Final Fantasy XIII had such a one-track mind it was practically a monorail. And because it was a mere shadow of the games that had come before it (minus XI, of course), Square Enix gracefully did what few other developers have been brave enough to do: they held up their hands and admitted their shortcomings.
The Final Fantasy studio never once tried to deflect the many criticisms squared at XIII and their entire run-up to sequel Final Fantasy XIII-2 has wisely been focused on nothing but rectifying the problems that dogged the last game. How tragic, then, that a significant portion of the drive to right XIII's many wrongs has been misplaced.
What compounded the first game's painfully linear environments more than anything was the small fact that almost every battle could be won without doing anything more than hitting 'Auto-battle' over and over again. Final Fantasy XIII played itself, and for all its improvements elsewhere, the same is true for Final Fantasy XIII-2.
For the most part you'll be in control of Serah and Noel, Serah being the sister of XIII's Lightning, and Noel - a newcomer suspiciously reminiscent of Sora from Kingdom Hearts - whose constant need to be told the backstory serves as a fine mechanic to help anyone who skipped Final Fantasy XIII to follow the undulating plot.
Joining the pair in the battles against XIII-2's wild beasts are the beasts themselves. Or, rather, creatures that have been captured Pokemon-style in previous battles. Up to three domesticated critters can be kept close by at any one time to be swapped in and out of battle with the returning Paradigm Shift system.
SHORT SHIFT
The other two characters are controlled by the computer, the idea being you can greatly influence these moves by swapping job roles at any point in time by 'Paradigm Shifting'. For example, you can turn Noel from a mage like Ranger who would typically hurl fire and thunder spells at the enemy, to a Medic ready to heal injured fighters in an instant.
Up to six of these set combinations can be saved at any one time, with captured monsters only able to adopt a single job class (hence the need to swap them in and out of the battle when activating different Paradigms).
The computer-controlled characters still persistently ignore the optimal attacking strategies and haven't the brains to fire off quick healing spells or use items to pull a losing situation out of the bag (choosing instead to wait and let their ATB gauges fill to the brim, even though you, as Party Leader, have the ability to activate spells early if it'll help your cause).
Unfortunately, Square Enix's desperation to create a dynamic, flashy battle system has come at the expense of control and tactics, and half the time you feel like you're fighting the game systems as much as you are the enemies.
Comments
32 comments so far...
Nitramuse on 28 Jan '12 said:
Sigh....at first when XIII-2 was announced I thought that SE shouldn't release more of this crap. When I read that SE would address the problems in XIII, I was happy and was ready to give the main FF series a last chance.
The day they released the demo, all hope was lost. Whilst I still hoped that just the demo was rubish, it looks like that at this moment, the main serie FF is officially declared "DEAD".
Sorry SE, you f**ked it all up.
ste hicky on 28 Jan '12 said:
Have only played the Demo but one thing i noticed that had been added to the battle system is the ability to switch leader, giving you access to the full skillset but if there was ever an FF battle system crying out for the Gambit's of XII, It's the XIII games.
theatticusera on 28 Jan '12 said:
The paradigm system in 13 was one of the best things about the game for me. I think this will still be a day 1 purchase from what I've seen of other reviews
slick loose on 28 Jan '12 said:
I hate to be that guy but you say it's "much better than XIII", yet that game got a 9.2 from you guys at CVG. So how can a game that is "much better" score far more lower than it's predecessor?
Who am I kidding? I love being that guy!
STE MO on 28 Jan '12 said:
Square Enix seem to be having a problem. I have the cure, a Phoenix down in the shape of Final Fantasy 7 HD remake. Just do it!
Phaedros on 28 Jan '12 said:
I hated the paradigm system personally. I think it's really gimmicky.
MrPirtniw on 28 Jan '12 said:
This. Also, the review read like the game was far worse than a 7.8- that means it's still pretty good even with a broken battle system- one of the most important aspects of a FF game? I'd have scored FF XIII at around 4/5 out of 10- it got better toward the end but everything from the characters, the campy music, the ridiculous CGI to the lack of any kind of gameplay screwed it up. The battle system was just the mouldy old cherry on the stale cake. How anyone reviewed it at 9.2 is anyones guess.
Square, stay away from FF 7- please.
mr_pibb on 28 Jan '12 said:
funny how this review (and others I've looked at) say this is better than XIII, yet gave it a lower score, and suddenly all the things they liked about XIII they now hate about XIII-2. It wouldn't matter if this was the most perfect game ever released, it was going to get criticised for not being FFVII. This is still better than a huge number of other games out there getting glowing review scores. I certainly don't rate XIII as high as VII or VIII, but XIII is not bad by any stretch, its just not going to be remembered as a masterpiece. And you know damn well that if XIII had been identical in play style to older FF games, it would be criticised for not changing.
wicko on 28 Jan '12 said:
Different reviewer would probably explain that.
Whiplash x360a on 29 Jan '12 said:
>reads review from a website that is based on negatively biased ideas
>neglects everything said, knowing that you can NEVER trust reviews
>further excited about XIII-2
Whiplash x360a on 29 Jan '12 said:
This post gets my Stamp of Approval.
ashleymatto on 29 Jan '12 said:
it has been downhill since 10 . its sequel wasn't much good, 12 was worse, 13 i thought when the ps3 came out was going to be an epic HD gorgeous old school FF iteration - it couldn't have been further than that - it was beautiful - but boring as hell - linear as hell - and was about an ounce of what i expected- now they have a SEQUEL to one of the WORST FF games ever - jeez.... i am really looking forward to VS 13 though from what i have seen and read . including a world map - interesting characters , a bit darker a tone - a shame ill have to wait about 8-9 months for it or more.... and if that doesn't work out.....god knows what i will have to wait a few years for with the next series - one thing sequels and games should never do it get WORSE , (looking at you DMC.....and Resident Evil!!) . cannot wait for The Last Guardian though. I hope this doesn't happen to the supreme MGS series though - Rising has been through development and redevelopment
ashleymatto on 29 Jan '12 said:
omg and not to mention there will be a THIRD entry of FF13 . god help us all......
Imaduck on 29 Jan '12 said:
Agreed with the others here really, this is a bit wonky. Also, if this Final Fantasy isn't for you - go do something else. Every game is a new universe, there's no story continuity between the digits. XIII could've been better, it could've been a lot worse too, I enjoyed it and am still grinding actually
Sequels to XIII are great news for fans of 13, so where's the problem?. If it was VII - 2 there'd be the same situation. Personally I wouldn't give a s**t, but I wouldn't bitch continuously at those who were into it. This is what Square are doing at the moment, deal with it. Whether you enjoy it or not, these are the games they need out of their system to move on.
This attitude, It's like ...... bricking every bus that isn't the one you're waiting on as it passes
Nobody is forcing anyone to take part in anything they don't want to, or to buy anything they don't want 
. There are options being presented for all with other FF games in the works. Grow the f**k up already.
slick loose on 29 Jan '12 said:
I agree duck, I say the same about Resident Evil but all people want is either the first resident evils from the PS1, with the fixed cameras, cheesy acting and poor controls. Or they just want a Resident Evil 4 again, which 5 was...except it was far less scary. I enjoyed 5 because I had a right laugh playing it in co-op, so overall I prefer it over 4...but 4's single player is better. But for me, it was only an 8/10, the way people go on it's like it was the best game ever created...
Mmmmgrolsch on 29 Jan '12 said:
Its ok saying you don't have to buy it. But FF has always offered such a full and wonderful world to play it. Do you have any idea how hard it is waiting over 5 years for a true FF game after playing master pieces after master pieces every 2 years?
FF has been my favourite franchise ever. Yet I haven't had a proper FF game to play this gen!! The closest I've got was Lost Odyssey and that was 4 or so years ago now
It deeply saddens me watching my favourite franchise get used and abused in such a dirty way 
They always make a fresh game everytime, I understand this, and thats why I love the series.
But! This is basically a game they made to go in a direction of giving the impression that these guys have never made a JRPG game before. I can't help but wish whoever is in charge gets demoted and someone who knows what makes the FF games so great and popular takes over.
Its like they are trying so desperately to kill the franchise. My only conclusion is that someone has gotten very greedy by not being happy with making s**t loads of cash and turn the franchise into a cash cow by appealing to none JRPG fans. I just wish they did it with a new franchise rather than covering the FF brand in s**t.
One day I hope to wake up and this was all a terrible terrible nightmare. Please Square-Enix, look back at what made the franchise so great. We don't want extra polygons.
budge on 29 Jan '12 said:
Personally i love cutscenes in games, they're a great way of keeping a story moving and much better than trying to lisen to somebody yapping about the plot whilst you're in the midst of battle or something.
I'm looking forward to this game, kupo.
slick loose on 29 Jan '12 said:
*cringe*
higgins78 on 29 Jan '12 said:
I'll stick with Xenoblade Chronicles, thanks a bunch Square Enix for pointing out (again) that sticking HD besides a product has no guarantee of success. For the bleeding "hardcore" (LOL) this must surely be another kick in the teeth, mock as they do the Wii yet stuck as they are with another title championing style over substance. All this gen - for me - has come to prove is "HD" is an excuse to package inferior products encouraging lazy development. Last Story in a month or so...
chunkysatsuma on 29 Jan '12 said:
It does seem CVG jump on the bandwagon too frequently - a hyped game gets a fantastic score (9.2) and then later they spend ages saying why it was such a let down when they realise the fans didnt love it.
Now we have a game that is "much better" than the one they gave 9.2 too and it gets a 7?
Different reviewer or not there needs to be some moderation to the way reviews are handed out surely?
flash501 on 29 Jan '12 said:
I don't think it's unreasonable for fans to voice their displeasure at Square's decision to give a sequel to probably one of the least popular FF's to date (and if the rumours are true, a second sequel) I loved VII through to XII but I despised XIII with a passion. The sooner they forget about XIII and start from the ground up on XIV, the better, IMO.
pishers on 29 Jan '12 said:
i don't see why a game described as better than the last one has to score higher as the industry has moved on and other games have come out that raise the bar or innovate. Besides, if this happened then soon a lot of games will be getting 10/10 by default.
Imaduck on 29 Jan '12 said:
I agree Flash that fan feedback is incredibly important, I just feel people are starting to slate this for no real reason. there are other FF projects under way, we've even seen them. These sequels are only being made because apparently a lot of people bought XIII and a fair few enjoyed it. So Square are expanding that for them, which I'm sure will be good news for them. I get some oldschool fans frustration, really I do, but we all know for a fact that there is at the very least one more game in the works so its not that ANYONE is being overlooked. They're expanding their fan base.
If you played FF from the start, you're going to be a reasonable age by now. SE won't be able to sell to those of us 20+ for ever, they need to start grabbing the kids of today (irritating as they are
). They have to take in fan criticism but they can't just cater to every fan desire or the next FF would be a FPS where you played as Sharktopus. They need to keep true to their own ideas and get each out of the way in order. There'll be highs, lows, and divided opinions, but at least SE try to cater to a variety of fans at a time, with several different titles in the works.
To conclude, everyone is being catered to here, Square need to do this as both an outlet and an expansion. Options = good. More details on the other FF project(s) incoming soon. Just be glad you aren't all hardcore Half-Life fans
Mmmmgrolsch on 29 Jan '12 said:
But they haven't catered for the franchise fans this gen at all. It's been 5 years since FF12
The only reason they are releasing FF13-2 is to cut back on costs by reusing resources and cutting development times. This will come back to bite them on the arse I reckon personally. The FF fanbase is absolutely massive, but more and more people are losing faith due to Square Enix's incompetence and confusion over what FF is.
FF has never had trouble selling due to the huge fan base. I'd agree with you and think its ok to reach out to a bigger audience. But not at the cost of those that got them to this position by neglecting them.
Only a slighty related note. Where the f**k is Kingdom Hearts 3?
Sammy_bham on 29 Jan '12 said:
Hmmm....
I dunno what to say really.
FF13 wasnt unplayable, but it wasnt memorable ethier... i traded it in pretty much soon after i completed it.
i STILL HAVE ff7, ff8, ff9, ff10, ff12 originals. thats how much i liked enjoyed those games.
they seem to be on steep decline.... its a shame really because the franchise name carries so much weight.
like a poster above, the last jrpg i enjoyed was lost oddessy of 360. nothing since. I struggle to think that there is not one employers of SE whos sitting there going... "i know what makes a great FF!!!, look at 7 to 10!!!". i just cant fathom it. there millions of people in the uk alone who knows what they want, and what it takes. Im not saying we all want the same thing. im sure there elements off ff7 people didnt like etc. but seriously...
here a basic list IMO that should be included in a new FF.
# Summons - more then 4. - the ability to look, find locate new summons that you dont have to have is a must. Summons in FF and FF8 blew me away (at the time), they wernt required, but being able to call in neo bahamut in a stale battle made things 100% more interesting. and like i said, defeating a fairly tough boss to get one was half the fun.
# Character leveling systems / weapons / magic - The junction system in 8 was brilliant (if you could figure it out) along with the draw system. Equiping materia etc. all fab. These have made a steady decline, but its what added weight to the amazng gameplay of the prevous FF game. (old consoles, small memory, single layers discs, but they could manage to put more basic information in then ff13? really?)
# Limit breaks - just..... missing?
# mini games / towns - The core, time consuming, exploring element of previous FF games which... made them great, annoying and beautiful all in one. This element, whilst repeated 7 to 9, was what people looked forward to, enjoyed and was the staple of FF. I agree new ideas are required and SE might have wanted to creat something completley new, theyve taken away a great element... and replaced it with.... repetative, linear, no town, no real mini games gameplay? theyve got rid of the good, nd replaced with bad. Needs to be sorted. New ideas yes please!!! so different to the point its unrecogisable as a FF? no thanks.
# STORY - The final, and most important thing 100% missing. I know its just my opinion, but in my opinion and a lot of other peoples opinions... but i seriously, didnt like, or give a crap about anyone in ff13. at all. Vanille... was horrible, lightning... you actual character was boring. The most interesting person for me, was snow. (i know, thats how bad it was). I can name you all major and minor characters in ff8, ff7, ff9. I can only remeber... 3? or 4 from ff13. thats how little they matter.
SORT IT OUT SE.
please.
Izo on 30 Jan '12 said:
It got a lower score because that was a different reviewer and things have moved on, if you want to see a rpg series that has evolved yet maintains what makes it great just look at Dragon Quest, this series has gone the route that FF should have followed it maintained its core approach and tweaked and added features that help elevate the formula even more while giving each installment varying takes of this formula, games like Zelda have mastered this approach for years. What has happened with FF is that the departure of several key figures in SE and the ever out of touch higher ups wanting to do COD/Mario numbers has lead to the games steering further and further away from the core approach that everyone liked in the previous games.
XIII is essentially a Jrpg equivalent of a corridor shooter which is a huge step down from the open world game with many towns in the series, SE should look up Xenoblade and look at the type of game XIII should of been we don't mind changes in FF as well as they don't cut out what makes them great and in XIII's case it's cut out a huge chunk due to SE's laziness. RE and DMC at least retain the same core aim in their changes XIII as Ste correctly puts it seems like a group of newcomers made the game.
At this point I only have faith in Horii and his Armor Studio (thank f**k he fully owns DQ and over sees the series) and Hajime Tabata who did great directing 3rd Birthday and wants to do a console PE game, mind you the higher ups might start demanding they turn PE into a GEOW style game at that point.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 30 Jan '12 said:
Final Fantasy XIII was a very marmite game; you rither loved it or you hated it. I somehow managed both. The characters were god awful but i didn't mind the gameplay once i'd gotten into it and the missions on gran pulse were pretty damn fun.
I think the sequel will be pretty similar and from the demo i quite enjoyed it. Still hate the characters though.
Personally i'd say if you want a brilliant Final Fantasy style rpg and you have a 360 go and get Lost Odyssey. It kicks the stuffing out of FFXIII. Also wait for The Last Story on the wii instead of getting XIII-2. I've played a little of the japanese version and its the game that final Fantasy XIII should of been in the first place.
Currychips on 30 Jan '12 said:
"New ideas please" and yet you run down a list of things from older FF games?? What's new about that? As much as I agree with what you've stated about the older games and the elements that made them great, they are in the past and have been done.
Seems to me SE tried something new with XIII and didn't quite manage to pull it off, the next FF will be back to form as they simply can't afford for it not be as great as it once was. They tried making a more linear, story driven game and it didn't work. Now that's out of their system, we will hopefully get back something approaching a true FF game.
I'm still picking this up though, as from what I've seen and played so far, I've liked! Horses for courses I guess.
nocturnal on 30 Jan '12 said:
I replayed Final Fantasy 9 from the PSN yesterday. After playing that master piece again, it really is tragic to see how the series died.
FF13 was horrendous, and this is even worse. It is more than generous to give it more than 3/10 at best. Graphically lacking by today's standards, too.
Mmmmgrolsch on 8 Feb '12 said:
Another PSM3 review.
Azogstyle on 25 Feb '12 said:
THIS GAME´S END makes me so maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. What do you think Squarenix ? Whyyyyyyyyyyy ????
Zodiaron on 26 Feb '12 said:
The way Square Enix is trying to make money with the enormous amount of ridiculous DLC's is worrying...