This review contains spoilers
If you've seen my review of the original Final Fantasy XIII, you'll know I walked away from that game surprised at how much I enjoyed the journey. XIII-2 is, for the most part, no different.
Mechanically, XIII-2 is a brilliant refinement of its predecessor. The game gives you full gameplay freedom almost immediately, it makes the crystarium much easier to parse, and it feels like it relies a lot less on the combat gimmicks of the first game.
The one elephant in the room, in terms of mechanics, is the QTE segments, and while they're extremely generous in their timing, they feel altogether unnecessary in most instances.
Additionally, the narrative, set pieces, and overall design choices go a long way to add depth to the FFXIII world as a whole, giving straightforward context to some of the more clandestine mysteries of the first game.
That said, at times, the narrative does seem to drag. The first and third acts are thrilling as the game introduces you to its new ideas and characters and ultimately ends with several impressive-looking boss fights, but the middle hump of the game can be rough.
It's not a waste of time, however. There's valuable character work, an ample amount of time to explore possibilities in your party's structure, and some interesting places to visit, but it's a lengthy slow point compared to the rollercoasters that bookend the game.
My one real complaint is the lack of an ensemble cast. The characters do a lot to carry the troubled footing of the first game, and I'd have loved to have more characters for our two main protagonists to play off in this one. If you played the previous entry, however, there are several returning characters that make impressive reappearances and touch on how lonely this journey is by comparison. The disappointing thing is that some of those characters receive a great deal more attention and care than others (Sazh, my boy, you were done dirty).
Worth noting: the villain is excellent. In a narrative where his vibe and motivations could have wound up totally nonsensical, he remains surprisingly grounded, making him a baddie worth chasing down every time he shows up.
Overall, while the first FFXIII left me feeling more excited at the end than its sequel has, this is still a game worth experiencing, even despite its obvious middle-part-of-a-trilogy syndrome.
Mechanically, XIII-2 is a brilliant refinement of its predecessor. The game gives you full gameplay freedom almost immediately, it makes the crystarium much easier to parse, and it feels like it relies a lot less on the combat gimmicks of the first game.
The one elephant in the room, in terms of mechanics, is the QTE segments, and while they're extremely generous in their timing, they feel altogether unnecessary in most instances.
Additionally, the narrative, set pieces, and overall design choices go a long way to add depth to the FFXIII world as a whole, giving straightforward context to some of the more clandestine mysteries of the first game.
That said, at times, the narrative does seem to drag. The first and third acts are thrilling as the game introduces you to its new ideas and characters and ultimately ends with several impressive-looking boss fights, but the middle hump of the game can be rough.
It's not a waste of time, however. There's valuable character work, an ample amount of time to explore possibilities in your party's structure, and some interesting places to visit, but it's a lengthy slow point compared to the rollercoasters that bookend the game.
My one real complaint is the lack of an ensemble cast. The characters do a lot to carry the troubled footing of the first game, and I'd have loved to have more characters for our two main protagonists to play off in this one. If you played the previous entry, however, there are several returning characters that make impressive reappearances and touch on how lonely this journey is by comparison. The disappointing thing is that some of those characters receive a great deal more attention and care than others (Sazh, my boy, you were done dirty).
Worth noting: the villain is excellent. In a narrative where his vibe and motivations could have wound up totally nonsensical, he remains surprisingly grounded, making him a baddie worth chasing down every time he shows up.
Overall, while the first FFXIII left me feeling more excited at the end than its sequel has, this is still a game worth experiencing, even despite its obvious middle-part-of-a-trilogy syndrome.