Final Fantasy XIII as Linear as a Piece of String

What's up with this "time release" system I'm getting wind of.

"Further fueling the suspicion that the game has been dumbed down to remedial level is the fact that several key gameplay elements remain locked even after 8 hours of playtime, and the game only sees fit to fully enable its leveling system after 4 hours."

Am I going to need to leave my PS3 on for a couple days just to get access to all of the crap I actually need?

Wii has on-rails shooter, SE just invented on-rails jRPG. The International version will have auto-run option.

"This new Final Fantasy game will be the one that's going to ruin the franchise FOREVER!!!"

-Every Final Fantasy Fan ever since the first.

After playing the masterpiece that is Mass Effect, all rpgs seem linear in comparison. Bioware rules.

Oh dear! Now the game won't be fun at all!

Still going to day-one purchase this (for my 360, deal with it) even though the maps remind me a little to much of X, my least favourite entry in the series. Still, the game world itself seems a lot more interesting than X and the battle system looks amazing, so I'm sure there'll be plenty to make up for the "pretty line" syndrome. I'm hoping what I've heard about there being a wealth of sidequests is true. I guess I was just spoiled to death with the awesome worlds and exploration of Dragon Quest VIII and FFXII, and the satisfying amount of sidequests in the latter. I had no problems at all with XII's story and even if I did, I consider a game's world more important that its story. XII, having the most immersive and fully-developed world (not to mention some of the most interesting and strategic gameplay), will always be my favourite entry in the series. I thought VI and IX were unbeatable, but XII took the cake.

Honestly, did you guys expect any better after the crap that were FFX and FFXII?

so i guess famitsu was right.

Does anyone know that the first levels are UNDERGROUN, did anyone get the maps for OUTSIDE? or CITIES?

All FFs stories are linear, dont let Mass Effect and Dragon Age brainwash u the idea of RPG.

A lot of u havent even got the game in ur hand, and yet u can comment like u have played, amazing.

P/s there is a world map, I took 8hrs to get there

Oh well. I guess I'll consider it like, a really good, really long, really expensive, interactive movie.

Wow, a straight map. But I guess I'll forget about everything once I start playing it, so there's no real need to complain, anyway. But it'll be like, I can see Chapter 3 when I'm in the first.

Didn't Famitsu mention the game was too liner?

Linear... Now I see what they mean, but I would've taken off more than just one point, ya know.

I like full features in the first hour. I like exploration with treasure. I like puzzle-solving things. But, something like this might actually force me to stop playing the game before I actually start playing it.

I don't see how a linear RPG is a bad thing. Other RPG just disguised it better. Sure, you can run about in the wilderness, walk in a town or two and play some card game. However, unless you go into the nearby temple ruins, beat up the dungeon boss and get key item X, there is no way for you to proceed with the game.

Previously, game developers simply opened a big area so you don't see that you are being funneled from point A to B, then from point B to point C.

So like...how about we play through the game before complaining after seeing the first 7 hours of a 60+hour game instead of jumping the "LOL SUX" bandwagon like a bunch of idiots?

In any case about 9 hours in, and the map design isn't really a problem for me, I barely even think about it.
Now, the thing that has annoyed me the most so far is that they fucking keep breaking up my party all the time, making me have do redo all my optimas and leveling up characters through roles I didn't intend them to be specialized in. Arrrghhh-

Wonder if this is the effect of it being on the 360?

If so, hopefully it'll be the only one.

so basically FFXIII can be beaten by tying the joystick in the up direction with a rubber band and laying something on the select/attack button?

No towns?? I mean, srsly? Cmon, you know that's not true.

sadly, I kinda expected this...

dumbed down for the X-box users :)

The console wars are retarded. Who really cares which console the game is on as long as it is awesome? Anyone who thinks "zomg its dumbed down for teh xbox users" is obviously an asshat.

LOL, the internet is so full of witty morons who post comments as if they just became some prophet to utter the very first holy words. You're not funny, you're not witty, you're just another internet moron, and yes that includes me.

Trolls for this game are funny, but the apologists are even more so. Bioware can have my fucking money anyday now. I haven't imported an FF since IX but what a fucking mistake to do so for this one. I finished this game a few hours ago and the story is a fucking mess. A beautifully presented mess but just a jumble you'd expect from a really bad anime script. Many of the characters are annoying as hell (except for Lightning, who I have to say is one of the best FF protaginist to date). The combat system is fun but incredibly symplistic. And the linearity. Oh my fucking god. Sad as it is to utter these words, I lay all my hope on Nomura to make VersusXIII what XIII should've been.

Wow... When mentioned of linearity in FFXIII, I sure didn't expect the MAP to be of such level of "linearity"! o_0 FFX-2 players complaining about its excessive amount of sidequests & world-exploring sure have their wishes come true...

Here's hoping the game's other features make up for this. Else, here's hoping FFversusXIII turns out to be FULL OF EPIC WIN!

Lighning sure looks mo�© there in the OP pic, notably the eyes, can't help but to be reminded of Ginko [http://myhaven.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/mushishi-2.jpg] (of Mushishi fame).

LOL. Nice usage of the BOSS coffee [http://www.plateoftheday.com/food_blog/japanese_food/bossCoffeeSelection.gif] there.

This is why games like Zelda, will always be superior to RPG's. Total freedom to explore the environment and its characters.

Final Fantasy XIII = W+M1 console equivalent.

Actually, that is just as linear as other FF (especiallly since VIII), only this time not only the path is linear but the map also
with exception of XI of course

Thats it? Thats what everyone is fussing about when they say linear.....you know what I don't give a fuck anymore just give me my damn game. I dumb myself down for just about everything I play any way so I can enjoy it. This linear business is for you hardcore people who do nothing but play games and then waste time in an area you have already cleared and or are indecisive about every little choice.

Ahhh.... Final Fantasy, the Rebel Assault of RPG's. :)

The first 20 hours of the game are linear, but the maps are also linear.

omg so much lies here, after i got the game today there are so many made-up facts bout the game here.

-The straight forward maps were purposely selected to make up the fake statements. Heaps of maps have been to mislead people that the game is linear

-u can control other members, not just the leader, that is just a default option which u can easily change from auto pilot to manual in the settings

the blogger of sankaku is obviously bias towards the game. gamespot is definately gonna give this game at least a 9 score with editor's choice.

if i remember correctly, it's maybe not in the RPG gaming catagory, but resident evil 5 was probably the most linear game i have ever played, but i had endless ammounts of fun with it because the story was amazing, infact i still play it over and over today because the replay value was and still is pretty decent. i love almost every final fantasy game and to be honest, the world map or dungeons being linear never bothered me because of the great storylines. i for one cannot wait for this game.

Loads of stupid bitching here. But let's get back to the facts, it really sucks that the maps are so linear. i liked exploring in previous FFs :( I liked wasting time in towns with stupid sidequests in previous FFs :(

I don't mind the story being linear, because as said previously a dozen times, FF has always been linear. That's what you get for having a fixed starting character and a fixed ending. there always was some playing around of course but that never had an impact on the game-world at all. but it was fun! may it be optimizing Materia, Guardians or Espers, it always was fun. Killing the optional bosses always was fun and needed more skill then the normal story line. And that's what made FF so great. Well, and the stories of course, all FFs I played (7,8,9,10 + 12) had a great athmosphere (12 obviously being the weakest) so here's hoping they managed that in XIII as well..

I will still buy the game, always been a big fan of the franchise, and as long as the story is good, i will find that money well spent! Also the release date is so close to my birthday i will surprise myself with a present.. Oooh what might it be? It looks like a book but... Ooooh Final Fantasy! Thank you myself!! :D

Picture saved, this is amazing. Megaman X levels had more complex maps.

FFXII first part is linear. well of course that is story driven gameplay. The map shown here does not even consume 1/8 of the game content. People tend to believe what they read without trying it by themselves. THe reviewer I think does not even bother playing until the half part of the game. I just find it stupid. Thats why I don't believe in reviews anymore.

FFXII first part is linear. well of course that is story driven gameplay. People tend to believe what they read without trying it by themselves. I just find it stupid. Thats why I don't believe in reviews anymore.

I just remembered something for the argument that japanese games are too linear.

Is call of duty not one of the most linear fps games out there? It's all about the scripted events.

That is all.

Hell, just enjoy the damn game. Who gives a fuck if they tripped over a few things - everyone was bat shit crazy over this before it came out.

I recall FFX being very linear why didn't that get crap? Like it really was just a straight path from beginning to end that is what I remember most about it.

Just my two pence worth...

FFVII was really linear for the first 7 or 8 hours, but once you got outside Midgar you were free to roam. Yes in order to progress the story you still had to go to Kalm, then the Chocobo ranch etc. Was it linear? Yes in terms of story, but it was the ability to take time out whenever I wanted to go back somewhere else that makes the map non-linear. Its the same with pretty much every FF game. Linear story, non-linear map design. For example...

Go to Town A
Go to Dungeon B
Go to Town C
Go to Town D
Go to Town E
Go to Dungeon F

In order to progress the story you have to follow in a specific order, but if I get to Dungeon F and realise that elemental weapon in Town C would be really helpful I should be able to go straight back to Town C, not have to go through Towns E and D to get back there. THATS the concern with FFXIII's map design. If you pass up a side quest to continue the story a bit you shouldn't have to spend an hour going through every location to get back there.

"GAMES DON'T NEED GOOD GAMEPLAY IF THEY HAVE A GOOD STORY."
"FINAL FANTASY IS BETTER WHEN ITS LINEAR"

Quick test to find out if you're fucking retarded and should have wound up in a toilet bowl on someone's prom night is if you utter bullshit like this.

According to IGN, FFXIII have *sold* more then 1 million copies in the first day (not including the bundles edition).

Still the official figure of the first five days sale will come out next week. But FF13 is now officially the highest selling game for the PS3 in Japan.

Man, if I want an RPG on rails, I'll dust off my copy of Riviera: the Promised Land.

Wow. I sure hope it gets better than that. Hopefully it's just because the area just happens to be shaped that way.

Considering that XII had a 3-hour linear progression chapter, and the length of time that XIII supposedly has this isn't all that bad. As long as you get through the story as you want it to go through means of leveling and weapons, this is at the very least the typical RPG model.

who gives a crap if its 'too linear?' point is, if you like that sort of thing, you play it. If you don't, then don't play it. simple.

I'm holding my breath for versus anyway. =D

This is far from being all the maps in the entire game.

Beside, the story is probably not linear. Also, with all the optional bosses and sidequests this game probably have, I doubt it's linear.

People need to stop whining for nothing.

It's over 90 degrees!

Faulting a JRPG for being linear is like faulting Counter-Strike for not having a plot. Linearity isn't a bad thing.

hah~ lame~

Who fuckin cares its a RPG ITS SUPPOSE TO BE LINEAR!!! Side quests and what not are nice and all but....they don't matter to the fuckin story.....if you want non-linear gameplay GET ANOTHER GENRE OF FUCKIN GAME!

Just finished the game, well, you guys better be prepared for the ending. If you have been following up with all the trailers and news, you'd have know there is no way this game's ending gonna be a pleasant one.

So in order to be non-linear, you have to make a map fancy shapes? You have to ask an NPC first before going to a place? You have to go to a specific place for each quest? Oh please... Don't make this a bigger propaganda.

But hey if you're at it, chapter 1X will have you walk in circle all the way, because it takes place in Babel tower, unlike bridges and roads in other chapters.

So, people saving aspects of gameplay till later is dumbing it down eh. Really, its not like that is something new to any kind of rpg. Sankaku continues to be terrible about reporting anything to do with gaming, please just continue with what you are good at, posting porn and stories about rape please.

People are just finding excuses to make it look bad because it's Final Fantasy.

If it was some unknown rpg by another company, this would never get the bad attention.

IMO, my friend has the game, I saw him play it for hours and it's awesome. I just can't wait for the US release myself (Because I can't understand a single word of japanese).

Oh my god, a linear JRPG??? SAY IT AIN'T SO!

Next Artefact will be reporting that Modern Warfare 2 is played in first-person and requires the player to shoot things.

Um, to be frank, this is only a minor flaw to me. I will probably still go buy it because i want to play it. Maybe I'll rent it first.

I don't care if it's linear in map and/or Story. I'm actually getting tired of "free roaming" RPG's because they are just as linear, only difference is you can move around more.

The distance you can move may be all around the map but your displacement is still the same.:/
The more "open" they are the more linear they become to me anyway.

There are a lot of other good RPG's that are just as linear and they are still fun. It's funny that it's a little more literal, though.

So it seems FFXIII uses the FFX dungeon design, which is the preeminent example of "rail-design". This is what you get for making FFX popular! It makes them try stupid things again! ;-p

I guess they were too busy making a ultra cinematic battle system to bother with making interesting maps. Also, I see withholding gameplay elements and leveling up as more of a bastardish thing to do rather than a simplifying, but that's me. It'll still be fun as hell, it just looks like it'll be a little on the easy side.

Not necessarily a negative thing - it's just a matter of opinion. Personally, I like games to be less linear (but not overly so - there's a limit), but this is just my opinion.

And actually, I don't really care if this game is linear or not. I play Final Fantasy for the unique stories and characters.

It can be more linear than a straw for all I care, so long as I enjoy the characters and the plot.

Hmm why not just watch the walkthrough videos and cutscenes from youtube?

This sucks...
linear dungeons and mediocre graphics.. I wonder what'll be the next flaw they'll find in the game...

now why did that remind me of initial D :S

I don't understand the hate that FFXIII is getting, Almost all games I have played in the Rpg genre is Linear, you just get choices but it ends up being the same goal, Noone ever talks about em, but for some reason this game is receiving alot of critisim for it.

Dragon age orgins: No matter where you start off you still become a warden, and do the other quest if you feel like it aka Sidequest, and then you STILL go to war.

Fallout3: The main plot still goes the same way, You just get to choose what order you feel like doing them.

Western Rpgs are Also linear, just disguised better. Jrpgs has been pretty straightforward with their linear style from start to finish, A book starts from beginning and has an end. If you are looking for something that is non Linear you are better off waiting for Final fantasy 14 because that will be a MMORPG which is where you pay per month for non linear gameplay since additional contents keeps getting added.

so stop playing rpgs, and go play WOW, AION, whatever.
If you don't like Football, Why watch it? anyways I have talked to 5 of my japanese friends and they have all enjoyed it, Plenty of Japanese video game streams up also who are commenting that they enjoy it, Its a game get over it.

who cares it is only a map; when u play previous FF games when u get to about halfway through the game u dont really care about exploring every inch of the map when the storyline is kick ass!!!

The maps above don't have to be played straight through. You can explore other areas. You could chart out the strictly story-advancing parts of any piece of fiction in any medium as a straight line. Thanks, temporal structure of the universe! :D

Don't believe Ondore's lies!

We should just be happy that the game isn't circular.

linear is good, j-rpgs is all about story and combat mechanics, to me anyway. the more linear the game is the faster the pace. slow pace but full of freedom RPG like oblivion and FO3 is not to my liking....

Yea we need some more 360 bashing articles up in here, hell its probly the 360's fault for the dumb down dungeons...

I guess 13 wasn't Final Fantasy's lucky number, eh? :D

I don't care if it's good...

In some games, whenever I enjoy, I unconsciously forget all about this things and just get caught up in the game no matter how linear the story is and even how bad the presentation is.

"Pre-release reviews of course failed to mention any of this…"

GG, Square.
They've probably made back all the money the spent paying for those pre-release reviews.

Who cares if its linear?

Will I enjoy the story?

Games don't always have to be a sandbox to be a fun game. I don't see why lately everyone's been complaining about games being linear at all.