Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII: Review

SURPRISE! So you’re probably wondering, Lightning Returns? Where’s XIII-2? Well, I got this gifted by a friend(thank you so much btw if you’re reading this), so I decided, f**k it, this one 1st.

Final Fantasy XIII, despite fan feedback, sold well and did critically well enough to be considered a success. Now, if you are a big Square fan like me, you may remember that Square Enix was working on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and Final Fantasy XIV 1.0. Both were… a mess a this point, due to the engine known as Crystal Tools not being able to handle open worlds well at all, as it was streamlined for FFXIII’s release, aka mostly linear paths. The mess that Crystal Tools is, plus needing to update the engine for modern consoles, is a big reason why I think a XIII remaster(or at least a modernised re-release via PS4/5 or Xbox One/Series) hasn’t happened yet, though keep in mind this just my personal thoughts on the subject.

Anyways, Square ended up creating Final Fantasy XIII-2 released in 2011, a game where time reset, because XIII was never meant to get a sequel. Remember, at the end of XIII Fang and Vanille died, and Daijh and Serah came back. I don’t really know anything much about this game, but the ending of this game leads into Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, which came in 2013.

I knew a little bit about this game thanks to my friend Ace, (who you should check out and also read why Lightning is important to her) talking about it a few times. It had the Majora’s Mask type time limit on it, and had a good amount of costumes you change into. But even with that, is this game worth it? Well, let’s dig into it. As always spoilers are abounding, and your reading this, I assume you have played Final Fantasy XIII, or at least read my review on it.

All in the Character: Oerba Yun Fang

Hey all! Welcome back to All in the Character, the series where I take a look at different characters from games and anime, and break down their design, story and personality. Final Fantasy XIII is a game that I wholeheartedly adore, and most of that is thanks to the characters. Today I’ll be taking a look at one of the who doesn’t seem that important at first, but becomes important later. The only rebel not to be with the crew at the start of the game, Oerba Yun Fang.

Final Fantasy XIII: Review

So, I got this game in December 2017. It was the first game I ever bought and owned off Steam. I grew up watching a lot more about this game before I played it. I have heard both good and bad about this game. But what do I think? 

Rules:

1. Spoilers are abounding, and depending on the game, can spoil the experience. This one in particular is very story-heavy, so be warned going into the review.
2. I will not put aside any bias, but will try to be fair for games I do not like. This is my personal opinion. If you want to send your opinion, please do so in the comments below.
3. I am covering the PC version.

That being said, how does part one of the Lightning Farron saga stack up as my first entry into this franchise? This is my review of Final Fantasy XIII.

NM GameWorks #12: The Idea of Relating Emotionally

Hey all! I wanted to another deep dive into a topic, and one that I kept seeing around, but I know this one is dancing on firecrackers. Either way, let’s get into it. Just as quick note, I will be using Final Fantasy XIII and the Kingdom Hearts games as examples to prove my points, and I do have some bias towards these games.

Now with the self promo out of the way, what happened that promoted this? Scarlet Johansson, some I know for playing Black Widow in the Avengers and Major in a film I still need to see, Ghost in the Shell, was announced to be play a transgender man. Now, I don’t not want to turn this into LGBT people need to play LGBT people. I am not a person to put movement into my artform and never will be. But hear my argument out: can’t we relate to these characters emotionally, instead of looking at them from face value or gender?

What I mean by this if we look at a character, and take what they look like away from them, do we have similar thought. Do we feel the same feelings towards something or someone? I know this is flawed, but to be honest that is what I did for most of my childhood. I have 2 examples to give here, one from me and one from a friend:

How I emotionally relate to Ventus from Kingdom Hearts

As you can see, this kid looks nothing like me. However, his stories in Birth By Sleep really hit me in the feelings. He really want to make some new friends and has a lot of issues trusting his current friends. I am bit anti-social myself, and do tend to get anxious(which does prevent me from making friends), but like Ventus, I really do want to make some friends. I am slowing getting better , but Ven here has helped me find someone to relate to. Also, is it weird I tend to relate more to video game characters than real people? I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care at this point. I am too deep in the video game rabbit hole.

How LightningEllen relates to Lightning

Ellen was another motivator for me to write this. In her article for AmbiGaming, (don’t worry, it still works), she writes:

I grew alongside Lightning’s character as she grew throughout the FFXIII trilogy. It’s a special experience I’d never thought a video game series could give me. In a way, Lightning Farron turned into the overprotective big sister I’ve always wanted. Sure, I know she’s not real, but she is an inspiring force who has helped me become someone greater. Now whenever I feel stressed, depressed, hopeless, worthless, and helpless, I just have to look at the pink-haired warrior goddess, and I suddenly find the strength to keep fighting for a better future, no matter how bad things get.

LightningEllen

Read the full article for more context, but I can see Ellen that has a very deep connection with Lightning. I can also imagine her as my big sister…. but wait till the Final Fantasy XIII review(Hopefully soon). I want to my characters in Different Spirits (Partially Ethan and Clare) in this way so people can connect to these characters in the same way I do.

Anyways, that’s it for now! Before I go, I do want to stress that I do have a donation page, and I use everything for this website. If you enjoy this content, want a free wallpaper, or just want to help out, please donate via Buy Me A Coffee.

Thanks for reading, have great day, share if you enjoyed it, and take care.

Written by Nana Marfo

​Extract taken from The Importance of Imaginary Role Models written by LightningEllen for AmbiGaming

​Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts(C)Square Enix