+ bahamut
- kjata

I never posted my ratings yet;
FF I: 6.5
FF II: 6.2
FF IV: 8.6
FF VII: 8.1
FF IX: 8.8
FF X: 7.9

Bahamut +
Odin -

@Videos: sweeet OP Cinematic, even if we know those scenes since 07 xD..

Carl2291 said: Great job on getting all the stuff in here Fab Odin + Bahamut -

Thanks.

I'm surprised you haven't played FFVI. Since you liked FFIV, I'm pretty sure you'll like VI.

Odin +

Bahamut -

How DARE people vote down Odin!

QUESTION!
What seperates Final Fantasy IX's logo from all other Final Fantasy (Main series) logo's?

Resolution Magazine: Hands-on | Final Fantasy XII

Format: Xbox360/PS3 | Genre: RPG | Publisher: Square Enix | Developer: Square Enix | ETA: 09/03/10

Back in 1987, a small developer by the name of Square released a game called Final Fantasy. Praised for its stunning visuals and immersive story, it spawned one of the biggest Japanese gaming franchises in the world. It’s been at the forefront of Japanese RPGs for decades, an ambassador of jaw-dropping visual beauty. Of course, you knew that already.

It’s 2010 now, and only the Japanese Playstation 3 version of the game has been released. Recently, Square Enix were kind enough to invite me into London to check out the English version of the game on both PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms.

Given the negative fan speculation surrounding it, I was eager to see the 360 version in action.  It’s been confirmed to fill up three discs - less than Lost Odyssey - and honestly, in-game, it looks just as fantastic as the PS3 version. There’s no noticeable difference between the quality of the two versions, and there aren’t any giant load times to worry about.

There is, however, one major difference between the visuals for the PS3 and 360 versions of the game. The FMV sequences in the 360 version have been dramatically compressed, and when you’re running the game on a large HDTV, this will become apparent. On the PS3, these are crystal clear - and as the cinematic videos are a major selling point, it’s such a shame to see the 360 falter. It’s the only situation in which one version impresses more, though, with no noticeable screen tearing or frame rate issues on either format. The polish is

outstanding, as you would expect from a franchise which has always been at the forefront of gaming visuals.

It is difficult to not recommend the PS3 version over the 360 one, mainly because of the franchise’s Sony background, but also with Final Fantasy Versus XIII remaining a PS3 exclusive. There’s been talk of importing save data into Versus - so naturally, if you plan on getting both, then getting them on the same console would make sense.

THE X FACTOR
As you would expect from Final Fantasy, the soundtrack is stunning too, taking a more colourful, pop-music approach when compared to the rock style from Final Fantasy X.  The main theme is even fronted by British article Leona Lewis - a change in tactics for Square this time

around, who usually just translate the Japanese theme song.

The voice acting, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The English cast feels a little off, seemingly trying yet again to over-stereotype each character. The choice in voice direction simply ruins the immersion of the game at times, especially when you hear a grown woman speak like a twelve-year-old child. With such a large budget and pressure to impress, you would be forgiven for expexting Square Enix to secure a more notable and experienced voice cast to work on the game.

Another concern I have from the opening hours of the game is how linear it feels. Getting rid of towns might keep the pacing up in the story department, but leaves a lot to be desired from a franchise that’s well known for a large number of towns to explore and backtrack to.  Each map feels like a straight-forward journey from A to B rather than exploration of the rich and beautiful environments, and rarely does the map split up for the treasure hunter.

The battle system has had a massive overhaul, too, this time choosing to control only the party leader rather than the whole party. The first few hours of the game pretty much have you selecting ‘Auto-Attack’ over and over, and it quickly becomes a chore - a shame, seeing as the battle options don’t really expand and evolve until three hours in.

The system works by switching between various Paradigms. These are set class groups you want your party to use, and are created by combining various character roles. Combining two Ravagers (the elemental magic class) with a Commando (an offensive specialist), you get the ‘Relentless Attack’ Paradigm. This Paradigm is great at building a fast damage chain, but does little to heal or defend your party. You can play around with various roles you unlock throughout the game to create all sorts of tactical Paradigms to assist you in fights.

During a battle you start off with a default Paradigm, which you set in the main menu, and can switch at any time by tapping the Paradigm Shift button and choosing your new set. It’s apparent that the auto-attack feature is there for a reason as, I found myself switching between various Paradigms in boss battles to maintain a tactical advantage.

Each enemy has a stagger meter, which goes up each time you deal damage. Chaining attacks fills the meter more quickly, and once it’s full, any damage you deal will double. Not only does it speed up battles, but is sometimes essential in gaining a decent star rating at the end. The higher the score, the better the spoils to collect at the end.

THE NEXT LEVEL
This means the traditional levelling system has changed a bit. Instead of levelling up your character, you level up their various roles. Lightning, the game’s protagonist, starts off with Commando and Ravager at level one. You upgrade these by heading into the Cystarium, a system which closely resembles the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X, and using crystogen points to unlock abilities, spells and stats. Crystogen points work just like experience at the end of a battle, and every member of your team, even if not active in the party, will get points to work with.

Of course, no Final Fantasy battle system is complete without summons. Dubbed Eidolons, the summons are unique to each character, rather

than having one character who can summon multiple. These are unlocked during the story, and you must battle them to gain their loyalty. After doing so you can summon them during battles, and they take over the battlefield with the summoner. Here you can either carry on attacking as normal with the Eidolon, or you can enter Gestalt mode and mount it to perform various devastating attacks. Doing so brings up a number of combos and a point meter, where you can execute several attacks by spending points.

It’s a system that works well, and leaves me hopeful for the final release. Final Fantasy XIII has spectacular presentation, flashy battles and a well-paced storyline, which is quite a change for the series. Improving a rather outdated style of play, Square Enix are taking huge risks with Final Fantasy XIII, stating that the first half of the game will move forwards in a linear fashion and drive the story, while the second lets you take your party out to explore, more like a traditional JRPG. The question, of course, is whether long-time fans will persevere for long enough to get there. By Lauren Wainwright

http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/hands-on-final-fantasy-xiii/

Let's take Bahamut DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ the Q

The crystal (?) between Final and Fantasy.

Hell yes! Bahamut is getting SLAPPED!

Nah, it is pretty unique but there is something even more unique about it.

All other FF logo's have something in common. FFIX is the odd one out.

+ Odin

- Bahamut

UPDATE

You can vote every 2 hours.

Odin - 33

Alexander - 12

Pandemona - 12

Ifrit - 12

Siren - 11

Ultima - 11

Adrammelech - 10

Anima - 10

Ark - 10

Chaos - 10

Chocobo - 10

Diablos - 10

Doomtrain - 10

Famfrit - 10

Gilgamesh - 10

Hades - 10

Hashmal - 10

Hectatoncheir - 10

Leviathan - 10

Madeen - 10

The Magus Sisters - 10

Mateus - 10

Phoenix - 10

Shemhazai - 10

Yojimbo - 10

Zeromus - 10

Zodiark - 10

Cerberus - 9

Zalera - 9

Exodus - 8

Ixion - 8

Cúchulainn - 6

Bahamut - 4

Kjata - 4

ELIMINATED:

Carbuncle

Valefore

Ramuh

Shiva

Belias

Titan

________

Last Vote - Fab_GS