Final Fantasy XIII

If you have any sort of interest in videogames, you will no doubt, at some point, have played or at the very least seen a Final Fantasy game. For many, Final Fantasy VII remains the pinnacle of what Square Enix has achieved with this venerable series and yet, in reality, the games have progressed tenfold since the PSone classic. Each iteration has taken strides in almost every department, from art design to story, and yet it’s still remained a JRPG through and through.

Stand back, pipsqueek. I'm gonna break the world with my fists.

For many, what has not changed remains the biggest problem when it comes to getting any enjoyment out of it. You can have all the gorgeous visuals and production values in the world, but if you’ve got ten-year-old gameplay under the hood, nothing will disguise it and, more to the point, audiences won’t stand for it. Can Final Fantasy XIII break the shackles of its past on a next-gen system, delivering the change that Final Fantasy XII hinted at? Can it work as a multiplatform release? And will more than the dedicated few ever finish it?

We’ve been more than vocal on NowGamer about the perceived stagnant nature of the Japanese games industry, particularly when it comes to role-playing games like Final Fantasy XIII. Outwardly mundane titles such as Resonance Of Fate, Star Ocean and even the staggeringly brilliant Lost Odyssey have all worked within the strict template and succeeded or failed on the pitfalls and clichés that they’ve fallen into. There’s no doubting the visual quality of any of these games, and what is immediately striking about booting up FFXIII on the 360 is just how good it looks.

Prior to reading this, we’re sure that many of you may have been browsing the web and will have come across any number of sites proclaiming the PS3 version’s superiority over the 360’s. In reality, what they’re arguing over is storage space, the high capacity of Blu-ray obviously being better-suited to the masses of information that Square Enix has crammed onto three DVDs in this version, but this is a matter of hairs and the splitting of them. It is still the same game, irrelevant of simplified geometry, or a lower operating resolution.

In Japan, evilness is measured in units of hairdo.

In fact, it’s safe to say that we’re suitably floored with the visuals, but as we all know, in a Final Fantasy game, that’s less than half the battle: the story has to take priority. Whether you’re a seasoned JRPG veteran or not, there’s a level of acquired knowledge or preconception that many have when it comes to the characters and storylines we usually exact. There’s the cute, big-eyed, irritating girl; there’s the prepubescent androgynous guy, who also whines a lot; and then a whole host of colourful supporting characters. FFXIII throws this template out the window to present the most rounded and interesting set of characters to grace a Square Enix RPG. What’s even more impressive is
how the first few hours draw you into the story and set up events that thrust the eclectic cast along their journey and towards their destiny.

… continued