I agree with the opening post; the game, while playable and somewhat stable, failed to connect with me right from the beginning and made it difficult to feel attached to the world it was presenting. For most people the first few days of play makes a big impression and I think that the game fails to immerse players in a way that is both intuitive and fascinating. As a player you can feel the promise of adventure but the game does not put in adequate effort to explain or subtly build on that promise. Perhaps a lot of players are used to being told what to do and are uncomfortable with being introduced with an approach that differs from other similar games. I have no objections with a game that tries to be innovative and set a precedent, but how they go about introducing players to these new developments and the initial experience is very important. To me that is the game's biggest weakness so far. There are so many instances where I have had to look outside to learn how to make the game enjoyable - that should not have to happen.
In a nutshell, I guess I did not find the game user-friendly. Granted it does feel more complex than most games I have played but that level of complexity should balanced with excellent guidance.
Someone else mentioned that it feels as though the game was made for casual players. I also agree with that statement. Right now it feels more like pseudo arcade game where I can plunk in a coin and run around for a few hours in a virtual world to relieve some stress. Maybe it is starting to feel more like work than actual play?
The game supports high-end graphics but that amounts to nothing without mood and atmosphere. Take a look at the concept art for Limsa Lominsa and compare that to the final product - the difference is staggering! (from an artistic point of view) You do not necessarily need superior graphics to have a game look good and I feel that the creative department were pressed to concentrate only on the outward appearance of each element and did not have time to develop proper scenes or establish the feel of the locale. Or it could be that I don't know what I'm talking about. :P
In a nutshell, I guess I did not find the game user-friendly. Granted it does feel more complex than most games I have played but that level of complexity should balanced with excellent guidance.
Someone else mentioned that it feels as though the game was made for casual players. I also agree with that statement. Right now it feels more like pseudo arcade game where I can plunk in a coin and run around for a few hours in a virtual world to relieve some stress. Maybe it is starting to feel more like work than actual play?
The game supports high-end graphics but that amounts to nothing without mood and atmosphere. Take a look at the concept art for Limsa Lominsa and compare that to the final product - the difference is staggering! (from an artistic point of view) You do not necessarily need superior graphics to have a game look good and I feel that the creative department were pressed to concentrate only on the outward appearance of each element and did not have time to develop proper scenes or establish the feel of the locale. Or it could be that I don't know what I'm talking about. :P
