After playing Final Fantasy XIII – 2, I was disappointed with the game in general. It just didn’t stand up to the original game. However, with the announcement of Final Fantasy XIII-3, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for the series. Luckily at the Eurogamer Expo the game was on show and I was able to get a hands on feel of the title. Is it as bad as my preconceptions or was it in fact a great turn around in the series? Let us draw our gun blades and find out.
The first thing that stood out about the game was how great the game played out. One of the title’s greatest strengths is that you have control of only one character with no party. After originally thinking that Lightning cannot carry a game by herself, I am glad to be mistaken. Lightning is no longer a gun blade wielder with some stylish moves, she is now a warrior with a large arsenal at her disposal. A noticeable change is that now Lightning switches forms in order to utilise different offensive and defensive moves. Dark Muse gives our mighty maiden powerful attacks and light blocking, Sorceress enables lightning to use powerful magical attacks and Divinity is a balance of the two. By the looks of things, players will be able to customise the moves they can use in battle with each form leaving a lot of customisation options.
An interesting thing to consider whilst changing these forms is that each one comes with its own set of armour. This leaves a possibility of having different armour sets in the game as well to customise, which would be a great plus. There is one thing to keep in mind with these forms, you have a limit as to how many times you can perform attacks or blocks. Once you have run out of ability points, you must switch out to another form. Your ATB gauge will then refill when it is not in use and will automatically fully restore after battle. This adds a new element to the game that requires you to keep on your toes and utilise your entire arsenal of attacks instead of a few common strikes.
Battling has been optimised now as you can freely move around the field of battle as you fight. As well as this, your opponent’s health is shown to you above their heads in a new way that is more engaging. As a plus side as well, the stagger bar that has usually been at the top of the screen is now gone. Instead of a bar, there is now a heart rate monitor behind the enemy’s health. After hitting them with their weakness enough times, the monitor turns read and can leave your opponents staggered. Staggering opponents now doesn’t increase your attack damage but instead allows you to use a new mechanic known as Over Clock Mode. This mode puts Lightning into a state that enables her to attack faster than usual with an unlimited ATB gauge for a limited time. Over Clock Mode is only available upon staggering an enemy so utilising this mechanic is a must on bosses and big monster battles.
Outside of battle, you can explore the world around you and take advantage of enemy positions by either sneaking past them or hitting them with a pre-emptive attack. There are three forms of pre-emptive strikes: Bad that gives you a disadvantage of minus 10% of HP, Good that inflicts 10% of HP damage to your opponent and Great that will inflict damage equal to a quarter of your opponents health. It is also key to note that outside of battle is the best time to heal up lightning as you will not be fully healed after a battle. Having a good stock of potions is a must in this game.
With epic boss battles, a fantastic new soundtrack and a bigger emphasis on action oriented gameplay, Lightning Returns is a game worth keeping an eye on. Pick it up if you have liked the XIII series and try it out if you’re interested in Lightning’s conclusive story.
What do you think of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII? Will you be placing down a pre-order? Let us know your impressions in the comments.