Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PS3 - 1st completion)

[leathercubster]

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is the final game of the XIII trilogy that is part of the Fabula Nova Chrystallis series of games, a special mythos of the Final Fantasy series (I guess kind of how some games take place in the land of Ivalice and the kind of cultures, art style, races, etc. it has distinct compared to other Final Fantasy games). This entire trilogy has been controversial amongst Final Fantasy fans with some either loving it or hating it. Final Fantasy XIII - which I reviewed in the Summer of 2010 on my previous Yahoo blog - pretty much split people in the middle but it is probably my favourite of the trilogy due to how beautiful the game is, both in its graphics and music. I liked the battle system and some of the linearity but admitted the game needed some more of the classic tropes like side quests, minigames, towns, and some freedom. Still, I scored the game 46 out of 50 and just months ago, bought the original Japanese CD soundtrack. Final Fantasy XIII-2 was kind of damage control for Square-Enix that felt forced but was still a good game. It addressed some of the problems with the first game and was reviewed better. Still, I didn't care for the story and the ending which purposefully set up the third game. I did like the return of the battle system but adding in a Pokemon element of collecting and strengthening monsters was a cool idea though personally, bringing in previous characters from the first game to fight with you would have been enough. Unlike the first game, this one had DLC which was generally a real cash grab (tsk tsk, Square-Enix!). I reviewed the game here in the mid-Spring of 2013 and gave it the same score as the original game: 46 out of 50. We now get to the finale, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and not surprisingly, the game pretty much bombed! Square-Enix once again tries to do their own thing and experiment to see what fan reactions are. Reviewers were not kind to this game and is probably one of the lowest-scored (main series, no spin-offs) Final Fantasy games ever. While the game isn't terrible and it took me a while to get into it, the fact that it deviated so much from the two other games and put both restriction and freedom at the same time, it was a somewhat frustrating experience at times. Add in this anti-religion and pro-humanist message (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Xenogears, Xenoblade Chronicles, etc. anyone?) of killing "God" because humanity doesn't need him/her/it and you'll wonder why in my review below, I am forced to agree with others in giving this game a considerable lower score than the previous two games. In my March entry last year, I mention about my getting the Collector's Edition of the game plus the strategy guide. While the extras were cool, the DLC code that came with the game expired and couldn't use it (Grrrr...) which is total bullshit and Sony has to stop this nonsense! The DLC code that came with the strategy guide worked though. I didn't bother with any of the pay DLC though I'll admit that getting some of the interesting schemata was a bit tempting. I beat the game a couple of Thursday nights ago on Easy Mode in 59 hours and 48 minutes, with 64 side quests done and all 83 Canvas of Prayers completed. On my Normal Mode playthrough in New Game+, I got the final trophies which lead into my obtaining my 7th Platinum trophy! While I could technically go through the rest of Normal Mode I decided to just stop everything once I got the platinum trophy so my final time was 78 hours and 5 minutes.



Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII begins with Lightning being woken from crystal stasis by the god Bhunivelze after 500 years. The world is set to end in 13 days, and to this end Lightning is made the savior, a figure who will free the souls of humanity from the burdens on their hearts and guide them to a new world that Bhunivelze will create once the 13 days are up. Lightning undertakes this task to rescue and ensure the rebirth of Serah's spirit. Hope acts as her guide from the Ark, which houses the rescued souls of humanity: Bhunivelze chose him and changed his physical form to his 14-year-old self from XIII. As she journeys and performs her task, she encounters her former allies and adversaries, many of whom now carry heavy emotional burdens. She is also followed about by Lumina, who both gives her advice and taunts her at regular intervals. Will Bhunivelze keep his word and give Lightning what she so desires? Only time will tell.

To watch a kick-ass official 16-bit quick recap of the stories from the previous two games that leads up to Lightning Returns, go here or below:

Click to view

To see the game's opening cinematics and gameplay, go here or below:

Click to view

Part 2 is here, and Part 3 is here.






Graphics/Art-8
+ Like in previous games the graphics are quite good and so is the animation, textures, and lighting. The FMV is sharp and in-game cinematics are great to look at.
+ Lightning's main schemata, weapon, and adornment are shown in the in-game cinematics, giving variety in their look.
+ Day/night system for the game's 4 lands make for some good atmosphere.
+ Some of the monsters look all right despite the lack of variety compared to the other games. Some of them are recycled though.
+ You can customize Lightning's schemata plus collect and apply adornments. I didn't bother with any adonrments but I suppose it's a fun option.
- The graphics have taken a step back from the previous two games. The main characters still look good but the NPCs are mostly stale and an afterthought.
- The level design is convoluted and at times hard to memorize given the scope of these four worlds.
- Some glitches in NPC movements and actions.

Music/Sound-8
+ The soundtrack was pretty good.
+ A handful of tracks from the previous two games come back here, particularly the battle themes.
+ Some good voice acting. Great sound effects.
- The soundtrack is not as good as the previous two games. Not much stood out but there were a few exceptions.
- I skipped a lot of the NPC dialogue as listening to a lot of their uninteresting lines was an exercise in frustration. Thankfully, you can skip them by pressing Start and then the Select buttons!

Music Samples:
Lightning Returns
Lightning's Theme - Distant Light
Equilibrium
Chaos
The Ark
Crimson Blitz
Salvation's Fanfare
Noel's Theme
Noel & Yuel - The Promise
Fang's Theme - the Boss
The Showdown
K.O.
The Wildlands
Sunset Path
Savior of Souls
A Carefree Existence
High Voltage
Chaos Infusions
Snow's Theme - Final Words
Army of One



Control-9
+ Controls are relatively easy and play like the previous games.
+ Lightning can dash, jump, and strike things out on the field.
+ You can customize the abilities for each schemata (except the required ones of course) and map them anywhere on the controller's 4 face buttons.
- Switching between schemata so many times in battle gets repetitive.



Gameplay-7
+ Lightning Returns is all about completing quests. They are directly linked to Lightning's growth: as she completes various quests, her stats are boosted, with the main story quests yielding the biggest boosts. Many side quests can only be obtained at certain times, since the real-time build of the world means non-playable characters (NPCs) are in constant movement, and only appear in certain places at a given time. Lightning can also accept quests from the Canvas of Prayers, a post board found in all the main locations. Upon completing NPC quests, Lightning is rewarded with a portion of Eradia, spiritual energy retrieved when a person's burden is lifted. Every day at 6 AM game-time, Lightning is drawn back into the Ark, a location where the in-game clock does not progress. Once there, Lightning gives her gathered Eradia to a tree called Yggdrasil: if she has gathered enough, the in-game clock is extended by a day. She can also restock on supplies and collect new equipment.
+ In the Wildlands area you can use a chocobo, the recurring animal in the Final Fantasy series. You are able to freely navigate the game's open world layout, explore towns and country areas, and accept quests from various NPCs.
+ Lightning is also able to sprint for limited periods, climb up ladders and jump freely.
+ The battle system, called the Style-Change Active Time Battle system, uses elements from the Active Time Battle (ATB)-based Paradigm system from the first and second XIII games and bears similarities to the dressphere system featured in Final Fantasy X-2. Lightning has access to several customizable outfits (garb) with different power sets (plural: Schemata; singular: Schema). Each garb has its own separate ATB gauge, and actions for them are mapped onto the controller's face buttons, meaning that the usual menu-style ATB battle system is no longer needed: this enables Lightning to be moved around the battle field to a limited degree. The majority of the garbs and their accessories are either purchasable in the in-game shops or received upon completing quests. Stronger garbs, items, shields and weapons are unlocked in Hard Mode, along with access to more challenging areas and boss battles. Lightning can equip three Schemata directly, while having additional slots for backup costumes which can be equipped outside battle. She can be equipped with a close-combat weapon (sword, spear, etc.), a shield and a cosmetic accessory. The color scheme of each garb can be customized using both pre-set and custom color: there are options to alter both specific portions and all portions of the costume.
+ As with the previous game, enemies appear in the open field and can be avoided or engaged. The number of enemies increases during nighttime, and their strength and ability to deal damage increases the more days pass in-game. By killing all the standard versions of an enemy, a final version appears as a boss. Defeating it will yield a high reward and make the enemy type extinct in an area of the game.
+ When Lightning attacks an enemy, or they attack her, the battle starts. If Lightning strikes a monster, they lose a small portion of health, while if the enemy strikes Lightning first, she will lose a little health.
+ As Lightning performs attacks, her ATB meter is drained and she must switch to another assigned garb: the depleted garb's meter recharges while not being used. Lightning utilizes her many swords for short-range melee attacks and magic for long-range attacks. She can block enemy attacks using her shield and has the option to evade an attack, which can be assigned to any garb. Each enemy has a stagger meter, represented by a line behind their health bar. As Lightning lands certain kinds of magical or physical blows on the enemy, their meter oscillates more. Eventually, the enemy is staggered, rendering them vulnerable to damaging attacks.
+ Lightning can also spend Energy Points to perform special moves or activate abilities, such as Overclock (which slows time for Lightning's opponents and enables her to land more hits); and Army of One, Lightning's signature move.
+ By winning battles, Lightning earns gil, the in-game currency, and replenishes a portion of her Energy Point gauge. In Normal and Hard modes, if Lightning flees from or dies in battle, one in-game hour is lost.
+ Another feature in the game is Outerworld Services, a feature where you can take photos and share them, along with your personal stats and battle scores, on Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook features was disabled in April 2015.
- The in-game clock runs continuously during normal navigation, with one in-game day equating to two to three hours in real time on Easy mode and one hour on Normal and Hard modes. The timer starts out at seven in-game days, but can be extended to a maximum of thirteen days. The timer stops during cutscenes, conversations and battles. Lightning can also pause time using an ability called Chronostasis. This whole time system to me is probably the biggest flaw in the game and was really unnecessary as it can be hard to get as much done as possible and constantly running out of EP because of Chronostasis is aggrivating! I had to reload a lot because I missed things and in some cases, wasn't fighting enough enemies as they wouldn't appear when I needed them.
- Unlike the last two games, the player character does not automatically recover HP after battles, instead needing to use remedies bought from merchants and shops, and there is no auto-battle mode, with Lightning needing to be controlled manually at all times. In Easy Mode, Lightning regenerates health if she stands idle.
- Having 4 large areas to explore is quite lazy compared to the variety of places in the previous games despite their smaller size. And going from three party members in battle to one or two was an unnecessary downgrade too.

Gameplay videos are here and here.



Fun/Story/Misc-7
+ The schemata system kind of grew on me after awhile though I personally prefer the auto-battle system of the previous two games and having other party members fighting alongside you.
+ The game features three difficulty levels: Easy, Normal and Hard, the latter of which is unlocked after first completing the game. There is also a New Game+ option, whereby you can start a new game while carrying over your equipment and stats from a previous playthrough.
- The story was very dumb and so much damn exposition as to make excuses for why things have changed from the previous two games. They need to explain why Lightning has to return at 6 AM every day, what Eradia is, why there is a 24-hour clock instead of the game world's 26-hour clock, and just on and on and on. Why not just bring Lightning back and have past characters join her on a final adventure to save their world and Serah again (hell, you could even work in slowly bringing Serah back to life by finding fragments of her soul or something!). Personally, I would have wanted Lightning and Serah fighting together since they were the main characters in their previous games.
- As mentioned in my introduction, this game took a more anti-god position in its story. Essentially "God" is corrupt, not all-powerful, and not all-knowing. Why call such a being "God" if he lacks the attributes that make him God? This is not an uncommon theme in some Japanese video games and anime but for whatever reason, they take the humanist position that God is not needed and humanity can chart their own path and continue their existence without him/her/it. Sadly, you really see unsophisticated arguments and straw-men in tackling a philosophical/theological topic such as this even in fantasy/sci-fi. In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic concept of God, He is the "greatest conceivable Being": all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving (except in Islam), timeless, spaceless, personal, etc. Faced with this problem, the writers have to bring God down to a "lesser-god" status which then gives humanity the power to do away with him and believe they can live in bliss without some deity dictating orders or threatening them with damnation if they reject him. I could go more into this but suffice it to say, this kind of storytelling makes me roll my eyes. While it is fiction, it is feeding into today's increasingly anti-theistic thinking and this deluded idea of a humanist utopia similar to John Lennon's "Imagine".
- The game can be fun and straight forward at times but certain quests can be hard to figure out and the constant running all over the place gets tiring.
- The whole clock system just really ruined the experience and frankly hate games that don't know how to implement this properly and punishes the player for poor planning. There was a wonderful game that came out 15 years ago and just remastered a few months ago that did this clock system well... Answer: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask!

Total: 39/50 (Grade Level: C+)



The Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII website is here and has some basic info. The Gametrailers.com video review is here and the Wikipedia article is here.

Next Game: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception GOTY Edition (PS3)

Currently playing: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) & Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords (Xbox)