Final Fantasy games are not short. So while big titles from other developers might be clocking in at somewhere between 7 and 9 hours, don’t expect a short Final Fantasy XIII experience. Expect a long haul.
In a recent interview (pictured below), FFXIII director Motomu Toriyama noted, “For XIII, the size of the entire game is considerable. Just running through the main story takes experienced players over 50 hours. For the first time, I think it’s possible to play through in full in about 60 hours or so.”
Meaty! Players have been waiting three years for this game, and it sounds like they’ve got a big game ahead of them to experience.
plmko
December 2, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Fairly average for a J-RPG.
Report PermalinkMech@n1cal_Dummy
December 2, 2009 at 4:31 PM
50 – 60 hours? as the way it should be when playing this sort of game! bring it on!
Report PermalinkAshley Niland-Rowe
December 2, 2009 at 4:40 PM
By long haul you mean grind right?
Report PermalinkMr Waffle
December 2, 2009 at 4:44 PM
…and how much of that will be the mindless grinding, over and over, to level up enough to beat that next boss, the hallmark of most JRPGs? Dragon Age:Origins got 60+ hours out of me with actual unique and constantly fresh content, let’s see if FFXIII can do the same…
Report Permalinkpeaky01
December 2, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Grinding? I’ve never had to really grind in a Final Fantasy game; they’re usually pretty balanced and while not hard or easy, give a steady challenge (or if you like to grind, no challange at all), unlike a lot of other JRPGS
Report PermalinkKD
December 2, 2009 at 5:51 PM
I’ve never had to grind in a JRPG, I’ve always been impressed by the way I’ve been at the exact right level to make ‘the next boss’ challenging but not impossible, FF particularly. I can’t remember how long the story in FFX took, but I recently started again and found my original file at 103 hours :D
I’m drooling thinking of the weeks or hopefully months I’ll be engrossed in FFXIII.
It is released kinda close to Mass Effect 2 though…
Report PermalinkRiavan
December 2, 2009 at 6:02 PM
FF has normally been a grind free easy run through experience, I hope that hasn’t changed. I’m rather annoyed at the new RPG’s that have tried to make themselves difficult, I play JRPGs for the story, not for the “awesome” turn based gameplay.
Report Permalinkravn0s
December 2, 2009 at 6:05 PM
I’ve never had to grind in a FF game.
Report PermalinkWTHfor
December 2, 2009 at 7:02 PM
The Persona games clock in at between 70 and 90 hours. But the longest one I completed was probably Dragon Quest VIII. That game just goes on and on… in a good way.
Report PermalinkAnimality
December 2, 2009 at 7:08 PM
50-60, laaame :P. IIRC my FF7, 8 and 10 files reached upwards of 80-100 .
Report PermalinkVeagor
December 2, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Wonder how the 360 version will end up, with the graphics and the length of the main storyline.
Report PermalinkVel
December 2, 2009 at 7:32 PM
I spent 100+ hours on FFX with the monster ranch & blitzball minigame. 50-60 is nothing yet, bring it on!
Report PermalinkDunnowhathuh
December 2, 2009 at 8:11 PM
Will be satisfied if the side quests bring the game up beyond 100. FFX just kept me goin and goin. Not entirely sure what you guys complaining of grinding are talking about. If I had to grind to beat a story boss in an FF game, it didn’t exactly add up to hours. You’re probably running from all the random battles you bump into (you know, the random battles that are supposed to level you up). The only reason you would grind in an FF game is to beat all those non-story related bosses.
Report PermalinkPaul Newman
December 2, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Come back when we hit the 200 hour mark.
Report PermalinkSusan_Boyle
December 2, 2009 at 8:47 PM
FFXII took me 128 hours to complete. All the Espers and Ultima weapons etc etc. 50-60 sounds kind of lame.
“For the first time, I think it’s possible to play through in full in about 60 hours or so.”
Does that mean FULL or STORY FULL with 40+ hours of sidequests? A Square RPG isn’t a Square rpg unless EVERYTHING is Maxxed out to the max before you crush the last boss like a paper cup.
Report PermalinkDKnight1000
December 2, 2009 at 11:46 PM
I always find myself side tracked screwing around, fishing and what not in these games. I think I’ve only every ground out the last 10% of a level for a Boss Fight. So this should do me for 100 hours of time I can’t find.
Report PermalinkTheMoth
December 3, 2009 at 12:06 AM
Give me 1 Final Fantasy game past Final Fantasy IV where you had to grind to beat bosses.
Report PermalinkAnd MMO’s are notorious for Grind. Not JRPGs.
monkey
December 3, 2009 at 2:09 AM
So long as it’s not boring for 60 hours.
Report PermalinkCount23
December 3, 2009 at 8:50 AM
I’d say it’s 50-60 hours TOO LONG personally.
I mean seriously, how many more frigging games do they need to make for this series? Why not start making new games with these stories and new characters instead of continuing an ancient franchise.
I know it’s because it’s probably the ONLY franchise Sony has that makes even a remote amount of money on their failure of a console, but enough is enough. Not even Zelda, Sonic or Mario had this many games on their console.
Report PermalinkDKnight1000
December 3, 2009 at 9:16 PM
Every Final Fantasy Game is technically on a different world/planet it’s not the same characters or even world as FF1. Somebody correct if I’m wrong and give an example.
Sure the games have the same elements and races, things like Materia and even spell names. But it’s always different.
Report PermalinkLe_Chimp
December 3, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Gee people who say they have never had to grind in a Final Fantasy should go Back and Play 1. I grided an hr to get past the intro!
Report PermalinkSam Dammers
December 3, 2009 at 11:55 AM
anyone who has to grind in a FF game thats FF7 or later … your doing it wrong.
Report Permalinkravn0s
December 3, 2009 at 1:38 PM
“Does that mean FULL or STORY FULL with 40+ hours of sidequests? A Square RPG isn’t a Square rpg unless EVERYTHING is Maxxed out to the max before you crush the last boss like a paper cup.”
I’m pretty sure he means it would take noobs 60 hours to complete the main story, but around 50 hours for experienced FF gamers or those that have completed the game once before.
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