13 is a good number after all

So as you may imagine, I have been playing a little bit of "Final Fantasy XIII" lately.  In all honesty I have been playing a lot of "FFXIII" lately but that is neither here nor there.  I think if I remember correctly, I am up to about 27 hours of gameplay and am on Chapter 8 of the game.  And I have some thoughts about this game as you may imagine.

First thought is this.  This is far and away the most visually stunning game I have ever played.  I say that knowing I am not a gamer on the PC, and there are probably some titles on PC that look as good or better then "FFXIII", so I should probably say that it is the most visually stunning console game I have ever played.  Some of the areas I have gotten to visit in this game have been truly jaw dropping.   There have literally been moments in this game where I have stopped running with whatever character I am controlling at the time, and have looked up, down, and all around at my surroundings just to take in how beautiful this game looks.  It isn't just the scenery though that looks amazing.  The character models, both your characters and the enemies you fight, look phenomenal.  Everything from the hair, to the clothing is gorgeous.  In so many games, if you are using a character with longer hair, a longer coat or a cape of some sorts, you always seem to run into some sort of clipping issue where it will seem that it disappears when it comes into contact with objects.  Not in this game.  It all flows so smoothly its unbelievable.  This game is definitely a treat to just sit back and stare at.


The gameplay so far is unlike anything I have played in a "Final Fantasy" in the past.  I'm not saying it's necessarily bad, but the combat happens at a much faster pace then most "Final Fantasy" single player games I can remember.  The battles happen in real time, which in the "Final Fantasy" games I have played, is a new approach.  In past games, battles have always been turn based, so the real time is a nice change of pace.  And there is really a strategy involved, especially in some of the boss fights.  All fights take place with 1 to 3 characters and you have the ability to set up what are called a "Paradigm".  Basically all a "Paradigm" is, is what set of jobs you want your characters to use, and you have 6 to choose from ranging from "Medic" to "Saboteur" to "Commando".  The really interesting thing is at any time, and as many times as you need, during any battle you can do what is called a "Paradigm Shift", essentially switching your characters to jobs better suited to your current status.  Say for instance you are at the start of a fight and want to take things slow, you can switch your "Paradigm" to a tank, a healer and a support job., but later on you want to finish the fight and switch to all attackers.  It is all possible, and it really makes the battles quite fun.  It really keeps you on your toes, and makes you have a few different "Paradigm" set up, never knowing what kind of battle is coming up next.

Being a "Final Fantasy" game, everyone knows there is going to be a story and the story so far is actually pretty good to this point.  Each character has their own personal demons that they have to deal with, all while trying to combat a bigger threat.  I don't want to say too much on the story to keep from giving away any spoilers, but it is a very deep story.  One thing they did well in this game is give you an option in the menu to go back and read a synopsis of everything that has happened up to the point of the game you are at, and you can review it at any time, chapter by chapter.  You can also read the backstory you have unlocked on each character at any point if you need a refresher.  And since it is a "Final Fantasy" game, there are things in every single "Final Fantasy" game made that fans come to expect.  With that said, those things are in this game as well.  Cid is here (and that's all I will say to avoid spoilers), the airships are here, and perhaps most importantly, the chocobos are here.

Then there is the music.  The music is on par with the graphics.  I guess I shouldn't just limit to the music as the sound effects during the battles are amazing as well.  But the actual soundtrack is unreal.  They definitely add to the ambiance and the surroundings with the music in every area of the game.


And it is the music that, for the first time in a really long time, made me kind of miss "Final Fantasy XI".  When I got to an area of the "Final Fantasy XIII" last night, and I heard a remixed version of the famous chocobo riding music, I actually had some regret about giving all my gear away.  And I was told by more then one person to not give my gear away, since there was always the chance I might come back, which at the time I was certain I'd never be back.  Turns out I may have been a bit presumptuous....