Based from what I have played so far, not a full review

The game so far is okay, nothing exceptional. Not worth the damn long wait. For a start, the character names (as I have always thought) are ridiculous. Lightning, Snow, Hope... I mean c'mon. The game starts you with a boss, who is really easy fair enough, but they just throw bosses at you like there's no tomorrow. The equipment system is boring, and nothing special like Final Fantasy 7's materia or whatever it was. I find it annoying changing "leader" every few battles at the start of the game - and it's really really annoying that if your "leader" dies, or should I say Lightning, it's game over as opposed to everyone having to die.

The use of potions is a lot more essential and useful as it heals everyone, as well as taking up no time from your ATB gauge. Though this also makes it a lot easier when fighting a boss as you can just throw potions around. The battle music kinda sucks and isn't something I'd look up on youtube or whatever after playing the game, unlike Final Fantasy VII or IX. The rating system after battle is quite cool - the better you do the better the "spoils" you get after battle. The storyline so far is great and I just want to play more and more. The graphics too are amazing, really good work.

There are a few more systems which are "okay", one is amazing. The shop / save system is okay... I'd prefer to have towns and actually go shopping, but fair enough, this works too. The class system is really cool - you can change your party members to suit a specific class and therefore use specific moves in battle, look it up if you want to learn more.

As for loading times and saving speed, they're pretty quick which is great. I threw Last Remnant to the side because the loading screens pissed me off, but this is doing good in terms of loading - not making me wait.

That'll do for now.

From VI, you've got the linear underworld expanding to a large overworld.
VII - the emphasis on inidividual character events
VIII - the more futuristic, militant world
From X, you've got the levelling system.
X-2, there's the dress system which is basically the same as paradigms.
From XII, you've got the less direct battle system.

etc etc


Agree with Danny about the names. On one hand, there's Snow, Lightning, Hope, but then there's Sazh, Crystarium, oerba dia vanille. The equipment system gets better though. No spoilers, but it really improves. I completely disagree that potions are essential though. In fact, I don't even remember using any, except for one boss before you get any healers. Also, the one thing I really do dislike is the rating system. Some characters (Hope and Lightning), work awesomely together, and you'll get 5 stars every time, but then you switch to a less-good pair (Sazh and Vanille), and they'll get anything from 0-5, and because you've been getting lots of 5's, even a 4 feels like you've done 'badly'.

But then, it's all preference. Not suggesting you're 'wrong' or anything.

Yeah, as I said above that was to the part I had played to. Now that I'm further I must agree with you. Now that I have medics and have learned about the damn wannabe sphere grid, potions are pretty much useless. The part above I had just got to the weird boss named Anima or something - the Fal'cie or whatever.

The storyline is great, as I said above, but they really do throw a lot of bullshiz names at you. Fal'cie, pulse, purge, l'cie, I mean what the heck. I'm probably spelling them wrong, but if you've played you'll know what I mean.

After playing from where I was to now, I learned a lot more about the game:

For a start, the music isn't all too bad now that I'm used to it. But it's still not amazing... I'm also beginning to accept the dullness of the equipment system, I guess it keeps things simple. But it's annoying only having two slots - a weapon and an accessory. I may still be too soon in the game, but that's annoying just now. The paradigms thing is cool - stagger the enemy, heal yourself, kill the enemy. I pretty much keep my finger on L1 now, just to switch from Commando, Ravager, Ravager to Commando, Sentinel, Medic or Commando, Ravager, Medic.

I guess we're pretty much agreed about the game just now, but who knows, I only have about 2 hours gameplay, still got a fair amount to go. Might change my mind.

Though I must say, they need to stop with the damn bosses. I just had another one, and he was eaaaasy. Once you stagger him, you just heal and finish him off. It was the bird which you kill then he runs away and you have to fight him again, I was like wtf.

Anyway, a few things I haven't learned yet - how do you change characters? I have like 4 people in my party, but I can only use 3. Is there a way to shuffle them about?

If you're wondering, I'm at the part where Snow just gets his first summon thingy. Eidelon or whatever.