Final Fantasy XIII Thoughts

[dagas_isa]

So I caved, and got my hands on FFXIII.

Short form: I really don't get the hate-on for this game. This is set to hit so many of my narrative kinks (except for one, and it's pretty 'except'). Okay, yes gameplay/linearality, but seriously?

1. Bedchel test: Not only passed, but thoroughly owned, complete with gold stars.
   
   
2. In fact, the entire story seems revolved around relationships (of many types) with and between women, including one that's subtexty. Fang and Vanille, Lightning and Serah, Snow and Serah, Hope and Nora. Fang and Lightning talking in Palumpolum is kind of adorable.
   
   
3. Characterwise, I think I've got a high amount of affection for them all. Like I expected that I'd dislike Hope because in general, I'm not fond of Squeenix's blond-haired young boys (Tidus = ugh, Vaan = acceptable, but only because he got called out on his antics), but actually I think the drama with his mom and his scenes with Lightning and Snow are cute. I think it helps that he's young and immature, but he's not the idealistic one. That would be Snow. I think Lightning and Fang are absolutely kick-ass, and I'm glad that Vanille is there to bring the femme and cheer. Vanille's and Sazh's interactions are cute, though a little painful. Sazh, I think bothers me a little bit because he feels like he's been lifted straight out of an Eddie Murphy movie, but I feel for him, really, between his son, the chocobo chick, and Vanille.
   
   
4. This story pretty much runs on emotions. This is good, mostly. I guess if I were comparing it to X and XII, in X, on one hand there was some very strong emotions and bonds between all the player characters, but the story itself pretty much required that they set aside those emotions for 75% of it. Perhaps, they planned on doing whatever it took to save Spira despite what everyone felt towards Yuna. XII, emotions were kept at a huge distance for the most part. Not to say that the characters didn't feel anything or that emotions weren't important, but XII's story ran on politics and social forces. The opposite is the case in XIII; everyone cares about someone, is there for someone, and if the world gets saved or no, that's second to saving that one person. The "mostly" is because I realize that this ties into my biggest complaint storywise....
   
   
5. As of this writing, Cocoon is not a living world for me. That's sad. What I like about FF games in general is the sheer amount of worldbuilding that can be done with them, or the knowledge that even as we follow our heroes, there's a world going on around them, there's history, cultural values, context. We get a lot of information about Cocoon from the datalogs and cutscenes, but there's no real sense of exploration, discovery or context. There's hardly any NPCs. Even the shops are all online. There almost nothing to examine (and what is there, is connected to the main characters). So compared to Gaia, Spira, Vana'diel, or Ivalice (not familiar with the rest of them to say anything), Cocoon feels empty and lifeless.
   
   Plotwise, I think this flaw is necessary to the story though. First, I don't think it's possible to have both the core emotional storyline (which I like, and honestly I think there needs to be more emotions in stories) and a fully-realized world while still keeping everything within a playable amount of time. Second, in the context of the story, their isolation makes sense. The party characters are pretty much fugitives, and considered dangerous to even be near. And Third, because I don't think the characters would be as sympathetic as they are if Cocoon were a fully experienced and realized world.
   
   This is pretty much the part that does not appeal to my anthropology!geek side.
   
   
6. Gameplay wise, it's...different definitely. I'm still at the super-linear part of the game, so the picture is incomplete, but I'd say that the battle system is much more about seeing the whole rather than working with individual characters. Paradigm shifting is neat, and the ability to control preemptive strikes is awesome. I haven't played with customization much, but I do like what I see about it so far. The Chrystarium thing is pretty and fun to play with, but annoying sometimes.
   
   
7. Finally. Is it just me and my eyes, or is the interface text on this game like WAY TOO SMALL? It's hard to read.
   

Comments

[owlmoose]

#5 is exactly my main problem with this game, too: the nature of the storyline keeps the characters isolated from their world and the people in it, and so I never felt like I had an opportunity to get to know it. And even though it's appropriate for the story and the gameplay, I missed that aspect a lot, because exploring a world is one of my favorite parts of most FF games.

Overall I did like it, though, for many of the same reasons you list here: good story, great characters, great relationships, and once I got used to it, the gameplay. (Don't get me started on the Crystarium, though.)

[dagas_isa]

Agreed. And I think the lack of world building might be the thing keeping me from writing fic for this fandom. Though we'll see.

The Crystarium is pretty, hard-to-read, and from what I hear, absolutely grueling in the latter stages.

[nan]

I don't get the hate, either! I love this game so much.

[dagas_isa]

Maybe because it's not like all the other Final Fantasies?

[lassarina]

I really enjoyed XIII. Apart from wanting to throw Hope through the window, but. But the women in this game are so compelling and awesome and I love them all.

I need to write for this fandom. Sigh.

[dagas_isa]

I need to write for this fandom. Sigh.

Same. I hope the lack of world-building doesn't get in the way.