In case you were unaware, Final Fantasy XIII is on its way. You know, the acclaimed series that’s sold over 85 million copies? I’ve been a Final Fantasy fan since its inception on the NES and with the inaugural game on the PS3/Xbox 360 just weeks away I’m worried. I’m worried because the proverbial hook that I’ve been so inclined to follow has lost its hold over me.
"Hi, my name is Lightning. What's yours?" Those mad scientists over at Square-Enix have toyed with the Final Fantasy formula for some time now. Tweaking and reform are all instrumental and necessary for a series to truly become great (something only Koei has yet to figure out) but I believe Square has done more than enough. Ever since they felt the need to create a true sequel with X-2, force the MMO genre with XI, and move more toward seamless turn-based gameplay in XII, I’ve been lost. Yet every time a game gets announced I mechanically purchase them thinking they will one day miraculously captivate me. This stops with XIII.
Maybe it’s because I’m sick of Japanese character design, maybe I just can’t resonate with the characters, perhaps seeing Bahamut “transform” analogous to Optimus Prime induces vomit in the back of my throat, maybe it’s all of these. After seeing XIII in action I can tell you that it’s a technological masterpiece. If you aren’t blown away by the frantic acrobatics and surreal magic, then you will be by the unprecedented visuals. They may be second to none but unless you base your purchases on visual quality alone, I’d advise to do some research. The combat, summons, and characters have similar qualities to the other installments, but it’s mostly superficial.
Maybe she wouldn't be so mad if he cut that fro ya know? One thing I’ve hung on since witnessing the game is the new form of combat. XIII’s combat system is derived from XII in that it’s all seamless and fast-paced. What happened to the superior system X instilled? There wasn’t anything wrong with it and in my opinion is the best of the series. Saying that, if what I saw is true to the final product I’ll never get past the duration. Does it really take five minutes to take down four goblins? Final Fantasy has never been realistic as far as damage goes and it doesn’t have to be. However, when you have lightning guns blazing and cascades of magic raining down on these insipid creatures how long do you expect it to take? I especially hate this whole over the top approach to doing anything. How many flips can I do before I hit the enemy once? If you think I’m exaggerating, get ready.
What would Final Fantasy be without summoning? One simple and lonely shell of its former self. Thankfully summons are definitely present in XIII, but have one glaring issue I just cannot let slide; they’re ostensibly transformers. Yes, what I said above was not an exaggeration. Bumblebee is in Final Fantasy XIII. Alright, that was exaggerated but classic summons like Bahamut rotating just as the Transformers do and all of a sudden shifting into a different form is not. If you’re like me, when you first bear witness to this fabrication, your jaw will hang open and then the tears of sadness will commence. I just hope that maybe only a few summons suffer from this status ailment, but there I go again defending something I know won’t happen.
That's a dude. What can I say about Japanese character creation? It’s cliché, it’s strange, and I’m sick of it. Just think of an outfit that doesn’t fit, give it multiple colors, fish-nets, spikes, ribbons, and you’re set. Whenever I see one of these guys my eyes catch on fire. I feel like Square reached into a grab-bag and pulled out the design thinking it was “super awesome.” It probably wouldn’t bother me so much if I actually cared about the characters. What happened to that loving cast in VI where everyone’s story was entirely captivating? What about the twists and challenges the cast of VII took? How about the relationships that were forged in X and how they were dealt with? Here’s to hoping XIII can pull it off but it’s not looking good with a hair-feathered dude named Hope. You heard me right.
I’m harping on the world-renowned series yes, but understand that it’s all coming from a hardcore follower. There’s nothing I’d rather see than the success of XIII but all the warning signals I’ve seen cannot be denied. It’s all looking like some graphically superior super-anime with wings made of rainbow steel and laser-cannons that do several giga-tons of… alright I’ll stop.
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