2010-03-09, 11:05 PM
Forget Spirits Within and Advent Children: Final Fantasy XIII for PlayStation 3 is the best Final Fantasy movie ever.
Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your perspective. Final Fantasy XIII, released Dec. 17 in Japan, is nominally a videogame. But the big draw is that it features the most lavish, jaw-dropping and just plain expensive-looking cinematic cut scenes I’ve ever seen. Much like Square Enix’s films, the storytelling isn’t exactly Shakespeare — but the visuals are exquisite.
All this cinematic beauty came at great cost: A lavish (and totally fake) trailer for Final Fantasy XIII was shown at E3 Expo in May 2006, and at that time no one would have guessed it would take nearly four years of development between the announcement and the real thing’s U.S. release, scheduled for March 9, 2010.
But besides the giant pile of cash that’s clearly been spent on its development, XIII’s filmlike grandiosity has also taken a toll on the gameplay. Final Fantasy games, while generally a bit more linear than other RPGs, have historically given players an assortment of ways to approach their role-playing adventure. In sharp contrast, XIII’s gameplay is as narrow and streamlined as the cut scenes are extravagant and detailed.
Having played the first 17 hours of the game, I know it can sometimes be fun. But I’m shocked at just how radically the developers have redesigned Final Fantasy, usually not for the better.
Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your perspective. Final Fantasy XIII, released Dec. 17 in Japan, is nominally a videogame. But the big draw is that it features the most lavish, jaw-dropping and just plain expensive-looking cinematic cut scenes I’ve ever seen. Much like Square Enix’s films, the storytelling isn’t exactly Shakespeare — but the visuals are exquisite.
All this cinematic beauty came at great cost: A lavish (and totally fake) trailer for Final Fantasy XIII was shown at E3 Expo in May 2006, and at that time no one would have guessed it would take nearly four years of development between the announcement and the real thing’s U.S. release, scheduled for March 9, 2010.
But besides the giant pile of cash that’s clearly been spent on its development, XIII’s filmlike grandiosity has also taken a toll on the gameplay. Final Fantasy games, while generally a bit more linear than other RPGs, have historically given players an assortment of ways to approach their role-playing adventure. In sharp contrast, XIII’s gameplay is as narrow and streamlined as the cut scenes are extravagant and detailed.
Having played the first 17 hours of the game, I know it can sometimes be fun. But I’m shocked at just how radically the developers have redesigned Final Fantasy, usually not for the better.