Even though I was someone who actually enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII, I freely admit it had rather large problems with its design - the level design was painfully linear, not much variety in terms of gameplay mechanics, and the post-game content was not all that interesting. But despite that, I still considered it a fun and enjoyable game.
Fast forward to XIII-2, and I can say all of the problems I had with XIII have been fixed, and it's a much better game for it! As someone who lovesss exploring areas - I really enjoyed the nonlinear level design this time around. No more running down a straight path from cutscene to cutscene.
As someone who is a rather large fan of time travel related stories, I thoroughly enjoyed XIII-2's story! It was all pretty interesting and held quite a few surprises - especially at the end. While yes, some might not care for the ending, I thought it was rather bold, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Serah and Noel were fantastic characters, and Noel became one of my favorite Final Fantasy male leads in all the series - he's like a mixture of Zidane and Sora almost. Serah develops pretty well herself over the course of the game, and Caius is now one of my favorite villains in any video game. I absolutely loved his motivations.
The battle system - one of XIII's best qualities - remains mostly the same with only a few tweaks here and there. No more 3 second waits for paradigm shifts, ability to tame and recruit monsters (which is a lot more addicting than I initially suspected), strategic use of feral links, and the cinematic actions were interesting (and thankfully were not overused). I especially loved the final cinematic action in the game - it was an epic moment with perfect music.
The music is... well, it was mostly fine. I enjoyed many of the tracks (and they also reused some of the older XIII music in perfect spots) with only a few that I didn't care for. Thankfully the ones I didn't like are not a large part of the game.
The graphics are gorgeous as always for a Final Fantasy game, but not perfect. While the environments and characters look stunning, there is a little bit of slowdown in some areas - particularly one of the cities later in the game. It's not game-breaking or anything like that, but you can easily tell when the frames dip a little bit.
If you race through the game without doing any optional stuff, it'll probably take you between 25-30 hours to complete. If you're like me and love doing everything, all sidequests, all fragments, leveling up to max, and becoming addicted to finding and infusing new monsters, it'll last you a lot longer. I finished off everything I wanted to do (got the Platinum) in 92 hours.
So if you didn't like Final Fantasy XIII due to the level design and lack of variety, I can safely recommend XIII-2 to you. :)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 - Playstation 3
4.7 | 1,099 ratings
Price: 19.97
Last update: 01-26-2025
About this item
Just as the monsters appear on screen, a dial clock called "Mog Clock" appears in the middle of the bottom half of the screen and a red ring surrounds the player's character with a radius of about 3 meters.
The Crux system allows players to jump through various gates throughout XIII-2. Players will see a drastic change, based on their choices. This would also go towards the multiple endings of the game.
Players will be presented with a puzzle-like problem in a void between dimensions.
The player will be presented with a series of "dialogue trees" when talking to non-player characters (NPCs).
The Crux system allows players to jump through various gates throughout XIII-2. Players will see a drastic change, based on their choices. This would also go towards the multiple endings of the game.
Players will be presented with a puzzle-like problem in a void between dimensions.
The player will be presented with a series of "dialogue trees" when talking to non-player characters (NPCs).
Product information
| Number of Players | 1 |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | January 31, 2012 |
| Computer Platform | PlayStation 3 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00662248911021 |
| UPC | 662248911021 |
| Compatible Video Game Console Models | Sony PlayStation 3 CECH-4012C |
| ASIN | B003O6JIVE |
| Release date | January 31, 2012 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars
1,099 ratings
4.7 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #3,592 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #11 in PlayStation 3 Games |
| Product Dimensions | 5.31 x 0.59 x 6.69 inches; 3.17 ounces |
| Type of item | Video Game |
| Language | English |
| Rated | Teen |
| Item model number | 91002 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 3.17 ounces |
| Department | unisex |
| Manufacturer | Square Enix |
| Date First Available | June 22, 2011 |
Top reviews from the United States
naarosBetter than XIII in almost every way.
Human McPerson