Battles consist of selecting a judicious set of paradigms at the start of a battle and switching any number of times during the battle to defeat enemies. The party is graded on the performance in battle and earns experience based on a five star rating. There is an auto battle option which selects the best option for the role and the enemy based on how much enemy information has been obtained. While purists may shudder at such a dumbed down mechanism, there is depth to the paradigm system, which makes battles more strategic than tactical.
[singlepic id=1953 w=450 float=center]
As mentioned before, characters can level up in six roles while they earn experience points from battles. Crystarium, the level up system, is a modification of the one seen in Final Fantasy X, and while it can look complex, in reality, it is elegant and easy to navigate and manage. The game also does will to throw enough enemies at you so that grinding is kept to a minimum during the first half. The developers should have continued the same momentum in the second half, which may as well be called “Here be Crystarium Points fodder”. Level advancement is accompanied by a weapons and accessories upgrade system which is not as good as the battle system or crystarium. There is little explanation for the upgrade components and there’s a lot of trial and error involved in figuring out which component should be applied when. While this is not an unknown system, the lack of information is not keeping in line with the helpful nature of the rest of the game.
The exploration itself is very linear, except the aforementioned “Here be Crystarium Points fodder!” level. Previous games in the series, and most JRPGs, are linear. However, there is usually a semblance of non-linearity presented to the player through an open world, side quests, shops and non-playing characters. All that is gone. Shops have been integrated into save points, towns are only present as levels to battle through, and NPCs are minimal. I understand the need to trim down extraneous gameplay elements so the player can focus on the most important aspects i.e. story, battles, and characters. But when two of the three elements are poorly developed, this game boils down to running down a large corridor and slaying enemies interspersed with cutscenes.
[singlepic id=1961 w=450 float=center]
This is not an RPG with adventure elements. It’s a gauntlet with RPG elements. Square Enix made some major changes to make the game more accessible to a generation brought up on 10-hour mindless shooters. But they’ve managed to alienate the fans in the process, and those who are brought up on shooters still won’t play a 60-hour gauntlet. If they had managed to cut down the game by 20 hours or so, it might not have been as boring.
Conclusion
Final Fantasy XIII is an average entry in a widely acclaimed RPG franchise. The drop dead gorgeous visuals and fantastic battle system cannot hide a shallow story and uninteresting characters. If you are a fan of JRPGs, play this game, but don’t start by thinking “I hope it’s better than FF <insert favourite FF number>”. It’s not. Going in with low expectations will give you enjoyment. If you are new to world of JRPGs and want to see what JRPGs are all about, this is a good start. It’s not overly complicated and you won’t be saddled with complex battle systems and character levelling. This can be your stepping stone to some of the best games in the JRPG genre.
(+) One of the best visual spectacles this generation
(+) New twist on ATB system makes battles more strategic
(+) More focus on party management than ability juggling
(+) Elegant level up system
(+) Gameplay pacing is ideal for those new to JRPGs
(-) Shallow story and uninteresting characters
(-) Story pacing is long and drawn out, especially the second half.
(-) Very linear game world coupled and subtraction of non-crucial elements
Title: Final Fantasy XIII
Developer/Publisher: Square-Enix
Genre: Role-playing game
Rating: 16
Platforms: PS3 (Rs 2,499), Xbox 360 (Rs 2,499)
Reviewed on: PS3
Join the discussion at the IndianVideoGamer Community forums
