The first thing you’re going to notice about Final Fantasy XIII when you pop in the disc is how utterly gorgeous it is. Square Enix has always had top-notch production values and cut-scenes that rival the likes of Pixar in terms of quality of art, direction and intricacy, but FFXIII really takes the cake. It’ll basically make your eyes tear, it’s so blisteringly beautiful.
Now, bringing up issues of graphics first and foremost in regards to a series that’s traditionally been known for its narrative, characterizations and deep battle mechanics might seem a little strange, but that’s because Square opted to try some new things with FFXIII—namely the emphasis on linearity that hews closely to the game’s more Hollywood-style approach.
Some fans might cry foul at this (especially after the half-decade long wait we’ve endured in getting the game) saying that FFXIII plays almost more like an adventure game than a true RPG. In some ways, this is true.
But is a movie-like approach and linearity so bad? Is it such a crime that FFXIII doesn’t give you unfettered access to a vast world until late in the game? If the game still plays well—which it most certainly does—I would say no.
Square has been pushing in this direction for a while, anyway. FFX and FFXII both had similar set-ups to some degree, and while, yes, they still had traditional mechanics such as experience points and levels, they were certainly predecessors of FFXIII‘s almost entirely cinematic and infinitely more accessible approach.
Let me be clear—this does not mean that your beloved Final Fantasy has been dumbed down. The emphasis, as it were, is just on different elements of the game. With its multi-million dollar Hollywood-gloss, FFXIII is damn gorgeous (you owe to it yourself to get this on PS3, if you’ve got a choice), but dungeon design notwithstanding, it’s hardly a script that’s all explosions and plot-advancing dialogue.
The game’s narrative is just as engaging as it’s always been, slowly unraveling the story of six people chosen to save the world (cliché, yes)—but only having that power granted to them by becoming pariahs who are hunted the world over.
This isn’t just some group of insurgents striking up arms against a corrupt ruling class, either (although that plays a part). To reject their destinies—culled forth from a godlike race—is to accept death, whereas embracing their fate means sacrificing themselves for the salvation of the world.
The usual political and religious elements are present, as are the various motivations and personal stories each character brings to the table, all exceptionally delivered by a group of talented voice actors. No doubt about it, FFXIII is every bit Final Fantasy.
The other important element of the equation, then, is the battle system, and thankfully FFXIII delivers in spades here, eschewing the traditional form of battle to a fast, strategic system that forces you to think on your feet. Basically, you only control one player at a time, while the other two members of your party are AI-controlled, but things move at such a breakneck pace you’ll barely miss being able to control them.
Each move, whether it’s attack, magic, defense, support or whatever else, takes up a certain number of points per turn, allowing you a finite number of options per turn. For example, at the beginning of the game, Lightning, the de facto main character, can either slash twice with her gunblade or once as an overall attack that targets all enemies but is weaker.
Things don’t stay this way for long, though. As you progress you get the ability to do more moves, chaining together attacks that happen in real time. Enemies all have a chain gauge, which effectively works as a defensive barrier that can be broken down for massive damage.
Chain gauges yield after so much damage is dealt per turn, and the faster you can pull off a series of attacks, the higher the percentage on the gauge goes. Adding to the strategy is the ability to break off charge times, effectively letting you attack before an entire chain of commands has finished charging, resulting in a quicker offensive strike.
Another crucial component to the battle system is the ability to quickly have your party switch roles on the fly in battle, changing their offensive, defensive and support abilities—so if you start wailing on an enemy to break its chain gauge, your offense goes up but you’re more vulnerable to attacks yourself, and in this mode you can’t use magic to heal (only items, which you’re not going to want to spend all your precious gil on).
It sounds complicated, but the way the game’s various battle systems work together is beautiful symmetry. Yeah, it’s unorthodox, and the action moves at such a comparatively fast clip it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on sometimes, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
Throw in the ability to stealth past enemies (or surprise attack for a preemptive strike) and you’ve got some of the best combat the series has ever seen—and that’s not even counting the summons. For all of its changes, this Final Fantasy is no less fantastic.