeeba Jabba]

But 10 and 10-2 were both awesome games. Especially 10, my favourite Final Fantasy.

It was a tunnel. Not as well-lighted as 13, but a tunnel nonetheless.

[Specially Cork]

But 10 and 10-2 were both awesome games. Especially 10, my favourite Final Fantasy.

It was a tunnel. Not as well-lighted as 13, but a tunnel nonetheless.

That's not really fair. The towns, and certainly the temples did a good job of breaking things up. Also, I only ever played the International version, so all that extra non-linear endgame content was the normal game for me. I know the lack of a world map pissed a lot of people off - but that never made anything any less linear in the world of Final Fantasy.

[melancholy]

But 10 and 10-2 were both awesome games. Especially 10, my favourite Final Fantasy.

It was a tunnel. Not as well-lighted as 13, but a tunnel nonetheless.

Final Fantasy X was a tunnel, agreed. But Final Fantasy XIII was not a tunnel, it was a series of self-contained stages. It compares more to a shump than to FFX. You have a straight path with a set number of enemies you must destroy and a big boss at the end.

[Jeeba Jabba]

But 10 and 10-2 were both awesome games. Especially 10, my favourite Final Fantasy.

It was a tunnel. Not as well-lighted as 13, but a tunnel nonetheless.

That's not really fair. The towns, and certainly the temples did a good job of breaking things up. Also, I only ever played the International version, so all that extra non-linear endgame content was the normal game for me. I know the lack of a world map pissed a lot of people off - but that never made anything any less linear in the world of Final Fantasy.

Not always the case on the world map... There were large portions in FF7 that gave you no clue whatsoever on where to go next, at which time you'd just jump in the Highwind and start searching the world-- either for the next leap in the storyline, or acquiring hidden characters and loot. AKA sidequests.

Not to mention the option to grind your heart out... Which I absolutely require in any RPG.

[Specially Cork]

But 10 and 10-2 were both awesome games. Especially 10, my favourite Final Fantasy.

It was a tunnel. Not as well-lighted as 13, but a tunnel nonetheless.

That's not really fair. The towns, and certainly the temples did a good job of breaking things up. Also, I only ever played the International version, so all that extra non-linear endgame content was the normal game for me. I know the lack of a world map pissed a lot of people off - but that never made anything any less linear in the world of Final Fantasy.

Not always the case on the world map... There were large portions in FF7 that gave you no clue whatsoever on where to go next, at which time you'd just jump in the Highwind and start searching the world-- either for the next leap in the storyline, or acquiring hidden characters and loot. AKA sidequests.

Not to mention the option to grind your heart out... Which I absolutely require in any RPG.

Hmmm, whenever a game doesn't tell me where to go next I just log onto GameFAQS and find out But I can't really recall large sections in FF7 where it wasn't clear where to go next. As for sidequests and grinding...again, I played a version of FFX that was full of both. Getting your party ready to beat Penance involved a considerable amount of globetrotting, customizing, grinding etc.