http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1393/final-fantasy-xiii2-9-ways-it-improves-the-series

We had hands-on with the latest Final Fantasy, and how its changes may well make it the best one yet

Final Fantasy XIII received a lot of flak from both critics and fans alike for many of the new features that diverged the series from its traditional roots. We happened to like many of the changes, but Square-Enix are well aware of its flaws and Final Fantasy XIII-2 looks set to improve on each and every one of them.

Monsters will accompany your party in combat.

New Playable Characters

We weren’t told much about the storyline, no doubt Square-Enix are being tight-lipped on the finer details, but we were able to play as two of the new characters. Serah, who fans will know as Lightning’s sister, is now a playable character and comes equipped with a bow.

Noel Kreiss is a totally new character: a plucky and cheerful character but as JRPG as they come. Think Cloud but with brown hair. We saw a little interaction with the pair, but little to tell us just who Noel is and whether he has amnesia yet or not.

Moogles Return!

Fans can squeal with glee now, since the lack of staple characters Moogles was sorely missed last time. This time they return with a prominent role, with Mog following Noel and Serah around the game. During combat Mog transforms into Serah’s bow, but when exploring the furry creature has a much more practical use.

The settings will be much more varied than the original.

There are invisible treasure orbs hidden throughout the map that Mog assists in locating by shining brightly – enabling Serah to manually search the area to reveal the orb. Kind of like the dog from Fable, but even more cuddly and glowing pink.

It’s Set On Cocoon

As mentioned, Square-Enix were keeping quiet on any kind of story information, but we tried to piece together what we could. A brief cut-scene introduced the demo and mentioned how the duo was still located on Cocoon, which is now derelict and battered.

Further on in the demo we heard a passing guard mention how he “wished we could still control the weather”, referring to the torrential rain that filled the area. This suggests the fal’Cie that powered Cocoon’s strict ecosystem are no longer in charge. Not only does this offer a storyline that frees up many design elements for the world, but also the chance for a bit more humanity to interact with.

Combat Is Unchanged

Okay, so not changing anything isn’t an improvement – but far too many developers, after receiving the levels of criticism Square-Enix had, usually end up changing everything in a vain attempt to please everyone. We’re big fans of the combat system of Final Fantasy XIII and so should you be, so let it be known that combat, for the most part, remains unchanged.

Paradigms are still vital to a successful battle, and we’re told that Final Fantasy XIII-2 is going to take much less time to get you into the thick of it, so don’t worry about that 27 hour slog before you’re taught everything.

Cinematic Actions

During one of our boss fights – against a giant called Atlus – were we prompted with a couple of QTEs, ranging from stick wiggling to the ever-taxing rapid button presses. By completing any of these we were rewarded with a positive status buff or a ton of damage being dealt to Atlus.

As the name suggests, this is to offer a more cinematic experience to the game – but in doing so it damages the enjoyment of a boss fight. The Atlus fight, for example, was won after we completed a QTE and a set of gunships destroyed the big guy. The only way we can get on-board with this new feature is if it is used very sparingly, since our boss fights should come down to tactical skill, not the ability to waggle a stick.

That's not a cliched JRPG statement at all...

Monsters In My Pocket

Now this is one combat change that does have us really impressed. Defeat a standard monster during a battle and you have a chance that it will turn into crystal. These crystals can then be equipped so that the monster will assist you in battle. Each has its own class, such as the flan being a ravager or the behemoth being a commando, and will appear dependant on which paradigm you choose.

We’re told that these monsters will be “in addition to” your party members, though we only had Serah, Noel and an accompanying beast. They each have their own abilities, of varying strengths and refresh times, and will fight alongside you. We love this idea and hope it is utilised to its best, allowing for extra side-quests to find a particularly rare or powerful monster to compliment your squad.

NPC Interactions

The biggie. When people talk about Final Fantasy XIII the complaint that always turns up is the endless corridors and linearity. We argue that most JRPGs are that linear, and that it hasn’t really changed that much. Nevertheless, it has been improved upon here you whiny fanboys will be glad to know.

For the most part, combat is still as excellent as ever.

Early on in our hands-on we were planted into a hub area. This section surrounded a large crater left by the previous fight with Atlas, and had a number of NPCs to talk to – each with voiced speech and a handful of lines of dialogue. Though there were none here, we were even told that traditional stores will make an appearance throughout the game.

More Exploration

As a continuation of the central hub, multiple corridors lead down unknown paths, the map highlighting white once an area has been explored. Doing so would reveal hidden treasures or special items, and no doubt the sense of accomplishment that the aforementioned whiny fanboys no doubt need.

This does give you an element of freedom, however, and some areas can only be reached after returning with a certain object, further adding to the sense of achievement. To be honest, though, it’s still corridors leading off corridors – kind of in the same way Final Fantasy X was, and no one complained about that.

The Mog Clock

This is our favourite new feature and really highlights the steps Square-Enix are taking to improve upon the good and do away with the bad. Rather than have enemies appear in the world in very strict locations, Final Fantasy XIII-2 opts for an evolved version of random battles.

As you explore, enemies will randomly appear in front of you within a highlighted area. At the same time a dial will appear under your controlled character, beginning in green and passing through yellow to red. Initiate battle during the green phase and you’ll be rewarded with a pre-emptive attack or status buff, while a yellow phase will be a standard fight. As expected, red will be negative and leads to your party starting a scuffle on the back foot – and should be avoided.

Live Events

Basically, in-game cut scenes. Yeah, we understand that this has been a video game staple ever since the first time a pack of cards bounced across the screen in solitaire, but for Final Fantasy games this is pretty revolutionary.

What it means is that you won’t have to sit through a three minute CGI video after a loading screen simply to watch the arm of a giant smash a bit of rock. Bizarrely Square-Enix has decided to title each event with ‘Live Trigger’, just in case you weren’t certain that you were watching a cut-scene. Please, keep up Squeenix.