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6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 848 Ratings

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  1. 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. 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.
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  3. 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.
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  4. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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.
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  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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...
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  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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.
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  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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.
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  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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.
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. Nov 22, 2015
    4
    Final Fantasy XIII-2

    Game-Play:The formula is the same with the FF-XIII with some little changes that thankfully made the game-play better but still was a poor effort from Square Enix.The game-play should be change but to traditional turn based or change to and action combat system because i think that Square Enix is not good at trying to mix them. Story:The story is still boring
    Final Fantasy XIII-2

    Game-Play:The formula is the same with the FF-XIII with some little changes that thankfully made the game-play better but still was a poor effort from Square Enix.The game-play should be change but to traditional turn based or change to and action combat system because i think that Square Enix is not good at trying to mix them.

    Story:The story is still boring fill with uninteresting characters and plot.But at leas this time they made it shorter than the first game but still long it will take you to finish the games story about 25 to 30 hours.

    Graphics:The graphics are a little better than the first game and still impressive.

    Notes:The Final Fantasy XIII-2 is an eyecandy just like the Final Fantasy XIII I do not Like the way Square Enix have turn the game.This is a below average game that i recommend to buy at a huge price drop or just rent it if you want to play that much but really thing that there is no reason to spent your time in this game .
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  30. Feb 4, 2012
    2
    I stopped playing at 12 hours of game-play, couldn't take it anymore. The game is depressing and everything is emo to the extreme. The story is just bad. The only improvement over ff13 is the combat system, which is than gimped by only having 2 characters!

    There hasn't been a good final fantasy game since the PS1 era. How can a company that creates a masterpiece like FFVII publish this
    I stopped playing at 12 hours of game-play, couldn't take it anymore. The game is depressing and everything is emo to the extreme. The story is just bad. The only improvement over ff13 is the combat system, which is than gimped by only having 2 characters!

    There hasn't been a good final fantasy game since the PS1 era. How can a company that creates a masterpiece like FFVII publish this trash? Did they all become twilight fans?
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  31. Feb 10, 2012
    0
    I firmly believe the turning point for this series was the departure of Matsuno part-way through FF12. If he had stayed and finished the game I think it would be held in the same regard as 6, 7, 8 and 9. It's a shame how the series has gone, it doesn't even seem like they're stuck in the past, they just have the completely wrong idea of what their audience want.
  32. Feb 10, 2012
    2
    A preposterously shallow game in terms of battle and story. The battle system tries to fuse action with more traditional turn-based RPG elements. You know what they say happens when you please everyone? You end up pleasing no one. I won't "spoil" any bits of the story, but I will say that time travel is a terrible plot device even when it is done well. And it wasn't done well inA preposterously shallow game in terms of battle and story. The battle system tries to fuse action with more traditional turn-based RPG elements. You know what they say happens when you please everyone? You end up pleasing no one. I won't "spoil" any bits of the story, but I will say that time travel is a terrible plot device even when it is done well. And it wasn't done well in XIII-2.

    After listening to the music in XIII-2, I wonder how we got to this point from FF4,6,7,8,9,10, and 11. It's like they're not even trying anymore.

    In short: Everything about this game sucks, except the openness of the world and the graphics.
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  33. Sep 7, 2012
    0
    This game is pants. This game is paaants. There's no thought process in battling, the story is pointless and basically filler, there's no feeling of "find the best gear" or anything similar, the enemies are unimaginative and too similar to each other, and the sidequests are nearly always incredibly boring fetch quests and NEVER give any kind of reward - even the secret ending for gettingThis game is pants. This game is paaants. There's no thought process in battling, the story is pointless and basically filler, there's no feeling of "find the best gear" or anything similar, the enemies are unimaginative and too similar to each other, and the sidequests are nearly always incredibly boring fetch quests and NEVER give any kind of reward - even the secret ending for getting all fragments is half a minute long and adds literally nothing to the story. Seriously, can you even imagine a Final Fantasy game where there's no point at all on doing sidequests? Expand
  34. Mar 6, 2012
    1
    I......do not.......like......RPGs.... With that being said, I LOVED this game. Nah, just jokin', Its garbage. Disk garbage, box garbage, gameplay garbage, storyline garbage, character voicing garbage, designs garbage, they only NON garbage thing about this ol' hunk'a crap, is that it is breakeable. Done.
  35. WEL
    Feb 10, 2012
    0
    FFXIII wasn't a good game and from the 20 something hours that I have played of XIII-2 let me say that the first one was much better. =/

    Mini-games on XII-2 are just as pathetically simple and shallow as the useless NPC's and "towns" where you can't even enter 98% of the buildings. Then we have Serah and Noel talking about paradoxes and coming up with different theories on the spot like
    FFXIII wasn't a good game and from the 20 something hours that I have played of XIII-2 let me say that the first one was much better. =/

    Mini-games on XII-2 are just as pathetically simple and shallow as the useless NPC's and "towns" where you can't even enter 98% of the buildings. Then we have Serah and Noel talking about paradoxes and coming up with different theories on the spot like if we were watching a morning cartoon or the movie Goonies (the whole thing is tacky and really cheesy) while the Kupo is just plain annoying. Every time I heard Kuppoppo I felt like strangle the damn thing. Battles were hardly a challenge, I really don't know why the game doesn't have a hard mode. And why are we still controlling just 1 character? Why only Noel, Serah and random Monster on the party? What with Serah's skimpy outfit, couldn't they make it more revealing? And what was the point of the crystarium if the thing was even more linear than in the first game? And let's not even talk about the branching paths, what a joke!

    Once I beat this crap (trophies is the only motivation right now) I'm gonna trade it in for Yakuza 4, Atelier Totori or something. The game sucks man. Specially the Synth Metal songs they used for some of the battle sequences and chocobo. Like seriously, who the fffuuu thought that including such thing in a FF game was a good idea? This is not DMC for god's sake!
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  36. Feb 14, 2012
    2
    Just another Enix title further destroying the multi-million dollar, detail-oriented franchise known as Final Fantasy.
    Also to all the imbeciles constantly talking about how Square went in a different direction, you're misinformed. The Final Fantasy team quit when SquareSoft and Enix merged. That team is now known as Mistwalker (developer of Xbox RPGs now). Enix basically told the FF
    Just another Enix title further destroying the multi-million dollar, detail-oriented franchise known as Final Fantasy.
    Also to all the imbeciles constantly talking about how Square went in a different direction, you're misinformed. The Final Fantasy team quit when SquareSoft and Enix merged. That team is now known as Mistwalker (developer of Xbox RPGs now). Enix basically told the FF team that they were going to use the FF characters however they wanted and the FF team left.

    It's humorous to me too, because the Final Fantasy franchise has taken a dive since that happened. It first began with 10 and it's only become worse with the minor intermittent blip that was 12 being decent.

    Thirteen is a monstrosity that should have been aborted and XIII-2 is a blatant followup with profit as the only goal. Game design being the last thing on the list that SquareEnix cares about. Let the sycophants pilot the new era of fad gaming. FF became the new CoD, that being pathetic. I wonder when the DLC for Coach purses will hit for XIII-2.
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  37. Nov 4, 2012
    2
    Sad, just sad... What happened with the old final fantasy style, why can't you make a new final fantasy in classic style? Why squaresoft keep making this crap. What the hell has happened with square? Why can't you produce a single final fantasy to ps3 in old style? Why? It doesn't need to have the best graphics of all, just the classic gameplay we all love! oh my god! WHATS WRONG WITH YOUSad, just sad... What happened with the old final fantasy style, why can't you make a new final fantasy in classic style? Why squaresoft keep making this crap. What the hell has happened with square? Why can't you produce a single final fantasy to ps3 in old style? Why? It doesn't need to have the best graphics of all, just the classic gameplay we all love! oh my god! WHATS WRONG WITH YOU SQUARE??!! I HOPE YOU GO BANKRUPT, SO THEN SOMEONE MAY BUY YOU AND DO BETTER! Expand
  38. Mar 2, 2015
    0
    An awful game, never buy it, steal it if you must. never thought that i would see final fantasy turning into a pokemon game, starring mog as pikatchu. other monsters that you catch just stay in your pocket.
  39. Mar 27, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. FF 13 ended perfectly without any hole left to fill. So... why is there a sequel?

    because squeenix wants more money and lightning was popular, that's why.

    Lengthy intro, story is filler upon filler and the ending of the first game was out the window at the start... so... AVOID.
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  40. Mar 3, 2012
    4
    This is just ridiculous how people rate this either 0 or 10. But obviously we all know that most of the old school final fantasy fans would be disappointed by this **** grubbing garbage Square Enix try to feed us as they try milking out every bit of cash and hope for this ongoing masterpiece. When i'm playing a J-RPG(and I know most of you old schools will agree with me) is that I want aThis is just ridiculous how people rate this either 0 or 10. But obviously we all know that most of the old school final fantasy fans would be disappointed by this **** grubbing garbage Square Enix try to feed us as they try milking out every bit of cash and hope for this ongoing masterpiece. When i'm playing a J-RPG(and I know most of you old schools will agree with me) is that I want a main character with a personality that everyone can burn to their memories which SE didn't do for this game, instead they just made me want to hate every single character because of how crappy they developed throughout the story; Also the game should have a storyline that can engage them like the previous Final Fantasy titles have done which makes them yearn for more, but instead they mostly put out an eyesore of ****ty cutscenes just to show off their retarded ass high res graphics(which is what SE is aiming for now...) which cuts down a lot of the gameplay... not only that the music is so god damn bull**** that it doesn't have the magic feel that everyone can enjoy. This genre is not even considered to be a J-RPG anymore and not only that it's probably is that "Final" Fantasy... Expand
  41. Jan 31, 2012
    1
    When I saw all these trailers I gotta say I was confident with this game. But then I heard THAT song, the chocobo song (which is the most aweful music I've heard in a game since Terminator on the Nes, and that sounded bad). But you're thinking one thing right : "This is just music... c'mon!" And yeah, this is just one boring song between a lot of good music.
    First of all, what's the
    When I saw all these trailers I gotta say I was confident with this game. But then I heard THAT song, the chocobo song (which is the most aweful music I've heard in a game since Terminator on the Nes, and that sounded bad). But you're thinking one thing right : "This is just music... c'mon!" And yeah, this is just one boring song between a lot of good music.
    First of all, what's the problem with the name ? They're doing the number thing again. FF X-2 was a bad name and also a bad game. So what about THIS one, is it also a bad name ? Yes. But is it a bad game ? Well... yes again.

    And what about the rest of the game, well... it's kinda like FFXIII "The First".
    The game is short just like the first one and there aren't so much side quests. In one hour of gameplay you will only PLAY for like 20 minutes maximum (yeah too much cutscenes, with bad acting). Also once again we can call this game Final Fantasy Hallway #2.
    This game is sooo frustrating, I've never seen such a game and that's the problem. I really can hardly call this Final Frustration a game. And that's how I'll be talking of the lame fighting system. Which is the same one as before, that I will call "Press the X button". HOT DAMN! You can finish the game with pressing the same button over and over and over and over and over again. It's a good thing if you're playing a beat'em all game (like Streets of Rage or Final Fight). If they wanted to make an action game they should have done it, why Square? WHYYYYYY? But yeah so people like it beacause it looks cool and yeah kinda I guess...

    And here we are, THE ONLY GOOD thing about this game!
    It looks good and when I mean good, it's looking good. On the playstation 3 (and 360) and might one of the finest looking games. It's not the same style as Uncharted for example but Final Fantasy 13.2 is gorgeous.
    You know Final Fantasy always looked good, even the first ones (at least for the time) but looking good is not the most important thing, we need actual gameplay.

    I think Square has killed off one the of their biggest franchise, one of the best J-RPG franchise. Too bad...
    Square sealed the coffin with the last nail and killed Final Fantasy just like Neversoft killed Guitar Hero or like Treyarch killed Call of Duty. We're doomed!
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  42. Jun 15, 2012
    3
    This is just a copy paste game that adds nothing to the previous game.
    An annoying female protagonist, a boring story that makes no sense whatsoever, a lame antagonist, a terrible battle system wherein you just have to hit autobattle with a team of 3 Commandos, a confusing gameplay. How this game improved the faults of its predecessor is beyond me.
    Final Fantasy is dead.
  43. Jul 27, 2019
    0
    maybe one of the worst game i ever played.

    everything is so bad in this game... graphics, music, gameplay, script.... it's a waste of time, and a huge pile of craps.
  44. Mar 30, 2016
    4
    I have every reason to believe that initially Square wanted to make a Chrono Trigger - Pokemon crossover and after the script was written, they decided to put Final Fantasy XIII characters in it. The whole thing is disjointed, infantile, unispired. At my 4th (sic) go at this game over the past few years nothing has changed - it is still the only Final Fantasy to date that I haven't finished.
  45. Jul 27, 2018
    3
    I'm at the end of this game and the final boss is so so difficult that I've given up. Plus, you can't save before this battle so you have to fight other final bosses before if you want to level up more your team. I didn't have any troubles in FFX, FXII or FXIII but with this..., it's insane even in easy mode. And I leveled my team for 1-2 hours when I got stuck in the middle of the game soI'm at the end of this game and the final boss is so so difficult that I've given up. Plus, you can't save before this battle so you have to fight other final bosses before if you want to level up more your team. I didn't have any troubles in FFX, FXII or FXIII but with this..., it's insane even in easy mode. And I leveled my team for 1-2 hours when I got stuck in the middle of the game so yes, I quite hate this game because of the final boss. Well done Square Enix! A part from this, this game is more dynamic than the last one and I think it's the first FF where you can jump, although they need to improve the jumping because it looks odd trying to jump from one place to another and see that you can't go in some places and that you have to turn around. About the plot is very different than in FFXIII but you can't expect to play the same game. This game would deserve a 7 but I can't forgive what they have done in the ending. The best of this game like the rest of the FF is its graphics and soundrack and in this case the dynamic gameplay, although sometimes the soundtrack is too loud and you can't hear well the voices. It took me almost 30 hours. I've watch the end on youtube and it's like: ok, why don't you do one game instead of 2. I mean, I knew there was a third game but I didn't expect to see a "to be continued" with such open ending without any explanation. Expand
  46. Apr 17, 2017
    1
    Ah Final Fantasy ! ses chocobos (prière de ne pas pouffer de rire), ses familiers pokémons, sa Chocolina et sa turbine à chocolat, ses dialogues niais et enfin sa musique d'ascenseur (qu'on ne peut ni couper ni baisser) qu'on utilise comme instrument de torture à Guantanamo. Ce FF XIII-2 est un vrai FF pur jus et perpétue tout ce que la japoniaiserie peut faire de pire en jeu de rôleAh Final Fantasy ! ses chocobos (prière de ne pas pouffer de rire), ses familiers pokémons, sa Chocolina et sa turbine à chocolat, ses dialogues niais et enfin sa musique d'ascenseur (qu'on ne peut ni couper ni baisser) qu'on utilise comme instrument de torture à Guantanamo. Ce FF XIII-2 est un vrai FF pur jus et perpétue tout ce que la japoniaiserie peut faire de pire en jeu de rôle depuis plus de 15 ans.

    La tradition est aussi respectée graphiquement : les FF ont toujours été très beaux, une touche particulière et dépaysante, très agréable à l'oeil à dire vrai, si, si. Le système de combat est resté fidèle à lui-même : un bordel ambulant très confus et qu'on finit par connaître par coeur tant le nombre de combats est ahurissant et la majorité d'entre eux est tout simplement inzappable ! en termes d'abrutissement le MMO coréen n'est pas loin.

    On espérait un mieux sensible grâce à l'intrigue inédite des voyages dans le temps et autres retours vers le futur mais c'est sans compter sur les fragments que l'on doit récupérer pour activer ces satanés portails. Au bout d'un certain temps, impossible de trouver les bons fragments qui ouvrent les bons portails : ce FF vous oblige donc à fouiller et refouiller de long en large, en travers et en diagonale tous les mondes déjà précédemment visités et lorsqu'on ne peut pas avancer de plus d'1,50 m sans tomber sur un combat, on se lasse rapidement (euphémisme).

    La mièvrerie générale du titre finit de vous achever. Un jeu qui pourrait plaire aux enfants et à quelques adolescents attardés ou autres **** mais sans plus.
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  47. May 8, 2020
    0
    I was actually super hyped for a sequel of XIII because i actually kinda liked that game, it wasnt a great FF but it was a fun Square game that should've been called Fabula Nova Crystalis or something, anyway i was ready for the sequel because i was hoping for more of the same characters but nope.

    13-2 was probably the worst script/story/game ive ever played, since it takes FF to a low
    I was actually super hyped for a sequel of XIII because i actually kinda liked that game, it wasnt a great FF but it was a fun Square game that should've been called Fabula Nova Crystalis or something, anyway i was ready for the sequel because i was hoping for more of the same characters but nope.

    13-2 was probably the worst script/story/game ive ever played, since it takes FF to a low place of crap magnitude of nonsense. And its insanely boring cutscenes, 2 characters, time travel and you have to use math to know whats going on.

    Cool boss though but its probably the only FF i regret playing, both XIII sequels were the boring spray in the bathroom you read the info on, when you have nothing else to read and you ask yourself what the heck you are doing.
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  48. Jan 14, 2015
    0
    It's better than FF 13 in many ways, but when you are a perfectionist and want to play a game to it's max capabilities, then you're in for some MMO-style farming, taking not hours but many days of mindless, funless mechanic grinding until you just give up and see the recent games of Square Enix for what they really are: soulless cash cows.

    This is not Final Fantasy anymore. FF died when
    It's better than FF 13 in many ways, but when you are a perfectionist and want to play a game to it's max capabilities, then you're in for some MMO-style farming, taking not hours but many days of mindless, funless mechanic grinding until you just give up and see the recent games of Square Enix for what they really are: soulless cash cows.

    This is not Final Fantasy anymore. FF died when Hironobu Sakaguchi left Squaresoft. Took me 13 years to finally accept that.
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  49. Mar 15, 2016
    3
    When you think Square-enix couldn't do any worse with their Final Fantasy saga they make this game... FFXIII was very average, probably even bad, but this just surpases any limit.
  50. May 9, 2022
    0
    Awful game. Somehow, Square Enix managed to make a game more excruciatingly awful than 13 with it’s confounding and incomprehensible time travel plot, dialogue that is even more boring to listen to where characters stand around and mostly babble about nonsense like paradoxes and other nonsense that’s difficult to understand, cutscenes that are even more dull and interminable to sitAwful game. Somehow, Square Enix managed to make a game more excruciatingly awful than 13 with it’s confounding and incomprehensible time travel plot, dialogue that is even more boring to listen to where characters stand around and mostly babble about nonsense like paradoxes and other nonsense that’s difficult to understand, cutscenes that are even more dull and interminable to sit through, annoying puzzles that will often waste your time as they’re badly designed and often are based on luck than skill, the soundtrack is even worse than 13’s and mostly just recycles 13’s soundtrack when it doesn’t use it’s own soundtrack, the level design is even worse in 13-2 with locations often just recycled from 13 and multiple variations of the same location exist with different weather effects and lighting, the characters are even more annoying, the battle system is improved but you’re only given 2 actual characters to play as and have a pokemon style monster assisting you for the 3rd member. Square Enix should feel ashamed they ever let their flagship series sink as low as it did with the 13 games. Do yourself a favor and skip all 3 13 games. Expand
  51. Aug 2, 2022
    1
    Retarded garbage game, that try hard to copy pokémon and fail miserably.
    This sh#t game was created with a terrible and aggressive copy and paste from all the assets of the first game.
    The only thing changed was the gameplay, unfortunately it's still sh#t. And they menage to make the already trash story even more trash, with time travel sh#t and multiple useless endings. (since the only
    Retarded garbage game, that try hard to copy pokémon and fail miserably.
    This sh#t game was created with a terrible and aggressive copy and paste from all the assets of the first game.
    The only thing changed was the gameplay, unfortunately it's still sh#t. And they menage to make the already trash story even more trash, with time travel sh#t and multiple useless endings.
    (since the only true ending was selled as pay DLC)
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  52. Dec 31, 2022
    0
    A bad game, and literally the worst Final Fantasy sequel game ever made.
    Yes, this garbage is able to be even worse than FFX-2, especially in the plot aspect.
    Forgettable, bland and boring.
  53. Jan 15, 2023
    0
    Worst "sequel" ever made for a mainline game of the franchise.
    If you think of how many recyclable elements they have used to even think to produce this sh*t, you can see that this xiii-2 is just a 90% copy and pasted xiii.
    So, the monsters design is still trash, the ost is still forgettable, and with the gameplay they have done another pitiful copy and paste failure, and the plot is even worse.
  54. Feb 4, 2023
    1
    The plot is nonsense trash, the gameplay sucks, and the characters are just badly written.
    Avoid this boring mess
  55. Jun 3, 2023
    0
    When the sequel of a game menage to be worse than an already horrendous first game, you obtain this sh!t
  56. Jun 26, 2023
    0
    Worst sequel ever for the worst Final Fantasy game
    If you are looking for a copy and paste cheap and sad sequel... Well there it is
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 53
  2. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  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]