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8.4

IGN AU: Final Fantasy XIII Review

There's no question that if Square-Enix had used the present mechanics, only with a little more choice – a better Crystarium system for role development and a less linear path through the gameworld, for starters – this would have been a much better game. Even so, this is a staggeringly pretty game, and for all its faults, it is enjoyable and it is a meaty adventure... just not meaty in some of the ways IGN would have hoped.

Presentation - 9.5
Graphics - 10
Sound - 8.5
Gameplay - 7.5
Overall -

meetajhu5168d ago

So much for the stupid hype. God of War 3 demolishes this and every game this March and this year.

Zedux5168d ago

Now all I hope for it to see people renting this title! SE screwed their own arse hard taking this multiplat!

gamesmaster5168d ago

"Linear" everytime i read this word i get a little bit more disappointed. That started when they released X.

evrfighter5168d ago

BC2 and FF13 were the only games I was lookin forward to this month.

BC2 has more than exceeded my expectations. Finally got some eyecandy and a sweet MP

Wrathman5168d ago

@zedux...this is wot SE get for making a very bad xbox port.how can i justify that? well based on their scoring system..other xbox games have scored higher in all their catagories.so its logical to assume that its a bad port.

this game was destined to suck from the get go.its a tired genre.the only people hyped about this game are old and playing on the ps3.

sikbeta5168d ago

Seems like IGN AU is the only with dignity after all, this is the PS3 Version and got 8.4/10...

ReservoirDog3165168d ago

This is exactly what I expected honestly. Trust me though, IGN AU is the best reviewers out there. Look at their track record if you don't believe me. Go on, look.

Around an 8 sounds perfect for FFXIII. Still wish I can get it though (spending freeze till I finish all the games I have already, pity me).

And remember everyone, an 8 isn't a bad score.

kingdavid5168d ago

Lol at you fools. Its still the highest rated jrpg this gen and an 8.4 is considered crap now?

lonestarmt5168d ago

whats freaking with you people? its going to end up being the highest reated JRPG for this gen and it still isn't worth your time? So a game has to be over 9 now to even be worth considering? So its not your style, thats fine, but stop pretending it sucks, go back to playing battlefield then and stay off the FF comments lol

kevnb5168d ago

games shouldnt be defined by where they were made. Its a console style rpg, linear, story driven, played well with a gamepad, very easy to get into for the first few hours etc... Yes I understand that pc style rpgs are being ported over more and more, but they are made different and play much better on pc.

Sarevok5168d ago

Sorry but ''highest rated jrpg this gen'' goes to Demon's Souls.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 5168d ago
George Sears5168d ago (Edited 5168d ago )

I see why the IGN US doesn't want to add there review yet. What a bunch of horse butts riding on that 24hr PS3 lockdown. I'd rather just trust Au and UK IGN instead. Two against one.

Homicide5168d ago

I have a feeling IGN were paid by SE.

Baba19065168d ago

cant wait for this game =D. awesome score.

Omega45168d ago

"These guys are fighting a guerrilla war, but are wearing such elaborate, immaculately turned out outfits, with not a single hair out of place, that the whole thing is laughable."

Insulting the art style is just so low so very very low.

Fishy Fingers5168d ago

Art style is the complete overall design, how it looks and feels. He's not referring to the art style, just the character models design, and well it's hardly an insult in any case.

almasy9195168d ago

Well, c'mon man. Have you seen that guy wearing the vest and doing his best Wakka cosplay?

gamesmaster5168d ago

i dont see what is wrong with that comment, it points out a very valid point. They're fighting a guerilla war and they look like S club 7 juniors..

evrfighter5168d ago

its not an insult to the art style. It's stating the dang truth.

Wrathman5168d ago

@gamesmaster..thats a classic comparison.though i would have likened them to steps.with equally ridiculous names..like 'H'.

ReservoirDog3165168d ago

Art design and costume design aren't really the same thing. But JRPGs are kinda known for having overly extravagant costumes. Just gotta deal with it really but it can be looked at as a negative if it's distracting.

lonestarmt5168d ago

of course it matters. I for one actually really like the art and character design. Complaining about it for one shows this reviewers true colors, he is obviously not a big JRPG fan. In which case begs the questions why is he reviewing a JRPG in the first place then? I mean the character designs are much "tamer" actually than most JRPGs lately.

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awesomeperson5168d ago

M$'s money: Only turns good exclusives into bad multiplats.

kingdavid5168d ago

How do you know MS paid for this?

Its more likely square enix wanted to make it multiplatform for the extra dosh..

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70°

The 7 Best Final Fantasy Characters: Unveiling the Legends

While FFVII ranks highly, there's more to the series than one game. Here's Chit Hot's picks for the seven best Final Fantasy characters.

220°

The older it gets, the more I respect Final Fantasy XIII

Alex Donaldson: "Hindsight is a hell of a thing, however, and in the years since Final Fantasy XIII, my respect for the decisions its developers made has skyrocketed. In the two Final Fantasy titles since we see both the brilliance and the folly in alternative approaches - and in Final Fantasy VII Remake, we get a more nuanced understanding of what FF13 was trying to accomplish from many of the same development leads."

Einhander1972128d ago

FFXIII is actually one of the best Final Fantasy games.

I also sort of was disappointed at the time, never as much as the bandwagon. But really all the fantastic 3D rendered cutscenes and I actually liked the characters and the story though convoluted was actually fantastic and the ending was extremely emotional. So much budget and time were put into that game Square had such big plans, I actually have always felt kind of bad for how things played out.

I have been thinking for years how great it would be to get all three games on one disk for PS4 or 5.

Nyxus128d ago

I always liked this game, and I agree, a rerelease for current gen would be nice.

Shane Kim126d ago (Edited 126d ago )

Gotta take off the nostalgia glasses. It's the worst FF. Shiva as a bike, I mean come on.

Elda126d ago

Shiva as a bike is strange but saying FFXIII is the worst FF is not at all a fact, that's simply your opinion.

Terry_B126d ago

*One of the 3 equally bad FF's

DivineHand125126d ago (Edited 126d ago )

When I got my series X a year ago, I bought FF13 for nostalgia reasons but ended up being disappointed. When I first played it around the time it launched, I didn't have a lot of experience with final fantasy games, so I enjoyed it. Fast forward to when I played it again, I found that the game had many unnecessary filler moments instead of just giving us meaningful content.

The game is also very linear and a quote on the article said it best. "It is like a sewage pipe that leads to the ocean until it opens up on Grand Pulse."

The story didn't make much sense either and I believe it is my mistake as I played the FF7 remake on PS5 prior which is a night and day difference in terms of pacing, storytelling and likeable characters even though cloud is aloof.

FinalFantasyFanatic126d ago (Edited 126d ago )

Probably was a mistake to play any of the golden era FFs first (e.g. FF6 through FF10), it makes it harder to enjoy some of the FFs that aren't as good. I think FF12 was where major issues with the series started becoming apparent, and it just got worse from there.

FinalFantasyFanatic126d ago (Edited 126d ago )

I didn't really care for it that much, the only saving grace was that it had a better story than 15 (overall it was better than 15) and possibly 12, and even then, you had to read some of it through primers, like reading a book. Plus the battle system was reasonably fun for what it was, even if it was more the spectacle that was exciting for me (e.g. summoning). And to be fair, the 13 trilogy got better with every games, I still don't like Snow though.

Gamingsince1981126d ago

Ff13 is only good if you haven't played a ff before, or any other games that are decent for that matter.

-Foxtrot126d ago

It is in fact no way the best Final Fantasy game, it's one of the worst

Linear corridors, Cutscene, Fight, Cutscene...rinse and repeat

Dialogue and characters are pretty bad, especially Lightning as the main FF hero, they literally said they tried to make a "Female Cloud" and they failed.

Story was pretty awful

I could go on

I think the only alright thing that came from the game was the music.

Elda125d ago

That's not a fact that's your personal opinion. The game sold 11 million copies between its 2009 release up until 2014 including critically reviewed as an 8 out of 10 or an 80 out of 100. The game does have some issues but it's not at all a fact as one of the worst FF games.

-Foxtrot125d ago

Elda

Not just mine mate

A large majority

So….

Traecy125d ago

N4G commenters such as yourself aren't the majority. The game was well received.

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gold_drake127d ago (Edited 127d ago )

i liked the game alot but i didnt like how they handled the terminology.

i dont mind reading data logs but it had soo many.

but i always loved the music and how it looked. the battle system wasnt too bad either.

but i like 13-2 more :)

i still dont understand why we never got a remaster of the trilogy

Eonjay126d ago

Xbox kinda did. Besides the video files of course which are still best on PS3 due to bluray.

Snookies12127d ago

XIII is a pretty solid game, but XIII-2 is WAY better. XIII-2 was one of the few games I decided to go for a Platinum trophy in, early on. Had so much fun the entire way through getting it too!

Eonjay126d ago

Totally agree. FF 13 was okay but 13-2 is my favorite FF game ever.

shinoff2183127d ago (Edited 127d ago )

I hated this to when it released. I haven't much liked a ff game since ff10 as much , aside from ff7remake. I decided to give it another shot on my series x since it's not on a current ps and was liking it quite a bit(just takes me some time to get over things ) until star ocean 2 remake came out I was all over that.

Square should definitely remaster it or something for ps4 ps5

KillerB126d ago

my favorite jrpg trilogy ever

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70°

Interview: Making music with Masashi Hamauzu

Square Enix Blog: "How do you compose iconic songs that help define a legacy? We speak to legendary composer Masashi Hamauzu about his work on Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy VII Remake, and how to make unforgettable music."

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square-enix-games.com