[25/08/2013] Lightning Returns is now estimated at 50 hours to complete + more on guests.

[Rey]

Have you seen the Lightning Returns Gamescom trailer? If you have, you will know that Fang was fighting with Lightning in some parts. Fang will not be the only guest character in Lightning Returns: FF XIII, according to the latest interview. The game design director, Yuji Abe stated that Lightning will have more than just Fang accompanying her. These characters of course are only going to be AI, and not playable.

This might be some news fans would like to hear: Lightning Returns originally only took 20 hours or so to complete at first. According to Yuji Abe at gamescom, the game has undergone a change to go on much longer. One of the changes Yuji Abe explained was that it is now possible to interrupt the flow of time (which interrupts the 13-day apocalypse)

Yuji Abe now estimates that the game will take 50 hours at most for the first playthrough. It is important to note that however, it is still possible to complete it in 20 hours if you skip cutscenes and events, etc.

The interview also confirmed that at TGS in September a new character is confirmed to be shown.

Source: Novacrystallis

I am happy to see the game changed to 50 hours, and to see that Fang will not be the only guest accompanying Lightning. It might be something like Tales of Xillia though. Maybe 10-15 hours of that 50 are just subquests or something. It is still better than 20 hours though!

 

[Martel]

Where do they come up with these arbitrary play time numbers? This is utter bollocks. At most this will probably last about 30 hours, maybe a few more if you have to play it more than once to unlock everything and can actually be bothered to do so. I expect most who try will be able to get the Platinum trophy for this game in under 50 hours.

50 hours is a paltry figure for a JRPG in any event, and length doesn't always mean it's better...better 20 hours of shit than 50 hours of shit. Try again, Square Enix.

 

[AuronX]

50 hours is a paltry figure for a JRPG in any event

Yikes! Please, no. A 50 hour game can take me a couple months to get through. Much longer than that and I feel like I just can't commit to it. The vast majority of people that put in 100 hours in old JRPGs have jobs and/or families now that prevent them from spending as much time as they used to on games. 20-50 or more hours is a pretty decent figure, IMO. Those that want to max out Lightning and get every accessory and complete every sidequest can do so, but those that need a shorter gameplay experience can also have it. It seems to me that this way pleases the most people, and SE really needs to do some people-pleasing to get this game to sell.

 

[Lirael]

50 hours?! 50 hours was absolutely fine for Final Fantasy X, but that was the entire story. I doubt this one will be as complex. :/ Like Luke, I find it hard to commit to games which take 50 hours. I don't have the time, and I also feel a bit fazed - I have to spend 50 hours in front of a screen on ONE game? Final Fantasy XIII took me 45-50 hours, I believe, and that felt a little too long; the story dragged in parts. I preferred the 25 hours of XIII-2.

Also... is 50 hours going to work with ONE main party member? If the rest of the party are just guests... it's going to be pretty hard to pull off a decent, character-driven story.

 

[.Mosh]

For me this is great news and I saw this written up the other day on another site, I mean it makes a change for it to be longer than FFXIII-2 which was too short. I like long games, as long as it doesn't drag or become boring. I would love any of my favorite franchises to last forever but I know they won't. If it takes me that long to complete it and then still give me new content on new game+ I think the game has earned its value then if it can deliver it. It is also good to have guest characters to fight with your one band army (reminds me of FFXII) but I have no problem with it anyway I am confident they will be able to pull it off. It seems like the game has changed drastically from originally released news hence why I felt like it was pushed back a couple months or more.

Also LukeLC You have played Persona 3 and now doing Tales of Xillia both are long games, I am sure you can fit another in

 

[AuronX]

Also LukeLC You have played Persona 3 and now doing Tales of Xillia both are long games, I am sure you can fit another in

P3 took me 62 hours and Tales of Xillia is supposedly in the 30-40 hour range unless you do a lot of sidequests (which I haven't). I can fit in LR:FFXIII, but it's something I have to take pretty seriously. If the game doesn't grab my interest and starts becoming a chore, it will get shelved before I put 50 hours into it.

 

[Steve-O]

50 hours.... what are they doing for the story, showing lightning brushing her teeth, getting ready for the day...., for a story about the last 13 days... THAT A LONG TIME

 

[Rey]

I think you people need to keep in mind that Square Enix probably did not want the finale of the XIII series to be short. They did not want to force us through the story (kind of like a speed run) FF XIII-2 was just too short compared to XIII.

I guess some people do enjoy it when the games are shorter, but that does not really bring a satisfying ending to the series, imo. I imagine they made this change because they want exploration to be a major part of the game. The Wildlands are just humungous, and it would be silly if you had one day left on the clock when you get there.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Tyler Breeze]

Ahh... This sounds cool. I prefer a longer game over a shorter one any day. My main concern now is how they fill up those 50 hours with stuff to make me care about the story, characters, etc. I have a feeling this game might end up being full of cutscenes to show off the other characters, who aren't playable or whatever. Also the whole thing with interrupting time sounds pretty cool. I do wonder it'll be used for. Meh...

 

[Zeroxys]

Everyone complaining that a FF game taking too long? Its the hours put that are put into the game that make it epic, clearly you guys didnt put in anything less than 40 into FF 7-X? cuz those are definitely games that take around 45-60 hours to complete. Im starting to think everyone is just nit picking things to hate on ff13 about. Its gonna be a great game whether it takes 45 hours to complete or 100 hours. How can any1 complain that a FINAL FANTASY game takes TOO long to beat? jeesh

 

[AuronX]

Everyone complaining that a FF game taking too long?

Right, I know? "It's too short!" "Wait, now it's too long!" I can definitely see how my comments might have given that impression. But actually I meant no such thing. Originally in this thread I was responding to the idea that 50 hours is still too short, when in my book a game topping out at 50 hours is fine--I just generally start losing interest after that because it takes me so long to get there and after a couple months I've usually figured out other games I'd like to try out, too. And despite the unusual systems this is still a JRPG we're talking about, so a lot of content can be skipped if desired.

And besides, the original plan for LR:FFXIII was to make it short but basically require two playthroughs to actually win. Now they've lifted that requirement and filled the holes with new content. In the end, the playtime is roughly the same as was always intended.

 

[Linnaete]

Lightning Returns originally only took 20 hours or so to complete at first. According to Yuji Abe at gamescom, the game has undergone a change to go on much longer. One of the changes Yuji Abe explained was that it is now possible to interrupt the flow of time (which interrupts the 13-day apocalypse)

Yuji Abe now estimates that the game will take 50 hours at most for the first playthrough.

Hold on a minute. Are you trying to tell me that they've actually done something sensible?

They have purportedly built a large world, with Toriyama telling his team of a vision to beat Skyrim. Are you trying to tell me that the player will be able to explore, sidequest and interact with this world at their own pace, without constantly feeling the need to rush straight to the final boss?

Have they actually come to realise that chasing the player hastily through a short game just to start over from the beginning again multiple times would have been a bullshit game design model for an RPG? Well, hallelujah.

Also, I didn't even know that LR: FFXIII was "originally...20 hours" in length. I thought, after seeing the torrential of spoilerific trailers talking about who is coming back, and little to actually do with deeper in-game mechanics, that the storyline is that embarrassingly short, and the game so woefully shallow, that trailer-makers didn't even know what to put in the trailers except major spoilers.

 

[Razberry Knight]

Hold on a minute. Are you trying to tell me that they've actually done something sensible?

They have purportedly built a large world, with Toriyama telling his team of a vision to beat Skyrim. Are you trying to tell me that the player will be able to explore, sidequest and interact with this world at their own pace, without constantly feeling the need to rush straight to the final boss?

Have they actually come to realise that chasing the player hastily through a short game just to start over from the beginning again multiple times would have been a bullshit game design model for an RPG? Well, hallelujah.

Also, I didn't even know that LR: FFXIII was "originally...20 hours" in length. I thought, after seeing the torrential of spoilerific trailers talking about who is coming back, and little to actually do with deeper in-game mechanics, that the storyline is that embarrassingly short, and the game so woefully shallow, that trailer-makers didn't even know what to put in the trailers except major spoilers.

yeah, this completely turns it around for XIII. gameplay-wise.

 

[Cardinal Copia]

The feature that I'm really happy they added is controlling Lightning AS YOU FIGHT! Holy shit now she won't back in the line of fire like an absolute fucktard. Now you can actually move her and get out of the way. Her moronic walking has made me rage so much.
I'm so fucking excited for this new combat system.

 

[Razberry Knight]

i never had a problem with that (after all its turn base) but I always hated how slow it would be for her attacks to execute. The atb was fater than her running.

 

[Cardinal Copia]

I mean, when I have Fang acting as a Sentinel and she has them distracted, DONT RUN OVER THERE AND STAND THERE!!! I've died so many times from her doing that. I don't have any problems with it being turn based but for Heavens sakes don't run over by my tank acting as a decoy.

 

[CryofthePlanet]

I mean, when I have Fang acting as a Sentinel and she has them distracted, DONT RUN OVER THERE AND STAND THERE!!! I've died so many times from her doing that. I don't have any problems with it being turn based but for Heavens sakes don't run over by my tank acting as a decoy.

Wait... Are you complaining about a tank standing in one area and drawing enemy fire? Because that's exactly what the tank is supposed to do... Attract enemy fire and absorb the damage.

Anyway... I recall them saying that they know people want a 100+ hour RPG and they assured us that it was possible with Lightning Returns. And then they come with this shit about how it was 20 hours, but now 50? Come on! I got the platinum for XIII-2 in 40 hours, and you had to do *everything* including filling the bestiary and doing crappy, luck-based stuff in Serendipity. Is this how far it's fallen? How disappointing.

 

[Cardinal Copia]

Wait... Are you complaining about a tank standing in one area and drawing enemy fire? Because that's exactly what the tank is supposed to do... Attract enemy fire and absorb the damage.

Anyway... I recall them saying that they know people want a 100+ hour RPG and they assured us that it was possible with Lightning Returns. And then they come with this shit about how it was 20 hours, but now 50? Come on! I got the platinum for XIII-2 in 40 hours, and you had to do *everything* including filling the bestiary and doing crappy, luck-based stuff in Serendipity. Is this how far it's fallen? How disappointing.

Nooooooo, not about the tank. My beef is when Lightning just stands there and never gets out of the damn way. She will always walk towards the tank. Whether it be backwards, diagonal, or forwards towards the tank.

 

[CryofthePlanet]

Nooooooo, not about the tank. My beef is when Lightning just stands there and never gets out of the damn way. She will always walk towards the tank. Whether it be backwards, diagonal, or forwards towards the tank.

Oh! XD I totally agree, I HATE that... I want to like Lightning, but that was the one thing in XIII that just pissed me off, I couldn't stand her doing that.

 

[Paddy McGee]

Well, this game is somewhat shaping up better than I first expected. I honestly believed it would've been a B-rate game, thrown out to finish a sub-par trilogy...

Hell, they'll probably come out with some silly trilogy pack known as the (Struck by)Lightning experience. Of course, we can't forget the OBVIOUS release of a life-sized blow up doll of Lightning, with extra outfits and added super sexy armpits of sexiness pink haired-ness.

But it seems Square Enix is actually putting some effort in and fixing some of the problems the prior games had. Hell, maybe if they were dead-set on fixing XIII's reputation, they could ADD some of the battle features into it with a re-release on its anniversary, you know, Like moving the fuck around.

I did like XIII, but it was never going to be my favourite FF game. I'm happy it's coming to a final conclusion though. Square Enix's extended span of sequels is over(for the meanwhile; until they need a regular paycheck).


Of course, I won't be buying this full price(or even near full price), but this might(and I mean MIGHT) just warrant a purchase from me(Which is in upon itself good, since I missed out on gems like Tomb Raider and so on).