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[MissDeviling]

My favourite of the XIII series. Perfect attacking and perfect guarding are extremely addictive, and the battle effects look great. Learning enemy attack patterns and being rewarded for doing so is a huge plus. It doesn't take itself too seriously, which is honestly what the XIII saga needed all along. It does have a lot of blemishes though, most notably the ugly NPCs and textures, as well as balancing issues with Chronostasis that needed to be polished. Sidequests are incredibly uninspired in both writing and design and feel inorganic because they're given to you to do like laundry lists.

Some other nitpicks I had were that having skills as items turned rather messy, and a lot of garbs, skills, and equipment felt completely unessential, in contrast to X-2. The game also feels more like a more balanced experience on subsequent playthroughs, during which perfect guarding and taking no damage is much more achievable thanks to being able to upgrade shields, something that I think should have been available from the first playthrough. Most garbs were also ugly as sin, and I think the design team could have really used a woman's opinion on female fashion.

I enjoy speeding through this game and finding the most time efficient methods as possible to complete main and side quests, instead of treating it like an open world that you have time to explore. Tbh, I don't think the open world design worked with the limited-time mechanic at all. As much as I complain about its faults though, I honestly feel like this is the most fun entry to the trilogy, even if it's far from the most polished.

 

[Ochibi]

It's not really button smashing. You can make more damage by pressing the button with the exact right timing, which is very hard. When you did the "Just Attack" you have a sound notifying you.

Lightning Returns is one of my best experience. I loved the gameplay. The story was weird, but the ending was worth it. It was also the hardest FF I've played.

 

[Manmademan]

I remember these plot points, but I don't recall them being connected in this way.

because they weren't. The group in particular dissolved on it's own over 500 years- or maybe because of the whole vanille joining a cult business throwing a monkey wrench in things.

I don't recall

Spoiler

Lumina manipulating Bhunivelze

. But maybe I just need to watch everything again when the PC port comes out.

same. I don't recall that happening either.

For the record, I thought the ending was stupidly awesome. Everything from the

Spoiler

Soulsong

cutscene onward had me hyped in the dumbest way, and the graphics/performance were a lot more impressive near the end as well.

the ending was just kind of..eh. it was nonsense but par for the course with JRPGs- final fantasy especially. it's not even the worst one.

 

[Balphon]

I enjoyed the gameplay in LR, but the story takes all the worst elements 13-2 and runs with them. There are some decent character moments in it, though.

 

[SilentRob]

This is the best game in the trilogy, because it has the least amount of story.

I mean, the story it has is awful. Awful. But it was just as bad with FF XIII and even worse with FF XIII-2. The thing is: This time you can almost ignore the story and instead concentrate on running through the open world and figuring out the new fighting system, while before you were forced to endure dozens and DOZENS of hours of earthshatteringly bad dialogue, atrocious world building and all around despicable story telling.

And i LOVE the fighting system in Lightning Returns, it may be my favorite of all FF-games, not even kidding. I

 

[Lights and Waves]

Bumping this thread to get some more feedback from GAFers who may have missed it.

 

[Lights and Waves]

Progress update. I just completed the second main quest,

Spoiler

i.e. redeeming Snow's soul

. I hate to say it, but this game is really fucking fun. The costume customization is insane, and the battles are all so challenging.

Also...I don't know how or why...but this game is really making me like Lightning as a character. Help.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Goddamnit square release this for Steam already YOU PROMISED gees its the only one i havent played!

 

[Man Called Aerodynamics]

I loved this game personally. Not as much as XIII, but more than XIII-2. It was fun to play, I liked the customization options, and the story was so far off the deep end that I had to see what bizarre tangent it was going to go down next. All three of the XIII games feel so removed from each other story wise, it's almost like an anthology series with three unrelated, self-contained stories starring the same characters. Honestly I just really like Lightning and the rest of the cast, I would happily keep on playing more mid-budget Lightning sequels as long as Toriyama wanted to make them.

 

[NZNova]

Still waiting on that PC version.....

 

[raven777]

Worst character/story + best battle system

 

[Lights and Waves]

I finally beat this game last night! Man, it was awesome. It really made me love the entire trilogy, as crazy as the story is.

That last fight was so stressful, but very rewarding, and the ending cinematic was perfect. They managed to tie up literally every loose end and included every single character.

I can't stress how underrated this game is.

 

[Toth]

I finally beat this game last night! Man, it was awesome. It really made me love the entire trilogy, as crazy as the story is.

That last fight was so stressful, but very rewarding, and the ending cinematic was perfect. They managed to tie up literally every loose end and included every single character.

I can't stress how underrated this game is.

Glad you enjoyed it! It's a shame so many dismiss it but you gave it a chance and had fun. I really hope the PC version draws people back to it.

 

[GodzillaDB]

I've been wanting to purchase this for a few months now since it has fallen within an acceptable price range to complete the set in my PS3 collection. Admittedly, I haven't beaten any of the previous installments but I've been wanting to get around to it perhaps within the next year as I've been strangely fascinated by the critical discord between reviewers and its audience. My primary reason for holding out has been due to this eccentric feeling that I'll toss out the necessary dough to obtain it, turn around, and Square-Enix announces a complete PS4 remaster for the trilogy in light of the Steam ports. Would anyone consider this a legitimate holdout for someone trying to be resourceful in the wake of current-gen re-releases? I'd like to develop my own thoughts midst the disharmony even among the fanbase if it's generally agreed the gameplay, art design, and soundtrack positively outweighs the rubbish narrative.