[fov]

I like RPGs with turn-based combat. I've played FF7 and FF8 on PC and FF3 and FF4 on DS and enjoyed all of them. Final Fantasy 8 was my favorite, but that might be because it's the first one I played.

I recently finished Eternal Sonata on the PS3 and thought the combat was okay, a bit more stressful than in the FF games but I got the hang of it. (It's turn-based, but rather than getting one move per turn, within each character's turn there is a time limit during which time you can fight, cast spells, etc. in real time.) I was going to buy Folklore next but I tried a demo and didn't like the (real-time) combat at all. I really prefer turn-based.

So I'm looking at Final Fantasy 13 next, but after reading some reviews I don't really understand how the combat works. I get that it's different than the earlier Final Fantasy games, but is it still turn-based? Is it turn-based with a real-time element like Eternal Sonata (each party member gets a turn and no one's attacking me during that turn)? Or will enemies be attacking me at the same time I'm trying to attack them?

(I know I could play FF9 on the PS3 but want to start with FF13 for the better graphics.)

[SamandMax]

It's been a while since I played it but this is how I remember the battles working: it still is somewhat turn-based, and looks like a typical Final Fantasy with the usual menus of attacks and spells and items, but it's all happening in real time so there is a sense of urgency to it.

It's completely based around these things called paradigm shifts, where you switch between preset classes for your members depending on how the fight is going. If you're about to finish a boss off, you can shift to the formation where everyone simply unleashes a barrage of weapon attacks. If you're in trouble, you can switch to a defensive formation where one person heals while the others block and try to lower the damage being taken. The majority of the combat is experimenting with these different types of formations and knowing which ones to use and when.

This might sound daunting but other than the faster pace and extra layers of complexity, I don't really think it's that much of a departure from something like Final Fantasy 8. And the game does a decent job teaching the basics to you - perhaps too decent, as I'm not joking when I say the first 20 hours of the game are an insanely linear tutorial.

The more I think back on the game, the more I remember why I never finished it, even after putting over 50 hours into it. The combat system is really the only thing in this that feels even remotely close to Final Fantasy, everything else is just so cold, clinical and generic. Unbelievably annoying characters, a dull story that moves at a glacial pace, no open world until over 20 hours into the game, linear and non-interactive towns; it actually gets the combat right, it just seems to get everything else wrong.

Honestly, if you haven't played Final Fantasy 10, I'd recommend playing that instead. It's PS2 but the graphics still hold up and it is a classic, easily one of the best games in the series. Final Fantasy 13 isn't bad by any means but I think most RPG fans would agree it's a disappointment and one I'm not sure is worth investing tens of hours into.

[kuze]

Short answer, which is true for the first ten hours of the game:

press 'A' continuously.

[fov]

Originally Posted by SamandMax

Honestly, if you haven't played Final Fantasy 10, I'd recommend playing that instead. It's PS2 but the graphics still hold up and it is a classic, easily one of the best games in the series. Final Fantasy 13 isn't bad by any means but I think most RPG fans would agree it's a disappointment and one I'm not sure is worth investing tens of hours into.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It's funny, I've heard that about the story and it doesn't turn me off. I can't even remember what the stories were about in FF3 and FF4, and Eternal Sonata's was pretty ridiculous but that didn't stop me from keeping with it. Usually I'm a story whore but there's something about JRPGs that keep me coming back even if the story's nonsense. I guess I need a change of pace from adventure games.

Unfortunately I can't play FF10 on my PS3 (it's not backward compatible for PS2 games, only for PS1).

[cesarbittar]

Originally Posted by fov

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It's funny, I've heard that about the story and it doesn't turn me off. I can't even remember what the stories were about in FF3 and FF4, and Eternal Sonata's was pretty ridiculous but that didn't stop me from keeping with it. Usually I'm a story whore but there's something about JRPGs that keep me coming back even if the story's nonsense. I guess I need a change of pace from adventure games.

Unfortunately I can't play FF10 on my PS3 (it's not backward compatible for PS2 games, only for PS1).

Hey

FF13 is ok. Never as good as VIII or X, but it's a good game, ONCE you get past the 15 hours mark. Before then, it's extremely linear, and I'd dare to say boring.

There are parts about the story that make absolutely no sense, but there are sections that are very good in terms of good drama and action sequence.

The fight system is basically a turn based system where you control your main character, and have modes to control the other characters. It's complex like any other Final Fantasy, and it's turn based, just in its own way.

For FFX, wait until it comes out in HD soon! You definitely should play that one!

If you have an Xbox, and you want an extremely good turn based jrpg, check out Lost Odyssey, from a lot of the same people that made Final Fantasy. That's probably the best JRPG I've played in a while, and I fully recommend it, and knowing you, you'll enjoy it a lot. There are a bunch of mini stories told through the game that are mesmerizing like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vvZBiufSsA

Game has great graphics, good open world, it's a real gem!

[fov]

Originally Posted by cesarbittar

For FFX, wait until it comes out in HD soon! You definitely should play that one!

Sweet, didn't know about that!