Limitcast Episode 35 - The Great FFXIII Debate
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In what is the first of the multiple criticisms I have with the game, Pandemic claimed that there would be up to 150 AI bots in multiplayer. That feature is not in the final build. That number is the amount of bots that are in offline mode. This is very disappointing. Here is the real question: “is the game still fun 8 versus 8 online?” I would contend yes. Even though it’s not as epic as the developer claimed, it’s still a very fun online experience. You will find a myriad of people, especially on the Xbox 360 version because of the popularity of Xbox Live. The game is very personal when it’s 8 versus 8, because you develop mini rivalries with other team score leaders throughout the match.
Keep in mind this is my opinion, and I know that 16 versus 16 would have been more desirable, but the maps accommodate the player limit very well. You really won’t notice that it’s only 8 on 8 because you will constantly be fighting over territory in Conquest, and the other game modes are based around “all combat, all the time.” The real breakdown on the bot situation, for anyone who is still wondering, is as follows: Campaign (offline and split screen offline) will have 150, instant action (offline and split screen offline) will have 32, and multiplayer will have 0, unless a spot on either team needs to be filled.
A lot of reviews have claimed that the classes are unbalanced, and that the Mage is much better than the other three. This is true to some extent. The Mage has a wide range of attacks, and is a “jack of all trades” if you will. However, he isn’t particularly good at one thing, and that’s his point. I would content that the Mage can be countered by a good Scout, or a smart Archer who keeps his range. A Mage is a sitting duck when putting up his shield, and a perfect target for a Scout’s backstab. Also people are forgetting this is a squad based game. Teams cannot succeed by compounding Mages. A good team will just switch to all Scouts, and run behind the slow Mages, killing them and taking all their vantage points.
Another criticism is coming from Lord of the Rings purists. Mages are extremely scarce in Tolkien Lore; Gandalf and Sauramon are it, in the time-frame of the game. Conquest, however, would have you believe that they are everywhere. Another factual inaccuracy is that some battles take place during a different time of day. I ask this question: “does this really take away from the gameplay?” Howard Shores’ magnificent score is still in-tact from the movies, and the battlegrounds are faithfully recreated. If you are a huge fan on Tolkien lore, and are buying those solely because you want to become immersed in a faithful recreation of the novels, be weary of your decision to purchase this game outright. Other than that, I don’t think many people will care.
If I were rating this game solely on the single player experience, I would score it significantly less. However, I haven’t heard of anyone playing these genres of games unless they were taking them online, so it’s not fair to ignore the main portion of the game when scoring it. If you love Lord of the Rings, by all means try out this game, you will probably like it. It will most likely go down in history as a mediocre game, but all the people who are enjoying it online at this moment would have never known.
Reviewer’s note: The Xbox 360 version was tested for this review
The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are identical
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| Rating | Category |
|---|---|
| 7.0 | Presentation The graphics are choppy, and sometimes you may experience a drop in framerate. The environments, however, are quite fun to play in, and well done |
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| 7.5 | Gameplay The classes balance out rather well if you know how to use them. While the Hero classes and vehicle units are very fun to play with, there could have been more. The offline campaign also could have been bigger. |
| 9.0 | Sound
The sound is very well done. Hugo Weaving’s narrations add authenticity to the game, the clangs and swooshes of combat translate brilliantly, and Howard Shores incredible soundtrack bellows quality into your ears. The only problem with this game is the annoying announcer and a select few of the Hero voice actors, but it’s a very minor issue. |
| 7.0 | Longevity
It’s an online game, plain and simple. The offline Good and Evil stories are essentially a tutorial. Both campaigns can be beaten in 1 very long day or 2 days of decent gaming. Online play, however, will keep you up all night if you let it. The Market Place is already shown on the main menu, assuring you that download content will be available at a later date. |
| 7.0 | Overall
A 7 is above average. Due to the single player being somewhat of a letdown, and the problems mentioned above, it is not a stellar game, and could have used more work. However, it is a ton of fun online, and 8v8 combat is more immersive than you think |
Well done review, pretty much sums up everything.
Good review, although I was hoping for slightly more from the game.
Hmm, I think that’s a little harsh.
You gave the lowest mark to presentation – 7. the rest were all more than that, so how you figure it’s a 7 overall? I personally think that its at least 8 if not 8.5
@Alex
Because it’s his opinion that’s why. When you write a review, you can put whatever score you want on there. It’s his review and he put a 7 because he felt it’s a 7.
Exactly Rojelio.
Yea – I loved the game, but that’s not just what reviewing is. I can personally look past it’s flaws, but it doesn’t mean they’re not there.