Final Fantasy XIII-2

I'm sure that I am one of the few people out there that enjoyed the first Final Fantasy XIII.  When the game came out, a lot of people had negative things to say about it such as the story, the linear gameplay, no NPC's, and no towns.  But honestly, I enjoyed it for what it was, the story wasn't the best but it kept me interested, there were no NPC's or stores to put my adventure on hold as I talk to folks or shop around, and I loved the next generation visuals as it was the first Final Fantasy to come to the new consoles.  Ok sorry guys this isn't a Final Fantasy XIII review, but since mentioning those which others may say was a flaw Final Fantasy XIII-2 wanted to address them and correct them.

Story - Final Fantasy XIII-2 takes place right after the events of Final Fantasy XIII where our heroes save Cocoon from destruction.  For some unknown reason Lightning has disappeared and know one seems to remember her making it thorugh the conflict except for her sister, Serah.  This sets up the adventure for FF13-2 as you take control of Serah, in which you must find the answers to Lightnings disappearance.  While on your quest you'll meet new and familiar faces as well as time travel with your new companions Noel and Mog.

Visuals - Since Final Fantasy XIII-2 is in the same universe as its predecessor, it only makes sense that they'll be using the same design in terms of both characters and the world itself.  And that is talking from an in game stand point, but if I were tell you about the CGI portions of the game where everything is pre-rendered for cinematic events, well those are just flat out amazing!  I should also mention that they have added town areas where NPC's roam freely, and yes, you will be able to talk to them!

Gameplay -  If your familiar with the FFXIII, then you'll definitely feel at home.  If not, lets start with the battle system.  The battles are live action in way, if you don't attack your enemies will still continue to attack you, you have a bar in which fills up and you'll be able to either select which ability to use or let the auto command choose whats best for the situation.  You'll also have different abilities depending on what class you pick, so finding the right balance for the current situation is essential especially when your able to switch during battles.  The big difference in FFXIII-2 is the fact that you'll have your 3rd party member as monsters that you can have join your party after defeating them in battle, which I wish they added more characters to fight along side you. Enemies appear randomly giving you time to get a preemptive strike, and there are a lot of Live action events in which you must press certain buttons correctly to get a better out come in battle.  Also take note that when certain parts in conversations between characters come up, you'll be given the choice of what to say, which can sometimes have an effect on things.  They have also added puzzles for you to solve which have you running around connecting dots, or grabbing crystals without stepping on the same square twice.

Over All - Final Fantasy XIII-2 makes up for what the first one lacked, and if you give it a chance, you'll find an engaging story line in which you'll find interesting, especially if you played the first one.  I've always known Final Fantasy for its great story, amazing visuals, and fun gameplay. And for me, Final Fantasy XIII-2 continues that trend.  Give FFXIII-2 a shot, even if your just checking it out because your still waiting for Final Fantasy XIII-Versus.



Love the collectors Edition



Final Fantasy XIII-2 travels through time for a score of:  7.5 out of 10

seanizL

Soul Calibur 5

It seems fighting games will be making a big return this year starting with the January 31 release of Soul Calibur 5.  If you were looking for a game to test your weaponry skill, this will be the fighting game you may want to check out.  Several characters make a return  including Maxi, Siegfried, and Nightmare.  There will also be new fighters thrown into the ring, but many of the weapons except for the Magic Ball / Claw combo will be similar to what you have seen in past titles.

As before there is several options that you can choose from when starting the game.  You can hop online and face other people from around the world or go offline in the regular arcade facing the CPU or others sitting right next to you.  There is also a story mode in which you guys will follow certain characters as you learn more about the battles that take place in the Soul Calibur universe.  When you guys play through the game you can also unlock things for the Character Creation Mode, which I'm sure some of you have the creative mind to create some weird looking fox tailed characters.  The main game play of Soul Calibur 5 remains the same at its core, but one BIG addition the the fighting mechanics are the special moves.  There is now a Gauge in which you build up while attacking, getting hit, or blocking and as it fills up, you unleash a devastating attack which can be a big game changer just like in all the other fighting games out there.  I should also take note that the visuals in this game are noticeably better than that of its predecessor especially  when it comes the rings you fight in.  For example, in one ring you and another character fight it out while there is an apparent war going on in the background.

With Soul Calibur's return in the Fighting Genre with part 5, a lot of returning players should feel at home, and possibly enjoy some of the new additions of flashy moves.  For anyone just checking out Soul Calibur for the first time, I think now is the best time to be jumping in.




With smooth fighting action, testing weapon against weapon, and great visuals. Soul Calibur 5 returns to the fighting game genre with a score of:
 7.5 out of 10 - seanizL