Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 Not the Final Fantasy we knew and loved. March 9, 2010
R. Wheeler
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This instalment of Final Fantasy certainly has the visual awe I have come to expect from a Square Enix game. Some of the reoccuring themes are here such as overcoming oppressive military forces and trying to save the planet. We even get to see some Chocobos, Tonberries, and Cactuars.
Unfortunatly, though, the series has lost much of the explorative touches such as towns and side-quests delivered through the entire game. Even the official strategy guide says not to bother leveling up or going after any of the side quests until the very last chapters of the game.
The party of characters itself changes quite a bit more often than we're used to as members come and go, leaving a lacking sense of teamwork and character bonding.
The battle system can be a hassle. There isn't the same sense of strategy from previous FF's, as you can only control one character durring any one battle, and if that one person goes down, it's Game Over. There's no reviving that controlled character via Pheonix Down, although if a party member not being controlled goes down, you can revive them. Too many complications to a battle system that stood it's ground for so many years. Square Enix shouldn't have messed with the things that did work.
I'm not saying this is a game that shouldn't be played, but hopefully the developer learns from their mistakes and "Final Fantasy Versus", the next game, will be better
 Visually stunning, boring plot _and_ gameplay March 9, 2010
D. Gandy (Cambridge, MA United States)
1 out of 12 found this review helpful
Just played through the first chapter, or rather I watched the first chapter. It was hard to tell even what was going on during battles because the screen was so busy. Story was not compelling at all. Characters were overly childish for a war situation. Battle was basically just mashing the same button over and over again. I've played nearly all Final Fantasy games and absolutely love them, but this one is by far the worst of them all. I mean it's graphically intense and visually stunning, but just an awful game.
 play it yourself March 9, 2010
D. Ross
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Alot of people have said alot about this game already. Having waited 8 years for it I was both excited and dismayed at the info coming out. Having now played it for the first 10 hours, I can say that believing the naysayers without trying it yourself would be a terrible mistake. You may or may not like it, since it isn't the same as FF12, or 7, or 10, or 4, or hmm, every last Final Fantasy since number 2 has made changes and tweaks and gone in different directions. This one has as well, and probably for the better.
I won't comment on the story since i'm not nearly done with it, but I will comment on a few other things.
The music is good, very good. Having watched basically every video of the game before the US release, I was afraid i'd get bored listening to it, I was wrong. Its varied and goes well with the environment.
Voice acting, not perfect, but, certainly not awful so far. Better than most imports, and you'll be hard pressed to name another game with this much voice time that is done better.
Graphics, oh how I wish there was a zoom option to appreciate the detail. It is everything a PS3 game should be, and not far off Advent Children.
Battle system, this is where it really shines. I was worried about a fast paced rpg, with silly AI since you only control one character at a time. I liken this to World of Warcraft, sure you can play, and maybe get by just by pressing buttons and doing the easy stuff, but if you take the time and learn to change your methods on the fly, interrupt a cast in progress to change to a heal or something for more damage, you'll do way better. Unlike Warcraft, the game actually teaches you how to get started, and it shows far earlier if you're not being efficient. During combat, unlike previous Final Fantasies, there's is almost no downtime, even when fighting the simplest of enemies. Unless you outlevel things by a fair bit, there is always a challenge, not just on bosses.
Summary:
Don't believe me, or anyone else telling you that you'll like or hate the game. Go rent it if you're not sure about buying it, but do give it a try for at least a couple of hours and i'm pretty sure you won't be disapointed unless you really never liked Final Fantasy or rpgs.
The long wait is all worth. Enjoy the big budget bonanza March 9, 2010
ice grizzly (Dream Land)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
With so many crap shoot publishers like EA, it is nice to see SE pouring money on its pinnacle title. This review is without any spoilers, no worries. I have played a big portion of the game, WOW WOW WOW. The game is awesome smooth and grand. The initial portion is more like a hybrid of Western action title and JRPG. You are pushed down a straight path, similar to Gears/Uncharted. Move into an area, clear enemies and move on the next. It feels very refreshing as you will be constantly introduced to new skills and upgrades. By the time you get the entire arsenal and understand the combat system it will be 30 hrs in and the game opens up at the right time. If it had opened up a little earlier, you will be left to scratch the head. So it is 30 hrs of story & combat building and 30 hrs of exploration. Perfect balance. You will never notice that you have already spent 30 hrs in learning the combat mechanics as it is very deep and satisfying.
The battle system is the best we have ever had in any RPG before. Yes we have seen slow mo shooter this and that, nothing this deep and well flushed out. Every battle requires a different strategy. You can't go all offense or defence and win every thing. Every monster you fight requires you to think and solve like a puzzle. You need to setup different paradigms. Simply put they are sets of characters with specific jobs and abilities. AI is very smart and they can take care of them selves. It took so long for AI to be independent and not run directly into line of fire. You will be switching in and out of paradigms multiple times during the fight. Try different combination before settling down. Combat is a visual selectable.
Don't miss it. Yes we have a abundance of AAA titles. But nothing this grand and epic. If it was a book, it will be 700 pages. It is one of the well flushed out stories that you can find in digital entertainment. Romance, valor, sacrifice, friendship all add up to a very satisfying epic novel feel.
 What to expect before you buy. March 9, 2010
Edwin Ng (Chicago, IL)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Here is the breakdown of the game for curious/potential buyers:
Graphics:
-Best looking RPG at the moment *hands down*.
Sound:
-The music score isn't exactly stellar but at least more memorable then FF XII. Unfortunately Nobuo Uematsu did not take part in composing the music score.
Controls:
-Controls overall very smooth and streamline, and easy to navigate in between different menus.
Gameplay:
-This is probably the most discussed topic pre/post release of the game; I will try my best to describe it by not being bias. First off, the gameplay is very linear to the point where you are just going from point A to B. This does change but not until after 35-40 hours or gameplay where you get to roam a bit. Battle system incorporates ATB (Active Time Battle) similar to the old school FF games, and also a new addition called Optima Change. To describe the battle system, you can control the leader of the party freely (Party leader CANNOT be changed in the beginning ~20 hours or so into the game, so you are stuck with whatever leader you are assigned to) the rest of the members are controlled via Optima Change. You assigned specific actions or commands and they will be executed depending on the Optima you choose. Also people who just started to play this game is stating that the game is rather easy, please do not make such assumptions when you only started the game. I find that this FF is one of the most challenging out there, since the outcome of the battles are somewhat dependant on your tactics and how well you execute the Optima Change (Very Strategic). The game itself is rather fun, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good RPG, but if you are a long time FF fan I would say this game does not do well sticking to the roots (I will explain more below). Game itself would probably be roughly around ~70 hours and additional content after you beat the game, that will last another ~20 hours.
Final Fantasy Lineage:
Some people argue that this game does not stick with the traditional roots of the series, but honestly I find FFXII doing an extremely horrible job as well. Couple things you should know is. 1) The statement that have been floating around "THERE ARE NO TOWNS" To be more exact, there are towns but not the usual towns you are accustomed to in FF games since all the items are bought via Save Points and there are not shops in towns. 2) Summons aren't exactly the same as the previous FF games, since Summons are pre-determined by your Character. One summon per character, also they change into vehicles and such which changes the traditional feel of them being mythical. 3) Sadly to say you do not have the option to control every character during battle as explained above. 4) Cannot backtrack (to an extent), very limited or close to zero free-roaming areas in the game. 5) THIS IS THE WORST: Fanfare (Victory music..) music DOES NOT, I REPEAT DOES NOT stick to its roots. Sorry I was always a fan of the different adjustments made on the fanfare all of course resembling the same tune, but this one just changes it completely.
Should I buy this?:
If you are a RPG fan I would definitely get this game, also keep in mind even if you never played any Final Fantasy games you can jump into this one without any problems since they do not connect storyline wise. If you are a Final Fantasy fan, you might not be happy on the changes being made and the loss of traditional Final Fantasy feel but it is still a good game nevertheless.
FAQS:
The NA/EU version of the game does not have the original Japanese dialogues, you are stuck with the poor English ones.
The main theme of the game is different between the JP version( - Sayuri Sugawara) and the NA/EU version(My Hands - Leona Lewis).
There would be no DLC for this game as stated by SquareEnix.
Should I buy the PS3 version of the Xbox360? Don't even start with this; it's a great game get it on whatever console your hearts desires.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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