FFXIII Thread

[LunarGriever]

See I don't think Square wanted to, or meant to change the JRPG formula as much as they did with this game. I personally think the problem was that the development team was just never able to settle on one idea they really liked. I mean you can see that just based on the fact that their are going to be 3 different games that are tagged FF13. To me that tells me that they were never able to agree on one complete concept, so instead they decided to develop 3 games with the different ideas they had.

That's why I think 13 turned out the way it did. Again, I loved the game, but after taking some time to really reflect on it, I feel sorta short changed. I feel like there was a lot more of the story to tell. And I'm upset I didn't get the chance to see those parts.

[Sen]

Here's a review for the game I was going to submit for inclusion in the main site, before it went kaput. Since it's just sitting around with nobody to read it, I figured I'd post it here to see people's thoughts on my reviewing skills. I never got around to formatting it exactly as Hyde had described, but I think it mostly does the job as is.

Originally posted by Sen

FINAL FANTASY XIII

To say FINAL FANTASY XIII has lofty expectations would be an understatement. As the beloved series’ debut on modern hardware, it is tasked with carrying Square’s most precious property into a new generation, much like the masterpieces FINAL FANTASY VII and FINAL FANTASY X before it. But where those two games went on to become influential juggernauts, this one lacks such an impact, and will probably not be remembered in the same vein as its predecessors. That said, it is still a mostly enjoyable and worthwhile adventure.

The story of a group of individuals cursed with a mission they do not initially understand, FINAL FANTASY XIII assembles a cast of familiar stereotypes. They’re a mostly likeable bunch who fulfill their cliché roles admirably, but a refusal to move beyond the typical personality trappings doesn’t add to the overall narrative, which is, in itself, uncharacteristically pretty weak. There’s the making of an epic tale, and the ideas at play – a small planet floating inside another; inhabitants of both living in constant fear of each other; obscure, godlike beings pulling the strings; the obligatory ploy to destroy the world – all sound appropriately monumental. But they all fall flat, possibly because of odd changes made to the FINAL FANTASY formula.

FINAL FANTASY X introduced the series to a very linear path through the game world, with dashes along mostly straight roads. FINAL FANTASY XIII is very much the same, except those roads lead to nothing but more roads. In a strange move, Square has kept instances of public interaction to a minimum, and all towns have been removed. You basically just run past places you might actually want to explore, teased by breathtaking backdrops. Without places to visit and people to meet, the journey feels hollow, and no real attachment to anything is formed. Although FINAL FANTASY XIII’s environments are rendered incredibly well, often compelling you to stop and marvel at your surroundings, it’s hard to care if it was all destroyed. The game herds you from event to event at such a fast pace, that there’s no opportunity for immersion, and the story – for all its colossal intentions – consequently feels distant and unimportant.

In a series loved so much for its narratives, this one definitely comes up short. Thankfully, such a flaw is not heavy enough to sink the game entirely, and FINAL FANTASY XIII’s real strength – the battle system – keeps it comfortably afloat. Taking the right lessons away from FINAL FANTASY XII’s Gambit System, here we have the phenomenon of Paradigm Shifting, a method of setting up characters to act on their own in accordance to specific Role designations. Essentially watered down Jobs from various other FINAL FANTASY installments and spin-offs, Roles are set on Paradigm Decks and Shifted to on the fly in the midst of battle, allowing characters at play to jump from duty to duty at your behest. As two members of the party fight automatically, the player remains in control of the Leader, inputting their commands and Shifting Paradigms whenever necessary. The result is the game’s greatest triumph, a turn-based RPG that truly captures the furious spirit and chaotic nature of battle, all while keeping you in complete control.

Unfortunately, FINAL FANTASY XIII simply takes too long to fork over that control. Split into thirteen chapters, it is only upon reaching the eleventh that you are finally allowed to switch party members, and this is well past the halfway point in the story. Until then you’re stuck with whoever is placed in your hands. This is characteristic of the game in general, as it weans you for quite some time, and doesn’t encourage much experimenting. It simply feels too limiting for too long, which is really a shame considering how much of a treat the battle system is in its entirety. This can also be said of the Crystarium Tree, FINAL FANTASY XIII’s strict system of character progression, which looks as intricate at FINAL FANTASY X’s Sphere Grid at first glance, but offers none of that system’s freedoms.

Visually, the game is often times a stunner, but it’s hard to stand out in a generation as aesthetically gorgeous as this one. To that end, FINAL FANTASY XIII makes spectacular use of color, utilizing a very vibrant palette to dazzling effect. It also impresses nicely with scale, as running alongside the towering Adamantoises or looking down upon a sprawling city from a catwalk high in the sky, is simply awe-inspiring. This all does little to give the game its own visual identity, however, as almost everything seen feels like a retread of ideas used in FINAL FANTASY VIII, from characters to architecture. As each game in the series has employed a distinct art design to help shape their respective worlds, it’s disappointing to see FINAL FANTASY XIII not sport a fresh look all its own.

The series’ history of amazing musical scores comes to a screeching halt here as well, with most lacking resonance and being rather forgettable; the tune that accompanies battle being the only exception. Inexcusably absent are any variations on recognizable FINAL FANTASY themes, and the random song by Leona Lewis seems even more out of place than the usual pop music Square slips into their games. The vocal work is comparably better, delivering corny dialogue as best they can; the character, Sahz, in particular, is a real highlight.

What mars FINAL FANTASY XIII does not make it a bad game. It is, quite simply, the opposite. It just does not leave the same deep footprint in the industry and/or the genre the way it may have been expected to. Its missteps are not altogether negative, and more just a reflection of what is essential to the FINAL FANTASY series, itself, and not necessarily video games or RPGs in general. Taken for its own merits, the game is mostly solid, with its most magnificent feature being its battle system.

PLAY IT!

(A rating of "PLAY IT!" equals something like a 2 out of 3, a mid-range score between "OWN IT!" and "SKIP IT!")