Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

The less said about this one, the better. What a disappointment.

There are two or maybe three fundamental aspects of modern JRPGs. You've got the framework of statistical progression - some of it menu-based, and some of it hidden below the surface - the leveling system, tech trees, item drops, and so on. You've got the battle system, which is very closely related to the aforementioned interior workings, so maybe "battle gameplay" shouldn't even be separated from "framework." And then of course you've got the exploration aspect - environments, puzzles, dialogue, side quests, story.

And man, in terms of both gameplay and exploration, oof. I had my issues. Thing is, to call Lightning Returns flawed wouldn't really be accurate, because the game designers definitely crafted a well-balanced game that isn't really broken or overtly shitty. But what were they thinking?

I shouldn't bury the lede. This game sucks because you're on a strict time limit. Like Pikmin, Majora's Mask, and plenty of other games I'm surely forgetting, if you don't beat Lightning Returns within a set number of days, the world ends and it's game over.

This is so terribly out of place in a JRPG, let alone a Final Fantasy game. Deep exploration and lengthy grindfests are such an integral part of the genre. To discourage the act of, say, retracing your steps just seems so misguided. When I play these games, I like to chew on the scenery a little and take my time making decisions at item shops and the like. If I find a group of enemies particularly difficult, maybe I want to go spend an hour leveling up somewhere before coming back - especially in this day and age, when I can do so half-heartedly while watching TV or listening to a podcast or whatever.

I thought the battle gameplay kind of sucked, too. I'm sure I could have gotten more into it, and explored it, and understood it, and probably even enjoyed it, if given enough time to do so. But I wasn't.

The story is also a bit surreal and insane, even for a Final Fantasy game, but who cares? Read about it online if you want to. Just don't play this game.

Blech.