FFX-2: More Tasty Goodness (1 Viewer)

[JoshF]

http://www.the-magicbox.com/game020303a.htm

 

[Dave Smith]

I'm sort of looking forward to this game, but what they've done with the FFX characters is bizarre. Yuna as a pop-singing dual-gun-toting badass? Er, OK

Square aren't totally immune from doing bad games (The Bouncer, FF8) but their hit rate is way, way above average. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt until I see it. Even if it does have jumping puzzles (urgh).

 

[JoshF]

The game is suspicious of either being a brilliant set of divergent elements brought together or of being a total bust.

They pulled it off with Kingdom Hearts, though.

The movies I have seen of gameplay seem pretty cool. Hard to tell without playing it, of course.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Dave-

I'd argue that comment about FF8. Artistically (music, art, graphics, CGI, storyline) the game was beautiful. The main problem was that it was a bit too complex (the Junction system is VERY good and VERY effective, albeit hard to understand). Spend a lot of time with the Junction system to learn how it works and you can be undefeatable by the second disc.

Though the Bouncer did suck. At least it looked great and had DD5.1 in cutscenes.

I'm looking forward to FFX-2. I'm interested in seeing what they did with it.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Being the huge Final Fantasy fan that I am, I'll probably have to get it. Hell, I've got the Yojimbo action figure sitting on top of my T.V.

 

[BrianB]

Tokyopia's initial impressions of the Japanese release of FFX-2

Best quote:

It’s like Caddyshack and Caddyshack 2. Watch them both. You’ll see what I mean. Caddyshack 2 is funny, but totally fails in comparison to the original.

Hmmmm...

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I read part of an interview with somebody involved with this game, and they said they took so many liberties with it in terms of style, gameplay, etc. because it was a sequel, something they've never done, and they didn't have any real constraints. Hopefully, it's not really THAT bad.

BTW, anyone know how long it is?

EDIT: Actually, I don't trust this review. Why? Because they say this:

It’s like Caddyshack and Caddyshack 2. Watch them both. You’ll see what I mean. Caddyshack 2 is funny, but totally fails in comparison to the original. In fact, it’s only because Chevy Chase makes brief appearances in Caddyshack 2 that the movie is worth watching

They do NOT know what they're talking about.

 

[Mark Evans]

They do NOT know what they're talking about.

And why's that exactly? Because they have an opinion that differs from your own? Fairly spurious reasoning if you ask me. They are allowed to dislike a movie, you know.

I have not played The Bouncer, but I do believe Final Fantasy 8 was a major mistake for Square. Not only is Squall an unlikable prick (which would be fine, if he was the villain), but the Junction system is obnoxious.

I don't care if it can make your party unbeatable by the second disc. In fact, that's what I did when I played it. But was spending all that time junctioning magic at all fun? Of course not! Bah, if I could have the time back, I never would have bothered with that game at all.

Square goes out of their way to make things stupid sometimes, notably with the mini-games in the Final Fantasy titles (Blitzball has such shoddy controls that it doesn't even matter how realized the game may or may not be), so who can blame people for dreading jumping puzzles?

The Tokyopia review is not that harsh, really, and they do point out what they like. But it certainly convinces me to not want to play it, especially with their description of that button-mashing ledge climbing junk.

I really, really wish people would stop letting Square get away with bloody murder that no other company would get away with. If somebody else released a game in a similar style without the Square name I firmly believe it would not do half as good. They get by on cutscenes these days more than actual gameplay.

 

[Dave F]

And why's that exactly?

Because Caddyshack 2 isn't watchable.

Seriously though, this doesn't look good.

-Dave

 

[JoshF]

We'll see, we'll see.

I remember reading bad reviews of FFX and Kingdom Hearts, and I love them both.

 

[BrianB]

The Tokyopia review is not that harsh, really

To be fair to the Tokyopia guys (who are damn good!), this is an initial bunch of impressions, not a full review.

 

[Romier S]

I will at least say the writer has a knack for comedy. The impressions from Tokyopia were a riot.

All the music is dance music. Enough said. Uematsu-san, I’m so sorry I criticized your FFX soundtrack. Please come back.

 

[Nathan A]

count me in for the not looking forward to its.

i guess i just don't understand why they decided to make a direct sequel to FFX- essentially the worst FF ever (so i say, anyway). i'm (only) just over 40 hours into it and have found it to be the most linear rpg ever, and it has about the worst rpg story ever: i'm about to stop reading/listening to the story altogether, and i've never skipped through a single line of text in all of the rpgs that i've played. battles are getting really old, and the upgrade systems, aside from the sphere grid, are worthless (time to upgrade my weapon/aeon- ok, lemme see just how many items i don't have for that upgrade). i also read that they're using the same voices...i don't get this. aside from lulu and auron, the acting is terrible. and even lulu and auron aren't very good, they're just enough not to make me hate them. and hopefully the awful sphere puzzles won't make it into this game (which are tremendously not clever and incredibly boring).

unless it gets amazing reviews, i think i'll skip this one. i've played a pretty good number of rpgs, and aside from beyond the beyond FFX is the worst of them. i don't care what events transpire after the ending of FFX; i don't even care what happens from the point i'm at now to the end of if. boo square!

 

[BrianB]

i guess i just don't understand why they decided to make a direct sequel to FFX-

Squaresoft needed something quick using the expensive FFX tech to generate revenue - and the fans did ask for it...

 

[Dave F]

I stumbled across this wallpaper today, and while not a direct FFX-2 image, it is certainly inspired by the new Yuna...
[url=http://thumbs.deviantart.com/300W-96A096/large/wallpaper/wanime/SilentHeart1280x1024.jpg] [/url]
-Dave

 

[JamieD]

Well, I disagree with a number of people in here, in that I enjoyed FFVIII (though not as much as the others in the series, probably just because I felt let down after VII.. I'll need to play it again sometime), and I thoroughly enjoyed FFX, as did my girlfriend (who just finished a playthrough).

While I am leery of the redesigns and what I've heard, I have been looking forward to this game, and think the idea of sequels to the "Final" Fantasies is a great idea, especially when a game (such as FFX or KH) ends on such an open-ended concept. Anyways. Didn't mean to go on about it, I just wanted to say I'm looking forward to it.

 

[John-Miles]

Honestly for me I will buy it and play it through just because ti is final fantasy, that series ahs had so many hits i dont want to risk missing one just because a few people might not like it. also as far as i know I am not int he majority of people when i say FF4 was the absolute best

P.S Jamie its cool to see another member from St John's, I thought there were only 2 of us, but it appears there are at elast 3.

 

[Mark Evans]

I know I am not in the majority of people when I say FF4 was the absolute best

No, maybe not, but I am certainly right there in the minority with you. I loved Final Fantasy IV, which really balanced the usefulness of the characters with boss fights simply by forcing you to use them. Honestly, who ever kept Cat Saith in their party any longer than they had to? And because of the linearity with marginal freedom, it told a way tighter story.

And it managed to do so in a way where it didn't feel like you were just taking the road from Point A to Point B, which is how FFX felt. FFX never felt like a world to me, while all the other Final Fantasies managed at least that much.

FF4 has some great characterization too. Nothing deep, but it's done well so who cares? Sure the graphics aren't great, but gameplay's key and I'd rather play any of the SNES FF games versus the newer PSOne/2 versions.

 

[Troy_M]

I have to agree that FFVIII was pretty disappointing, after I played pass the first disc it just got boring and I had no clue where to go at certain times. When I did figure it out the story just got boring. When I got the demo disc for FFVIII I was really hyped..the beginning sequence was great...after that it went downhill for me. To be honest, I feel that FFX is the best Final Fantasy since FFVI(aka FF3 in the US). To this day I think that FFVII is overhyped....it seems that people who never played (great)RPGs before or those who didn't play the previous Final Fantasies are the ones that give FFVII the most praise. The real gamers know that the highpoint for the Final Fantasy series was FFVI and the previous FFs. I'm not knocking FFVII but the major thing it had going for it was its graphics. I just got FFX-2 and I haven't gotten a chance to get past the intro...but it does look kinda cheesy with the whole Crossroads(3 chicks) vibe goin on. I'll play a little and give my impressions this weekend.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

And why's that exactly? Because they have an opinion that differs from your own? Fairly spurious reasoning if you ask me. They are allowed to dislike a movie, you know

I was kidding. And I was saying they didn't know what they were talking about because they complimented Chevy Chase, not because they bashed Caddyshack 2.

I'm a little disappointed with how FFX-2 seems to be so far. It seems like an FF that is easier for newbies to get into, which isn't bad. Hopefully it'll be fun. I'm gonna get it.