Hands-on | Final Fantasy XIII

Format: Xbox360/PS3 | Genre: RPG | Publisher: Square Enix | Developer: Square Enix | ETA: 09/03/10

Back in 1987, a small developer by the name of Square released a game called Final Fantasy. Praised for its stunning visuals and immersive story, it spawned one of the biggest Japanese gaming franchises in the world. It’s been at the forefront of Japanese RPGs for decades, an ambassador of jaw-dropping visual beauty. Of course, you knew that already.

It’s 2010 now, and only the Japanese Playstation 3 version of the game has been released. Recently, Square Enix were kind enough to invite me into London to check out the English version of the game on both PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms.

Given the negative fan speculation surrounding it, I was eager to see the 360 version in action.  It’s been confirmed to fill up three discs – less than Lost Odyssey – and honestly, in-game, it looks just as fantastic as the PS3 version. There’s no noticeable difference between the quality of the two versions, and there aren’t any giant load times to worry about.

There is, however, one major difference between the visuals for the PS3 and 360 versions of the game. The FMV sequences in the 360 version have been dramatically compressed, and when you’re running the game on a large HDTV, this will become apparent. On the PS3, these are crystal clear – and as the cinematic videos are a major selling point, it’s such a shame to see the 360 falter. It’s the only situation in which one version impresses more, though, with no noticeable screen tearing or frame rate issues on either format. The polish is outstanding, as you would expect from a franchise which has always been at the forefront of gaming visuals.

It is difficult to not recommend the PS3 version over the 360 one, mainly because of the franchise’s Sony background, but also with Final Fantasy Versus XIII remaining a PS3 exclusive. There’s been talk of importing save data into Versus – so naturally, if you plan on getting both, then getting them on the same console would make sense.

THE X FACTOR
As you would expect from Final Fantasy, the soundtrack is stunning too, taking a more colourful, pop-music approach when compared to the rock style from Final Fantasy X.  The main theme is even fronted by British article Leona Lewis – a change in tactics for Square this time around, who usually just translate the Japanese theme song.

The voice acting, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The English cast feels a little off, seemingly trying yet again to over-stereotype each character. The choice in voice direction simply ruins the immersion of the game at times, especially when you hear a grown woman speak like a twelve-year-old child. With such a large budget and pressure to impress, you would be forgiven for expexting Square Enix to secure a more notable and experienced voice cast to work on the game.

Another concern I have from the opening hours of the game is how linear it feels. Getting rid of towns might keep the pacing up in the story department, but leaves a lot to be desired from a franchise that’s well known for a large number of towns to explore and backtrack to.  Each map feels like a straight-forward journey from A to B rather than exploration of the rich and beautiful environments, and rarely does the map split up for the treasure hunter.

[Continues...]

Pages: 1 2