The Final Fantasy series is characterized by a clean slate for each delivery, but as happened with Final Fantasy X-2, XIII-2 is a direct continuation of the previous game, keeping their universe and many of the characters, but not acting as a contrast or alternative reality as Versus XIII supposed to do when it launches sometime this century. But unlike X-2, that continuation of FFX Yuna starring changing quite a bit from its predecessor, this FFXIII-2 follows the style of the previous game, although vastly improved gameplay and implementing innovations. It is, so to speak, as in the main series Final Fantasy numbered as any normal delivery, and although it seems aimed primarily at those who played the game continues, manages to be accessible to not play with it, trying very for this: the main quest is full of flashbacks about what happened in FFXIII and, having new characters, it tells them what happened previously. Furthermore, in the main game menu we have the option to view a summary of the history of Final Fantasy XIII.
This time the story is starring Serah, the younger sister of Lightning, and Kreiss Noel, a young man from the future, 700 years later than the events of the game. In a story of time travel, paradoxes, and areas that mix different times, we must try to prevent the world comes to the fateful situation where Noel met him, playing Lightning, one of the protagonists of the previous game, a role in history (this is all we have on it). Final Fantasy XIII-2 looks as good as it did the thirteenth delivery time. Square Enix proves once again that is unrivaled when it comes to 3D cutscenes, with first minutes of play simply spectacular, which pre-generated video sequences are mixed with others made in real time by the graphics engine of the game. In this sense the work of Square Enix is memorable, because, at first, difficult to distinguish what is pure video of what is generated by the game engine and, once in a few minutes, we will realize how certain point is Square Enix's promise to use more graphics engine to tell the cinematics and the exceptional result.
It is, as in every Final Fantasy, a unique graphical section, again marked by the difference between fighting (except in very little fighting, in those "generic scenarios Final Fantasy") and exploring the game world. There is a title that has graphics that end-stopping as the usual technical reference, but with a level of extraordinary attention to detail in the characters, models and animations, especially facial. There is a title that puts limits on console hardware, except perhaps at times (as we shall see at the very beginning of the game), but art has a bill is virtually no comparison to other titles. In the sound section, meanwhile, we have an English dub subtitled in Castilian, with a soundtrack quite different from FFXIII, abounding songs with vocals and a great variety, from music to epic themes reminiscent of J -Pop. The sound effects remain largely unchanged, recognizing many of the previous game, with new ones.
But the graphics, except for the transitions between scenes and battles were not the target of criticism when Final Fantasy XIII came out two years ago. Was your gameplay or, rather, the overall design of the game. With a fun combat system is improved in this series, was the lack of possibilities and linearity which attracted criticism, which they called for FFXIII "play pasillero" as if it were a shooter. In this sense, XIII-2 surprised by how it has taken note of the criticism and has made the world more open game, including more possibilities, some very surprising, and even making changes to the combat system.
What we call attention in those first minutes of the game that serve as great introduction to what lies ahead are the interactive cutscenes. They are "quick time events"-style games like Shenmue, God of War or Heavy Rain, in which we face the final bosses, enemies in a cinematic spectacular, we have to press the appropriate buttons or address within a time limit, or choose between an action or other (a kind of magic or attack) to decide what to do in a situation. Depending on whether we succeed or fail, or choice we make, the kinematics evolve in one direction or another. No doubt, Heavy Rain a couple of years ago was the game that took the "Quick Time Events" to the next level, and even Final Fantasy XIII-2 has a multitude of possible outcomes and interactions of the latter, does have a great asset in its favor: the overwhelming visual spectacle of these scenes. A great novelty, very interesting and well matched to the RPG genre, although it is not too abundant, gives a more epic if it is the most important battles.
The combat system keeps the lines of Final Fantasy XIII, mixing real-time action shifts, and basing his master to master the different formations that we have at our disposal, we can change at any time, in real time by pressing the L1/LB. There are now more variations of formations, we can configure and have more variety when to face the enemy. This increased importance of training is reflected in the Cristarium, the system of character development. With the experience gained in the fighting, we will be choosing what role to level up. That is, each role has its own path of development that will improve our general skills and in that role, and we will give further attacks or magic action. That is, we can choose our characters to specialize in a variety of roles, or try to keep a balance between all. In this sense, the game helps when telling us interesting things like receive the next attack in each role, which can help us plan our level rises.
The other big news of the combat system are the monsters. Like a Pokemon game they were, after some fighting an enemy get "gift" and may take up to three with us and use one of them in combat. These monsters have their own system of evolution, and even we have the possibility to merge to get stronger combinations. Its use is not anecdotal or anything, but behave like a character with its own tree of evolution and also using the system roles. It's a very interesting and added to give you enough to talk to the fans of the series, and thanks to the possibilities of combining evolution and promises to generate a whole "culture of breeding monsters" on the Internet.
Ending the combat system has changed the ways to start. We will see the monster in the map "normal", exploration, and when you see a circle surround us (the "radar Moogle") which, depending on the color, tell us if the enemy is aggressive (red), alert (orange) or clueless (green). In the last two cases we can avoid the encounter, and the third can catch you by surprise and started attacking the confrontation, which gives us a slight advantage. It is certainly an improvement in the Final Fantasy saga, and a small step to do when fighting less random and give the game a touch of action in their exploration parties.
If the fight has added some things but the general base remains the same, the exploration aspect of the game itself has undergone a complete renovation. The scenarios are much more open and less linear play FFXIII. We have shops, secondary missions and a curious system of choice of responses called "Live Trigger". This means that, in the style of western RPGs, we can choose what he says (and even what you think) your character in a given situation, making the dialogues are interactive, and scoring some behavior of our characters. The first uses of this system are somewhat anecdotal, typical responses to characters who can be gentle, harmless or even vacilona, but as we move into the play we see how this system allows us to make choices and decisions that set the course of the game. Indeed, that is the reason why there is a single slot for saving game, to save the game at any time and added autosave. But it has also included the option of starting over each time travel, allowing correct decisions we do not have liked.
This is certainly the biggest change the game, the possibility of taking your own decisions, to choose which path to take. The revolution in gameplay are about FFXIII details like a wider stage, the side missions or the ability to jump (no longer a curiosity and has no influence on the game), but the non-linear design its history, which combines very well with the mission that we have to fulfill: to visit different places at different times through the time portal, trying to change the dismal future that is Noel.
Apart from this main quest, we have plenty of side missions that characters or responsible we will emerge as you play, most of them aimed at achieving "chunks of time." It also has some mini-games (temporary anomalies) that contribute to the duration of this Final Fantasy is huge, and has also a lot of replay value and still things to do when we have finished the game. This "non-linear experiment" has its counterpart. Despite the impeccable cinematic sequences and videos, the story is not so good, so intense, like Final Fantasy XIII. What we do in the game is much more interesting with the mix of ages, time travel and decisions, but the component of the story has been lightened enough, perhaps by the fact of giving the player more freedom now and the difficulty of coherent, spin it, or because the general argument of the game (find Lightning, save the future) leaves no room for more.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 does not become a fan of Final Fantasy to those who have never been interested in the saga of Square Enix or never will be convinced, but his followers, who enjoyed both FFXIII and criticized those who have a purchase must. Continuing the story and keeping much of the main characters before, completely revolutionize your gaming system, not only correcting the defects to be blamed, but also innovating their way into the Final Fantasy saga, and the peculiar genre Japanese RPGs. It has very good ideas and implements them all well, from the wisdom of bringing the quick time events at certain times of the cut scenes, but with a touch rolero to the choices we make during the game and make it the Final Fantasy less linear. And above all, has plenty of extra content beyond the main story interesting: secrets to find, characters to interact, such things are valued only when they miss.
It would be a pity that the strange memories of FFX-2 or the fact of not having an own numbering you take away Final Fantasy XIII-2 of the attention it deserves. It is one of the best games Square Enix has made in recent years, and a good sign that the Japanese company can evolve the genre that contributed to maintaining its very marked personality and applying their own ideas, without necessarily adopting that during recent years have made Western RPGs have overshadowed them. After this news, our expectations about the fifteenth delivery have multiplied.
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