Apparently, everyone hated the curate's egg that was XIII, or couldn't forgive XIII-2. (For various valid reasons, and yet...)
Whereas I loved the characters in XIII (and yes, the shiny graphics and battle system), and had my heartstrings yanked everywhere and all my game kinks satisfied by the mythic/epic/personal angst blend of XIII-2. I enjoyed seeing a kickass female character receive the Sephiroth over-the-top treatment (only on the side of good). Lightning's Valkyrie badassitude rocked my world. I loved XIII-2's time travel and all the bewildering paradoxes and alternate universes. I loved the CJ Cherryh style climax. I just didn't want a Tasha Yar ending. I couldn't believe, from all the heavy-handed hints about hope and sisterhood, that the saga would just end THERE. Obviously, SE has GOT to resolve the story, can't leave it like that.
All I asked for is good characters, good world, good story, and emotional punch. The long-delayed reunion between the two sisters, when OF COURSE Serah had to make a terrible choice? Third time I've cried in a video game, ever. And that sad song in the epically dark future singing about being the last child in the entire world ever born? Yes, gotcher angst right here. That whole sequence from Serah and Noel getting separated until the story dissolved into token crack epic battle with boring Big Bad was one of my favorite game arcs ever.
I like the XIII series. I know, it's not old school FF or glory days FF (although the angst, characters, and mythic overlays remind me of X). It's its own thing. I just hope to gosh they finish the Lightning game on the PS3, because I'm not sure I can justify a new console to find out how the story ends.
This entry was originally posted at http://auronlu.dreamwidth.org/205787.html, where it has
comments.
Whereas I loved the characters in XIII (and yes, the shiny graphics and battle system), and had my heartstrings yanked everywhere and all my game kinks satisfied by the mythic/epic/personal angst blend of XIII-2. I enjoyed seeing a kickass female character receive the Sephiroth over-the-top treatment (only on the side of good). Lightning's Valkyrie badassitude rocked my world. I loved XIII-2's time travel and all the bewildering paradoxes and alternate universes. I loved the CJ Cherryh style climax. I just didn't want a Tasha Yar ending. I couldn't believe, from all the heavy-handed hints about hope and sisterhood, that the saga would just end THERE. Obviously, SE has GOT to resolve the story, can't leave it like that.
All I asked for is good characters, good world, good story, and emotional punch. The long-delayed reunion between the two sisters, when OF COURSE Serah had to make a terrible choice? Third time I've cried in a video game, ever. And that sad song in the epically dark future singing about being the last child in the entire world ever born? Yes, gotcher angst right here. That whole sequence from Serah and Noel getting separated until the story dissolved into token crack epic battle with boring Big Bad was one of my favorite game arcs ever.
I like the XIII series. I know, it's not old school FF or glory days FF (although the angst, characters, and mythic overlays remind me of X). It's its own thing. I just hope to gosh they finish the Lightning game on the PS3, because I'm not sure I can justify a new console to find out how the story ends.
This entry was originally posted at http://auronlu.dreamwidth.org/205787.html, where it has
Comments
I'm tickled that they're showing some love to the female lead, though. I don't know what I'd think if they had done this to say, Vaan. (No, I know what I'd think. I'd descend upon their offices with a torch and pitchfork and some newly invented curse words.) I like that they've realized that yes, she is popular, and yes, a female lead can transform the franchise. I love seeing her get this attention because I think it will lead to ladies getting a bit more love in games in the future. But still, I can also see why some are pissed off about it. I know a lot of people are bummed about Versus being shelved, so that might be part of it. "I wanted Noctis, damn it! Not three games with her! Argh!"
So I don't know, I'm stoked, but also not at the same time. It's crazycakes. And yes, I'm totally with you on the new console thing, but I think that they're going to end up saving Versus for the next console as XV and keeping XIII as strictly ps3 (and 360, but whatever). They'll release it as soon as possible, I think. Strike while the iron is hot, all that jazz.
But I just could NOT get into XIII-2. I twice to finish it, but I just didn't care.
I've tried to rationalize why I don't like it. In fact, seeing you post about it made me go out a buy the game on sale to give it another try. I sold it back a few weeks later, sadly.
There are a lot of reasons why XIII-2 rubs me the wrong way. If I could narrow it down to one thing it would probably be because I don't really think Final Fantasy XIII needed a sequel. Whatever flaws XIII had, whatever plot holes and loose ends I felt the game left me with, XIII-2 didn't necessarily clear things up for me. It actually confused me more. Wait, where did Lightning go? What does this have to do with anything? Whoa, time travel and now I have no idea where to go from here...
Focusing the game on Serah and Lightning felt to me a little a la Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings. Let's face it, Lightning was completely overshadowed by Fang and Vanille. I mean, she couldn't even save her sister but Team Fanille can save Cocoon AND Serah. Yet I don't see them at all in XIII-2 because characters I don't even like (Serah, Lightning, Snow, Hope) are shoved down my throat instead.
Plus, a lot of the changes Squeenix made in XIII-2 were great (who doesn't love a bit of non-linearity, dialogue choices, towns, etc.?), but I felt that they came at the expense of other things that are important to the Final Fantasy experience. Yeah, recruiting monsters into your party is fun and novel and kind of reminiscent of Shin Megami Tensei RPGs, but at the end of the day having the only two playable characters be Noel and Serah is some bullshit. And no, I am not paying money for Jihl or Sazh (even though I would love to have Jihl in my party), because I already paid money for this game Squeenix issued like a bad apology. So charging people more money for more shit Squeenix couldn't be bothered to put into the game that was supposed to fix everything from the first one just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Or, it could be because XIII had lesbians in it and XIII-2 does not.
I don't know. Convince me to like the sequel. Please, I beg of you. I want to like it. I just can't right now.