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Okay internet, enough. I know how boring you think the first 15 hours of Final Fantasy XIII are, I know you hate the streamlined battle system and linear gameplay. I know, I know, I know! I agree with you, trust me I do, but the thing is, there are some things Square-Enix did do right with this new installment in the long loved series. Besides the pretty girls. They pretty much nail that everytime

5. Phoenix Downs are Sacred Again!

  • Remember how plentiful Gil started to be in the more recent Final Fantasy games? I remember playing seven and anytime I needed more potions or Phoenix Downs I would just go to any item store and buy 25 of each. This time around, there is no way you can do that. Because the battles are setup so differently, you actually have to think about whether or not dropping a 1,000 Gil Phoenix Down on your dead teammate is worth it. Good job Square!

    • 4. You Won’t Throw Your Controller Through The Window From Dieing In a Battle

  • Because of how the battles are now setup, where you can die and restart right before the fight begins with all possessions in place, many windows everywhere will stay solid. The frustration of playing for 45 minutes and then dying from a stupid mistake is gone. Instead, you are now paying more attention to how to fight the baddies more effectively, attempting risks and striving for more stars at the end of the fight. The more stars you get, the more points you get for upgrades and character advancement. This one design change gives the player a whole new outlook on how to play the game, and whether or not you personally think it’s good or bad, it definitely is innovative. I am just glad an hour of playtime no longer goes down the drain. Life is too short!

    • 3. The Summons Are Still Awesome

  • The fact that they still fight beside you like in X and XII is great. I loved that innovation and glad they stuck with it for XIII. The best part though is the addition of Gestalt Mode, where you actually combine with your summon and create a hugely powerful beast of a character. The strategy of when to use summons, and also when to activate Gestalt Mode has been really fun for me. I love coming up with new ways to defeat boss characters effectively. They also look amazing, but that is expected.

    • 2. The Soundtrack RULES

  • This has been mentioned before (I think by me?) but it is worth mentioning again: the songs in this game are awesome! One specific track that all RPG’s are memorable for is its battle theme. Since you spend a majority of your time fighting baddies, this theme cannot get annoying else it dampers the experience. Square-Enix knew this, and the Final Fantasy XIII battle theme is wonderful. I have been playing a little over 13 hours now and still am able to listen to the theme outside of the game on my iPod.

    Another thing that is important to note is the main theme. Though I was extremely skeptical about it before I started playing, after feeling the emotions of the game combined with the song, it totally works. They integrate different versions of it for different parts, giving you snippets of the theme without over saturation. Final Fantasy 8 did the same thing with Eyes on Me, where you would get the melody leaking into many other songs around the game, tying the feeling back to the main theme. It is somewhat confusing to explain, but once you start playing, it makes so much sense. The music in RPG’s are a huge deal to me, so knowing they got that right really kicks up the enjoyment factor for me. Those cut scenes just wouldn’t be the same! Kudos!

    • 1. The Story!

  • Fal’cie and l’cie, love triangles and character developments, airships and corrupt governments… everything about the Final Fantasy XIII storyline is gripping the hell out of me. I kind of get why Square chose to do such a long introduction to the main game. Though executed somewhat poorly, I am being sucked into the story, and there is no way I will stop playing until more of the plot is revealed. I can’t wait to find out who the main antagonist is and what big plot twist will hit me next. It is really exciting, and extremely mysterious, and keeping me hooked. Way to go!

    • So you see, not all the design choices Final Fantasy XIII made are bad. Some of them actually do help to improve the game play aspects of the series, even adding flare where there wasn’t any, and making the player rethink about battles and how they are executed. What are your favorite aspects of the new game?


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    AlexaNguyen - 03/26/10 5:52 am

    No more restarting after playing for hours because a tonberry got you.. yay

    God knows that happened to me at Omega Ruins -_-


    No more restarting after playing for hours because a tonberry got you.. yay


    My favorite has to be the soundtrack and the story. Though, I’m only about 4 hours into the game, so I’m much more interested in the soundtrack since I haven’t gotten much of the story yet. I love the battle theme for FFXIII. It definitely rivals FFVII’s boss themes and FFVIII’s battle theme. Masashi Hamauzu is a musical genius. I’m a bit sad that he left Square Enix.



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