Feb 3, 2012
When one thinks of the phrase Role-Playing Game (RPG), the Final Fantasy series is definitely one that comes to mind. One of the longest series of games running, with more than 20 games and multiple movies, Square-Enix has a lot to live up to when they release a new game. For a long time there were two steadfast rules involving the series. The first is that there would always be a character named Cid in the game. The second, which was the one that was recently broken, is that there would be no sequels to a game once released. Final Fantasy X was the first to break the rule when its sequel Final Fantasy X-2 was released back in 2003. This came after the overwhelming response to the original from 2001. That led to a few other sequels for the extremely popular Final Fantasy VII series. Advent Children (2005); Dirge of Cerberus (2006), and Crisis Core (2007) were all released after the positive feedback that came from the first sequel game.
Now, to be honest this was the first game on a console system that I have sat down to play in a very long time. Usually my time has been spent playing MMORPGs on my PC, a trend that I don’t plan on halting any time soon. That being said, I have played almost every Final Fantasy game, excluding XIII and XIV. Due to my not having a proper console to play any of the later games, I fell out of the habit of playing each one, but I jumped at the chance to try this one out which renewed my interest. The first thing I’ll say about the game is that a couple of hours are not going to scratch the surface in terms of the story line or any in-depth things, like special quests or items. What I focused on was the most basic of themes in the game. Story (from what little I played), graphics (as that has always been a high point behind Square-Enix games), music, and game play are all things that I looked for to be impressed by within my short game play time.
One of the things that caught my attention from the beginning was that there was a section set up on the start screen to give people who did not play the first game a chance to learn the story of what happened. Now that may not seem like much to begin with, but what it does is allow new people into the game without having previous experience. This, in turn, keeps the game from alienating other people from playing. With the other sequels there was little to no previous explanation and the player would be somewhat expected to know the story before getting into it.
When it comes to a RPG, story is perhaps one of the biggest things to focus on. If someone is going to be willing to spend hours upon hours of their lives sitting down and playing the game, then it better have a good story to keep people interested. Whereas FFXIII was about the character Lightning and her group of friends, this story will be focusing more on her sister Serah, who was a minor character in the first game. Noel Kreiss, a time traveler from 700 years into the future and last human alive, joins Serah on her journey to find out what happened to her sister and change the bleak future. From that standpoint the game story seems promising and so long as you don’t mind more dialog than action then it will be a very fun game to play.
Graphics have always been a staple behind every Final Fantasy game. Final Fantasy VII introduced FMVs which brought a more cinematic feel to the games. As a result this became the standard of RPGs and every game since then has had them. Final Fantasy X was the first game to introduce full voice overs into their FMVs and regular dialog. It was also the first game of the series to allow an open world approach. Previous games were set with backdrops and had characters move around within the confines of a predefined area. FFX had layered and textured lands which brought the experience to a whole other level. FFXIII-2 keeps with a strong tradition of high quality graphics. The world of Pulse is breathtaking with strong, vivid colors and well done character designs. I couldn’t find a single thing wrong with graphics of this game. Now in comparison from the X360 to PS3 graphics, yes the PS3 will play the game smoother; but overall visually I was not able to see too much of a difference. Either system is quite capable of playing the game well.
In terms of the soundtrack, or the music, I’ll admit I’m a purist when it comes to Final Fantasy games. I’m a fan of Nobuo Uematsu and prefer his music being used in Final Fantasy, period. That being said I can appreciate some different styles that can be used, but I think I’m drawing a line at the “Crazy Chocobo” song. I mean really?! Heavy metal and large yellow birds just don’t mix….ever. Anyway, the music that is composed is well done and besides a few soon to be repressed memories, I’d say it’s a decent add-on to the game.
Besides graphics the overall game play is one of the more important aspects to the game. In past games it was all about waiting on a timer to fill up, then pick your one attack and wait until it comes up again. What FFXIII-2 uses is a revamped version of the Active Time Bar or ATB system. The original idea was that the game will not pause the battle to allow you to pick your move and the enemy(s) will attack as soon as they are ready. This means a couple of things to the player. First is that you have to play on the fly. Making choices quickly is the key to winning the battle. Two, the battles move much quicker. Fights that used to take a few minutes can be over in half the time, which is good as it allows for more exploration. At the same time the faster speed of battle forces players to keep an eye on things, as you could go from full heath to dead very quickly.
The game also introduces cinematic battle options that, during a major fight, allow you to use special events to take control of the battle. The game may ask you for a specific button combination, or to fill up a gauge using one button. Failure to do so can make the overall battle harder on you, so take advantage when you can. Other interesting aspects to the battle system are the “Paradigm Shift” options. This changes your overall stance in the game. At first there are four options: Double Trouble allows for melee attacking with both party members, Slash and burn has one melee and one ranged attack, Misdirection puts Noel into a taunting mode while Serah attacks, and Double Shield adds defense to both characters, has Serah taunt the enemy, and has Noel attack. These abilities are used frequently and are definitely situational. The trick is to figure out which one works best in each fight.
Now, as I mentioned before, I only spent a short amount of time actually playing this game. Well short in comparison to how long the game actually is to play. Overall I’d say the game does do justice to its predecessors and will be one I’d like to see to the end. Do I think the game tops Final Fantasy VII, no definitely not; but it is an interesting one to play. For new people just getting into the genre or returning veterans, FFXIII-2 is a good choice to make in terms of adding to a game library and a must for those who live the Final Fantasy series as a whole.
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