[06/12] Dengeki AND Famitsu Rate FFXIII-2 Perfectly, DLC Sazh? & Miscellaneous Info

[Linnaete]

Dengeki PlayStation has a final pre-release interview with Final Fantasy XIII-2 producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama. A few bits from the interview suggested that the Sazh character will appear not in the main game but as post release download content. Here are some other bits:

• Toriyama says that the game's various episodes are at most around 3 hours. They're made like this so that busy people can easily play.
• The bonuses for FFXIII owners keep on increasing. Now Toriyama says that if you have FFXIII save data (it doesn't have to be clear data, just save data), you'll get special monster decorations. Additionally, you'll get higher success rates in the game's casino area. The title screen will also have some sort of bonus.
• As previously detailed, you face off against the game's download content bosses in a coliseum area. There will also be small story elements here.
• There's an area of the world that will provide updates about available download content.
• The game has both auto save and save anywhere. Auto Save was apparently included because it's a trend for overseas games. However, it may be a bit hard to figure out where it's saving, so they've included the save anywhere option as well.
• You can make Odin into an ally monster. He first appears as a boss for one of the game's episodes.
• After clearing the game, you'll return to the opening. If you close the Historia Crux gate there, you'll be able to enjoy a "New Game Plus" type experience. You may want to play the game a second time, as there are some items that you'll only get on the second time through, like certain monster decorations that you get based off your Live Trigger conversation choices.
• When you first start the game, Noel and Serah can use Attacker, Blaster and Defender Roles.

Dengeki gave the game an "S" rating. This was part of one of the magazine's "Buyers Guide" reviews, and was not the full numbered review. As plusses, the review listed the selectable difficulties and the large amount of extra content. As a minus, the review said that the load times for switching areas is a bit long.

Source: Andriasang

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This is the magazine that wanted to give FFXIII 120/100 and whose readers voted it probably the best game ever. You know, as much criticism as I give Famitsu, I don't think it's as bad as Dengeki. At least Famitsu doesn't sound like it's blatantly advertising a game as opposed to giving it a comprehensive and fair review as much.

Ah, possible Sazh DLC. As a person who actually found Sazh the best character in the first game out of a list of characters I was probably the least fond of, poor Sazh. The best character doesn't deserve to be made such a minor character like this. Boo.

 

[Ohri-Jin]

Toriyama says that the game's various episodes are at most around 3 hours. They're made like this so that busy people can easily play.

So that busy people can play easily? Casually? Busy people shouldnt be playing FF titles in the first place. Or is this a way of saying the game is a freeking short game with a lot of useless bullshit elements put in and rehashed environments etc?...

• The bonuses for FFXIII owners keep on increasing. Now Toriyama says that if you have FFXIII save data (it doesn't have to be clear data, just save data), you'll get special monster decorations. Additionally, you'll get higher success rates in the game's casino area. The title screen will also have some sort of bonus.

Well at least they are giving something to those that played the first one.

• As previously detailed, you face off against the game's download content bosses in a coliseum area. There will also be small story elements here.

I dont like the first sentence, but I like the second. A Coliseum area is the lamest thing ever, but at least "some" story element is involved... like a minor cutscene probably..

• There's an area of the world that will provide updates about available download content.

LOOOOL

• You can make Odin into an ally monster. He first appears as a boss for one of the game's episodes.

That is nice news indeed , but ally monster is not summon ......

• After clearing the game, you'll return to the opening. If you close the Historia Crux gate there, you'll be able to enjoy a "New Game Plus" type experience. You may want to play the game a second time, as there are some items that you'll only get on the second time through, like certain monster decorations that you get based off your Live Trigger conversation choices.

lol like that is a great reason to go through the game again...




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Additional news about FFXIII-2:


Mon, Dec 05, 2011 | 19:26 GMT

New Final Fantasy XIII-2 details, commercial revealed

4Gamer.net has dropped some interesting new details about Final Fantasy XIII-2, including interactions with Chocobos and more.

Just like in previous Final Fantasy titles, you’ll be able to avoid all combat while riding a Chocobo. You’ll also be able to speak with them in the game. You can access locations while riding Chocobos which you normally wouldn’t be able to.
Apparently, you’ll have four choices to choose from when responding to a conversation. Hot stuff.

The game includes a feature called “Blood Damage,” which is a new type of combat handicap. It lowers your HP pool permanently if you’re infected until you use a specific item to cure yourself from its effect.

In other news, a new Japanese commercial for the game has been released. It features some previously unseen footage. You can watch it below.

Check out the vid here-> http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/05/new-final-fantasy-xiii-2-details-commercial-revealed/#more-220145

The game’s out in Japan on December 15, the US on January 31 and in Europe on February 3, for PS3 and 360.
Via, Gameranx.

Source - http://www.vg247.com/2011/12/05/new-final-fantasy-xiii-2-details-commercial-revealed/#more-220145




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ALSO SQUARE ENIX 2012 GENERAL NEWS ROUNDUP THREAD has been updated
Including an interesting FF7 demo build made with unreal engine
check it out
@ -> http://finalfantasyforums.net/showthread.php?t=50868

 

[Rey]

First of all, I would like to say that not even I think this is an S rating, which means a perfect score. 3 hours each episode? I hear the game can be completed in 45 hours, so it is 20 hours shorter than the first or so. I am not bothered, but why take out one of the best characters in the original and put him as DLC? The bonuses for the 1st game are nice, but hey I got 100% in it. I deserve more than that. I fully think XIII-2 will not be an S at all. Best game ever for the first is hilarious. However, the first was not even an 1000/100. Hell, it was not even an 85/100. I would have given it an 80 or something along that. Watch XIII-2 score 40/40 in famitsu.

 

[Izanagi]

Ahh well, if its that short then its okay for me. Faster to complete it than usual rpgs. Not expecting a hit here, but its something to kill time with. Plus, Serah costumes mentioned from another place intrigues me.

 

[C i d]

FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Scores 40/40 in Famitsu

Famitsu, Japan’s most famous video game magazine, has finally weighed in on FINAL FANTASY XIII-2.

If you recall, the magazine awarded a near perfect score to FFXIII. Two years later, hopes are high for the sequel, which has been built from criticisms the last game faced.

So how does the sequel stack up? Famitsu has given the game a 40/40 (10/10/10/10). Not too bad, all things considered. The real judging will, of course, be up to the fans. A large majority of which will be playing the game in 9 more days.

Via: 2ch.

Source: novacrystallis

That's not surprising, considering FFXIII got a ridiculously high 39/40.

 

[Ohri-Jin]

So FFXIII-2 will have the same quality as Skyrim which is the first western title Famitsu gave a 40/40 score. Wow I cant wait

 

[Linnaete]

Oh wow, I am so shocked. I totally didn't see this one coming. I am sold now, if this game is as good as Skyrim. Famitsu's reviews of course, are always incredibly unbiased and definitely have no skewed favouritism towards anything super-hyped, produced domestically and have a famous franchise name slapped on the cover. Famitsu is still very relevant of course, I mean, come on! It's not like they've been throwing out perfect scores often, right? We should take this review score to heart and realise that this will be the revival of the JRPG genre's fortunes, as well as Final Fantasy's! As it is just as good as Skyrim, the alleged kid of the RPG genre at the moment! Rejoice!

 

[C i d]

Lol sarcasm overload

Well I agree though. Famitsu is rarely accurate in reviews.

I mean... 39/40 for FFXIII is just beyond exaggeration... I like the game, but it doesn't deserve such a high score.

 

[Linnaete]

Even I found the 40/40 score for FFXII hard to swallow despite the fact that I liked the game. Well, I'm looking forward to what Edge magazine thinks of this game. As I recall, they gave the FFXIII a lowly 5.

 

[Martel]

Oh, for fuck's sake, is unbiased scoring REALLY that hard to do? Seriously?

What's even more depressing is that people are actually going to pay attention to this complete and utter bullshit and buy the game based on this score. The media are massively responsible for the promotion of mediocre and downright shit games; and I'm not on about just FFXIII-2 here, either. Where the hell is the criticism?! NOTHING is perfect. You can criticise everything, and you should do so, as much as possible, to drive things in the future to be BETTER. This game shouldn't get above a 6, and this is just because it doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from its predecessor, and is essentially an enhanced clone. In making that judgement I'm not even looking at the flaws in the gameplay or anything else. Nothing above a 6, because it's nothing new. I realise you can argue that XIII-2 is a by-product of the criticism thrown at it, but honestly that isn't going to stand with me: XIII-2 was going to be made regardless, it was praised as much as it was criticised, and it really doesn't improve very much at all in the grand scheme of things. It's a tweaked rehash; improvements take longer than a year to make.

How the fuck is the gaming industry ever going to move on if people keep on encouraging this "more of the same, please" approach?! Companies like Nintendo and Square Enix can get away with barely modifying a video game's formula and presentation and re-releasing it again and again and again AND AGAIN because of scores like this and the sales that come with it. Am I seriously the only person who sees this as a problem? Am I seriously the only person who is sick and fucking tired of these mediocre fucking shit games that shouldn't even get above a 6 getting 7s, 8s and 9s, when they're practically identical to the games that came before them?

Do you want to know why video games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy VII are widely regarded as better than most games to come out today, even over a decade after their release? It's because the fucking industry has STOPPED MOVING FORWARD. Originality is DEAD. Nothing new comes out anymore, and when something that tries to be a bit different - like Resonance of Fate, with it's unique battle system and uncommon steampunk premise - does come out, it gets slammed down for not adhering to the old ways, and so developers just don't bother, because new concepts only ever sell if they've got either a massive name behind them or so much advertising that you can't even open your eyes without seeing an advert for it plastered somewhere, and those that can afford this advertising don't make anything new, because they don't have to. They can just rely on their name to sell the same shit, over and over again. Everything is based on the old games; things don't advance any way other than graphically, and graphics do not make a game. I've said this so many times I've lost count.

FFXIII-2 is more of the same, and instead of getting marked DOWN for not showing any originality, it gets marked UP. This is absolutely fucking ridiculous, it's the biggest flaw with the current reviewing system, and the biggest problem with the gaming industry today by extension. Magazines give these games high scores, more people buy them as a result, developers churn out more of the same for the sales. Sales sales sales, it's all they give a shit about. Yes, I know it's a business, but there is no drive to make something new. This is just aggravating the problem.

I realise it's just one score. But I remember a time when a Famitsu perfect score actually MEANT SOMETHING. I remember a time when Famitsu were the height of criticism; they made even me look positive by comparison. They really let games have it, but they always justified their scores and, when something was rated highly, you knew that, as a video game, it deserved it, even if it may not be your taste. Now they've clearly fallen off their high horse, but their marks still carry significant weight, as if they're The High and Mighty Law You Can Never Disagee With. It's fucking insane. It isn't a matter of comparing it to things like Skyrim, it's a matter of comparing it to it's predecessor and asking: What has changed? What justifies what is essentially a clone of a game approaching two years old getting a perfect score?

NOTHING justifies this. I'm not surprised, but I am still disgusted that these "professional" video game reviewers have about as much honesty and integrity as your average politician. I think it's about fucking time these idiots started giving PROPER reviews for video games which acknowledge the flaws of a game and giving them a score that reflects this. Full marks implies no flaws, and everything can always be better. It's about time that "acceptable" stopped being a stand-in for "excellent" and standards actually came back into existence.

/rant

It's worth a note here (before people start mass quoting me) that I'm just getting at the "professionals" of the business - it's their job to be CRITICAL, and to accurately and fairly rate a game. If you personally think XIII-2 deserves a perfect score or whatever, good for you, that's your business. But for these people, whose opinions are highly regarded as fact by a vast majority (don't you try and tell me they aren't, I've argued with people about highly-rated games being overrated multiple times, and official review scores ALWAYS pop up in the conversation, as though that instantly makes my opinion invalid), for them to pull bullshit like this again and again - it isn't just XIII-2 that has had this treatment - is downright disgraceful. They're not fans or haters on Gamefaqs or wherever, they're professionals. It's time they started acting like it.

...and yes, I totally seized this as an excuse to rant about something that really irritates me when I see it thrown in my face to try and eliminate my opinion. Review scores like this can just fuck right off.

 

[Rey]

Oh wow, I am so shocked. I totally didn't see this one coming. I am sold now, if this game is as good as Skyrim. Famitsu's reviews of course, are always incredibly unbiased and definitely have no skewed favouritism towards anything super-hyped, produced domestically and have a famous franchise name slapped on the cover. Famitsu is still very relevant of course, I mean, come on! It's not like they've been throwing out perfect scores often, right? We should take this review score to heart and realise that this will be the revival of the JRPG genre's fortunes, as well as Final Fantasy's! As it is just as good as Skyrim, the alleged kid of the RPG genre at the moment! Rejoice!

I did say that the 40/40 was coming. I do agree with this massive sarcasm however. You really can not compare both games at all. Final Fantasy XIII-2 might have a new game+ but you cannot compare Skyrim to an FF title. Skyrim is your choice of things, whilst in FF you are completely forced to follow something. It is obvious that if Final Fantasy XIII got a 39/40, that the sequel would just get a 40/40. I saw it coming from a mile away. I refuse to believe that this is better than Xenoblade. However, this review does nothing to me, as it is more or less just their opinion that a sequel will get one extra point. How did XIII get a 39/40? Who the hell knows! I certainly did not think it was that great! (even if I 100%'d it) Pardon me, but UC3 deserves a 40/40

Oh, yup Famitsu just do not know how to review games. Although, I kind of do praise the 40/40 on XII after playing it fully. In my honest opinion, They gave Skyrim a 40/40 because it is just that good, and they were willing to bump the Western score up. We can all laugh our heads off when Versus scores a 39/40 or something.

Oh yeah, Skyrim never ends, until you want it to end!

 

[C i d]

Just witness the internet rage when Versus gets lower than 40/40
It will be interesting...haha

 

[Linnaete]

If Versus can't get a full mark, then oh well. Numerical scores are just such...arbitrary things, as if bolted on just for the sake of being there, leading readers to completely ignore everything else and receive the number score as if it means everything. And besides, this is Famitsu anyway. They're about as integral as uhh, well, something other than politicians because Martel has already used that line. Versus not getting an a perfect score or anything near it like a 39 may actually be a good thing at the rate we're going!

Who cares anyway. If I find a game looks and plays well, it's a good enough game for me. I don't need numerical review scores to tell me the conclusive thing, seeing as they're also so inconsistently applied (hello, Eurogamer! I see you rated UC3 slightly down to 8/10 for lacking clear innovation, yet you never hesitated in giving MW3 a 9/10). If the internet feels the need to get that worked up over the possibility of Versus not getting 40/40 as well, then go do something constructive. Famitsu scores mean as much as me suddenly running for US President now.

 

[HolyDragoon]

A lot of rage in this thread I see. How about we wait until it hits the market before forming such rock-solid opinion. The way you guys are speaking, it is as if you already played it and know it is a completely broken game. Screenshots and trailers are marketing designed to target specific audiences.

While I do agree there is something severely wrong with the review market, I think fans base so much on screenshot and trailers that they don't even bother trying a game that they may like. Reviewers are on one side of the extreme, rabid fans quick who prematurely judge are on the other.

Good on XIII-2 to pull critic high ratings, but the real test will be how the players who buy it react. The work SE is doing on FFXIV has been enough to convince me that a company can change its methods, and listen to the people who want their product. If it was any North American company, I'd 100% write this game off because I've never seen one change. SE I have seen change more than once over the years, good and bad.

I'll reserve my judgement for January 31 while watching how Japanese players respond to the game.

 

[Ohri-Jin]

lol not only trailers and screenshots (which were nothin special imo) made me disappointed, but all the interviews & info!

The only good thing that I like about this game is the graphics & cgi...well sorry I wont buy it for the graphics.

So stop complaining about those that complain! You praisers good luck with the game, but you praisers are judging the game likewise based on footage,intel etc. I cant help that you FF13-2 praisers on FFF are so easily pleased.

We complainers have our opinion and you praisers yours. We'll see in the end what quality game it will be.

 

[Ayen]

What? Making my main man Sazh a NPC?



I am personally not a fan of Downloadable Content. IMO it's basically game developers charging you for a game you've already bought and that just doesn't sit well with me so I never bother with any DLC. And of course DLC has some stuff I'd be interested in at times so it just irritates me further.

But blah. Can't win them all.

 

[ANGRYWOLF]

I susppose at some point we'll be able to get all this downloadable stuff

the question is what is it going to cost us ?

 

[chrono trigger]

Im still worried about this game as i dont like that their will only be two playable characters and sazh (the best character in XIII) is reduced to downloaded content. The only thing im looking forward to in this game is the antagonist caius who im hoping will be as good a baddie as the likes of kefka,sephiroth,kuja and seymour.

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

The only DLC I have seen that Square-Enix have put on the store other that PS1 titles is for PSHome and that's well above the average price of standard DLC on there, and the Final Fantasy titles tend to be a fair bit more too so a logical bet would say that DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2 will also cost more than the standard DLC.

Japanese reviews are shite and worthless anyway, Final Fantasy XIII gets ripped apart in Japan but still receives a 39/40, all it would take is a minor improvement in Final Fantasy XIII-2 to make it 'perfect'. Neither Final Fantasy XIII or XII should have been anywhere near the 40 mark, top end of the 20s max, both truly woeful excuses for games. It's pretty well know Famitsu are moe or less the equivalent of FIFA. Straight as a roundabout. Konami lined the pockets of Famitsu and Peace Walker ended up with 40/40, Final Fantasy XIII is ripped apart by the Japanese fanbase and the game ends up as Japan's "Best game of all time" voted by readers.

In other news Susan Boyle's dead mother's ghost visits her all the time...