Product ReviewsLightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Sony PlayStation 3, 2014)

A hidden gem

This is a hidden gem of a game. I didn't give it much of a chance when it first came out because of its steep learning curve, punishing difficulty at the beginning and radical departure from FFXIII-2. But now that I've spent a dozen or so hours with it, I can say that it's a rewarding game with a decent story that makes you think about how you would spend your life if you became immortal.

I never found Lightning to be a very interesting protagonist, but you can dress her up however you like and customize her fighting skills to suit your play style. Many of the NPC voice acting is good, but I found myself skipping alot of the dialogue in the many side quests that you have to endure to level up.

The environments look great, really pushing the graphical limits of the PS3, which at times results in a significant framerate drop, especially during battles with multiple enemies. Fans of the music from the FFXIII trilogy are in for a treat as many of the best tracks from the first two games return, joining a fantastic collection of original tracks for this game.

The FFXIII trilogy got a lot of hate back in the day because of the sluggish pacing of the first game and the disjointed experience of the second game. I recently replayed FFXIII-2 and liked it, mostly because of the fast paced combat and music. I found Noel and Serah to be pretty boring as protagonists, but that's just my opinion, in the end both of the first games are still AAA games and solid RPGs. This one may end up being my favorite just because of how unique it is.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: youngatheartinc

Bad game play bad story great graphics.

Excellent graphics which is about all good I can say. After previous FF12 titles it is too different to be interesting. Avoid it if you like FF series.

Fast paced, puzzling, fun, and unique

A game sought after highly in the beginning... Once played many felt overwhelmed with all the options and quest with so little time to do everything. What they didn't see was how much depth this game actually offers. With abilities to freeze time it's not impossible to do everything you need in one go. For those who feel that compulsive need to get everything or at least a good ending. Don't worry all of it is still feasible and enjoyable. One of the very rare games that let's you decide where you want to be and how you will get there. The story can be confusing to some who haven't played previous installments fortunately there's a rehash of the last games for you as well to catch up! Offering blends of old tricks as well as new this game is worth playing even if for just the battle experience. While some cridict the game because of it's "story" and time heavy restrictions... These Are all well understood in a game that was want to be exactly what fans asked for. A Fianle... Fun, fast paced, heavily varied, and plenty to do. If you aren't sure if you'll enjoy the game play FFXIII-2 and imagine only one character being all 3. "Army of one" The time structure can impede some people from wanting the game but I say if you want a challenge this is a perfect opportunity to see what you can do...the worlds ending can you save their souls?Read full review...

Excellent in everything.

I love it! The mechanics are a little different from the previous FF games, but they are awesome once you get used to it. I especially love the New Game+ so I can play the game again with everything I had (except the key items, of course) to try again to make a better run and learn and explore new areas I didn;t get to explore before and get new items and equipment I couldn't get before.

I am on my second run now with a much better perfomance. I think when I play it again, I will know enough and will be able to do enough to actually beat the game. (No i do not use cheats to beat a game).Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: jumpoutofamovin...

Great story, long quest line, fun battles.

Overall a great ending to Lightning's story. I was not very interested in the massive amount of questing. The story was quite interesting. My main gripe is the amount of needed quest lines, and the lack of new music. There seemed to be quite a bit of replayed music from the other 2 in the series. The battle system is definitely the best in the FF13 series. I loved having more control over lightning and being able to control blocking and movement.Read full review...

Different yet the Same = another great Final Fantasy game!

In our household we are avid Final Fantasy game fans. We have played all of them with the exception to the online versions. This is why I wanted to purchase this game for our family to play. I was a bit hesitant to purchase this one because of rumors that it wasn't as good as the others. I am now glad I didn't listen to other reviews.

Lightning Returns is different in 2 main ways. The first being that you are in a time constraint situation. There are little ways around that though. The guide REALLY helps with that! The other is the battle system is not as good as in recent past versions, however, if done well...it can work out to be a good thing. Basically this game has a learning curve to it. There are small quarks here and there that can be irritating from time to time. The pros outweigh the cons for us.

Our 15 year old son hated it the first time he played it. He came back the next day to try it again and found that he likes it now. Personally, I really like it. I am still in the middle of playing it. I failed the first time. It just made me want to try again doing things in a different way this time.

Compared to the other FF games, we rank this a 7. Just to let you know how this scale goes: FF7 & 12 are our favorites. With 10-2 being the lowest...of course. If you are a FF fan, you will get that lol.

So, if you are a Final Fantasy fan, in my humble eyes, I say go for it and try it out for yourself!Read full review...

Great game for FF fans

Just my opinion maybe, but Lightning is the most compelling and complex characters in the FF universe. Though this game - and the xiii series - may have disappointed many fans, give this one a chance. I highly recommend playing the first 2 in the xiii series first.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: clover-media

Avoid, it's a Action game, not a RPG

This is not an RPG its a fast paced action game, you are on a countdown timer to complete the game, it rushes you through, so you cannot enjoy it (at least for me), so if you are a RPG fan I would avoid this as you will not get long hours of game-play after awhile I found it repetitive and the timer pissed me off so much I threw the game away, this should of been released as a DLC, It doesn't include a manual and I found the bluray (ps3) game scratches far more easy then other bluray games I owned, it's like they put no hard-coat on it to cut production costs.

On a side not I contacted square enix about a getting a replacement disc since I thought something is wrong with mine I mean it was scratched from it's own case before I even opened it up, but they refuse to honor their warranty so I will refuse to buy future square-enix games, this company is not about its customers but it's profit.Read full review...

LR FFXIII

Great game. Wonderful music and soundtracks in this game. When the item arrived it was in great condition. Highly recommend for anyone who is a fan of Lightning as a character.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: lootlodge

Completely different gameplay.

I like the different choices but the gameplay is hard to get use to because its so different from the normal game.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: blowmegames