subject: Final Fantasy Xiii Is Great, But Not Perfect [print this page] The Final Fantasy series is one of the most beloved and respected video game series of all time. Ever since their debut in 1987 with the first installment, Final Fantasy has been the gold standard of the RPG (role playing game to those not in the know) genre of video games. Perhaps the greatest success that Square Enix (formerly Squaresoft) has enjoyed with their Final Fantasy games came with Final Fantasy VII, which is considered by many to be one of the best video games of all time.
However, in the past ten years, Square Enix has focused more on spin off titles such as the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series and others. But now Square has stormed into the new decade with Final Fantasy XIII, a title that is (no pun intended) set to be a major game changer.
Final Fantasy XIII takes place in the world of Cocoon, which has just been put through the Purge, an attempt by Cocoon's government to remove any and all residents of the lower world known as Pulse. It is up to a group of survivors to discover the truth behind the Purge, as well as rise to meet a fate they have been dealt.
Technically, Final Fantasy XIII is the most impressive of the series. Easily it has the best graphics of the series, but it is very different from the previous games due to the way the game plays. Previous Final Fantasy games heavily dealt with exploration as a means to tell the story, but that is not the case with XIII, as the game relies on the player battling through each locale and reaching objectives that propel the story forward. While there is some exploration, the game is still heavily objective focused, and offers no time for dilly dallying.
The visual design of the game is extremely impressive, shown to be a more sunny sided version of Final Fantasy of the more recent games, but simultaneously featuring the same design style of the gritty Final Fantasy VII and VIII.
The story featured in the game, however, can be somewhat confusing if one does not use the intel provided in the menu screen, because the game will not bother to fully explain the concepts that are featured, such as the connection between Pulse and Cocoon, and things of that nature.
On the whole, however, Final Fantasy XIII is an excellent game, and perhaps it is the best one since Final Fantasy VIII.
