14 DAY TRIAL // Final Fantasy XIII was a half disappointment for Square Enix but the team behind the long running Japanese role playing game series has promised that the upcoming XIII-2 sequel would fix everything that was flawed in the original release.
Based on the demo that has just arrived and I have played on the PlayStation 3 home console I don’t think that anyone should take that at face value.
The demo shows the player a good chunk of gameplay, allowing for both some exploration and a few set pieces and the game feels pretty much like a somewhat better looking version of the original Final Fantasy XIII release.
The battle system was supposed to be more dynamic, but I just felt like pushing Auto-battle all the time and doing the occasional heal, something that might or might not change when more attacks and moves are introduced.
The conversations that I had felt similarly stilted and the new character that I met, dressed in traditional Chocobo garb, is a bad omen if the rest of the new faces are similarly stepped in the lore of the series.
Square Enix might have attracted more players for the full release via the demo if it had chosen a section from later in the game, when the majesty of the battles really becomes apparent.
Based on how Final Fantasy XIII played, the demo that I have just experienced and the rather disappointing reception that XIII-2 received in Japan I have a strong feeling that the new game will fail to capture the attention of audiences in the West and will prompt a long period of reflection inside the development team at Square Enix.
Here’s a look at what the demo for Final Fantasy XIII-2 throws at the player during the first ten or so minutes to get an idea of what the game has to offer:
