FF13 review short - Saber's Edge - Short and Sharp

I don't really like FFXIII.

Let's start with the nice things. Pretty pretty graphics. Fast battle system. Status effects actually work and are necessary in this FF! Pretty pretty graphics. Sazh is a nice character. Pretty pretty graphics. Lightning walks like an ah beng. Pretty pretty graphics.

Now the not so nice things. Ultra linear. Dumbed down character customisation in both stats/level and weapons/accessories (What happened to FF8 and 10?). A guy who smashes his fists together and yells "I'M A HERO!!!" all the time. In the end, powering up depends on money, and money depends on killing only one type of enemy over and over and over again with a small chance to get what you want each time (assuming you don't want to waste even more time on 1000X less profitable methods).

Worst things now. I don't feel attached to the story at all. I thought FFXII was bad in this respect, but otherwise I liked it. This ...thing... however, ... really didn't draw me in with its story. Non-charismatic/interesting 'villain'. Beautiful but boring locales and 'dungeons', no fun no fun. Loads of overly-dramatic scenes. Some are ok, some I like, but too much low-quality anime nonsense in here. The cutscene I like most is the optional confrontation with a cactuar (who got some fertiliser).

Actually the game can be summed up by one of its parts. We get to visit a very beautifully designed amusement wonderland, running through it as the story progresses, but slowly we sadly realise that we don't get to actually be amused while we're there. This is like bursting a kid's bubble or showing him a big big candy and then saying 'Nah, ya can't have it haha".

Lastly, this is about the only song I really really like (as in remember) from FFXIII. Gah. Being forced to hear multiple versions of the 'main' theme running throughout the mostly uneventful story makes me sick, as good as they are.



I also think it is hilarious how Odin transforms into his own horse.