Final Fantasy XIII-2

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I've been waiting for FFXIII-2 for a while and I have to say this game is an improvement to all of the weak aspects of Final Fantasy XIII. I have played this game nonstop since it came out and I was able to rush through the main storyline in 20 hours. Keep in mind that I have beaten this game (got through the final cutscene)but not with 100% completion.

The first DEFINITE improvement is that you are no longer bound by a linear storyline / corridors to travel through. This is a much welomed improvement for sure, the option for the player to proceed at their own pace by selecting to skip around history is very nice.

The second improvement is that the upgrading system seems to be easier to use, you are able to level your character as you please and you are able to level whatever role you want.

Now to the bad parts (not a lot and these are just opinions)

The first is that your third party member is limited to the monsters you encounter and capture. And you feel a bit empty inside after spending time leveling a monster only to have it replaced by a lower level, but stronger creature that you just captured.

For the people that were wondering about the Amazon DLC Omega, it does NOT make you overpowered or allow you to breeze through the game. I have beaten the game with at least 3 roles of each character maxed to level 99 and still omega kicks my ass (he doesn't join you until you beat him).

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The MAIN problem I have with FFXIII is that this is the only Final Fantasy game that I've played that literally said "to be continued" after you beat the final boss. It leaves me feeling so unsatisfied that the game ended like that. Well to be fair I don't know if there is an alternate ending for finishing the game with 100%. But after looking around on youtube, the secret ending doesn't really add much to the ending in FFXIII-2. I'm not going to go into details of how it ended but it feels cut short.

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Overall this is a very good game, it is a must buy if you enjoyed FFXIII and it feels like a much more polished game and what FFXIII should have been. Still a very good game, I might update this review when I finish more of the game.

UPDATE: Ok, well now I finished the game 158/160 fragments and have done basically everything the game has to offer and now my total playtime is 50 hours. So bascially if you are going to spend your time with only the story mode and ignore all of the side quest content, this game can probably be rented and beaten in a week. However if you are a completionist and like to do all of the stuff that the game has to offer, just keep in mind that this game does not offer nearly as much play time as other final fantasy titles.

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The best part about this game in my opinion is the overall vas exploration and hidden secrets all over. I have always been the type to work hard to find all a game has to offer and FFXIII-2 has tons. Monster collection, which I originally thought was a terrible addition to fill in the spot of a third character, is so much fun and very addicting. Almost every monster you fight, you have a chance of collecting them in a crystal, having them join your party. Each one has a specific role and their own unique feral attacks. Overall, it's a fantastic addition to the game.

When you feel like taking a break from searching for Lightning, there is an amusement park style casino where you can play slots and raise chocobo's for the races to earn some nice prizes and gil. There are a few areas here that are not open yet. If you talk to an employee NPC, you will hear that these areas are under construction and will be available at a later date. Hinting that new games will be available through DLC, including a new card game next to the slots. Square Enix already has me itching for the DLC.

The graphics and gameplay mechanics are almost the same, just improved and move at a much faster rate than XIII. Although, the story does take a little while to get interesting and can be very confusing at times. Nothing is forced and you have the freedom to explore and grind to lvl 99 from the very beginning without even touching the main story line. (Although I would pace yourself on leveling too fast, because the fights will get super easy) No limitations or caps are put on you. The main story line may take about 25 hours to complete, but the amount of content meant to be explored will have you playing for at least 50-60 hours easily. Not to mention the DLC they plan on releasing later on. They really listened to the fanbase and have given us a product that is both fun and entertaining. If you want a game that will have you hooked from the very beginning, pick this one up.

P.S.

I came across a Tonberry King today...got my butt kicked in like 30 seconds. He is a beast.

Buy Final Fantasy XIII-2 Now

First of all let me say that you are in for disappointment if you think this is the last FF13 game. The ending clearly states "to be continued" so you can expect there will be a Ff13-3.

In any case, FF13-2 is truly a fun game with a unique battle system where you can use monsters to fight for you like pokemon. If you didn't preorder the game, you won't be able to use Omega Weapon in battle until they release a DLC for it. Don't worry though, I got Omega and he sucks so you aren't missing anything.

In addition to the main story, there are many side quests and random things to do such as gambling at a casino and chocobo racing. Even with all these extra things to do, the duration of the game is relatively short. I finished the game in 30 hours even after spending a lot of time doing quests and leveling up. For unlocking the platinum trophy for ps3, it took me an extra 40 hours.

As for the story itself, be prepared to be confused. You've probably seen the trailers already and know that there is a random new guy in your party, his name is Noel. Basically Serah and Noel are traveling through time to find Lightning. Why are they looking for Lightning? Well because she magically disappeared after the end of FF13. She somehow ended up in the future where she has to constantly fight this native-american looking guy with unlimited auto-life who has the ability to transform into Bahamut whenever he feels like it. In the very beginning of the game you get to fight as Lightning against this native-american dude. Since he has unlimited auto-life, he is the first, middle, and last boss of the game, effectively making him the most unimaginative boss in final fantasy history. You might also be wondering what happened to the clothes Lightning was wearing in FF13...well the answer is they disappeared. Later in the game you have the privilege of seeing Lightning's naked backside as her FF13 clothes magically disappear and she transforms sailormoon style into the battle armor she is wearing now. The same thing happens to Serah so now she has new clothes too. If you don't like her clothes, you can buy a swimsuit outfit for Serah when the DLC is released on 2/28 for $2.99.

Anyways, as the story progresses you will briefly come into contact with FF13 characters such as Snow and Hope. None of them join your party except for Snow, but even Snow stays for only a little while. My personal opinion is that Square Enix took the storyline from another game they were planning to make (possibly the Chrono Break game that they abandoned). The storyline just seems so out of place and randomly put together for a FF13 sequel, especially the ending. The secret ending you get after collecting all 160 fragments is even worse. The gameplay is definitely a 5/5, but the story is at most a 3/5.

In conclusion, this is a must have for Final Fantasy fans. The gameplay is really fun and some music from FF13 is present as well. Just don't be offended by the story or ending, Square Enix will be adding more purchasable DLC content and creating a FF13-3 to tie up loose ends. What a great way to steal more of our money!

Update: I bought the new DLC quest involving Sazh for $4.99. I am completely disappointed and wish I never bought it. Basically Sazh and his son were flying an airship when they got sucked into a space time anomaly. Sazh ends up trapped in Serendipity (the casino) where he has to play card games (poker and chronobind) until he wins enough (30 medals) to save his son. Afterwards you can use Sazh in your party. If this sounds like something you might be interested in go ahead and buy it, otherwise save that $4.99 to buy that hot swimsuit for Serah or the colliseum battle with Lightning. I rather prefer Lightning (Ravager) over Sazh (Synergist) in my party anyways because I rarely use Synergists and it is nice to see the 2 sisters fighting together in my party.

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....that the game goes in circles. The story is completly lame, "we can change the future!", really? how? by dipping in and out of tiny little worlds with tiny little maps, all to just dip back in at a different time. We all remember Dragon Age 2 right? I'll admit I like the battle system better then the first 13, but the whole game is just so juvinille. Theres no story, no point, have all these game companies just gotten lazy or is it a result of trying to push out games too quickly that have more flash then flesh?

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I actually liked Final Fantasy XIII, and this is coming from a guy who's pretty much played and enjoyed all of the essential Final Fantasy games. Yeah, it was as linear as a tunnel for most of the game, but I still enjoyed it for the stunning graphics (it was actually the game that finally made me give in and get an HDTV,) decent story and characters, and its pretty fun fighting system. Despite my satisfaction, when I heard they were making a sequel, I immediately groaned. Square has dabbled in sequels to FF's before, some better than others, but this was one of those games that really didn't need a sequel. I expected either another girly sequel like FFX-2 or something entirely different. But to my surprise, this game was actually done right.

GRAPHICS: Is it me, or do the graphics in this game look a little worse than its predecessor? Maybe it was due to time constraints or to keep the Xbox 360 version on one disc, but the graphics do look slightly downgraded. Or perhaps it's been two years and I've been desensitized to the eye candy. However, the game still looks stunning in HD; it's not that much of a blow. I'll gladly trade aesthetics for gameplay any day.

SOUND: We all miss Nobuo Uematsu, but to be honest the soundtrack of this game is still much better than the OST's of games today. What I like about the music is the variety. We have tracks from the last game, plenty of J-pop, a number containing some pretty sick violin and percussion work, and even a screamo song about chocobos that is simply hilarious. Many of the tracks have to grow on you, but once they do, you'll love them.

Voice-wise, everyone reprises their roles from the first game, so if you enjoyed the voice acting from the first, then you should enjoy the acting in this one as well. The new characters' voices are just as good, too. The moogle sounds just as annoying as I imagined it would be.

STORY: The gist of it is that Serah travels through time with a mysterious man named Noel to find her sister, Lightning. It can get very convoluted (what time-travel story doesn't?) and I was confused throughout, but the story started making sense near the end. Kinda. Expect a lot of time travel tropes, including paradoxes and alternate timelines. Also grab a bottle of whiskey, because it can get very depressing at times.

GAMEPLAY: Gameplay wise, this game is a LOT more fun than the first, and it's what the first should have been. It's still lacking true JRPG towns and shops (you still have one place where you buy all of your items from, this time in the form of an awkwardly annoying lady dressed as a chocobo,) but it's way less linear. The game is divided into many different areas with different time periods, which are all accessed through the Historia Crux, which is the map. Each area contains a time gate, which will take unlock another area once you find the right item, which is the "artefact," and many different fragments. There are 160 fragments, many of which are acquired by defeating powerful monsters or finding an item for someone. If you want to get every fragment, you'll have to unlock every area in the Crux, which can be quite difficult. There are even alternate "endings." Another feature is Mog the moogle who follows you around. You can use him to find invisible treasures and throw him to find stuff that's out of reach. And half of the fun in this game is finding everything.

The battle system is the same paradigm system from FFXIII, with a few new things tacked on. You can have three characters in your party: Serah, Noel, and a monster. You get a monster by defeating it, and can level it up using certain items. Think Pokemon...sort of. Also, it's no longer game over when the party leader dies, and thank goodness for that.

One thing I rather don't like is the game's poor platforming at parts. You can now jump, but alas, Kingdom Hearts it isn't. This means some frustrating timed jumps, especially at the final area.

Then there's the DLC. FF has finally decided to have downloadable content, for better or worse. You have costumes, which would have been cooler if they were in the game, characters(one involving a lot of gambling with Sazh. I hate gambling in RPG's, especially slot machines,) which should have been hidden in the game also (imagine if you had to pay to unlock Yuffie and Vincent in FFVII,) and even some major story DLC to come, which is supposed to continue where the game left off. DLC is a double-edged sword, and they're using both edges here. On one hand, it's cool to have a reason to pick up the game months later, but on the other, it's kind of lame to throw more money as you play for enhancements. Bah. DLC is here to stay; better deal with it.

Overall, if you liked the first game, then check this one out. Even if you didn't like it, give this one a rent at least, as it improves on the things that you probably hated about it.