By Bro Dan
With FF XIII-2 just around the corner we take a look back at FFXIII, this is the first review from our new team member Bro Dan.
Final Fantasy. Just the name brings about strong opinions in people, everything from nostalgia to a feeling of bewilderment. I am one that feels more nostalgia than anything, hearkening back to the days of VII. Ah, the good old days of Sephiroth. But, with fans of the older games in mind, is FF XIII worth picking up?
Visuals Score: 9/10
Well, it’s certainly a Final Fantasy game. Right from the start, the familiarities of the games are there. The characters are rendered beautifully, the enemies are varied, the environments are detailed enough to appreciate the work put in, but not to a point that is overdone and would be overlooked. The ways that the camera follows your party can be a bit strange at times and, honestly, a bit annoying. But, the overall visual quality is very high.
Characters Score: 6/10
It’s hard to feel too much of a strong connection to any of these characters. The characters themselves aren’t bad, necessarily, but compared to the characters from previous games, they lack that certain something that draws the player in and grips them so tightly that their only choice is to keep playing.
Audio Score: 7/10
This does need to be split up a bit. The music, as always, is great. It sets the mood, the fight music is nice, and it’s everything that would be expected from Final Fantasy. The voice acting is where this game slips on the audio. I can’t say how the Japanese voice actors are, but there are some (Oerba Dia Vanille in particular) that will make you want to take an ice pick to your ears. The voice actor can’t seem to pick what accent her character should have.
Combat Score: Determined by the player
Combat in this game is certainly a mixed bag. On one hand, it is a unique system that allows full control over the AI of the party, which can be switched on the fly in battle, and allows you to focus on what one character does. On the other hand, the battles fly by very quickly, for the most part, and seem to fall into two categories: ridiculously easy and tear your hair out annoying. It really comes down to what the player enjoys if the combat works for them.
Overall Score: 6/10
This is a game that people will likely love or hate. It’s certainly not up to the lofty levels of the older games, but it’s not bad, either. At the price that it’s available for now (likely in the bargain bins) it’s likely worth a shot if you’re a fan of FF games or if you’re interested in seeing what all the hype has been about with these games. At worst, you’ll find yourself blown away by the visuals but feeling a bit let down by the gameplay quirks.
