Someone needs to organize a writing workshop at Square Enix HQ
I was tricked into pre-ordering this game by the demo and I even bought a PS5 just to play it. I got such a strong Ivalice vibe from it and I was expecting some quality political intrigue from the way the demo set the scene.
Boy was I wrong... Instead we got some half-baked subplots with some predictable twists that eventually degenerated into a bland "save the world" type of deal.
Having played FFXIV and all of its expansions I was expecting CBU3 to bring in their A game when it comes to writing a good story, especially since Heavensward and Shadowbringers were so good. Instead, it seems they brought in the worst the MMO had to offer: a main scenario with unnecessary filler quests that rarely contribute to the lore, worldbuilding, or character development.
With that, we have a game that doesn't know on what to focus for more than half of its length. At some point, I just wanted it to end because I knew nothing significant would come out of it by the end — and I was right.
The gameplay is great, the battle system is very fun and I like that it rewards finesse as opposed to mindlessly mashing buttons, but I did miss some elements from the series like status effects. Also, the crafting mechanism is a complete joke since you always get the best weapon available at key points in the story.
The eikon battles absolutely carry this game and other games are going to have a hard time rivalling these spectacular scenes, but I'm afraid that's the only thing noteworthy about the game.
Overall, the game did not resonate with me but I'm happy to have played it and this is definitely a step in the right direction, coming from FFXV.
I was tricked into pre-ordering this game by the demo and I even bought a PS5 just to play it. I got such a strong Ivalice vibe from it and I was expecting some quality political intrigue from the way the demo set the scene.
Boy was I wrong... Instead we got some half-baked subplots with some predictable twists that eventually degenerated into a bland "save the world" type of deal.
Having played FFXIV and all of its expansions I was expecting CBU3 to bring in their A game when it comes to writing a good story, especially since Heavensward and Shadowbringers were so good. Instead, it seems they brought in the worst the MMO had to offer: a main scenario with unnecessary filler quests that rarely contribute to the lore, worldbuilding, or character development.
With that, we have a game that doesn't know on what to focus for more than half of its length. At some point, I just wanted it to end because I knew nothing significant would come out of it by the end — and I was right.
The gameplay is great, the battle system is very fun and I like that it rewards finesse as opposed to mindlessly mashing buttons, but I did miss some elements from the series like status effects. Also, the crafting mechanism is a complete joke since you always get the best weapon available at key points in the story.
The eikon battles absolutely carry this game and other games are going to have a hard time rivalling these spectacular scenes, but I'm afraid that's the only thing noteworthy about the game.
Overall, the game did not resonate with me but I'm happy to have played it and this is definitely a step in the right direction, coming from FFXV.