Approaching the ultimate hours of Closing Fantasy XVI, I discovered myself preoccupied with an earlier sport within the collection – Closing Fantasy XIII. Among the complaints levied towards XVI’s fight, aspect quests, and stage design all jogged my memory of criticisms of XIII from again in 2010. The complaints echo in unusual methods. For instance, one of many extra controversial features of XVI – its pivot in the direction of purer action-based fight in lieu of the turn-based hybrid fashions embraced by the collection in earlier entries – raised complaints that appeared just like the inverse of critics calling XIII’s fight and gameplay too “gradual” or “disengaged”. On reflection, Closing Fantasy XIII constructed upon the collection’ fabled Energetic Time Battle system to create an revolutionary and strategic fight mechanic that continues to exert affect over the mainline collection.
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Closing Fantasy XIII’s launch in 2010 marked the collection’ transition from the PlayStation 2 to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 console period. XIII hit many technical milestones on a brand new console, but was broadly criticized for some parts of sport design, together with linear construction, complicated world-building, and bucking of gameplay conventions then thought-about “important” for RPGs to have. Regardless of these criticisms, XIII’s greatest power lies in its battle system.
Previous to 2001, fight within the Closing Fantasy collection was largely static. The collection, up by way of by way of Closing Fantasy IX, utilized iterations of the ATB system launched in 1992’s Closing Fantasy IV. The PlayStation 2 period introduced some modifications, first with Closing Fantasy X, which substituted the ATB for a conditional turn-based system that displayed character flip order on-screen, with battle technique revolving round altering that order with gadgets and actions. Closing Fantasy XII tasked gamers with micromanaging the occasion from by way of the Gambit system. Reasonably than concern particular instructions, gamers would devise particular rulesets and if/then computations to find out when and learn how to use actions, gadgets, and skills. Throughout fight, the computer-controlled characters would act in accordance with the foundations in place, permitting gamers to be as sophisticated as they noticed mandatory.
After XII’s foray into MMO-inspired battles, XIII hits the candy spot between the collection’ hallmark ATB fight and the dazzling motion of the Closing Fantasy VII Introduction Youngsters movie and later video games within the collection. Utilizing the command synergy battle system permits gamers to designate combos of the next six job/class sort to the occasion:
- Ravager (magical assaults to spike up the stagger gauge);
- Commando (bodily assaults to take care of the stagger gauge);
- Synergist (buffs to allies)
- Saboteur (debuffs to enemies)
- Medic (healer)
- Sentinel (tank)
Gamers assign roles to every member, with every set of roles referred to as a Paradigm. Gamers can shift between Paradigms to change roles mid-combat, deciding on skills designed to stagger the enemy, rendering them vulnerable to additional injury.. Throughout battle, avid gamers management the crew chief because the ATB bar fills. Gamers can auto-battle or choose particular person skills, shifting paradigms to buff, debuff, heal, or just to spike the stagger gauge with magical assaults or sustaining the bar with bodily ones. The Stagger mechanic has proved fairly sturdy, displaying up in each mainline single-player Closing Fantasy sport since XIII, to various levels of prominence.
Whereas Closing Fantasy XII targeted on having gamers micromanaging the occasion (be it by way of detailed instructions or in-depth Gambit development), XIII does the alternative and focuses on macro administration of your entire occasion, shifting duties to reply to any specific want in fight: a celebration low on well being can make use of one to a few medics for fast heals, whereas others could begin a battle with a Synergist/Saboteur combo to buff the occasion whereas weakening enemies. The sport rewards revolutionary fight kinds, issuing a score after battle which influences Crystarium Factors and gadgets awarded.
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The tip result’s fight which is quick paced, high-octane, and visually spectacular. But it does so whereas nonetheless demanding planning, fast considering, and even faster button presses. Whereas XII asks gamers to concern themselves with minute particulars, XIII calls for a step again and evaluation of the state of affairs. The direct sequels to XIII first tinker with this technique in XIII-2 earlier than shifting altogether right into a hybrid of fight methods between XIII-2 and X-2. Likewise, the fight system in XIII is appreciably completely different from its successors, who’ve continued a paradigm shift of their very own in the direction of motion – together with the newest entry, Closing Fantasy XVI.
The fight within the two video games couldn’t seem like extra completely different: XIII duties gamers to macro-manage a bunch, whereas XVI is concentrated solely on Clive. XIII revels in elemental weaknesses and standing results, each of that are lacking in XVI. But the defining system behind XIII’s fight system – the stagger mechanic – has been adopted in each Closing Fantasy VII Remake and Closing Fantasy XVI. Shifting between Eikon stances to make the most of specific offensive or defensive skills feels similar to shifting between Ravager and Commando paradigms.
Taking part in by way of XVI jogs my memory of some criticisms levied towards XIII on the time, together with allegations of linearity or qualms relating to the battle system. XVI is ready to keep away from a few of XIII’s points with higher pacing and doling out of the sport’s methods. Each video games function unbelievable fight towards a backdrop of beautiful locales. But the place XVI boasts visually dazzling fight, XIII does so in equal measure of spectacle and technique. Because the Closing Fantasy collection seems to be in the direction of XVII and onwards, the fight of Closing Fantasy XIII must be acknowledged for the affect it continues to have on the collection.