8 more days...

[xclite]

My problem with 8 isn't the story. It's the helplessly whiny Rinoa and emo-man Squall. I just couldn't stand the characters at all.

[taggart6]

I would kill for a FF male character that didn't look 1 to 2 operations away from being a LA Call girl.

[Kamakazie]

I never played beyond disc 1 of FF8, but I didn't hate it. I really liked FF9 until near the end when the game split up my party and I got kinda stuck getting killed by this one boss... I didn't get to play a lot of FF12, but what I did play, I enjoyed. Unlike most people, I seriously loved the new combat system; it was the same as it always was, except completely streamlined.

[taggart6]

I played FF7 late to teh game. It was fun but I thought the combat was kinda generic.

FF9 I had a blast with up until I had to return the PS1 I borrowed to play it.

FF10 was interesting but I really didn't liek the story

I really enjoy the FF12 combat mechanic since it really speeds things up. I just hate the character designs and us voice acting.

[Trunks]

This game sounds like a prime candidate to run from the hdd, to be sure.

You'd still have to swap discs. But I always install my games when I'm playing them anyway.

[Soul Assassin]

I just got a 250gb hdd (wd black) in for my 360. Mainly to be able to start loading games from the drive, load times are kind of obnoxious.

[Kamakazie]

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/107/1074227p1.html IGN UK gives it an 8.3. Actually reading that review I can't imagine why that rating is so positive. Can the combat system and graphics really be enough to give the game this much of a boost? I will now point out the negative things discussed in this review and ignore the positive to support my point!

large parts of Final Fantasy XIII feel overprescribed and overly restrictive. As has widely been reported the path only widens after 30 hours, but in some ways that's the least of its crimes – it takes 25 hours for the game to hand over control of who's in the party and who leads it, the culmination of an unnecessarily protracted drip feed of skills and techniques that saps much of the enjoyment that's to be had with the otherwise superlative combat system.

It's one of several sacrifices that feels like it's been made to serve the story as the interweaving narratives of the six main characters dictates the make-up of the party, and frankly Final Fantasy XIII's tale's not worth losing so much freedom for. The story is by no means a bad one, but it's lacking both the gravitas and wit of past entries, stuck instead in a rut of weak characterisation and murky plot details.

The protagonists themselves range from the good to the plain forgettable. Teen fop Hope's the worst of the bunch, an amalgam of the most insipid of Japanese RPG clich?s who spouts about faith and fate and wonders if he can ever realise his true potential. Spoiler alert: he does. Beanie-touting Snow's little better, having an annoying tendency to pound his fists together, lecture about heroics and give knowing winks to his compatriots.

But the lack of anything substantial to do beyond fleeing and fighting soon brings the game crashing back to earth, and even when the walls are lifted Final Fantasy XIII’s world can seem strangely lifeless. As a technical feat the game is a triumph, but it seems a slave to its own spectacle, manacling the gameplay to serve its own bombastic vision and ultimately while the excellent combat and stunning visuals are enough to recommend it, they're not enough to earn it a place amongst the series’ top rank.

Combat does sound intriguing, though.

[Timman_24]

I don't see them doing DLC for this game. Most JRPGs (especially FF series) end with a blunt finality. The bad guy is killed and all the world is better. I don't see how they can add on to that and not make it seem tacked on.

[Timman_24]

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/107/1074227p1.html IGN UK gives it an 8.3. Actually reading that review I can't imagine why that rating is so positive. Can the combat system and graphics really be enough to give the game this much of a boost? I will now point out the negative things discussed in this review and ignore the positive to support my point!





Combat does sound intriguing, though.

Wow, that guys seems to just not like JRPGs. He calls it "restrictive" and then goes and says that traditional Japanese character personas are a negative. Aren't those what makes a JRPG???? This isn't an open world game like Oblivion....

[Soul Assassin]

I don't see them doing DLC for this game. Most JRPGs (especially FF series) end with a blunt finality. The bad guy is killed and all the world is better. I don't see how they can add on to that and not make it seem tacked on.

They don't generally add to the end of the game. They add other dungeons and extreme bosses for the hardcore players. That's what other 360 RPGs have done.

[lonewolfroger]

My favorite FF game is #3US which is #6 Japan.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Wow, that guys seems to just not like JRPGs. He calls it "restrictive" and then goes and says that traditional Japanese character personas are a negative. Aren't those what makes a JRPG???? This isn't an open world game like Oblivion....

I never trust review sites or mags when it comes to reviewing JRPGs.

I generally trust the community more, reading forum posts and the like, to get a feel for the game, characters, and story.
For me, that's what really matters in an RPG. Most review sites seem to focus on graphics or combat systems which (unless they're awful) really couldn't matter less to me.

I'll be waiting a few weeks on FF XIII, partially because I'm swamped with games anyway, but also to hear what everyone has to say about it after the hype has died down.

[James]

While running or just walking? I've begun going to the gym again and I'm looking for things to keep me occupied while on the treadmill; I've just been listening to podcasts/music. It seems like there'd be too much bouncing around to effectively play any games if you're doing anything but walking. Tell me your secrets!

lol Just walking. 3 miles each morning (~45 minutes). Since leveling jobs is literally a matter of grinding battles (specifically performing actions in battles), it was well suited to being a mild distraction while walking. I put the GBA on the treadmill, would start a battle, guard command, walk a bit, guard command, end battle, new battle guard command, guard command, ad nauseum. Since I wasn't johnny-on-the-spot with it all the time, it took quite a bit longer than it could have otherwise. But then again, I don't think I could have leveled all jobs to 99 if I had just been playing the game.

That being said, I really did like it as a way to pass the time. I've played some other games while walking, but anything that requires dedicated and constant focus on the screen is not a good fit.

*Edit: Anyone got a copy of FF8 for the PC they don't want anymore?

[Timman_24]

They don't generally add to the end of the game. They add other dungeons and extreme bosses for the hardcore players. That's what other 360 RPGs have done.

Wow that sounds lame.

[taggart6]

They don't generally add to the end of the game. They add other dungeons and extreme bosses for the hardcore players. That's what other 360 RPGs have done.

Yeah pretty much. Add new dungeons and harder enemies.

Honestly though, I don't see why they could't just add a side story made playable after a certain point is reached in the main game. Something thats 4-6 hours long and is a side chapter involving other characters in the world and not necessarily the main party.

The side stories would allow greater insight as to what else is going on in the game world. They could even be past events that are mentioned in the main game but later expanded upon in the side story.

I think that makes more sense then just using DLC as side quests for the main game.