Final Fantasy XIII reviews

Great cinematic, love the battle system, however it takes about 20–25 hours to get to any point where you feel you have any freedom in the game. The level up system is extremely linear up until the above mentioned time, well generally the entire game is. So why is this game so linear, well i guess that they did task themselves with a epic storyline, told from the perspective of all of the characters, each with an interesting twist on their past. Apart from being flooded by all these twists and turns the data log acts as a great supplementary source, containing detail and background to this world. sure i wish they had possibly expanded it a little, given given us a world more like ff 8 or 7 that you can explore between towns ect. The biggest thing i could say about this game is that during all my play time of the other ff games ( excluding ff x-2 which was terrible) i haven't been able to put them down or play other games until i finish, and currently iv already finished two other games since Ive had it, but it is defiantly worth playing for all you ff fans out their just prepare for the most linear ff ever.

Untill about 30 hours of gameplay, this game is extremely linear. It starts off easy, becomes harder, then gets easier again. But when it gets difficult, it gets really difficult. So much so that I gave up for a few months. But, having decided to restart and try again, I can say I am SO GLAD that I did. The game really opens up at the end, with secret areas, hidden bosses, optional quests etc. And it is really worth the wait. Also did I mention the absolutely stunning graphics (some of the best I've seen, on any console), amazing story (of course, this is a FF game after all) and great battle system (odd at first, but you get used to it, and it is intuitive and a change from any other typical RPG fighting system).

Overall, the games amazing graphics, great gameplay mechanics and just pure enjoyability make up for its initial linearity. And it's only $50, which is great value for such an amazing game :D

i have played all FF games and this one should be another great hit free flowing gameplay story is up to scratch graphics are amazing and yes FF fans the battle system has been improved buy this game you wont regret it.

So many people have commented about how linear the game is, and to a point, I have to agree with them. However, I wish people could just get over that fact, and accept this as a new and great Final Fantasy game. Yes, it IS linear, but please, stop complaining about it. I found the linearity to be very likeable. Instead of having to spend hours in a horrible dungeon, or going from town to town, finding just one person who you need to talk to, linearity actually allows good progression through the story, rather than it being halted for ten hours, as you try to figure out what you're meant to do.

Getting over that linearity, and actually playing the game without such biases as trying to relate it to any other game, or commenting on the limited sidequests, you should see that it is an incredible game. Sure, it takes a while to get to the less linear part of the game, but believe me, it IS WORTH IT!

Meanwhile, although sometimes the game can be tedious, it is by no means near as tedious as previous games. Firstly, something that I really liked, is that all your stats become normal after every battle. All your HP is restored, and there is no MP, which is also good. It may throw harder enemies at you because of it, but because the encounters aren't random, if you get the right strategy, and correct paradigms, you should have no problem.

The battle system: This battle system is seriously the most fun system ever. Some have complained that it's stupid, and too fast. Well, you can slow it down, but really, getting accustomed is all it takes, and it's not that hard to get accustomed to. It's the fastest battle system, so it is really fun. It's not all button mashing the auto-battle button, but it makes the game actually beatable. Without it, the battle system would need to be slower, and selecting every attack would truly be tedious. Instead, it's fast and efficient, and forming your own strategies, with the best paradigms is really rewarding. No, you don't get to control all 3 characters in your team at once, and that would have been a nice addition to the system, but all in all, I thought it was great. Although, it doesn't involve real strategy until about 2 or 3 hours in.

Okay, the music is possibly the best yet. All the tracks are great. I love all the music in the game. It does give off that feeling of nostalgia, common in Final Fantasy games. The music is beautiful, and extremely enjoyable. I've had the soundtrack on my phone for a long time, and love going back and listening to the songs that give me such great memories. The sound quality is also very good.

Of course, the story is very, Very good. It makes sense that the game is pretty linear, in the story. The linearity sort of adds to the story, making it more urgent, and just better. The story is one of the best stories presented in any Final Fantasy game, and it's presented like a movie. No, it's not like you're watching a playable movie, it's like you're playing a great game, and are rewarded with a brilliant storyline, which really is epic. I wasn't all that impressed with the ending though.

Finally, the graphics are outstanding, but I don't need to detail this, as I'm sure everybody already knows this. Just look at images, and you can already tell the graphics are spectacular. However, graphics don't make an FF. Battle system and storyline do, and this game does both incredibly well.

Buy it, if you haven't already. Buy it Right Now!

Almost every aspect of this game delivers on a huge scale. Incredible graphics, insane detail, an easy to use battle system and an epic storyline. The only downside to this game is that there is little freedom, whether it's character levelling or exploring, the path is basically set for you. Despite this an amazing game.

Once again Square-Enix has failed in delivering a'Final Fantasy' worth playing. FFX was the end of the line, it was poor game with a great story. Now they have poor gameplay and a poor story with one of the most linear-boring stat customisation i've ever seen. It's like a sphere grid but far more limited. Just looks a little more flashy. Thats all this game is.. Flashy, Amazing graphics and cutscenes. If you really want to play a Final Fantasy go buy a PS1, and get 5–9, they are real games, 7 and 9 being especially good. This game is by far the worst FF i have played to date – yes, even worse than 12.

Like other versions of FF franchise, this is a great game. It used to be a PS3 exclusive game and now ported to xbox360. However the graphic is not as good as the PS3 version, at least I can play it without buying another console!!!

As a final fantasy game will always be, a good game good graphics story fighting, but if you dont like this type of game dont get it.

When I brought this game i was scared if it was a bad game. When I picked it up, then started to play on my XBOX 360 the graphics blew me away. I never really get into story's and this pulled me in and desperate for more. This was one of my first final fantasy, don't worry you will be able to pick it up and play after a while. I love the battle system its great. You wont regret buying this game. I don't really review games but this game was amazing and everyone should buy it.

This is definitely the best Final Fantasy game so far. Its got the best graphics, the coolest cgi cut-scenes and enemies, characters.

Final Fantasy XIII is easily the best FF I have ever played (I've played all of them!). The graphics are amazingly detailed, the soundtrack is of a much higher quality than in previous titles (which may seem like an impossibility) and the storyline, so far, is great. Also, the combat is the best yet, it is much more fast paced and strategic than XII and Paradigms advance on the Gambit system from XII.

Not fun at all!

Game mechanics where clunky. Battle system was hopeless and confusing and the characters actively disengaged you from the story line

I played these games in the past I got this one and was very disapointed. I dont like

I have always avidly followed the FF series. I remember getting my hands on FFVII and that was the beginning of my love for the series. To be honest I have never finished a FF game. I would find the battle system tedious and hard to start where I left off if I didn't play it for a long time. But FFXIII is different. The battle system is newly revamped, gone are the days of stocking up on HP and MP items and you start fresh with every new battle. Instead you are less concentrated on the needless worry of your diminishing HP after every battle, you focus on what really matters…the strategy behind the fight.

This is the main thing I love about FFXIII. I am still enjoying the game, if you want something different. This is the game to get.

Great game, graphics and movies are amazing. Game becomes slightly linear at around chapter 5/20 but picks back up towards the middle/end of the story. Lack of world map lets it down :(

This is a excellent game, awesome graphics (amazing cut scenes followed by astonishing game play) and a great new battle system

FF XIII is a high quality game, however the 20–25 hours required of you in “tutorial” mode prevents a full five stars.

With a all new batlle system that gives a player the ability to create advanced tactics and character deployment to the highest level. This game gives control over the battle like never before. Beautiful graphics and interesting story plot twists make this a game that you can play all day and still want more.

This game is AMAZING. The graphics are stunning, gameplay is awesome and the story is epic. The new battle system was a bit strange at first but I grew to like it and its nice to see something new. Another great addition to the amazing Final Fantasy series! BUY IT!!

Compared to the vast worlds of Final Fantasy 7 this game feels very narrow and shallow, rehashing a lot of elements from Final Fantasy 7. Not the greatest Final Fantasy game, but still playable. Its a love or hate game.

I love this game, it's got a great storyline to it and the fight style has impressed me, at first appearance it looks like a turn by turn fighter, which is untrue, you just have to wait for your mana to refuel to attack again, often getting plenty of attacks before the enemy can retaliate. I love that its linear structure, and that it doesn't really try to hide the fact that it's a mostly linear game. I'm sick of free roaming games that involve running backward and foward over the same huge landscape to simply kill an enemy that was in a slighty different place to the item you just went to collect in a mission before. The scenery is new in each mission and each has a beautiful style. I would suggest it to MMORPG's as it should be refreshing to play a storyline in linear style, and not just roaming around feeling lost without a meaning to the game.

Awesome game

Final Fantasy XIII. Quite possibly the most anticipated Role Playing Game of this decennium. I picked up the Japanese version of the game and played it a lot for this internet scoop. This review will not spoil story related events, but all gameplay related aspects will be discussed in detail. For those looking for a nutshell, the game is essentially FFX's style meets FFXII's gameplay meets innovative battle system.

Graphics: It's Final Fantasy in HD graphics. It's gorgeous. The cutscenes look amazing. The graphics are stunning and look good enough for a lengthy RPG like this. There's no need to go in further detail. Have a look at some trailers.

Story: Without giving away too much of Final Fantasy XIII's story, let me get right to the point: It is not the game's strongest point. Worry not; this analysis focuses only on the first hour(s) of the game. The story revolves around Cocoon, a moon-like sphere with a cracked shell that houses several million inhabitants, kept safe from the lowerworld, also known as Gran Pulse. Consisting of thirteen chapters, the game briefly introduces various characters right at the start of the game, including the main protagonist, Lightning, the comic relief character Sazh, the young boy Hope, the cheerful Vanille, and the ‘I'll be your hero’ Snow. The sixth and last of FFXIII's playable cast, a blue-dressed woman known as Fang, isn't revealed until several chapters later. The game starts off with a civil war-esque fight between civilians and Cocoon's peace­keeping PSICOM troops. The civilians are to be Purged because of a Pulse Fal'cie discovery at a certain village. Fal'cie are essentially enormous beings that monitor and maintain various aspects of life, and there are two kinds of Fal'cie, of which Pulse Fal'cie are considered to be dangerous to the existence of Cocoon. What follows is a story in which the six characters are enslaved to a Fal'cie's will and are made into l'Cie. The story starts off well but dips below mediocrity several times, and the introduction of the game's main villain might not be what you'd expect; advisable is to not get your hopes up for a cool, awesome, well done villain, because there isn't one in Final Fantasy XIII; sorry for bursting your bubble, guys! Not all is bad about FFXIII's story, however. Fans of the series will be relieved to meet another Cid, and there are various semi-villains present as usual which keep things interesting. The characters are worked out fairly well and some you might not like at the start will eventually grow on you a little.

Gameplay: FFXIII utilizes a completely new type of combat system, and it's ace. You'll walk around in fields in the same fashion as Final Fantasy XII, and you can thus avoid enemy encounters occasionally. Upon touching an enemy, the game flashes into an ATB-esque fight and the battle can begin. Characters will initially start out with only three ATB segments, but there is room for growth. Weak attacks use up one ATB segment while more powerful attacks take up more segments. You can either use the initial command, which automatically inputs efficient attacks for you, or manually select your attacks. The former will turn out to be the one that you use most.

You only control your party leader during battles. The reason for this is a combination of the extremely fast speed at which battles unfold and the necessary introduction of the Paradigm system to cope with this speed. The Paradigm system allows for up to six different configurations, each consisting of several roles with a maximum of three roles or three party members. Roles can be viewed as classic classes. There's the Attacker, a tough attacker with the sole intention of attacking and dealing damage. The Ravager is more your black mage using elemental magic to build up enemy chain bars – more on this later. The Guardian is a defensive character which draws enemies' attention and guards to decrease damage inflicted. The Healer cures your party, then there's a role that has access to protective spells, and the Saboteur inflicts negative status effects on your foes. Each character has access to three roles but will unlock the other three roles at some point in the game as well. When a character is in a certain role, they can only perform actions according to those available in that role. In order to use different attacks they'll have to switch to a different role, and this is where the Paradigm system comes into play. By customizing your own Paradigms it is possible to swiftly switch to a Paradigm of your choice with a simple click of L1 and selecting the Paradigm you want to switch to. After defeating a battle, a score is awarded based on speed. Your entire party is automatically healed. Upon defeat the player finds the option to retry the battle, spawning them just before the enemy they lost against. This sounds like it makes the game too easy, but the game would otherwise be far too hard. Expect to get killed often throughout the game, and expect to fall in love with the retry option.

Your characters develop through the Crystarium, an enormous collection of nodes that boost either your Strength or Magic, or grant you a new ability. There are no stats other than HP, Strength and Magic, which might feel peculiar at first. The simplicity that stems from little changes like this feels like a step in the right direction for mainstream gamers, but not so much for niche-RPG players. The Crystarium's path is linear, but players are able to choose from different roles and improve the ones they like best or need most.

The other possibility for growth is through upgrading weapons and accessories, which bears a slight resemblance to FFVIII's refinement system. Players accumulate enemy loot throughout the game as well acquiring equipment. Through the shops – accessed via save points only – players can also obtain loot and equipment, and save points also function as upgrade station, so they're quite multifunctional. Unfortunately, compared to FFVIII's refinement system, the upgrading/dis­mantling system in FFXIII is much more shallow. This will appeal to mainstream gamers, but much less so to the niche RPG gamers that favored the older FF systems.

Exploration in the game is linear, yes, and there are no traditional towns or conversations to be had with townspeople. Basically, FFXIII speeds through the story like a Lightning bolt. You may either like this or not, but it's definitely not boring.

Oh, before I forget, there are six Eidolons in the game, and each character has access to one Eidolon. Your characters will have to face the Eidolons in boss battles throughout the game first before unlocking them. Only your party leader can use an Eidolon, and usually only once during a battle because of how this system works. There are technique points spent on using an Eidolon, of which you have five in total and using an Eidolon uses up three points. It will fight alongside your party leader for a while – say 20 seconds – before the player is to enter the Gestalt modus. The character will mount the Eidolon and with several combinations inflicts damage to the enemy. Cutscenes are completely skippable, but I watched them ten times before I grew tired of them; they're really awesome. Unfortunately, Eidolons aren't all that powerful as you'd expect. Summoning one will heal your entire party after their departure, and they can inflict a decent amount of damage, but no more than that. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing – it actually makes the game more balanced overall.

Replayability: Besides the exceptionally well done batte system, there are various mini games and side quests available in FFXIII. Notable is the Chocobo digging mini game. The mark hunting quest from part 12 also returns, this time with 64 to slay. This will keep you busy for tens of hours, and on top of the main story that is worth 40 hours of gameplay, it boosts the total time to at least sixty-five plus hours. Hunting down enemies sometimes activates teleports, allowing you to move between several areas. Other than these minigames, and a small minigame on which you ride a big mech somewhere in chapter 4, the game offers surprisingly little else. Sure, there's an amusement park, but why are there no minigames there- You can also forget about controlling an airship. There are a few really cool airships in the game, but you'll never own one yourself in such a way that you can board and use it for transport.

Music and Sound: The soundtrack has improved much since FFXII and nearly returns to the former glory days of Nobuo Uematsu. The game's main theme is especially well done, and there are several beautiful (albeit too many) remixes played of it during the game, most notably the theme played in the game's biggest area. There are various boss themes, and as most of you know, the battle theme is actually one of the best in the series so far. If the soundtracks of FFVI, FFVII and FFIX are 10 out of 10 then I would give FFXIII a 9 out of 10. The orchestrated soundtrack varies from angelic choirs to typical Japanese girly songs to uplifting weeping violin boss battle themes.

Overall: Final Fantasy XIII is better than the sum of its parts. The battle system is incredibly addictive and the graphics are definitely of this age – probably a little ahead of their time in terms of console style RPG's.

Now I've never been a hardcore fan of the Final Fantasy series but I thought I would give this one a go. I was blown away at the graphics and the cinematics, they were just breathtaking. The combat was a little strange at first but you got used to it. The difficulty was overwhelming for me as I found it hard to progress through certain bosses. It is a very long game and is very time consuming, you will find yourself running around for hours and battling and then next thing you know is you spent all night trying to get past that one boss, haha, but this game is very rewarding and is a must buy for fans of the series but anyone who wants to get into the final fantasy series, maybe try one of the earlier games.

This game is brilliant. With a massive and moving story line, this game still keeps the FF saga alive. Although the new fighting system is tricky to get the hang of at first, but once you do the hardened foes will be easier to defeat.

Great game and a good buy. Bring on the next FF

Differs wildly from past Final Fantasy games I've played, perhaps not as epic as past games in the title, but it has extremely beautiful cinematics to say the least.

Loved this game great story line, awsome battle mode, and as it takes around 80–100 hours to get 100% defintly worth the money. Just a heads up it does start off slow and has a riduculous amount of cutscenes at the start but once you get into it its more fighting and less talking. Its defiently worth the low price that mightyape is offering.

Another ‘fantastic’ installment to the series, with its gripping storyline, amazing gamplay, beautiful graphics and exeptional character progression, it comes in close 2nd to my personal favorite final fantasy, FFX-2. I'm 40 hrs in and there is no end in sight but dont let that deture you, around every turn is a new adventure.

The first Final Fantasy I have played and I loved it. The Game is beautiful with the enemies and scenery looking spectacular. Also the soundtrack is great. Highly recommend to everyone.

For years, the Final Fantasy series has stood as a seemingly timeless pillar of Japanese role-playing games. With fantastic characters, intricate stories and complex battle systems, Final Fantasy is one of the most recognizable names in the videogame world – and for good reason. Surprisingly, Final Fantasy XIII abandons a number of well-loved series traditions in favor of a more straight-forward approach. While fans might be concerned by this, the two most important aspects of the series – the battle system and the narrative – remain just as strong as they always have.

In Final Fantasy XIII, players take control of six different characters with the sharp-eyed Lightning taking the “lead role.” Although the game does tend to stress Lightning as the primary heroine, Final Fantasy XIII is reminiscent of Final Fantasy VI in that you control all the characters at different times and you jump between the groups frequently. This multi-story approach, as well as a clever use of flashbacks, makes Final Fantasy XIII's story quite enjoyable, at least in terms of its structure.

Final Fantasy XIII can tiptoe (or “stumble,” depending on the scene) into the melodramatic, but fans of the series shouldn't be too surprised. What was more intriguing to me, beyond the standard growth of the characters, was the dynamic established between the two worlds of Final Fantasy XIII – Cocoon and Pulse – as well as the relationship between humans and their fal'Cie counterparts. Like various religions of the world, the mythology of Final Fantasy XIII incorporates god-like beings (the fal'Cie) that protect humanity. These themes are extremely important to the plot of Final Fantasy XIII and I very much enjoyed them. 9.7 / 10

A diverse and mostly excellent cast of characters A great original world, fleshed out by a great story Fun combat system keeps you on your toes Magnificent art design and soundtrack. 9/10 for me, I've enjoyed playing this…and still do. :]

Final Fantasy XIII is slow moving and mostly constricting. There's an odd storyline, based in a fictional world called Cacoon. It sounds more interesting than it is and you may be disappointed at first glance. However, it's over emotional and tightly linear plot will unfold to something great later in the game. The story is long and satisfying with many aspects of the Final Fantasy formula intact.

It's very much a Roleplay game, even though it has the appearance of a Shooter, for that reason you may have to buckle down and endure some portions. In the end a deep involving story following many characters stories intertwined will unfold.

If you don't mind a story driven game at the cost of gameplay then this game has much to offer.

Game follows a similar pattern to the previous FF games. If you liked them you'll like this.

Great story and game-play, although fighting gets a bit repetitive. Plenty of hours of play

After playing practically all of the FF games, I had heard great things about FF XIII so I knew I had to buy it. I ordered the game and had it at my house within a few days.

The new graphics are actually the best I've seen on any xbox game. I never skip any of the cut scene's anymore because each new one has so much detail.

If you buy Final Fantasy XIII I definitely recommend buying an HDMI cable. It's a whole new experience of gaming, the only word which can describe this game is… AMAZING!

Quite an action packed game and a game which you follow 1 path for quite a while throughout the game plot.

Its a shame that i bought this for my brother only that he bought the same game on the PS3 for Christmas >.<.

Oh make sure you play on a biggish screen or else the writing in battle is quite hard to read (i have good eyesight).

Just remember to battle anything and everything ^_^

FF13 is a great way to enjoy 100 hours of gaming. Stunning graphics and an engaging story. Plus a not-too-difficult 1000 achievement points for those who enjoy farming them :)

Overall, 4.5/5 from me. Dropped 0.5 for being slightly too easy :) can't wait for the sequel to come out.

Everything a final fantasy fan wants is in this game. Amazing cinematics and memorable characters improved battle system all the meanwhile XIII's story is great &- a little more human and less esoteric than in previous games.

But for the lazy people who power leveled to be able to fly through every battle, that won't work on XIII. The leveling up system is capped from story progression, each time a major event is cleared, you unlock a new area of the crystarium(fancy word for skill tree) which you then use experience points to branch out.

Overall I found this game amazing, only flaws were on major boss fights the game seemed to kill enthusiasm through sheer difficulty the fights actually require thought and effort. And the majority of the game is linear theres a path and you follow it only when you get to disc 3 opens up free roaming. All in all id happily play through this again.

4/5

The intro is great, Controls are easy enough, I did thing the character animation could be a little smoother/fluid. I combat system is ok but take some getting used to. all in all though a great game at a great price.

this game has everything and more. the graphics are very very good and only get better in the in-game videos. final fantasy has always been on of my favorite games on the market, they get you thinking and well can be very hard to complete but when you do you can do it again and there is always something you missed

The graphics are mind blowing and unlike any other series out there.

I really like the fighting system, changing between fighting classes. The top monsters in the game (Mission 65) was a challenge, and the adamantoises for a while were a challenge until you aget use to fighting them then they are easy.

What I feel the game lacked was a proper outworld and the ability to ride in an airship. The game did feel too linear. But I would still rank this in my top 4 final fantasys.

Compared to other XBox/PS3 games, this game is definitely worth buying as it gives you hours of good quality cinematics and fun.

One of the best FF games at the moment great cinematics and great leveling system it has hours and hours of game play and makes you feel like you cant stop playing. Buy this game and see what everyone's tal­king about.

Turn based, typical final fantasy elements and one of the best compared with final fantasy 7, 8 and 9

Umm hello. Have you SEEN any pictures of this? The game is gorgeous. the cinematics are amazing, the landscapes are beautiful, the graphics are just some of the best out there. Final Fantasy games always deliver here.

I have only just gotten addicted to final fantasy games a few years ago and by far this one has been the best! the fighting sequence may be a little repetitive and boring but the visuals and characters are suberb! This was an inspirational game to me and every moment i played, i loved it.

i finally played it. it's so different from turn based but the combat is flashier and hi def for the first time. characters look awesome its fully voiced for the characters and the boss fights are totally epic!

Absolutely brilliant game, theres nothing out there right now on any platform that can match the standard set by this game. Everything about it is classy and unique, the battle system is excellent, will make you feel like a genius once you finally click. If you appreciate real games that require you to think about what you're doing and rewards you for it, then you have to pick this up.

I've only played a few FF games but this one is by far the best I've played. The battle system with the paradigms makes battles a lot more seamless than most of the earlier FF titles. The game looks, sounds and plays brilliantly. The only gripe I have with it is that that gameplay is incredibly linear up until chapter 11 and then it becomes linear again at chapter 12, but other than that it is an excellent game.