Graphics:Just get this out of the way
--Overall the game seems less polished than 13. The hair dithering seems worse. Inconsistant between areas. No more moving clouds in skyboxes.
--I miss the pre-recorded, engine-run cutscenes but what we have is alright. I have no complaints about the real time cutscenes.
--The monster models seems to have been improved from 13.
--I really like how they have real foliage now.
--Lightning's character model looks really bad imo...That armour lack details, looks rough and has this weird shimmery effect.
Map and Game design
--Individual areas are smaller that 13's but no longer straight corridors.
--There is no larger area like Gran Pulse. Archylte Steppe is smaller.
--Areas are not connected at all. They work like worlds do in KH. Meaning you can't walk from Yaschas to the Steep like you could in 13.
--Treasures are sometimes hard to notice. The Moggle hunter and Moggle throwing mechanics makes you want to look carefully in all places before you leave an area.
--Only certain monsters appear like they do in 13, i.e. always visible. I think I like the moggle clock and popping out monsters though. It's easier to avoid fights. Monsters no longer feel like obstacles that block the corridors. I also like the element of surprise.
--NPCs are everywhere. In one particularly crowded area, NPCs sometimes do not load fast enough and you see the dots on maps but no NPCs. They've also added stuff like NPCs moving back when you bump into them and NPCs falling flat on the ground after they try attacking a popped up monsters.
--Fragments are fun to collect. You get them in a various numbers of ways. You get them through quests (that may or may not involve killing a monster), completing maps to 100% and showing them to NPCs. Completing time labyrinth puzzles and doing quizes. Some are just lying in chests, moggle needed or otherwise.
--I like the freedom and just pondering on what I should do next and not be forced into things like 13. Like someone said on another forum, 13's about running away while this game is about exploring and finding things.
Shopping, weapons and accessories in general
--The only shop is Chocolina's. She's everywhere.
--Some weapons require more than just gil. You need to have the right materials to make/buy them.
--As some of you would know by now, there is a accessory capacity. Each accessory has a capacity value and your character can equip 4 as long as the total capacity is within or equal to that character's capacity (i.e. 100 pts means 4 25 points accesories, 2 50 points accessories and so on). You can buy lighter or heavier versions of accessories with the right materials. A lighter version will have a weaker stat bonus and vice versa for heavy versions.
--The shop inventory increases as you progress through the plot. Each area also has its own unique excavated items for sale.
--Money seems alright at the moment. Neither in abundance or shortage. More on that later.
Battles
--Easier than 13. Slightly too easy for me at times.
--Less reliance on Syn/Sab and the staggering enemies in general.
--Battles end quite quickly and I haven't met any monster (I think) that had to be staggered in order to be killed. Non of those long battles from 13. The stagger bar seems to increase faster and even then staggering is mostly not required.
--Easy to overlevel due to freedom when options open up.
--The A.I. seems to be the same as 13's
--Because the game is easier, elemental/physical/magic weaknesses are also less consequential.
runedh
Posted 12/18/2011 6:36:49 AM
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Character building
--Just to recap, there is one crystarium per character.
--Every time you increase a level of a role, you activate one node and you gain stats or get an ability. Abilities are learnt by reaching certain levels in roles.
--Once you unlock one round of nodes (i.e. complete the whole bow for Serah or Sword for Noel), you get a crystarium level up bonus. You get the option to either get a role bonus, unlock a new role, gain an ATB bar or increase your accessory capacity.
--The role bonus options are randomly picked from what you haven't unlocked.
--After getting 5 ATB bars the option to learn the full atb bar skill also will appear at Crystarium level up.
--Once you choice your bonus, all the nodes are deactivated and you'll rinse and repeat. The number of Crystarium points needed for each node increases as your crystarium levels up more and more. (I hope this whole part is clear enough)
--This system of leveling up your crystalium means that even if you just level some and not all roles your crystalium will still level up. There is quite a bit of freedom.
--It's quite easy to level up quickly. Getting fragments and Ooparts get you CP too.Characters seem to learn abilities too quickly. You learn most abilities, if not all abilities of a role, when you get to level 50.
--It seems that certain spells like haste are monster only spells.
--I'm not sure whether the stats you get from level roles are random.
Monster building
--Monsters are quite fun to use but the easy battles make the variety in monster skills somewhat unimportant...
--Monsters activate nodes through use of items.
--Some monsters, like characters, can get crystarium level ups. Some however has early but bad growth and max out at say level 20. Monsters have ranks and crystarium level ups increases the rank or monsters. Max rank 5. Monsters start out at different ranks but are always level 1 when you recruit them.
--Level up materials are separated by rank and function. Monsters need items of the same rank to level up. There are also four types of items. They focus on different stats increases: overall, strength, magic or HP. You can tailor growth by using the right items. You start with needing 1 item per node and this increases to 2, 3, 4, 5 and possibly more as you level.
--Items are dropped in battles or bought from Chocolina.
--I probably need loads of money later in the game because of this. It probably won't be as bad as 13's weapon upgrade.
--Love the adornments system
Other thoughts
--I think quite a number of the monsters are actually new (palette swaps nontheless) and feels less recycled than FFX-2 was. The areas (even those from 13) also feel new and are redesigned.
--The save system is sort of annoying since everytime the game loads you're not in the last position/area you were in but at the Historia Crux screen. This means long loading times.
--The casino is somewhat disappointing. Only Chocobo racing, slots and cards which the NPC says is DLC. There aren't really any mini games.
--I like the time puzzles but the numbers one can be tough.
--The soundtrack works quite well and complements the game.
--The game really has the one more turn appeal.
--Plot is somewhat weird and confusing. This is probably a case of Toriyama+not being good with Japanese. There are many Serah and Noel only scenes. I do find them to be rather likable and grounded characters.
--There are less cinematic QTEs than expected. I've yet to fail any so I'm not sure whether they can affect or how they affect outcomes.
--Live Trigger options sometimes trigger rather funny and cute moments.
--There should have been costumes that can be found in the game itself and not have them be all DLCs.
Zitat von novacrystallis
Cool, dass er in der Crystal Edition ist.
Immerhin sollen das Ezio- und das AKB48-Outfit umsonst sein.
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