Final Fantasy XIII: Preview

For those who have been living under a rock for the last thirteen years; Final Fantasy is one of, if not the biggest role-playing series of all time, and done so much to push the genre forward in that window. Now the thirteenth iteration is coming to our shores and since its release in Japan last month is being very hotly anticipated.

This game has been five years in the making and has taken a team of 300 artists, designers, animators and coders to complete, costing a fortune in the process. With that much time, money and effort being put into something it automatically comes with a whole bunch of pressure, and being Square-Enix’s flagship series means failure is not an option. We also feel that the genre as a whole of late has needed a lift, and this could well hit the sweet spot.



What you first notice from seeing the game in action is its stunning visuals, one of the most impressive we’ve seen on the PlayStation 3 to date (the console we got a glimpse of it on). They really are beautiful and it’s apparent that a lot of work has gone into the graphical portions in particular. It seems It’s something they really want to hit home with, as they throw cutscene after cutscene upon you for a good long while before you’re left to your own devices.

The action really does get off to a slow start, feeling more like you’re watching a movie than playing a video game. Then once you finally start dabbling in a few more battles it comes into its own, and improves upon its already solid battle system with the features they’ve incorporated. The ability to link multiple commands together to maximize attack was the most pleasing for us.



The story isn’t something we should really get into as we’ll end up confusing ourselves. Let’s just say it revolves around something called the fal'Cie, which are these mechanical-beings, created from crystals, the very ones that form part of their structure. These godlike beings can then mark people who are similarly named l'Cie, who are deemed worthy and given tasks to complete in a certain amount of time. Then there’s something about visions and failing to complete these tasks results in them transforming into some sort of creature. Anyway…

You control a heroine named Lightning, a former sergeant, aided by her sidekick Satzu, whose unique feature is the cutesy Chocobo that lives in his afro. Your first task is to patrol the streets of Pulse, a wasteland that lays way to thugs and outcasts and sits low beneath the main city of Cocoon, which you’ll slowly work your way up to, encountering numerous threats on the way.

Underneath its polished graphics, new core battle features, and ridiculous plot, this latest Fantasy appears to remain the same old game we’ve come to love over the years. Fundamentally unchanged and possessing just enough to kick to keep hardcore Japanese fanboy, and casual RPG’er alike interested in what it has to offer.

http://finalfantasy13game.com/

Final Fantasy XIII is set to be released March 9th in North America, Europe and Australia on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Craig Bryan, NoobFeed