Next month, Final Fantasy XIII will be released to great fanfare around the gaming world. Expectations are simply huge for a series that has consistently set the standards for role-playing games over the past 20 years. I was allowed a first play of the game a few weeks ago – today the embargo lifts and I can share with you some of my impressions.
First off, the game looks absolutely incredible. Breathtaking. If you have a large HDTV and you want to make the most of it, this is the game for you. And I'm not just talking cutscenes - one section shown to us featured the controlled character walking around a huge plain, while in the distance a huge dinosaur type creature grazed. I don't think I'd be exaggerating to say the experience was something close to watching Jurassic Park.
Swivelling the camera around also showed the incredible detail they've managed even during regular gameplay. These are some of the most advanced facial representations I've seen, and you can pick out individual hairs and the shine on the buttons on their jackets. I'm going to stick my neck out and say that, once released, FFVIII will be graphically superior to any other game available on this generation of consoles.
Once my jaw had been picked up from the floor however, the small matter of actually playing the game came under my scrutiny.
The combat system's been tweaked yet again, this time pitched roughly as a sped-up version of the one in Final Fantasy VII - somewhat similar to that featured in FFVII Crisis Core on the PSP. It is turn based, but the balance is tipped towards action over tactical gameplay which may not please RPG purists.
Old favourites such as summons, looking better than ever, and potions, spells etc remain, as well as plenty of slightly daft looking highly-coiffured baddies. It certainly feels like a Final Fantasy game.
In the first 20 minutes of the game that I got to play, it was rather cut-scene heavy. I counted 9 or 10 in this inital stage alone. If this is indicative at all of the game as whole, it could prove frustrating for those (like me) who easily get impatient or irritated by the cheesy dialogue and bubblegum characters. Thankfully though you can skip them - although I'm sure Square would rather we didn't.
The prospect of side-missions and exploration is handled mainly using a (once again) Crisis Core-like system of picking missions from savepoints. An example shown was a savepoint in a large plain where you could take on the task of slaying a certain amount of a type of creature for money and exp points. I fear this could get somewhat repetitive, but for many it will be preferable to random battles, something that a lot of gamers found pretty annoying.
Meanwhile, the main game is split up into chapters, and around 50-60 hours of gameplay is to be expected to run through the main storyline.
There are some really nice touches I noticed during the initial presentation. For starters, there won't be any more hammering the X button to cycle through conversations with townsfolk and the like. The 'Nautilus' shopping mall section of the game had the character simply overhearing conversations of passers by to retrieve information.
The 'paradigm shift' system too seemed a clever way of handling combat. You can assign a compatriot to a 'Medic' or 'Commando' role and they'll automatically heal you or fight in a certain way - no more scrolling to Curaga hundreds of times in every boss battle.
I must admit though that nothing I saw had the charm that many feel has been lost from earlier outings of the series - remember Cloud's cross-dressing? It's going to be a big ask (if you'll allow the football parlance) for the game to live up to the quality of its graphics, and for a lot of us those FFVII glory days will never be recaptured. Early signs look promising though, so keep your eyes peeled for our review next month.
Interview
I had a brief opportunity to put some questions to producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama (via their translator) - all questions are answered by both conferring with each other, unless specified.
Could you introduce FF13 for our readers?
It's part of a series, and the series has been going on for 22 years. This is the 13th numbered title. It's based in a fantasy universe but this time we've used sci-fi elements as well. For the first time the series will be available for high-definition consoles like Xbox 360 and PS3, therefore we're very proud of the high quality graphics. The story is based on a really 'human' drama.
Which other Final Fantasy games is FF13 similar to?
It probably has the most similarities with FF7, it has magical spells but it's also quite futuristic. You can imagine a more evolved version of FF7, perhaps.
What games was FF13 influenced by?
When it comes to the battle scenes, maybe Call of Duty 4? Atmosphere on the battlefield, that sort of thing. We took some inspiration from that series.
Do either of you have a particular favourite Final Fantasy game?
Toriyama: FF10 was my favourite. It was developed by the same team, and was strictly story driven. Like FF13 there was a lot of humanity in the story.
What sets FF apart from other RPG series?
Maybe two things, one is obviously the series is very good at telling a story - all the movie scenes are excellent, of a very high quality. Also, when we create characters and their movements, obviously we use motion capture like most, but also they're each meticulously created and finished off by different animators, so graphically it's really excellent as well.
How long does it take to develop a game like this?
The game was originally meant to be for PS2, so from that particular point it's been about 5 years. Since switching to high-def consoles we had to start from scratch with some elements, so it's been about 3 and a half years since then.
Normally in the west we have to wait a long time for Japanese games to be overdubbed. How did you manage to get this game released so quickly?
From day one we've been trying to create both versions simultaneously. Our CEO was very keen to make the timelag to be as small as possible. When we came to Europe to promote FF10 there were lots of questions and complaints about always having to wait such a long time, so this time we've done our best
Are there any plans to use downloadable content in FF13?
The ideas have not been finalised as yet.
Will there be any differences between the Xbox and PS3 versions?
The content is exactly the same, although Xbox users will have to use 3 different discs. They'll only have to swap discs twice during the game.
What's new in FF13 that sets it apart from the rest of the series, apart from the high-def graphics?
The series has always been known to present a new battle system in each work - it's what fans expect. We have been using ATB (Action Time Battle) - this game uses the same system but makes it speedier so that it plays more like an action game.
• Final Fantasy XIII will be released in the UK on 9 March
Source: The Guardian
First off, the game looks absolutely incredible. Breathtaking. If you have a large HDTV and you want to make the most of it, this is the game for you. And I'm not just talking cutscenes - one section shown to us featured the controlled character walking around a huge plain, while in the distance a huge dinosaur type creature grazed. I don't think I'd be exaggerating to say the experience was something close to watching Jurassic Park.
Swivelling the camera around also showed the incredible detail they've managed even during regular gameplay. These are some of the most advanced facial representations I've seen, and you can pick out individual hairs and the shine on the buttons on their jackets. I'm going to stick my neck out and say that, once released, FFVIII will be graphically superior to any other game available on this generation of consoles.
Once my jaw had been picked up from the floor however, the small matter of actually playing the game came under my scrutiny.
The combat system's been tweaked yet again, this time pitched roughly as a sped-up version of the one in Final Fantasy VII - somewhat similar to that featured in FFVII Crisis Core on the PSP. It is turn based, but the balance is tipped towards action over tactical gameplay which may not please RPG purists.
Old favourites such as summons, looking better than ever, and potions, spells etc remain, as well as plenty of slightly daft looking highly-coiffured baddies. It certainly feels like a Final Fantasy game.
In the first 20 minutes of the game that I got to play, it was rather cut-scene heavy. I counted 9 or 10 in this inital stage alone. If this is indicative at all of the game as whole, it could prove frustrating for those (like me) who easily get impatient or irritated by the cheesy dialogue and bubblegum characters. Thankfully though you can skip them - although I'm sure Square would rather we didn't.
The prospect of side-missions and exploration is handled mainly using a (once again) Crisis Core-like system of picking missions from savepoints. An example shown was a savepoint in a large plain where you could take on the task of slaying a certain amount of a type of creature for money and exp points. I fear this could get somewhat repetitive, but for many it will be preferable to random battles, something that a lot of gamers found pretty annoying.
Meanwhile, the main game is split up into chapters, and around 50-60 hours of gameplay is to be expected to run through the main storyline.
There are some really nice touches I noticed during the initial presentation. For starters, there won't be any more hammering the X button to cycle through conversations with townsfolk and the like. The 'Nautilus' shopping mall section of the game had the character simply overhearing conversations of passers by to retrieve information.
The 'paradigm shift' system too seemed a clever way of handling combat. You can assign a compatriot to a 'Medic' or 'Commando' role and they'll automatically heal you or fight in a certain way - no more scrolling to Curaga hundreds of times in every boss battle.
I must admit though that nothing I saw had the charm that many feel has been lost from earlier outings of the series - remember Cloud's cross-dressing? It's going to be a big ask (if you'll allow the football parlance) for the game to live up to the quality of its graphics, and for a lot of us those FFVII glory days will never be recaptured. Early signs look promising though, so keep your eyes peeled for our review next month.
Interview
I had a brief opportunity to put some questions to producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama (via their translator) - all questions are answered by both conferring with each other, unless specified.
Could you introduce FF13 for our readers?
It's part of a series, and the series has been going on for 22 years. This is the 13th numbered title. It's based in a fantasy universe but this time we've used sci-fi elements as well. For the first time the series will be available for high-definition consoles like Xbox 360 and PS3, therefore we're very proud of the high quality graphics. The story is based on a really 'human' drama.
Which other Final Fantasy games is FF13 similar to?
It probably has the most similarities with FF7, it has magical spells but it's also quite futuristic. You can imagine a more evolved version of FF7, perhaps.
What games was FF13 influenced by?
When it comes to the battle scenes, maybe Call of Duty 4? Atmosphere on the battlefield, that sort of thing. We took some inspiration from that series.
Do either of you have a particular favourite Final Fantasy game?
Toriyama: FF10 was my favourite. It was developed by the same team, and was strictly story driven. Like FF13 there was a lot of humanity in the story.
What sets FF apart from other RPG series?
Maybe two things, one is obviously the series is very good at telling a story - all the movie scenes are excellent, of a very high quality. Also, when we create characters and their movements, obviously we use motion capture like most, but also they're each meticulously created and finished off by different animators, so graphically it's really excellent as well.
How long does it take to develop a game like this?
The game was originally meant to be for PS2, so from that particular point it's been about 5 years. Since switching to high-def consoles we had to start from scratch with some elements, so it's been about 3 and a half years since then.
Normally in the west we have to wait a long time for Japanese games to be overdubbed. How did you manage to get this game released so quickly?
From day one we've been trying to create both versions simultaneously. Our CEO was very keen to make the timelag to be as small as possible. When we came to Europe to promote FF10 there were lots of questions and complaints about always having to wait such a long time, so this time we've done our best
Are there any plans to use downloadable content in FF13?
The ideas have not been finalised as yet.
Will there be any differences between the Xbox and PS3 versions?
The content is exactly the same, although Xbox users will have to use 3 different discs. They'll only have to swap discs twice during the game.
What's new in FF13 that sets it apart from the rest of the series, apart from the high-def graphics?
The series has always been known to present a new battle system in each work - it's what fans expect. We have been using ATB (Action Time Battle) - this game uses the same system but makes it speedier so that it plays more like an action game.
• Final Fantasy XIII will be released in the UK on 9 March
Source: The Guardian