VGChartz Official Final Fantasy XIII Thread + League + VGCritic

[Kamal]

Originally Posted by Destructoid

After three weeks of off and on play, I'm finished. I logged 60 hours and 13 minutes as of yesterday. I'm finally finished with Final Fantasy XIII, the Japanese version.

Rather than give you straight impressions or a review, I've put together a top ten list of things I loved about Square Enix's latest epic. Rest assured, a full Destructoid review of the English version of the game is in the works. Naturally, we felt it was better to review the version you'll actually be playing.

There's probably nothing I can say to change the minds of the gamers that have written off the franchise forever. If you want to write off a game you haven't even played yet, be my guest. I will say that this ranks highly for me, sitting alongside my favorites in the series, like Final Fantasy VI. For those of you that do have intentions to play this game when it's released next month here in the U.S., I think you'll be interested in my impressions. I was definitely surprised. I think the jaded cynic will also be surprised, though.

Read on for our spoiler-free impressions of Final Fantasy XIII.

1. The Cutscenes:

What would a Final Fantasy be without cutscenes? What would the first Blu-ray Final Fantasy be without high-definiton cutscenes? Sure, they're a given for this game, but they're very good, and not a drawback. And before you start bitching about how the game is likely to be all cutscene and no game play, well, that's simply not the case here. There are smaller clips that spread about, accentuating the action rather than pulling from it. Of course, there are still a few breaks where there's an epic story movie. Those are, as expected, stunning, and totally worth the watch time. Some are absolutely epic in scope. I was wowed by most of them, moved by a few, and appreciative of all. I saw both restraint and finesse in how the cutscenes were handled.

2. No Healing Between Battles

I know this has been done before in other role-playing games, but this is something that Final Fantasy has always needed. In this case, it made this game a better game. A faster game. A more focused game. There's no silly downtime spent grinding away at enemies to save up the money to have on-hand healing items. For Final Fantasy XIII, you start every battle with full hit points. It kind of goes with the title's focus on faster, more involving game play. I was appreciative that the 60 hours I put into this game were spent playing and not doing monotonous tasks.

3. The Music

Masashi Hamauzu put his best into the score of Final Fantasy XIII. Simply put, I have never heard a Final Fantasy score better than this. To me, this score tops Final Fantasy VI, VII and VIII in both quality of composition and range of style. The work ranges from dark and mystical to crazy and upbeat, with each piece really cementing the feel of the varied worlds of the game. Some songs feature nice touches like interspersed vocal accents, while others were live performances that you'd normally only expect on a big-budget arranged album. This is a fantastic score, and a new high mark for the series and videogames in general.

Both key themes, performed by Japanese artist Sayuri Sugawara, were a perfect fit. It's a shame that these were dumped for something different (worse) for the North American release.

4. The Leveling System

Alternative character leveling is nothing new to Final Fantasy. They've been playing with the formula for some time now -- who could forget jamming Materia orbs into weapons. Watching your character "level up" after a certain number of amassed experience points is a thing of the past.

Final Fantasy XIII uses Crystal Points, which are awarded to each character after battle. These points are spent in the Crystarium, a sparkly winding map that lets you customize your character to your heart's content. The map is spread over various job paths, with nodes scattered over each path. You spend enough points to reach and clear a node, giving you that node's perk (example: +20 to your attack power). Spells and abilities are also acquired in this way. You're free to spend those points in whatever way you wish. For example, you could make one character a really powerful attacker. Another could be a versed in all abilities equally. Spend enough time and you can level up all six job roles for each character. It was nice to have control over how my characters ended up.

Abilities are also tied into weapons and items, which can also be leveled. Raw materials found during exploration can be applied to a weapon/item to increase or change its abilities. When equipped, the character receives all the benefits of that weapon/items. Weapons and items can also evolve given the right item, adding new abilities and perks. The customization options are nearly endless with the item system, and in some cases can make or break your successes in battles. Coming across the best materials to make the best items was like a game within the game.

5. The Missions and Exploration

All of the people that quit playing Final Fantasy XIII after 5 hours will tell you that it's a linear game. If they would have continued on, they would have found a part of the game so vast that I got lost in it multiple times. The sheer scope of this world is something that has to be seen to be believed. I think that discussing it in depth would lead to spoilers, but know that it's big enough that you'll need a chocobo to get around. It's big enough that you'll actually feel like you're exploring a world. The vastness and freedom of exploration actually remind me of a massively multiplayer game. Beautiful vistas, strange creatures, and impossible challenges are abound. What starts off as a mostly linear game opens up in an amazing way. It's like a payoff for hard work.

Final Fantasy XIII is also jam-packed with optional missions. It's easy to walk past the opportunity to perform most of these missions, which is a shame, because they're incredibly satisfying. There's over 60 missions that reward you with everything from new items and abilities to access to new areas and new enemies to take down. Just with the missions alone, I'd estimate there is a good 30+ hours of exploration and game play. They're fun and well-designed too.

6. Big Boss Battles

My first impressions of the challenge that Final Fantasy XIII presented were not wholly positive. The first few boss encounters were insultingly simple, and the battle system provided little in the way of options to take down the baddies. I was worried that I would simply walk through this game with little to no challenge. That changed quickly. It turns out that they were just getting players warmed up. The case is exactly the opposite: Final Fantasy XIII is packed with huge, epic, ball-busting and immensely gratifying boss battles. We're talking the kind of battles of the RPGs of days gone by, where you'd have to mentally prepare for difficult, involved clashes that take you to wits end. You will die. You will have to try multiple strategies. And when you finally do succeed, expect to jump out of your seat, dance and curse your television/PS3 for ever thinking you wouldn't.

What's great is how the common enemies in the latter stages of the game are all like little sub-boss battles. I've never continued so many times in an RPG.

The last boss battle? Grand. Beautiful. Expect something that could even give Kefka a run for his money.

7. The Throwbacks

To divulge would be to spoil, but I will say that Final Fantasy series fans can expect to come across a number of throwbacks to older series games in Final Fantasy XIII. At first it's just names and nods and a few characters. Later, for those that really get into the game and its missions and optional game play, you'll find some throwbacks that will make you both nostalgic and glad you spent the time to find them. There's a lot of Final Fantasy love in this game.

8. The Battle System

Simply put, Final Fantasy XIII's battle system really makes the game. Fast-paced, challenging, and fresh is how I'd describe it. It's crazy and never boring, save for the training stages in the beginning. When the full system is unlocked to you, your fingers will be flying and your mind will be scattered, trying to manage your party's actions at the same time you're fending off attackers.

The game's Optima system has you assigning and re-assigning jobs for each of your three party members on-the-fly style during battle. The jobs are: Attacker, Healer, Blaster (offensive magic), Jammer (status debuffing magic), Enhancer (status enhancing magic) and Defender. There's six Optima slots that you can freely assign each character's job to prior to battle. In battle, you'll pick the best Optima slot for the occasion by hitting the L1 button and selecting one. On the offensive? Go with a Attacker/Blaster/Attacker formation. Getting reamed? Go for the quick heal by switching to a Healer/Defender/Healer formation. After setting your Optima formation, you'll input your own commands, while the other two party members are left to do the jobs you've assigned them.

This all works in conjunction with the Break mechanic. Each enemy has a weakness, which is usually elemental. Your regular attacks do regular damage, but should you find this weakness, you can exploit it to fill up a Break meter. Once that meter is full, your regular damage will be multiplied. With each enemy having separate weaknesses, this keeps battles fresh and fun, reminding me of the battle mechanic used in Persona 3 and 4.

The Optima system, combined with this Break mechanic, presents all kinds of opportunities for interesting enemy challenges. It seems like Square Enix thought of them all, and you'll have to use strategy to unlock each, making each new encounter like a puzzle. There are definitely some stumpers in the mix. The end result is a lively and engaging battle system, and not a tired and boring one.

9. The Ending

I can't say that I've liked many of the Final Fantasy endings. I usually find myself saying that "it's all about the journey," writing off the long-winded and confusing CG movies that don't really leave me satisfied. Surprisingly, the ending to Final Fantasy XIII struck me as something they really put some thought into. Its all-encompassing finality hit me in a "wow" moment that proved to be both beautiful and elegantly subdued. Get this: it's short and not wordy. In the end, it's poetic and lovely, and I can't think of another series game that ended better.

10. The Replay Value

RPG and replay value don't usually end up in the same sentence. Final Fantasy XIII, on the other hand, openly invites you to come back and try it again. It's nearly impossible to do everything the first time through, with some bonus content seemingly created to have you back in the mix after completion. Later in the game you'll realize that you've been seeing challenges that were intended for you to come back and tackle. No need to start back at the beginning, though. They've designed the game so that those that just finished can jump back in and do everything they missed the first time. These people will find that powers and abilities they couldn't access the first time. If you missed some of the missions, they're all there too. Don't go thinking you'll mow down every enemy you come across -- new ones are sure to have you dying and retrying.

Final Fantasy XIII isn't a game you could play again. It's actually smartly designed to invite you back in, giving you more value for your buck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Destructoid

It's only fair, right?

While my list of ten things I loved about the import version of Final Fantasy XIII was quite easy to make, this counterpoint was a bit more difficult. I didn't want to nitpick, but I did want to have an even ten to match up. To tell the truth, I could have gone on for a lot more than ten entries on the "loved" list, while this one was more of a stretch.

I want to be clear: I hope this list of negatives adds no weight to some of the unnecessarily negative and cynical write-ups of the game that are out there. No, Final Fantasy XIII was not all puppies and roses, but it was a fantastic game that I have no issue recommending to any RPG fan. I think that too many spoiled late-20s and early to mid 30-something gamers are just set in their cynical ways, and are too hardened and internet-ruined to enjoy games anymore. These are not the people you should be listening to for game recommendations. Heh, that's funny coming from a Destructoid writer.

It's just wanted to be fair and point out some of the not-so-great things about the title, but those reading this list first should definitely refer back to our other more positive list. If you've ever liked a Final Fantasy, you'll dig this one.

That said, on with the gripes.



1. Hand Holding

I don't get why Square Enix felt the need for so much hand holding in Final Fantasy XIII. I get that the battle system is a bit different, and I agree to some extent with how they ease players into it with tutorials and gradual opening of options, but they spent far too long doing so. It was enough so that it might discourage some of the less patient gamers out there. Depending on your play style, it could take a good ten hours before you're playing the game comfortably, without the feeling of training wheels holding you back from going full speed.

That said, there is a lot to take in. I think Square Enix was thinking too much about accessibility and not enough about seasoned gamers.

2. Early Lack of Freedom

While the whole game isn't locked down to narrow corridors that you can only move forward in, the earliest parts of the game definintely are. In some ways you can see how Square Enix wanted to control the pacing of the story, letting little bits of narrative come out after sections of game play, but some of the early stages were examples of strikingly inelegant ways of easing you in. You can only walk forward in a narrow path so long before you start feeling like a test rat. Thankfully, multiple passageways, mazes, hidden paths and items, and eventually open-to-explore worlds eventually open up. But, just like the hand holding mentioned earlier, the game takes a bit too long to move on.

This isn't a full-on negative point or a deal breaker, and it really does get better. Even when it is locked down, there's an exceptionally polished and well told narrative for you to follow, and it's honestly good enough that it keeps you keeping on.

3. Visual Chaos in Battle

If there's one part of the game they just flat-out messed up on, it's the camera and hit point display in battle. Part of a RPG's strategy is knowing how effective your attacks are. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy XIII's battle camera, while excellent on zooming in on the action, is really bad about clipping your view of the hit point damage counts. In multiple cases, the camera would spin to one side, giving me a cool view of my character beating away at a boss. It was too bad that I couldn't see how hard I was hitting said boss, though. Granted, using the left analog stick adjusts the camera in-battle, but sometimes the action is so hectic that you can't afford to take your thumb off the d-pad.

And then there's the hit point counts themselves. They look really cool with their futuristic fonts and their large size, but there will come a time when the enemy count and the number of attacks coming from every direction is so chaotic that you have no idea what's going on. There were times when there were so many hit point counts on screen that it looked like a cloud of jumbled numbers, and I was confused and annoyed.

In both cases, an effort more toward practicality and less toward the cinematic feel would have helped.

4. Difficulty

Seeing as how this is a "didn't love" list, the difficulty has to be mentioned. I can already see the replies to this point in my mind, but hear me out first. Final Fantasy XIII stands out as the most difficult of any in the series for me. Granted, there were some others that were too easy, but this one gets exceptionally difficult at times. There are key boss battles in any game that will make you pull your hair out, but in this game there are so many that you begin to feel like you're doing something wrong at points. I was doing nothing wrong, mind you. It's just, at times, totally unforgiving. Even beyond boss battles, there are regular enemy encounters that are so punishing that I found that i had to take a "calm down" break. In one area that I feel was ill-placed, you find yourself excited from amazing cinematics and story developments that just happened, only to be dropped into a corridor where you're forced to fight sub-bosses so punishing that you'll find yourself wondering if there's an alternate route you're supposed to take. There isn't.

That said, I did beat the game, so it is possible. My advice? Save often, and in separate slots. You'll often get stuck in an area where you can't grind to level up to beat your way out. There are times that you'll find yourself ill-prepared. You'll be glad you saved at an earlier spot so that you can better prepare for what's coming.

5. Lack of NPC Conversation

You heard right. There are no towns or villages or cities other than ones that serve as a backdrop to the action. You'll never find yourself talking to a town's elder to find out what danger lurks in the mountains. While I'm grateful for that, there is a kind of cold feeling you get after realizing that none of the story advancement or enrichment takes place through interactions that you choose to have. In other words, there are no NPCs you can walk up to to get those optional little story bites that make your typical role-playing game that much richer and deeper.

Yes, there are a few NPCs scattered about, but they're the worst kind of all. They're basically one-line spouting zombies that auto-speak aloud when you walk in their talk zone. Regardless of what they have to say, you'll find the presentation so cold and lifeless that you end up avoiding them. All of them are fully voiced, so I wonder how much storage space could have been saved with the omission of voice acting, opting only for text. Seriously, they would have gone over better with text only.

6. Shut Up Back There!

Have you ever had to play a videogame with your kid brother watching on, commenting the whole time? Final Fantasy XIII has that crap built in. I suppose they wanted to try something new, but it didn't work out. Outside the forced cutscenes where your party interacts, the only other time you'll hear from them is when they speak freely on the battlefield. You'll be walking along, making you way down a path, and Vanille or Sazh or any of the others will strike up a random conversation behind you. At first, it's pretty novel. But as the game goes on, you'll find yourself wanting to look over your shoulder to yell "shut up back there!" The feeling is even more annoying if you have your Dolby Digital rig going. If they're running behind you in exploration, their voices come out of the rear surround speakers.

What sucks is that they never say anything key or important. "Ooh, how pretty!" They rarely enhance the story. They're usually either bitching about something or commenting on the scenery, which is the exact same thing that kid brother would do.

7. What a Lonely World

I'd imagine some of the choices behind this next point were intentional, as the story works your character into a place where the world is against him/her, but the combined effect has the player feeling a bit lonely. I've already touched on the lack of NPC conversation. When people do talk at you, they usually talk about how they hate you and hate what you are. And again, your party chattering in the background gets old, and it doesn't feel like they're talking to you specifically anyway.

The loneliness even extends into some of the RPG conventions that you'd normally expect to see. They're not here. There's no warm and safe inn to rest up in and save your game. You walk up to a floating panel that does it all digitally. There's no busty shopkeeper there to sell her wares. Again, its the same floating panel that you also save at. You purchase things at a menu, like a futuristic all-in-one vending machine. Again, I suppose that this ties into the story line (you'll see), but sometimes it felt a bit discouraging and less involving.

Later in the game things evolve into a real living and breathing world. Granted, you're still alone, but at least then you can see other people running around doing things, and it's then that you won't feel as alone.

8. I Bought an RPG But Got a Dungeon Crawler

False advertising? I guess the box never said that this was a dungeon crawler, but it totally is. While it technically isn't your full-fledged dungeon crawler, several of the "lands" you'll visit are actually a series of corridors of mindless enemies that seem to be stationed at posts that you can't pass without fighting them. The crawl does evolve into a walk later, with things opening up, but you'll first have to do time down in the dungeons.

Look, I love dungeon crawlers. Always have. No skin off my back. I wouldn't "take points off" for this. But this was definitely a change from the traditional Final Fantasy formula, and one that I totally did not expect. I wouldn't call this a warning. That's too strong. But it should be known that those looking for open exploration should know that there's no Veldt here, and that you're on the straight and narrow for a long time.

9. Millions of HP

God! When is this son of a bitch going to die? I'll cast Libra and check with the... [pause] What in the hell?

If you've seen screenshots of the game, you'll notice the hit point damage numbers are typically in the thousands, save for the early ones. What they're not showing you is that that battle has been going on for forever. The hit point counts in Final Fantasy XIII are in the millions. I'm not kidding in the slightest, and this isn't a rare boss thing, either. Your common enemies can have millions of hit points. Bosses can have ten million. The last boss? Oh my God. My gripe isn't so much that the bosses are strong (though some are). It's more that there's simply too many numbers coming up, and that this could have been easily avoided.

I'm not sure of the reason why they went with the millions. Maybe they wanted you to be impressed with yourself when you were doing damage in the hundreds starting out early. But when a game has situations where multiple hits of 10,000 damage are a "meh" run, then it feels kind of ridiculous. They could have easily dropped a zero, starting out with single digits for damage.

And once more: back to the bosses. Even beyond the number thing, some of these guys have way too many hit points. When the battles go beyond strategy and just have you doing a tedious number of attacks, it stops being fun. Thankfully there's only a couple of situations. Dying after 40 minutes of battle and then reloading to try again is only fun a few times.

10. Embarrassing Summons

I suppose it's a good thing that one of my biggest gripes about this game has to do with how stupid the summons look when they turn into vehicles. That said, these are the summons, or the Eidolon in this game, which are typically the "cool" part of Final Fantasy. They're like a reward for hard work, and that special something you pull out when you want to finish a battle in style. They've always been classy, exaggerated, and totally epic. They are still exaggerated in Final Fantasy XIII, and they're totally epic up to a point, but when they change into vehicles you can ride, things start going south.

Don't get me wrong: summoning a fantastical beast out of the heavens has never looked or sounded better than it does in this game. Some of the mythical gods are breathtaking the first time you see it. While they're fighting alongside you -- well, that's pretty cool too. But as soon as you hit the square button and initiate Driving Mode, the cool usually stops. Lighting, with her summon Odin turning into a robotic-looking horse, isn't that bad. But surely you've seen Snow, with his ice-spouting motorcycle formed from two interlocking women. I...I still don't know what to say to that. I'm embarrassed for the game every time I see that. I'm embarrassed every time someone watches me play while summoning. And the ones past this? I won't spoil them, but there are some that are worse. One in particular had me cringing when I first saw it. You'll too either laugh or cringe. Thankfully you won't need your summons once you become strong enough.

Long read.