Today we witness the unveiling of probably one the most highly anticipated games of the last few years; Final Fantasy XIII. This game was actually first teased at way long ago in 2006, so the long road to release has been overwhelming. Well, that wait is finally over and we can all sit down to surely what will be the gaming release of the last few years.
Launched in December over in Japan, Final Fantasy XIII has truly amassed a little controversy since its unveling, and the opinions obtained for the game haven’t quite been the full aces developers Square Enix were hoping for. The main reason for this is that Final Fantasy XIII has quite drastically revised the basic gameplay related to the franchise, and certainly the RPG genre on the whole. They have dropped NPCs, interactive cities and an instantly open world.
As an alternative, Final Fantasy XIII is a lot more linear and storyline driven. Gamers follow quite a strictly set route for the initial 25 hours or so of play. Following this, the gameplay opens up and players are free to observe their own selections a bit more. This has been a serious gripe amongst some, yet others welcome the more focussed and cinematic slant. It really does depend on your preference.
One factor which has been vastly commended is the fighting system, which is made up of an revolutionary mesh of X and XII. Gamers are now able to ’stack’ attacks, and the more you can stack increases as you level up. Furthermore, in Final Fantasy XIII there are various different roles your characters can play, including healer and tank, and players are free to shift these roles throughout fights.
It’s a forgone conclusion that the graphics in this game are magnificent. Presentation has always been Square Enix’s strongpoint, and the franchise has always provided high range graphics. As the first of the franchise to hit the next gen machines,Final Fantasy XIII is, unquestionably, the prettiest looking title ever. The cut scenes are so detailed and beautiful you may want to stare at them all day, and the in-game graphics are good enough to rival the FMVs of lesser games.
Throw in an undoubtedly grand storyline, and you have the most important game of the year. It may be a bit different to what you’re familiar with, yet overall Final Fantasy XIII is simply what everybody’s been waiting for. Masterful fighting, achingly beautiful graphics and a guartenteed 60+ hours of gameplay mean Final Fantasy is back with a vengeance. Let the journey begin.