Bastard...

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Put 5 hours or so on it so far and the graphics are mindblowing. I could just watch combat and not even press any buttons and be happy. It takes a while for the combat to get interesting but once you progress a bit you're in heaven. A solid game so far and everything I've read said the best parts are 15-20+ hours in.

Yeah, a switch went off in my head overnight that said "you know, you've enjoyed many a FF, and they really do tend to be linear at first...so what?"

Just one of the major different between the Western and Japanese RPGs...

I could just watch Vanille walk around and not even hold the controller and be very happy...

...yeah, I said it.

Yeah, she's annoying, but not nearly as annoying as Snow...

"Hang on baby...your hero is on the way!"

So, when I haven't been staring at virtual asses and trying to block out terrible dialogue, I've been enjoying the way this game plays. The transition form exploring to battle is damn near seamless, easing my concern of this feeling like the random battles of FFX...

I just <3 this battle system...got into my first really challenging boss fight, and I tried just attacking non stop...yeah, I lasted like 15 seconds...the paradigm shift system lets you use the same kind of strategy you would in previous games without having to cue up different commands for each person every five seconds...it's really good.

The game just gets better and better as more stuff opens up. I can't deny it's linear but to this point it doesn't matter at all. You can still grind by walking back and forth but instead of the random encounters you see what you're going to run into and it just makes way more sense.

Yeah, this is quickly becoming my new clubhouse leader for game of the year...I loved Mass Effect 2 but the RPG mechanics in this game are so much better.

My one complaint would be the way you upgrade weapons/accessories...just basically throw all your loot into an item to upgrade...not like FFX where items gave weapons specific abilities...but it's really the only gripe I have so far in what is otherwise an amazing game.

Another reason I was glad I got the PS3 version instead of the 360 one...registered the game with that code in the box and I got another code to use for applying to the Final Fantasy XIV beta. Of course, half the application dealt with prior MMORPG experience, of which I have none, but oh well.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

http://www.rgbabes.com/ff13_vanille.html#C5

obviously nsfw

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

I'd forgotten how much I loved JRPGs...something about two chicks scissoring to become a motorcycle that just brings a smile to my face...

Finally back to a full party...I was getting sick of this three teams of two bullshit...

So after nearly 22 hours, I can finally choose my party members...

...but not my party leader...what the fuck?

I should quit playing for the day...my hands are shaking...epic boss battle, ftw...

I got it at midnight on release day and I'm only on Chap 7, slow your roll.

Mouse over for spoiler:

I just landed on Pulse. Place looks all kinds of epic. Chocobos getting eaten...giant turtoises chasing after chocobos...said turtoises getting eaten by something that looks like the biggest creature I've ever seen in a FF game...hope I get to fight it.

Edit: ok, not bigger than Sin...

Ok...might just have to take that back...

care to elaborate?

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

The first 25 hours was pretty much being held by the hand, telling you which way to go...fine, I can live with that...but now that I'm to the point where I can explore if I so choose, it seems like the path to continue with the story is full of rediculously overpowered enemies, like all of a sudden they are forcing me to run around for a few hours to grind out some CP.

I'll be glad to spend some time in the open area later to explore and complete the side quests, but right now all I want to do is continue with the main story and see how this ends...but even regular battles are requiring me to buff before and then are really giving my paradigm skills a test.

No, not really the same...I'm talking about routine battles here and there, not bosses by any means...sure it was difficult to beat those games going straight to the end, but it was possible...this game is giving me the impression that it is going to require me to spend some time grinding before I can actually finish it, and that's really shitty...

Complaint number two:

Now that the battles have gotten considerably harder, I'm noticing more and more some of the really shitty choices the other characters make in battle...was getting pounded by three enemies, yet my medic felt it was a better idea to Esuna my Slow away than to actually Cure me...

I miss FFXII's gambit system...if the characters did something stupid, it was because I told them to...

Well the boss fight at the end of chapter 9 was relatively tough. Didn't get it until the 4th try. Had to mess with the paradigms a bit.

Yeah, that boss fight is one of the reasons why I know people are full of shit when they say they didn't need to use any strategy to beat this game...you try sticking to one paradigm during that fight and you'll be fighting that guy for hours...definately was frustrating when I would be close to staggering him, only to have it reset when he charged his main attack...one of the better boss fights I've seen in a while...

I haven't played a FF game since they were midget looking cartoon character looking guys (FF3)... will I be able to figure things out if I pick it up??

Pfft, I would have beat him first try if I could have fought him for hours but sadly he eventually casts Doom on the party leader and you're... well... doomed.

I didn't last that long the first time I fought him...

Think I got him the second time...

It's not like I had the right strategy though. Zero stars and 20 minutes with a 10 minute target.