 Its still Final Fantasy just with a new twist! | | Review Date: March 10, 2010 | | Reviewer: Kenneth Geddings Jr., Charleston, SC United States | I know what a lot of reviews and previews have said. This is a stripped down final fantasy....the graphics arnt as good as the PS3 version...etc.
I am here to tell you that first of all the graphics still look amazing on the 360. If you do not have a PS3 and only have the 360 you will NOT be let down in any way by playing it on the 360. Unless you own both systems and both copies of the game and are playing it side by side.. i do not think you will really mind. It looks just as good as any other 360 game out there if not better.
I took the time to play through the first part of the game twice (as the first time i was in bright sunlight in my room so wanted to play it at night for a better view). Haven taken the time to examine the cut scenes and close of views of the in game model of lightning and scenery and such. I believe it looks amazingly good. Lightning alone looks better then any pre-made CGI Final Fantasy character in the past!
While some may gripe about the linearity of the game. I say it is a good thing. Lets face it how many of you here have played a rpg only to not know what the heck to go ....or what to do? You have to wander through town talking to 100 mindless NPCS till you find the right one to trigger the next event or wander a cave with 50 passages and floors just to find the correct path of the way out? This game cuts that out but still gives you a very enjoyable experience
a big thing to keep in mind is even though it is more straight forward the game still manages to take a good 50 to 60 hours to finish! So that means..that despite the one track path in many cases. the game still has just as much content as any other final fantasy game...just in a different way. Meaning that ...you will still get your moneys worth out of the game!
Some say this is an "action game" and not a "RPG" well the battle system is still menu based and once it opens up you still have to deal with much tactics...you still advance your charterers and gain new items and abilities over time. The story is still epic and detailed... and the scenery is still Final Fantasy.
This is not some game that was redone with the "Final Fantasy name" tagged on (ala Final Fantasy the movie) this IS Final Fantasy just in a different light.
Also to note after you finish the game there are still around 60 side missions you can take part in too! and you can return to previous areas in the end you visited so its not like its just ..one story...one path and then nothing else.
The main thing that should draw you to the game is the story, the scenery and the adventure. It may not be your old final fantasy you are used to but i think its just as good enough to stand as it's newest member. and to be honest after playing for a while i feel just as excited for it as i did with Final Fantasy 7. While i wont say this is "better" then final fantasy 7 per say...i will say it if you put on the right mindset ...it can be just as fun!
Give it a try!
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"The Best of the Worlds" An honest breakdown by someone who has actually finished the game | | Review Date: March 13, 2010 | | Reviewer: Sam W. Schirmer, Collierville, TN USA | The title may be a little deceptive by making one think that this installment is better than 7 or 10. But what made those games great? Both offered amazing stories with twists and turns that made the player fall in love almost literally with the characters. Final Fantasy 13 has a strong story, not at that level of course, but the player finds themselves caught by the passion these characters have. Story aside, the battle system is without a doubt the best that has ever been introduced by Final Fantasy.
Making its return is the highly popular sphere grid from Final Fantasy 10 where players spend experience points to raise a certain attribute. And also introduced (sort of) is the role system where characters set a series of roles for their players. The difference is that the characters can only use the abilities of a role as long as they are assigned that role. For example the "Ravager" role, in past games the "Black Mage", holds the fire spell, however that spell cannot be used if the character is assigned to the "Medic" (White Mage) role. Later on in the game you gain the ability to change your characters to whatever role you wish.
Several reviews have stated that this game is very linear. That is a flat falsehood. These reviews were written by people who had not even gotten halfway through which is about the point where it opens up in every game. There are also various side quests which borrows from the "hunting marks" portion of Final Fantasy 12.
Visual and audio have never been better. After the first 30 seconds of the game it is clear that these are best graphics that have ever been used in a video game before. The voice acting has come miles from previous games. There is so much more passion in their words making it seem very believable and realistic.
The reason that this role is titled the best of the worlds is because this chapter was created by combining the best of all the games and adding in a little new. For example, the sphere grid from FFX (now called the Crystarium) and the gunblade (Squall's weapon from FFVIII). To say the least this game was well worth the wait and is one of the best Final Fantasy games of all time. |
Fun, fresh, gorgeous | | Review Date: March 14, 2010 | | Reviewer: Poof, Boston, MA | Let's get right to it. This game is brilliant.
Naysayers will go on about how it breaks with series tradition by being linear and having no towns and no level grinding. It is undeniably true that FF13 breaks away from many conventions of its predecessors, and this is, in part, what makes it so fantastic. Anyone who has played all or most of the FF games should know by now that this is a series that aims to (and MUST) reinvent itself constantly. Final Fantasy is such a strong franchise not because they have made 13 identical installments, but because each iteration creates its own unique identity. IF YOU WANT TO PLAY VII AGAIN...GO PLAY VII AGAIN.
I don't necessarily feel the need to comment on the technical details of gameplay and systems. These topics have been discussed ad nauseum and by now you know the deal. You control 1 character, you switch jobs (paradigms) on the fly, the game's linear, there are no towns or shops, etc. What I want to confirm is that this game possesses that intangible magic that I have come to love about the FF games. On a granular level it doesn't match up with past installments, but in the big picture (the execution, presentation, plot, character development, the look and feel) it is quintessential Final Fantasy.
The world and characters are wonderfully conceived and amazingly rendered. This game runs at 1080p (on the ps3 anyway) which is a combination of upscaled native 720 in-engine, and full HD 1080 video. Having played games like Uncharted 2, Metal Gear 4, and heavy rain (some of the most graphically impressive games i've ever seen) I would easily rank FF13 among the most beautiful looking games to date. If you have a nice HD screen you will be pausing to just take in the view. The technical prowess is supported by elegant and refined art direction, which expertly walks the line between fantasy and sci-fi. Even the interface and menus are cleanly designed to be functional and stylish. Quick load times, and no HDD install. awesome.
The cast is excellent as well, despite being very focussed. There is no 'main' character, and each individual is given due attention and development. They interact with each other naturally and dynamically, and you really get a sense that each has a purpose. no one is just along for the ride (cait sith...)
The point is, do not expect FF13 to mimic earlier entries in the series. If you are very picky about your rpgs and what types of features and systems they must include, then sure, take a look at what FF13 has to offer before deciding to buy. However if you are a fan of the series as a whole and open to the new experience that awaits, know that this game is fun, fresh, and imaginative, and it undoubtedly belongs in your collection. |
Gestalt at its Finest | | Review Date: April 3, 2010 | | Reviewer: J. Cassella, | First let me just say two things: 1.) I have never played a Final Fantasy game before 2.) I love this game (I am currently at Chapter 8).
Personally I am disappointed when I hear people deride this game because it really is wonderful. I will not elaborate to greatly on game mechanics because so many others already have. But there is no doubt that this game is a work of art; not because of any one feature but because of what it is in totality - a truly first rate engrossing experience.
I certainly understand how those who have played many of the preceding Final Fantasy games might be disappointed with this game since it seems to have deviated from the earlier versions quite a bit, at least from what I have read. But, while accepting that disappointment, it also seems it is being taken a bit far. After all, this game is obviously not those other games. Certainly deducting points because it isn't as much to fun to someone based on their experience with previous iterations is justified; but to give this game a one or even a two? There is no why this game is a one or a two - no way.
The graphics are first rate beyond a doubt. The game play mechanic is both innovative and challenging, requiring players to experiment with their own strengths and those of their party members while simultaneously trying to ascertain the weaknesses of their opponents. As a result, the combat experience can be extraordinarily rich and varied requiring thought and attentiveness if one wishes to prevail against their opponents. This is particularly true as the game progresses beyond the first couple of chapters as party members change and new equipment, accessories, and buffs become available.
Which brings me to a more specific point: People criticizing the "auto function" need only look one level down in the queue to realize YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE THE AUTO FUNCTION! So why are you complaining about it? If you don't want to use it then don't! Now let's turn the microscope around: What does it say about someone who complains and suffers through something all the while knowing there is an alternative sitting right in front them? I guess if you're 6 we call it whining, if you're older we call it masochism.
The pacing of the game is wonderful. You encounter challenging fights as the game progresses with cut scenes placed perfectly, not only to provide respite from battle but also to provide exposition regarding character and plot development. It is seamless and it is expertly crafted. Even the integration of the tutorial system (which can be skipped if one chooses) is wonderfully timed instead of just being dumped in one lump at the beginning of the game.
There is a lot of subtlety going on is this game as well. In fact, in playing the game it has become clear there is a great deal of spirituality imbedded in the story. I initially noticed this when Lightening was fighting her Eidolon early in the game. As I was engaged in combat I noticed the Eidolon would bow to the player. At first I didn't understand what it was doing. But after defeating it, which took quite some time by the way, I read the Eidolon's background information. It was prostrating itself before me in acknowledgement of my healing of my comrade. Here we had a protagonist, battling what is essentially their superego, that superego in turn acknowledging the player's compassion (healing their comrade) by prostrating itself in battle so the opponent could freely inflict damage. There are so many layers to this act that I could probably write a PhD. about it. What depth of thought; what spirituality. But it seems most miss the depth and power of such a simple and subtle act. I mean, after all, no one's head exploded!
Even the main story line is heavily spiritual with characters being torn from their accepted version of reality only to find out that things are very different then they had thought. What they felt defined them as people, made them who they were, defined their very existence was, in fact, an illusion. While I have not finished the game, you get the strong sense that being branded a L'Cie may in fact be a blessing, not a curse. Don't know yet, but I am certainly going to find out.
Also, while reading the reviews I have noticed that the idea of what an RPG is supposed to be comes up a lot. While I have not played previous Final Fantasy games I have played other RPG's like Mass Effect I & II, Fallout III and I am currently playing Demon Souls. In all cases these games vary, most of all Demon Souls, and yet it was given "Game of the Year" honors by Gamespot. Is Demon Souls an RPG in the typical sense? No way. But it was appreciated for what it was, not what someone thought it should be. Being open ended certainly has its place, but running around pursuing small side quests and other minutia does not make a game great, it may make it long, it MAY even HELP make it great, but the two are not necessarily coincidental. I would truly hate to see us impose such predetermined uniformity on game development. Such condemnation, based strictly on a supposed deviation from a preconceived idea about what games are suppose to be, will benefit no one. Allowing the industry to develop and innovate, however, will provide a far richer and diverse gaming experience.
In closing this game, as a video game, not as a label or a preconceived idea, is without a doubt one of the most complete, fun, and compelling experiences I have had as a gamer. And I would like to thank those who put 5 years of their lives into making that experience possible. |
The Next Step in the Evolution of Final Fantasy | | Review Date: March 31, 2010 | | Reviewer: D. Blizzard, New York City, NY, USA | Final Fantasy XIII (FFXIII) is the long-awaited next chapter in the Final Fantasy franchise. This game took over five years to make and actually started its life on the old PlayStation 2 platform, before going to the PlayStation 3 and then being ported over to the Xbox 360. This game has not only diverged from many Final Fantasy traditions, but created a whole new gaming engine and pushed the limits of what modern consoles can do.
Story: The Final Fantasy franchise is known for stories that draw in the gamer and make them feel empathy or otherwise emotionally invested in an outcome. FFXIII does just that. It is not on the same scale as FFVII with Aeris or FFX with Tidus and Yuna, but there are some moments where you cannot help but feel something for what the characters are going through. Without spoiling too much, the basic story centers around a group of characters, Lightning, Snow, Vanille, Sazh, Fang, and Hope. In their efforts to save people they love, or exact revenge, they are drawn together and are given a mission to carry out. Their fates, from this moment forward, are forever altered and bleak. They either complete their mission and turn to crystal, or they refuse and turn into mindless monsters. FFXIII's story revolves around this and is split into thirteen chapters. Completing every chapter and finishing the game will take about 60 hours. This story is very linear and cannot be altered by the player, you either go forward with the narrative or you stop and not finish the game. This is like many of the previous Final Fantasies only they used various techniques to make the gamer believe they had much more control over the story than they actually did. For instance, in previous Final Fantasies, you had the option to explore the world map. Although you had this freedom, going to any town or village not immediately connected to the main story or side quest was pointless since they were static and rarely changed. You were being gently pushed towards a location on the world map. FFXIII is unabashedly linear. In fact, most of the maps for the game are lines with minor areas open for treasure hunting. There is no world map or towns to explore. The developers have created two main areas of the game, Cocoon (An area you will spend the majority of the game in, story-wise.) and Pulse (A sprawling open-ended area with plenty to see and do where you will spend most of the time hunting in.) These two areas were designed to be polar-opposites of each other, Cocoon has advanced technology and is closed in, Pulse is wilderness and open. The story takes a while to ramp up and become exciting. The initial portions of the game introduce you to the characters by having you view their lives before the group came together. This allows you to better understand what is going on. Once you complete the game, you are encouraged to continue playing as many areas, and enemies, of the game can only be tackled by an advanced party.
Battle System: Before going too much into this, I will explain the level-up mechanic. In FFXIII, you do not obtain levels in the traditional sense. Instead, you earn Crystarium points (CP) to spend in the Crystarium. Tougher enemies yield higher CP. The Crystarium functions very much like the sphere grid from FFX with new areas unlocking after major game events. The Crystarium is split into several levels and they are dotted with skills, techniques, and stat enhancements. CP are used to move between the points with higher-level skills requiring more CP to unlock. Each character has a class, or specialization, that you can level up. For the majority of the game, there are only three primary specializations that you can use and level up. As the game progresses, you will have access to three more secondary specializations, though you shouldn't bother with them until after the end game since the CP to unlock the secondary skills is very high. The classes you play as are: Commando (Physical attacker who can slow the chain gauge), ravager (A magical attacker who can drastically increase the chain gauge), saboteur (Causes status ailments to the enemy and can slow the chain gauge), sentinel (Acts as a beacon to draw enemy attacks and has high physical damage resistance but does not attack directly), synergist (Does not attack but applies status enhancements to the party), and medic (Does not attack either, but focuses on healing.) A character can only perform actions of a given class and cannot use others unless you paradigm shift. During battle, you can switch classes with the paradigm shift. For instance, if you have an enemy with loads of hit points (HP) you can attack with a commando to slow down the chain gauge then shift to a ravager to drive it up quickly. These work like a streamlined version of the gambit system from FFXII and are user defined. When you shift paradigms, you shift them for the entire battle party and you are limited to a set number of paradigms you can create, though, you can shift as many times as you need during a battle and alter them outside of battle at any time. This means you have to plan ahead and choose paradigms that will fit situations you think you may face. You also have tactical points (TP) that regenerate slowly following battle. These TP are used to perform various techniques like summon a creature or performing an emergency revival of characters. The battle system for FFXIII is very different from previous installments, it draws on the ATB (Active Time Battle) system from previous Final Fantasies but it makes several significant alterations. Only one character is under direct user-control and if they are taken out, it is game over. All of the other characters are AI controlled and can easily be revived. The AI is usually good, but there are times where they fumble. For instance, normally your characters will perform actions against an enemy they know will work, such as using fire to attack someone who is vulnerable to it. Unfortunately, the game lacks a move button and the AI has a tendency to keep all characters close together. This can be a problem at later levels where almost all enemies cause area-of-effect damage and everyone gets hit. When you make contact with enemies battle begins. Instead of an ATB that, when filled, allows you to perform a single action, you have a bar that is split into segments. A standard attack will take only one segment whereas a special skill will take more. Segments are added to the bar either from the Crystarium or from major game events. The bar fills at a set rate, unless you have haste or slow cast upon you, and you can either let the bar fill completely and perform all actions queued up at once, or you can interrupt filling the bar and take action based on the number of segments filled, you can also cancel your actions entirely. This allows you to adapt to changing conditions. As the user-controlled character, you can select what you want to do manually, or you let the game choose for you in an auto-battle system. The battles can flow very quickly and it is usually a good idea just to let the game make the decisions. Normally, attacks don't cause too much damage. Your best option is to drive up the chain gauge. As you attack, the gauge goes higher, if you don't attack, it lowers. The whole point of the gauge is drive it up to the point of staggering the enemy. Every enemy has a breaking point where they are staggered. While staggered, your enemy will be vulnerable to certain kinds of damage, may not attack at all, and the damage you cause can be multiplied up to nine-times the amount of damage you would normally inflict. When the enemy is in a staggered state, the chain gauge slowly lowers and then resets. This means you have to cause as much damage as possible during the window in which your opponent is staggered. At the end of battle, you are rated zero to five stars, though, the star system is a little pointless. The battle ranking does not determine how much CP you get but does influence your chances at obtaining spoils and increasing your TP. People who are playing for trophies will want to pay close attention to the rankings they get during hunts. It all works well and reminds me of the battle system from the Grandia series.
Audio: The music in FFXIII reminds me of a mix between FFX and FFXII and is very well done. Uematsu is not involved with the soundtrack to this game. His involvement has been waning over the years with FFIX being the last he was fully involved in, with FFX he only did half the songs, and with FFXII he did a single piece. Because of this, many staples of the Final Fantasy franchise are gone, such as the battle music, victory fanfare, the Final Fantasy theme, and the harps that usually play at the beginning of most Final Fantasy games. You can still hear vestiges of those themes, but for the most part, they are gone though the game still retains the leitmotif music the series is known for. It won't take the gamer long to realize what the theme of the game is. There are a number of standout tracks that are some of the best in the franchise, such as "Ragnarok", "Determination", "Born Anew", "Fabula Nova Crystalis", and "Miracles." Like many fans of the franchise, I was a little confused at the choice of using Leona Lewis' "My Hands," but after finishing the game and seeing when the song played, it made sense in context. As for the voiceovers, most are well done, with Lightning and Fang being personal favorites, though Vanille's voice can be grating at times. I do wish anime and video game makers would hire children to perform voices for children in the game instead of having high-pitched adults perform those characters. This is just a personal preference.
Graphics: This is the first Final Fantasy to be released on a high definition console, and it arrived with a bang. FFXIII is absolutely stunning to look at in either 720p or 1080p. There are many moments where content rendered in-game on-the-fly looks as good as pre-rendered CGI. The developers knew how to use the system and work within its limitations. For example, close-ups of characters cause the frame rate to drop, I assume this is for texture rendering and lighting, as such, those scenes are slow paced and you cannot tell that there is a drop. Square Enix have used every last gigabyte they have on the Blu-Ray disc. With all that space, they have crammed as much graphical information as they possibly can to make it look amazing. Anyone with a high definition screen, large or small, should play it on that to get the full experience.
Misc.: I was conflicted about Final Fantasy XIII, I loved FFVII and FFX so I wasn't entirely sure if I would like it. Since Final Fantasy X is my personal favorite in the franchise, this game ranks third in my list just between Final Fantasy VII and VIII. It is not as tactical as FFX nor does it draw me in as much as that title, but the battle system is much more enjoyable than that in VII and ranks as my favorite in the entire franchise. The story is compelling, though a tad melodramatic, but it doesn't have the luster of FFX or VII. Frankly, as the game drew on, I had only a vague idea of the overall story and it took me hours just to figure out who, exactly the fal'Cie are and what a l'Cie actually is. I had my "This is Final Fantasy" moment in the last cinematic. It was there that everything clicked into place and I understood just what the characters were doing and their motivations, I even, finally, understood what the game's logo was supposed to be since it is obvious at the end. Fans of the franchise may not like this incarnation very much, as it is, in many ways, vastly different than previous installments. Players who lack patience may become bored very quickly as the story is doled out in bite-sized pieces and the battle system takes well into the middle of the game to fully unlock. In fact, the first eight chapters are, very much, tutorials with the eleventh chapter opening up game immensely. The beginning portions of the game are quite easy, but in the last few chapters, the point where the training wheels come off, the difficulty ramps up. Instead of a difficulty curve, FFXIII has a difficulty wall where every battle, unless you know exactly what you're doing and how to win, could be a grueling fight. Overall, I enjoyed FFXIII and recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different in the RPG genre. For the PlayStation 3, this is my second favorite game just behind Assassin's Creed 2 and ahead of inFamous. |
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