Final Fantasy XIII-2 Critic Reviews

If FFXIII was an exercise in form over function, its successor is exercise in working with what you've got – and doing a brilliant job of it (for the most part). It does some things better than its predecessor, some things worse, but what's most impressive about Final Fantasy XIII-2 is how much feels new and different, despite sharing most of its guts with XIII.

Story gripes aside, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is just hands-down better than Final Fantasy XIII. It has more replay value, a more compelling battle system, an open world, an innovative exploration premise, and much more. If Final Fantasy XIII's laundry list of flaws turned you off to the Final Fantasy franchise, then Final Fantasy XIII-2 will get you back in.

We were relieved to discover that FFXIII-2 had much more to offer than its sterile CGI-driven predecessor. Not only are there some great mini-games in the form of time paradox puzzles, there are also plenty of side quests. It goes to show that Square Enix truly listens to its fans.

New players may find all the back story and references from XIII a bit confusing, however with the inclusion of a "beginner's primer" in the menu, there's no reason why longtime fans of the series as well as complete newcomers won't get a brilliant gaming experience out of this title. Two thumbs up!

Despite it's poor pacing during the second act and its less than satisfying end, Final Fantasy XIII-2 can hold its head up high as a large improvement over its predecessor in the places where it counts.

I absolutely love the game, and found myself totally absorbed in everything it has to offer.

This is definitely a step in the direction of that old Final Fantasy feel we've come to know and love. It feels like what the original Final Fantasy XIII should have been.

Unequivocally better than the original in almost every single way, XIII-2 presents a rehabilitated spin on one of the most polarizing Square-Enix releases in recent years, as well as a promising way forward for the franchise. It may not be enough to undo what's already been done, but for what it's worth, XIII-2 may just change your mind about the future.

FFXIII-2 earns its score with aplomb, and I'd go so far to call it a sleeper hit. It's a genuinely great-playing game with an imperfect story, though to its credit, it eventually engages and justifies the wait. Its greatest battle now is escaping from the shadow and stigma of its big brother, but you should ignore the anti-hype, take a leap of faith and give it a chance.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a step in the right direction. There were too many innovations in Final Fantasy XIII and now the developers incorporated all the feedback from the community to improve the game and offer all the Final Fantasy fans a better gaming experience. This strategy worked – the gameplay is pretty cool, the atmosphere as well as the effects (graphics and sounds) are stunning and the well-known setting is a nice bonus for fans of FF XIII.

The most important positive point about Final Fantasy XIII-2 is that the gameplay has been strongly improved. New features like Paradigm Shift and Mog Clock are a really good addition to the game. Final Fantasy XIII-2 has a nice story but unfortunately not as epic as we expected.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a vast improvement over its predecessor from a gameplay standpoint. Not so much in the story department. It's a very complex and deep tale, but it's also full of plot holes and nonsense, flaws that make it less meaningful than the old one. Despite this, The sequel to Final Fantasy XIII is a great J-rpg, with an amazing amount of content.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 improves on the formula of FFXIII in just about every way possible. And yet, we lose a little more of what makes Final Fantasy a story-driven role-playing game. It's amazing that this happens given all the great features and gameplay elements that should've been included in FFXIII. I'm actually thinking that if you combine this sequel and its predecessor, take the strengths of each, and abandon the weaknesses, you'd finally get a 9+ game.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is what Final Fantasy XIII should have been, with lots of sub-quests, mini-games and a little more exploration. Despite responding to fanbase requests, the team left unaltered the fighting system and the linearity; so this is not the comeback of a classic Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy XIII-2, like its predecessor, takes bold chances that pay off in nearly every way. It is clear that the folks at SquareEnix have listened to their fans and have made a great many changes based on that feedback. While there are some aspects that could use some shoring up, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is very worthy of the mantle of this long-standing series.

An enjoyable and entertaining game that proves Square Enix is not down and out. However, it puts fans of the series in an awkward position, intriguing us enough to play through the game but constantly reminding us of its inadequacies.

Two years has passed since Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 has partly solved the problems that plagued the first attempt of Square Enix, with an interesting "monster collecting" part and a less linear gameplay. It's a shame that the story and character development are not as good as the original title.

Final Fantasy XIII-2's time-travel plot wallows too much in poorly sketched paradox, but it does offer the opportunity to skip from fantastic world to fantastic world without a care. The greatest benefit is that this outing feels much less linear than its predecessor-players are invited to back away from brick-wall bosses and explore the timeline, gaining strength, gearing up, and chasing new quests at will. The freedom is appreciated.

Progression is player-driven, combat is even more entertaining, and an array of other adjustments makes it one of my favorite RPGs from a mechanical perspective. I just want all of that integrated with a story that isn't laughable and borderline insulting, and that's where Final Fantasy XIII-2 falters.

Beneath the emotional tale and a superb cast of characters lies an abundance of shallow filler content with no real purpose It's disappointing to see a game with so much heart struggle under the burden of artificial mechanics.