Final Fantasy XIII Review

Having originally started out as a PlayStation 2 game, Final Fantasy XIII has certainly enjoyed a long, and sometimes bumpy development cycle. One thing has never changed though, the anticipation surrounding this game. After Lightning was first shown during E3 2006, fans were eagerly waiting the next small snippet of news. They just wanted to find out more about the next installment into one of the most successful franchises of all time. Well, the wait is over. Final Fantasy XIII is finally here and it comes packed with plenty of new innovations and a completely new cast and story.

In a story about circumstance, a group of individuals manage to join together and succumb to the same fate, that of the l'Cie. An ironic fate considering many of them were due to be purged for coming into contact with a l'Cie themselves, something which they, the citizens of Cocoon, have been taught to fear their entire lives. Not because they should, but because they fear what they don't understand. After all, Cocoon is just one part of the world. But it's a part where the majority of humanity resides, high above the lands of Pulse, and it's been in seclusion for centuries - just waiting for something to justify the paranoia.

The arrival of these l'Cie does just that, and Cocoon goes into turmoil. However, the characters themselves are equally confused. They have become what they have learnt to hate, but they also know what could happen to them. When someone becomes a l'Cie, they are given a "focus", which is essentially an objective they need to complete. If they complete it, they are granted eternal life and turn to crystal, but if they fail, they become a Cie'th and roam aimlessly, losing control of themselves. They all have the same focus though, and it means that unlike previous Final Fantasy games, the story is more centered around the team, than the individuals within the team.

Each character has their own personal challenges to face, but because of this, there isn't a huge amount of development and any development that happens is spread evenly throughout. The plot also hinders this too, as their goal is the most important aspect and that's always the key focus. This might not be so bad, but everything just seems a bit flimsy. Nothing ever really happens to make the player care about their goal, or the events that surround it. Why? Because details are held together by a very loose thread, and there is a strong reliance on circumstance, as opposed to substance. It makes the whole endeavor seem rather shallow and convoluted.

One aspect that certainly isn't convulted though, is progression through the game. It's largely linear and this has its advantages and disadvantages. Initially, the game forces players to use certain characters, presumably to make them familiar with them, and to teach them about the different classes that are present. It can become quite annoying though - getting forced to use a character that's unwanted isn't overly fun. However, the linearity provides focus. The story is focused purely around the team, and their isolation from the world. Providing players with towns and villages would be completely redundant - nobody would talk to them and there would be nothing to do there. The game does open up more towards the end and players are free to explore vast plains, but even when this happens, it doesn't add or detract from the experience. It just offers something different.