Game Review: Lightning Returns

Finally, finally a review on the last entry of the XIII series.

The story of Lightning Returns is set five hundred years after the events of XIII - 2 and the old world was been completely erased and a new world now stands in it's place. The Chaos that was unleashed has stopped humans from aging and the death of Etro has stopped any new humans from ever being born. Lightning has returned from her crystal sleep after all this time by the God Bhunivelze who informs Lightning that the world has only thirteen days left before it's destruction and she must save as many souls as she can so they can be reborn in the new world the God wants to create. In return for this service Bhunivelze has promised to return Serah to her so Lightning, aided by a now young Hope, must do the God's bidding and save the human race.

Like with the other two XIII games I will first start off with my thoughts on the story and in my opinion it is stronger than XIII -2 but not as good as XIII. Overall XIII's story with Fal'Cie, artificial world and a rag - tag group of misfits trying to save it is better, this is probably to do the fact that besides the supernatural elements its was a lot simpler. What I mean by that is that in XIII - 2 they add in time travel and made the whole game feel episodic where you jump from one time to the next dealing with other problems. In this one they basically got rid of the entire world of Gran Pulse and Cocoon and included more powerful Gods etc. It just felt like the whole thing has gotten out of hand from the first entry. Many characters from the previous games return however most of the time they are against Lightning and usually serve as the final boss for one of the storylines.

Now for what makes Lightning Returns really great is the gameplay; out of the three games in the XIII series they put the most effort into the gameplay for this one. Firstly they have finally created a massive open world that the previous two entries didn't have, it was so massive that it felt like you where playing a MMO but single player (like Skyrim!). They may have had only four areas but like I just said they where just so big and I like the diversity in them because you have two cities, a grassland and a desert. There is lots to do in these areas such as finding items, fighting monsters and completing side quests. Side quests are actually more important now then they have ever been before because completing them increases your stats. The good thing about this is that it gives you a lot of things to do in the game however in my opinion I would have preferred some kind of levelling system because that is just more traditional really.

Also just like with the massive world there is now more freedom with the main quests as you can complete part of it, do something else and then comeback. This is a really enjoyable way to approach the main missions and reminded me of a lot of the older Final Fantasys however this is hampered by the 13 day rule. You only have 13 in game days to complete the main and side quests which actually seems pretty long when I was playing it and I get why they have done it because it ties with the main story however I really wished they didn't include this because it feels restrictive about what I can do. Again you have more freedom to complete the missions then any of the other XIII games however I kind of felt a bit rushed sometimes to make sure I fit in all I can.

Now for the best part of Lightning Returns and that is the battle/garb system! You may only control Lightning in the game but it is one of the best battle systems in Final Fantasy, just as good as the Dress Sphere system in X-2. I think the ability to change outfits and in to different job roles is the best way to fight in Final Fantasy because it offers so much variety and different styles of fighting the enemy. Lightning has lots of garbs in this, each one having it's own strengths and weakness and Lightning just looks great in all of them too. You can even customize them in the menu for new abilities, change their colours and even add accessories; wish the last one was a bit more flexible as you can only equip one accessory per garb. You also have a wide array of weapons and shields that offer their own abilities or stat increases and can be gain from shops or side quests.

Overall Lightning Returns certainly stands out from the previous XIII games and was a great way to end the series. This review defiantly wasn't as in depth as I would have wanted but that it because it is a quick one I wanted to do while I was writing all the Arrow reviews.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Battle system
                   Bigger map and more things to do
                   Garb system

Let - Downs: The first XIII game still has the best story
                      The 13 day time limit

Arrow Season One: The Huntress Returns

Why couldn't they kill her off?

The episode opens at a strip club and Helena AKA The Huntress has killed her father's attorney Gus to find his whereabouts. In Starling Laurel has told Quentin that Dinah has returned and the evidence she has brought to suggest Sara is alive but he doesn't believe them meanwhile Thea runs in to Roy and offers him a job at Oliver's new club. After talking to Diggle about Gus's murder he returns home to find Helena who wants his help to kill her father; he refuses but Helena threatens his family. In a Flashback Slade thinks Fyers is going to use the missile launcher to start a war and in the present Laurel convinces Quentin to look at Dinah's evidence. At the opening of the club Tommy is still having a hard time dealing with Oliver but is soon threatened by Helena which forces Oliver to help her kill her father. Later Thea goes to Roy's place to find out why he didn't go to work but he says he doesn't need charity however he helps her later by beating up muggers but sustains a knife wound and she later accompanies him to the hospital. Helena and Oliver don their disguises and try to ambush the truck Frank is in however it is a set up by Quentin and McKenna who arrest The Huntress.

"Same plan as always kid; I do all the work"

Oliver later frees Helena and gives her a ticket to leave the country and in a Flashback Slade plants explosives on the launcher after taking out the guards but Oliver thinks they just need to take out the circuit board. While Oliver is at McKenna's he gets a call from Felicity who has been tied up by The Huntress and forced to find her father's whereabouts. The Huntress gets to the safe house but runs into The Hood and the two fight it out however just when The Hood is about to finish her off McKenna arrives; this creates an opportunity for The Huntress to shoot her and escape. Later at the hospital McKenna says she needs a year off to heal and needs to move out of town, ending her relationship with Oliver, elsewhere Quentin is ready to listen to Dinah. The episode ends with Oliver admitting to Tommy he can't have a normal life and we then have a Flashback where Oliver wants to trade Fyers the circuit board for a way off the island.

"Ok, lets start our own investigation"

Well looks like we have the return of the worst character in the Arrow series who I really wished didn't have to return so soon. I mean here we have to sit through again The Huntress's incredibly weak storyline of wanting to kill her father (it was almost a repeat of what she did before) and the poor acting of the one who plays her. She is just so poorly written and handled and after threatening Oliver's family and friend and killing those cops just doing their job I am completely unsympathetic to her cause, I just hated her superior attitude she had to Oliver in being like "I can tell on you or kill your love ones if you don't do as I say" or the way she injured Tommy. Why the hell can't Oliver see how much of a threat she is and just kill her? At least then maybe a new and better character can take up the mantle of The Huntress. The only good thing about her is that her costume is good and the final fight with The Hood at the end was alright too (I admit the arrow catching was cool).

At least your red hoodie doesn't show any blood

Because she took up the majority of the episode there really isn't much else going for it besides a few others. I do like the Roy/Thea subplot and them looking to start a relationship makes more sense then any of the other ones that have been in this series and I still really like Roy because he did kick some ass and save Thea. I do still think Dinah's subplot is too forced in to the series but at the very least it gives Quentin something else to do then hunt the vigilante but I don't think it will last for too long. As always the Flashback is always good with some great action from Slade and Oliver coming up with the idea to make a deal with Fyers, seriously doubt that will end nicely for both of them. Lastly I knew Oliver's relationship with McKenna wasn't going to go anywhere and now that the writers have dropped her out of the series it seems like it was a waste of time these past few episodes.

You could have easily knifed her right in the head Oliver

Overall it was a poor episode but that is because The Huntress brings it down because they have completely ruined her character. If they gave more screen time to Roy, Quentin/Dinah and the Flashbacks I would have given this a higher score.

SCORE: 4/10   

Highlights: Roy/Thea
                   Quentin getting something else to do
                   Flashbacks

Let - Downs: The Huntress who took up most of this episode
                      McKenna subplot wasted a lot of time these past few episodes
                      Can't they find The Huntress anything else to do besides kill her father?

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/