Discuss.......

I honestly can't stand it so far(8 hours in) and am on the verge of returning it and getting my money back. It is just TOO linear. Like....ridiculously....redundantly........linear. Sure it looks shiny, but it is utter crap. How can you even classify this game as an RPG? Maybe I'm a bit "old-school" but it seems like all they did was add FF style combat to a action/adventure game with some snazy cut scenes. Like, i don't see what they are charging people $25 a strategy guide for..... If you miss a treasure chest or have trouble with a boss in the first 8 hours you should really sell all your video games immediately.

For people who are farther than about 8 hours in, does it get any better? Is there a fucking town for crying out loud? I mean DAMN Siyual you weren't kidding when you said the game was linear.

I've beaten the game a while ago, and gotten pretty much everything in the game aside from one trophy which I do not care for (screw getting all relic weapons ._.). I will admit, the game is extremely linear for a long while, but it does open up later on.

After chapter 10, you'll get full control over who you can put in your party, and who your party leader is, and you'll be able to freely roam wherever you want to go. But, it takes a bit to get there -- at times I had to put the game down, because of the repetitiveness, but after that point I really enjoyed the gameplay, and could barely put it down. I wouldn't get a strategy guide if you haven't already done so - there's plenty of information about synth items, and mission locations online.

There is a town though -- there's at least 3 that I counted, one of which is deserted, and overridden with mobs, Woruba (English name may be different, I haven't played the English version). But under the normal ff town, there isn't one.

I will say though, if you have trouble with a boss in this game, that is not abnormal. The boss fights are freaking ridiculous if you aren't careful; and some normal mobs are insane as well. One PS3 trophy, Adamant Will, is obtained by killing one of the hardest mobs in the game (Rongui; English name may be different, but they're the evolved version of the Adaman Taimai's - the giant turtles with chains - that only appear after M62) -- far, far, harder than the final boss. You can be one-shotted at max level on all 6 jobs in the first 10 seconds fighting that if you aren't prepared (he will always open with Ultima, that does ~60,000 damage to all characters, unless guarded - hint: set default optima to DEF DEF DEF, and only fight them when all jobs are maxed; smokes aren't needed, but they help if you don't want to take the time to buff). The difficulty of some mobs/bosses is a major plus (to me at least), and it adds a bit of value to the game.

But enough about that -- I could go on for a long while about the mission fights, and trophy/achievement collecting, but I'll spare you all unless you're stuck and need help -- the point is: yes, the game is very linear early on, but it opens up later. There aren't any towns, as we are familiar with, in the game, though they do exist. Making gil may be a turn-off for some, but it becomes extremely easy later on -- Adamantoise, Adaman Taimai, Rongui, and Shao Rongui are great farming monsters, and you can get 150,000g in one kill -- and honestly, it isn't needed to have gil before that point.

It could have opened up a lot earlier, and it would have been better, but I still think, overall, it's a good game. But it's all in the perception of the player.

Uggg... Ok thanks for the heads up. Maybe ill try and play it in small doses til I get to chapter 10.

There is a village I'm close to, oerba i think its called, where vanille's summon is, but stpped for now, working on the statue side-mission things.

BTW, the shear absurd amount of epic emo-ness that is Hope has made me lost interest in even continuing playing. DIE LITTLE EMO KID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to trade him for that hot dark haired chick that was part of Snow's crew in the beginning. And don't get me started on Snow..... I mean there are flying ships with lazers and guns......troops with guns everywhere.....and he is PUNCHING THINGS. Does anyone else find this a bit ridiculous?

Also does anyone think that Vanilla(or w/e) looks a lot like Haden Panettiere(sp) from Heroes with red hair?

/rant off

Heh, there's a big reason why my party setup was always: Fang, Lightning, Vanelle. >.>;

By the way... I heard the English voice actors for 13 in a commercial, and good God... why in the hell does Vanelle have a New Zealand accent O.o

I've not heard the english language voices yet, but, vanille's voice, and speech pattern in jp is soooooo kawaii~.

Vanille's accent is so rough on the ears. As for Snow, I like the guy. ^^b

I think the reason both Fang and Vanille have accents is because they are from hundreds of years in the past and they are originally from Gran Pulse. Just my take on it.

I have had very little chance to play this game cause my ship has been out so much lately.

i onry prayed the game for vanneleieieillle [: shes gonna be my future wife. accent or not