A tale in which one man (heretofore known as Michael Pincott) takes on a fantastical world of monsters and danger, all in a language of which he has not the faintest hope of comprehending. An English-speaking Final Fantasy fanboy vs the Japanese language. Who will win?


PROLOGUE: A QUESTIONABLE DECISION

In a tone that suggested I truly am one of the world's biggest morons, my girlfriend repeated: 'But it's in Japanese. You're not going to be able to understand it.' My explanation that I would still be able to enjoy the gameplay, pretty colours and general experience did not compute with her. 'So just get it when it comes out in March.' March? That's months away. When you're waiting for a game to be released, months feels like a years. Why wait months for what I can have right now? Hands on hips, disapproving stare. But I order it anyway.

DAY 1:

The game is in my hands. Thanks Play Asia. Immediately impressive are the game's graphics, some of the best I've seen in a console game. The high standard of art direction that the Final Fantasy series is known for is well and truly on display. The production values are sky high. The design of the environments, the characters and the monsters are all excellent – more realistic than ever but just as creative. Whether it's in the field, in battles or in cutscenes, everything is beautifully animated and intricately detailed. The CG is of extremely high quality too.

The battle system is easy to understand at this point, with only the options to attack and use items available. It's a little strange at first using only one member of the party. The other members do as they see fit. After some time, it becomes increasingly obvious why that's the case: the battles in Final Fantasy XIII are too fast paced to afford full control of the party. This is a good thing.

"Quick! Attack her one at a time and slowly."

DAY 5:

The game is blossoming slowly but surely. I've made it to the third chapter, and the game introduces the Optima Change gameplay element (Paradigm Shift in the Western release). My previous strategy of all-out offense sees me getting killed quickly and repeatedly.

It’s time to embrace Optima Change, which gives you six roles that govern what your party members can do. There are the self-explanatory Attacker and Healer roles, then the mage equivalent Blaster and the damage-absorbing Defender. There are buffing and de-buffing roles called Enhancer and Jammer, respectively (again, these names will all be different in the Western release). Optima are set roles your party employs at any one time. Any three characters can have six set Optimas between them. Using Optima Change has been one of the most rewarding elements of Final Fantasy XIII so far, as it cleverly ties into the Break and Active Time Battle systems. In brief, Break is about sustaining attacks on an enemy to reduce them to a weakened state. Active Time Battle provides currency for your attacks over a series of small time bars. Very rarely will you ever feel like you're waiting to 'take your turn.' Fighting is constant and very engaging.

As far as the language barrier goes, so far so good. There are several English words scattered through the game, most helpfully the names of the Optima Change roles. I can mostly remember which option is which from the main menu, and the game's reliance on numbers means I can put on the best gear with relative ease (only weapons and accessories can be equipped). Battling features the auto-move ability, where the game selects your actions automatically to cope with the pace of battles. I tend to rely on this since I can't read the names of individual abilities and it works very well.

The Underarm Whiff move was her secret weapon

 

DAY 10:

It's obvious by now just how linear and direct Final Fantasy XIII is. Final Fantasy games are typically a sprawling affair, with plenty of sidequests, explorations and other distractions omnipresent as you take on the main quest. Final Fantasy XIII has been a narrow funnel from battle to battle. In the context of the story it makes sense. The characters are on the run, racing against time. There's no time to be dilly-dallying, exploring, backtracking, making merry and chanting to the night. I expect this will be a detractor for traditionalists, but a positive for people who find the slow, methodical pace of most RPG's unappealing. By the way, the Transformer-esque summons are the coolest things ever. Bahamut is a Decepticon for sure.

DAY 15:

I've been consulting fan websites for cut-scene translations in order to get some idea of what's going on in the story. It's quite bogged down in its own terminology, with the words Fal'Cie, L'Cie and Focus used frequently. The mystery of what these things actually are is wrapped up in the story itself. But the plot is reasonably concise and it drives perpetually forward, aside from flashbacks to various moments in the thirteen days leading up to the start of the game. The characters are an interesting bunch.

Lightning is a sensible and very serious heroine, a long way from the happy-go-lucky protagonists in other titles. Snow is a big dumb jock who mentions his girlfriend/Lightning's sister Serah in every sentence (I notice this especially because it's one of the only words I understand). Hope is a whiny teen with mummy issues. Vanille is your classic nubile teen from whom optimism springs eternal. Nonetheless, they all gradually become more likeable and each have their own discernible story arc. Sazh is the regular guy caught way over his head but he seems to have some genuine depth and maturity to his character. The chocobo living in his 'fro (chocofro?) is pretty damn cute too. Last to the party, literally, is Fang, a generally tough lady who seems to mirror Lightning in some ways.

No means no.

DAY 30:

It's exactly a month since I got the game. I've made it to chapter 12. Finally the game has opened up and stretched out. I'm now privy to exploring a particularly large area, and there are sixty-odd monster hunts to be done. My feelings on the game overall are mixed. It looks truly superb and I'm a big fan of the battle system. The music is quite good too. I just wish that the game didn't feel so stripped back. I want to get lost in this gorgeous looking universe, explore every corner and see everything there is to see, but the experience I've had has been heavily on-rails. It's been fun, but also in some ways unfulfilling. The ability to wander away from a main quest and do other things in a game contributes so much to immersion in that universe. The dual world of Cocoon/Pulse is rich and inviting, and not being able to explore it in any meaningful way until now is a downright bummer.

IN CONCLUSION…

Don't get me wrong, this is a great game. I'll be picking it up again come March to play it 'properly' in English, where I'll be able to wrestle with the subtleties that eluded me in this playthrough, especially gameplay aspects like upgrading equipment with loot. But will you like it?  I'm really not sure. Final Fantasy XIII is a fast-paced adventure with a compelling battle system. It's not a traditional RPG laden with exploration and sidequests. In many ways it feels Square-Enix has trimmed the fat from the bacon. I have no doubt fans will still get a lot out of this game – it's classic Final Fantasy at its core – and the formula has been altered drastically enough that it may be worth a look for naysayers of the series too. Final Fantasy Lite or Final Fantasy 2.0? We'll find out for sure very soon.

Interesting fact: A fair bit has been changed for the Western release. Optima Change has become Paradigm Shift, titles like Attacker and Blaster have been changed to Commando and Ravager, and the theme song has also been changed. In the Japanese version it's Kimi ga iru kara by Sayuri Sugawara. In the Western version it's a song called My Hands by Leona Lewis. Why? Good question.