So I just got back from the mall, where our Sony store got a PS4 demo unit just yesterday. Spent about a half-hour playing through some games. Here are my thoughts.
Final Fantasy. Just saying the name conjures up all manner of conflicting thoughts these days. Square Enix is not the company it once was, and its flagship RPG series has encountered a lot of negativity and lukewarm receptions in recent years. Don’t count this legendary franchise out just yet though; there are plenty of interesting developments for the series coming from E3, including more than one mea culpa from the development side of the equation. With games coming down the pipeline from FF X to XV, I think it’s best that we tackle them in Roman numerical order, don’t you?
Welcome to the final part of PixlBit’s comprehensive look at the Final Fantasy series. In our last installment, we went through the PlayStation 2 era, which took the series into uncharted territory, for better or worse. This time, we look at the most recent Final Fantasy games, which have gone on to become the most divisive and controversial games in the series so far. Join us as we explore the Seventh Generation years!
Square Enix has announced the latest batch of planned DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2, which will once again focus on Lightning. In Lightning’s Story: Requiem of the Goddess, players will be treated to hidden truths behind the game’s mysterious endings. It will depict the battle between Lightning and Cauis not shown in the main game. Outside of Lightning, the expansion will also rope in Final Fantasy XIII stars, Sazh and Snow.
Final Fantasy is one of the most celebrated series in video game history. It spans 14 epic games across five console generations and is loved by fans around the world. But the funny thing about Final Fantasy is the fact that each adventure takes place in a completely different world with new lands to explore, party members to meet and villains to defeat. The only time a Final Fantasy game has continued its story was with the spinoff of FF X, which was given the awkward-but-accurate name of Final Fantasy X-2. That changes now, with the divisive Final Fantasy XIII getting a direct sequel on January 31.
It’s been a bit of a rough road for the Final Fantasy series in the past few years. There was a four year gap between Final Fantasy XII and XIII due to a protracted development cycle, and we’re still waiting to get our hands on its companion game, Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
We all know that Final Fantasy XIII was more of a linear experience - a trait that many long time fans of the series took issue with. While the game offered amazing graphics and a unique approach to the traditional RPG gameplay, for many it still left something to be desired. It was clear based on the brief demo I played, that XIII-2 would not follow that same linear structure. The world I encountered when I finally got to play the game was much more open, and perhaps contained more possibilities. I can't stress enough how much of an improvement this will be over the previous title if it manages to offer the same gameplay throughout the entire quest.
Final Fantasy XIII is an absolutely intriguing game. I say this because it has made some of the most radical changes I have ever seen in an RPG, especially for the by-the-book Final Fantasy series. In my opinion, these changes are absolutely phenomenal; boiling RPGs down to their essence and refining the remaining bits into a single coherent experience. JRPG and Final Fantasy fans are likely to be outraged at the massive overall seen here.
