I really enjoyed all of your FF13 reviews! Thank you for putting in all the effort for these analysis. You give everything a fair shake & make some great observations. Quality content for sure!
Hot take but I kinda like the ending. Ignoring the “whoa it’s the real world!!!” thing, I have a soft spot for universe reset or renew endings where characters get to enjoy a normal life after hardships.
I didn't love the ending or anything, but in games with a "its the real world" ending, there's a very good reason why the real world is the most common reset. Players have an actual connection with the real world, given that they...you know...live in it. When a universe reset happens and the result is something completely unrelated to the real world, people generally feel nothing, given that they have no way of knowing how anything will work out in the future. *SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST XENOBLADE CHRONICLES* This was exactly what I was expecting the ending of Xenoblade Chronicles to be as well, given that they explicitly state that the universe originally came from the "real world". The universe of the game was an accident that only ever happened because of one man's delusions of grandeur. So I was expecting Shulk to reset the universe back to its original state, but the fact that he didn't just struck me as dumb, especially given how he repeatedly says he want's a world with no gods.
I disagree about a few things like Lightning's characterization in this game. I found her much more intuition filled, empathic, and likeable than I remembered her in the 1st game. And after having done all the side quests, I liked a bunch of them. I stayed engaged and curious about Lumina, the world, discovering the other characters, and generally seeing what happens pretty much through til the end. Damn near 100% the game, and actually cried at the end which just does not happen with me and media very often. At their release times, I didn't have much fondness for the first 2 games or any of the characters and their journeys, but this game on it's own made me care, made me watch videos like these... I at least will always have a place in my heart for this game in particular
the way i saw it, claire's personality in the first game is honestly exactly what i would expect for a soldier. she's all business and no frills. in the english version of the game, yes. she's pretty monotonous at times and singularly focused on her mission. but i think that works for her, and as she travels with hope she slowly starts to open up her shell. the japanese VA is MUCH more animated with her emotions and she did a fantastic job voice acting her, ive played the original multiple times and i do think the japanese VA experience in this case is far more enjoyable as far as lightning is concerned. and i loved the original. i never touched 12 up till the international release so 13 was the first ff that really had the cgi 3d cutscenes and they blew me away when i first saw them. the music was amazing. the story was....alright. then....came xiii-2. which was....a bold move. its the one i spent the most time with, but not cuz i kept replaying it. minmaxing those monsters for the incredibly difficult arena fights was most of that extra time lmaoooo. and we all know how THAT ending went. i remember just...dropping my controller, and my jaw, going...WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK. dfioqjweofiqjoefiqjowifjq then...lightning returns releases, and my first time playing it through i actually had to stop because it was just so...unconventional. i dropped it and didnt touch it again for many many years. but like many other games, it aged pretty well. i found it much more enjoyable the next time i played, and reached the final dungeon, got the secret boss, got my ass beat repeatedly, and it was a...pleasant ending. the sidequests were fairly standard ones but some were pretty enjoyable. i enjoyed the interactions with the characters especially from the original 13 game, and the combat system was definitely one of the most fun i had of any ff game up till the ff7 sequel (i refuse to call it a remake, unless you consider its re-making the timeline to save the...world? idk where theyre going with it atm lol) i know its not a game for everyone, and i feel the entire 13 trilogy you either love, or hate, there's not much room for middle ground. and thats fine. cuz i loved them.
Honestly Im just happy Lighting and the rest get a happy ending, whether its a earth like new world or not. Im just happy its a happy ending. I love the 13 cast, and just wanted them to not have a bittersweet ending. So im content with what the ending is.
@@aeroga2383 I think sometimes it works better for some media than it does for others. NieR Automata as an example is a game that constantly piles on misery after misery so it having a happy ending really works because it makes you feel like it was worth getting to the very end. I think something like Omori though doesn't need an ending where everyone is friends and there's perfect closure because that's not what matters to the characters at that point. It depends, I think saying "happy endings are underrated" doesn't account for the value that some endings that aren't the best case scenario for the characters have
This was my morning too. I saw the first video a month ago then realized that the other two were out. Bye bye Sunday... since now I have a hankering to replay the entire series.
I think the characterization of Ligthning as an "emotionless character" makes sense, since in XIII she was relieved when it was all over, let her guard down and thanks to everyone's actions based on feelings things ended up going awry thanks to Etro's intervention, in XIII-2 she entrusts her mission to her sister, and ends up losing her in the process, these decisions were made out of faith in her acquaintances and her emotions (which let's remember she was so aggressive with her acquaintances in the first place to keep them away from the danger she herself believed she represented), so blaming herself for how everything ended and thinking that maybe the feelings clouded her judgment she ended up wanting to seal them, which is not entirely true, since many sidequests are taken based on the empathy that they generate something that hope/Bunivelze himself claims and does not fully understand, not to mention that Lumina does her part trying to make everyone have a few more exciting last days. .. exciting (She only attacks Ligthning directly with normal people she only pranks or plays with them). And this is very well contrasted with the end where she decides to sacrifice herself since for the first time in the whole trilogy we see her asking for help for herself knowing the future that awaited her. It is a very good scene as it contrasts very much with her tough character and the thought of self-sacrifice for the greater good or for her loved ones that she has been carrying since her first appearance, for the first time she asks for help for herself for the first time she wants to be saved.
tbh Square Enix is extremely experimental given they are a AAA studio. So Im not surprised that their sequels dont feel like mainline games. I think they like to tell stories and are open to experimenting with gameplay. So it is mainline from a story stand point, but the gameplay is experimental which isnt anything new for Square Enix.
I think that's also why even though I may not like some of their sequels and the directions they go in, I'll always respect them for having the guts to continuously try new things and experiment in an industry where the large studios generally try and stick to what they know works/sells. Yeah, not everything that comes out of that experimentation is going to be amazing, but that's the beauty of it.
Its one of the reasons I like FF more than some other RPG series out there. Every game they try something new and aren't afraid to shake up their formulas, even if it doesn't always work (FF2 most infamously, or to lesser extends FF8 or FF13)
they are so experimental, that they are currently committing corporate suicide by bargaining of big names and studios and going into blockchain and nft BS. something most gamers absolutely despise. If they don't stop this immediately, they will be bankrupt not too far in the future
*2014 That is truly an odd entry point in the series. It's the final part of what is considered a bad trilogy. I've been playing Final Fantasy since 1991, but I still enjoyed the 13 trilogy, even while acknowledging the faults.
I love how you went from the NieR-/Yoko-Taro-Guy to the FFXIII-Guy. Enjoyed watching all three videos and I agree with most of the things you had to say, especially with this game. It had a bunch of cool ideas but the execution is pretty questionable and the ending especially was really weird. Anyway, looking forward to further content from you!
Both of them are currently on Square Enix's hold anyway, if he starts reviewing Chinese and Korean games, it'll be a very wide leap from his usual zones
The time mechanic on this game is actually such a non-factor. It introduces pressure but it’s so generous. My Lightning had to sleep for 5 days straight just to get to the final boss.
In terms of pressure it's a non-factor but in terms of "I can't start this quest because it's not this particular hour of day and thus this door is closed or this NPC is not available" it's definitely a factor (and an occasional bit of annoyance). That said, there's more than enough time to just do the quest the next day.
I think it works better looking at it day-by-day rather than as the entire time limit. Yeah the overall time limit isn't stressful but the time limit in each day is. Each action means is a sacrifice for something else: The most time effective methods (Getting something for a quest you haven't taken yet while undertaking another quest that can't be pre-done while in a MSQ area) is still wasting another person's quest. NPCs spawn at times when you could be attending something, stuff that takes an hour happens while something else that takes an hour happens, all while you're dealing with battles and dungeons.
If your fast enough you can get all quests done in like 2 or 3 days if you have several new game pluses and are playing on easy. Theres only a couple quests that you have to choose between 2 quests
I saw a lot of comments when this game first got released about how the timer mechanic was awful or dampened people's experience. I've played it myself and I think it's mostly psychological, as using her skill repeatedly means you have so much extra time that it's not unrealistic to do every side quest and have more than enough time left (that, or people didn't really spam that time extension skill). I think FF13-3 has one of the most unique worldbuilding I've seen and while some parts didn't come together as nicely, it still had one of the most satisfying endings I've seen in a trilogy. As a musician I also think entire 13 trilogy has an incredible soundtrack. The final boss theme for 13-3 is the most daring and avant-garde composition I've seen from Square Enix, and I love it for that. Masashi Hamauzu paved the way for incredible neo-classical vibe in 13 and the rest of 13 trilogy rose to meet the standard in a spectacular fashion.
I would argue the timer is SUPPOSED to be stressful. It fits the theme of the world and the narrative of the story, just as it did in Majora's Mask. One could argue in Majora's Mask it was only 3 days to have to worry about replaying and not potentially 13, so it could feel like a harder blow to lose all that quest progress, but I never saw it as a hindrance either, especially since I knew I'd be carrying over my stat gains and equipment and whatnot. And yes, it's not too hard to chronostasis chain over and over again.
100% agree I think the 13 series has the best music of the FF series. everyone likes the older games for their nostalgia and being a classic, but if you ignore those feelings, the music in 13s is just so amazing on its own.
I have heard a lot of final boss themes from Final Fantasy and personally, nothing could ever come close from my experience with Almighty Bhunivelze. One hell of a track from start to finish.
True. There were so many times during my playthrough when I have to wait until the day ended, while I was admiring the scenery or enjoying the music, just walking 💕
As someone who was a huge fan of the 13 trilogy. I actually really enjoyed LR’s feeling of being an ending to an era. It really did feel like an end of an era and I find myself tearing up saying goodbye to this world and these characters at the end every playthrough
1:03:16 It looks weirdly off because for the first time ever she is smiling :D But for real, I absolutely loved LR's battle system! And FF7Remake kind of took it and evolved it into a more action based version. Pretty much exactly how I wanted round-based combat systems to evolve
She does actually smile at the end of XIII as well, and it looks weird there too. Lightning just never really learned to smile, she's been too busy having a bad time instead!
Lightning Returns will always be a guilty pleasure of mine. Loved the gameplay and the outfits system. The time mechanic was annoying, but it was cool to discover the different outcomes depending on your pace. I've played the game so many times that I'd usually have the main stories finished in the first day or two, so I could enjoy the rest of the game leisurely and just explore
Exploration and taking the world in was the best part. My girlfriend used to say it a lot. I never understood until I got to the Wildlands and Dead Dunes. Between the environment design and music for each area, they're breathtaking.
I actually liked this game a lot if you ignore the character development issues & story. The gameplay is great & it actually had my favorite combat in the entire series. I understand some of the hate though.
Totally with you. I played this game on release and then dropped it for many of the criticisms in this retrospective. Then during the pandemic i fired up my ps3 to retro on some of my old catalogue and decided to give this another shot. I played through this game at least 4 times, loving the gameplay and desiring to power up my lightning and beat all the super bosses best I could. Loved this game mechanically and once you've go the game flow and time system down it's pretty fun to just run through it casually getting stronger each play.
@@johns783 It honestly is a good game. The bland sidequests are what they are for sure but understanding that you're doing them so people can get over themselves so you can save their souls is alright. In terms of character and story, yeah it doesn't have a lot going on there but this is some of the best JRPG combat has to offer.
Consider me one of the few madmen 😂 I played Lightning Returns without playing XIII/XIII-2 and I absolutely LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Gave me Majoras Mask vibes and I crushed on Lightning/her voice actress back when I was a young thirsty pup 🐶😂 Also the music was PHENOMENAL!! ✨
Fun fact about the dog, it's actually not a unique asset! It was used in a couple of places in the first game as a background detail, but they REALLY made sure you got a good look at it in LR. Not sure what they were thinking, but he's still a good boy.
Killing every enemy of a species gets allows you to encounter a “Last” version of the enemy with a rare drop. Also, killing all the “Last Ones” unlocks a bonus dungeon and a 14th day with the game’s Secret Boss. I personally loved this game despite the staleness of the side quests. The dope battle system, anti-religious overtones, and shounen-style power boost the main character gets was just awesome to me. Oh and “Elementa” is one of the coolest spells I’ve ever seen in a final fantasy. Very useful too
Dude that secret dungeon slaughtered me! First time I'd ever had to find a guide to beat a boss and follow it step-by-step. The fight was still fun though because of how active the outfit system makes each fight
My favorite of the 13 trio is definitely 13-2. As weird and flawed as it is, I loved it and got a ton of playtime out of it. Loved the music, exploration and Caius and Noel.
I just want to thank you for these. For so long FFXIII has been treated with impulsive disrespect and it takes videos like this to provide a balanced perspective. They had their flaws but were ambitious and experimental, and as you stated in your first retrospective, they were the necessary building blocks to FFVII remake, and probably had that in mind from the start. Long live the right way of looking at these dented gems for their endurance and hard work.
@@AsbelLhant100 The combat is the worst part about it, quickly followed by the insane amount of nonsense dialogue. Or more like "what the fuck was that interaction" dialogue.
Honestly I love Lightning Returns. The maximum cheese the ending provided was the best thing I could've hoped for and that alone puts it above XIII-2 for me. The original XIII is objectively the best of the three games no doubt, but I'll always have a soft spot for Lightning Returns.
@@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz 13-2 has by far the worst main cast out of the trilogy, and probably one of the worst stories in the whole franchise imo, which is a huge problem considering it's a RPG.
@@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz They dumbed it down too much for my liking. XIII-2's normal mode is equivalent to XIII-1's easy mode I'm pretty sure it was intentional though, to give a feeling off a more light hearted adventure
@@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz Which is better? A game with a consistent level of quality across all aspects, or one with a few fantastically good elements, and some terrible, borderline game-breaking ones?
The final boss theme is one of my fave tracks across all final fantasy. Its so warped and weird, you listen to it like 'how is this working?' And then they sneak some of the important themes from 13 and 13-2 (barthandalus is in there, I think caius is too, amongst others) and it works really well for me
Despite ALL the negatives of this game that I'm completely aware of. I LOVE THIS GAME. Can't tell you how many times I've beaten this game, believe it or not I've never get bored of it and the same goes for 1 and 2. Most appreciate the videos you've covered on the trilogy.
this is honestly in my top 3 video games of all time, it's just so fun yet melancholy and i love the feel of the world at the very brink of being consumed into nothing. such a satisfying ending too
I loved the time mechanic, myself. I felt like it gave me pressure to complete things and plan my route for the day. And the combat? Best in the series as far as I'm concerned. I loved it. I loved making your own classes. So amazing. Characters? Adored them. Story? I like the base story and where it eventually went. Overall, sits a bit higher than 2 for me.
I agree with what you said about all three games. However, the FF13 trilogy will always have a place in my heart. The story it told was so beautiful imo. It had a good combination of despair and elation. I also thought the ending was great. I remember at the time of the game’s release, Lightning was in a real world fashion campaign, which tied in the fact that she’s in our world now. I feel like all characters were fated to have a timeless bond between each other. So i was sad to see Sazh get practically written off after the first game. I wish the game explored bonds between all characters.
I was initially worried about the time mechanic, then I finished all the main quests with many days to spare. Stopping time often, since EP refills fast!
loved lightning returns playstyle so much. think my favorite mechanics were the Last Ones and the fact that if you wait before taking on noel or snow they will be stronger and have different appearances. Last ones were a fun grind since you had to make majority of the monsters extinct lol
I played this in May 2020 just as the pandemic lockdowns were in full swing, taking a week off work in the process. It was a really weird experience exploring a dying, doomed world alone, but I think it helped quell my anxiety about the state of the real world, if that makes sense. I compulsively played it hours on end, late into the night, sometimes hitting the 5:00 AM mark of the in-game day at 5:00 AM in the real world day. This game really shined for me when you enter one of the populated locations like Yusnaan early in the morning and calming tracks like "Nova Chrysalia" or "Sunset Path" play. There's something really achingly beautiful about the fact that people just keep going on living their normal lives even as the end of the world is less than a week away. I dunno. It's hard to describe, but this game really surprised me in terms of atmosphere. Not sure if it's the soundtrack (which easily belongs in the best FF soundtracks for me), the fact that I played it at a sorta appropriate time, or something else. I don't care in the least about the overarching plot, but the somber mood and the game world pulled me in and never let go.
One small thing that doesnt matter all that much in the long run, but there _is_ a reason to kill all the enemies even without time constraints. If you kill enough of them, like a lot, then you run into an omega version that drops a special item and that species goes _EXTINCT_ . So goblin genocide is literally back on the menu.
I might be the only person who only played lightning returns, while some mechanics are garbage, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Mainly due to the visuals and nothing else, Lightning is bae and the costumes are great as well as the visual effects in the fights. The combat also felt pretty good.
Holy crap, you do exist! So here's a question: how hard was the story to follow jumping in at this 3rd game? I've often thought that maybe I could tell people to jump straight into LR for the combat, but always worried that the story would be too involved to do that, so I'm super interested to hear what it's like!
@@recino2 I got the gist of what was going on, so I didnt super feel like I was missing background with the prequels. Though the characters popping up seemingly expecting us to know them was a bit confusing. I got that we got a happy ending and what Lightning herself was trying to do, so I was pretty happy with the experience. You just miss all the references I guess.
@@recino2 Late reply, but in my opinion the story jump from 2 to this is so confusing that it is probably less jarring for people to jump in with this one first. At least then you have a reason to be confused lol.
"You might recognize Daisuke Ono from-" Literally everything. Black Butler. Haruhi Suzumiya. CLANNAD. Lucky Star. Sonic the Hedgehog. Bleach. Attack on Titan. And this is the short list of anime almost everyone knows.
I LOVED 13-3. Combat was great and I enjoyed the game a bunch back when it came out. I also used my EP on pausing the time and didn't get a game over at all so I didn't use the NG+. I was confused as to how to unlock certain things because I didn't realize the game wanted me to lose and come back on NG+. I ended up going back in after beating it and using those mechanics.
You did it man, cheers! Lightning returns is actually secretly one of my favourite games in the franchise. A bit of a guilty pleasure of mine XD. Really wish to see the combat system return in a game with a better story. I hope we will see it's combat system return someday tho.
Even with all of its flaws and shortcomings, playing this game is one of my most treasured experiences. Love the whole series and I also enjoy listening to the criticism and poking fun. It's really a shame about all the localization issues & the censorship that occurred with this game in particular. I've been spending a lot of time just reading up on what got lost in translation and it really makes me yearn for what could have been!
A little thing to note is that there is also a collection of stories released and it details the events that lead to Lightning Returns. Basically all those details like, “why was Hope trapped in Bhunivelze’s arc”, “why did Caius end up trapped with Yuen”, or “why did Snow became an edge lord downer” are all explained in an accompanying side novel never released outside Japan. It’s like how all of the story that helps clarify FFXIII-2 are explained in a side novel. Basically, the biggest issue with Fabula Nova Chrystallys is that they got it in their heads that it was going to be a multimedia project. Meaning they were to release the games, novels, and if they had been successful even manga and anime, all of which were to be treated as canonical sources and relevant to one another. You can see where the issue begins in this concept right? It suddenly becomes a project requiring you to buy everything, amongst different entertainment mediums, just to understand the overall plot.
I was worried about the time mechanic... but then I finished 2 of the big quests and a dozen minor ones in the first day; was doing a lot of jumping between Yusnaan and Luxurion for those. In light of that, the time limit seemed generous, so I just took it easy and was glad it was there for thematic reasons. EDIT: just don't worry about them; scary as time mechanics look, they're always very generous for main quests, even if they're not for side quests.
I'm really curious how much of the modern-day ending was part of the original Fabula Nova Crystallis design. This ending makes a much smoother transition to the modern day dress of FFXIII Versus, and explains why FFXV looks the way it does in my mind. Curious if this was more retcon or high design once Versus became XV, but it certainly explains the Cup Noodles and Coleman gear a bit more...
Maybe I finished too many side quests on the first couple of game days though, because the game was quite easy (and the game becomes easier if you complete more quests). However then you arrive on day 14 and suddenly the enemies were powerful even when you complete all quests. It was an interesting experiment and I liked the game
I agree that the loop is probably intentional. I did EVERYTHING on my first playthrough on normal, even drove a couple monsters to extinction, got the 14th day, felt like a total B.A., but then the final dungeon destroyed me, and couldn't beat the final boss. I needed to start over to get the upgrades to win.
I love the connection between the game with type-0 like, people lost memory of the dead if vanille perform the soul song, and the reset mechanic in newgame+ Edit: Instead follow behind, you can kill Etros prayer and proceed to graveyard. After collect 4 digit number, if you insert wrong password, lightning will just screw them up, they will release a jaugernaught which you're too weak to defeat before newgame+
I must repeat what I said last time, it is good to see a view of Square Enix in the 2010ths that does not fall to pure cynisism. Even if the games propably needed way, way more time in the oven combined with more planning in every aspect.
Thanks for going over the FF13 series, FF13-1 always stuck in my mind but the other entries were always so vague and distant concepts for me so this helped bridge a gap i never would on my own.
Hmmm. The only thing that I think you missed is the “extinction enemies” or mechanic. My memory playing the games was basically: story gets worse each game, but gameplay gets better. The monster extinctions felt like a fun thing that built on the improved combat, but rewards were “meh” iirc.
Despite the game having its downs, I truly appreciated the battle system, customization of color codes, and especially the cutscenes when depending on time of day, it was always different, so that was later implemented in FFXV, so little things like that are what I appreciate the most in innovation of these games.
38:42 I always customize my characters with colors such as blue, cyan, light blue, sky blue, navy or ice blue for a neutral color, sometimes cobalt if it's a metal texture, turquoise, aquamarine, etc. Also black, tan or white if I _really_ need to break things up a bit and ice and navy aren't on the table.
I remember being so pissed at Noel and how he seemed to have almost forgotten about Serah :,). We had a whole game with them together and then it was kinda underwhelming. Ofc I understand that the end of the world was more important but Snow was still sulking about losing Serah (which did seem quite extreme after practically abandoning her for years in 13-2).
You forgot to include the Monster extinction mechanic. I haven't played since release on PS3, but it's one of the few things I remember standing out in a pretty cool way. If you hunt a specific species of monster to a certain point, you can cause them to actually go extinct, with the final one being far stronger than every other variation of its species. Great review overall though. I'd definitely say I agree with pretty much everything.
Dude thanks for these videos. The FFXIII trilogy was a weird one to try and enjoy as a long time FF fan, but I've found a whole new appreciation for the trilogy looking through your lens.
I enjoyed playing and listening to the FFXIII trilogy games and OSTs. FFXIII-2 had the best OST of the three - hands down. My most listened to tracks from the trilogy were: FFXIII - "Dust to Dust", "Sulyya Springs❤", "Will to Fight" and "Can't Catch A Break" FFXIII-2 - "New Bodhum", "Groovy Chocobo ❤", "Unseen Intruder ~Aggressive Mix~", "Historia Crux", "Village and Void (Normal & Aggressive Mix)", "Starting Over (Normal & Aggressive Mix)", "Plains of Eternity (Normal & Aggressive Mix)", & "Serendipity" Lightning Returns - "Ouroboros Festival ❤", "Desert Awakening" & "Sunset Path" Can you tell which game I played the longest? 😂😅 FFXIII-2 is one of the rare games I've obtained a Platinum Trophy, to date. Loved the video and your commitment to finishing the trilogy, just because ❤
Loved the final return of the Sailor Moon music! This video was such a surprise to me - I had no idea there was a negative reception for this game or that people may not have liked it. I played it on release and had the absolute best time. I played it all the way through on the first try and the story beats at the end are still some of my all time favourite moments of the whole series. So it was really interesting to get a balanced examination of the different elements of the game for your later perspective, that was very fun! I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about Class Zero!
I played through the whole game on Normal, without a New Game+, as soon as the game came out. That basically means I didn't even know this game had a New Game+ feature. One of my major complaints throughout the game was "shit, I have all of these weak ass spells and these mobs don't stop getting stronger and stronger". I felt a sense that even though my stats were being upgraded with each quest, I was getting weaker in comparison to the challenges that I was being faced with. I take most fights that I can see on screen, and doing so in the Wild Lands quickly meant that there were only Behemoths left to slay (since I made other monster extinct). Eventually I slayed every Behemoth as well, so only the purple one was left. Oh boy, that basically meant that moving around the map at night was a nightmare. I had to dodge it until I was strong / good enough to beat it. I believe I had a somewhat solid grasp of the mechanics, but that thing just had way more stats than I did to just brute force it at the stage I was. Sure, it was my fault for having triggered this situation, but come on. My final boss experience was just horrible. No further comments. The guy destroyed me over and over until I memorized most of the patterns. I wasn't equipped nearly well enough to deal with that, through a combination of having weak attacks (no upgrading, no anything), not every single resource I should have had at my disposal, and lack of imagination using my equipment (which is my fault). Thing is, in the final day, when time is no longer a concern, you can't "game over" anymore (as far as I know), so I was stuck there completely under equipped. I was still able to beat the game, but it was a shit experience. When I unlocked the New Game+ I didn't even want to play the game anymore. I was tired of it, and I had already completed the story, so I just left it alone. Basically, I never learned that it was even possible to upgrade spells and attacks until I started seeing online content about it. I felt I was punished for approaching the game the same way I approached 13-1 and 13-2, which is to take most fights so I'm never underleveled and I learn the battle mechanics and strategy well. I didn't dislike 13LR, but it felt very sour completing it for the first time. Going back to it after a few years knowing about this New Game+ dynamic felt much better. I did basically what you did: played a few hours, let the clock run dry on purpose and started again having access to some cool stuff. It felt way better.
When you keep in mind that this game had a very low budget i think it starts to earn a lot more respect. Definitely my favourite of the trilogy and i loved XIII so much i never thought i would say this before jumping into it.
Finally had the time to sit down and watch all three of your FF13 retrospectives. As a fan of the trilogy it was awesome to see you bring back discussion to those weird ass games and I loved hearing your thoughts on all the strange decisions made in them. Awesome stuff king, excited to see what else you do!
Lightning herself is so underrated and was truly ahead of her time. Too bad all anyone screamed about during her era was Cloud Strife and how she was “just a clone” of him. I’m just happy she finally got the ending she deserved, a happy one!
You know Square actually compared her to Cloud this in the mid-2000s if I remember-- I was actually expecting if there was a mini game for Lightning to cross dress as Cloud lol still I like her a lot.
"This isn't where the Fabula Nova Crystalis ends, if you catch my drift." (Scours your entire channel and does not find THAT GAME) OMG I am so looking forward to that future video.
The only problem with FF13-3 was the budget. The game is incomplete, unpolished, cheap. Devs are not to blame. Sponsored properly this could be GOTY of GOTY for years to come. 13 series is such a gem. Style and quality of 13-1. Music of 13-2. The gameplay of 13-3. Altogether combined it can be a masterpiece.
I like the 13-2 the most. It's because of Caius. He is such a good character he was just in the wrong game I guess. His Character was the best thing of the 13 trilogy. Noel and Yeul are good too but Caius is the best. He is my favorite FF Character, after him comes Sephiroth. Caius is a well written, good looking character. I like his hair style and the feather accessories, it remembers me a bit of the native Americans and I like purple. Purple is my favorite color also his English voice is Liam O'Brien and he voiced him perfectly. It's sad that you didn't see much about his relationship with Noel. I wish we would have seen more about that. Like Caius training with Noel, or just the three of them sitting together on a camp fire. There is a novels about that called "Fragments After" which tells you of the first meeting from Caius and Noel and how he became Caius student but it's a novel. I mean it would be better if this scene was in the game it would make it better at least in my opinion. The novel also tells you about Yeul and that every Yeul except the last one was literally raised by Caius. The reason for that is an old rule made by some of the Yeuls that said that every Yeul needs to leave her family as soon as she speaks her first word. It was mostly in the age of three when they started to speak and then Caius had to took her away from her family and raised her by himself. It explained why Caius is so broken I mean even if he is not her biological father he raised her and its only natural that he got father feeling for her and then he saw her dying over and over again. Also he is older than Fang and Vanille, he live long before the war in which Fang and Vanille took place. The war of Pulse and Cocoon with the Results of every human transported to Cocoon. What I mean is that he saw a lot of Yeuls dying who where all raised by him. It's really sad that you got such important information from a book and not from the game. It explains a lot of his actions but they thought that this information isn't important enough for the game. The game would be better with such information and scenes. I wish they had put these things in the game instead of all these paradox endings. Also sorry for my mistakes, English isn't my native languages.
Man, I adored Lightning. I just can't agree with anyone saying she's stoic and boring. She goes through a big change in the first game. I loved seeing how different she had become in 13-2. It was kinda a bummer that they stripped her of all that in LR, especially seeing how distant she felt from Hope, but I still loved her. And I loved Lumina, too. (No surprise considering LR's big reveal. )
But she is mostly stoic in the trilogy. And the few times the developers attempt to have her emote throughout the series comes off as rather jarring given how they’ve portrayed her as a “hardass.” While she did change in subtle ways, her character arc and personality isn’t something we hadn’t seen done before. Still, her image is pretty cool from as early as they showed us the concept in 2006.
Can't believe I missed the notification for this, especially since I was looking forward to this the most. 13 was the first mainline HD FF game I played (never had a ps1 or 2) and loved it for what it is. Thank you for this nostalgic and insightful retrospective!
I enjoyed lightning returns when it came out. Lightning is still one of my favorite characters and after not getting my fill of her in 13-2, seeing that she was back and it was practically just her, I was happy lol I had no self control when it came to the DLCs though. I mean, Lightning wearing a SOLDIER outfit and a fricken buster sword??? Yes please! Plus a good majority of the nostalgia outfits were offered as Pre-order bonuses, SOLDIER being one of the main ones that drew people into pre ordering. Square knew what they were doing lol
its not just you. lightning is still one of THE most popular ff characters ever developed in japan. there was even a point where she modeled outfits for Louis Vuitton in japan.
Can’t lie the 13 series is one of my fave highlights from the entire final fantasy series. Lightning returns was so good but 13-2 has my heart as the best game in the trilogy. Lovely review it was fun to relive the series again as my PlayStation 3 no longer works. I’ve been clamoring for a remaster of the series to hit the switch
I really appreciate the editing style of this video alongside its clear structure as well as its indepth look into the game's mechanics. Especially the mechanical analysis reminded me of rescent works of ludologists I read, which speaks for the essay's professionalism.
13-3 was definitely a strange game and had some flaws, but there were some very deep psychological themes at play that I’d venture to say 9/10 people would miss. For example, what Lumina represents. Lightning’s shadow, in Jungian psychology terms; And how that dynamic is relevant in our own personal lives. Also the soundtrack is incredible, unforgettable imo. So many beautiful and rare instruments are used, with many “world music” vibes. It’s a work of art still imo
wow i remember years ago i watched your playthrough of kingdom hearts chain of memories cause i didn't wanna play it myself lol. was a pleasant surprise to see your name again and see you still active, hope you're doing good!!
@@zacatkinson3926 for me it was like a good book trilogy. It wrapped up in a nice closing of the book cover and had me at peace with the ending. 14 is the only other one that had similar vibes but also is ongoing
For me, Lightning Returns always felt...skeevy...to me. I know it's simply speculative and ridiculous to think of this, but remember when back in the day people said Lightning felt like "Squarenenix's waifu"? Well, this game specially feels like it. The story wants you to focus 100% on Lightning. And while it makes sense for a RPG to want you to focus in its protagonist, in doing so it feels like it doesn't care about anything else. The cast of 13, for example, our main ehroes that we have followed through the series, are completely sidelines even worse than 13-2. The world and it's people are not fleshed out, nor does its narrative structure. But the one thing it's heavily focused? Lightning and how Lightning does things. Lightning is the most important person in the universe. Lightning is the only one who can do things and every one of her partners just stand around doing nothing important. Despite the devs hearing people's complain about her personality, Lightning's personally was literally fixed to stay in that cool attitude that can do no wrong, Lightning gets to wear all these pretty dresses, NPCs make songs about how Lightning is the best and are part of the official soundtrack... See what I mean with this? Everytime I look at Lightning Returns my mind flashes back when I was younger, watching a recording of the SE event where they announced Lightning Returns, where a cardboard Lightning was placed center stage and Toriyama arrived with a bouquet of flowers to give to Lightning. That memory is etched on my mind everytime I think of this game and how it feels like someone(ones) at SquareEnix felt really passionate about Lightning and that may have blinded them about the shortcomings of the series' weakpoints story-wise. And while that is separate to the game, I can't help for that thought seep into my opinions of the game, tainting it in some way.
The story is also about how Lightning has been hiding multiple layers of trauma and the Cool Soldier attitude is a big mask she wears out of refusal to approach her own feelings, and how that attitude has other consequences, and the other major characters who do still exist in LR largely hate her being given such responsibility after pissing off and letting apocalypse happen, and well, nobody exactly trusts the soul seeker who refuses to be honest with anyone, the few allies she finds all struggle to umm, be partners again, or they're Hope, who's having A Time, the world is pretty weak, but I feel like, moreso then with 13 and 13-2 where a lot is just tucked into logs, thats deeply intentional, Lightning has been Out of it for way too long, and she's not exactly got the time to be getting a runby on the world and culture outside of her task that she's rushing to accomplish, and our awareness of the world matches this, we have the barest understanding of whats happening as everyone screams around us, our only piece of knowledge the world lacks is the impending apocalypse... 2! The Lightning is my Waifu energy is definitely real, but most of it got directed towards real world marketing jank, since iirc the guy who was Super Big On That actually didn't get to do much with 13-2 and LR
Honestly i played LR because i've finished 13 and 13-2. But god damn i love this game , he fast paced combat , easy to grasp mechanics , the clock was scary but then I forgot it existed until i needed to wait to access certain areas , the dress up simularor was fun , and the most important thing is that like the other games this ran in my shitty pc , but at an stable 60fps unlike the 20-30 of the others. My bad pc is the reason i never used the strongest magics in the other games , in this one i went ham.
The FFXIII trilogy as a whole was (an still is) my favourite games in the whole franchise. I understand the criticism they had. But, I happened to like (or not really care) about them when I played the games myself. It was the perfect gap between sci-fi and fantasy. And the soundtracks are gorgeous.
The part about the time mechanic made me think about "The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask". I know many people who got scared off be the "You only have 3 in-game days" thing of MM although, in reality, the game gives you all the time you need. And, despite the fact that MM is also a great game because of its atmosphere, story and characters, like in LR it's just sooooooo satisfactory to tweak your routine for the different days to perfection and to need less and less cycles/in-game days to complete the game. I totally get why the time mechanic scares people away (I'm also not a huge fan of time limits) but if you manage to accept it and get yourself involved in it, it can provide you with a sense of growth and progress like no other gameplay feature.
Permanant Time mechanics do not belong in Final Fantasy. Majora's Mask had a limited 3 day cycle, but that cycle could repeat an infinite amount of times. Lightning Returns does not give you this feature. You run out of time, then you have to spend countless hours to retry just one time.
When you started explaining that you’re given a new game plus if you don’t complete the story in time, BUT it gives you all your stuff and unlocks new stuff, that was my first time hearing that. I completed this game without hitting the deadline. That’s not a flex. I was stressed and the last battle was so hard. haha
Well I am super late to this party, but I only just finished Lightning Returns tonight myself and...yeah. I really remembered having a better time with it back in the day, but revisiting it along with the other 2 trilogy entries really had the starkest difference between my memories and current experience. I really wanted to like it, but it just doesn't feel like a proper continuation of the first 2. I wish they had taken more time on it. That said, I may be the only person in the world to genuinely really like the ending. Here me out. The whole crux of why that ending is supposed to feel good and meaningful is that these characters have finally freed themselves from the influence of higher beings for good. No Falcie, and no gods of any tier or caliber. They can finally live their lives through their own will, and the idea that humanity is at its best when they are working and loving together really resonates with me. As for why our Earth? I think it's actually a really neat way to reveal that accomplishment for humanity. Sure, we could have had some narration saying "in this world magic and gods are gone" or whatever, but I think showing the player that the new world is Earth instantly let's them realize what is the significant difference between the world Lightning and co are leaving, and the new one they're inhabiting. Ultimately, that accomplishment is what I enjoy, and I just think it is a creative case of "show don't tell." Now there is something to be said about the endings impact on a person being influenced by their outlook on the real world. If you're someone who thinks most of humanity is bad, or human nature is vile and selfish or whatever, then yeah you're not gonna see that reveal as anything positive for the new characters. But I still think of humanity on a total scale as good, and the ideas about people loving one another, sharing with one another, taking care of one another, and forging each other's happiness personally resonates with me, which is why I actually end up liking at least that part of the game. I wanted to share my probably very unique and unpopular perspective on that. EDIT: Oh and I can't believe I forgot to add this initially, but thank you so much for all the time you've put into covering these games! None of my IRL friends have ever touched any of these games, so it's so nice to be able to hear someone talk in depth about their thoughts and experiences, especially from a modern perspective. I've enjoyed all of your videos, and honestly will probably watch your other content as well, as I like your video style. You do great work, and I thank you for that.
The story was flat for me like many. It seemed so disconnected to the other two. I was really excited about this when it came out. Loved the gameplay. Just wish the story was better fleshed out. The ending was great. I think it’s cheesy but the train part reminded me of Full Metal Alchemist 03. I didn’t hate it.
I just sat and watched your FFXIII trilogy back to back and you have really done these games a service. It saddens me that XIII get treated so harshly when it doesn't deserve so much hate. You illustrated perfectly where these games really shine and it just brought me back to to the time I spent playing them when they released. It's also a shame that people would have written off the sequels without giving them a try when XIII-2 did improve on a lot of the things XIII fell short on. Really enjoyed these videos and how you have written them. This is the sort of quality I am aiming to achieve in my own videos going forward. I'm looking forward to seeing more!
The game is good as it always was in terms of soundtrack and looks, but to me, it felt like a dress up game. Regardless, it's a good game just with a couple of issues that makes a great game. Great analysis, I loved the trilogy you put your heart into!
The weirdest thing, is I have hardly any memories of the FFXIII series, and I beat them when they each came out. I remember stuff from almost every other Final Fantasy, but this trilogy is like, gone.
I never played the sequels (unless you consider 15 a sequel) but i remember really liking 13, i don't know why i ignored 2 and 3, maybe the antihype got to me.
The XIII series is my favorite of the mainline titles, and I want to thank you for the care you've put into them. You praises what needed to be praised and criticized what needed to be criticized, and I appreciate that. Love your retrospectives and deep dives dude, keep up the good work
![[FULL] RETROSPECTIVE : Final Fantasy Tactics](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RUBmYqs1jZ0/mqdefault.jpg)
I really enjoyed all of your FF13 reviews! Thank you for putting in all the effort for these analysis. You give everything a fair shake & make some great observations. Quality content for sure!
Put out new videos! I need to know your opinions on SMTV yell about the new games, I’m literally gonna die. We need the return of the buttered buns!!!
Thanks for the words! It means a lot. This was a passion project and I'm really glad people have enjoyed it.
and we like what you did too
WE LOVE YOU, BUNS-SAMA!!!
Hey Buns! I hope you've been mentally well ❤️❤️❤️
Hot take but I kinda like the ending. Ignoring the “whoa it’s the real world!!!” thing, I have a soft spot for universe reset or renew endings where characters get to enjoy a normal life after hardships.
I loved it too, for entirely different reasons, but yeah, knowing the characters are in peace makes me very happy 💕
I take it you liked the ending of Type-0?
I liked the ending, too, for what it was. Kinda hoped for a movie like Advent Children, the animation looked so beautiful.
I also liked the ending! It felt like a nice reward for the characters after enduring so much
I didn't love the ending or anything, but in games with a "its the real world" ending, there's a very good reason why the real world is the most common reset. Players have an actual connection with the real world, given that they...you know...live in it. When a universe reset happens and the result is something completely unrelated to the real world, people generally feel nothing, given that they have no way of knowing how anything will work out in the future.
*SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST XENOBLADE CHRONICLES*
This was exactly what I was expecting the ending of Xenoblade Chronicles to be as well, given that they explicitly state that the universe originally came from the "real world". The universe of the game was an accident that only ever happened because of one man's delusions of grandeur. So I was expecting Shulk to reset the universe back to its original state, but the fact that he didn't just struck me as dumb, especially given how he repeatedly says he want's a world with no gods.
I disagree about a few things like Lightning's characterization in this game. I found her much more intuition filled, empathic, and likeable than I remembered her in the 1st game. And after having done all the side quests, I liked a bunch of them. I stayed engaged and curious about Lumina, the world, discovering the other characters, and generally seeing what happens pretty much through til the end. Damn near 100% the game, and actually cried at the end which just does not happen with me and media very often. At their release times, I didn't have much fondness for the first 2 games or any of the characters and their journeys, but this game on it's own made me care, made me watch videos like these... I at least will always have a place in my heart for this game in particular
the way i saw it, claire's personality in the first game is honestly exactly what i would expect for a soldier. she's all business and no frills. in the english version of the game, yes. she's pretty monotonous at times and singularly focused on her mission. but i think that works for her, and as she travels with hope she slowly starts to open up her shell.
the japanese VA is MUCH more animated with her emotions and she did a fantastic job voice acting her, ive played the original multiple times and i do think the japanese VA experience in this case is far more enjoyable as far as lightning is concerned.
and i loved the original. i never touched 12 up till the international release so 13 was the first ff that really had the cgi 3d cutscenes and they blew me away when i first saw them. the music was amazing. the story was....alright.
then....came xiii-2. which was....a bold move. its the one i spent the most time with, but not cuz i kept replaying it. minmaxing those monsters for the incredibly difficult arena fights was most of that extra time lmaoooo. and we all know how THAT ending went. i remember just...dropping my controller, and my jaw, going...WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK. dfioqjweofiqjoefiqjowifjq
then...lightning returns releases, and my first time playing it through i actually had to stop because it was just so...unconventional. i dropped it and didnt touch it again for many many years. but like many other games, it aged pretty well. i found it much more enjoyable the next time i played, and reached the final dungeon, got the secret boss, got my ass beat repeatedly, and it was a...pleasant ending. the sidequests were fairly standard ones but some were pretty enjoyable. i enjoyed the interactions with the characters especially from the original 13 game, and the combat system was definitely one of the most fun i had of any ff game up till the ff7 sequel (i refuse to call it a remake, unless you consider its re-making the timeline to save the...world? idk where theyre going with it atm lol)
i know its not a game for everyone, and i feel the entire 13 trilogy you either love, or hate, there's not much room for middle ground. and thats fine. cuz i loved them.
It's funny how it was said constantly that Lightning was now emotionless despite clearly being very emotive throughout the entire game
Specially with Yuel and Noel
Love this game too, glad there are others who see the greatness!
@Dirk Jefferson loved the ending as well. Just how grand and epic it was and how sad but happy it was.
Honestly Im just happy Lighting and the rest get a happy ending, whether its a earth like new world or not. Im just happy its a happy ending. I love the 13 cast, and just wanted them to not have a bittersweet ending. So im content with what the ending is.
Happy endings are so underrated smh. I'm still bitter from finishing a certain Tales game
@@aeroga2383 I think sometimes it works better for some media than it does for others. NieR Automata as an example is a game that constantly piles on misery after misery so it having a happy ending really works because it makes you feel like it was worth getting to the very end. I think something like Omori though doesn't need an ending where everyone is friends and there's perfect closure because that's not what matters to the characters at that point. It depends, I think saying "happy endings are underrated" doesn't account for the value that some endings that aren't the best case scenario for the characters have
Im just happy its over because it was cringe fest dog water trash
Literally only discovered this channel two hours ago, just to binge watch the XIII Breakdowns.
Sometimes, life just gives you the win.
You just had an awesome 3 hours then
@@oreotaku4017 Yes... Yes I did
This was my morning too. I saw the first video a month ago then realized that the other two were out. Bye bye Sunday... since now I have a hankering to replay the entire series.
SAME LMAOOOO
Agreed
I think the characterization of Ligthning as an "emotionless character" makes sense, since in XIII she was relieved when it was all over, let her guard down and thanks to everyone's actions based on feelings things ended up going awry thanks to Etro's intervention, in XIII-2 she entrusts her mission to her sister, and ends up losing her in the process, these decisions were made out of faith in her acquaintances and her emotions (which let's remember she was so aggressive with her acquaintances in the first place to keep them away from the danger she herself believed she represented), so blaming herself for how everything ended and thinking that maybe the feelings clouded her judgment she ended up wanting to seal them, which is not entirely true, since many sidequests are taken based on the empathy that they generate something that hope/Bunivelze himself claims and does not fully understand, not to mention that Lumina does her part trying to make everyone have a few more exciting last days. .. exciting (She only attacks Ligthning directly with normal people she only pranks or plays with them).
And this is very well contrasted with the end where she decides to sacrifice herself since for the first time in the whole trilogy we see her asking for help for herself knowing the future that awaited her. It is a very good scene as it contrasts very much with her tough character and the thought of self-sacrifice for the greater good or for her loved ones that she has been carrying since her first appearance, for the first time she asks for help for herself for the first time she wants to be saved.
tbh Square Enix is extremely experimental given they are a AAA studio. So Im not surprised that their sequels dont feel like mainline games. I think they like to tell stories and are open to experimenting with gameplay. So it is mainline from a story stand point, but the gameplay is experimental which isnt anything new for Square Enix.
I think that's also why even though I may not like some of their sequels and the directions they go in, I'll always respect them for having the guts to continuously try new things and experiment in an industry where the large studios generally try and stick to what they know works/sells. Yeah, not everything that comes out of that experimentation is going to be amazing, but that's the beauty of it.
Its one of the reasons I like FF more than some other RPG series out there. Every game they try something new and aren't afraid to shake up their formulas, even if it doesn't always work (FF2 most infamously, or to lesser extends FF8 or FF13)
they are so experimental, that they are currently committing corporate suicide by bargaining of big names and studios and going into blockchain and nft BS. something most gamers absolutely despise. If they don't stop this immediately, they will be bankrupt not too far in the future
I'll be honest, Lightning Returns was the first Final Fantasy game I ever played and I loved it, it's what got me into the franchise back in 2014
*2014
That is truly an odd entry point in the series. It's the final part of what is considered a bad trilogy. I've been playing Final Fantasy since 1991, but I still enjoyed the 13 trilogy, even while acknowledging the faults.
You and me both pal
My condolences.
@@PrimalDragon1740 I'm sorry for you. But don't be sad.
@@metastase895 I'm not. It was a very good and happy memory
I love how you went from the NieR-/Yoko-Taro-Guy to the FFXIII-Guy.
Enjoyed watching all three videos and I agree with most of the things you had to say, especially with this game. It had a bunch of cool ideas but the execution is pretty questionable and the ending especially was really weird.
Anyway, looking forward to further content from you!
Both of them are currently on Square Enix's hold anyway, if he starts reviewing Chinese and Korean games, it'll be a very wide leap from his usual zones
Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it! I guess at the end of the day they are both Square Enix after all.
The time mechanic on this game is actually such a non-factor. It introduces pressure but it’s so generous. My Lightning had to sleep for 5 days straight just to get to the final boss.
In terms of pressure it's a non-factor but in terms of "I can't start this quest because it's not this particular hour of day and thus this door is closed or this NPC is not available" it's definitely a factor (and an occasional bit of annoyance). That said, there's more than enough time to just do the quest the next day.
@@BB-te8tc The planning ahead for these kind of situations is the satisfying part.
I think it works better looking at it day-by-day rather than as the entire time limit. Yeah the overall time limit isn't stressful but the time limit in each day is. Each action means is a sacrifice for something else: The most time effective methods (Getting something for a quest you haven't taken yet while undertaking another quest that can't be pre-done while in a MSQ area) is still wasting another person's quest. NPCs spawn at times when you could be attending something, stuff that takes an hour happens while something else that takes an hour happens, all while you're dealing with battles and dungeons.
If your fast enough you can get all quests done in like 2 or 3 days if you have several new game pluses and are playing on easy. Theres only a couple quests that you have to choose between 2 quests
@@BB-te8tchave you played Majora's Mask?
I saw a lot of comments when this game first got released about how the timer mechanic was awful or dampened people's experience. I've played it myself and I think it's mostly psychological, as using her skill repeatedly means you have so much extra time that it's not unrealistic to do every side quest and have more than enough time left (that, or people didn't really spam that time extension skill). I think FF13-3 has one of the most unique worldbuilding I've seen and while some parts didn't come together as nicely, it still had one of the most satisfying endings I've seen in a trilogy.
As a musician I also think entire 13 trilogy has an incredible soundtrack. The final boss theme for 13-3 is the most daring and avant-garde composition I've seen from Square Enix, and I love it for that. Masashi Hamauzu paved the way for incredible neo-classical vibe in 13 and the rest of 13 trilogy rose to meet the standard in a spectacular fashion.
I would argue the timer is SUPPOSED to be stressful. It fits the theme of the world and the narrative of the story, just as it did in Majora's Mask. One could argue in Majora's Mask it was only 3 days to have to worry about replaying and not potentially 13, so it could feel like a harder blow to lose all that quest progress, but I never saw it as a hindrance either, especially since I knew I'd be carrying over my stat gains and equipment and whatnot. And yes, it's not too hard to chronostasis chain over and over again.
finally i've found someone who understands how amazing the final boss theme in 13-3 is
100% agree I think the 13 series has the best music of the FF series. everyone likes the older games for their nostalgia and being a classic, but if you ignore those feelings, the music in 13s is just so amazing on its own.
I have heard a lot of final boss themes from Final Fantasy and personally, nothing could ever come close from my experience with Almighty Bhunivelze. One hell of a track from start to finish.
True. There were so many times during my playthrough when I have to wait until the day ended, while I was admiring the scenery or enjoying the music, just walking 💕
As someone who was a huge fan of the 13 trilogy. I actually really enjoyed LR’s feeling of being an ending to an era. It really did feel like an end of an era and I find myself tearing up saying goodbye to this world and these characters at the end every playthrough
1:03:16 It looks weirdly off because for the first time ever she is smiling :D
But for real, I absolutely loved LR's battle system! And FF7Remake kind of took it and evolved it into a more action based version. Pretty much exactly how I wanted round-based combat systems to evolve
She does actually smile at the end of XIII as well, and it looks weird there too. Lightning just never really learned to smile, she's been too busy having a bad time instead!
Lightning smiles at the end of 13 and twice during her short reunions with Serah in 13-2
she smiles 4x in ffxiii, again in ffxiii-2 and multiple times in LR
Lightning Returns will always be a guilty pleasure of mine. Loved the gameplay and the outfits system. The time mechanic was annoying, but it was cool to discover the different outcomes depending on your pace. I've played the game so many times that I'd usually have the main stories finished in the first day or two, so I could enjoy the rest of the game leisurely and just explore
Exploration and taking the world in was the best part. My girlfriend used to say it a lot. I never understood until I got to the Wildlands and Dead Dunes. Between the environment design and music for each area, they're breathtaking.
I find myself getting lost trying find the fastest way to complete all the objectives.
I actually liked this game a lot if you ignore the character development issues & story. The gameplay is great & it actually had my favorite combat in the entire series. I understand some of the hate though.
I love this comment 😭
Totally with you. I played this game on release and then dropped it for many of the criticisms in this retrospective. Then during the pandemic i fired up my ps3 to retro on some of my old catalogue and decided to give this another shot. I played through this game at least 4 times, loving the gameplay and desiring to power up my lightning and beat all the super bosses best I could. Loved this game mechanically and once you've go the game flow and time system down it's pretty fun to just run through it casually getting stronger each play.
@@johns783 It honestly is a good game. The bland sidequests are what they are for sure but understanding that you're doing them so people can get over themselves so you can save their souls is alright. In terms of character and story, yeah it doesn't have a lot going on there but this is some of the best JRPG combat has to offer.
Character development issues?
ua-cam.com/video/9ENVk0AHGpk/v-deo.html
One of my favorite videos ever
Consider me one of the few madmen 😂
I played Lightning Returns without playing XIII/XIII-2 and I absolutely LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gave me Majoras Mask vibes and I crushed on Lightning/her voice actress back when I was a young thirsty pup 🐶😂
Also the music was PHENOMENAL!! ✨
Yeah Lightning is kinda freaky but Vanille and Fang from FF13 were the GOATs after Tifa.
@@martymcfly88mph35 Vanille and Fang were like a lesbian couple.
Thirsting over a fictional animated character?
Are you and Motomu Toriyama friends??
I felt the same way about it regarding the Majoras Mask like time limit and the eclectic music selection. Gameplay and atmosphere are top-notch.
You CAN just kill the guys at the beginning for the tail mission and then just get told where to go afterwards. Saves time.
Damn... I wish I knew that
Fun fact about the dog, it's actually not a unique asset! It was used in a couple of places in the first game as a background detail, but they REALLY made sure you got a good look at it in LR. Not sure what they were thinking, but he's still a good boy.
Killing every enemy of a species gets allows you to encounter a “Last” version of the enemy with a rare drop. Also, killing all the “Last Ones” unlocks a bonus dungeon and a 14th day with the game’s Secret Boss.
I personally loved this game despite the staleness of the side quests. The dope battle system, anti-religious overtones, and shounen-style power boost the main character gets was just awesome to me.
Oh and “Elementa” is one of the coolest spells I’ve ever seen in a final fantasy. Very useful too
Dude that secret dungeon slaughtered me! First time I'd ever had to find a guide to beat a boss and follow it step-by-step. The fight was still fun though because of how active the outfit system makes each fight
No the bonus dungeon unlocks after completing a certain number of sidequests. Defeating the last ones before day 14 makes the dungeon easier
@@aeroga2383 you’re right
@@ostrichlord9097 you think that bad the final boss on new game hard mode he is equal to a super boss
basically genocide
My favorite of the 13 trio is definitely 13-2. As weird and flawed as it is, I loved it and got a ton of playtime out of it. Loved the music, exploration and Caius and Noel.
minmaxing the captured monsters was so time consuming but soooo fun.
The monster collecting alone is what makes 13-2 superior
I loved making the perfect chocobo racers.
Yeah 13-2 was great!
13-2 was what made like Serah. In the the first part I just thought she was a waste but she showed development and courage even in the eyes of death.
I just want to thank you for these. For so long FFXIII has been treated with impulsive disrespect and it takes videos like this to provide a balanced perspective.
They had their flaws but were ambitious and experimental, and as you stated in your first retrospective, they were the necessary building blocks to FFVII remake, and probably had that in mind from the start.
Long live the right way of looking at these dented gems for their endurance and hard work.
Yeah but FFVII remakes fighting system sucks massive dick too.
So its shit building blocks.
@@brosephstinson1297 Well that's quite the bad take lul
@@AsbelLhant100 FFVII remake is not a good game, especially not the fighting system.
@@brosephstinson1297 Saying it's not a good game is fair, but saying the combat's bad is a colossally bad take
@@AsbelLhant100 The combat is the worst part about it, quickly followed by the insane amount of nonsense dialogue.
Or more like "what the fuck was that interaction" dialogue.
Honestly I love Lightning Returns. The maximum cheese the ending provided was the best thing I could've hoped for and that alone puts it above XIII-2 for me. The original XIII is objectively the best of the three games no doubt, but I'll always have a soft spot for Lightning Returns.
How can 13-1 be objectively the best when 13-2 has objectively better combat?
It's literally the same system but fixed.
@@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz 13-2 has by far the worst main cast out of the trilogy, and probably one of the worst stories in the whole franchise imo, which is a huge problem considering it's a RPG.
@@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz They dumbed it down too much for my liking. XIII-2's normal mode is equivalent to XIII-1's easy mode
I'm pretty sure it was intentional though, to give a feeling off a more light hearted adventure
@@tomcrescent7058 the best part of 13-1 is still the combat and 13-2's is just better.
@@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz Which is better? A game with a consistent level of quality across all aspects, or one with a few fantastically good elements, and some terrible, borderline game-breaking ones?
I really like this "old man yells at a cloud" series, your insight and analysis of the games alongside good jokes makes this a delight to watch.
My favorite joke was the bloodborne one. Made my eyes water I laughed so hard
The final boss theme is one of my fave tracks across all final fantasy. Its so warped and weird, you listen to it like 'how is this working?' And then they sneak some of the important themes from 13 and 13-2 (barthandalus is in there, I think caius is too, amongst others) and it works really well for me
Despite ALL the negatives of this game that I'm completely aware of. I LOVE THIS GAME. Can't tell you how many times I've beaten this game, believe it or not I've never get bored of it and the same goes for 1 and 2. Most appreciate the videos you've covered on the trilogy.
this is honestly in my top 3 video games of all time, it's just so fun yet melancholy and i love the feel of the world at the very brink of being consumed into nothing. such a satisfying ending too
I loved the time mechanic, myself. I felt like it gave me pressure to complete things and plan my route for the day.
And the combat? Best in the series as far as I'm concerned. I loved it. I loved making your own classes. So amazing.
Characters? Adored them.
Story? I like the base story and where it eventually went.
Overall, sits a bit higher than 2 for me.
I agree.
I agree with what you said about all three games. However, the FF13 trilogy will always have a place in my heart. The story it told was so beautiful imo. It had a good combination of despair and elation. I also thought the ending was great. I remember at the time of the game’s release, Lightning was in a real world fashion campaign, which tied in the fact that she’s in our world now.
I feel like all characters were fated to have a timeless bond between each other. So i was sad to see Sazh get practically written off after the first game. I wish the game explored bonds between all characters.
I was initially worried about the time mechanic, then I finished all the main quests with many days to spare. Stopping time often, since EP refills fast!
loved lightning returns playstyle so much. think my favorite mechanics were the Last Ones and the fact that if you wait before taking on noel or snow they will be stronger and have different appearances. Last ones were a fun grind since you had to make majority of the monsters extinct lol
I played this in May 2020 just as the pandemic lockdowns were in full swing, taking a week off work in the process. It was a really weird experience exploring a dying, doomed world alone, but I think it helped quell my anxiety about the state of the real world, if that makes sense. I compulsively played it hours on end, late into the night, sometimes hitting the 5:00 AM mark of the in-game day at 5:00 AM in the real world day.
This game really shined for me when you enter one of the populated locations like Yusnaan early in the morning and calming tracks like "Nova Chrysalia" or "Sunset Path" play. There's something really achingly beautiful about the fact that people just keep going on living their normal lives even as the end of the world is less than a week away.
I dunno. It's hard to describe, but this game really surprised me in terms of atmosphere. Not sure if it's the soundtrack (which easily belongs in the best FF soundtracks for me), the fact that I played it at a sorta appropriate time, or something else. I don't care in the least about the overarching plot, but the somber mood and the game world pulled me in and never let go.
One small thing that doesnt matter all that much in the long run, but there _is_ a reason to kill all the enemies even without time constraints. If you kill enough of them, like a lot, then you run into an omega version that drops a special item and that species goes _EXTINCT_ . So goblin genocide is literally back on the menu.
I might be the only person who only played lightning returns, while some mechanics are garbage, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Mainly due to the visuals and nothing else, Lightning is bae and the costumes are great as well as the visual effects in the fights. The combat also felt pretty good.
You’re definitely not alone! I played it when it came out and absolutely adored it
Holy crap, you do exist! So here's a question: how hard was the story to follow jumping in at this 3rd game? I've often thought that maybe I could tell people to jump straight into LR for the combat, but always worried that the story would be too involved to do that, so I'm super interested to hear what it's like!
@@recino2 I got the gist of what was going on, so I didnt super feel like I was missing background with the prequels. Though the characters popping up seemingly expecting us to know them was a bit confusing. I got that we got a happy ending and what Lightning herself was trying to do, so I was pretty happy with the experience. You just miss all the references I guess.
I loved it. And I used to shit talk it. Then played in Japanese and adored the gameplay. Fantastic game even if the story is shit.
@@recino2 Late reply, but in my opinion the story jump from 2 to this is so confusing that it is probably less jarring for people to jump in with this one first. At least then you have a reason to be confused lol.
"You might recognize Daisuke Ono from-"
Literally everything. Black Butler. Haruhi Suzumiya. CLANNAD. Lucky Star. Sonic the Hedgehog. Bleach. Attack on Titan.
And this is the short list of anime almost everyone knows.
I LOVED 13-3. Combat was great and I enjoyed the game a bunch back when it came out. I also used my EP on pausing the time and didn't get a game over at all so I didn't use the NG+. I was confused as to how to unlock certain things because I didn't realize the game wanted me to lose and come back on NG+. I ended up going back in after beating it and using those mechanics.
You did it man, cheers! Lightning returns is actually secretly one of my favourite games in the franchise. A bit of a guilty pleasure of mine XD. Really wish to see the combat system return in a game with a better story. I hope we will see it's combat system return someday tho.
Even with all of its flaws and shortcomings, playing this game is one of my most treasured experiences. Love the whole series and I also enjoy listening to the criticism and poking fun. It's really a shame about all the localization issues & the censorship that occurred with this game in particular. I've been spending a lot of time just reading up on what got lost in translation and it really makes me yearn for what could have been!
A little thing to note is that there is also a collection of stories released and it details the events that lead to Lightning Returns. Basically all those details like, “why was Hope trapped in Bhunivelze’s arc”, “why did Caius end up trapped with Yuen”, or “why did Snow became an edge lord downer” are all explained in an accompanying side novel never released outside Japan. It’s like how all of the story that helps clarify FFXIII-2 are explained in a side novel.
Basically, the biggest issue with Fabula Nova Chrystallys is that they got it in their heads that it was going to be a multimedia project. Meaning they were to release the games, novels, and if they had been successful even manga and anime, all of which were to be treated as canonical sources and relevant to one another. You can see where the issue begins in this concept right? It suddenly becomes a project requiring you to buy everything, amongst different entertainment mediums, just to understand the overall plot.
I was worried about the time mechanic... but then I finished 2 of the big quests and a dozen minor ones in the first day; was doing a lot of jumping between Yusnaan and Luxurion for those.
In light of that, the time limit seemed generous, so I just took it easy and was glad it was there for thematic reasons.
EDIT: just don't worry about them; scary as time mechanics look, they're always very generous for main quests, even if they're not for side quests.
36:40 Actually that dog wasn't a new model. The same dog appears walking around in FFXIII in Palumpolum.
I'm really curious how much of the modern-day ending was part of the original Fabula Nova Crystallis design. This ending makes a much smoother transition to the modern day dress of FFXIII Versus, and explains why FFXV looks the way it does in my mind. Curious if this was more retcon or high design once Versus became XV, but it certainly explains the Cup Noodles and Coleman gear a bit more...
we'll never truly know but it certainly feels intentional and not retconned~
Maybe I finished too many side quests on the first couple of game days though, because the game was quite easy (and the game becomes easier if you complete more quests). However then you arrive on day 14 and suddenly the enemies were powerful even when you complete all quests. It was an interesting experiment and I liked the game
I agree that the loop is probably intentional. I did EVERYTHING on my first playthrough on normal, even drove a couple monsters to extinction, got the 14th day, felt like a total B.A., but then the final dungeon destroyed me, and couldn't beat the final boss. I needed to start over to get the upgrades to win.
I love the connection between the game with type-0 like, people lost memory of the dead if vanille perform the soul song, and the reset mechanic in newgame+
Edit: Instead follow behind, you can kill Etros prayer and proceed to graveyard. After collect 4 digit number, if you insert wrong password, lightning will just screw them up, they will release a jaugernaught which you're too weak to defeat before newgame+
I unironically liked the real world ending... It's me. I'm the guy that likes it.
I'm not going to pretend it didn't have it's flaws, but I do think this game had the most ambitious and *one of* the best endings in the series.
I must repeat what I said last time, it is good to see a view of Square Enix in the 2010ths that does not fall to pure cynisism. Even if the games propably needed way, way more time in the oven combined with more planning in every aspect.
10:03 I was shocked the Pikmin visuals while you were telling this story weren't a fake out to talk about Majora's Mask
The XIII games are a fascinating mess. I was able to enjoy each one but they all come with weirdly distinct issues. Enjoyed the videos!
Thanks for going over the FF13 series, FF13-1 always stuck in my mind but the other entries were always so vague and distant concepts for me so this helped bridge a gap i never would on my own.
Thanks for doing this. This trilogy is worth it if you enjoy lore
Exactly. Some of the best lore in the FF-verse.
agree
Agree. Is one of the most unique in the ff franchise.
By reading it.
Hmmm. The only thing that I think you missed is the “extinction enemies” or mechanic.
My memory playing the games was basically: story gets worse each game, but gameplay gets better.
The monster extinctions felt like a fun thing that built on the improved combat, but rewards were “meh” iirc.
Despite the game having its downs, I truly appreciated the battle system, customization of color codes, and especially the cutscenes when depending on time of day, it was always different, so that was later implemented in FFXV, so little things like that are what I appreciate the most in innovation of these games.
38:42 I always customize my characters with colors such as blue, cyan, light blue, sky blue, navy or ice blue for a neutral color, sometimes cobalt if it's a metal texture, turquoise, aquamarine, etc. Also black, tan or white if I _really_ need to break things up a bit and ice and navy aren't on the table.
I remember being so pissed at Noel and how he seemed to have almost forgotten about Serah :,). We had a whole game with them together and then it was kinda underwhelming. Ofc I understand that the end of the world was more important but Snow was still sulking about losing Serah (which did seem quite extreme after practically abandoning her for years in 13-2).
You forgot to include the Monster extinction mechanic. I haven't played since release on PS3, but it's one of the few things I remember standing out in a pretty cool way. If you hunt a specific species of monster to a certain point, you can cause them to actually go extinct, with the final one being far stronger than every other variation of its species.
Great review overall though. I'd definitely say I agree with pretty much everything.
Dude thanks for these videos. The FFXIII trilogy was a weird one to try and enjoy as a long time FF fan, but I've found a whole new appreciation for the trilogy looking through your lens.
I enjoyed playing and listening to the FFXIII trilogy games and OSTs.
FFXIII-2 had the best OST of the three - hands down.
My most listened to tracks from the trilogy were:
FFXIII - "Dust to Dust", "Sulyya Springs❤", "Will to Fight" and "Can't Catch A Break"
FFXIII-2 - "New Bodhum", "Groovy Chocobo ❤", "Unseen Intruder ~Aggressive Mix~", "Historia Crux", "Village and Void (Normal & Aggressive Mix)", "Starting Over (Normal & Aggressive Mix)", "Plains of Eternity (Normal & Aggressive Mix)", & "Serendipity"
Lightning Returns - "Ouroboros Festival ❤", "Desert Awakening" & "Sunset Path"
Can you tell which game I played the longest? 😂😅 FFXIII-2 is one of the rare games I've obtained a Platinum Trophy, to date.
Loved the video and your commitment to finishing the trilogy, just because ❤
Loved the final return of the Sailor Moon music!
This video was such a surprise to me - I had no idea there was a negative reception for this game or that people may not have liked it. I played it on release and had the absolute best time. I played it all the way through on the first try and the story beats at the end are still some of my all time favourite moments of the whole series. So it was really interesting to get a balanced examination of the different elements of the game for your later perspective, that was very fun! I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about Class Zero!
I played through the whole game on Normal, without a New Game+, as soon as the game came out. That basically means I didn't even know this game had a New Game+ feature. One of my major complaints throughout the game was "shit, I have all of these weak ass spells and these mobs don't stop getting stronger and stronger". I felt a sense that even though my stats were being upgraded with each quest, I was getting weaker in comparison to the challenges that I was being faced with.
I take most fights that I can see on screen, and doing so in the Wild Lands quickly meant that there were only Behemoths left to slay (since I made other monster extinct). Eventually I slayed every Behemoth as well, so only the purple one was left. Oh boy, that basically meant that moving around the map at night was a nightmare. I had to dodge it until I was strong / good enough to beat it. I believe I had a somewhat solid grasp of the mechanics, but that thing just had way more stats than I did to just brute force it at the stage I was. Sure, it was my fault for having triggered this situation, but come on.
My final boss experience was just horrible. No further comments. The guy destroyed me over and over until I memorized most of the patterns. I wasn't equipped nearly well enough to deal with that, through a combination of having weak attacks (no upgrading, no anything), not every single resource I should have had at my disposal, and lack of imagination using my equipment (which is my fault). Thing is, in the final day, when time is no longer a concern, you can't "game over" anymore (as far as I know), so I was stuck there completely under equipped. I was still able to beat the game, but it was a shit experience.
When I unlocked the New Game+ I didn't even want to play the game anymore. I was tired of it, and I had already completed the story, so I just left it alone. Basically, I never learned that it was even possible to upgrade spells and attacks until I started seeing online content about it. I felt I was punished for approaching the game the same way I approached 13-1 and 13-2, which is to take most fights so I'm never underleveled and I learn the battle mechanics and strategy well.
I didn't dislike 13LR, but it felt very sour completing it for the first time. Going back to it after a few years knowing about this New Game+ dynamic felt much better. I did basically what you did: played a few hours, let the clock run dry on purpose and started again having access to some cool stuff. It felt way better.
When you keep in mind that this game had a very low budget i think it starts to earn a lot more respect. Definitely my favourite of the trilogy and i loved XIII so much i never thought i would say this before jumping into it.
Finally had the time to sit down and watch all three of your FF13 retrospectives. As a fan of the trilogy it was awesome to see you bring back discussion to those weird ass games and I loved hearing your thoughts on all the strange decisions made in them. Awesome stuff king, excited to see what else you do!
Lightning herself is so underrated and was truly ahead of her time. Too bad all anyone screamed about during her era was Cloud Strife and how she was “just a clone” of him. I’m just happy she finally got the ending she deserved, a happy one!
You know Square actually compared her to Cloud this in the mid-2000s if I remember-- I was actually expecting if there was a mini game for Lightning to cross dress as Cloud lol still I like her a lot.
"This isn't where the Fabula Nova Crystalis ends, if you catch my drift."
(Scours your entire channel and does not find THAT GAME)
OMG I am so looking forward to that future video.
But Kingdom Hearts 4 hasn't even been announced yet...
The only problem with FF13-3 was the budget. The game is incomplete, unpolished, cheap. Devs are not to blame. Sponsored properly this could be GOTY of GOTY for years to come.
13 series is such a gem. Style and quality of 13-1. Music of 13-2. The gameplay of 13-3. Altogether combined it can be a masterpiece.
That lead up to the Pikmin story, I for SURE thought he was gonna say “Majora’s Mask”
Same! That’s the most relatable time mechanic in history.
Such a great trilogy of retrospectives - I can’t wait to see what’s next!
I like the 13-2 the most. It's because of Caius. He is such a good character he was just in the wrong game I guess. His Character was the best thing of the 13 trilogy. Noel and Yeul are good too but Caius is the best. He is my favorite FF Character, after him comes Sephiroth.
Caius is a well written, good looking character. I like his hair style and the feather accessories, it remembers me a bit of the native Americans and I like purple. Purple is my favorite color also his English voice is Liam O'Brien and he voiced him perfectly.
It's sad that you didn't see much about his relationship with Noel. I wish we would have seen more about that. Like Caius training with Noel, or just the three of them sitting together on a camp fire. There is a novels about that called "Fragments After" which tells you of the first meeting from Caius and Noel and how he became Caius student but it's a novel. I mean it would be better if this scene was in the game it would make it better at least in my opinion.
The novel also tells you about Yeul and that every Yeul except the last one was literally raised by Caius. The reason for that is an old rule made by some of the Yeuls that said that every Yeul needs to leave her family as soon as she speaks her first word. It was mostly in the age of three when they started to speak and then Caius had to took her away from her family and raised her by himself. It explained why Caius is so broken I mean even if he is not her biological father he raised her and its only natural that he got father feeling for her and then he saw her dying over and over again. Also he is older than Fang and Vanille, he live long before the war in which Fang and Vanille took place. The war of Pulse and Cocoon with the Results of every human transported to Cocoon. What I mean is that he saw a lot of Yeuls dying who where all raised by him. It's really sad that you got such important information from a book and not from the game. It explains a lot of his actions but they thought that this information isn't important enough for the game. The game would be better with such information and scenes. I wish they had put these things in the game instead of all these paradox endings.
Also sorry for my mistakes, English isn't my native languages.
Man, I adored Lightning. I just can't agree with anyone saying she's stoic and boring. She goes through a big change in the first game. I loved seeing how different she had become in 13-2. It was kinda a bummer that they stripped her of all that in LR, especially seeing how distant she felt from Hope, but I still loved her. And I loved Lumina, too. (No surprise considering LR's big reveal. )
But she is mostly stoic in the trilogy. And the few times the developers attempt to have her emote throughout the series comes off as rather jarring given how they’ve portrayed her as a “hardass.” While she did change in subtle ways, her character arc and personality isn’t something we hadn’t seen done before.
Still, her image is pretty cool from as early as they showed us the concept in 2006.
Can't believe I missed the notification for this, especially since I was looking forward to this the most. 13 was the first mainline HD FF game I played (never had a ps1 or 2) and loved it for what it is. Thank you for this nostalgic and insightful retrospective!
Me and my friends loved the ending. Especially the part when you see that they created our world c:
It was probably Eos before Versus XIII become XV.
@@enesutkuozdemir7335 thats actually a pretty insane and probable idea
I enjoyed lightning returns when it came out. Lightning is still one of my favorite characters and after not getting my fill of her in 13-2, seeing that she was back and it was practically just her, I was happy lol
I had no self control when it came to the DLCs though. I mean, Lightning wearing a SOLDIER outfit and a fricken buster sword??? Yes please! Plus a good majority of the nostalgia outfits were offered as Pre-order bonuses, SOLDIER being one of the main ones that drew people into pre ordering. Square knew what they were doing lol
its not just you. lightning is still one of THE most popular ff characters ever developed in japan. there was even a point where she modeled outfits for Louis Vuitton in japan.
@@mwbwyatt People also dont realize that the FF13 series was REALLY popular in japan
I can't really decide on whether having this game instead be called "Lightning Strikes Thrice" would've been brilliant, or maximum cring.
Lightning: Thrice Upon a Time..
wait no that one's taken
Can’t lie the 13 series is one of my fave highlights from the entire final fantasy series. Lightning returns was so good but 13-2 has my heart as the best game in the trilogy. Lovely review it was fun to relive the series again as my PlayStation 3 no longer works. I’ve been clamoring for a remaster of the series to hit the switch
Normal Mode was a lot easier back when they had the online mechanic to get random items from other players, a lot of them being elixirs
That was the only way for me to get that Platinum Trophy on my PS3, lol
I really appreciate the editing style of this video alongside its clear structure as well as its indepth look into the game's mechanics. Especially the mechanical analysis reminded me of rescent works of ludologists I read, which speaks for the essay's professionalism.
13-3 was definitely a strange game and had some flaws, but there were some very deep psychological themes at play that I’d venture to say 9/10 people would miss. For example, what Lumina represents. Lightning’s shadow, in Jungian psychology terms; And how that dynamic is relevant in our own personal lives. Also the soundtrack is incredible, unforgettable imo. So many beautiful and rare instruments are used, with many “world music” vibes. It’s a work of art still imo
This was a trip. For someone who hasn't played the games, this retrospective was very enjoyable. Great job
What a journey. Keep it up. Now I really have a firm appreciation for the FF13 trilogy. I hope you end up doing Agito and FFXV. I'll be there.
wow i remember years ago i watched your playthrough of kingdom hearts chain of memories cause i didn't wanna play it myself lol. was a pleasant surprise to see your name again and see you still active, hope you're doing good!!
@@nickando1734 I still am thankfully.
This is actually one of my favorite Final Fantasy games ever
Same here
Me too
Why?
@@zacatkinson3926 for me it was like a good book trilogy. It wrapped up in a nice closing of the book cover and had me at peace with the ending. 14 is the only other one that had similar vibes but also is ongoing
For me, Lightning Returns always felt...skeevy...to me. I know it's simply speculative and ridiculous to think of this, but remember when back in the day people said Lightning felt like "Squarenenix's waifu"? Well, this game specially feels like it.
The story wants you to focus 100% on Lightning. And while it makes sense for a RPG to want you to focus in its protagonist, in doing so it feels like it doesn't care about anything else. The cast of 13, for example, our main ehroes that we have followed through the series, are completely sidelines even worse than 13-2. The world and it's people are not fleshed out, nor does its narrative structure. But the one thing it's heavily focused? Lightning and how Lightning does things.
Lightning is the most important person in the universe. Lightning is the only one who can do things and every one of her partners just stand around doing nothing important. Despite the devs hearing people's complain about her personality, Lightning's personally was literally fixed to stay in that cool attitude that can do no wrong, Lightning gets to wear all these pretty dresses, NPCs make songs about how Lightning is the best and are part of the official soundtrack...
See what I mean with this? Everytime I look at Lightning Returns my mind flashes back when I was younger, watching a recording of the SE event where they announced Lightning Returns, where a cardboard Lightning was placed center stage and Toriyama arrived with a bouquet of flowers to give to Lightning. That memory is etched on my mind everytime I think of this game and how it feels like someone(ones) at SquareEnix felt really passionate about Lightning and that may have blinded them about the shortcomings of the series' weakpoints story-wise. And while that is separate to the game, I can't help for that thought seep into my opinions of the game, tainting it in some way.
The story is also about how Lightning has been hiding multiple layers of trauma and the Cool Soldier attitude is a big mask she wears out of refusal to approach her own feelings, and how that attitude has other consequences, and the other major characters who do still exist in LR largely hate her being given such responsibility after pissing off and letting apocalypse happen, and well, nobody exactly trusts the soul seeker who refuses to be honest with anyone, the few allies she finds all struggle to umm, be partners again, or they're Hope, who's having A Time, the world is pretty weak, but I feel like, moreso then with 13 and 13-2 where a lot is just tucked into logs, thats deeply intentional, Lightning has been Out of it for way too long, and she's not exactly got the time to be getting a runby on the world and culture outside of her task that she's rushing to accomplish, and our awareness of the world matches this, we have the barest understanding of whats happening as everyone screams around us, our only piece of knowledge the world lacks is the impending apocalypse... 2!
The Lightning is my Waifu energy is definitely real, but most of it got directed towards real world marketing jank, since iirc the guy who was Super Big On That actually didn't get to do much with 13-2 and LR
So THAT’S how lighting ended up modeling for Louis Vuitton! 😂
YES I've been waiting for this. Thank you for doing this series for FF13!
Honestly i played LR because i've finished 13 and 13-2.
But god damn i love this game , he fast paced combat , easy to grasp mechanics , the clock was scary but then I forgot it existed until i needed to wait to access certain areas , the dress up simularor was fun , and the most important thing is that like the other games this ran in my shitty pc , but at an stable 60fps unlike the 20-30 of the others.
My bad pc is the reason i never used the strongest magics in the other games , in this one i went ham.
Same here, dude; I'm starting to realize how much I played the game at one point, could damn near speedrun it lol.
The FFXIII trilogy as a whole was (an still is) my favourite games in the whole franchise. I understand the criticism they had. But, I happened to like (or not really care) about them when I played the games myself. It was the perfect gap between sci-fi and fantasy. And the soundtracks are gorgeous.
The part about the time mechanic made me think about "The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask".
I know many people who got scared off be the "You only have 3 in-game days" thing of MM although, in reality, the game gives you all the time you need.
And, despite the fact that MM is also a great game because of its atmosphere, story and characters, like in LR it's just sooooooo satisfactory to tweak your routine for the different days to perfection and to need less and less cycles/in-game days to complete the game.
I totally get why the time mechanic scares people away (I'm also not a huge fan of time limits) but if you manage to accept it and get yourself involved in it, it can provide you with a sense of growth and progress like no other gameplay feature.
Before watching this video, absolutely loved this game. I definitely spent the most time on this one out of the trilogy.
Permanant Time mechanics do not belong in Final Fantasy. Majora's Mask had a limited 3 day cycle, but that cycle could repeat an infinite amount of times. Lightning Returns does not give you this feature. You run out of time, then you have to spend countless hours to retry just one time.
These videos are so well done, entertaining, and detailed. Y'all better smash that like and let them Wayfair ads play through!
When you started explaining that you’re given a new game plus if you don’t complete the story in time, BUT it gives you all your stuff and unlocks new stuff, that was my first time hearing that. I completed this game without hitting the deadline. That’s not a flex. I was stressed and the last battle was so hard. haha
I just got out of the movies to find this glorious thing!!
Well I am super late to this party, but I only just finished Lightning Returns tonight myself and...yeah. I really remembered having a better time with it back in the day, but revisiting it along with the other 2 trilogy entries really had the starkest difference between my memories and current experience. I really wanted to like it, but it just doesn't feel like a proper continuation of the first 2. I wish they had taken more time on it. That said, I may be the only person in the world to genuinely really like the ending. Here me out.
The whole crux of why that ending is supposed to feel good and meaningful is that these characters have finally freed themselves from the influence of higher beings for good. No Falcie, and no gods of any tier or caliber. They can finally live their lives through their own will, and the idea that humanity is at its best when they are working and loving together really resonates with me. As for why our Earth? I think it's actually a really neat way to reveal that accomplishment for humanity. Sure, we could have had some narration saying "in this world magic and gods are gone" or whatever, but I think showing the player that the new world is Earth instantly let's them realize what is the significant difference between the world Lightning and co are leaving, and the new one they're inhabiting. Ultimately, that accomplishment is what I enjoy, and I just think it is a creative case of "show don't tell."
Now there is something to be said about the endings impact on a person being influenced by their outlook on the real world. If you're someone who thinks most of humanity is bad, or human nature is vile and selfish or whatever, then yeah you're not gonna see that reveal as anything positive for the new characters. But I still think of humanity on a total scale as good, and the ideas about people loving one another, sharing with one another, taking care of one another, and forging each other's happiness personally resonates with me, which is why I actually end up liking at least that part of the game. I wanted to share my probably very unique and unpopular perspective on that.
EDIT: Oh and I can't believe I forgot to add this initially, but thank you so much for all the time you've put into covering these games! None of my IRL friends have ever touched any of these games, so it's so nice to be able to hear someone talk in depth about their thoughts and experiences, especially from a modern perspective. I've enjoyed all of your videos, and honestly will probably watch your other content as well, as I like your video style. You do great work, and I thank you for that.
What a fantastic series! Thanks for you hard work and honest open critique!
You can easily find this game for $15 sometimes even $5 and I'd say that's more than worth it if you're invested in an ending
The story was flat for me like many. It seemed so disconnected to the other two. I was really excited about this when it came out. Loved the gameplay. Just wish the story was better fleshed out. The ending was great. I think it’s cheesy but the train part reminded me of Full Metal Alchemist 03. I didn’t hate it.
I just sat and watched your FFXIII trilogy back to back and you have really done these games a service. It saddens me that XIII get treated so harshly when it doesn't deserve so much hate. You illustrated perfectly where these games really shine and it just brought me back to to the time I spent playing them when they released. It's also a shame that people would have written off the sequels without giving them a try when XIII-2 did improve on a lot of the things XIII fell short on.
Really enjoyed these videos and how you have written them. This is the sort of quality I am aiming to achieve in my own videos going forward. I'm looking forward to seeing more!
The game is good as it always was in terms of soundtrack and looks, but to me, it felt like a dress up game. Regardless, it's a good game just with a couple of issues that makes a great game.
Great analysis, I loved the trilogy you put your heart into!
The weirdest thing, is I have hardly any memories of the FFXIII series, and I beat them when they each came out. I remember stuff from almost every other Final Fantasy, but this trilogy is like, gone.
I never played the sequels (unless you consider 15 a sequel) but i remember really liking 13, i don't know why i ignored 2 and 3, maybe the antihype got to me.
The XIII series is my favorite of the mainline titles, and I want to thank you for the care you've put into them. You praises what needed to be praised and criticized what needed to be criticized, and I appreciate that. Love your retrospectives and deep dives dude, keep up the good work