Square-Enix Final Fantasy XIII-2?

Again, the game played itself. The only input you had to do was switching between Paradigms. Literally, all you had to do was remind the game to use auto-battle and switch between Paradigms as needed. Again, you needed a grand total of three or four Paradigms through the whole game, an offensive Paradigm, a defensive Paradigm, a support Paradigm and a balanced Paradigm.

Older games had you actually control your characters. You actually had to THINK about what you wanted to do instead of mash "auto-battle" until the end of the battle. Micro-managing is pointless as you're just going to choose the same attack that auto-battle does, which automatically chooses attacks that the enemy is weak against after you use Libra. This is what I mean by FFXIII playing itself. All you literally have to do is Libra, then switch between two to four Paradigms through the battle. Get low on health? Defensive Paradigm, then let the AI do the work. Need to buff/debuff? Support Paradigm, then let the AI do the work. Need to build up the Stagger meter? Balanced Paradigm, then let the AI do the work. Need an all out attack? Offensive Paradigm, then let the AI do the work.

By making two thirds of the party purely AI controlled, they effectively stupid-proofed the game by removing almost any semblance of control. They tried to justify it by saying "it speeds up the game," when in reality, it doesn't speed up the game at all. Its still the ATB system, the very system used by the majority of the rest of the series. The difference being that it went from a turn-based system that kept you on your toes to a turn based system that did everything for you.

 

More info <3

Okay, so first things noticed: a lot of showing on new playable characters and what not, but no old main cast being shown. Why is there so much Serah and no Snow? That seems strange. Maybe they're trying to showcase what's new to then show other stuff.

It seems like a strange approach, but it looks like a good opportunity to do some character development for Serah. I just don't know how Noel fits into all of this, though.

There also seem to be monsters in your party. Dawn of the new world, anyone? I'm really looking to see how this game will be. So far they seem to have a lot of stuff ready.

 

These new characters look interesting. I'm glad to see Serah take a more active role as opposed to being a 'damsel in distress' again.

And yes, I think they are deliberately showing off the new stuff but the old gang will still be in this. We already know Lightning is and it would be strange to have Serah without Snow, so he is presumably in this too. I got the impression that one of the 'driving points' of the story is attempting to release Fang and Vanille from Crystal Stasis so they should be playable too. As for Sazh, he is possibly the greatest character ever concieved so there'll be hell to pay if he isn't included. And Hope...I don't really care what happens to Hope.

 

I think it should be noted that in this picture Serah is still wearing her engagement necklace, so I don't think she and Snow have 'tied the knot' yet. But it will exciting that she will fight this time, and I'll be sad forever if Snow or Hope don't make it.

 

Sentimental value? Besides, we don't know how marriage works in that world. It's already different in the fact that they get engagement necklaces instead of rings. Maybe they also use the same one for both engagement and wedding?

 

I think that'll be a main point in the story, but from what I've seen in the mythology video I'd guess it's more to go with the Gods Buniberzei and Muin and how the world is 'destined to die'. Plus, they say Etro will be a strong influence on the game. Though, I really do hope they include the rest of the old cast into the story and that they have active roles.

Yeah, I'm really curious about what happened to Snow. All of NORA were shown except him. I'm guessing SE are trying to hide the previous cast's looks and whatnot. They did say something along the lines they would appear in different ways (I've forgotten how they worded it lol).

 

Maybe all of the orignal playable characters have new outfits, not just Light, which is why they are waiting to reveal them?

 

That's what I think, though it's kinda weird how NORA haven't changed at all. xD

I'm hoping some will have changes similar to Lightning's. Perhaps not armour, but a complete new look.

 

Is it just me, or is Paradox Alpha almost invisible? And why do I get the feeling that Lightning's going to be a boss in this based on the teaser?

 

May God hear you.
And actually, i get the felling too, the way they say she's getting closer to the divine just screams "Treat-but-not-really-lets-just-fight-anyway-due-to-random-misunderstanding".
Though she loves Serah too much for it to happen easily.

 

A wild guess :

Spoiler

In an interview the director said that the two characters on the logo are the equivalent of a demon and an angel, but that Lightning isn' t necessarily the angel.
Also, in the Fabula Nova Crystallis legend, Etro was described as being "foolish".
Who wants to bet we' ll spend the entire game running after Buniberzei, Lindzei and their "devil", watching Lightning rebelling against Etro' s plan in the process ? (i.e. we are not mere Fal' cie' s tools, humans, including the "devil" one, can be closer to Muin, a.k.a the only real "God" in this story, than Etro or any Fal' cie is ever gonna be)

[video=youtube;cisUvE6lP0w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cisUvE6lP0w&feature=player_embedded[/video]
Lol @ "Noël Christ" ! (Noël means Christmas in French) :lolface:

 

Spoiler

Etro is the Goddess of Death and was given no power by her father...who is Buniberzei but the point is that Etro is the creator of the human race and fled to the realm of Death to find her mother/grandmother Muin because she was dieing or dead

So Etro called Lightning into the realm of death to do something...and the Human world is in chaos simultaneously.

Im thinking that Lindzei is going to be a major antagonist due to the fact that, if you think of Muin and Etro as "good", his job is to awaken Buniberzei who is "a troubled god"

All I know...is that I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo pumped for this game!!!

Edit: I would also like to state that after reading some of the comments on the youtube video..I would really enjoy it if this game became a trilogy, I personally feel like it could with all the content and myth behind this.

 

Noel Kreiss*

And it looks fantastic. I'm really loving the addition of the cinematic action - adds to the battle and it looks so damn awesome! From what I've read/seen the demos are very limited in what they are showing in terms of abilities during the battles, but that's understandable since they look to take place fairly early in the game. And I'm so glad you'll get to play as Lightning in some way (Hopefully a fair amount). Perhaps we'll get some control over previous characters too. Chaos Bahamut has got my interest. Will we have to fight a Chaos version of all the summons? (Like FFX's dark version) Or is it because Fang is in crystal stasis? So many questions!

'A future where everyone lives' - Isn't that similar to what Snow said at the end of FFXIII? Obviously they'll be going for Lightning but it'd be safe to assume he's referring to Fang and Vanille as well.

I'm really excited about this. I would love SE if they let us get a demo on the psn store or something at somepoint.

 

One thing caught my attention at the end of that trailer- according to Lebreau, Lighting is...dead? And only Serah believes she is alive? It ties in to Lightnings opening statement- 'In a world where I no longer exist'. Sounds like she's going lone wolf again.

The whole Nora crew, Serah, this Noel person, and some girl dressed as Ronald McDonald...still no sign of Snow, Sazh or Hope.

 

Well, with Lebreau saying that Lighting is dead probably means she disappeared some time after the ending of the first one and no one has seen her since then. Thus everyone believes she was killed or something, but Serah, being her sister and the only one who exactly knows her, believes she is alive and somewhere. But it's seems that Lighting is reverting back to her old attuide. TT^TT I hope a trailer comes out with Snow, Hope, or Sazh in new outfit. I have to admit, Noel is pretty good.

 

This may be the first time I can ever take someone called 'Noel' seriously. Just so long as there isn't a 'Deal or no Deal' minigame...

 

In FFXIII eidolons were sent by Etro (her name is written in the summoning drawings).
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Eidolon_(Final_Fantasy_XIII)

I suppose dark bahamut was sent by Lindzei to his pawn.

 

[video=youtube;hu_EmiZfLHM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu_EmiZfLHM[/video]

Can't hear anything but it does shows a wee bit of the demo's cutscene and explains Serah's weapon and how it changes.

lol

 

Sword that turns into a bow? Sweet. So is that a Bowblade?

We also now know that Noel lived on Pulse, not Cocoon, maybe in some settlement like Oerba that escaped the mass l'cie-manufacturing spree the fal'cie went on...

 

It's the moogle. XD Seems like it can transform into whatever weapon she needs.

That's possible, unless he was also in crystal stasis, but Gran Pulse is massive so it wouldn't be a surprise if Pulse natives settled somewhere safe.

A few observations; Noel has wings on the back of his shirt and some text below it. Might mean something. Lightning doesn't use roles in her battle. I take that as she's more than likely to fight alone during this game.