FantasyFanatic

A perfect remake but the added comments for Navi are almost impossible to tolerate (such as being told to take a break or being told to watch a hint movie). These messages should have been scrapped since having these messages interrupt gameplay way too frequently and can make the game harder to draw yourself into. The improved graphics and interface get perfect marks but the added comments for Navi are the only things that are keeping me from giving this a 9 or a perfect 10.

This is the end of the FFXIII trilogy but unfortunately this trilogy ends on a sour note. The story and characters are both dry and ridiculous as there is little or no depth or development. The time limit should have scrapped early in development in favor of something else because combining the open world, main story and, sidequests give the game a very unbalanced feel and while I am glad that sidequests are an organic part of the game this time around they feel more like errands and it feels extremely unpleasant. I will give world design high marks but the inability to freely explore the game counters this as you are constantly rushing through the game doing quests and proceeding through the main plot and having all this stuff going on all at once can have you feeling lost. The graphics also have problems there is ridiculous amounts of lagging in some areas and textures look very rushed and muddy and some textures look closer to plastic rather than looking organic it looks and feels very cheap and it's VERY disappointing especially for a Final Fantasy game. While the battle system is the best part of the game it feels a bit weird since there no other playable party members other than Lightning (except for certain parts of the game where you get a temporary party member but I am not counting these) and I do admit I do miss having a full party since the Schemata system feels closer to a game of Dress Up. In the end Lightning Returns is something that should never be revisited in the future and it's easily the worst Final Fantasy of this console generation. So instead of playing this game you will want to play either Zelda: Majora's Mask or Bravely Default these are masterpieces and Lightning Returns on the other hand it's better off thrown in a fire or left in crystal stasis for all eternity.

One of the best HD Collections on the PS3 but it's not without it's flaws. Final Fantasy X's story hasn't aged a day and it's still a very captivating experience and while X-2 has a less powerful story it's still fairly noteworthy and the gameplay in both titles is still some of the series best and it's still just as good as when it was first released and the international version content for both games also sweetens the deal. But as stated this collection isn't without it's problems. The rearranged soundtrack is nice and I will give Square Enix points for effort and I will admit some of it is very good but some of the other tracks don't have the punch of the originals and there is no option to switch between the original and arranged tracks it won't please everybody so purists beware. The new character models also have their problems the added detail is very nice but the facial expressions look very stiff and soulless so emotions are less believable compared to the PS2 counterparts (especially in the more powerful scenes in the game). If you can get past these problems then you will be spending a very long time with this collection.

Tales of Symphonia is one of my favorite RPG's of all time but this version isn't what I would consider the definitive version it's decent but not great. The addition of the Japanese Voice track and the revamped graphics are worth the purchase. However there are some things you should know: This is a direct port of the Japanese PS2 Edition and some of it's problems (like decreased framerate) are still intact. This version runs at 30fps instead of the original 60fps this is both a good and bad thing. The good thing is that the game runs without slowdown but the bad thing is that the game looks and feels less fluid than the Gamecube Version it is a bit disappointing especially considering the PS3's hardware. The next issue is the World Map if any of you replayed the Gamecube Version just recently you will notice the movement speed on the World Map is significantly slower than the original this sure to try your patience as it now takes longer to reach towns or dungeons. The new attacks and mystic artes are nice but they don't add up to much in the end. If any of you imported the PS2 Version back in the day one noticeable improvement you may notice is the loading times. The loading times are a lot faster compared to that version they still aren't as quick as they are on the Gamecube but it's a close enough match. the overall port is good for newcomers but if you already have the Gamecube Version then you will probably want to stick with the original game.

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 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.

This is my favorite Final Fantasy game on the PS1 and is far more accomplished than Final Fantasy VII. The story and characters are fantastic, The soundtrack is one of the best I have heard in a Final Fantasy game, the battle system feels far more advanced (in a good way) than Final Fantasy VII the Junction system is a bit complicated but in my opinion it is one of the best systems because the character customization options offered by the Junction system are huge. The ability system feels very similar to Final Fantasy VI seeing that you have to equip the Summons to get the abilities. however the game is by no means flawless even though it's much better than FF7 it does have a couple of issues: Stocking magic spells can be a big chore, the SeeD rank system should have been removed because it get's a bit erratic at times seeing that your SeeD rank randomly increases and decreases so your better off selling items you don't need because you get alot more money doing that, there are a couple of other small **** but it's not enough to ruin the game. Even though it's not perfect it is still an awesome and memorable RPG experience that you shouldn't miss out on.

Even though this Final Fantasy game has beautiful graphics and breathtaking locations it cannot save this entry from being one of the worst. The game structure is too linear and it keeps the game from being any fun. There are no towns, no overworld, no gameplay variety and barely any NPC's (non-player characters) and when the game starts to open up the game you will already have almost completed the game so when it comes to this it is one of those "too little too late" **** really upset me. Combat gets way too hard especially the boss fights the bosses feel almost invincible and you will spend hours using the crystarium and upgrading your weapons just to get past a boss, the lack of control in battle is also infuriating because you can only control one character during battle and once the character you are controlling dies then it's Game Over. The story is also problematic all it is is just a bunch of cutscenes crammed together and in turn it makes it feel too much like a long boring movie than a game that is supposed to be enjoyed. Plot twists, characters, and story development are badly done they are predictable and cliche and they screw up in more ways than one. I have been a RPG and Final Fantasy nut for a long time but this entry takes the cake this game does not live up to any of the series standards (apart from the graphics). Whatever Square Enix is doing they driving the series in a bad direction with this entry I had high hopes but they have been crushed big time. If you are a fan of older entries like Final Fantasy 5, 6 or even 7 you are better off playing those but whatever you do avoid this Final Fantasy game at all costs I beg of you.