The first thing I want to say is that, as expected, this is the most visually impressive Final Fantasy ever. Sometimes I have to double check to see if the cutscene I'm watching is pre-rendered or uses in game graphics. Most of them obviously use in game graphics, but that doesn't detract from the experience. Emotions and animations all look very realistic regardless of being in game graphics. The only visual complaint I have is that some of the textures are a little muddier than expected. Final Fantasy has always been known for its stunning graphics, so I sort of expected crystal clarity from everything. I guess thats my fault for having too high expectations, and for playing it on a 46 inch screen.
The chief criticism the game has been getting is that it's so different from past Final Fantasy entries in the gameplay mechanics that hardcore fans are not pleased. Well I say to hell with them. I will admit, as a huge fan of FFX, I hated the fact at first that combat resembled that traditional turn based style in no way at all. First of all, combat is real time, so like in many other FFs, you have a time guage that you have to keep track of. That's not what threw me off. In every other FF, you have control over every characters actions. You can say to your black mage "cast firaga," and she'll do it. In this, you have control over only one character, the party leader, during combat. The other party members perform predetermined actions based on their jobs, which are controlled via a new function called the "Paradigm Shift." It took a little warming up to, but after working with it for some time, I now enjoy the combat system quite a bit. Narrowing it down to one character keeps things a little more focused, and allows combat to be faster paced. It has a more action packed feel than turn based, though at its core it is still turn based. You still have to keep track of your parties HP and buffs/debuffs so that you know when to paradigm shift. Here's a look at what to expect from combat.
One of the nice things the game does is ease you in very gradually. There is so much new material here that it takes a while to get used to. I've been playing for about 4 or 5 hours already and I'm only just getting into upgrading items and whatnot. Two things that I think will shock veterans. You only have 3 stats: HP, Magic, and Strength. While this may seem overly simple, it actually works to the advantage of the player, keeping things more focused. It also helps you cope with debuffs easier, as it takes less time to select the right heal for them. The second shocker is that the game is completely linear. I don't mean like FFX linear, I mean like there is no revisiting old areas...ever. But the nice thing is that you don't ever need to. There are no towns, because all shopping is done via save points.
Bleh...I wish I had more time. I don't want to give away to many spoilers, so as far as characters go I'll say this. Hope looks like a chick, but is a dude with, as previously mentioned, an Oedipus complex. He's essentially a big sissy hellbent on revenge against a big tool (Snow). There is nothing cool about him, yet. Sazh is overall a walking stereotype, though having said that, he seems to be the only character who is somewhat grounded in reality, and his afro doubles as a birds nest, so I'm cool with him. Lightning's a bitch with attachment issues who throws punches like dude, so I like her. Vanille is super peppy with an annoyingly high voice. She's like santa...in a candy shop...on ecstasy...getting laid. She sucks. Snow looks like he should be cool...like Auron cool...but it turns out he's just a scene idiot who other scene idiots look up to. Having said that, the story, while a bit convoluted at first, seems to be pretty cool so far. K...I gotta go to class.
