Same boat as you. This series has lost it way. Square Enix need to take drastic action if they are to save it.

I think FF13-2 is still a mediocre game, but I enjoyed it so much more than FF13. Serah and Noel are a great couple.

I liked that game a lot, I remember playing it for 8 hours straight for 2 o 3 days. The game is good, subpar compared to FF13 in terms of story and characters.
The story was crap, and the ending was one of the worst endings I've seen in my life, what's that "To be continued" crap?

Anyway, It's better in some aspects and worse in another, I hope Lighting returns put an end to this story arc (I want Lightning to be safe dammit!) altough I don't like the "Action" rpg thing, but well...

- Far worse dialogue.
- Far worse story that contradicts the first game's story.
- Inferior graphics and framerate.
- Worse environments and art style.
- Cutscenes aren't as polished.
- Has a less serious tone and can be silly and cheesy at times.
- Moogle is irritating as hell.
- Silly, cliche villain.
- Events in the story are dumb and aren't linked.
- Environments aren't linked.
- The game follows only two protagonists.
- There is a huge absence of characters from the original, with the odd silly and unexplained cameo.

A few more that I thought of.

This game offends me, in so many ways... One of which being the fact that each character has only 1 weapon model. In 2012 that should be illegal, hell even the ps1 games made sure all weapons were completely different as opposed to simply being retextured. Its so evidently rushed and lacks any ambition, but the core of the game is still fun.

I don't think Square Enix are suddenly going to change their ways and make a game that you want them to make because of what one keyboard warrior is saying on an internet forum. Square Enix only pay attention to sales numbers. If people don't like a game, they won't buy it. Your "war" or "fight" is completely futile, Square Enix don't owe you anything. The only thing you are achieving with this "war" is pissing off fans of XIII and XIII-2 by stating your opinions as fact and forcing it down their throat for the hundredth time, sometimes getting banned in the process.

Just let it go. If you don't want a game, don't buy it, other people might do the same and Square Enix will have to rectify that. Until then, it's time to move onto another franchise.

- Not that uch worse
- The story was crap in XIII in the first place.  At least XIII-2 didn't make you read an encyclopedia to know what was going on
- So?  Graphics do not make a game great, and the graphics were still fantastic
- I disagree.  XIII was very 'generic JRPG dystopia', XIII-2 at least had some variety, with various environments and settings.
- Again, so?  aesthetics don't really make a game.  should be all about gameplay and in the case of some games, story
- Personal preference.  Silly works some times, look at Disgaea.  Besides, it's not as silly as X-2
- Not really an argument
- No more silly or cliched than, say, any other JRPG villain and the space pope from XIII especially. 
- And the events in XIII were simplified, glazed over, and poorly explained
- It's time travel, not space travel.  this was part ofthe intentional design
- Skyrim followed only one protagonist and it was Game of the Year 2011
- Not really.  Almost everyone played a role, even if they weren't key players. 

Nothing here addresses gameplay or flow, and the narrative inferiorities aren't POOR narrative, they're just instances of you not caring for the changes.  That's not an argument as to why it's an inferior game, it's an argument why you don't like it as much. Objectivity vs subjectivity. 

At least my complaints about the game (XIII in particular) are tangible issues with the plot, narrative, characters, and especially gameplay.  Not complaints pertaining to my personal tastes (in which case add "generic JRPG dystopian  graphics" and "Bland, uninspired score" to the list.)  my hatred for Lighting and ALL of the characters is personal preference, but the gameplay is broken.  Practicing and going at it over and over again to learn what to do and how to do it works over time, but there are far too many objective issues with it.  Poor conveyance, inconsistencies, too little control in the hands of the player. 

I think the main issue with Square Enix is that they're not listening to their fans or making quality, original material.  

People beg for Kingdom Hearts III, we get RE: coded, 265/2 days, and Dream Drop Distance instead.  Granted, 3D was awesome, but it's not KHIII. 

People beg for VsXIII, they give us XIII-2 and Lightning Returns XIII-3.  

People ask for followups to games like Chrono Trigger, Parasite Eve, and other wonderful games, they remake shit and release it ad nauseum (Final Fantasy IV released for the 12th time), or just buy smaller studios and release THEIR material (Sleeping Dogs, Tomb Raider, Hitman).  

they are probably one of the greatest game developers in the world, yet they're absolutely failing to deliver anything unique or original.  They have the resources and the talent, but they're jsut releasing more remakes and sequels to games that don't deserve or need them.  

the only good thing to come from Sqare Enix in the last 5 years that WASN'T developed by someone they just BOUGHT was The World Ends with You.  

So now I wait.  If Final Fantasy XV and VsXIII suck, then I'm done with them.  15 has a real chance to start over and reclaim even a smidge of what made their series so special from 1987-2006.  They have the template, they have the talent, they have the creativity, now use some if it and give us something worth getting excited about.  

I actually liked the game too but I want SE to take FF back to how it was at least by X as it was an awesome game but still had brilliant graphics for the time!

Squall_Leonhart said: I actually liked the game too but I want SE to take FF back to how it was at least by X as it was an awesome game but still had brilliant graphics for the time!

Despite my apparent hatred for XIII-2, I actually didn't mind it.  I didn't hate it on its own merits, I kinda liked it to be honest.  I just felt it was a huge missed opportunity and I hate what it represents (that XIII is the turning point for the series.)  

I liked the graphics, I liekd the audio, I liked the exploration and nonlinearity, I liked the somewhat fixed combat and battles.  I liked a lot about it, but there were as many things I didn't like, such as the artificially inflated length, (which still wasn't that long), the fact that its  battle system was still inferior to a game they released in 2006, how the story was so thin and inconsequential, the lackluster antagonist.  

You get my drift.