Final Fantasy XIII Review

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(More customer reviews)Final Fantasy XIII - Doesn't Live Up To Its Legacy

Warning: This will be lengthy, detailed review (Spoiler Free).

Who Am I:

Avid RPG fan that grew up with the Final Fantasy (FF) series, dating back to FF2 (US).I've completed the game in just under 45+ hrs.I have no interest in doing the side quests - read below for more info on that.

The Final Fantasy series has been near and dear to my heart for a long time.Very few RPGs can match the universe that this series has built in each establishment.So with each new Final Fantasy installment, criticism will be at an all-time high because the game has the highest of expectations and standards in regards to a RPG.Each FF game should drive the RPG market and show the shortcomings of the other RPGs.Unfortunately, FF13 has taken a huge step back in regards to the series and its attempt to evolve the RPG universe.

Let's get started with the review.

Linearity:

I know this word has been stamped, engraved into FF13 reviews.But most reviews have it correct when they speak of FF13's linearity.The one thing I will expand on is how this affects the entire game overall and not just the gameplay aspect.First, let me go over the level design.

The entire game is mission based.So once you complete a mission, you are done with that area with no return later.You can go back to very few areas during the last mission. Every mission is the same which makes FF13 feel very repetitive.Like others have said, you pretty much go down a tunnel, fight some creatures, fight boss, cut-scene, rinse and repeat.This is where FF13's RPG feel pretty much goes down the drain.There is absolutely no exploration, no world map, no towns, and no mini-games.

Yes the world 'opens' up after Chapter 11. But don't be fooled by reviews which state it is 'open.' It's just a big area with creatures in which you are allowed to do side quests.Side quests are summed up as - Get quest, kill monster, get reward, complete mission.While I have no problem with that particular formula, the problem I have is that you can't even do most of the missions because your party is limited on how strong it can get.When you finish the game, you are finally allowed to gain extra levels in order to do the side quests.But what is the point besides achievements/trophies?I use the example of FF3/FF7/FF10 where you are allowed to max out your level, get the best items, then when you feel like it, go beat the game.I read a review where they said it felt like an after-thought, I couldn't agree more.

Due to the linearity of the game, the story and characters suffer tremendously which hurts the game overall and not just the gameplay aspect.

Story, Characters:

This is the bread and butter of the FF series. With each installment, we (fans) expect an epic story with incredible characters that we get emotionally attached to.This is probably where I felt most 'robbed' when playing FF13.The story is the cookie-cutter save the world with little to no twists.While I understand many of the FF series have the same story, FF13 did a poor job of execution of telling it.It's simply too drawn out and gets boring at times.A lot of this has to do with the linearity of the missions.With it being level based and no exploration, you never have a chance to become immersed into the world and get emotionally drawn into what the characters are fighting for.

The six characters all have their unique personalities but you never really get a chance to develop any attachment to them.While the game does attempt to give you background stories for each character, it simply just falls short.This is the first Final Fantasy I have played where there really is no main character.Lightning, whom is on the cover, is probably one of least developed characters in the game.At several points in the game, you would think Vanille is the main character with the amount of story focus on her. I don't know how FF2, FF3, and FF7 did it but they had the formula right when it came down to character development.

Battle System:

The battle system has been revamped from previous installations.The turn-based combat is gone and now battles flow in real-time.This can make battles fun at times because you need quick reaction but also frustrating because you can't take a moment to decide what attack(s) to execute.There is an 'auto-battle' button that essentially plays the battle for you by selecting the best moves to use in any given situation.Also, you now also only control one lead character in battle, and your teammates are controlled by AI scripts. If the lead character dies, then it's game over for the whole party.I found this very annoying because your AI healer (whose commands cannot be customized) will heal another party member with lower health and you'll get hit the by the boss and die.Thankfully you can retry after each battle with no death penalty but it makes it very frustrating when this happens near end of a boss battle which you spend 10-15 minutes on.

Characters have 'roles' during the battles.It is essentially the job-system.For those who are unfamiliar, jobs are essentially broken down to: Medic, Attacker, Spell-Caster, Tank, Debuffer, Buffer.You can shift roles during the battle by executing pre-made 'paradigms.'You will find yourself on many battles switching back and forth from attacker-attacker-attacker to healer-healer-attacker.While the battle system is quick and intense, it is also tedious.

Summons (called Eidolons) for the most part are useless in the game.While they played a crucial part in other FF installments, they essentially are pointless in FF13 battles.There are only six summons (one for each character) and only the lead character can use their summon (typically once) during each battle.If you are expecting summons to do tremendous damage, well you will be disappointed.The only reason to summon is if your health is low and you know the boss is about to kill you, you can summon and your whole party will be at full health (and resurrected) after the summon has executed its attack.The best part of a summon is its animation and the fact you can skip the animation after seeing it once.Graphics/Music:

This will be short.The game is very beautiful and crisp.The cut-scenes are top-notch.The problem is that you start to notice where all the attention went into and what other areas suffered because of this.

Music also has been a very high spot of the FF series.FF13's music director, Masashi Hamauzu, simply did not do a good job with this installment.Nobuo Uematsu has been the original composer for most of the FF series but this was the first one he wasn't involved in and you can tell the difference.While the music wasn't terrible, it wasn't anything memorable.Also, the most unusual part is that no where in the game is the traditional FF crystal theme music. Final Thoughts:

Final Fantasy 13 was more of a chore to get through for me.While I did enjoy some moments of the game, mainly near the end, it was very lackluster overall.During no time in the game did I feel like this was a Final Fantasy (except the chocobos).I felt as if the Director was trying to make his own niche and sway from the formula.Well in my opinion it was a failed experiment.RPGs need exploration and deep story telling to be successful.This is why you always see games such as FF3(6) and FF7 on top of the list.There is a reason why those games, to this day, are considered masterpieces.You don't sway from masterpieces, you build off of them.Anyway, I know I left out some things such as equipment and upgrading but honestly I just wanted to focus on the main categories when reviewing a game of this magnitude.

Feel free to leave comments.

Overall Rating: 5/10

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