In Your System Game Log: Final Fantasy XIII Preview

Uscore spoiler policy and warning: Generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of the overblown rage many gamers get over spoilers. Critical plot points in a mystery, sure. I understand some disappointment. That said, there's not a good piece of work in any entertainment medium that falls apart upon you knowing parts of it going into it. If that were the case, we'd never re-watch movies or television programs, never look at the painting or sculpture again or never reread that book. The way entire package comes together ultimate makes whatever it is.

Especially in the vein of having a good discussion of a game (not a review as much an analysis), being so spoiler sensitive often destroys much of the potential of a good examination (see the 4 Player Podcast Mass Effect episode). And while I won't jump into needless detail for the sake of just saying, I won't stray from talking about something I feel merits some mention for the purposes of this series. If you feel the to know nothing about a game, you probably shouldn't be jumping to coverage about it. Just saying...

Lightning

I had actually intended to start this game log last month with Mass Effect 2. Then I powered through the game. I may actually revisit that later with a second playthrough comparing both experiences, but there's something a little more fitting about me starting with a Final Fantasy.

I, like many gamers, got introduced to the series with FFVII. I've stuck with the series ever since and have played at least significant amounts every main series Final Fantasy with the exceptions being FFIII (only got a few hours in) and FFXI (I've never gotten into MMOs). My opinions of the series are all over the place. I wouldn't wish FFII or FFVIII on enemies. I think FFVI and FFVII or amongst the best RPGs ever made. I retroactively regret being as forgiving as I was of Dirge of Cerberus and giving up on Tactics fairly early.

Point being, this series as a gamer matters to me. And looking at much of the coverage for FFXIII, there's much to be examined in the way of changes. There's equal amounts of glowing praise and harsh criticism throw at the game. Both make me skeptical of those speaking. Rarely is anything praised to the moon as great as hyped and the harshest criticisms of this game I've seen so far aren't anything that signifies to me a bad game as much as a load of critics being nearly personally offended Square Enix ventured out of standard JRPG territory.

Even many fans prior to the released seem ready to jump on opposite ends of the poles. Many people were already hailing it to somehow "save the JRPG" somehow with nary a thought to how it was going to sell an entire genre when itself by the admission of it's creators wasn't developed with JRPG design ideas in mind. Fans prepared to hate it upon arrival express outrage that a game within a series that makes changes in universe, battle system and pretty much most things that define previous entries had - wait for it - changed!

My intention will be to go in depth, look at various aspects of the game and give my impressions of how things come together. Don't worry, I'm doing going to give a plot-point by plot-point breakdown, but I do plan on offering some "fair and biased" (don't sue me Randy Galloway) commentary on things as I progress through the game.

With that, I'll post something on hour 1 sometime later in the day. 

Update on Friday, March 12, 2010 at 8:19PM by Gerren LaQuint Fisher

Will get to impressions at the 3 1/2 hour mark sometime soon. Currently wrapped up in a load of SXSW coverage for The Game Reviews (and possibly some stuff here and Bitmob. Sorry for the delay.