Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was the first Final Fantasy console game I ever pre-ordered. I had seen the trailer for it before playing the first two titles of the FF13 series, and thought it looked pretty cool. So I thought: Why not review it? And don’t worry, this review will have NO STORYLINE SPOILERS that aren’t in tags.
To begin, I’d like to note the reviews this game has gotten from professional gaming sites, and user reviews on Amazon, Metacritic, etc. I had read many of the reviews before being able to play the game (due to some mix up with the shipping, it was a few days after release that I got my hands on it), and I thus lowered my expectations a bit. But I've finished the game, and I can tell you this: I am truly very confused as to how this game has been so many bad reviews. That being said, here’s what I have to say about the actual game.
--GAMEPLAY—
The battle system in this game is excellent. There is so much to customize, and so many ways to take down enemies. The Schemata system does a great job of letting you create your own play style and look for Lightning, and the possibilities are endless. Battles are fast paced and fun, and are a great improvement over the battle systems of the first two games in the XIII series.
Outside of battles and customization, there are other gameplay elements such as the open world, the Time system, and the mission system. Nova Chrystalia, or “Novus Partus”, as it’s referred to in Japan, is open and fun to explore. The four regions all have their own distinct feel to them, and are each enjoyable in their own way. My only complaint here is that the frame rate seems to take a dive in the Wildlands, but that might just be my PS3 being a piece of junk. The missions in this game are usually fetch-quests, but I didn’t mind them that much. I liked that most of the characters I helped had their own little back story, and some of these back stories were quite interesting. My only gripe with these though, is that they are the only way for the player to get stat boosts. There is no leveling system in Lightning Returns, so the only way to increase your strength, HP, etc. is to do missions. I found this to be extremely annoying for a while, but I eventually got used to it.
Now the gameplay element that I’ve heard the most complaints about is definitely the time system. And let me just say: Come on guys, it’s not that bad. I was able to finish the main quests with four or five days to spare, and was able to explore and perform side quests for a long time with the help of Teleport and Chronostasis. The system gives you the sense that this world really is ending, and that there’s no escaping from that end. But, it doesn’t leave you in a constant rush against the clock. It’s much more forgiving than that, trust me.
--STORYLINE—
Many people criticized the storyline of this game. I personally think it’s decent. It’s not incredible, but it’s nowhere near as bad as people are saying it is. Many of the scenes in the game are well-voiced and emotional (The Yusnaan main quest comes to mind), and even though these characters aren’t developed too much, we still get to see a bit of closure to their stories. The missions that disappointed me though, were the two Main Quests in the Wildlands. The familiar characters that you meet there are still cool, but you don’t see enough of them to actually care about them at all.
Lightning’s a bit different this time around, since she’s had her emotions taken away for the sake of saving the world. (It makes sense in the storyline.) Many people have criticized her for having no character, but I disagree. When she talks to NPCs, she shows that a bit of her personality is still there. She’ll show appreciation for characters who go above and beyond, she’ll sarcastically joke with Hope sometimes, and in many ways show that she’s still the same Lightning that we know from the first game.
--GRAPHICS—
Graphics are oddly hit-or-miss in this title. Some textures are crisp and smooth, like Lightning, the Ark, important characters, the final boss, and many of the monsters. Other textures are oddly pixellated, like some of the NPCs and some of the walls (the worst offenders of bad textures). This is probably due to the rather short development time this game had.
Side note- anybody else notice that BioShock Infinite had this same issue on PS3?
--FINAL BOSS/ENDING (No spoilers outside of the tags)—
I think the final boss and ending are very important aspects of any game, and I’m therefore going to review them along with the other categories.
The Final Boss is great in this game. The music is awesome, the boss itself is epic looking and massively creepy, and the fight is challenging (I haven’t beaten it yet, I’ll update this when I do). I should add that this boss is VERY VERY VERY DIFFICULT if you are underlevelled. Be warned.
The Ending--
The end to this game was nowhere near as confusing as people said it was. At this point, I'm kinda indifferent towards it. For all intents and purposes, it wrapped up the story nicely. It was fun to see the Eidolons return though, and Bhunivelze looked mad creepy when he was frozen there. Also good to see Caius and Yeul again. That's pretty much all I have to say about it.
Overall, this game is quite underrated and a lot of fun. If you’re on the fence about getting it because of the time feature, let me just tell you: the clock isn’t that bad, and almost every other aspect of the game makes up for it anyway. In other words, I definitely recommend this game.
I give Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII a 86/100.
So, this is my first review guys. Tell me how I did! Should I review more games?
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was the first Final Fantasy console game I ever pre-ordered. I had seen the trailer for it before playing the first two titles of the FF13 series, and thought it looked pretty cool. So I thought: Why not review it? And don’t worry, this review will have NO STORYLINE SPOILERS that aren’t in tags.
To begin, I’d like to note the reviews this game has gotten from professional gaming sites, and user reviews on Amazon, Metacritic, etc. I had read many of the reviews before being able to play the game (due to some mix up with the shipping, it was a few days after release that I got my hands on it), and I thus lowered my expectations a bit. But I've finished the game, and I can tell you this: I am truly very confused as to how this game has been so many bad reviews. That being said, here’s what I have to say about the actual game.
--GAMEPLAY—
The battle system in this game is excellent. There is so much to customize, and so many ways to take down enemies. The Schemata system does a great job of letting you create your own play style and look for Lightning, and the possibilities are endless. Battles are fast paced and fun, and are a great improvement over the battle systems of the first two games in the XIII series.
Outside of battles and customization, there are other gameplay elements such as the open world, the Time system, and the mission system. Nova Chrystalia, or “Novus Partus”, as it’s referred to in Japan, is open and fun to explore. The four regions all have their own distinct feel to them, and are each enjoyable in their own way. My only complaint here is that the frame rate seems to take a dive in the Wildlands, but that might just be my PS3 being a piece of junk. The missions in this game are usually fetch-quests, but I didn’t mind them that much. I liked that most of the characters I helped had their own little back story, and some of these back stories were quite interesting. My only gripe with these though, is that they are the only way for the player to get stat boosts. There is no leveling system in Lightning Returns, so the only way to increase your strength, HP, etc. is to do missions. I found this to be extremely annoying for a while, but I eventually got used to it.
Now the gameplay element that I’ve heard the most complaints about is definitely the time system. And let me just say: Come on guys, it’s not that bad. I was able to finish the main quests with four or five days to spare, and was able to explore and perform side quests for a long time with the help of Teleport and Chronostasis. The system gives you the sense that this world really is ending, and that there’s no escaping from that end. But, it doesn’t leave you in a constant rush against the clock. It’s much more forgiving than that, trust me.
--STORYLINE—
Many people criticized the storyline of this game. I personally think it’s decent. It’s not incredible, but it’s nowhere near as bad as people are saying it is. Many of the scenes in the game are well-voiced and emotional (The Yusnaan main quest comes to mind), and even though these characters aren’t developed too much, we still get to see a bit of closure to their stories. The missions that disappointed me though, were the two Main Quests in the Wildlands. The familiar characters that you meet there are still cool, but you don’t see enough of them to actually care about them at all.
Lightning’s a bit different this time around, since she’s had her emotions taken away for the sake of saving the world. (It makes sense in the storyline.) Many people have criticized her for having no character, but I disagree. When she talks to NPCs, she shows that a bit of her personality is still there. She’ll show appreciation for characters who go above and beyond, she’ll sarcastically joke with Hope sometimes, and in many ways show that she’s still the same Lightning that we know from the first game.
--GRAPHICS—
Graphics are oddly hit-or-miss in this title. Some textures are crisp and smooth, like Lightning, the Ark, important characters, the final boss, and many of the monsters. Other textures are oddly pixellated, like some of the NPCs and some of the walls (the worst offenders of bad textures). This is probably due to the rather short development time this game had.
Side note- anybody else notice that BioShock Infinite had this same issue on PS3?
--FINAL BOSS/ENDING (No spoilers outside of the tags)—
I think the final boss and ending are very important aspects of any game, and I’m therefore going to review them along with the other categories.
The Final Boss is great in this game. The music is awesome, the boss itself is epic looking and massively creepy, and the fight is challenging (I haven’t beaten it yet, I’ll update this when I do). I should add that this boss is VERY VERY VERY DIFFICULT if you are underlevelled. Be warned.
The Ending--
The end to this game was nowhere near as confusing as people said it was. At this point, I'm kinda indifferent towards it. For all intents and purposes, it wrapped up the story nicely. It was fun to see the Eidolons return though, and Bhunivelze looked mad creepy when he was frozen there. Also good to see Caius and Yeul again. That's pretty much all I have to say about it.
Overall, this game is quite underrated and a lot of fun. If you’re on the fence about getting it because of the time feature, let me just tell you: the clock isn’t that bad, and almost every other aspect of the game makes up for it anyway. In other words, I definitely recommend this game.
I give Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII a 86/100.
So, this is my first review guys. Tell me how I did! Should I review more games?
Edited by Jim