I'm almost angry at the story now. Characterization and writing is mostly decent, but the plot is nonsense thorugh and through.
To start with the kicker: ENDING SPOILER:
Ok, so this is a rollercoaster ride. These locales have all been designed, and then a game was stitched around to connect them all, to line them up on a string. Most RPGs, including Square Enix RPGs though try, to varying success to depict motivation and reason for whatever happens next. FF XIII on the other hand starts and ends virtually every chapter with a deus-ex-machina long-distance travel to the next random, unplanned location. And then the characters tell themselves that they have no idea why they ended up in this place, but it's probably best to just "get moving", wherever that is.
Why does the party split into groups of two (where the combat isn't that much fun, mind)?
Who are all these airship dudes and what do they really seek to accomplish with their random acts of benevolent attacking?
Chapter ten is a veritable slap in the face.
I can see through your fabrications, Square. All too easily. This is disappointing, even by genre standards.
There are other bad chapters, for non-story reasons. Who thought it was fun to play through chapter 4, the two-hour long scrapyard at night, back down to two party members and the training wheels on the combat system also still firmly engaged.
Is there anyone who enjoyed chapter 8
? Not me, I would not say.
Chapter 11 is indeed the best part of the game, but that would be despite the story bits, not because of them. When you think about why you're there in the first place
and the big unanimous "whatever" when that turns out it won't happen ... that doesn't feel as if it was worth the trip at all. Well ok, doing the quests is good fun, but please don't tell me it was the story that kept you going.
Then there's
. Also again, ENDING SPOILERS, think about why you would
So I'm counting at least three cases (entire chapters) of bad filler that could easily have been cut to improve the overall impression.
Ugh.
*sigh*
Well the combat is fun, let me tell you that.
To start with the kicker: ENDING SPOILER:
your party keeps reasserting that they will refuse to do Dysley's bidding, they will not destroy Cocoon, they will not go to Eden's district, and they will not attack Orphan. BUT THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND DO EXACTLY THAT. They go to Eden's district, and attack Orphan. They do exactly what Dysley wanted them to. If it weren't for events in the final cutscene magically turning things around, THE PARTY WILLINGLY DESTROYS COCOON, for all they know.
Ok, so this is a rollercoaster ride. These locales have all been designed, and then a game was stitched around to connect them all, to line them up on a string. Most RPGs, including Square Enix RPGs though try, to varying success to depict motivation and reason for whatever happens next. FF XIII on the other hand starts and ends virtually every chapter with a deus-ex-machina long-distance travel to the next random, unplanned location. And then the characters tell themselves that they have no idea why they ended up in this place, but it's probably best to just "get moving", wherever that is.
Why does the party split into groups of two (where the combat isn't that much fun, mind)?
Who are all these airship dudes and what do they really seek to accomplish with their random acts of benevolent attacking?
Chapter ten is a veritable slap in the face.
"We've probably been put here as part of our training. Let's get moving!"
I can see through your fabrications, Square. All too easily. This is disappointing, even by genre standards.
There are other bad chapters, for non-story reasons. Who thought it was fun to play through chapter 4, the two-hour long scrapyard at night, back down to two party members and the training wheels on the combat system also still firmly engaged.
Is there anyone who enjoyed chapter 8
"The City Of Dreams", where you do mostly nothing, catch a Chocobo, and then there's an Eidolon fight
Chapter 11 is indeed the best part of the game, but that would be despite the story bits, not because of them. When you think about why you're there in the first place
([strike]because your ship happened to crash there[/strike] to seek Oerba, to maybe find a way to remove the brands, yeah right)
Then there's
chapter 12, the F-Zero track, where the random airship dudes devise more random actions to fit into their unknown schemes, after a chapter opening scene that had such over-the-top action that I found it actually offensive
when you decided to visit Eden, because you think that helps with your plan to not meddle with Eden in any way, you use your airship, which you steered yourself, to crash-land your infamous outlawed ass in the middle of public festivities, instead of landing at the front door. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT. Chapter 13 was much cooler to play through anyway.
So I'm counting at least three cases (entire chapters) of bad filler that could easily have been cut to improve the overall impression.
Ugh.
*sigh*
Well the combat is fun, let me tell you that.
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