Final Fantasy XIII-2

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 848 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 457 out of 848
  2. Mixed: 218 out of 848
  3. Negative: 173 out of 848
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  1. medv4380
    Feb 2, 2012
    4
    If you didn't have an issue with XIII then you'll probably enjoy this game. If you took issue with XIII then the nominal improvements won't fix it enough. It would be advisable to rent or barrow the game first before committing to a purchase.
  2. dharma
    Feb 4, 2012
    7
    FInal Fantasy used to be the pinnacle of 'next generation' videogame during the PS 1 era.....but something along the way was lost...Square Soft seemed to lose their connection with their own customers. I remember back in the PS1 days, Square was the best game developer there is...Every game that they made were gold, even outside FF! Yes, FF 13 part 1 and 2 looks amazing, but it feelsFInal Fantasy used to be the pinnacle of 'next generation' videogame during the PS 1 era.....but something along the way was lost...Square Soft seemed to lose their connection with their own customers. I remember back in the PS1 days, Square was the best game developer there is...Every game that they made were gold, even outside FF! Yes, FF 13 part 1 and 2 looks amazing, but it feels 'awkward'. They're not immersive...You don't get sucked into the worlds as you used to. There's too much cut scenes. Better yet, learn from the best JRPG of last year, XENOBLADE Chronicles. For now, FF feels like a shadow of its former self… Expand
  3. Brazilian_Fan
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    People just need to understand that things change, and as part of the public old leaves, comes a new audience (this includes even lower sales in Japan and higher in the West). Things are new Resident Evil ... went through it, leaving aside the terror and taking action. Final Fantasy follows changing, losing and gaining fans with each new episode, and it is not like those who no longerPeople just need to understand that things change, and as part of the public old leaves, comes a new audience (this includes even lower sales in Japan and higher in the West). Things are new Resident Evil ... went through it, leaving aside the terror and taking action. Final Fantasy follows changing, losing and gaining fans with each new episode, and it is not like those who no longer accept this fact, and at least respect the tastes of others, and as we said, not rate it "junk" as seen by both there.… Expand
  4. Wendigo2064
    Feb 2, 2012
    6
    Remember when a new FF game was the talk of the town, a sounding call for all kids to rush to the nearest store and cast their vote prematurely for game of the year? Those days are gone. But FF XIII-2 is an okay game anyway. Better, in fact, than the last eight years of Square Enix's attempts to "update" (or ruin) their games. It won't escape from the scrutiny the series has receivedRemember when a new FF game was the talk of the town, a sounding call for all kids to rush to the nearest store and cast their vote prematurely for game of the year? Those days are gone. But FF XIII-2 is an okay game anyway. Better, in fact, than the last eight years of Square Enix's attempts to "update" (or ruin) their games. It won't escape from the scrutiny the series has received constantly in these years, and a lot of that has to do with the wooden characters. I actually remember when the cast of FF evoked real emotion, and didn't just play off their own stereotypes (the silent cool one, the broody one, the airhead "funny" one). Serah and Noel are just about the worst the series has offered, not helped by the terrible dialogue and the contrived plot, which isn't even worth mocking. So what worked? Well, the battle system and difficulty curve are much better implemented than its predecessor. The game smartly ripped off "pokemon" and "chrono trigger" with the monster collection system and time travel world-altering mechanics. In doing so, the game up and admits that "Final Fantasy" as a unique franchise has died, and square enix doesn't know what it's doing any more. Things like the world map, large cast of interchangeable-but-unique-in-battle characters, rebels against the evil empire distracted by clever side quests... it's all gone for good it seems. Yes, there are side quests, but they boil down to WOW style fetch quests. There are towns of unique NPCs but, since you always know where to go next, there's no motivation to explore these side characters and their trials against killing some specific monster type you've already battled a hundred times. And saving the world? I guess you do... accidentally, as a sort of means to an end of finding that broody Cloud/Cecil build that was Lightning. Yes, this is a return to form for the franchise, and the game feels a bit more like old school JRPG fun. At this point, there are better JRPGs to play, with cleverer plots in place of those frame-rate-destroying HD graphics. Try "Cthulu Saves the World" instead. Hell, even the Pokemon franchise is better than this. But it's a hell of a lot more involving than the last few FF games, and at least the series seems to be getting off the ropes. Here's hoping "Versus" or the yet-to-be-announced FF 15 will be better.… Expand
  5. melonchaly445
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    Wow, this game is truly incredible. After reading so many contrasting things it was hard to know what to expect but all I can say is that this game just has that "FF charm" to it. From the rich battle mechanics (just flip off auto-battle, folks. they DO give you that option), to the underrated emotional subtlety (granted, you won't find it until near the end, but its there) this title isWow, this game is truly incredible. After reading so many contrasting things it was hard to know what to expect but all I can say is that this game just has that "FF charm" to it. From the rich battle mechanics (just flip off auto-battle, folks. they DO give you that option), to the underrated emotional subtlety (granted, you won't find it until near the end, but its there) this title is finally a step back in the right direction for square. If you're unsure about this title just do yourself a favor and make up your OWN mind instead of letting all the little the numbers taint it: just take the plunge and enjoy!… Expand
  6. Jesus_Drake
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    Where are the masters of these fans of "to be continue" to criticize the decision of Square Enix? They criticize everything the company does, how DLCs. Every game company today make five hundred DLCs and nobody says anything, and when the Square do ...
  7. Bono_Box
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    While vain haters saying that the series died on 8, at 9, 10, 6 ... in the game celebrates 25 years with much success, having sold until the thirteenth time about 7 million copies, and XIII-2, they lost some public in Japan, making this much success in the U.S., and pre-sales with 150 000 units more than its predecessor.
  8. GigaHz
    Jan 31, 2012
    5
    Is it me, or are the vast majority of the top 10 most helpful reviews written in broken English? I wonder if SE pulled a Bioware and pushed their employees to create accounts for the sake of bringing up the user score. Yes, I'm being ridiculous, but I'm not joking about the poor English. Take a look for yourself.

    As for the game, I couldn't even endure the demo. I've tried to give it a    Is it me, or are the vast majority of the top 10 most helpful reviews written in broken English? I wonder if SE pulled a Bioware and pushed their employees to create accounts for the sake of bringing up the user score. Yes, I'm being ridiculous, but I'm not joking about the poor English. Take a look for yourself.

    As for the game, I couldn't even endure the demo. I've tried to give it a chance (3 to be exact) but I would always end up quitting, mostly due to boredom. I've tried playing the game with and without auto-battle to see if it made a difference but to no avail. Even if you manually input the actions, with such a limited amount of abilities, you end up performing identical or similar move sets. So it seems like the more time efficient method is to select auto-battle. There's also paradigm shifting, but really, it just hot swaps your class. It doesn't make the game any more interesting, varied, or challenging. My impressions of the story were not positive. I'm not a fan of the two main leads. Having recently found out that these two are the only human (playable) main characters in the game I was immediately turned off. For every terrible FF character in recent games, there were usually a handful of other more decent characters to focus your attention on. This game doesn't offer you that luxury and if it was their intention to have you focus on these two characters, they should have taken better care to ensure that their personalities had more depth. Instead, they are bland as bland can be. Completely forgettable. The story segments I experienced were laughably bad. Pretentious, cryptic dialogue returns to give you a sense that the FF13 universe believes its own depth. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the game doesn't have a clue what its talking about at times, or that could be an instance of poor translation/writing. Apparently, the story for the full game is not as strong as previous titles so I take it my impressions were not far off the mark.

    What's worse, this game will sell. People will eat this game up because it's Final Fantasy. That's what bothers me. This game would have been acceptable in 2007, when showing off a systems graphical potential was fresh, but this is 2012. Many recent game releases already exhibit amazing graphical capabilities for severely dated consoles. Graphics are no longer a selling point, but a standard. And while this game does look and sound pretty, it doesn't bring anything else new to the table and it barely refines the source material it has to work with. It's a shame, because the artists and sound designers/musicians could be working on much better projects as opposed to being reduced to another 'phoned in' Final Fantasy title.

    Also, the old fans of Final Fantasy will not just 'move on'. We are the reason why the series got as far as it did in the first place. True fans give praise where it is due and critique on things that are either flawed or dated. They don't just say to themselves "WELL HURP DERP! It's Final Fantasy and made by Square Enix. Therefore, whatever they make I'll have to love and treasure without question". That may be why things got as bad as they are now. I don't know for sure. What I do know is that I was a fan of Final Fantasy and I'm not anymore. The series had its ups and downs, but now I only see downs. With every bold step forward (ff12) comes a cautious step back (ff13 and ff14). I really do hope that the fan base starts to take a hard look at the obvious decline in the quality of SE's recent games and take appropriate action. That is, unless you're perfectly content with slop and mediocrity.    … Expand
  9. MoogleFan
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    Everyone has the right not to like Final Fantasy CURRENT. But when you call it "garbage" and said the series "Died," the millions of fans today, feel the least offended. Ai comes respect.
  10. CincyJosh
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    Without a doubt this is worthy of a main FF game number. If it had different characters they could have named it FF 15. Do yourself a favor and buy this game, play it, and judge for yourself. I loved XIII very much, however many griped about the linear story line...well part 2 is far from linear. I am glad that SE listened to their fans and made adjustments. Enjoy it and happy playing.
  11. supercriticguy
    Jan 31, 2012
    3
    I play RPGs primarily for the story, characters, and the cinematic experience, which is why I am so disenchanted by FF13-2. The story literally does not make any sense, and I feel as though the game finds that fact funny and flaunts it very often. The majority of the conversations in the game have nothing to do with relevant characters or events--they're unnatural, nonsensical rantsI play RPGs primarily for the story, characters, and the cinematic experience, which is why I am so disenchanted by FF13-2. The story literally does not make any sense, and I feel as though the game finds that fact funny and flaunts it very often. The majority of the conversations in the game have nothing to do with relevant characters or events--they're unnatural, nonsensical rants about "time" and "paradox", over and over and over and over. It's as if the writers believed that if they repeated those words enough, things would start to make sense. They don't.

    The characters--and there's only two--act as if no one else is there with them. Noel and Serah don't connect at all--they just state things over the course of the game, as if the other isn't there. They go through the entire game without learning much about one another. It's similar to the way, for example, Fang never interacted with anyone but Vanille in FF13. It's very awkward and, to be honest, lonely. But most of the game is lonely; though FF13-2 boasts that towns have returned, they really haven't. Sure, many of the time periods in the game have "towns", but they are just town-looking locations overrun with monsters. Why should I care about saving a town from monsters if the town has no NPCs or interiors of any kind? I don't even know who lives here, or if anyone ever does live here. Sure, you'll see futuristic cars zooming by in the background, but it's a huge disappointment when you realize that you'll never be able to actually talk to anyone from many of the time periods. Don't get excited by the term "time periods"--in 13-2, most of them are just one-level dungeons.

    My other complaint is the way the developers approached "fixing" the game after FF13. Most of the non-linearity is artificial: Maps are now "gridded", but every twist and turn leads to the same goal. There's not actually anything interesting to see off the beaten path, other than a treasure sphere. The minigames of 13-2 are also totally unrelated to what is going on in the story--they're clearly just thrown in to address 13's lack of minigames. And the towns, as I mentioned, continue to be disappointing ghost towns that constantly make me wonder why this world is worth saving at all when no one lives in it.

    For me, the meat of an RPG is the story and characters, and that's why I'm giving this game a 3/10. The 3 represents the great graphics, the above average music, the "cool" factor of the game, the CG, the battle system, and all of the other bells and whistles. If you like Pokemon, or want a grinding game, give 13-2 a shot. If you're after for an epic story experience, look elsewhere.    … Expand
  12. RedLord
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    Funny that almost all animes use and abuse of the To Be Continued, FF seems already prohibited from using it. There are chapters and more chapters of Dragon Ball Z for example, that are pure **** surpassing even the novels of Globo and Televisa.
  13. JerryLouis
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    Final Fantasy fans have their real needs and not those that have been, but today only know how to criticize. You are a leading zero to Square Enix! Sorry, but this is the truth. Recalling that the Square already registered the name Final Fantasy XIII-3.
  14. RegisFanete
    Jan 31, 2012
    10
    What's wrong with a game has a direct sequence (even if it is more a) if it is a wonderful game? What's wrong with the story complete trilogy format, or quatrolgogia or quintologia? A wonderful game can not escape the conclusion to his story ends it in an upcoming episode? Why require a "middle chapter" finish the story of the game?
  15. Motherfunky
    Jan 31, 2012
    5
    I played this game. i haven't finished it, and i don't intend to. The first 30 minutes of this game are just cut scenes, you can hardly do anything. Heres a list of things i liked: (1)Now you can switch party members(2) The music is ok, not the best FF soundtrack, but better than most games Things I disliked:

    (3)The towns are joke. You can hardly enter any house and theres hardly any NPCs    I played this game. i haven't finished it, and i don't intend to. The first 30 minutes of this game are just cut scenes, you can hardly do anything. Heres a list of things i liked: (1)Now you can switch party members(2) The music is ok, not the best FF soundtrack, but better than most games Things I disliked:

    (3)The towns are joke. You can hardly enter any house and theres hardly any NPCs in them (4) Dialogue is bad and cheesy (5) The battle system is the same, you can still win most battles using libra and auto battle (6) What FF game only lets you control 2 characters? This game does (7) Still no world map, when willSE add the world map back?

    Conclusion: If you play FF solely because of the gameplay (be warned this game is easy as hell), and side quests, and donâ    … Expand
  16. rukia-chan
    Feb 1, 2012
    0
    FFXIII-3 doesn't look like a true FF game to me, it just proves that the series is dead. No longer is it Final FANTASY, is just post modern crap that has forgetten its roots. And its made by hack Nomura, one of the biggest reasons why the series has died (taking the series into an anime direction with his artwork that isfar inferior to Amano's).

    The series is dead. It may not be a corpse    FFXIII-3 doesn't look like a true FF game to me, it just proves that the series is dead. No longer is it Final FANTASY, is just post modern crap that has forgetten its roots. And its made by hack Nomura, one of the biggest reasons why the series has died (taking the series into an anime direction with his artwork that isfar inferior to Amano's).

    The series is dead. It may not be a corpse lying in a grave, but its a zombie that just won't lie down.

    The further the series has gone, the further away from its roots it has gone, the messier and more cliched the storytelling has gotten, the more style over substance it has gotten, and the need to have a more cinematic experience instead of solid gameplay has grown. Never mind the fact that the creator of the series has left after FFX, and now have a bunch of hacks writing and designing the series.    … Expand
  17. CloudStrifeVII
    Jan 31, 2012
    9
    This game is a masterpiece like the classic Final Fantasys.
    The gameplay, the music, the characters, the ambience, the graphics, etc
    Everything is awesome.
    If you like good games.
    If you like FFXIII.
    If you like Final Fantasy saga.
    Buy It!
    Buy it right now.
    It's a masterpiece.
  18. Bulldozer
    Jan 31, 2012
    0
    Too many ones pushin'up this thing. This game is dull as a rusted dishwater in the center of a living-room. Characters ? Silly, charismatic as a toilet. Gameplay ? Chaotic. For a non English-birth-language ones ergonomy is non-existent cause you're forced to read on the bottom of the screen a lot of things that drive away focus completely from everything. Leveling up ? Just too linear.Too many ones pushin'up this thing. This game is dull as a rusted dishwater in the center of a living-room. Characters ? Silly, charismatic as a toilet. Gameplay ? Chaotic. For a non English-birth-language ones ergonomy is non-existent cause you're forced to read on the bottom of the screen a lot of things that drive away focus completely from everything. Leveling up ? Just too linear. Actions ? Too fast too many times (we are not lab-monkeys) == frustrating. Shops ? That addicted neither-too-sexy thing it's a cheap choice for programmers. Level design ? Built by the machine. Atmosphere ? Zero. Sounds ? Annoying. Musics ? Someone good but out of place and no adrenaline rush. Graphics ? Last chapter was better. The story ? What story ? That mess that someone call a "story" ? Who cares ? ...I'm a bigbetterhuge FF fan, I've always been... but this time is just too much, enough is enough, please FF staff, just go to do HARAKIRI, not FF XIII-3, shame on you, regain "love for the game" instead "love for the money" and money will come again but this time I only wish you to default.… Expand
  19. bigbossluna
    Jan 31, 2012
    0
    Outdated Everything. Story doesn't make any sense. Annoying voice acting. Combat still unimaginative, the game plays by itself, just flashy battles. How about some real fighting. Not here. Square Enix is just milking the fanbase. The fanbase of neckbeards that like little girls with pink hair.
  20. bulletchan
    Apr 11, 2016
    8
    FInal Fantasy used to be the pinnacle of 'next generation' videogame during the PS 1 era.....but something along the way was lost...Square Soft seemed to lose their connection with their own customers. I remember back in the PS1 days, Square was the best game developer there is...Every game that they made were gold, even outside FF! Yes, FF 13 part 1 and 2 looks amazing, but it feelsFInal Fantasy used to be the pinnacle of 'next generation' videogame during the PS 1 era.....but something along the way was lost...Square Soft seemed to lose their connection with their own customers. I remember back in the PS1 days, Square was the best game developer there is...Every game that they made were gold, even outside FF! Yes, FF 13 part 1 and 2 looks amazing, but it feels 'awkward'. They're not immersive...You don't get sucked into the worlds as you used to.… Expand
  21. Dyscordia
    Mar 25, 2014
    9
    Nice game, the only one of the series worthwhile, engaging combat system with many skills, so a new type pokemon monsters to use in battle, engaging story and a charismatic character as Noel.

    if you dont like the series to give it a try this, but only this, do not touch the rest xD
  22. sacredbear
    Nov 8, 2014
    9
    Unsure as to why people think Final Fantasy isn't great anymore. This game is fantastic, and is easily one of the best games I have played in a while. It fixes so many problems that FF XIII had that I find it hard to go back to XIII. The linear areas are gone, the halted progression is gone, the battle system is much more engaging, and the characters are much more likeable and haveUnsure as to why people think Final Fantasy isn't great anymore. This game is fantastic, and is easily one of the best games I have played in a while. It fixes so many problems that FF XIII had that I find it hard to go back to XIII. The linear areas are gone, the halted progression is gone, the battle system is much more engaging, and the characters are much more likeable and have reasonable motivation. This game also features one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard (Final Fantasy or otherwise). Nitpicking aside, the biggest fault this game has is that its related to FF XIII. I like that its based around new characters, but it really could have shone more if it was a game to itself. You may not enjoy this game if a plot-hole here and there upsets you a lot. With this game you kind of just have to go with it occasionally, because at its heart, it has a great story and good message.… Expand
  23. gabzjmm23
    Sep 22, 2014
    9
    I think XIII-2 redeemed what was lost in XIII. But fans still want Lightning which this game have different main characters with the monsters that you can infuse that is great. maybe other gamers wanted more characters which SE didn't add. They have open world, if the main character dies, other one would be the main controllable character, Open world is there, Bad ass main antagonist.I think XIII-2 redeemed what was lost in XIII. But fans still want Lightning which this game have different main characters with the monsters that you can infuse that is great. maybe other gamers wanted more characters which SE didn't add. They have open world, if the main character dies, other one would be the main controllable character, Open world is there, Bad ass main antagonist. maybe other fans just wanted more and each FF has its own. i still don't get the hate, and i love the series and characters.… Expand
  24. neopolx
    Jul 15, 2016
    10
    Travel in time, form team with the monsters, train your team. And more strategy. This game is the best and bring back to live the unsuccessful ff xiii game. this game is great.
  25. 22446688Bb
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    Trio 13 is excellent in all respects, offering an excellent story with very famous characters. Turns out to be like the old parts.
  26. XV_
    Aug 4, 2018
    8
    This entry is like an apology for the first game, there's no more convoluted plot, no more 8 characters, no more linear game play, if you didn't like those things but nonetheless liked the first one then this game's for you or maybe not. In my case I didn't care much about the linear gameplay but I did care about the hard to follow story, don't take me wrong tho, the story is easy but whatThis entry is like an apology for the first game, there's no more convoluted plot, no more 8 characters, no more linear game play, if you didn't like those things but nonetheless liked the first one then this game's for you or maybe not. In my case I didn't care much about the linear gameplay but I did care about the hard to follow story, don't take me wrong tho, the story is easy but what was so annoying is that it has te be so filled with names and systems and unnecessary complex stuff. Anyways, here the combat is solid and the premise is fun, I like a lot that is like a new take on the story of the first game but maintains a lot of the themes that make it interesting like fighting destiny or gods, but now you can time travel. The music for the most part is really good, you can chill out to a lot of songs and also you have this epic stuff in the boss battles. As for the characters, they're somewhat dull as in the past entry but have some really strong moments, specially in the end. Is not by any means a great entry or sequel but it entertains you from the beginning till the end.… Expand
  27. SamComedian
    Jan 27, 2019
    8
    Mi puntuación sobre Final Fantasy XIII-2 es de 8, me explico;
    La duración es buena, en mi caso de 30h y 29min, ( la historia está entre 25-30 horas ). Los gráficos son continuistas respecto al primero, no varia apenas en nada. La jugabilidad es muy similar al primer FFXIII, aún así es divertida. Por lo que respecta a la trama se centra en la búsqueda de Lightning, nos embarcamos con Serah    Mi puntuación sobre Final Fantasy XIII-2 es de 8, me explico;
    La duración es buena, en mi caso de 30h y 29min, ( la historia está entre 25-30 horas ). Los gráficos son continuistas respecto al primero, no varia apenas en nada. La jugabilidad es muy similar al primer FFXIII, aún así es divertida. Por lo que respecta a la trama se centra en la búsqueda de Lightning, nos embarcamos con Serah ( su hermana ) y Noel, un superviviente espacio temporal, para poder rescatar a Light. En conclusión le doy un 8 sobre 10 ( comparándolo con juegos de su plataforma, PS3, Xbox360 y PC ). Mi décima crítica u/o review    … Expand
  28. SolarConker
    Jan 21, 2019
    10
    The story in this one isn't as good as XIII but it improves the combat so much it can be seen as a better experience game play wise
  29. Flammie
    Sep 26, 2021
    9
    Final Fantasy XIII-2 is an JRPG with a turn-based-ish battle system, it continiues on FF XIII's paradigm shift automatic battle system which has it's good and bad sides, but is implemented massively better in this game, and makes much nicer battles where you feel more in control of your losses and victories. The time-travel theme with slightly less linear progression also fixes the otherFinal Fantasy XIII-2 is an JRPG with a turn-based-ish battle system, it continiues on FF XIII's paradigm shift automatic battle system which has it's good and bad sides, but is implemented massively better in this game, and makes much nicer battles where you feel more in control of your losses and victories. The time-travel theme with slightly less linear progression also fixes the other major problem in FF XIII making this game a bit of a hidden gem, since many probably gave up because of the predecessor. Actually one of the only real problem in the game is that some of the progress is hidden behind hard to find hidden treasures and side quests, so you may end up stuck too often. The story I find was quite good and the graphics and music are amazing as always. The game also had some quick time event stuff but that didn't really matter for me one way or another.… Expand
  30. kirisakichan
    May 24, 2022
    9
    Final Fantasy 13 might not be the best but final fantasy 13-2 is one of the best!

    Gameplay 8/10 - almost the same as the prequel but there are some changes that I love such as the new monster system wherein you can capture and use them! I really love it. Music 10/10 -The masterpiece part of the game. As a musician, I really love the ost of this game specially yeul's theme and    Final Fantasy 13 might not be the best but final fantasy 13-2 is one of the best!

    Gameplay 8/10
    - almost the same as the prequel but there are some changes that I love such as the new monster system wherein you can capture and use them! I really love it.

    Music 10/10
    -The masterpiece part of the game. As a musician, I really love the ost of this game specially yeul's theme and noel's theme. The feels they put in the music is really good. You can feel the emotions just by hearing it. I was literally just afk there just to listen to the ost. Overall, OST is one of the important aspects of this game.

    Story 9/10
    Story might be imperfect but we really get to see how they improve the linear story of the first game. I also loved all the side quests.

    All in all, I really enjoyed final fantasy 13-2. It was a great experience that I almost cried in the ending for serrah.    … Expand
  31. Riplyco
    Jan 28, 2023
    0
    Boring piece of trash.
    A ridiculous copy and paste game, that manage to have an even worse plot than the first game.
    One of the most disappointing sequel ever made
  32. Nednerb
    Jun 1, 2013
    6
    At first thought the idea of time travelling really sprung Chrono Trigger in mind. Unfortunately unlike Chrono Trigger the player doesn't notice any differences in the worlds when certain actions are performed. The story is a spider web of confusion and it isn't until reading all the fragment entries when you actual understand the concept of "changing the future changes the past." TheAt first thought the idea of time travelling really sprung Chrono Trigger in mind. Unfortunately unlike Chrono Trigger the player doesn't notice any differences in the worlds when certain actions are performed. The story is a spider web of confusion and it isn't until reading all the fragment entries when you actual understand the concept of "changing the future changes the past." The story lacked real depth however introduces a new antagonist which for the first time in Final Fantasy history is not looking to destroy the world for some unknown reason. The battle system builds from XIII where the use of roles, weapons and accessories plays a significant part in ensuring a successful victory against the toughest foes. Unfortunately your skills are not exactly tested until downloading the Battle Arena Downloadable Content. This time around there are a significant number of side quests including Chocobo Racing. Don't get your hopes up, there isn't much input to be made in the lack luster mini-game. The soundtrack uses the good tracks from XIII along with some new ones that has an acquired taste. You'll find yourself for the most part farming Feral Crystals with 3% capture rates which makes it rather tedious until you complete the game and unlock Fragment Skills to increase those chances. Experienced RPGers will not find this game challenging including the Downloadable Content against the two toughest enemies in the game. The game is some what enjoyable but nowhere near the quality that has been shown by Square in the past. Mediocre but some what enjoyable.… Expand
  33. BasilZero
    Feb 13, 2013
    8
    Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a great game and a huge improvement for those who wanted a similar old school like Final Fantasy experience but were disappointed with the first game. Final Fantasy XIII-2 uses everything that was great in the first game and improves at almost all aspects for a few and brings back many of the most loved aspects of the previous games such as town exploration andFinal Fantasy XIII-2 is a great game and a huge improvement for those who wanted a similar old school like Final Fantasy experience but were disappointed with the first game. Final Fantasy XIII-2 uses everything that was great in the first game and improves at almost all aspects for a few and brings back many of the most loved aspects of the previous games such as town exploration and non-linearity. You will surely enjoy the graphics, design, music and gameplay of the game. Even if you did not enjoy the first game that much this game however will change your opinion on the series as a whole.… Expand
  34. GameEngineer94
    Aug 8, 2012
    10
    Look I KNOW this is not your typical FF game but that doesn't mean it is bad or that it abandoned its roots and all that BS, ALL the bad reviews for this game be it users or critics center around just one point: that it is not your typical FF game and by that most of the people mean FF 7 and FF 10, I am a gamer for more than 15 years and you know what: this game is AWESOME and then someLook I KNOW this is not your typical FF game but that doesn't mean it is bad or that it abandoned its roots and all that BS, ALL the bad reviews for this game be it users or critics center around just one point: that it is not your typical FF game and by that most of the people mean FF 7 and FF 10, I am a gamer for more than 15 years and you know what: this game is AWESOME and then some and the only thing that will bug you a bit is the weird ending (sad) but it has a sequel.
    I am a guy who respects other people's opinions but with all due respect to the negative review guys; if gaming did not develop past its "roots" then you will be bored and your negative reviews will be about how repetitive the game is.
    TO SUMMARISE: this is a great game with great graphics, story, gameplay and above all else deep and engaging characters that you are going to love if you can see past auron, tidus, yuna, cloud and tifa.    … Expand
  35. Imaobob
    Mar 28, 2015
    9
    This game is much improved from Final Fantasy 13. Everything from the characters, to the bad guy, to the cutscenes, to the changes in gameplay. Its better in every way. And you get to roam and do pretty much what you want, when you want.

    It made me excited for Lightning Returns.
  36. JuanjoKun21
    Jul 5, 2016
    9
    This is Final Fantasy XIII in all its glory. And way more....

    This game is a joy to play. The graphics are simply outstanding. The characters are so well done and the history surrounding each one of them is as interesting as themselves. The gameplay is a lot of fun, easy some times but not that important. The story is brilliant thanks to it being confusing. Yes.... People have    This is Final Fantasy XIII in all its glory. And way more....

    This game is a joy to play. The graphics are simply outstanding. The characters are so well done and the history surrounding each one of them is as interesting as themselves. The gameplay is a lot of fun, easy some times but not that important. The story is brilliant thanks to it being confusing.

    Yes.... People have smashed this trilogy, and I see their point. This game is not perfect. You may see a 10/10 in my review, but it simply can't be perfect, no game is. But you don't need it that way, just enjoy it for what it is. It's an JRPG more focussed on action than anything else.    … Expand
  37. awdrifter
    Apr 22, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game ends with the words "To Be Continued". They seriously wants us to pay for an ending?! Just for that alone I would say avoid this game. I spent 30 hours getting through the story hoping for it to be resolved in someway. Whether it's a happy or sad ending I'm prepared to accept it. But no ending? Seriously?! ENDING SPOILER AHEAD

    So Serah dies, I was ok with that. Yeul has said that Serah's existence is a paradox, so I kinda expected her to die. But now it seems all her (the player's) work is in vain. Cocoon still gets destroyed, and the chaos of Valhalla is unleashed into the world. Then what's the point of the story? Why didn't Etro get her heart back from Caius? Anyways. This game was a huge letdown, avoid!    … Expand
  38. PecoTheGreat
    May 2, 2012
    5
    Every person that has played Final Fantasy XIII will have some questions about its story, given that XIII was best at throwing a bunch of information (Fal'Cie,L'Cie,Cieth, etc) at you without really giving an explanation. So, with a sequel that includes time travel, they had all the opportunities to explain the story of XIII in detail. For example, let us fight along Fang and Vanille whenEvery person that has played Final Fantasy XIII will have some questions about its story, given that XIII was best at throwing a bunch of information (Fal'Cie,L'Cie,Cieth, etc) at you without really giving an explanation. So, with a sequel that includes time travel, they had all the opportunities to explain the story of XIII in detail. For example, let us fight along Fang and Vanille when they first attacked Pulse, give us details about Barthandelus and how he developed his plans. Background story about the other villains in the game, about the Purge, about why Cocoon was created in the first place (After all, they completely failed to explain what is bad so bad about Gran Pulse) and how the Fal'cie became so powerful. Instead, they chose to come up with another unappealing and shallow story about a seeress that dies everytime **** happens and another godess more powerful than the Fal'Cie. The time traveling in this game is absolutely meaningless. Collecting little flowers and guide books to take them to another time instead of changing the future and past. I know that this theme is difficult to pull off, but they did a terrible job. Since jumping between different eras is that meaningless in this game, they would have done better to give us a world map and a damn airplane for some FF-feeling. The whole story was build only for one purpose: so they could include Lightning. Which I respect, as she was the best thing about XIII. but the way they achieved this ridiculous. Some parts about the mechanics are quite nice, but what they promised us as "freedom" means needless complexity of even the tiniest bits. The Casino is no fun at all, the slot machine is a joke (most people hooked the controller up with duct tape to get the slot achievement/trophy) chocobo racing is no fun at all. All you have to do is build a perfect chocobo from a guide, let him win all the races and say bye-bye to fun. Fighting is still as good as it was in XIII and graphics are beautiful, but this game is pushing Final Fantasy as we know and love it even further away.… Expand
  39. rpg4life
    Sep 14, 2014
    10
    Easy without a doubt one of my favorite final fantasies. Its very unique in a pokemon-ish way. You gather pets to fight for you and acquire other pets and gain their abilities and give to the ones you have or if you want to use. I had a ton of fun gathering the unique pets and raising the chocobos to race and getting all the prizes. This is definitely a game you need to play for youEasy without a doubt one of my favorite final fantasies. Its very unique in a pokemon-ish way. You gather pets to fight for you and acquire other pets and gain their abilities and give to the ones you have or if you want to use. I had a ton of fun gathering the unique pets and raising the chocobos to race and getting all the prizes. This is definitely a game you need to play for you self instead of reading peoples reviews and form your own conclusions. The game is visually amazing and the story kept me intrigued the whole game! This game can be a quick game if you don't play to get everything possible in the game which I love to do. Pretty much almost all the monsters the game you can have as a pet!! There are very few in the game you cant have so the game never got boring to me!!… Expand
  40. mekia
    Apr 9, 2013
    10
    If you want a good rpg with a great story and a new twist on the time travel "story paradox" than try this game. The combat is fast and is not like some people say play itself. Maybe on small mobs to make grinding later easier (if you want Platinum)but on bosses every move need to be thought trough and can lead to a very fast death if just mashing auto battle.
    Also this game has no DLC    If you want a good rpg with a great story and a new twist on the time travel "story paradox" than try this game. The combat is fast and is not like some people say play itself. Maybe on small mobs to make grinding later easier (if you want Platinum)but on bosses every move need to be thought trough and can lead to a very fast death if just mashing auto battle.
    Also this game has no DLC ending like some uninformed people try to make out. The DLC is 100% optional and has nothing to do with the story itself. They are Arena fights and battles which range from easy to PAINFULLY hard like Snow's DLC and Lightnings which will make you play for a long time even after the game is finished with its 7-8 Paradox endings and one true ending.

    Give it a chance it is a really good game and please forget the nostalgia glasses when you play it. It is not FF6-2 it is FFXIII-2 it has grown up and evolved so do the players.    … Expand
  41. FIGIOT
    Feb 17, 2012
    6
    I Enjoyed myself with this game. But there were too many things that were a so disappointing. The game was way too easy. The battle system is great, but not when the game is too easy. The story is well....Why are we doing this, why is this happening. It's not explained or its poorly told.
    Serah and Noel aren't much fun, and with a party of only 2 (two!) people there isn't much party    I Enjoyed myself with this game. But there were too many things that were a so disappointing. The game was way too easy. The battle system is great, but not when the game is too easy. The story is well....Why are we doing this, why is this happening. It's not explained or its poorly told.
    Serah and Noel aren't much fun, and with a party of only 2 (two!) people there isn't much party interaction at all. And the Arena I was so looking forward to when this was opening up. Post game it was still closed. Guess what it's DLC! And many other minor things.
    I had fun playing it, but this games goes for the disappointment of 2012.    … Expand
  42. FantasyFanatic
    Jul 12, 2012
    4
    Though it may be an improvement over the original it is still not up to the quality the series is known for. Final Fantasy XIII-2 does fix some of the issues XIII had but I do feel that they have not been fixed in a proper or satisfactory manner. One of the biggest issues is the style of the game, unfortunately XIII-2 abandons the series japanese roots instead it has a western feel for aThough it may be an improvement over the original it is still not up to the quality the series is known for. Final Fantasy XIII-2 does fix some of the issues XIII had but I do feel that they have not been fixed in a proper or satisfactory manner. One of the biggest issues is the style of the game, unfortunately XIII-2 abandons the series japanese roots instead it has a western feel for a Final Fantasy game this is very unacceptable for the franchise (Final Fantasy is a japanese franchise for a reason) the Live Triggers, Cinematic Actions, and Time Travel feel like gimmicks instead of addressed issues I do feel that Square didn't have to westernize XIII-2 (or the franchise itself) to fix the issues XIII had. Even though the structure of the game is better than the original but it has been handled poorly the towns and the fields feel very artificial and they also feel rushed, the Historia Crux feels like a glorified "level select" Square should have made open worlds (having an open world is a huge element of non-linearity and this what XIII-2 should have had). The story is one of the game's worst aspects, the overall narrative is both muddy and incoherent and the writing is just plain bad and can be a bit grating. A host of other problems keep the game from living up to expectations.… Expand
  43. Abstractpurpose
    Oct 30, 2012
    1
    This entry tried to build onto the last game while fixing the larger issues fans had with the first. They provided npcs to there credit however the store while many say its fixed is not and heres why. Last game randomly placed save cubes sold you items. Now a randomly placed annoying girl sells you items. Its just a save cube with a chacter model on it that doesnt let you save. So its aThis entry tried to build onto the last game while fixing the larger issues fans had with the first. They provided npcs to there credit however the store while many say its fixed is not and heres why. Last game randomly placed save cubes sold you items. Now a randomly placed annoying girl sells you items. Its just a save cube with a chacter model on it that doesnt let you save. So its a halfass fix but something. Combat remains overly simple but now for the big thing. The world There is no world technically. Just randomized boxed in locations. Imagin a mw3 map that you had to walk around find an item and teleport to another random map. Thats the entire layout of this game. They designed completely random areas without exits and just bounce you from one to the otherafter finding an item.

    Now for characters. The new guys pretty cool but serrah and her mog bow are not. The train a monster idea is nice but its only hiding the fact that this game seriously lacks a character roster. So in all honesty this game and its lack of story that has nothing to do with 13 mixed with the sensless area to area without any true feeling of travle (like walking from a desert area to a beach area to a slightly wooded area as seen in other games) this ff barely constitutes as a game at all. Any random thing can happen and just be called a time paradox. I really hated the feeling of traveling from 1 shoebox to the next though. That really bugged me.    … Expand
  44. Dominii
    May 15, 2012
    1
    Get ready to sit back and watch your characters fight for days at a time in Final Fantasy Xiii-2: Player Characters Excluded! Watch as the Crystal Engine literally takes control over battle, keeping you almost 100% out of the game. And when starting-level monsters have over 1 million HP, you can expect every boss battle to feel like the final battle. Final Fantasy XIII-2 continues itsGet ready to sit back and watch your characters fight for days at a time in Final Fantasy Xiii-2: Player Characters Excluded! Watch as the Crystal Engine literally takes control over battle, keeping you almost 100% out of the game. And when starting-level monsters have over 1 million HP, you can expect every boss battle to feel like the final battle. Final Fantasy XIII-2 continues its predecessor's terrible dialogue, uninterested voice actors (were they trying to get fired), and absolutely boring gameplay â… Expand
  45. Genero
    Mar 23, 2012
    5
    By fixing some of the flaws people cried about in Final Fantasy XIII, SquareEnix have shown that they're simply not very good at making games. Gone are the linear environments, replaced with open zones and the ability to jump between them. Gone is the lack of NPC interaction, with the various zones now populated with talkative figures. Gone is the dry extra content, now you have series ofBy fixing some of the flaws people cried about in Final Fantasy XIII, SquareEnix have shown that they're simply not very good at making games. Gone are the linear environments, replaced with open zones and the ability to jump between them. Gone is the lack of NPC interaction, with the various zones now populated with talkative figures. Gone is the dry extra content, now you have series of sidequests and collectibles to collect. And yet, it does all this wrong. Let's start with the graphics: they're great. So great, they barely run on the PS3. There is a lot of slowdown, and you'll spend a lot of time watching loading screens. Loading time goes beyond annoying; you'll often not want to use the ability to jump between the somewhat small zones as it means sitting through another load screen. Between those and the extensive cutscenes, I didn't seem to spend much time playing. When I was playing, it wasn't necessarily interesting. The battle system from XIII returns, AI and all, yet it seemed even easier this time. You have two fixed party members joined by a customizable monster companion, but just like the weapon leveling of XIII, monsters are not as interesting as you want them to be. Encounters are handled interestingly; rather than randomly being thrown into battle, you'll randomly be surrounded and have the option of attacking them first or trying to run. Think this means you could just bypass the easy enemies? Nope, it seems the more worthless the enemy the harder it is to simply not bother with. Difficulty is rather uneven thanks to the non-linear progression. Even without the non-linear progression, the story doesn't make much sense. They attempt to tug at your emotions, and might actually do so from time to time, but looking back at the events of the game I find it hard to care about any of the characters or any of the events. I quite liked XIII's story and characters up until the final few chapters, but I can't think of anything positive here. And I hope you loved Lightning, because this game seems to be written with the assumption that the player worships her as much as the creators and in-game characters do. So, after all that complaining, any good points? Well, the game does look pretty when it's not suffering from slowdown, and there is at least a little extra content here to enjoy. However, even after the game ends with a serious cliffhanger, I really don't care to go back to the FFXIII franchise to learn what happens next.… Expand
  46. inktomi
    May 26, 2012
    5
    I would give FFXIII-2 a 5 solely on the graphics and and the ability to "tame" monsters and have them as members of your group. The game is sleek-looking, yet lacking real substance. The storyline is flimsy and uninvolving as the previous installment of FFXIII. If you are looking for a good JRPG with somewhat of the same elements, check out Persona 4 or any of the other Shin MegatenI would give FFXIII-2 a 5 solely on the graphics and and the ability to "tame" monsters and have them as members of your group. The game is sleek-looking, yet lacking real substance. The storyline is flimsy and uninvolving as the previous installment of FFXIII. If you are looking for a good JRPG with somewhat of the same elements, check out Persona 4 or any of the other Shin Megaten Franchise games. The Shin-Ten franchise seems to improve on its gameplay and story elements while the FF franchise is dying a slow and painful death. I feel that this franchise, the Final Fantasy name as a whole, needs an entire rebooting from the top down. Get better writers in please, keep the team that is graphically designing the game because it is beautiful to behold. The music is sub-par screamo emo music that does not seem to fit the action of the game. I would have had it during certain bossfights, yes, but when I am walking on a quiet beach I would have pulled out ambient chill of the previous game. The introduction of certain elements such as chocobos seemed as thrown in and uninvolving. As a questing game, why would you not make it an interesting subplot concerning chocobos? I am not saying to make it a 3 hour drudge like FFXI, but would have rather not just casually thrown in there as "ok, here is your chocobos you asked for!" This game is forgettable at best. If you absolutely have no other game to occupy your time or a diehard fan of the genre and franchise as I am, rent it. I am going to own it one day though, from a clearance rack most likely for $5-$10, which will sit in my collection and gather dust as the past 3 installments of the series.… Expand
  47. Hellmasker87
    Sep 13, 2017
    10
    it improves everything that was to improve than its predecessor
    I recommend it to everybody
    is a great game and is better in all points than ffxv.....
  48. mikehettfield
    Apr 12, 2016
    8
    the best of the trilogy by far, the soundtrack is amazing, and the action base battle system is very improved in this one, it remind me of chrono series a bit but in current gen
  49. GabCan47
    Apr 27, 2013
    2
    I hate this game. It's the last FF title I will buy unless they change the battle system. I got sick of all the bouncing around times. The battle system sucked. You could put it on auto battle and breeze through the game, even on bosses. Very few times did I actually have to take control of my characters in battle. I dream of a day when there are no more of these horrible actionI hate this game. It's the last FF title I will buy unless they change the battle system. I got sick of all the bouncing around times. The battle system sucked. You could put it on auto battle and breeze through the game, even on bosses. Very few times did I actually have to take control of my characters in battle. I dream of a day when there are no more of these horrible action rpg's and we go back to the wonderful, fun and awesome days of turn based rpg's. I fear it will remain a dream though. The story was just like..."who cares?". There was no attachment to these empty characters. Not like with Tidus and Yuna, or Zidane or even Cecil. I gave it a 2 becasue Noel could wear Ezio's outfit as DLC.… Expand
  50. amateurdude
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    They took XIII, improved upon it in many areas, but, it's obvious the game is nothing more than a cash grab. The first warning sign is when you first visit Serendipity (The casino/theme park/relief of the game) and you have attendants telling you certain attractions aren't available yet.

    Yup. DLC. Also, the ending, had the potential of being one of the more memorable endings in a video    They took XIII, improved upon it in many areas, but, it's obvious the game is nothing more than a cash grab. The first warning sign is when you first visit Serendipity (The casino/theme park/relief of the game) and you have attendants telling you certain attractions aren't available yet.

    Yup. DLC.

    Also, the ending, had the potential of being one of the more memorable endings in a video game for quite some years, but it falls flat when you're prompted with a "to be continued.." screen, hinting at further DLC to finish off the story! Heaven forbid you'll have to pay for said dlc.. The long and short of it is, the game feels.. Unfinished, rushed and is devoid of any real charm. Sure you'll get your money's worth, game length clocking in at about 40 hours, but when you're finished with a product, and all you can think of is, "is that it?", something isn't right.    … Expand
  51. fftsp
    Jan 31, 2013
    10
    It's a really great game, must try. It is a surprisingly different story, but the gameplay is amazing and the story is great. The characters are better than the original and the villian is one of the best and least cliche I've ever seen
  52. swimdude478
    Feb 11, 2012
    9
    This game is great. It's open world and various side quests expand greatly from XIII. Plus the new monster system keeps you coming back to find the rarest allies and level them up to max. The new crystirium may be linear, but it adds consequences to what you level up by introducing 2-sized nodes. The time traveling is great and it even allows you to replay various time zones in case youThis game is great. It's open world and various side quests expand greatly from XIII. Plus the new monster system keeps you coming back to find the rarest allies and level them up to max. The new crystirium may be linear, but it adds consequences to what you level up by introducing 2-sized nodes. The time traveling is great and it even allows you to replay various time zones in case you missed anything. Overall, it's great! It tops XIII in all ways and is completely fun. Whereas in other FF's, the battle can get boring, in XIII-2, it doesn't, simply because of all the different monsters you can capture and new abilities you can try. Before this, I thought Square Enix was beginning to fail, but i believe XIII-2 is a new beginning for them. This game truly deserves better reviews then it has been receiving. The only thing I wished they changed was the sappiness. In almost all cut scenes the one character is always sad and the other has to cheer him up. They always have to say something cheesy to make the other feel better and it gets really old in every cut scene. Other then that, start searching through your couches for money and go buy this game.… Expand
  53. luneki
    Nov 27, 2013
    10
    XIII-2 fixes all the inconveniences of XIII, SE listened to the fans and delivered, the stiry continues and it's fresher and it dares to do something different, it's an amazing game that purists of the series won't like, because it still carries on many of the elements from XIII, but that's exaclty what makes it special, it's still an innovation on the franchise.
  54. risky
    May 15, 2012
    4
    Compared to its predecessor, FF13-2 is not as linear and flat. Actually, it's got some ambition, including levels and worlds not belonging to the main quest with side missions and mini games. The plot is darker which is welcomed because it weighs up the horrible corny characters. Also, the battle system is a little more diverse with the possibility to recruit monsters as a third partyCompared to its predecessor, FF13-2 is not as linear and flat. Actually, it's got some ambition, including levels and worlds not belonging to the main quest with side missions and mini games. The plot is darker which is welcomed because it weighs up the horrible corny characters. Also, the battle system is a little more diverse with the possibility to recruit monsters as a third party member. Although most revisions make this sequel better than the first game, FF13 is rotten at its core and can't be fixed. The characters are still flat, the environments still empty out all graphic surprises during the first gaming hour, the story line is still boring and worlds are still not as open as they used to be. This game is not a challenge, but merely time-consuming. What's challenging in this game is, for example, boring mini games which just takes time (like the clock anomaly) and difficult monsters (which you beat after hitting x through a bunch of battles to level up). As with the previous game, it makes a fabulous contrast to the superior quality of whatever FF game comes next.… Expand
  55. Campermcdoogle
    Oct 18, 2013
    10
    Honestly why do alot of people hate this game? I understand that Final Fantasy 13 took a new gameplay mechanic, and was also linear, and I can agree the linear change but they fixed that in this game. but that means it's not a bad game. For those that hate the game for this change of combat are those that can't let go of the past, and really should just realize that this is a very funHonestly why do alot of people hate this game? I understand that Final Fantasy 13 took a new gameplay mechanic, and was also linear, and I can agree the linear change but they fixed that in this game. but that means it's not a bad game. For those that hate the game for this change of combat are those that can't let go of the past, and really should just realize that this is a very fun game. There are parts in the game where you will need to come up with a good strategic way to take down some enemies and if anything it's not bad. Plus the soundtrack of the game is awesome along with a good story. So for those that don't know if they should pick up this game, I recommend this game to you. Don't listen to others bashing on this game, play the game for yourself and find out you like it or not. Because I sure did!… Expand
  56. Revoltz
    Nov 1, 2013
    1
    It's the second worse FF games, losing only to the X-2.
    Noah and Caius are the only thing who save the game.
    Serah sux a lot, she's one of the worse characters of all time.
  57. homer2324
    Feb 8, 2012
    5
    The production of this game feels cheap. All MONSTERS' models are direct importation from FFXIII minus some basic recoloring. STORY lacks focus, full of plot holes and poorly thought out. Boring COMBAT & LEVELING - little input/thinking is needed - only requiring to smash the X button to win. LACK OF CHALLENGING CONTENT - the only challenge comes in the form of a minigame that is NOTThe production of this game feels cheap. All MONSTERS' models are direct importation from FFXIII minus some basic recoloring. STORY lacks focus, full of plot holes and poorly thought out. Boring COMBAT & LEVELING - little input/thinking is needed - only requiring to smash the X button to win. LACK OF CHALLENGING CONTENT - the only challenge comes in the form of a minigame that is NOT combat related. MUSIC - biggest disappointment... lack of character in all but one or two pieces. CONCLUSION: This game is milking off your fanboyism from previous installments of the series.… Expand
  58. holdthephone
    Feb 9, 2012
    8
    The ending to Final Fantasy XIII contained a contradiction; it broke the rules. But it rang true to the game's overarching theme of the infinite strength of the human spirit, with characters that declared they would contradict all the rules -- a touching note to end on. Final Fantasy XIII-2 then desperately jumps through fanatical loops in trying to dismantle the respectable conclusion ofThe ending to Final Fantasy XIII contained a contradiction; it broke the rules. But it rang true to the game's overarching theme of the infinite strength of the human spirit, with characters that declared they would contradict all the rules -- a touching note to end on. Final Fantasy XIII-2 then desperately jumps through fanatical loops in trying to dismantle the respectable conclusion of another game, and to a point of near hilarity. Savvy followers may even have questions of smaller magnitude, such as why everyone is suddenly capable of using magic. Well they just can, says the game's datalog. Why didn't Square just make Lightning a pop singer and call it a day?

    But it's naïve to say it all ends there, and unfair to claim that Final Fantasy XIII-2 isn't for the fans. It's not even half complete when the credits roll, and a plethora of content still waits untapped. It's a monster collector's favorite hunting spot, a trailblazer's backpack of spoils, and a completionist's paradise. Cameos and salutes to older games abound, challenges to truly test those thirsty for battle await, and powerful skills and items lie in hiding - this is a gamer's game, and it's damn well appreciated.    … Expand
  59. rAMZA
    Dec 18, 2014
    0
    this isnt even near classic Final Fantasys.
    If you didnt like FFXIII then dont buy this
    If you like Final Fantasy saga this isnt it
    they made this a linear game so its in class with cod just movies popping in the way of the linear gameplay
  60. pwnoz
    May 15, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's a sad day when you realize your favorite game developer/publisher has totally sold out (it probably happened long ago.. but just now realizing). Just finished FF XIII-2 and it just feels like an attempt to make money. The Coliseum claims that you'll be able to fight the strongest monsters when the time is right. I'm reminded of the awesome monster area from FF X only to realize that that it's DLC only. There's an Outfit menu that's presented the entire game only to find it's DLC only. There's the section of the Serendipity that says it's under construction, i.e. DLC. The ending gives no closure, implies everything you've done has failed, and says "To be continued..." Why does it say to be continued? From the director of the game, "the world of FF XIII-2 is going to extend via DLC."

    FF XIII-2 does some things right, but it has a bitter aftertaste that I can't get rid of.    … Expand
  61. JulianDRS
    Feb 2, 2012
    8
    I liked Final Fantasy XIII unlike most people. Regardless i saw the issues that ruined it as a final fantasy game for most people. This game, however, certainly fixes most of those issues, such as the lack of mini games, side quests, and exploration. While, the areas you can explore aren't all that huge, the whole different era mechanic makes exploration fun with all the different sideI liked Final Fantasy XIII unlike most people. Regardless i saw the issues that ruined it as a final fantasy game for most people. This game, however, certainly fixes most of those issues, such as the lack of mini games, side quests, and exploration. While, the areas you can explore aren't all that huge, the whole different era mechanic makes exploration fun with all the different side quests and what not. Combat is also a lot more exciting with the mog clock and the cinematic action which takes quick time events a step up and lot more fun. There's also a few more RPG factors with the live triggers which allow you to choose what you say. The characters, however, are still a little boring with little relatability or true motivation. Despite that the game is still fun to play with an interesting world with fun game mechanics.… Expand
  62. Carlitoxic
    Mar 26, 2012
    3
    This is not an FINAL FANTASY game of the good ones, it appears any more DLC to beast that does not shine in excess. To your defense if I recognize your beautiful graphs and entertaining advance, but your problem is that it is not what your name sells. The essence of this saga is the story and your main characters, and in FFXIII-2 the argument is very weak and short. The trips in the timeThis is not an FINAL FANTASY game of the good ones, it appears any more DLC to beast that does not shine in excess. To your defense if I recognize your beautiful graphs and entertaining advance, but your problem is that it is not what your name sells. The essence of this saga is the story and your main characters, and in FFXIII-2 the argument is very weak and short. The trips in the time it has been definitively a wrong idea. I hate Mogu, casino, trips in the time, the ending, Chocolina, to look for the whole stage for almost invisible appliances, celebrities, Academia and the sonorous sung band.… Expand
  63. statreview
    Apr 22, 2012
    1
    Paradoxes... past is future... future is confusing... . yeuls are dead ..... something with oracle drive... wtf is going on... SE can have my $60 for free but please end this pain and stop with unfathomable stories, linear gameplay, cheesy sound tracks, x-button smash fights, no real development of weapons or accessories . Instead of wasting time on making abundance of useless weapons andParadoxes... past is future... future is confusing... . yeuls are dead ..... something with oracle drive... wtf is going on... SE can have my $60 for free but please end this pain and stop with unfathomable stories, linear gameplay, cheesy sound tracks, x-button smash fights, no real development of weapons or accessories . Instead of wasting time on making abundance of useless weapons and accessories (which 95% of them the players will never use) why doesn't SE focus on all of the above issues. To all the players out there be warned, you will be in a real paradox upon finishing the game... so please don't end up wasting 50 hours of your precious time... So unsatisfying... might have to play suikoden II, all over again just feel what a real RPG should be...… Expand
  64. Alphoxiel
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    First of all, I didn't like 13 that much. It took me half a year to finish because it was so boring to play. Mind you, I speak what I experienced.
    What's up with all these 10s and 0s with troll reviews anyway. There are so many fan boys and haters swarming metacritic to rate this game -_-
    That aside: It's actually a good, fresh experience to play. Just because it's not the ff people grew    First of all, I didn't like 13 that much. It took me half a year to finish because it was so boring to play. Mind you, I speak what I experienced.
    What's up with all these 10s and 0s with troll reviews anyway. There are so many fan boys and haters swarming metacritic to rate this game -_-
    That aside:
    It's actually a good, fresh experience to play. Just because it's not the ff people grew up with, doesn't mean it's bad. So many people butthurt.
    Anyway, I've finished the game. Graphics are still good. Music is beautiful. Eclipse(Aggressive), Wish, and Noel's theme became my favs. The latter half of the game touched me. The characters suddenly developed as well. Although many say the story is nonsense, I clearly know what's going on and why it's going on though I was confused at first. The main villain did well on his part; he's actually memorable compared to other villains. The side characters and the goddess also served to bolster the plot. It all became clear at the end. And this story reminds me of a film noir with melodrama. This installment got me hooked on the final fantasy series again.
    I would give this game a 9/10, but there are so many troll 0 reviews that ruin the image of it. I recommend this game to others wanting a good rpg. It's a fresh experience that broke some rules. SE is quite bold to do so well and risking the series with the story of 13-2, although some aspects were tried in the past. 10/10. More people should experience this.    … Expand
  65. tyler274
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    One of the best final fantasy games I have played, great story which builds a connection between you and the characters, fixed just about every issue that Final Fantasy XIII had and it did it without hurting any other part of the game as well. Good combat that scaled with the game, great soundtrack with many lyrical tracks that fit the environment. The antagonist is one of the best in anyOne of the best final fantasy games I have played, great story which builds a connection between you and the characters, fixed just about every issue that Final Fantasy XIII had and it did it without hurting any other part of the game as well. Good combat that scaled with the game, great soundtrack with many lyrical tracks that fit the environment. The antagonist is one of the best in any video game period. Hope square makes XIII-3.… Expand
  66. R6ex
    Mar 14, 2012
    5
    Boring!

    Ridiculous story and not captivating at all. Combat is no different from FF13 i.e. boring too. Missed the linear story of FF 13. In contrast, FF 13-2 is just made up of a bunch of episodes loosely connected together by travelling through the different eras using time-travelling gates. I wasted 40 hours of my precious time, not to mention money spent. Graphically and    Boring!

    Ridiculous story and not captivating at all. Combat is no different from FF13 i.e. boring too.

    Missed the linear story of FF 13. In contrast, FF 13-2 is just made up of a bunch of episodes loosely connected together by travelling through the different eras using time-travelling gates.

    I wasted 40 hours of my precious time, not to mention money spent.

    Graphically and artistically, FF 13-2 puts GOTY titles like the Mass Effect series to shame. The character models are just beautiful. The scenary is stunning. Too bad, the story is plain garbage.

    Hmmm ... I'm still drooling over the independently flowing strands of hair from Serah and Noel. Not to mention Lightning's naturally flowing feathered-skirt. Can't imagine such beautifully rendered graphics on a last-gen console like the PS3. Bet if this title makes it to the PC, we'll really get life-like characters.

    OBTW, I missed the CGI cutscenes from FF13. The rendered cutscenes in FF13-2 just can't compare.

    Overall, FF series has reached a new low.    … Expand
  67. gyigyo2
    Aug 24, 2013
    4
    Pros:Caius,Tragedy,sad scenes,Noel,Places,Musics (Caius battle theme the best),Snow..
    Cons:Pokemon game,A little time with snow!?,Alyssa, adult Hope,new coccoon looks ugly.
    Its a Pokemon game,I hate adult Hope its a f**king genius he is the perfect man in fabula novula crystallis world, kid hope was better not to mention the cloth, kid hope cloth was perfect! Story is ruined and the    Pros:Caius,Tragedy,sad scenes,Noel,Places,Musics (Caius battle theme the best),Snow..
    Cons:Pokemon game,A little time with snow!?,Alyssa, adult Hope,new coccoon looks ugly.

    Its a Pokemon game,I hate adult Hope its a f**king genius he is the perfect man in fabula novula crystallis world, kid hope was better not to mention the cloth, kid hope cloth was perfect! Story is ruined and the great fantastic FF13 ending was ruined with this too...
    FF13-2 ending was aghhhh great!? its would be a great thing if enemy (Caius) wins in FF title not only good (Lightning) sides. but Its would be better if this game release as FF15 with different heores,world and with Caius antagonist..Square Enix should stop this idiot sequels...    … Expand
  68. SamuelKneen
    Oct 23, 2013
    10
    Final Fantasy XIII-2, the story of Serah and Noel.

    Firstly, whilst I was a fan of the first game and found it to be beautiful & atmospheric, I admit there were some design restrictions holding it back from reaching it's masterpiece potential. Fortunately, Square Enix loves their fans and have poured their heart into creating a fresh new story whilst still keeping a touch of the first    Final Fantasy XIII-2, the story of Serah and Noel.

    Firstly, whilst I was a fan of the first game and found it to be beautiful & atmospheric, I admit there were some design restrictions holding it back from reaching it's masterpiece potential. Fortunately, Square Enix loves their fans and have poured their heart into creating a fresh new story whilst still keeping a touch of the first chapter's magic for nostalgia's sake.

    Yes at first the new story seems a bit vanilla, but it ramps up to a gritty, dark conclusion and the game itself is crammed full of new features, such as a techno drenched soundtrack, time travel, recruitable monsters, bigger maps, and even alternate endings.

    I wasn't too sure about a couple of the tweaks at first, such as only two human party members being available, but when classic mascots such as (SPOILER) Odin and Tonberry become party members, all will be forgiven.

    Some fans of the older entries in the franchise (Which I am too) might still find this a bit of a departure. But I welcome the new Final Fantasy with open arms. Well done Square Enix.    … Expand
  69. DrakesInception
    Feb 3, 2012
    3
    I've already played a much better time traveling game that has an actual story, an amazing soundtrack and some of the best characters ever in an RPG and that game is..Chrono Trigger. FFXIII-2 gets 1 point for their CG cutscenes, 1 point for the strictly ok battle system, and 1 point for the ok non rap, non metal, non j-pop music. I've played FF1, FF2, FF4, FF6, FF7, FF8, FF9, FF10,I've already played a much better time traveling game that has an actual story, an amazing soundtrack and some of the best characters ever in an RPG and that game is..Chrono Trigger. FFXIII-2 gets 1 point for their CG cutscenes, 1 point for the strictly ok battle system, and 1 point for the ok non rap, non metal, non j-pop music. I've played FF1, FF2, FF4, FF6, FF7, FF8, FF9, FF10, FF10-2, FF12, FF13 and FF13-2. The truth is, FFXIII-2 is the worst Final Fantasy game ever created, with FFX-2 coming in 2nd. I wouldn't even bother renting this. As I finish typing this, I'm getting ready to drop it off at the post office. I just want to say thank you to gamefly for saving some $$ for me… Expand
  70. dumrotten
    Feb 6, 2012
    6
    If you're going into FFXIII-2 thinking SE learned from the complaints about the last game and created a rich, explorable world for this one, you're going to be disappointed. The world of FFXIII-2 is made up of a small handful of areas with nothing really connecting them to each other (think Kingdom Hearts). The ridiculous time travel storyline gives the developer's a convenient excuse toIf you're going into FFXIII-2 thinking SE learned from the complaints about the last game and created a rich, explorable world for this one, you're going to be disappointed. The world of FFXIII-2 is made up of a small handful of areas with nothing really connecting them to each other (think Kingdom Hearts). The ridiculous time travel storyline gives the developer's a convenient excuse to recycle areas with different lighting/weather effects and pass them off as new areas. I have to give them a pass on this, because to my understanding, this game is largely an attempt to make use of the large amount of unused assets created for FFXIII. I think your feelings on FFXIII's battle system will largely determine whether or not you enjoy this game as it is essentially the same aside from the monster collecting. The game still looks and sounds great even if a few of the new musical tracks are truly cringe-worthy (the heavy metal chocobo theme, for example). The music was one of the best things about FFXIII and luckily, all of the most familiar themes from that game make appearances here. They made some rather unfortunate additions to the gameplay, like QTEs and a lot of truly awful puzzle rooms that look like they came straight out of a PS2 game circa 2002. Other than that, this 20-hour sequel if pretty enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend paying full price for it though.… Expand
  71. yayihaveanemail
    Feb 10, 2012
    5
    Not what I expected... in a bad way. I'm writing this review assuming that the reader has played the original to an extent. The game starts out well, but eventually turns into an overall mess as you get farther into the story. The original was so fun to me because of the long engaging story, great characters, and fast and difficult combat. All of these are pretty much missing in the secondNot what I expected... in a bad way. I'm writing this review assuming that the reader has played the original to an extent. The game starts out well, but eventually turns into an overall mess as you get farther into the story. The original was so fun to me because of the long engaging story, great characters, and fast and difficult combat. All of these are pretty much missing in the second series. The story is pretty much a huge failure and didn't hold my interest for a second. I won't give any specific details on what the story is, but let's just say it is not the kind of story I expect from Square Enix. There's a problem that threatens the world, and the characters travel from place to place trying to fix it. That is about all there is to the story. I suppose that's what happens when you try to incorporate an open ended world into an RPG. The characters were so bland that it makes me depressed just watching them talk. If they were only going to give us two characters, at least make them somewhat interesting! One character just goes along with the flow while the other character tries to take the lead but is dumb as a rock. The way the game flows does not satisfy me either. It feels almost tedious to play through the game. I feel like there is no way to do the sidequests without a walkthrough because the quest objectives are so vague, and most of them don't show you where the objective is, leaving you to explore the map over and over again only to find that what you were looking for was in the corner that you accidentally skipped over. There is no way to gauge the difficulty of the side quest you are doing, so sometimes you will end up having side quests that are designed for extremely high leveled characters, while you are only a couple hours into the game. I don't know how many hours I've wasted trying to kill unbeatable monsters. Even part of the main story frustrates me. Having to travel back to all the places I've been before just to pick up an invisible item that takes forever to find is not good game design. I really do appreciate the fact that there are side quests to go to unlike in the original, but it feels like everything I do is a side quest, and I really don't like that feeling. I am at the moment struggling to find motivation to continue with the main story, even though I am on the second to last chapter. All this wouldn't be so bad though if the combat and leveling was fun. Unfortunately though, this game falls short on that aspect too. The leveling system makes it very hard to switch from one playstyle to another if you want to change up your party. Thus, you will probably be using one set of paradigms throughout the whole game, which isn't fun. Raising monsters seemed like a neat idea at first, but I really wish they just put another character in the monster's slot instead. It suffers the same problem as leveling your characters, as it takes a ludicrous amount of resources and grinding to make a monster powerful. The combat is pretty much exactly the same as in the original, but the enemy designs and the way character development pans out pretty much ruins everything. One of the reasons FFXIII was fun was because it was necessary to use every advantage you can possibly gain to defeat your current enemy. It was fun to attempt fitting in synergist buffs with the intense damage that your medic has to heal through, while also trying to keep the enemy chain gauge up. It was fun to adjust to different situations, and having to adjust your entire playstyle for different fights. FFXIII-2 absolutely destroys this. There is no longer a need to adjust to a situation, or to rush to stagger an enemy. There is only a need to have high damage and survive burst damage, which involves a lot of switching to sentinel. The chain gauge can wait. Wound damage would have been a new interesting mechanic, which involves lowering your maximum HP as a fight wears on over time from tougher enemies, but the game provides wound potions for a fairly cheap price, which makes me wonder why they put in wound damage in at all. The game ranges from way too hard to way too easy. There is not an in between. If you try to proceed through the main story without any sidequests at all, you will end up getting your monkey spanked until bananas come out of your ears, but if you do just a couple sidequests, you will end up facerolling any enemies that come your way for all eternity, due to the fact that the game relies so much on just surviving a set amount of burst damage. Overall, I'm pretty much utterly disappointed with this game, but the community kind of brought it on themselves. They whined and whined for a more open world, and Square Enix indeed delivered. Unfortunately, the game just didn't end up being as fun as I thought it would be. It's not an absolutely terrible game though. It's just absolutely terrible for what Square Enix is capable of. I cannot recommend buying this game for it's full price.… Expand
  72. rezeak
    Mar 6, 2012
    4
    Not gonna write an extensive review but the game is fun and well made but it isn't complete since you will need to buy DLC to access certain features in the game and also you need to wait and buy more DLC to finish the story too.

    Basically this would of been a great game if it was finshed
  73. xEnAlex
    Aug 19, 2012
    2
    Square Enix tried to get into the roots, I get it, but if they tried that, they did a horrible job.
    Seriously.
    Auto-battling problems are bad enough, but Quicktime events? Seriously? This JRPG has gone to WRPG. Take the Decent FF XIII and just throw it in the garbage and pull another FF X-2. Cinematic actions downright killed the JRPG theme. Instead, making it into more of an WRPG    Square Enix tried to get into the roots, I get it, but if they tried that, they did a horrible job.
    Seriously.
    Auto-battling problems are bad enough, but Quicktime events? Seriously?
    This JRPG has gone to WRPG.

    Take the Decent FF XIII and just throw it in the garbage and pull another FF X-2.
    Cinematic actions downright killed the JRPG theme. Instead, making it into more of an WRPG again, where all you had to do was one button to do everything you wanted. Seriously.
    Add that with Live Trigger and Time Travel, and you got yourself a story that has gone to hell. And coming from me, I'd say that's exactly what FF XIII deserves. Put back Ivalice Alliance back, please, I cannot stand this horrible example of a JRPG.
    "They're trying something new"
    You want to know something that is absolutely great and has a innovation? Not this game.
    Look at Ys VII, they scrapped the bad parts and decided to say "Heck, why not? Let's make more characters playable!" Look how much praise in Japan it got. Does it get the same respect in USA? Nope. Why? Players don't want to think in USA, they just want to pop in, kill stuff, and win the game in one button that gives a cinematic graphic-whore killing spree filled with blood.
    And Ys VII's story? They scrapped the previous one and made a new one that has mentioning of the past games. Fresh start. FF XIII-2 does it wrong by completely just defying the original games reality.

    Square Enix, if you want money, just make Versus, and even if you do, I might still be disheartened.    … Expand
  74. Engineergirl80
    Feb 4, 2012
    10
    I love this game. With the beautifully flowing graphics to the iridescent cut scenes that seem magical. The story line is involved as much as it should be for such a game. The music is more varied than its predecessor and amusing in some instances (Chocobo riding is suitably silly). I am happy with the characters and can see that the developers were mindful of creatures such as MoogleI love this game. With the beautifully flowing graphics to the iridescent cut scenes that seem magical. The story line is involved as much as it should be for such a game. The music is more varied than its predecessor and amusing in some instances (Chocobo riding is suitably silly). I am happy with the characters and can see that the developers were mindful of creatures such as Moogle becoming overwhelming. I enjoy the new battle style that employs Monsters and the Live and Cinematic action is a real treat. For the haters that give this game a zero, I question why they purchased it (if at all). If you didn't like FF13 then why play FF13-2? Your negative comments are not helpful in the slightest. Your opinions are trite to the point of being amusing. Please feel free to not buy any more installments of this game. At least we won't have to sift through your boorish reviews with zeros attached. I, however, will continue to support this franchise till the end of time.... around 700AF.… Expand
  75. Captiosus
    Feb 7, 2012
    5
    Sometimes we see prominent, successful, people have children only for that child to grow up and be unable to emerge from the shadow of their parents. That, unfortunately, describes the case with this title. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the child of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger but fails to emerge from the shadow of either. The characters are shallow and hard to connect with, the timeSometimes we see prominent, successful, people have children only for that child to grow up and be unable to emerge from the shadow of their parents. That, unfortunately, describes the case with this title. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the child of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger but fails to emerge from the shadow of either. The characters are shallow and hard to connect with, the time aspects of the story aren't very well done and makes the story more confusing than it needs to be, and the combat system - with exception to the inclusion of monster mobs in your party - has changed little from FF13. The one good change has been the ability to change party leaders, especially during combat, because in FF13 the defeat of your party leader was an instant game over - a complaint sounded by many players. Unfortunately the game is ultimately mediocre - just another Final Fantasy title that doesn't really stand out. It's really a shame Sakaguchi wasn''t able to be successful with Mistwalker Studios; I feel had Square Enix had some real competition from their former mastermind, the quality of Final Fantasy would have significantly increased.… Expand
  76. c0mmander
    Feb 4, 2012
    9
    While Final Fantasy 13-2 will still not be everyone's cup of tea it is far superior to its predecessor. Final Fantasy 13-2 mostly sticks to the same battle system utilised by its predecessor, however it is different enough to make it feel a lot more fun. Combat is much faster and more fluid on the whole, the paradigm shifts have no slow down as exhibited in 13 and the game in general isWhile Final Fantasy 13-2 will still not be everyone's cup of tea it is far superior to its predecessor. Final Fantasy 13-2 mostly sticks to the same battle system utilised by its predecessor, however it is different enough to make it feel a lot more fun. Combat is much faster and more fluid on the whole, the paradigm shifts have no slow down as exhibited in 13 and the game in general is more about enduring the battle than a dungeon (Same as in 13 in this way). Speaking of endurance in battle 13-2 brings in the 'wound' system which makes enduring battles harder as some enemies caan wound you and make your maximum lifebar lower and lower, therefore making just healing injuries slightly more obselete. Now the next new thing in the combat system is rather hit and miss with its implementation, 'Cinematic Actions' or QTE are used at various points in battle. While the mention of QTE within a JRPG may sound ludicrous I personally found it to further expand on the fast system and add a nice layer of depth to the battle system, rather than just using auto-battle or using the paradigm shift most of the time. The gameplay is enjoyable and really thought through by Square Enix this time around most will enjoy it albeit those who thoroughly disliked the initial system in 13. Another important point to take into consideration which is new to the final fantasy series is the addition of monsters which round up the count of your party members to three. During your travels through the game you will encounter various monsters, some of which turn into a crystal and join your party during the duration of the game. There are a few main types of monsters each with their own unique job assigned (which cannot be changed through paradigm shift) for example you may put a Behemoth on your party who fulfils the commando role. Before battle however you must set your paradigms, which includes setting a specific monster to each, so that when you activate a battle during a paradigm shift the type of monster can be changed. An example of this is say you have a team of Serah (RAV), Noel (Rav) and Zwerg Scanaroid(RAV) but you want 2 Medics and a commando you could paradigm shift so the monster appropriate to this condition is within that paradigm Serah (MED) Noel (COM) Cait Sith (MED). Again within battle the monsters have a Limit Break like technique called a 'Feral Link' which can be used during battle to use a special attack which is unique to each monster, However the feral link bar must first be filled. Finally we move onto the actual equipment and levelling up system. This time around we ditch the previous crystarium system in which everything was on a set stemmed path and take up the new crystarium system, which using crystogen points received for winning battles allow for upgrades of each job seperately until you reach a bonus. Once a bonus is reached the player decides what to do with the bonus, common options include; Upgrade job bonuses (Get more HP etc... for each step taken on crystarium scale), Unlock a new job which was previously locked to the character, increase ATB gauges. This system feels much more comfortable and a lot less confused than the levelling up system that was included in the predecessor. To level up monsters the system is essentially the same except your limited to levelling up their specified job and instead of using crystogen points to level up they use special items. Next up is equipment which is mostly the same except for the fact that A) Weapons no longer have to be upgraded) and B) Accessories take up a set amount of AP for each character which can be raised by choosing this as a bonus within the levelling up system. Now away from all this technical stuff is the need to say that the linear paths seen within 13 are mostly gone and the open areas within the game definately allow for exploration to find new items or to find fragments and artifacts (More on this later). The enviroments are diverse in general although the first few are all pretty dull in the sense that they are ruins, although this is intentional as they are mostly the same location in different time zones (More on this later). NPC's are also back and really give a feeling of life in the game, they also offer up side missions which are really useful to carry out. There is also a feature commonly seen in MMO of a tab at the bottom left of the screen which has all the text of what the NPC's are currently communicating. Then there is a new system called the 'Live trigger' system which allows you to talk to NPC's in a new branching conversation and decisions way (As seen in Mass Effect). There are also new systems like the Historia Crux which allows travel to various locations within the game provided you have the key to going to these locations in the form of an artifact which can be found. Would write more but got no characters left. Gameplay: 9
    Graphics:8.5
    Presentation:9
    Lasting Appeal:9
    Story: 7.5    … Expand
  77. MadResistance
    Feb 7, 2012
    5
    A disapointing attempt at fixing the wrongs of the previous game; Final Fantasy XIII-2 is average in every sense of the word, there are very few areas in which the game truly shines. Note this was written based on approx 30 hours of gameplay.

    Final Fantasy XIII-2's story is a blabbering mess. Very similar to XIII in which the 2 (2!!) main characters have zero motivation for the first 7    A disapointing attempt at fixing the wrongs of the previous game; Final Fantasy XIII-2 is average in every sense of the word, there are very few areas in which the game truly shines. Note this was written based on approx 30 hours of gameplay.

    Final Fantasy XIII-2's story is a blabbering mess. Very similar to XIII in which the 2 (2!!) main characters have zero motivation for the first 7 hours, and the relationship development between the two is very sparse and unenjoyable to experience. The dialogue feels like it was written by monkeys on typewriters; get used to hearing the words paradox over and over and over. Every single problem in the story is reduced down to "A paradox done it". Serah and Noel feel incredibly detached from each other and often simply repeat what the other has said like they were in seperate rooms at the time. Minigames are a little bit different to those of other Final Fantasy games, they are quite frequent, for example in Academia there are a set of quizzes. The quizzes are incredibly frustrating, I'm constantly being asked questions that are almost impossible to know the answer for. Trial and error is not a good way to get these answers when you have to get 8 other questions in order to get to that particular one. Serendipity is NOT the Gold Saucer, it's almost just a game corner in Pokemon. Slots and Chocobo racing are about it, the rest you're going to have to shell out more money to buy as DLC. Oh and don't expect a world map, expect a glorified level select.

    Time travel in this game is done incredibly badly too. Don't ever go in thinking Chrono Trigger style, you're actions in previous era's have almost no effect on other era's, a technique Square had mastered years ago. As said before time travel is not even a good way to describe the Historia Crux, it is just a level select in which 30% are original area's. The rest are reskins or recycled. That's the sad truth. The gameplay is still unimaginative and restrictive. I can only control one character at a time, use auto-battle and paradigm shift and that's about it. The monster catching system is incredibly grinding and gives you access to 3 less paradigms. That restricts you even more. Even on normal difficulty the game is exceptionally easy. There is litterally no more to add it is so similar to XIII. The soundtrack for XIII-2 is terrible, the main battle theme is the only theme I enjoyed but.. a heavy metal chocobo theme, really?

    Gameplay=subpar, story=subpar and characters=subpar. The three things that matter in Final Fantasy and all of them are just terrible. Definitely avoid. Vote with your money and don't let Square Enix cash in on a terrible game like this.    … Expand
  78. purifico
    Feb 6, 2012
    4
    Ultimately this game does nothing for the franchise that was driven into the ground. While not as **** as its predecessor, FFXIII-2 is still bland and boring in every possible way (except the graphics of course - those are beautiful). Characters are as annoying as ever; the story is a cliche storm, though typical for any JRPG; the music - well, let's just say that I've never thought thatUltimately this game does nothing for the franchise that was driven into the ground. While not as **** as its predecessor, FFXIII-2 is still bland and boring in every possible way (except the graphics of course - those are beautiful). Characters are as annoying as ever; the story is a cliche storm, though typical for any JRPG; the music - well, let's just say that I've never thought that any soundtrack could be more bland and unmemorable than that of FFXIII. Guess SquareEnix proved me wrong. I'm very happy that I will be able to spend these 60$ on something good instead. Too bad for my friend who spent his on this.… Expand
  79. Dmw489
    Feb 3, 2012
    2
    To me it seems that when it comes to Final Fantasy 13 and Final Fantasy 13-2, that the votes are split, half of the people giving it a 10, and half of the people giving it a 0. And I am definitely not going to give this game a 10. Let me start off by saying I love every Final Fantasy from 1-7 and I can even enjoy 8, 9, and 10, given I am in the right mood. But I bought Final Fantasy 13To me it seems that when it comes to Final Fantasy 13 and Final Fantasy 13-2, that the votes are split, half of the people giving it a 10, and half of the people giving it a 0. And I am definitely not going to give this game a 10. Let me start off by saying I love every Final Fantasy from 1-7 and I can even enjoy 8, 9, and 10, given I am in the right mood. But I bought Final Fantasy 13 thinking it was going to be another great entry in the series, what I got was a game that held your hand and showed you all of the pretty little things it made. Extremely disappointed, I was not planning on buying this one. But I have played it, gotten somewhat far, and cannot bear myself to go any further. For the record, this game IS better than Final Fantasy 13, but that is a pretty low bar in the first place. Oh, and yeah, I am also one of the many people who despise this new auto battle system. I suppose I'll just start listing the problems I had with it. The story is downright bad, the characters are either annoying or just plain whiny, the music don't get me wrong is good, but none of it is memorable and just sounds so uninspired, and yeah, the battle system is horrendously repetitive, and just outright bad. If there was one good thing to say about this game, it would be that the graphics are top notch, and the animators obviously spent a lot of time working on them. But to me, it all just feels so shallow, as if the game is one of the new transformers movies. It just holds your hand, and shows you all of the cool fighting scenes it has. And what it all comes down to is just the fact that this game, like it or not, is not a very good game, especially using Final Fantasy standards. Oh, and yeah I know, the main argument out right now is that the series needs to change it's battle system or else it will get tired and boring, and I DO agree with that! One of my favorite Final Fantasy games was Final Fantasy Crisis Core for the PSP, and that wasn't even turned based! I whole heartily agree that the series needs to change, Final Fantasy 13 just made all of the wrong changes. Oh yeah, and I get why people are defending this game, I really do. You liked the story and don't want anyone to tell you wrong, I get it! Final Fantasy games have that impression on people, you just need to realize that this is not a very good game, and even if it does improve from the last installment, it still is a disgrace to what once was a great game series.… Expand
  80. Amiganoid
    Feb 1, 2012
    4
    * Yes this review will be pretty harsh, but in the end i will give some constructive feedback about how i think the series still can be saved. *

    (I'm dutch so please forgive my English.) Final Fantasy has lost it's soul, it is now nothing more than a pretty empty shell. It is merely a glimpse of the big bright beautiful star it once was. I really h... i mean... dislike the 3d engine, i    * Yes this review will be pretty harsh, but in the end i will give some constructive feedback about how i think the series still can be saved. *

    (I'm dutch so please forgive my English.)

    Final Fantasy has lost it's soul, it is now nothing more than a pretty empty shell. It is merely a glimpse of the big bright beautiful star it once was.

    I really h... i mean... dislike the 3d engine, i dislike the characters, i dislike the story, which makes no sense at all, i dislike the combat system, i dislike the music. (My favourite song of all time, still is Cosmo Canyon from VII, when i first heard it, it gave me goosebumps from head to toe, i still have this song now, for even more then a decade in my regular mp3 play list, and it never gets old.) But since X the magic is completely gone.

    Final Fantasy has lost the spirit of adventure, and the spirit of exploration, everything that made Final Fantasy 1-10 great is sadly enough, completely gone.

    It is now a game for the masses, and dumbed down for a greater audience, for only one stinkin reason...money.

    The only way of which i can think off, to restore the former glory of the series, and i think a lot of people will agree with me, but of course the new Final Fantasy playing generation will not, is this:

    Drop the new 3d engine they are using, and create a new HD engine of the same engine they used for VII, VIII, IX.

    Please bring back the turn based battle system, i truly love it, i like to think out my strategy during a fight, i also like to take my time during a fight, and don't want to be rushed ALL the time.

    Even tough technology nowadays can easily render the world map in 3d, as were they started with in XII, please don't !, and create a top down view like they did in the "real" Final Fantasy games, this because it brings variety, due to the different perspectives you get, when playing the game. So when in buildings, towns, villages, use 3d view, when on the world map, use top down view, and when in battle, once again the 3d view, or like... how do you say it, the view like it was in VII, VIII, IX, but make the battles turn based again.

    And please bring back the Aeons / GF's in their traditional form, and do not make them able to fight by your side, but only on summon bases. (I like to watch my Aeon / Gf's introduction for 2 minutes every single time i summon them :-D (This is also where the engine can really shine like it did in VII, VIII, IX) Like in VIII when you would summon Eden, it took a whole lot of time, and in the mean time i got really pumped up and started to yell at my tv saying things like; ooow now your gonna get it (Eden's animation still running and charging.) Saying again; ITS ON NOW (Eden's animation almost finished :P) Saying oww yeah it's coming now B****ES !!... And then after a minute or so Eden released it's Fury, whipping most of the baddies out, after which i put my sweaty hands back on my PS 1 controller, those where the days i tell you ! :-) And then the music, make it more adventure spirited, more magical, and traditional, like in the old days.

    Also make an option to turn voice overs on or off, and when in off mode use text balloons, this might be a strange request for most people, but when "voices" are given to you, your imagination has nothing to do any more because they are filled in all ready, i like to give them their own voices, and personality in my head. to me, it has this extra dimension. So, an option for voice overs on or off, and off course an option for using Japanese voices, for those who prefer it.

    And for last, and probably the most import "thing" for a Final Fantasy game, create a descent story !! I think a Final Fantasy game can rise or fall even only just by it's story. So please try to get the original writer back, i know he said The last story on the Wii will probably be has last work, and i know he probably won't do it, but please try !

    The only RPG this generation of which i think off which comes close to a traditional Final Fantasy game, is Eternal Sonata.

    I actually feel pretty sad that i have to type this review down, this is just because i have very fond memories of the "real" Final Fantasy games, and i truly hope i can i play a descent one, once again in the near future.    … Expand
  81. ronnel990
    Feb 6, 2012
    10
    It's better than FFXIII that's a huge plus and it adds more variety of game like Chocobo Racing, Solving Puzzles, there's much more fun in this game than in previous one, so if your'e a fan of Final Fantasy you sure will love it.
  82. atlasshrugged
    Mar 13, 2012
    6
    As a (potentially rare) fan of FFXIII, I found myself wound up in the hype for this game. I was aware of all of the potential shortcomings, including reduced team members, a monster recruit system (which sometimes is hit and miss in RPG's), and the potential for a time travelling story to be a complete mess (it's a difficulty topic to approach). Before I launch in, I'd like to say that IAs a (potentially rare) fan of FFXIII, I found myself wound up in the hype for this game. I was aware of all of the potential shortcomings, including reduced team members, a monster recruit system (which sometimes is hit and miss in RPG's), and the potential for a time travelling story to be a complete mess (it's a difficulty topic to approach). Before I launch in, I'd like to say that I sank about 50 hours into this game and got the platinum trophy, so I think I saw most of what it had to offer (except DLC). To be fair, I think the game has some pretty crisp graphics (very similar to FFXIII) and some pretty cool moments in the mid game. I also think Caius is a pretty interesting antagonist, which I've seen echoed in many reviews. However, I think some of the aspects of the game got too simplified. In terms of battles, I found that I only had to be strategic with some of the after game bosses. In the main game, I got interested in trying to complete sidequests and found that I overlevelled VERY quickly, making the rest of the game a breeze. Normally I would say this is my fault, but one of the promises this time was a less linear game, so I think my interest in exploring is justified. The side quests themselves were fairly uninvolved as well. I expected a great deal of time hopping, but only in later quests does this seem to apply. The chrystarium is also redesigned, and I feel for the worse. I do appreciate the strategy of having certain crystals 'worth' more than others, but I found that they severely limited the abilities of the two characters where you would be foolish not to use them in those roles. As such, it seems to just be a matter of "how can I boost this characters best stat" rather than "how can I make an effective character". The monster taming system adds a bit more variety to the battle roles, and while I have seen some people complain about it, I actually did like this system. It also played a lot on resource management since you weren't sure (unless you faq) how good a monster will be, even at high levels. Combine all of the above with the auto-fight option, and you have a very streamlined battle system that might be a bit easy for veterans of the series. Finally, I felt the story was very underwhelming. As I said above, there are some pretty cool set pieces in the mid game, but there are also parts that had me scratching my head. For example (without spoilers), in one time period you thwart a mob of monsters and then in a later time period (same location) your characters feel sorry for them, help them, and then have to beat them down once more. There were a few events in the story that made me feel that the characters were acting inconsistent. I'm also not a fan of how some characters were shoe-horned into the story, with explanation to be provided in DLC. You can make assumptions based on information in the game, but that information is obtained by achieving fragments, which many people may not have the patience to acquire all of them. I'm fine with supplemental DLC, but not to explain portions of the story. In the end, I give it a 6 because despite having an inconsistent story and simple battles, I found myself oddly enjoying many parts of the game. I just think it wasn't a sum greater than it's parts in this case.… Expand
  83. tsenG
    Feb 10, 2012
    5
    i wont write the same has before because metacritic erase my comment, maybe metacritic is fan of FF? or much FFXIII fans crying, whatever, recognize the death of the series, j-pop completely kill the series and its linear story y predictably, epics soundtracks into shi.tty music, the game now have much more less sidequest because is too much linear, travel time epic game?,ja you havei wont write the same has before because metacritic erase my comment, maybe metacritic is fan of FF? or much FFXIII fans crying, whatever, recognize the death of the series, j-pop completely kill the series and its linear story y predictably, epics soundtracks into shi.tty music, the game now have much more less sidequest because is too much linear, travel time epic game?,ja you have Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, and now Square have the same idea as other companies, launch DLC to gain much more money selling **** because they are not capable of delivering a complete game, with all content included and finish the story of the game in the same game and not in DLC or another **** as before, this generation of consoles and users/players kill this.… Expand
  84. firstevil87
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    I read a lot of complaints about every aspect of this game: music, combat, story, length.

    Then I realized those complaints came from people who never played it. Impossible as it may seem I think that this game is one of the best final fantasies in a long long time. Why, you may ask? To put it simply, here's why: - loved the characters: they have a troubled past but don't spend the    I read a lot of complaints about every aspect of this game: music, combat, story, length.

    Then I realized those complaints came from people who never played it.

    Impossible as it may seem I think that this game is one of the best final fantasies in a long long time.

    Why, you may ask? To put it simply, here's why:
    - loved the characters: they have a troubled past but don't spend the screen time looking sad staring at the distance
    - music: people didn't like mostly because they heard "crazy chocobo" out of context, just that song
    - the monster collection: it is deep, funny and can shift the balance in battle
    - battle itself: challenging, fast-paced, spamming the X-button will lead to nowhere, really
    - story: it is simple to follow, more focused about the dynamic between characters then the overly abused: young boy that looks like a girl will save the world with the power of friendship. Then we have the ending, I'm not going to spoil it but I can understand why people would complain about it, on the other hand I think it is perfectly done as it is.

    In the end, I recommend this game to everyone who loved the previous one, and to all the people who somehow feel like they have been "betrayed" by Square: they will find an epic tale through time with likable characters.

    Stop complaining about non-issues, focus on what the game has to offer instead of features that are absent from previous games.    … Expand
  85. NSnake151
    Jun 18, 2012
    10
    I cannot understand why this game was not significantly more popular than it was. It is in fact my favourite entry in the series. Now I don't want my review to be elitist or offensive, so i will merely outline what I loved about it, and not why you should. The music was fantastic. a brilliant mix of classic FF and new style, the story, particulary the relationship between Caius andI cannot understand why this game was not significantly more popular than it was. It is in fact my favourite entry in the series. Now I don't want my review to be elitist or offensive, so i will merely outline what I loved about it, and not why you should. The music was fantastic. a brilliant mix of classic FF and new style, the story, particulary the relationship between Caius and Noel, and just Caius in general, was great. (A highlight being a memorable interplay between the two in the endgame). The combat, for me, was a great change from the slower turn based mechanics in previous titles in 13, and it stayed that way for 13-2. Yeah, so the dlc thing is sort of annoying, but I always judge value by using a Dollar to hour ratio, and the poker in Sazh's dlc kept me going for hours and hours.
    I can honestly say there is nothing I do not love about this game.    … Expand
  86. Broccoli825
    Feb 26, 2012
    9
    I played this game from beginning to end and I can positively say It was truly a fun game. I also played ff 13. I found 13 to be pretty underwhelming. The only thing I appreciated where the graphics and the music. But there was just no substance; the story and characters seemed to be developing, but by the end left me cold. 13-2 on the other hand, has layers of substance. From the story toI played this game from beginning to end and I can positively say It was truly a fun game. I also played ff 13. I found 13 to be pretty underwhelming. The only thing I appreciated where the graphics and the music. But there was just no substance; the story and characters seemed to be developing, but by the end left me cold. 13-2 on the other hand, has layers of substance. From the story to the sidequests to the multiple locations I felt more than satisfied with the gameplay. My favorite part was the strong emphasis on treasure hunting  I love a game that encourages you to unlock all of its secrets. It drives you to keep playing. The only reason I gave this game a 9 and not a 10 (and may be a deal breaker for some) is the game will be completed with downloadable content. I wish the story was more conclusive at the end, and I can't honestly say I have confidence that Squeenix will take me off this ledge and give the story the resolution it deserves. 

    With that said, there is plenty to enjoy here. The music was moving at times and other times cracked me up (the chocobo song anyone?). So for sensuality (and laughs) the musical score wins.  I believe the reason why everyone is calling the story convoluted was perhaps they were thrown off by the several paradox endings? Once one realizes that these endings are merely alternate scenarios there is not much to be confused about. And if there are any lingering questions you can always check the datalog. 

    I am very proud of this purchase. I'm just disappointed that I have to wait (and pay for) a story resolution. 

    This will understandably anger fans and keep people from wanting to purchase the game. I suggest for those that consider this fact to be a deal breaker to wait for the game to go on sale with all of the dlc. It's a great game that deserves more respect than it's receiving.     … Expand
  87. Yoko
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    Many people are blinded by the phenomenon about criticizing something via other's criticism. They fail to see the beauty of a game they DIDN'T even played. See, this is one of the best game in today's gaming industry. Who the hell didn't move on from the past games? I wasn't joking. People always don't move on and get nostalgic on their FAVORITE ff game. When another game is introduced,Many people are blinded by the phenomenon about criticizing something via other's criticism. They fail to see the beauty of a game they DIDN'T even played. See, this is one of the best game in today's gaming industry. Who the hell didn't move on from the past games? I wasn't joking. People always don't move on and get nostalgic on their FAVORITE ff game. When another game is introduced, they insult it as if it's a person. Now, a sequel coming. Truly this is the best FF ever made. The game itself evolved around the stupid and low expectations from XIII itself. Because of XIII, XIII-2 didn't make a shine thus is still being criticized. I am a former FF game since I. I didn't complain, because every one of them has their pros and cons.… Expand
  88. Genelegasse
    Sep 21, 2014
    0
    If you're a final fantasy fan and enjoy the classic series... STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME! this destroys everything you loved about final fantasy with poor storyline and disgustingly over-bloated drama that make you wonder why you're even playing. Seriously... this is painful to play. played and beat every final fantasy that ever released before this one... I couldnt find it in myself to playIf you're a final fantasy fan and enjoy the classic series... STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME! this destroys everything you loved about final fantasy with poor storyline and disgustingly over-bloated drama that make you wonder why you're even playing. Seriously... this is painful to play. played and beat every final fantasy that ever released before this one... I couldnt find it in myself to play another second of this solid crap. Sorry SE you've lost your touch.… Expand
  89. GanymedeJupiter
    Feb 17, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Final Fantasy XIII had a lot of problems, and Square Enix have certainly made an attempt to fix that in this sequel. The corridor-shooter style level design from the first game is gone. You're now given a menu of levels to explore and unlock, each a different time and place in the future of XIII's world. This makes exploration and progress similar to the Kingdom Hearts games, allowing you to explore different areas at your own pace, without constantly forcing you to follow the plot. The battle system is pretty much the same as XIII, however enemy encounters luckily don't last 5 minutes each time anymore, and the monster taming mechanic adds to the formula somewhat, though it really lacks the depth of other RPGs that use a similar feature.

    The storyline and characters are a significant improvement over XIII-2's predecessor. Our two main characters Serah and Noel manage to be surprisingly enjoyable characters; Serah manages to avoid being bland or annoying, though her characterization is mostly limited and safe. Noel has quite an interesting and intense backstory; coming from a future where he is the last human alive. Meanwhile the ridiculously outfitted villain this time, Caius is right up there as one of the most compelling bad guys in the series, with a motivation that doesn't just boil down to killing everyone for the hell of it. The cast is small, but you manage to connect with them on this journey. The plot isn't anything great, but it's tolerable due to the character goals being made very clear to you throughout. The game comes to an end with a cliffhanger, likely to be resolved with downloadable chapters in future. Some people are going to feel cheated by the "To Be Continued" card, but the climax itself is a bold and shocking scene that is deserving of praise for subverting the series' often formulaic storytelling and trying to do something no previous entry in the series had dared to do.

    On the visual side, the game holds all the marks of SE's excellent production values, with beautiful landscapes, and detailed characters. The soundtrack isn't really up to the series' standards, but a lot of it works with it's use in-game (the Devil May Cry style metal however always seems to be played at the most unfitting of moments). While replacing XIII's A-to-B style of level design, the sequel offers wide open areas, with numerous interconnecting paths, giving us a world we can actually explore. What comes as a disappointment however is that these areas are reused often as separate eras in your journey through time. One particular area, the Yaschas Massif, is used as 4 separate levels, each one making minimal changes to layout and content. It's the sign of a rushed game, resulting in a world not as expansive as would be hoped for.

    In it's current state, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is half-finished, awaiting DLC to expand on it's content. but what it does offer us makes up immensely for the prequel; this is an RPG that's fun. It has a fast-paced battle, as well as a large array of environments to explore, with plenty of treasures to find, and a casino with Gold Saucer-esque minigames to distract you. It feels like an apology for all of Final Fantasy XIII's faults; if a rushed one at that. The game is only really a "good" RPG, that doesn't provide you with the standards that made the Final Fantasy series one of the biggest names in gaming. It's a fun adventure while it lasts, but it will need to add some impressive new stuff if it wants to become truly worth the price of admission.    … Expand
  90. AlienSpaceBats
    Oct 14, 2014
    8
    An improvement on its predecessor and a welcome change in tone, if XIII felt stripped-out, XIII-2 has everything put back in. It isn't perfect, and has some annoying features (some worlds have random encounter rates that get really annoying, really quickly), and some puzzles were clearly designed by Satan himself (Paradox clock) but my issues with the XIII's battle system have mostly beenAn improvement on its predecessor and a welcome change in tone, if XIII felt stripped-out, XIII-2 has everything put back in. It isn't perfect, and has some annoying features (some worlds have random encounter rates that get really annoying, really quickly), and some puzzles were clearly designed by Satan himself (Paradox clock) but my issues with the XIII's battle system have mostly been addressed - at least, they weren't a problem in-game. I missed the lack of a proper party, but a Moogle that says KUPO all the time, and being able to recruit monsters - including Cactuars and Chocobos - kind of makes up for it, they have more personality than Snow, at any rate. XIII-2 also has its own version of Golden Saucer, which isn't as good, but it's nice to race Chocobos again. If there is one negative thing I would say about the game, it's that after 30-40 hours of effort, an unsatisfying ending was thrown in my face with a big fat TO BE CONTINUED... sign. Can't have everything, I suppose.… Expand
  91. You-Know-Who
    Sep 8, 2012
    9
    Improves the gameplay of the previous one, but the story is a little worse. The new character Noel is a nice addition to the cast, and the same can be said about Caius and Yeul. The art direction changed a bit, and is a lot more anime-ish and colorful. The OST is very good, too.

    Anyway, the game shines in it's gameplay. There's more freedom now, for those who didn't like the linearity    Improves the gameplay of the previous one, but the story is a little worse. The new character Noel is a nice addition to the cast, and the same can be said about Caius and Yeul. The art direction changed a bit, and is a lot more anime-ish and colorful. The OST is very good, too.

    Anyway, the game shines in it's gameplay. There's more freedom now, for those who didn't like the linearity of the original title.

    It's a great experience overall, even without Lightning.    … Expand
  92. GaaraDDragon
    Aug 7, 2012
    8
    Very different to FF XIII, instead of being an exclusively story centered game, this one is a player centered game allowing you to roam around, solve puzzles, play minigames and pick monsters as your battle allies. The story is centered around two new and very well developed characters, Noel and the antagonist Caius in addition to Serah whereas Lighting only makes some brief appearances.Very different to FF XIII, instead of being an exclusively story centered game, this one is a player centered game allowing you to roam around, solve puzzles, play minigames and pick monsters as your battle allies. The story is centered around two new and very well developed characters, Noel and the antagonist Caius in addition to Serah whereas Lighting only makes some brief appearances. While the world is a lot smaller than that of XIII it still manages to give about a max of 70 hours of gameplay. The 2 points it loses are because of the low challenge, the graphics not improving and the occasional poorly written dialogue.… Expand
  93. sirojasb
    Jan 22, 2013
    8
    This game it´s better in the gameplay section than the original final fantasy xiii, the storytelling it´s a bit slow but it´s enjoyable. What´make´s this game so annoying it´s that you only have two main character´s in your party completely forgetting the leading role of the memorable characters from the previous installment, and a story that isThis game it´s better in the gameplay section than the original final fantasy xiii, the storytelling it´s a bit slow but it´s enjoyable. What´make´s this game so annoying it´s that you only have two main character´s in your party completely forgetting the leading role of the memorable characters from the previous installment, and a story that is cut at the end to reach the climax, leaving unfinished plot in the worst way possible,. however I recommend the game to fans from Final Fantasy, it wont disappoint.… Expand
  94. zeniff
    Jul 18, 2013
    8
    I was so disappointed with FFXIII that I almost didn't get this one. But it was surprisingly good. Felt like SE has begun to return to what made the FF series great. It's a step in the right direction. Combat system is much better (and that was good in the original). Story is immersive and characters are likable. The pet system is extremely good. Best thing is that it isn't linear.
  95. Ecks33
    Mar 10, 2014
    1
    like to point out on CincyJosh review and this game is not worthy of the FF game number since it is a poorly made game with nice graphics that is just about it with it really, the battle system they made is very laughable almost made me wonder what was going on in the minds over at Square Enix but hey i hope they dont screw up on 15 like they did with this one
  96. Noin007
    Jan 4, 2015
    4
    It's a **** game for a second time with some minor alterations. Not really much else to say. Did you think all XIII needed was Pokemon collecting and moogles? If not, skip this and don't look back.
  97. Mr_Smith
    Mar 2, 2015
    0
    When first comparing it to its prequel, there seemed to be some nice little add-ons, BUT after actually playing it, the whole thing was actually even worse experience than harry potter games on playstation 1. Final fantasy XIII-2 is actually a good example of a lousy game director, trying to do his own, too deep thing and ruining the series for good without even realizing it. Man behindWhen first comparing it to its prequel, there seemed to be some nice little add-ons, BUT after actually playing it, the whole thing was actually even worse experience than harry potter games on playstation 1. Final fantasy XIII-2 is actually a good example of a lousy game director, trying to do his own, too deep thing and ruining the series for good without even realizing it. Man behind this game ows all the customers an apology AND a refund. This game seems to have been made in a hurry, missing half of its content. NEVER buy it, instead, go and play final fantasy VI, it has way more stuff to do and offers more challenging gameplay AND is actually interesting. Thank you for reading this.… Expand
  98. SicSeph
    Dec 15, 2015
    0
    CONS - Hardly ever challenging, hideous protagonist, low number of bosses, finally jumping would be amazing if it was not actually useless outside the scripted circles, battle system sucks as much as the previous game, story really not that catching.

    PROS - Co-protagonist is a kinda good considering the whole game standards.
  99. kausb
    Dec 16, 2015
    4
    This game was so outrageously terrible I felt the obligation to make an account just to warn unsuspecting gamers. This game is a grindfest, where the only thing you have to do is push X. If you don't want to fight mobs you don't have to, but be prepared for the hyperleveled bosses which are placed in the game to make sure you were grinding enough. If you like pretty cutscenes with no plotThis game was so outrageously terrible I felt the obligation to make an account just to warn unsuspecting gamers. This game is a grindfest, where the only thing you have to do is push X. If you don't want to fight mobs you don't have to, but be prepared for the hyperleveled bosses which are placed in the game to make sure you were grinding enough. If you like pretty cutscenes with no plot substance and pushing X a lot in an active-time turn based system, this is the game for you. Otherwise, stay far away from this pretty turd.… Expand
  100. The_Almighty
    Jul 20, 2012
    9
    XIII is just a very good game, XIII-2 is an awesome game. Nice graphics and songs as ever, but with the addition of a amazing story and a more opened gameplay. I'm not giving a 10 score just because of the DLCs required to understand the plot.
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Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best PS3 Game of 2012
9
#9 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
10
#10 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 53
  3. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. Armchair Empire
    May 4, 2012
    75
    All in all, I enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII-2 – it was a fun RPG game to play, looked spectacular and ate up a significant amount of my free time. It didn't give me everything I wanted out of the experience, but I still had fun.
    Read full review
  2. Worth Playing
    Mar 15, 2012
    88
    FFXIII-2 earns its score with aplomb, and I'd go so far to call it a sleeper hit. It's a genuinely great-playing game with an imperfect story, though to its credit, it eventually engages and justifies the wait. Its greatest battle now is escaping from the shadow and stigma of its big brother, but you should ignore the anti-hype, take a leap of faith and give it a chance.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 4, 2012
    80
    Has made some really solid steps forward in combat but needs a more readily digestible plot to entice newcomers. [March 2012, p68]
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