With this entry the Nerd Alert has reached the milestone of 100 posts, and I can think of no better entry than a review of the new Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy XIII. And when I say review I actually mean preliminary thoughts. The game clocks in at about 60 hours for the main story, so I have not yet had the chance to complete the tale; however, I have played enough of the game to provide my readers with an unbiased assessment of the game and its value for money.
From the opening credits I was pulled into the story. FFXIII is a far more sci-fi entry into the series than some of the previous games, but hardcore fans wanting a pure fantasy tale will not be disappointed. I won’t reveal too much of the plotline, but it will please any fantasy or sci-fi fan. It isn’t original, but done very well (I doubt this will bother anyone; it didn’t for Avatar). The characters are some of the best in the series, with each character having a unique personality, design, and a name that is easy to remember and pronounce. Lighting is a much better name than Vaan or any of the extra vowel names from XII; this is a video game, not the appendix from the Silmarillion.
The battle system is one of my favourites from any of the FF series. It could best be described as a combination of the ATB system with aspects of the gambit system thrown in. It makes for excellent fast-paced action and battle strategies. I am disappointed in the lack of FF victory music though. Maybe it shows up later in the game, but I would like the classic notes after every win.
Levelling up is also new for this game. There is no experience and you gain hp, attributes, and spells by spending crystarium points (CP) in the crystarium: a mix of the experience nodes and grids from FFX and FFXII respectively.
The game has taken a bit of flack online for being too linear; it does not have huge overworld map to explore. I can only say that the linear pathway really works for this game. You don’t ever feel limited, but you are sent down a pretty specific path. This creates a very movie-like feel for the game. Much like the Metal Gear or God of War series you feel as though you are directing a story instead of playing a level grinding RPG.
Love or hate a Final Fantasy game, I am always impressed in the way that Square Enix reinvents the series to feel new and familiar with each release. It is hard to stay innovative after two decades of working on a series.
Tale of the Tape
Cost: $60 CDN
Length: 60 hours+
Is it worth it?: A resounding yes. At $1 per hour for entertainment you can’t go wrong, and even those who don’t usually like RPGs will enjoy the fast pace and linear path of the game. This is a killer app for the PS3.
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