Final Fantasy XIII it was certainly the most revolutionary game in the Square Enix saga, the one that started a series of epochal changes to an ancient and rooted concept, considered by many to be an "immutable" model and for this reason considered untouchable by a certain few users. open to news. It is therefore not surprising that at the time of the release of the game, in 2009, those who expected the "usual" Final Fantasy were decidedly disappointed by many substantial differences with that model: someone spoke of involution, others of evolution, the fact is that the game received heavy criticism and is still frowned upon by a good part of the fans of the series. Whether you are part of this user group or the one who has never played you, if you want to replay (or play) Final Fantasy XIII and its direct sequels, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, now you can do it on Xbox One and Xbox One X, thanks to the service of backward compatibility. Free of charge by inserting the relative disc for each one or by starting them digitally, otherwise it is possible to purchase them individually in digital delivery on Xbox Store in Xbox 360 version and play them on Xbox One.
The Lightning Adventure in 4K
As our most attentive readers will remember, with Final Fantasy XIII Square Enix decided to try to modernize the franchise and enter the next-gen of the time, largely overturning many of those characteristics that had defined the main aspects of the genre over time. jRPG and of the same saga. From the villages in which to interact with the population, to the world-map, to the more or less open spaces where you can get lost freely, to the mini games, everything was eliminated as if they were a ballast, in favor of a gameplay focused on action and continuous battles, governed by the Command Synergy Battle or CSB, a direct evolution of the ATB, in a linear adventure.
A courageous choice, but also a sword of Damocles that fell on the Japanese company accused by fans of having distorted the very concept of a Japanese role-playing game, transforming Final Fantasy XIII into a sort of dungeon-crawler in which the player was forced to follow a predetermined path, deviating only to complete some optional missions, defeating the monsters that stood in his way between various filmed sequences. Yet from the narrative point of view Final Fantasy XIII is considered one of the best chapters of the series, with a mature and well-told story through a cinematic cut, with a charismatic female protagonist as Lightning, a cast probably among the best defined and characterized of the saga and a valid soundtrack. Beautiful also the artistic work that, apart from the Summon that were transformed into vehicles that could be kitsch or original according to taste, was particularly successful, thanks to the usual enormous imagination of the artists of Square Enix. A cut that is still enhanced today, on Xbox One, thanks to the change of resolution and the use of some ad hoc filters, useful to give new life to the game.
We are not talking about changes or graphic enhancements such as to suggest an epochal technological change, but a series of small optimizations that make the visual system certainly more pleasant than the original. The battles appear more spectacular, the moves and visual effects more beautiful to behold, with the rapid camera movements occurring without uncertainty at 30 frames per second; the outdoor scenarios are then able to return pleasant glimpses, always very bright and lush, and even the polygonal models of the characters are even more beautiful, especially in the close-ups. In particular on Xbox One X, thanks to his graphics mode, which allows the Xbox 360 emulator to offer the best possible version of the game using pre-existing assets, and so pixel count approximately nine times higher, improved texture detail and anti-aliasing.
On Xbox One X it's better
The same technological treatment obviously involves the other two episodes of the trilogy. Technically they are good, with more than convincing models, beautiful animations plus a certain ability to keep the average quality always at the same level, and therefore appear much more beautiful and defined in Native 4K compared to the original counterparts on Xbox 360, with higher quality always visible on Xbox One X also as regards the computer graphic films and the interlude scenes that integrate with mastery to each part played. Speaking of gameplay instead, Final Fantasy XIII-2 offers only small differences compared to its prequel, on the basis of which Square Enix decided to design this adventure starring the sister of Lightning, Serah, in an objectively less brilliant story than that of Final Fantasy XIII. The development team tried to please the fans by reintegrating some of those elements eliminated in the predecessor, such as villages and mini games, but without doing a U-turn and retracing their steps on the new concept.
For narrative reasons, space-time travel was also introduced, thanks to which the linearity that had formed the basis from which most of the critical in Final Fantasy XIII, it became less pronounced, and the player was given a somewhat freer approach to the adventure. But at the same time, as written before, Square Enix did not deny the changes of the thirteenth chapter. The game therefore remains based on action, and the fights remain extremely dynamic thanks to the implementation of "quick time event" sequences called Instant Actions that are triggered during clashes. In addition, the growth of the characters leans on Cristallium, a modernized version of Final Fantasy X's Spherography and Final Fantasy XII Licenses, just like in Final Fantasy XIII. In this sense, it was, if anything, that radically changed the cards on the table Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the most action-packed title in the trilogy. If at the level of the structure Square Enix still tries to change to find the right balance between innovation and tradition, at the battle-system level it proposes a new system called Style-Change Active Time Battle, or SATB, which pushes further on the accelerator of renewal.
The system, created by Yuji Abe on the basis of the previous CSB, makes fight only the protagonist, the revived Lightning, who can change "costume" and combat set-up on the fly and at any time. The concatenation of attacks and gods morals changed marks the rhythm of each battle, for this reason there is no menu from which to choose each action and the latter, instead, are associated with the controller keys. The idea is in fact to make every fight more frenetic and interactive, as is the gameplay even during exploration. This is conditioned by a sort of clock that marks the passage of time, a central figure in the economy of gameplay and history (the land of Nova Chrysalia is on the verge of a catastrophe of biblical proportions and the protagonist has only a few days to save the souls of the population), as it determines various aspects. Starting with the monsters to confront, passing from the secondary quests to the progress and development of portions of the plot itself. Of the three titles that make up the trilogy, this is perhaps the least inspired overall, and the most fan service oriented.
Comment
Digital Delivery Xbox Store Price 14,99 €Resources4Gaming.com
8.0
We have talked about the Fabula Nova Crystallis project of Final Fantasy many times on these pages, telling the background, the strengths and the defects. Just as we have examined each of the games that have been part of it directly or indirectly. Three of the titles related to this mythology are now available on Xbox One thanks to backward compatibility. An opportunity for all those who have missed them in recent years to enjoy them in a "new" technological guise that generally enhances their style and graphics, especially on Xbox One X, where thanks to the graphics mode with some ad hoc filters and the definition of 4K, appear more beautiful than ever, as evidenced by the vote that refers to the "re-editions". But, if you want, even for those who did not like them, and who perhaps want to rediscover them after some time, to give them a new chance, putting aside those prejudices that prevented them from appreciating them especially due to a game system different than the classic Final Fantasy.
PRO
- The possibility of being able to play a trilogy that is revolutionary in its own way for the Final Fantasy series
- For each of the games, lots of content and things to do, great longevity
- The improvements to the technological sector make the graphics of the three adventures more beautiful ...
- ... but don't expect miracles or sensational upheavals
- Apart from the visual changes, no major news
- Those who did not appreciate them at the time, will hardly find the incentives to play them
