There’s something about the Final Fantasy series of games that has always interested me yet the gameplay does not always hold my interest for long enough. At times it can be repetitive or frustrating to the point where I don’t enjoy it any more. This was definitely the case when I gave some of the early games another go a couple of years ago after they were re-released on Nintendo DS with updated graphics.
However, I still have fond memories of playing Final Fantasy IX, and it is those memories which have kept me optimistic about finding one of these games that I like.
Final Fantasy XIII has had plenty of sub-par reviews, but the hype surrounding its release eventually became too much for me to bear. When buying a couple of other games, I saw it available second-hand for half the normal price, and decided it was time to buy it. That, I think, has turned out to be a good decision.
The visuals are spectacular. A couple of times I had trouble being able to tell the difference between video-based cutscenes and pre-scripted cutscenes that used the in-game rendering engine. The two or three environments I’ve experienced so far (which are technically all within the same place – but all look very different) are dramatic and epic.
This is *not* pre-rendered full motion video. This is what it looks like in-game.
I’m also quickly becoming aware that, despite playing the game for several hours, I am still following a linear introductory path: I’m discovering not only the characters and their intertwined stories but also still experiencing the occasional tutorial mode to introduce yet another feature of the game.
Interestingly, because most of the battles are planned and expected and there are sufficient other “events” between them to keep my interest, that issue of repetition I experienced with earlier Final Fantasy games is no longer present. For this same reason, as I haven’t really had (m)any “puzzles” to solve yet, I haven’t felt frustrated by one that is particularly tough.
I suspect at some point the game will “open up” – I’ll be able to explore more freely, develop my characters, and figure stuff out for myself. For now, I’m enjoying the slightly linear direction. I wonder, though, is this because the Uncharted games are much like this, too?
On top of all that, it’s just, generally, really really pretty. I don’t want to labour the point too much, but it’s a delight to look at. The designers have poured a lot of time and effort into even quite small details in the environments – even at those points you might pass through in only 2 seconds and never see again. If all I could do was wander from area to area and never actually do anything, I think I’d probably still spend just as much time doing that. It’s well crafted.
Also, the story is one that I first thought was a little bit Japanese anime-style cheesy. And, deep down, it is. But I am at a point now where it has started to develop in interesting ways: characters with burning hatred, ill-directed internal turmoil, disagreements over interpretations of someone else’s final words.
I’m finding myself looking forward to finding the time to keep playing it. Yet, if I only have an hour to spare, I might not take the opportunity. I want to play it for long sessions and soak it all in at once. Indeed, as I only have about an hour to spare right now, I’m writing this instead of diving in to play it some more.
Have you played Final Fantasy games before? What’s your opinion of them?
I am part of the cultural divide it seems that felt that Final Fantasy VII was a grave disappointment after the previous titles in the series on the SNES, and consequently, my belief that 8 was a superior product is often met with scorn.
I am just now getting back into RPGs, and I do have to say, the battle systems have almost always left something to be desired, and I think that is the reason why I find them so difficult to stay involved with, despite their usually excellent stories and production values.
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