This website uses cookies to make your browsing experience more enjoyable and efficient. Find out more about our use of cookies.
Official website for games™ - The multi award-winning MULTIFORMAT games magazine

Final Fantasy XIII ‘not a mistake’ says XIII-2 developer

Discuss
7 Nov 2011

Square Enix defends its past creative choices, while defending new ones in the upcoming sequel, Final Fantasy XIII-2

Final Fantasy XIII 'not a mistake' says XIII-2 developer“We generally don’t feel XIII was a mistake or that we made a mistake with it,” Motomu Toriyama, director and scenario designer on both Final Fantasy XIII and its sequel, XIII-2, has told gamesTM. “We don’t put it that way. Our goal with XIII was telling a good story with a lot of human drama and that was achieved. Because we wanted to introduce a new battle system that was completely new to the series – Paradigm Shifts and things like that – so in order to get it across to the player, it did require a much longer tutorial, which was criticised for being linear and whatever. Even though the criticism was fair and it was reasonable, it was unavoidable because of the nature of the game – we don’t regard it that we made a mistake as such.”

Toriyama goes on to spell out in no uncertain terms how Final Fantasy XIII-2 will differ tonally from its predecessor, and how Square Enix has found a way to make the game “have universal appeal across all national barriers.”

Read the rest of our interview with Square-Enix, and our hands on with Final Fantasy XIII-2 at the developer’s Tokyo headquarters in Issue 115 of games™, available now. To purchase directly, or for subscription information, please visit the Imagine Shop.

Follow our Twitter for all the latest videogames news, reviews, previews, interviews and features, while our Facebook fan page is the best place to communicate with other fans of games™ magazine.
  • http://twitter.com/ozlacs jeff scalzo

    DO people actually want this game? I feel like SE are making some really weird decisions…theyre making this game 2 years after the first 1 failed to impress. I for one ama sick of waiting 6 years for FF Versus 13 and Kingdom Hearts 3. Hell Id love KH3D if I could foresee it coming out by next May but Square takes their sweet time localizing those portable games for Americans…I had to wait 8 months for Birth by Sleep…there’s a reason Square ain’t doin that hot and it is because they are not listening to the fans

  • http://twitter.com/wishingW3L WEL

    FFXIII was the biggest joke of last year. I remember buying the game day one very exited because I’m a huge fan of the series and when I started playing I was really impressed by the music, graphics and battle system but a few hours later I was like: “what a piece of shit!”.  Story was boring, characters were way over the top melodramatic, the battle system was a joke… And what about the lack of exploration, lack of customization, lack of side-quests, lack of everything… Even Dragon Quest III had more depth than this game.

    FFXIII-2 looks much better but I really don’t like the characters, Serah seems even more annoying than Vanille. This time-travel thing is more like a gimmick than anything else and the battle system is the same shit but now with crappy QTE’s. I’m a fan and everything but I’m not buying this one.

  • http://twitter.com/wishingW3L WEL

    many people like me that bought the game weren’t impressed but it still sold like 5 millions. Square is probably basing all their decisions on sales figures and not critical reception. If FFXIII-2 sells another 5 millions then we can kiss goodbye the high quality franchise we used to know. =/

  • SomeStatic

    There was nothing ‘human’ about the drama in FFXIII.

  • SomeStatic

    There was nothing ‘human’ about the drama in FFXIII.

  • Guest

    The high quality franchise has always been there. People like you refuse to except change, and that’s what’s going to kill the series.

    If it sells good, and the Japanese fans are impressed, then that web domain registeration for XIII-3 will start to be used in late 2012 or early 2013.

  • IronWyvern

    High production value does NOT equal high quality. Final Fantasy XIII was a visual feast, sure. And it’s clear that the development team put a lot of effort into designing the game. The problem comes from shoddy direction. All of the effort and polish put into the game amounts to NOTHING when the game itself fails at what it sets out to do. 
    You can read Motomu Toriyama’s own defense in the interview above: “Our goal with XIII was telling a good story with a lot of human drama and that was achieved.” 
    On top of having a terrible story, Final Fantasy XIII’s character drama was only vaguely human and relatable, at its BEST. 
    To make matters worse, he claims that the game is linear because they wanted to explain the combat system to players. On top of this not making ANY sense at all, the Paradigm system is hardly “deep;” it certainly isn’t complex enough to require twenty HOURS of linear gameplay to explain.
    I call BS on your “people can’t accept change” gibberish. Final Fantasy games in general are unique, with only a few recurring themes and combat elements shared between titles. Final Fantasy X, for example, made radical changes to the gameplay and storytelling but is highly praised regardless.
    The problem is that Final Fantasy XIII was decent at best, but fans like yourself are too complacent to give a damned. Final Fantasy XIII was “good enough” for you, which is why I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn of a XIII-3: you eat this tripe right up. This is compounded by the fact that Motomu Toriyama has his head up his ass, and does not give a damned about the criticisms voiced against his titles.
    But at least we know Final Fantasy XIII was lackluster because Motomu Toriyama is a hack, and not because it was ported to the Xbox 360.

  • Pingback: Toriyama Defends Final Fantasy XIII, says There was No Mistake Made | GGS Gamer

  • Anonymous

    “Our goal with XIII was telling a good story with a lot of human drama and that was achieved.”

    He’s kidding right?  I seriously can’t believe Square is still letting this hack write for their games, let alone direct.

  • Pingback: Director: Final Fantasy XIII Criticism ‘Was Fair’ | Club Playstation

  • Nidav3

    if he doesn’t see that linearity as a mistake he should resign and let someone else take over. As for “Our goal with XIII was telling a good story with a lot of human drama and that was achieved.” is laughable. There was nothing good about the story and nothing human about the drama more like  generic anime drama.

  • Danveti004

    Why is this all being stated as if it is a fact? It is your opinion.
    I loved the game. You hated the game. Who really cares?
    Why do we all feel the need to convince people that they are “wrong” if they like something we don’t and vice-versa? A LOT of people bought it. Some loved it, some hated it.
    I understand what your criticisms are of the game. If they were my expectation of what it should have been I would probably feel the say way as you (like MW3..what a disappointment that was..)

    I enjoyed the story however, I loved the paradigm system and took the game for what it was.
    It was linear, but in my opinion that wasn’t a “mistake”, it was just they way they chose to design it. To say that they don’t give a damn about criticisms voiced…well I imagine that they get mountains of it. Most of it contradicting the other criticism…
    You complain that something WAS done a certain way then I complain that the same thing WASN’T done a certain way. I’m sure they take some of it on board, but if developers listened to, and changed things, based on every piece of feedback games would be totally un-focused messes (it was nice to see that you aren’t one of those rabid fan boys spewing the “xbox killed FF!!!!” idiocy…I own a PS3 and 360 btw..). No-one will ever make a game that every single person likes or agrees with.

    You”ll never convince people that they didn’t enjoy it, just like I will never convince you that you did enjoy it.
    I’ll buy FF XIII-2 and probably not something else.
    You won’t buy FF XIII-2 and probably will buy some else.
    Diversity is awesome.

  • http://twitter.com/AceOfCakez Me

    Has anyone addressed the fact that one of the main issues of XIII was that major plot points happened off screen? (i.e. Datalog, Episode I short story)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-King/100000693740190 Brian King

    Ive been wondering since it came out if anyone was gonna give SE another chance at redemtion 12 was bad enough, 13 was a joke. I hope people vote with their wallets.

  • Cyrano

    since when was confusing plot, uninvolved and annoying characters (except stereotypical afro black dude), and shitty combat which will have you mash two buttons not a mistake? Good drama? I had seen better drama told with better method in a 2D scenes nintendo games than this garbage of a game

  • Cyrano

    Not sure if you wanna see KH3 made by these dudes mate, least you run the risk of ruining yet another fond memory.

  • FFXIIIsucks

    Yes, it was. And fuck this guy.

…