Final Fantasy XV (was Versus XIII)

[Hisako]

By "they all say that" I literally mean that Japanese people promoting their product mostly say something along the lines of "please be excited for it"

It's just a formal platitude they use, they're not actually asking you to get hype in any shape or form

 

[Tetsujin]

But it's more hilarious when Square-Enix do it, because of reasons.

 

[Blade]

By "they all say that" I literally mean that Japanese people promoting their product mostly say something along the lines of "please be excited for it"

It's just a formal platitude they use, they're not actually asking you to get hype in any shape or form

If that's the case, Square-Enix aren't the only ones who need to stop doing this.

At least American Developers say something realistic along the lines of "We're not done yet" or, "Please wait a while", or "These things take time" or (for more rabid fans) "STOP ASKING!"

This 'please be excited' bit is like a slap in the face to all the fans who have BEEN excited and not gotten anything for their excitement.

Hell, even Oprah Winfrey awards her fans sooner than these people.

 

[Alex Strife]

It's a language thing. It can't be changed.

It's like all that ruckus in the UK about one Japanese football (soccer) player who answered a question in Japanese using the word "please" which is seen as a Japanese linguistic quirk but when translated, it seemed an angry remark (with please used to emphasize and show the "anger").

WE translate it as "please be excited" but it's actually more like a polite way of saying "look forward to it", or more straightforward "wait for it, not ready yet". Languages can be puzzling sometimes, and I consider myself lucky enough to know some of them; enough to understand that direct translations sometimes cause misunderstandings and odd reactions. Not to speak of different cultures where what is polite is not exactly the same.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

You're absolutely right, Alex. Though you'd think after a certain point, even Japanese people have to be going, "We are looking forward to it, you assholes -- for seven years now. That's why we keep asing about it."

But then Japanese platitudes and fake niceties annoy the shit out of me anyway, I'll be honest. I really hate the way in interviews you often see a rephrasing of the question as a statement without actually answering it, and then the interviewer just rolls on like they got a valuable response.

 

[OneWingedDemon]

"You didn't answer the fucking question" is considered rude for some reason.

 

[Tetsujin]

 

[Mwynn]

New scenes in gif form:

Dammit, FFXV looks so good. I was honestly disappointed when they announced that we won't be getting news, I had expectations.

 

[Alex Strife]

I continue to be impressed by this game. It is quite remarkable.

 

[Blade]

My concern at this point, is boss fights and battle mechanics.

That is to say, based on what I've seen of Kingdom Hearts (which I haven't played, no you can't make me!) a large percentage of the battles consist of you running away from enemy attacks and using hit-and-run tactics.

What I want is a more engaging experience. Something between Dissidia, Lightning Returns, Shadow of the Colossus, Zone of Enders, or Metal Gear Rising, (and maybe a fighting game like Guilty Gear for good measure)...

I might be expecting too much here, but this is PS4 so...meh.

 

[Mwynn]

Mmm. Well I just wanna say that it really is hard to see or predict how engaging the experience would be in FFXV if you haven't and don't plan to play Kingdom Hearts. There's much more to KH battles than using hit-and-run tactics as you say, they're more engaging than 2 of the games you mentioned, Dissidia and MGR:R imo.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Blade, as someone with a pretty good idea of what you like in video games going back ten years now, I am shocked you haven't played KH. When it came out, the first one was the closest thing to the kind of fighting game experience (Advent Children in game form) that you've always wanted.

Keep in mind that the KH team is also responsible for Advent Children and FFXV. Appreciating that last one will only be improved by getting familiar with KH. I really think you would enjoy the hell out of at least the original, II, Birth by Sleep and III (whenever it comes out).

I think you should get the KH HD I.5 ReMIX collection and at least play the first KH. Re:Chain of Memories is still CoM, so the gameplay suffers in comparison, but the story is good and sets up KHII well, and, thankfully, the edition of 358/2 Days included in the set is just a two hour, fifty minute-movie.

KHII brings more of the awesome gameplay the original offered, but it's even better. I'd say just wait for the KH HD II.5 ReMIX collection to play that one, though. Unless you're just that hooked aftee the original, which is entirely possible.

Birth by Sleep also has good gameplay. One of the PSP's better games, and definitely superior to Crisis Core.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Am I the only one sad that turn-based games are going away? I love turn-based because I get to pick everyone's moves and improve their stats, but I don't have to deal with my own bad reflexes. Which is one of the reasons I mostly watch other people play games... I know what I want to do in game, but I lack the ability to actually do it. Turn-based makes up for a lot of that.

 

[Alex Strife]

It's one of the downsides. Everyone wants "realism" or "similar to realism". And in a way, turns break the "imagination". I'm pretty sure the turns' system in consoles was used because it was "impossible" to do anything else real-time.

I'm sad to see turn-based games going away but as long as what's next is fun, I guess I can be okay with it.

I guess the only thing I can say is that playing more makes you a better player. I mean I am completing KH1 Final Mix in Proud Mode (even if I refuse to go for the optional bosses). If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said there's no way in hell I'm doing Proud Mode (most difficult in KH1), and yet I'm close to finishing it in one week!!

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Yeah... maybe... my problem with real-time is that I'm a strategist. So I'll know how to defeat every single boos in a game, as well as where all the items are, etc. Can I actually get the PC to do it? No.

That's why I usually like/play stealth/rouge play-styles. It's so much easier for me to sneak by enemies (or successfully back-stab them) in exchange for being able to get everywhere. But there aren't anywhere near as many games that have good stealth-playstyles as there are fighting games.

 

[Tetsujin]

There's much more to KH battles than using hit-and-run tactics as you say, they're more engaging than 2 of the games you mentioned, Dissidia and MGR:R imo.

I'd have to disagree with the last one. KH combat is downright clunky and awkward compared to...well, anything Platinum Games, really.

 

[Hisako]

Am I the only one sad that turn-based games are going away? I love turn-based because I get to pick everyone's moves and improve their stats, but I don't have to deal with my own bad reflexes. Which is one of the reasons I mostly watch other people play games... I know what I want to do in game, but I lack the ability to actually do it. Turn-based makes up for a lot of that.

The fundamental thing I keep reminding myself of with this game is that it was supposed to be a spinoff, and only now it's become a proper, standalone numbered entry. I'm hoping that Square Enix don't lose sight of what made the series great in the first place. Turn-based combat will always exist in the future of JPRGs in some form or other, but here's to hoping Square Enix will keep it out there in some way.

 

[Lex]

I'm kind of in the mindset that they're working on XVI right now (which probably used to be XV before Versus took the title) and that it's a throwback to the original FF elements in some way. This is a completely baseless assumption, but I genuinely don't think they'd fire out with something too non-classic FF for their next entry considering the fire they know they've come under in recent years.

Then again I'm talking about SE, anything is possible.

 

[Blade]

I've seen enough KH videos to know it feels "off" somehow compared to other action-adventure games I've played.

I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me here, but let me just say that the sense of battling opponents with a Keyblade along with two assistants (Donald and Goofy) using unique spell mechanics, summoning, etc... it just looks different and 'diminished' somehow compared to what I'm used to.

I'm not exactly expecting Devil May Cry level action mechanics per se, but I would like at least a more 'serious' sense that this is a battle, and I'm not carrying a mallet to a wack-a-mole contest as opposed to carrying a sword to slay a dragon (it's that sort of mood and tempo difference and vibe that I get from KH games as opposed to something akin to...say...Chaos Legion or Berserk or something).

With Berserk or Monster Hunter, things are taken to a rather realistic gory extreme which I happen to appreciate (though some may not). Regardless you get the sense that you're 'doing something' or 'achieving something substantial'. Cutting a sword in to flesh as opposed to wacking at it with magical stars appearing...I just feel more satisfied with the former.

I'm not saying KH doesn't work per se, but I am saying it didn't work out for me. Just seems too cutsie and...I dunno. I'd sooner play FFXII again.

Regardless of that, though, I've played games like Vagrant Story and even though to some degree it 'feels' turn based at first, you get the sense that you're making real-time decisions and executing real-time combos so it's possible to achieve a balance of the two.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

I always thought the "non-serious" nature of combat in KH was done on purpose. I mean KH includes Disney, and mostly animated Disney at that. Disney doesn't do realistic looking combat; they clean it up a lot. If anything, realistic-looking action would have looked even more out of place. Keep in mind SE originally wanted to put Disney characters in Dissida and Disney said no because they didn't want them fighting each other.

Now FFXV on the other hand... SE can afford to make the combat look a lot grittier then in KH.

 

[Alex Strife]

I thought we were talking about the mechanics, and not the looks of the games?

 

[Blade]

As far as mechanics itself go, I suppose KH is okay (albeit stiff like someone else mentioned), but generally speaking I don't just go by mechanics alone, especially when two of those mechanics involve character A.I. (which can either help or hinder you in most situations, and I have yet to see Donald or Goofy do something the likes of Snow or Hope can do in FFXIII/i.e. Sentinel and Medic jobs). If they were helpful, great, but if they weren't that helpful they just got in the way and you'd end up having to rely on something else.

That's just how I see it, I may be way off base, but up until FFXII and FFXIII I didn't have much faith invested in assistant A.I.s.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Well, no, they're really not all that helpful in comparison to XII and XIII. Given that the Donald and Goofy mechanic is what paved the way for those mechanics, though, it seems kind of harsh to judge the game based on that.

Honestly, half the time, I forgot they were there. I'm not even joking. I played the game as though Sora were it. And, really, that's where the fun of the gameplay is -- in what you do/can do as Sora.

 

[Blade]

Not gonna lie, man...right now I just want to put Kingdom Hearts past me and just enjoy Noctis and Crew as stand-alone mob noir battle-opera here.

Maybe KH had/has a hand in making FFXV... and that might be a good thing going for the game itself in the long run...

But please excuse me while I ignore those aspects and enjoy FFXV by itself, because I'm just not a KH person. Disney just isn't my thing, and I doubt it ever will be, they could stick all the playable FF characters they want in a KH game and I doubt it would interest me...it's just not my thing, I'm sorry.

I just want to enjoy FFXV by itself, not what it developed from.

 

[Unlucky]

FFXV Might "Never Be Finished" Before Square Enix Dies