Lightning Fates are a disgrace to the series, and a broken promise? SPOILERS

[Jinrya-Geki]

Lightning is a weak character, and SE knows it. She's paper thin. She has no real personality to speak of. What you got here is pretty much the best they could come up with, because that's what this character is. She's dull, lifeless, militant Mary Sue soldier girl. What else do you want them to do? Of all the characters to be a part of this franchise, Lightning is easily the most yawnworthy.

I have to disagree. Hope, Vanille, and Fang had little to no story. Atleast she tries to help man-up Hope. I feel like she, snow, and sahz were wasted on that game. Vanille's annoying monologue, Hope's awkward interruption into the cool characters talks, and Fang just being an eye-candy really held the story to me for the first three.

[lololink]

Hope has no story ? He is the most developped character in the game...

[Krystalynn]

To you, maybe, but she is very popular in Japan. Enough that there's a trilogy with her as one of the main focuses. I won't argue with you on the basis of her personality as everyone has their different views, but I don't agree with you on that part.

She got three games because SE has realized Western publishing techniques require a game's engine to be utilized more than once to reap maximum rewards. Call of Duty IV all the way to Black Ops 2 used the exact same engine, slightly modified on a yearly release cycle. You have games like BF3-BF4 released within a year or two of each other for the same reason. The Halo series, Gears of War, Mass Effect, etc. The days of a game making an engine for a single game and not exploiting this cycle are coming to an end. You really think of all the Final Fantasy games to want a sequel from fans XIII just happened to be the newest game in the title and ironically was chosen to be it? Don't kid yourself.

[Aaron_T]

Strongly disagree. It was cool.
Remember when Cloud was playable in Final Fantasy Tactics?

I do agree the story could have used some work,
also some of the fates seem kind of lifelss.

But nah, it was nice to see Lightning Cross-over.
Even if it wasn't executed perfectly.

[Krystalynn]

I have to disagree. Atleast she tries to help man-up Hope.

I don't know, Lightning is only the second female protagonist in the Final Fantasy franchise, and despite Terra herself being rather dry, the girl is more human than Lightning throughout the entire plot. Dealing with issues of life, love, family, motherhood and courage. Ironic, seeing as she's hardly even human. Her plotline isn't even at the forefront of an ensemble cast reaching double digits and yet still she stands out as an icon within the series itself. Yet here we are, again with a new female lead and she's Cloud, a member of SOLDI- I mean, the Guardian Corp, where the plot seems to just revolve around her magically and her sis, and when that falls through, she becomes a leader and fighter and... leads and fights! An inability to use her emotions is a footnote to her character again and again, tying the fact she's has nothing to express to the viewer into her own storyline. It's quite brilliant really.

[Duelle]

To you, maybe, but she is very popular in Japan. Enough that there's a trilogy with her as one of the main focuses.

Forgetting that Wada personally liked the character, because that absolutely had nothing to do with an unmemorable character getting three games devoted to them. >.>

Not cameo appearances or support roles in other games (which even fan-favorite Cloud was subject to). It was essentially shoving one character down the collective throats of all gamers. I won't deny that there are people gobbling up the stuff with Lightning like it was candy, just like there are people like me who think FFXIII should have been standalone like most games in the series and wish we could move on.

[Astarica]

It seems to me whoever designed Lightning thought she was going to be more popular than Cloud and Sephiroth put together, except she is not. The game resorts to having NPC fanboys telling you how cool Lightning is (the quest log and the reporters keeps on shove down your throat the idea that Lightning is cool) because it's probably too hard to actually find enough PC fanboys to do the same. The difference between Cloud and Sephiroth is that both have their popularity achieved by PC fanboys, not imaginary ones like the ones in FF14 that supported Lightning.

[PuroStrider]

didn't read any of the dialogue crew checking in...

in other news.. ff13 + anything = poop

[Duelle]

The game resorts to having NPC fanboys telling you how cool Lightning is (the quest log and the reporters keeps on shove down your throat the idea that Lightning is cool) because it's probably too hard to actually find enough PC fanboys to do the same. The difference between Cloud and Sephiroth is that both have their popularity achieved by PC fanboys, not imaginary ones like the ones in FF14 that supported Lightning.

Yeah, Lightning is the Wesley Crusher of the Final Fantasy series. Liked by the author, "meh" to the fans as a whole. Pushed towards power to make her more appealing, have characters fawning over her awesomeness to try to get you to do the same. And when that failed, give her a bust upgrade.

[Welsper59]

It seems to me whoever designed Lightning thought she was going to be more popular than Cloud and Sephiroth put together, except she is not. The game resorts to having NPC fanboys telling you how cool Lightning is (the quest log and the reporters keeps on shove down your throat the idea that Lightning is cool) because it's probably too hard to actually find enough PC fanboys to do the same. The difference between Cloud and Sephiroth is that both have their popularity achieved by PC fanboys, not imaginary ones like the ones in FF14 that supported Lightning.

LOL, as much as I consider myself a fanboy, even I have to admit to thinking the same thing about the NPC's going all fanboy/fangirl. It made me LOL after seeing it.

Still though, I think people are taking this way out of line. It's a video game... it's a short-term event in this video game. Seriously, this isn't a big deal. It's fine to be disappointed, but it really seems like people were expecting this to be equivalent of the second-coming of Jesus sort of event. It's nothing but simple fan service and something fun to do.

Mind you, "fun" is always subjective to everyone. I thought it was decent/enjoyable to do the event from the perspective of fan service. Some others won't. Can't please everyone, and to those people, not everything is going to be tailored for you... maybe nothing at all (in other words, you're playing the wrong game/franchise).