(R) Final Fantasy 13 (PS3)

This review is long overdue. I finally sat down and beat FF13 yesterday, and it was well worth it. In terms of  Final Fantasy games, this installment just might be one of the most confusing and difficult to follow, and perhaps even the least interesting. However, none of those apply if you’re a hardcore Final Fantasy fan boy like me.

The series has always been popular for a deep and complex story that is riddled with twists, romance, and a large variety of conflict. FF13 is no exception, just as long as you know what the heck is going on! It is a good thing they added the option to read about the story in the main menu to help refresh what just happened, but it seems that the player needs to rely on the constant update in order to keep up with the story. On the flip side, it is nice to have a Datalog to fall back on, and it also offers optional side information and background info on characters and enemy Intel. So this feature was a double-edged sword.

As far as the cast for FF13 goes, I found them just as entertaining as any other Final Fantasy. The character interactions were interesting and unique and they even carried some personality traits from past FF games. I liked that they were similar to older games because it brought nostalgia to a new experience.

The music of this series has always been awesome, and FF13 is no exception; the soundtrack is amazing. The best part is that throughout the game some of the melodies show hints and similarities of previous iterations in the series, which added to the lovely experience.

One of the best alterations that FF13 displayed was amazing visuals. When it comes to fantasy games and incredible graphics, FF13 takes the cake. The detail and refinement shows with every aspect. This game definitely earns brownie points for a beautiful illustration of a world I wish to visit. The game play offered an amazing explosion of color that would make anyone want to watch. The cinematics were epic and offered the best experience out of all FF games in the series.

The new battle system was an interesting change to the FF world. I love it is turn-based; that is what FF games are all about. However, I am partial to some of the changes. I liked the paradigm system because it showed creativity and ingenuity. Unfortunately, it also made some of the combat redundant since you could rely on auto-attack/auto-chain. It also brought a sense control to an otherwise intense chaos. One of the most frustrating parts of the game is that you only control one character. This aspect is a bad and good thing. First of all, so much is going on later in the game that it would be impossible to control all the characters without a huge traffic accident of charged ATB segments. But the fact that you only control one person limits you to their abilities and their Eidolon. This means that you can only tell the other characters to do something in a general aspect; you cannot be specific on what you want them to do. Also, summoning replaces a Limit Break. Sure, later on in the crystarium expansion you can unlock special moves based on the character, but it’s not epic like a Limit Break. The bad thing about this is Eidolons become uselessly weak toward the later half of the game. One of the frustrating parts of the battle is that if the leader you control dies, it's over. Other FF games required all players to die, so this one makes it easier to lose. Through all the frustration and poor points, the battle system still provides a new and entertaining way to fight.

One of the worst parts of FF13 was the slow development of the game. Many people have given up because the story takes time to develop and unfold, and with the combination of leaning on the Datalog, many people do not find it worth it. My advice is to hold on!!!! Half way through the game you remember why you stuck through it all. Everything makes sense, and it seems that in the course of five minutes you realize how attached and in love with the game you are.

The character development of this game was awesome. I enjoyed the crystarium because not only did it provide a straight foreword and easy to follow system, but it was pretty to look at. A great aspect is that after each battle everyone earned the same amount of points; even the ones you were not using. This helped keep all characters growing and removed the possibility of being destroyed later on in the game if you chose to focus on using only 3 of the 6 characters. Did I mention you could have more HP than 9,999?!?! Another great aspect was the equipment. The weapons and accessories could grow and develop as well, which bred even more powerful characters.

Other than sucking later on in the game, the Eidolons were pretty fricken SWEET. They offered a ridiculous challenge whenever you tried to acquire one, which helped to mix up the game play. Also, it was nice to see something completely new. These summons were beings we have never seen before. They had different modes and transformations that you could employ with strategy and if used right (earlier in the game) they could turn the tide of any battle.

I would talk more about the story, but since I am a jerk, you will have to find out by yourself.

The coolest part of FF13 was the fact that once you beat the game a whole bunch of stuff was opened up for you. After beating the game your stats would carry over and you would be brought back in time before the last boss, and warp gates were offered so you could go back and explore old areas of the game. The game recognizes that you beat the game once and now many new side-quests and missions are available throughout previous areas.

When it comes to environments, this game provides unique zones to explore that can satisfy any palette. The beauty of the world of Cocoon and Gran Pulse is ridiculous!!! If anything, it made the game worth exploring. Unfortunately, most of these environments offered one-way linear paths that offered little to no variation in travel. Good thing they are pretty.

Upon beating this game you will receive some pretty cool unexpected extras. Several of the trophies/achievements of this game offer cool themes for the ps3 xmb as well as for the 360s gamer picture. This unexpected surprise has really spruced up my xmb.

After this relatively long review it seems like there are more bad things than good. Well, the bad qualities of the game are not huge (other then the plot development), and the good benefits and experience easily outweigh the bad. Final Fantasy fanboyism aside, I would say give this game a solid chance as a rental, because after several hours you might like it. Normally I'd say shut up and buy it, but FF13 is a hit or miss for gamers that are not fan boys. FF13 is an excellent addition to the series, but just to make sure YOU will like it (if you are on the fence), rent it. It pains me to say it….but rent it if you don’t want to go insane with exploration once you beat it….I call this game a Rent/Buy…. that still hurts to admit….

AWESOME: The Story (once you knew what was going on). An epic ending.

Good: Amazing soundtrack and wonderful Characters. Breathtaking visuals. Crsytarium. Weapon Development. Open-ended game. Unique Environments. Extras.

Good/Bad: Having to constantly re-read the Datalog. The Battle System. Eidolons.

Bad: Summoning replaces Limit Breaks. Slow development of the story. Linear areas.

tl;dr

If you can't live without Final Fantasy, buy this. It's an overly complicated Soap Opera that pays off later on in the game and offers some new things that you will either love or hate. If you are not a patient person, this game is more than likely not for you.