The Final Fantasy XIII trilogy reaches its end with the
release of Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns this February. Final Fantasy
XIII remains the only title of the series to have a trilogy and has been highly
criticized by fans.
Final Fantasy XIII was revered for its cutting edge graphics
yet criticized for its linear gameplay.
While the gameplay was boring, the characters were easy to fall in love
with. The narrative unfolds through the
eyes of six main characters. Critics claimed that unlike other Final Fantasy
titles, Final Fantasy XIII’s story was messy and disorganized. The player only understands what’s going on
about ten hours into the game. Many complaints stemmed from the lack of side
quests and customization.
Square Enix responded to these criticisms by releasing a
sequel: Final Fantasy XIII-2. Fans were not thrilled once the game was
announced. The last Final Fantasy title that had a direct sequel was not well
received and is regarded as a complete disappointment to fans. However, once
the title hit the shelves, it was clear that Square Enix was attempting to fix
the game’s problems. While the narrative was still hard to follow, it quickly
immersed players with its interactive cut scenes and open world. Side quests were
implemented and the world seemed overwhelmingly large. The original cast was
scrapped and replaced with two new main characters. The rest of your battle
party was replaced with captured monsters leading to less interest in the
characters and their relationships.
Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns stays true to its name and
allows players to once again play as one of the main heroines from the first
title. Although Lightning will be the only playable character, trailers reveal
that characters from the previous two titles will show up frequently. The
game’s world will be expansive and players will be racing against the clock to
save the world one last time.
Lightning Returns drops in Japan in late November and set
for an American release a few months later in February.
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