FINAL FANTASY XIII Review Without Spoiler

FINAL FANTASY XIII Review Without Spoiler
	I've cleared.
	So fast.
	Person of leisure...
	Yep.
	Please don't admit that...
	So how about the game?
	For this review, we have no spoiler. However, as to explain the game system, we need to mention some brief image. Please understand.
	What do you mean?
	For example, I should say the story is straightforward. Someone may think this is already spoiler, but I won't talk more than that. So anyone who are playing or about to play would not be affected. Even though I talk some nearly spoiler stuff, those are included in the menu of the game's package. Of course there are people who don't want to know any information before playing, so that's your choice.
	Quite difficult huh.
	And we would talk about my playing time. You may figure out the total volume of the game from that and someone may not like to hear that. Anyway, let's go.
	So how is the game?
	Consider it as a game, and adopting our general game magazine Weekly Famitsu's review system, XIII only worth 8 points, with 10 as maximum.
	8 points!?
	You said "consider it as a game", so there is another point of view?
	Yep. If we consider it as "FINAL FANTASY", it may worth 10 points.
	If we consider it as "FINAL FANTASY"?
	After all, what is GAME? Game can be anything which has playability. Something to play under certain rules. Chess and Reversi are games too, as they have playability. On the contrary, a novel is not a game.
	That's right.
	How to interact and make progress by oneself is important for playability. Chess and Reversi have 2 players interact with each other, and you are involved in the game for a long time. During that time, you move your chessman under certain rules and take down your opponent. That's playability.
	Thinking that way, chess can be considered as having higher playability than Reversi because it has more rules.
	As for FF XIII, user's involvement is little. So is that a game? That's why it only worth 8 points.
	Huh.
	But if we consider it as "FINAL FANTASY", I should say it worth 10 points, even though there are 2 types of FF.
	2 types?
	The first type is story-oriented. The even number sequel, i.e. FF II, IV, VI, VIII, X are story-oriented. Of course they have difference in system, but story is more important. Omit FF I, FF III, V, VII are FF that can be enjoyed with system alone. FF XI is online so omit that. And after story-oriented FF X, we've got FF XII with a complicated system. Then you can understand why FF XIII is story-oriented this time and playability is not the most important issue.
	And you mean it worth 10 points under this circumstance?
	You're right. There is a guy from Weekly Famitsu who gave XIII 9 points. I suppose he meant it worth 10 as FF and 8 as a game, so took a mean and gave 9 points to it. Other people gave 10 points for this newest FF though.
	Then what is the actual weakness of XIII's playability?
	User's involvement is very little in the prologue.
	How little?
	Firstly, walk a short distance and event cut-scene will start, walk again and not long you get another event. The event is quite long and you can drop the controller. With frequent cut-scene, the time you control the character is less than the time you watch event. I don't feel I am playing a game.
	Users get little interaction huh.
	This situation continues throughout the prologue. And this prologue is...
	Is?
	More than 20 hours.
	20 hours for prologue!?
	Therefore, users get no interaction for 20 hours. It is hard for someone who seek gaming in XIII.
	Huh.
	But we should noted that there are people who seek for story only. If you are that kind, you will enjoy XIII.
	That depends huh.
	But not anyone can enjoy the story, just like someone who love gun-action movie may not want to watch love romance. So there is another selection of user.
	Many restrictions to enjoy XIII.
	After 20 hours it comes to the middle stage and playability would be shown. You can see some comments on the internet said that XIII becomes more interesting in the middle stage, what I said is the reason.
	So if you just play the prologue you would rate XIII badly.
	But if you just chasing the main story, middle stage is as straightforward as prologue. The navigation system is good and there is always a pointer showly your next destination, you can't lose your way. So you can chase the story until ending stage, which is also straightforward. If you just chasing the main story, the same process continues until you clear the game.
	That's why comments on the internet said that XIII is straightforward.
	Consider the story only, prologue is 60%, middle stage and ending stage altogether is 40% of the game.
	A really long prologue...
	According to the package menu, the start of middle stage is when all characters join the party, and that allows playability to be exercised. That's why it becomes more interesting from that.
	What is the difference? I don't think the number of party character can affect the system.
	That is related to the story style.
	Story style?
	XIII focus on every character and change the party many times. Since the character you control has changed, each time you need to reset the equipment and "Optima". That's stressful. Blame the stupid story style.
	Focus on every character makes the game not user-friendly.
	And that makes you can't project your emotion at certain character, user can't become part of the game. Computer game is about controlling by youselves and project your emotion easily. That's why games are better than other media. Focus on every character is not a good method for game.
	So XIII is rubbish?
	Depends on your playing time and endurance. If you abandon the game at prologue, you would say it is rubbish. If you can endure until middle stage and enjoy all those stuff not related to the story, that worth 10 points.
	So XIII worth 10 points?
	No.
	Why?
	People who abandon the game at prologue have their point. It's okay for a 2 to 3 hours prologue. But 20 hours is a problem and that should be blamed.
	Many sad things huh.
	Then we should talk more precisely, both good and bad points.
	Good points first.
	Let see... XIII has good points?
	Hey...
	The auto function is good.
	Auto function?
	When you come near a NPC, they talk automatically. No need to press ○. That's convenient. Hope other games can adopt.
	New style for RPG.
	Not only NPC, party characters talk when walking. I think if they use this system instead of cut-scene, prologue don't need 20 hours. Hope there will be a new system combining story and gaming.
	Look forward to next time.
	There is a Retry function for battle. Die in battle don't need to start again from save point, but right before encounting the enemy. This makes you can try to fight strong monster without worry. Even though you lose, you can revise your setting and challenge again immediately. That can be good but bad also.
	Why is that bad?
	You don't need to play carefully. That is quite easy for a game. But XIII's battle is quite long so the system is useful though.
	Lack of excitement huh.
	If you use a controller with auto function, you can use the auto command and the battle can be done without your effort. The auto command is good and no need to control yourselves. Of course you can control manually and fight a better result, but that takes your effort. Using such auto function may ruin the palyability but I feel the staff had designed the game for that.
	How about bad points?
	Growing system is stressful.
	Stressful...
	No Level-up but accumulate points. Then use the points to improve the parameters. That's stressful because you need to open the menu and rise the parameters yourselves, and you need to watch the gauge rising gradually. If there is a auto growing system would be better.
	People playing now can easily understand that.
	For battle, you can't move your character is not good.
	Move?
	Position is quite important, but you can't change your position freely. I order the defender to self-explode but my character is too close and die and game over. So it would be better if you can move your character. But that may allow you to escape from any attack of the enemy.
	That needs a full revise on all enemy action.
	Also, the names are bad.
	Names are bad?
	The terms are hard to remember. That's a fault.
	What do you mean?
	For example, fal'Cie, l'Cie, Pulse all sound similar. When these words continue, you don't know what's going on. I think they should choose some better words. I can't remember those terms.
	Oh...
	There is nothing called armor. Item can be bought from safepoint and no need for street. I don't think that's necessary though. There is no tradition FF fanfare too. That depends on what you seek in XIII.
	Fans of course want the fanfare.
	That's all. The visual is really good and best for those who want to play slowly and enjoy the scenery around. A selection of user.
	How about you?
	That's classified.
	Why do you talking like "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya"...
	That's all for FF XIII review. This article is directly translated from the same stuff at MakoNako Japan so some English maybe strange. Sorry about that. Oversea gamers will get FF13 on March 9, 2010. Amazon.com has begun the pre-order for PS3 version and Xbox 360 version. Check it out.