Final Fantasy XIII - too modern for an FF?

[Demon]

I realized that when I thought of the Final Fantasy XIII cutscenes, that I thought of them as being flashy and graphical. There is some message behind the cutscenes and story, but all you notice is the graphics being better than a lot of other games.

So I'm wondering if in a few years, when the graphics are looked at as average, if Final Fantasy XIII may be looked at as a better game because it's easier to notice the other points it might contain (besides graphics). This theory kind of goes against common knowledge, but the actuality of reality can be rather strange sometimes.

For example, I'm pretty sure that X was once looked at as a beautiful game. Some still consider it beautiful, but it's kind of delusional to say it has the best graphics (unless you are limited to a PS2 system). However I think the perception of the game is about as high as it was when it was new, and yet the perception of the actual game is kind of higher in a way because the high perceptions people have now are probably less based on graphics than they were when X was new, because people were basing their perception of the game on X having some of the best graphics and "advancements" at the time.

One of the complaints about XIII is that too much focus was on the game having good graphics and being advanced. But in a few years, there's little reason to have that resentment over this game. In a way, XIII reminds me of VI (as a game)... of course it isn't as good, because VI is a classic, but this kind of brings me back to the same point. About the only problem I see in XIII in comparison to classic Final Fantasy games, is that the pacing of the game can be a little slow... and the battles, perhaps a bit hard to follow.

 

[Martel]

If FFXIII is ever seen as a good game I will truly despair, for then I will know that video games have gotten so bad that they're unplayable. FFXIII was a new low point for video games, and the idea that they could possibly get bad enough in the future to make it look good worries me.

Its not easy to notice XIII's other points because it just doesn't have any. The graphics are the one redeemable feature of this game, and once the graphics become standard or worse, I don't think the game will be any better, because then it won't have ANY redeemable features. Its not going to miraculously become a proper video game when some prettier games come out. It'll just be a crap game with good graphics for its time. Like Super Mario Sunshine, perhaps.

Graphics have never mattered to me. I'd be quite happy with a 2D game on my handhelds. What I object to is that the features that should have been in XIII - gameplay, a proper storyline, decent soundtrack, and pretty much everything else - were left out. I don't care what the excuse for leaving them out is. Once that excuse "vanishes" as such, they'll still be left out. I'm not going to suddenly see them, because they simply aren't there.

In my opinion, the only way FFXIII could ever become a good video game would be if another FF game (or something else in a high profile mainstream series) came out with better graphics but worse gameplay, and any developer who can make a game worse than FFXIII needs to be given an award for achieving the impossible, then shot for committing such an act.

Its an interesting idea, but I hope it doesn't happen.

 

[Demon]

If FFXIII is ever seen as a good game I will truly despair, for then I will know that video games have gotten so bad that they're unplayable.

While this is one of the possibilities, the geek in me wants to call out a False Dilemma fallacy.

Its not easy to notice XIII's other points because it just doesn't have any. The graphics are the one redeemable feature of this game, and once the graphics become standard or worse, I don't think the game will be any better, because then it won't have ANY redeemable features.

It has a few. The romance between Snow and Serah, a few decent characters, a strong female lead character, and a somewhat advanced system which, for all I know, might not be reused.

Also, who says one needs interactivity in order to like a form of media?

 

[Vannitie]

If a newbie may jump in ~

Sorry man, but I have to agree with Flonne. XIII just felt...well...."empty" would be the best word in my mind. I love the idea of a strong female lead in an FF game, (And yes, Light was both physically and emotionally quite strong.) but lack of character detail ruined that for me. I felt like that about every character in the game.
Maybe it isn't fair to state for lack of evidence, but in every other FF game I've played with the exception of XII I've felt a strong emotional attachment to the characters. I felt none of the with XIII. Now, maybe part of that is just my personality but I don't honestly see how anyone could say that they knew more about Light than they did about..oh, say Rinoa. Tifa. Garnet. In fact, I'm sure I could name far more facts and personality traits about any one of them than I could for all of the "main" characters in XIII. Maybe I'm right, or maybe I just really didn't pick up on some of the stuff in XIII. Who knows.

One other thing - I've gotten used to not having random encounters. But no towns to roam around!? I really don't think I could get used to that. It's the one thing I feel XII has over XIII.

Maybe it'll be looked on upon as better than what comes after it, but I know without a doubt I'll never see it as being as good as what came before it.

 

[Gabe]

I thought FFXIII was pretty good, it was just different. Most other american attempts at RPGs and other types of games rarely have as much potential and beauty as FFXIII. I don't think 13 was the best of the series, but it certainly wasn't a step down below all the other games. The storyline began to get very emotional and suspenseful towards the finale and I really enjoyed it. Square really loves trying new things to see what their fans will agree with. If it was the same every time it would begin to get boring. It's kind of like trial and error with them.

 

[Ayen]

I'm not sure that it becoming an older game will make it feel any better than it is now. You can appreciate games the most around the time they first came out. For example while I still love Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid I was able to enjoy them even more because I got to see and play them around the time where they were still considered an advancement in graphics and such with FFVII and MGS being the first in their series to be 3D.

If people can't appreciate it now I don't think they are ever going to.

 

[Demon]

Now, maybe part of that is just my personality but I don't honestly see how anyone could say that they knew more about Light than they did about..oh, say Rinoa. Tifa. Garnet. In fact, I'm sure I could name far more facts and personality traits about any one of them than I could for all of the "main" characters in XIII.

If given the chance, I'd rather write about XIII's characters. The fact that they are so real-looking alone means I could probably spend pages just describing their appearance.

I started playing XIII over again and despite the "linearity" it seems to have, it still almost felt like I was playing a new game.

But no towns to roam around!? I really don't think I could get used to that. It's the one thing I feel XII has over XIII.

Yeah, that's a pretty interesting streamline. At least it still had some form of NPCs?

 

[Vannitie]

As far as character appearance due to graphics goes, I won't lie - I like the way things look in XIII. All of it. I started that game up for the first time, and it very nearly took my breath away. Gorgeous.

But.....no matter how deliciously beautiful they were able to make any of the characters look, I couldn't shed a tear of any of them; but Yuna's speech at the end of X made me burst into tears.
No matter how much the look of the environments in the game pulled me in, the fact that getting anywhere in the game was so tedious forced me to not even notice it after awhile (Yea, it was better after I did some of the missions, but still not fun.); whereas I never stopped loving flying around in the Highwind in VII.
No matter how pretty things look, it will never (IMO, of course!) make up for lack of storyline. Ever.

As for the NPCs, yea, the sprinkled them here and there, which helped a bit.

Hope I don't seem to rude of pushy about any of this, it's just that since I played X (Removal of a technical world map) I've felt like Squeenix has just been trying to rip little pieces of my heart out very slowly. Of course, that might be a sign I'm a little obsessive. Or crazy.