RETROSPECTIVE: FINAL FANTASY XIII The trick of the battle system is to make use of all of the roles at precisely the right moments. Pulling off buffs and debuffs before switching to an offensive class, for instance, is key. While you manage all this, auto battle takes care of commands. The system can be furthered by the Chain Gauge, which builds up as an enemy attacks. Once the meter is full the enemy will become ‘staggered,’ allowing the player to deal incredible damage. Combat remains fast paced throughout the entire game, although still requires a great amount of strategy in switching paradigms for success. As mentioned before, FFXIII restricts you by only allowing you to control one character. Unlike previous FF games, however, if the party leader dies then the game immediately comes to an end. This can get somewhat frustrating when the AI fails to react how you’d hope again a reason to think carefully before entering battle. Summons return once again, this time in the form of “transformer” type mechanical beasts. Each character gets their own Eidolon that must be defeated before it joins the party. Odin, Alexander, Shiva, and Bahamut make appearances as well as newcomers Brunhilde and Hecatoncheir. Although not necessary to complete the game, summons are still a fun addition to an already exciting battle system. FFXIII also impresses visually with breathtaking graphics and wonder ful artistic design courtesy of Isamu Kamikokur you. This is a believable world, furthered by significant amounts of some of the best CGI to grace a game. Nobuo Uematsu’s rather large shoes are filled more than adequately by the incredibly talented Masashi Hamauzu. Several tunes standout such as Blinded by Light or Sunleth Waterscape. It’s perhaps too early to pass full judgement on FFXIII, but it’s certainly an interesting, unique and exciting step in the series’ history. Is it the best entry in the series? The answer you’ll get from me, and I feel most fans is no - but it’s still a great game. Its beautiful graphics, fast-paced battle system, and fantastic music make it more than worthwhile and worthy of the FF name. There’s room for improvement - but this most certainly isn’t a bad starting point for a new era. Tomasz Rozejowski [@Zelu1984_FFM] is a global moderator for Final Fantasy Merchandise. [FinalFantasyMerchandise.com]
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