Thoughts on: Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy games are an odd bunch, despite it's beloved legacy as one of the industries best known franchises, it finds itself trailing behind as the Japanese role playing genre struggles to compete with your Elder Scroll's and Mass Effect's. No longer are they seen as pushing the boundaries of game mechanics and story, rather they are all too often judged as having outdated mechanics with a new coat of shiny high definition paint. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy XIII (13) doesn't do much to dispel these beliefs.

Yet, dare I say there is still a deep rooted charm in Japanese game design, something that might be called old fashioned but can still scratch a certain itch that few western games can. Maybe it's the level of detail developers have gone into revolutionizing your typical RPG game mechanics, resulting in battle systems that feel more experimental than successful or just maybe it's the fact that all these mechanics are rooted in a genre that as often defined gaming and that for folks like me it's a reminder of why we fell in love with video games in the first place. Ask most gamers to recall a great game from their past and there's a damn fine chance they'll mention a Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger or any one of the many JRPG's that have graced past consoles. Whether good or bad for the genre, it's these deep rooted fundamentals that continue to play a prominent role in all role playing games.

Final Fantasy XIII is most certainly not the best Final Fantasy game, in fact I'd argue it's one of the most forgettable even if it's held up by a battle system that at the very least, shows signs of real promise. Of course when a entry from such a renowned franchise falls flat, it's impacts are felt throughout gaming yet I'd argue that some of the reaction to Final Fantasy 13 can be held squarely at the current state of JRPG's generally. From the lengthy cut scenes (which I'm usually all for, but FF13's story just isn't that interesting) to the linear paths throughout, I can understand the disappointment that was felt by many upon it's release. There are moments of sparkle, where it comes dangerously close to reminding you of why you love the franchise, but they are few and far between. That said, it's certainly not the absolute disaster many say it is.

Visually speaking there's an awful like to like, from the wonderful detail put into characters to how lively and chaotic the real-time battle system portrays itself. However even these can't defend an oddly paced game, one that feels the very opposite of what the long highly regarded franchise is known for. Some might argue it's Square-Enix trying to appeal to the western audience, but reviews and general opinion show that the western crowd want something more, something different. But what? Maybe that's the problem with RPG's in general right now, as gamers we just don't what what we want and with a variety of gaming genres implementing role playing mechanics of their own, one must ask if the pure RPG can still truly exist and thrive?

Well now that I think about it, that's a rather rich thing for me to say. Hell I have copies of Final Fantasy XIII-2, Ni No Kuni and Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten on my shelf, ready to be played at some point. Disgaea 4 in particular is an odd one, a franchise I'd never heard of until recently and bought on the whim. I'm all for that 'trying something out of your comfort zone' right now. As for Final Fantasy 13, it's only right of me to admit that I haven't hated my time with it, but it as reminded me of the current state the genre finds itself. There are many who shout in internet forums how it's only western developers pushing the genre forward, to that I say "you're talking out of your chocobo's arse" because there are Japanese developers just as willing to take risks with their products. Look at the likes of Demon Souls/Dark Souls or Dragon's Dogma. Western and Japanese developers are trying very similar things, because at the end of the day if something proves successful and sells, isn't that what's important to these companies. So I put forward that maybe the current state of JRPG's isn't all bad and that one day we might find a perfect balance between the two methods of developing in the genre. Whether you like them or not, the Japanese role playing game isn't going anywhere and that's how I want it.

As for Final Fantasy XIII, you might have guessed by the amount I've actually talked about the game that it hasn't left a massive impression on me. Oh it's fine enough, it plays reasonably well and the battle system shows promise. But generally it's an all to linear affair brewed in with a tale that while charming in spots, ends up being forgettable. I can only hope Final Fantasy XIII-2 fairs a little better.