- Final Fantasy XIII pushes new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound and game play
- Experience the Unity of Speed and Strategy with the Ultimate Active Time Battle system - The familiar system has evolved, granting you the freedom of executing numerous commands in a single turn with the multi-slot ATB gauge; whether inputting singular commands in each slot for consecutive attacks, or expending multiple slots at once to activate a devastating blow, it's up to you to respond effectively to the battle conditions at hand
- Adapt to the Ever-Changing Tide of Battle with Paradigms - A brand-new game mechanic enabling you to assign roles to your party members at any time during battle, shifting between combat paradigms; consisting of various combinations of the game's six roles, ranging from Commando, the offensive specialist, to Medic, the quintessential healer, paradigms allow you to respond and adapt instantly to any given situation to turn the tide and seize victory
- Witness the Battle Scene Transform with an All-New Summon System - Introducing Gestalt Mode, a powerful dimension of the summon system that elevates the action to a whole new level; in Gestalt Mode, characters and their transformed Eidolons fight as one, dealing massive damage to enemies through simple button commands
- Delve into an Emotional Experience - An immersive storyline connects you to an intriguing cast of characters; will they have the strength to confront their cursed fates, or will destiny prevail over all that they believe in
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 Even though it lacked...I give it 5 Stars |
| Review Date: September 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Wendell Albin, |
Gameplay: The first thing that makes a video game is obviously gameplay. I was able to enjoy 80 hours of Final Fantasy XIII before I got fed up with it. The reason being; was because there was lots to unlock and several things to do even upon passing the video game. The biggest disappointment (statistically) is the way battles are fought. If the party leader should K.O during a battle, then it's a game over. One other thing I found to be another flaw was the summoning system; each character has their own assigned Eidolon. This means, you may just have to use your least favorite character , just to summon your favorite Eidolon. There are several other gameplay aspects that may disappoint, but there are also several things that make up for it. I still stand by the side of FFXIII due to it's amazing story and characters. You just have to bare with getting through a bunch of chapters with the hardship of fighting with just 2 characters for the most part of the game. THERE IS A LOT OF CHARACTER SWITCHING! Which you have no control over till the end of the game.
Graphics: The graphics in this game are by far beautiful! If you don't have an HDTV or any form of HD access, you won't reap the full benefit of playing Final Fantasy XIII. Graphics of this game are what fill a hole in it's many flaws. This game is almost HD to it's fullest extent.
Storyline: This is the main reason I had purchased Final Fantasy XIII (thus why I've purchased any Final Fantasy.)It's one of the more mellow stories told in the FF series, also it's something very different. Each character is somehow connected. I loved the storyline- it was well built and given the best characters ever. I really enjoyed it; I'm sure several others out there will.
Overall: I give this game a 5, because it's one of my favorite Final Fantasy's since 7. Even though it's flawed in many ways; there are things I just love about this game. I forgot to mention how great the music is in this game. The only disappointment is it's gameplay, which I didn't mind much- but give it a shot! I bought it when it first came out at it's introductory price; I would say the price it's at now is well worth it.
Enjoy! |
Good enough for me
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| Review Date: September 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: DJ Somera, San Jose, CA |
| I liked it. I have played many FF games before and I enjoyed this one too. Yeah it's not like the other ones and who says it has to be? The farming weapon system is definitely unique and keeps you playing longer to try unlock more high quality weapons and accessories. Definitely worth giving it a shot if you're a true final fantasy fan that believes in diversity than the same old concept. |
Recently finished the game...
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| Review Date: September 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: DK, |
... and I've got to say it was worth the experience.
However, what I didn't like is the linearity (mentioned everywhere).
I don't mind the linear concept itself, it's just that it limits the game's potential that much more whereas story and fun is to be had.
This installment focused more on the fast paced story and development. Because of that, they didn't put in a lot of interactions a player can do with the world. If it wasn't linear as it is, it might have given more immersion, but they'd have to incorporate that much more details.
Previous Final Fantasies did well in that factor, immersion.
The soundtrack was highly enjoyable for me so that's a plus.
The battle strategies were addicting when I was playing against a friend's progress.
To me, the best entertainment has to do with how immersible it can be, and Final Fantasies were the king of it in RPG with their story lines, graphics, progression, and music.
This would be the first Final Fantasy that broke that line of immersible interaction with its linearity and underdeveloped characters. To me, Final Fantasy X was the beginning of the linearity, yet the story and its world were so immersible, it was fine. Final Fantasy XII was one where the exploration was great, yet the story lacked immersion. Finally, Final Fantasy XIII, both the story and world lacks immersion.
I'd like Final Fantasy to stick to what it made it highly enjoyable: story interactions, plot, character development, graphics, and most importantly, immersion.
Sadly, I couldn't really get into the story or the characters. As for the character, it could have been the voice actors. I compared the Japanese to English actors, and the Japanese ones gave more of an "oomph" that would've made it more emotionally charged, whereas the English version had its characters indifferent, calm and quizzical (at the most) most of the time. The difference in the lyrical soundtrack also changes the mood of the game from the Japanese version to the English one. The Japanese one has more of what western audience may call "cheesy" tunes for a pop music. However, without this element, the content ends up flat and numb.
From the voice and musical comparisons I made, the game's tone changes drastically whereas I'd enjoy the former (Japanese) one more than the latter in the factors of immersion and characters. It'd change the story from "I can't believe this is happening to us (groan)" to a "This is a matter of life and death!"
I really hope the future installments will remedy this by making the audio interchangeable, regardless of platform equality.
As for the story, there were tons of deus ex machina and a lot of glitz. If the story was to be centered on the characters, as I believe that's what it was meant to be, it would've worked if it wasn't so shallow. Because the character story left a lot to be desired, the focus then turns to the flashy and wondrous fal'Cie and the curious world. These weren't meant to be the bulk of the story, judging by the lack of a story on them besides serving as plot devices.
So I was left confusedly satisfied and unsatisfied. Satisfied by the graphics, game play, musical score, and character personalities; unsatisfied by the story, immersion, and its world.
Therefore, I rate this:
FUN 4/5
OVERALL 3/5 |
Legit!
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| Review Date: September 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: A. Huynh, Sacramento, CA |
FF-XIII is pretty good. Well worth the money. I honestly love the franchise, but this game can get a little dull at times. A lot of the time you think you're watching a movie because the cut scenes are so long, but this is a plus for me!
Like: Graphics (especially on cut-scenes), battles are quick, in-depth cut scenes.
Dislike: Voice acting, linear plot, lack of strategy, NO MINI GAMES! :\
Okay, so you may think the cons outweigh the cost, but they don't!! Even though it may have it's shortcomings it's worth every penny! The graphics alone are good enough for me to get this game. Sure, it's not as amazing as other FFs but it's still amazing. As long as you enjoy playing RPGs, I highly suggest this game. This probably isn't too great of a review, sorry! |
Not so good
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| Review Date: September 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Talon Karrde, |
| I wish that Final Fantasy 13 was more like the old ones. The music seems inappropriate at time (uematsu?), and the whole production seems designed to allow children into a very hardcore genre of gaming. This may be the last time I put up with Square-Enix's bastardization of all that once was awesome. |
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