Past Featured Reviews
The Never Ending Story:
A gaming classic bursts out of hibernation in the form of
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Five hundred years after the end of Final Fantasy XIII-2, god Bhunivelze awakens Lightning from hibernation with news that the world is ending in 13 days. He informs Lightning of her task: to save the souls of Nova Chrysalia—a new realm forged by the fusion of Gran Pulse and Valhalla—and guide them to a new, safer world as the Doomsday Clock kicks off. Nova Chrysalia is divided into four continents, each with their own challenges, landscapes and monsters. Bhunivelze promises to resurrect Lightning’s long-crystallized younger sister, Serah, if she finishes the job.
Naturally, there’s an opposing force. Once the rebel outfit Children of Etro learns of Lightning’s responsibilities, they immediately set out to stop her, believing Lightning is a symbol of the apocalypse. And some of the Children of Etro are former friends and allies. Like most Final Fantasy storylines, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII posits a rich tapestry of events—often interwoven and occasionally divergent—on players.
What separates Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII from Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the open world that Lightning explores. Unlike Final Fantasy XIII-2—where gameplay was “on rails”—Square Enix’s newest creation follows a MMORPG concept. They fully expect no gamer to be able to visit every part of Nova Chrysalia on the first go-round. The Crystarium System will not return, however. Stats are increased through completion of side quests, soul saves, and buying items and abilities from in-game stores.
Probably the most significant upgrade is to the Command Synergy Battle system. Borrowing elements from Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, the new system is called Style-Change Active Time Battle (SATB), and is largely in real-time. Attack strategies, weapon swaps and dodges can be performed at-will, allowing gamers to react strategically to foes throughout Nova Chrysalia. Weather and day/night cycles will also play a large part in the quest. Expect to see cities empty at mid-day, but packed during “rush hour.” Also, expect monsters to increase in power and danger as day turns to night. And finally, Lightning Returns runs on a per-quest basis—five in all—instead of chapters. The quests delineate important storyline changes.
Going back to monsters: About half of Lightning Returns’ monsterarium will be new. They’ll also range in size from small to epically huge. For the bigger bad guys, specific parts can be targeted. Additionally, each monster will have several weaknesses designed to deliver less repetitive battle environments. The good thing is the Doomsday Clock stands still during fights. Completing side quests also set the ever-ticking clock back.
Projected to last “at least” 100 hours, Lightning Returns closes the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. But Square Enix knows Final Fantasy diehards will spend much more time in the game—around 1,000+ hours—something they can brag about on Facebook and Twitter using the game’s Outerworld Communication system. If anything, the fantasy is anything but final in Lightning Returns.
Naturally, there’s an opposing force. Once the rebel outfit Children of Etro learns of Lightning’s responsibilities, they immediately set out to stop her, believing Lightning is a symbol of the apocalypse. And some of the Children of Etro are former friends and allies. Like most Final Fantasy storylines, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII posits a rich tapestry of events—often interwoven and occasionally divergent—on players.
What separates Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII from Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the open world that Lightning explores. Unlike Final Fantasy XIII-2—where gameplay was “on rails”—Square Enix’s newest creation follows a MMORPG concept. They fully expect no gamer to be able to visit every part of Nova Chrysalia on the first go-round. The Crystarium System will not return, however. Stats are increased through completion of side quests, soul saves, and buying items and abilities from in-game stores.
Probably the most significant upgrade is to the Command Synergy Battle system. Borrowing elements from Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, the new system is called Style-Change Active Time Battle (SATB), and is largely in real-time. Attack strategies, weapon swaps and dodges can be performed at-will, allowing gamers to react strategically to foes throughout Nova Chrysalia. Weather and day/night cycles will also play a large part in the quest. Expect to see cities empty at mid-day, but packed during “rush hour.” Also, expect monsters to increase in power and danger as day turns to night. And finally, Lightning Returns runs on a per-quest basis—five in all—instead of chapters. The quests delineate important storyline changes.
Going back to monsters: About half of Lightning Returns’ monsterarium will be new. They’ll also range in size from small to epically huge. For the bigger bad guys, specific parts can be targeted. Additionally, each monster will have several weaknesses designed to deliver less repetitive battle environments. The good thing is the Doomsday Clock stands still during fights. Completing side quests also set the ever-ticking clock back.
Projected to last “at least” 100 hours, Lightning Returns closes the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. But Square Enix knows Final Fantasy diehards will spend much more time in the game—around 1,000+ hours—something they can brag about on Facebook and Twitter using the game’s Outerworld Communication system. If anything, the fantasy is anything but final in Lightning Returns.