Zero Punctuation and Final Fantasy XIII

[AcacianLeaves]

Yeah, I'm thinking NO.

The characters are the same J-Pop tripe, the plot is the same 'teenagers save the world' schlock (as far as I've seen), the same turn based combat (though thankfully without autopilot), and the same ultimately meaningless leveling system.

By the way I'm a Final Fantasy fanboy. Except X and X-2. Those can eat a dick.

 

[ProtoChimp]

Don't hold your fucking breath.

 

[Axeli]

Gotta love people ranting about how horrible FFXIII is when they clearly haven't played it. I don't expect a lot from it myself, but c'mon, that's just stupid.

God, I hope not.

He reviewed The World Ends With You because he heard it was different from other JRPGs. Even though it was still a Tetsuya Nomura-designed Square Enix game. I doubt he'll review FFXIII. Yahtzee doesn't like JRPGs, and unless it has the same reputation as TWEWY, I think he'll just bash it from afar for humor purposes. After all, Final Fantasy is usually thought of as the origin of all verbose JRPG plot vomit.

Which is kinda funny, because FF is usually pretty light on the anime-ish elements for a Japanese series, which usually are what people tend to accuse JRPGs of.

Especially FF which apparently embodies everything about JRPGs, especially the bad things. But really, there's a reason FF is considered the best JRPG series out there, and the deep hatred for it as the epitome of JRPG clichés and badness just shows that the real reason haters go after it so much is simply because its so popular.

 

[CmdrGoob]

He'll certainly hate it, I have no idea why you think otherwise especially considering the cheesy annoying cliche characters like Hope, Snow and Vanille, the repetive linearity, bloated uninteractive cutscenes and the slow dull start where the best bits of the battle system aren't unlocked for ages.

 

[Songbird-O]

Gotta love people ranting about how horrible FFXIII is when they clearly haven't played it. I don't expect a lot from it myself, but c'mon, that's just stupid.

God, I hope not.

He reviewed The World Ends With You because he heard it was different from other JRPGs. Even though it was still a Tetsuya Nomura-designed Square Enix game. I doubt he'll review FFXIII. Yahtzee doesn't like JRPGs, and unless it has the same reputation as TWEWY, I think he'll just bash it from afar for humor purposes. After all, Final Fantasy is usually thought of as the origin of all verbose JRPG plot vomit.

Which is kinda funny, because FF is usually pretty light on the anime-ish elements for a Japanese series, which usually are what people tend to accuse JRPGs of.

Especially FF which apparently embodies everything about JRPGs, especially the bad things. But really, there's a reason FF is considered the best JRPG series out there, and the deep hatred for it as the epitome of JRPG clichés and badness just shows that the real reason haters go after it so much is simply because its so popular.

I never said anything about anime, nor did I say anything about hating the game. I just don't want to play it. Final Fantasy games have mile thick stories that feel as though quantity is better than quality. That if you can jumble up a pile of plot threads and backstories, the game will be complex. But they are wrong. The games are just cluttered.

Final Fantasy IS popular. Of course that's why people use it as a target. Because JRPG haters are always getting it shoved in their face by giant building adds and whatnot.

I like some FF games. III, IV, and parts of X that don't involve the hammy storyline. I am a JRPG fan who doesn't like the majority of FF games, or Square games in general. Woah.

 

[TOGSolid]

Personally im more looking forward to his heavy rain review. A whole game built around quick time events, if nothing else it should make for a comical review.

Heavy Rain's "gameplay" almost makes me think it was specifically designed to troll Yahtzee.

Oh yes...because the Junction system 8, materia stytem 7 , job system 5, sphere grid 10.

Are just so damn similar. Not all turn based combat is the same, you know.

Just because the surface appearances are different doesn't mean the games are vastly different. The combat sequences all worked the same, the random encounters all worked the same, the tropes were pretty consistently identical from game to game. The character power progression was always the same (gradual increase, hit plot point, start running around to collect epic gear, beat final boss, done). The inventory system never really changed, and I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point. You're basically arguing that if they took a game like Doom or Medal of Honor, or whatever, and kept everything the same except for the guns, that the two games would be entirely different.

I like some FF games. III, IV, and parts of X that don't involve the hammy storyline. I am a JRPG fan who doesn't like the majority of FF games, or Square games in general. Woah

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness - Fuck yeah.

 

[EmmerikXXII]

People are missing the point of this thread. I proposed the notion because Square Enix is changing many of Final Fantasy's core elements in this rendition. Sure it retains the jrpg aesthetic, but it brings a lot of gameplay changes to the table that western gamers would likely embrace.

Someone mentioned something about asking ZP to review a game just because one likes it.
I haven't asserted my opinion on the game one way or the other. I am simply stating observations.

Inb4Ifyoudidn'tlikeityouwouldn'tbetalkingaboutit.

 

[TOGSolid]

People are missing the point of this thread. I proposed the notion because Square Enix is changing many of Final Fantasy's core elements in this rendition. Sure it retains the jrpg aesthetic, but it brings a lot of gameplay changes to the table that western gamers would likely embrace.

Someone mentioned something about asking ZP to review a game just because one likes it.
I haven't asserted my opinion on the game one way or the other. I am simply stating observations.

Inb4Ifyoudidn'tlikeityouwouldn'tbetalkingaboutit.

Unfortunately Square seems to have missed the boat. A bit of a gameplay switchup is fine, but the haters of FF tend to also hate on FF because the characters and plots themselves are the problem. We're tired of seeing the same shit out of the series.

 

[CmdrGoob]

People are missing the point of this thread. I proposed the notion because Square Enix is changing many of Final Fantasy's core elements in this rendition. Sure it retains the jrpg aesthetic, but it brings a lot of gameplay changes to the table that western gamers would likely embrace.

What changes do you mean? As far as I can see in every area it moves further away from the areas that western RPG gamers embrace (interactive storytelling, non-linearity, more mature target audience, real time rather than turn based).

 

[Nomanslander]

I doubt he will review it....

Oh he'll review it alright, just to slander the game.

Which honestly I find pointless, it's like having a 12 year old watch an old black and white movie just so he can tell you he thinks it's boring.

 

[Milney]

(Side note, I think Yahtzee single-handedly popularized the term jrpg. I never used to hear it, or use it, so much before Yahtzee came along.)

Then you clearly haven't been anywhere near games journalism other than "Zero Punctuation" (if you could call it journalism).

Next you'll be claiming that Yahtzee coined the "j" prefix for jPop/jRock. It's been used for years because describing these things as "pop" "rock" or even an "rpg" would involve stretching the definitions for these things beyond anything recognisable outside of Japan.

On-topic:

He'll hate it. The combat (from demo's I've seen) is still pretty much the same, the story (despite yet another rewrite of characters/land) is still a linear interactive novel really, and is still about andro-20somethings becoming heros.

 

[MrWhippeh]

I bought it and started playing it today because I tried playing one of the older ones people loved (#7 i think) and couldn't stand it but am willing to give it a second chance and it's been amazing so far. I'm absolutely loving it.
Regarding Yahtzee though, I'm positive he'll hate it. Not only for the principle of the JRPG thing but also cause he doesn't seem like one that enjoys a story driven game if the gameplay does not balance and work with it on the same level.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

Yahtzee has given ample reasons as to why he dislikes JRPGs:

-The story and the gameplay are kept separate, and have nothing to do with one another nor do they interact

- The player contributes nothing to the story, only wheeling the characters from one cutscene , overlong dialogue, or bit of exposition to the next.

-The characters have ridiculous hairstyles, stupid outfits, are androgynous she-males, or otherwise appear to have been vomited on by J-Pop.

-Turn based combat and random encounters inserted to bog down the game and artificially increase the length of the game.

-You need a strategy guide to make the most out of the usually unintuitive equipment/leveling systems.

From what I've seen of FFXIII all of these things still hold true. I'll still enjoy it, but I reason that these are legitimate complaints and still hold true for FFXIII. Nothing the OP has said (or that I've seen in press) has hinted that it will be otherwise.

 

[Axeli]

Gotta love people ranting about how horrible FFXIII is when they clearly haven't played it. I don't expect a lot from it myself, but c'mon, that's just stupid.

God, I hope not.

He reviewed The World Ends With You because he heard it was different from other JRPGs. Even though it was still a Tetsuya Nomura-designed Square Enix game. I doubt he'll review FFXIII. Yahtzee doesn't like JRPGs, and unless it has the same reputation as TWEWY, I think he'll just bash it from afar for humor purposes. After all, Final Fantasy is usually thought of as the origin of all verbose JRPG plot vomit.

Which is kinda funny, because FF is usually pretty light on the anime-ish elements for a Japanese series, which usually are what people tend to accuse JRPGs of.

Especially FF which apparently embodies everything about JRPGs, especially the bad things. But really, there's a reason FF is considered the best JRPG series out there, and the deep hatred for it as the epitome of JRPG clichés and badness just shows that the real reason haters go after it so much is simply because its so popular.

I never said anything about anime, nor did I say anything about hating the game. I just don't want to play it. Final Fantasy games have mile thick stories that feel as though quantity is better than quality. That if you can jumble up a pile of plot threads and backstories, the game will be complex. But they are wrong. The games are just cluttered.

Final Fantasy IS popular. Of course that's why people use it as a target. Because JRPG haters are always getting it shoved in their face by giant building adds and whatnot.

I like some FF games. III, IV, and parts of X that don't involve the hammy storyline. I am a JRPG fan who doesn't like the majority of FF games, or Square games in general. Woah.

I was talking on a general level, but yeah... I like how you said "parts of X", because that's pretty much how I would praise its story if I absolutely had to. The writing, voice acting and pacing are for the most part pretty horrible, but sometimes it does things to remind me that there's actually a pretty great plot under all that. Too bad they were pretty thorough about ruining it most of the time.

I'd say VII's plot is pretty good as well, minus the horrible translation and tendency not to explain various important plot points at all.

 

[Jenova65]

I doubt he will review it....

Oh he'll review it alright, just to slander the game.

Which honestly I find pointless, it's like having a 12 year old watch an old black and white movie just so he can tell you he thinks it's boring.

That is a very succinct point

Honestly whether he reviews it or not it won't bother me because (I've said it before and will say it again) 'Unless their opinion affects your opinion, their opinion matters not at all.'!

 

[MercurySteam]

Judging from the things that are different this time around, it sounds like Yahtzee might actually like Final Fantasy XIII.

I'll tell you the same thing I've told all those before you: "He will crucify it and nothing you do or say gives me reason to believe otherwise".

 

[AcacianLeaves]

I doubt he will review it....

Oh he'll review it alright, just to slander the game.

Which honestly I find pointless, it's like having a 12 year old watch an old black and white movie just so he can tell you he thinks it's boring.

That is a very succinct point

Honestly whether he reviews it or not it won't bother me because (I've said it before and will say it again) 'Unless their opinion affects your opinion, their opinion matters not at all.'!

I wonder if you guys are even aware that you are fanboys...

After all, there are literally no discernible flaws in any JRPG or Final Fantasy game. Why would we possibly think a game that none of us have played has any flaws? After all, it came from Square Enix, and they made Final Fantasy X-2, so we KNOW they only produce quality!

 

[Jenova65]

I doubt he will review it....

Oh he'll review it alright, just to slander the game.

Which honestly I find pointless, it's like having a 12 year old watch an old black and white movie just so he can tell you he thinks it's boring.

That is a very succinct point

Honestly whether he reviews it or not it won't bother me because (I've said it before and will say it again) 'Unless their opinion affects your opinion, their opinion matters not at all.'!

I wonder if you guys are even aware that you are fanboys...

After all, there are literally no discernible flaws in any JRPG or Final Fantasy game. Why would we possibly think a game that none of us have played has any flaws? After all, it came from Square Enix, and they made Final Fantasy X-2, so we KNOW they only produce quality!

Erm, I'm not a fanboy (for a start I am a fanwoman ) Look I merely said that other people's opinion doesn't affect mine, I'm not sure I get what is particularly fanboy about that since I use that philosophy generally, OK?
Oh and I said that the other poster had made their point succinctly! Colour me confused.

 

[archvile93]

If he reviews it, it'll be because the the fans won't stop telling him to. The same with Borderlands.