Not a single Final Fantasy game is released nowadays without cries of derisions from fans of the series. If it’s not the changes to the combat, it’s the story, or the characters, or any combination of the above. And that’s only scratching the surface of the myriad of complaints that flood the internet. We get it; everyone has their favourites, and of course it is a shame that this most recent release isn’t directly comparable to the one you hold so dear. My personal preference is for FFX, the first game I played in the series. It’s a good bet that the same applies to many people - you will enjoy the first one you encountered the most, so immediately other entries face an uphill battle to compete with your darling. Lightning Returns also has the unenviable task of being the last in a trilogy that popular consensus seems to claim has long outstayed its welcome.
Should Lightning Returns fail commercially it will be a shame, as it won’t be for a lack of attempted innovation. Had FF chosen one game from the series to act as a template from which all the others were based, the only thing we could expect from each new iteration is new faces, weapons and story, with perhaps minor tweaks to combat. So it’s commendable that Square Enix has sought to freshen things up to prevent them from going stale – whether it is to everyone’s taste is perhaps another article. This is a game of firsts for Final Fantasy, so perhaps it is easiest to start at the beginning.
The first noticeable difference is that time plays a crucial part, à la Dead Rising. Playing once again as Lightning – back after an absence as a playable character in the second game – you are tasked by the god Bhunivelze to save as many souls as possible in order to begin a new world. You have a maximum of 14 days in which to accomplish this, and you do so by completing quests given to you by the citizens you meet. Lightning is also on her own personal mission to bring life back to her sister Serah, who died at the end of the previous game. This final game is somewhat of a reunion, with plenty of familiar faces from the first two games, with some markedly different from how they once were. The impending destruction of the known world is likely to do that to a few people.
While the combat has been changed, it is not a complete overhaul. Only Lightning is under the player’s control and is the sole combatant. It is still effectively about creating Commando, Ravager etc. roles, similar to the paradigm system introduced in FFXIII. Here however, these roles are created through Schema, combinations of garb, weapons, shields, accessories and even actions. This has the effect of allowing more customisation: players can aim for a combat class, but throw in some magic or defensive capabilities to balance the schemata out. Up to three schemata can be used in battle, and switching between them requires only the tap of a button. Lightning Returns also reintroduces the Active Time Battle (ATB): every action performed in combat uses up the ATB meter, which will gradually refill, meaning fighting requires careful monitoring of the three gauges in order to keep the battle flowing. Most enemies will need to be Staggered to perform maximum damage – finding out enemies’ weaknesses is key to success. In another first, you have control over Lightning during combat, and while it’s limited, it adds a new dynamic to proceedings, learning to distance yourself for a few seconds breathing room or getting close to keep the pressure on.
There is also the option to choose one of two different game modes: easy and normal. Choosing normal means battles are that bit tougher, you are penalised for escaping from them and you do not heal automatically while traversing the field. Combine this with the time system and it’s clear that you are intended to replay the game multiple times to complete every quest and see each ending. Certainly on your first play though it will be a case of trial and error – some quests are time sensitive, so if you miss your window there is no returning and the mission is failed. While some missions amount to little more than simple fetch quests, others are more time consuming, and at lower levels it may be difficult to find the time to factor it in. Some areas only open at specific times, so it soon becomes clear that time management is essential. You also only start with 6 days of time left, which you can add to by completing quests and offering up the souls you have rescued.
All these different elements can certainly be daunting, even those that have followed FFXIII to its conclusion. Finding the right schematas is a case of trial and error, and you may come across more misses before you find those combinations that prove a hit. The frame rate is also somewhat of an issue; with an abundance of characters populating each area, Lightning doesn’t move as smoothly as she once did, with people popping into existence right before her. They also tend to bump into each other, particularly annoying when stopping to talk to someone and a small child looks as if they are trying to walk through one of you. The story is also nonsense, though that is not a new complaint levelled at the series, so if you have followed it to this point you will presumably find it just as intriguing as before.
Final Fantasy seems to be undergoing something of an identity crisis at the moment. It is not the RPG people knew from the days of FFVII through to IX, and most likely it never will be. Square Enix is determined to appeal to a wider audience; one simply has to look at the recent trailers for FFXV to see its move away from traditional role playing to a RPG/action hybrid. As with most games, this is likely both to attract newcomers and dissuade diehards in equal numbers. Those who have enjoyed FFXIII thus far will certainly find enough here to round off the trilogy, while it would be difficult to persuade those who haven’t played it of its merits. Combat is frantic and only occasionally frustrating, and though the world doesn’t have the same appeal as previous games, there are enough distractions to sink hours into, which fans are sure to do.
