Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII preview

Features

February 11, 2014

The conclusion of the Final Fantasy XIII series is upon us – Lighting will learn her fate in the last 13 hours before the world ends.

The Final Fantasy XIII series has hit some speed bumps in the past, with the original title being too linear, and the sequel XIII-2 criticised for its lacklustre story and questionable direction of the franchise.

Have Square Enix fixed all the previous problems with the latest Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII? It seems so.

Lightning has awoken 500 years after the events of XIII-2, and she has been tasked with saving as many souls as possible before chaos takes over the world. As a reward for her duties she will be reunited with her sister Sarah. Lightning has been criticized for her “dull” personality in the past, and this hasn’t changed at all in Lighting Returns.

Other characters from the series are said to return; the likes of Noel and Hope will make an appearance. Hope being your adviser and support from above, he will be constantly keeping you up to date during your quest of the Saviour, with missions, story related dialogue, and random chat.

The battle system has changed significantly in Lighting Returns; previously you would control two or four characters and line up their attacks when their ATB was full and execute commands, but you could not move them during combat.

In Lightning Returns you only control Lightning; you are in full control of her movements and can block and attack. Each action will use a bit of your ATB. You switch between three “schemes”, and each scheme has its own ATB, attacks, magic and costume.

The Schemes are similar to that of the Job System in previous Final Fantasy titles. Finding the perfect scheme set will come quickly, depending on how you approach a battle, and it will be important to keep in mind that only having one character means you are in charge during battle.

Battle abilities are available to purchase throughout the game and these will depend on which costume and Scheme you are set to; certain abilities are only available for certain costumes. Customization is the key.

Customization in the biggest addition to Lightning Returns, from the option to colour each specific piece of armour to deciding which shield goes with which sword. There are hundreds of costumes available throughout the game, each with their own style and ability set. Mastering each costume may seem tedious for some, but once you have an eye on which battle sets play better for you, then you won’t have a problem.

The world of Nova Chrysalia is huge, divided into 4 continents each with its own look and enemy encounters; how you spend your last few days in Nova Chrysalia is up to you.

You can easily fast travel between these areas at any time. The Wildlands is the vast jungle continent with its own fauna and flora; the Dead Dunes is a wide desert with hidden ruins; Luxerion is the metropolis, the Divine City of Light, this city is highly religious and often references churches and cathedrals; and Yusnaan is described as the city of pleasure, relaxation and mini games await you here.

Nova Chrysalia

A lot has changed in Lightning returns with gameplay features added and improved. Lightning can jump and doesn’t seem so restricted by her surroundings. Her health does not refill after battle, which was a huge issue in the previous titles; instead you will need to keep restore items handy.

My only worry is that they have invested so much in the game’s changes that given the 13 hour countdown you will not be able to experience this fully.

The game runs on a real time clock, so after 13 hours of gameplay it will end – well the world of Valhalla will end, so only time will tell what happens to you as the player. Will this be the game’s biggest downfall?

We all know that players like to invest hundreds of hours into a Final Fantasy game; I just don’t want it to feel like a time trial.

The end of Valhalla, the end of the Final Fantasy XIII saga, and most importantly, the end of Lightning’s story. Is it about time or will you miss her?

Are you picking up Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XII for Xbox 360 or PS3 on 14 February?