Home Gaming FFXIII: Lightning Returns a 30-hour, grind-less game

FFXIII: Lightning Returns a 30-hour, grind-less game

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I am not excited about FFXIII: Lightning Returns. It feels like Square Enix has taken a bad iteration in the Final Fantasy franchise and made it worse. Now, we get more details on the game, where battles are not integral, but rather the “icing on the cake”.
Battle design director, Nobuyuki Matsuoka, explained to Polygon that battles were different in Lightning Returns because she is fighting by herself:

“Instead of taking the essentials of the gameplay from FF13 or FF13-2, we thought about how to rearrange the system now that Lightning is by herself. So we enhanced the graphics so the visuals never look too lonely or desolate. Also, we set up this game so that the battles are sort of the icing on the cake — you can advance through the story without having to go through a lot of trouble. That’s why, instead of fighting battles to earn experience and raise your level, you become stronger by finishing quests.”

So, battles in FFXIII: Lightning Returns will not be about grinding. However, they will be dynamic – monsters will adapt if Lightning repeats the same behaviors, and will also take different actions during the day vs night. Defeating monsters will earn Lightning new abilities which can be combined into overpowered combos. Coming February next year to those outside of Japan, Matsuoka says a regular play through of the game will take about 20-30 hours, with an OCD completist approach taking about 50 hours.

Okay, call me old school, but this is not what Final Fantasy is about! I want to grind. I know, it’s crazy, but I want to be rewarded for killing of tons of monsters. I want to spend 100+ hours to complete a Final Fantasy game, and still not feel like it was long enough. I’m not interested in jiggle physics in my Final Fantasy – I want hours and hours of gameplay! Oh well, at least when Geoff makes me review this game I won’t have to sit through 100+ hours of disappointment.

Last Updated: September 12, 2013

60 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief of Rivia

    September 12, 2013 at 10:48

    heh, jiggle this

    Reply

    • SaintsRowLee

      September 12, 2013 at 10:49

      I just love the fact that Zoe can make boob jokes, don’t you?

      Reply

      • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

        September 12, 2013 at 10:50

        YES

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief of Rivia

        September 12, 2013 at 10:50

        Inderdaad ou maat, inderdaad

        Reply

      • Her Highness the Hipster

        September 12, 2013 at 12:29

        i just love making them, too 🙂

        Reply

        • SaintsRowLee

          September 12, 2013 at 14:25

          You play games, you make boob jokes… Could you be the one that I have been looking for all my life? The one I would kidnap, lock up in my cellar and make a clone of????

          Reply

  2. Admiral Chief of Rivia

    September 12, 2013 at 10:48

    Where is Rince?

    Reply

    • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

      September 12, 2013 at 10:53

      I am here! It’s Umar I am worried about. This game is sounding more sucky the more we hear about it. NOT interested in the slightest. In fact, I’ll probably pirate it, cut it to disk, and invite Umar over so we can burn the fucking thing along with an effigy of Square Enix

      Reply

      • oVg

        September 12, 2013 at 11:30

        Le Final Sigh

        Reply

  3. RincemySniperKittEH0-O

    September 12, 2013 at 10:50

    Oh oh, where’s Umar. Flip this angers me. So not interested in this bullshit, games made for 10 year old boys.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      September 12, 2013 at 11:14

      I thought you were excited for GTAV? BOOM!!!

      Reply

      • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

        September 12, 2013 at 11:17

        SLAP*

        Reply

  4. RincemySniperKittEH0-O

    September 12, 2013 at 10:52

    Zoe, get Geoff to ask Umar to review it 🙂

    Reply

    • SaintsRowLee

      September 12, 2013 at 10:52

      Oe maar dis ‘n goeie idee

      Reply

    • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

      September 12, 2013 at 11:04

      OH HELL NO you bastard …..not in this lifetime………

      Reply

    • Tarisma

      September 12, 2013 at 11:12

      FF 13 3 review by Umar

      I would pay for that

      Reply

      • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

        September 12, 2013 at 11:17

        I’m too heart broken to write anything…..But I will gladly accept your money..Capitalism!!

        Reply

      • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

        September 12, 2013 at 11:17

        Me too, you’d have to blind yourself before though…

        Reply

        • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

          September 12, 2013 at 11:22

          Because I am so sexiness

          Reply

  5. Tarisma

    September 12, 2013 at 10:56

    So what is this game trying to be? I dont get it? Its not really a RPG is it? Its an action adventure game?

    Reply

  6. Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

    September 12, 2013 at 11:00

    So SE trademarks Dues Ex Universe and Hitman GO…. probably some social bullcrap…….GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA2LzEyL2FhL0NoYXJsaWVNY2RvLmFmOTNkLmdpZgpwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/561e9b54/f87/Charlie-Mcdonnell.gif

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief of Rivia

      September 12, 2013 at 11:00

      Is he giving the table head?

      😛

      Reply

      • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

        September 12, 2013 at 11:05

        0-O

        Reply

      • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

        September 12, 2013 at 11:06

        He is giving the desk his head….hmm..wait

        Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        September 12, 2013 at 11:11

        Well technically there is wood involved.

        Reply

    • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

      September 12, 2013 at 11:03

      • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

        September 12, 2013 at 11:05

        The darkness is growing inside of me…I can feel it….taking…OVER

        Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      September 12, 2013 at 11:17

      or mobile, wasn’t their chief chop carrying on about mobile just the other day?

      New DX or Hitman game – yes please!
      Oh it’s mobile? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Fuck off.

      Reply

      • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

        September 12, 2013 at 11:21

        That is literally my expression every time they announce a game.

        Oh new Mana game
        Soical
        FCUK

        Oh new Star Ocean game!!
        Social
        JOU MA SE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        Reply

        • Tarisma

          September 12, 2013 at 11:25

          Do what I do. After SO the last hope came out it was announced that it was the last SO game. So according to me this SO social game that you keep going on about doesn’t exist. The world is much better that way.

          Reply

          • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

            September 12, 2013 at 11:27

            did they announce that? I was unaware of that….well that sux. if it is the last game, still, why make a social game…hell, make an HD remake of Till the End of Time, that would be so much better…SE could make so much money off these remakes. Im curious to see how KH HD does

          • Tarisma

            September 12, 2013 at 11:45

            ya I read somewhere that The last hope was the last one, but I agree I would buy till the end of time and play it again that game was beyond awesome, best game of the PS2 generation for me!

        • That Tall Twit

          September 12, 2013 at 11:27

          :/

          Reply

  7. Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

    September 12, 2013 at 11:05

    • Hammersteyn

      September 12, 2013 at 11:29

      LOL

      Reply

    • oVg

      September 12, 2013 at 11:29

      lol

      Reply

    • loftie

      September 12, 2013 at 14:00

      is that…Loki?

      Reply

  8. Hammersteyn

    September 12, 2013 at 11:29

    • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

      September 12, 2013 at 11:30

      This be the angry gif thread lol

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        September 12, 2013 at 11:41

        This shit has got to stop!

        Reply

        • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

          September 12, 2013 at 11:42

          Couldn’t agree more dude…As a hardcore FF fanboy it really hurts to see this crap

          Reply

  9. oVg

    September 12, 2013 at 11:32

    OK OK I am sure that the target market (The People who would buy a brick if it had the FF logo on it) are very happy.

    Remember, the franchise is for 13 year old Japanese girls who like swapping shit on their cell phones.

    Get over it. WE HAVE GTAV 🙂

    Reply

    • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

      September 12, 2013 at 11:37

      Never, till the day I die or a good FF is released, I will keep raging …plus….boobies

      Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      September 12, 2013 at 11:39

      Who are you calling a thirteen year old girl? This franchise was THE standard for RPG gaming. It basically started the grind for XP and to level up your characters and looting strong weapons from dungeons and caves lurking with hideous monsters while telling a epic tale at the same time that kept us hungry for the next sequel.

      It started with FF1 on the Nintendo and has become a mockery of it’s former self. It’s like watching the degradation of Two and a Half Men. Still the same show but without Charlie Sheen it’s just shit.

      Cant and wont get over it

      Reply

      • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

        September 12, 2013 at 11:40

        What you said!

        Reply

      • oVg

        September 12, 2013 at 11:40

        lol Just buy Lost Odyssey. Final Fantasy died the day the Father left Squarpants.

        Reply

        • RincemySniperKittEH0-O

          September 12, 2013 at 11:41

          Too true. Anyone who is suffering from Reality Final Fantasy sets in’ should move onto Lost Odyssey.

          Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          September 12, 2013 at 11:42

          It’s a bit of an exclusive title at the moment 🙁

          Reply

          • oVg

            September 12, 2013 at 11:45

            There is always the X X-2 HD re-make 🙂

          • Hammersteyn

            September 12, 2013 at 11:46

            Now that is something to play through again

          • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

            September 12, 2013 at 11:46

            Valkyria Chronicles…..NOW

      • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

        September 12, 2013 at 11:41

        Right on. FF 7 on ps1 brought RPGs to the masses..FF was a leader in the gaming industry, now it is nothing more than a dookey. DROP DAT DOOKEY

        Reply

      • oVg

        September 12, 2013 at 11:43

        EDIT ‘NOW’ It was for more mature children that were able to think. Now it is for 4 year olds who can get their hamster to hump the X button for 30 hours.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          September 12, 2013 at 11:47

          Exactly. 150% correct.

          Reply

  10. Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

    September 12, 2013 at 11:33

    Let me just save everyone the heartache

    Go play this please…leave this crap psuedo FF alone

    Reply

    • oVg

      September 12, 2013 at 11:47

      Another reason to pick up a cheap PS3 this xmas 🙂

      Reply

      • Umar Final Fantasy 15 Hopeful

        September 12, 2013 at 11:48

        Indeed man, you have to…..PS3 has brilliant Rpgs

        Reply

    • Her Highness the Hipster

      September 12, 2013 at 12:29

      loved this game!

      Reply

  11. Chaos

    September 13, 2013 at 05:13

    What’s the matter, don’t like the fact that things change? You know, like how Final Fantasy is supposed to change with every iteration? Well, sorry, but I don’t feel sorry for you. I don’t care how much you justify, all you sound like is some whiny fangirl who can’t accept that this isn’t your Final Fantasy.

    So sorry Square Enix hurt your feelings. Get over it. And no, to anyone who might read this and reply to me, I don’t give a shit what you think either, you’ll simply prove my point that none of you can move on from your fantasy worlds where everything stays the same.

    Reply

  12. Brian Haywood

    February 28, 2014 at 19:42

    First off this article is bogus. Lightning returns thrives on grinding in order to extent your time as well as earn materials for your stats. Also you werent bound by the lvl 99 not being able to truly max out your character also being able to choose quests made it simple to define stats as you could choose your growth just as in 13-2. If anything it pushed you to grind.ANY true final fantasy fan would know this game is a masterpiece. As well as the story is tied up about nova chrystalia and the mythology of crystals is brought out in this franchise making the final fantasys all connected from different realms. It all started with crystals in the old school days so it ends with them to. Every final fantasy was in another realm simply created by bhunivelze. If you notice he uses sin harvest(heartless angel) and a few other moves from final bosses in the ff universe as well as hypernova a more powerful supernova. Sepiroth wanted to be a god he studied algorithms as well as mythology among the cetra the most holy people made close to god. Its apparent sephiroth is the most iconic ff villian however his studys of all of this and the lifestream lead him into minerva who is the goddess of rebirth aka the goddess of the lifestream. bhunivelze and most of the gods are honestly corrupt in this franchise. Hence why sephiroth followed the same path wanting to wipe out the unperfect through natural selection until a new world was born with all of the real holy people. Perfect people. Crystals are perfect. Another example is tidus and jecht they where dreamt by the ‘fayth’. Aka an unsean world as mentioned in nova chrystalia. 15 will be the final story in the reborn world. Its amazing how EVERY final fantasy is a good game. We all picked final fantasy up to play and rpg that tells an epic story and we got one. The ignorance of bad reveiws vs the reality of the millions of people who still play and enjoy the games is insane. Alot of good games go under radar because of this. And i wont stand to read an article that ends with play the game if you like it. And claim to be an oldschool fan as well as not appreciate all the hard work we have all enjoyed for years. Every ff had a different battle system. We all just need to get over gaming politics and enjoy games for the reason we buy them. The story they tell. Not the storys others tell that cant even understand anything important about the 13 series. I have low faith in our gaming community. Its the reason why we got enix over soft…..

    Reply

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