Final Fantasy XIII was originally released in 2009, it rose quickly as one of the modern favorites of the franchise's fan base. Opposed to its predecessors, the title is quite different in terms of gameplay and style; which is a make or break point for many who've played it. Final Fantasy XIII is either a game that you're going to fall in love with, or absolutely despise.
The storyline is straightforward and simple; set in a futuristic world called Cocoon, it is up to ex-soldier Lightning and her five comrades to decide and unleash the fate of the world all the while attempting to figure out the focus that they've been cursed with. The landscapes and levels are beautifully designed, both equally colorful and filled with rich organic and biomechanical life. As always with Square Enix, the pre-rendered cutscenes were ahead of their time when the game first released, and they've aged fantastically over the last seven years. No one can deny that the game looks superb, sleek and stylish. Though beware, 98% of the game is made up of linear corridors, while only one small section in Chapter 11 (out of 13) has a small open exploration area.
Though as gamers know, looks are definitely not everything. Final Fantasy XIII can hardly be classified as an RPG, rather it would be better classified as an action game, and many of the franchises main elements have been left behind in lieu of moving forward and carving a new path; unfortunately, main staples that we've grown to love over the decades are nowhere to be found within this installment. There is no leveling system, your characters level up by obtaining Crystogen points which are then spent in the Crystarium; much akin to the skill system in Final Fantasy X. Crystogen points can be spent between a total of six Paradigms (classes); Medic, Commando, Ravager, Synergist, Sentinel and Saboteur.
At times, the battle system seems both overly complex and at the same time overly simple. The game makes the battle system come across as complex, as it throws new tutorials at you for the first 8-9 hours, you're really better off piecing it together on your own to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Despite having three characters in your part at (almost) all times, you only have control over whoever you've deemed as the leader... once you get to that point. You don't actually get to pick your party members until well over halfway into the game. This can be rather frustrating when the AI doesn't do its job, and sticks you with picking up the slack with one character. Although it is fun to fight alongside Eidolons, the summons in this title, it can also be frustrating when they fail to keep an enemy Staggered.
Weapons can also be upgraded/leveled by using found and/or bought components, typically most weapons can be upgraded three tiers to their ultimate form. All of these weapons can be purchased from the store, and are not missable; unlike in previous titles where you would have to seek out a character's ultimate item. There's also no armor, the best that you'll get are accessories. The higher you rank up your Paradigms, the more chance you have to unlock another accessory slot. Accessories can also be upgraded in the same manner as weapons, though typically only one or two tiers are available.
The biggest issue with Final Fantasy XIII is that this port is terrible, the performance in terms of FPS is utter garbage. My above average rig (specs in profile) cannot get this title to run at a smooth, stable 60 FPS. While I did achieve this during some sections of the game, the FPS would hop all over the place; from being locked at 30, to back up to 60, to running generally in between 40-50, while occasionally dipping down to 20-25. It didn't seem to matter where I was in game, what I was doing, and oddly enough the open world area in Chapter 11 was the place where I got mostly consistent 60 FPS. The only part of this game that runs at a constant 60 FPS are the pre-rendered cutscenes. However, this port is nowhere near as flawed as Final Fantasy XIII-2. There are some minor fixes in the Community Hub, but few work.
While I hated every aspect of the gameplay with Final Fantasy XIII, I loved every moment of the story; this seems to be a general consensus for those who are more attracted to older Final Fantasy titles. There are a lot of moving moments during the story, and the characters have a great depth to them that hasn't been seen since Final Fantasy X. The player will find themselves growing attached with empathy to the entire gang. A huge part of the playtime within this title is committed to cutscenes and story building. In fact, I would say out of the 30 hours that it took me to finish this game that 10 of those hours were dedicated to cutscenes. So if you're in the mood for a good story, Final Fantasy XIII definitely has your back. However, given the performance issues, it is hard for me to recommend this title. I would wait for at least a 50% off sale, otherwise just get it on another platform to avoid having your experience tainted.
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