Final Fantasy XIII-2 Retrospective - A Rare Chance at Redemption

[@ZatomiAwake]

Wasnt Serah a Le'cie and completed her focus in the first game? I assumed that was why she could use magic.

[@jrm99002]

Was thinking the same thing.

[@mattecrystal6403]

same

[@TheShippo529]

They explained it during in game dialogue while running around New Bodhum that life on pulse affected their ability to use magic. Something about the land itself.

[@IosLocarth]

@@TheShippo529 I remember one of the dialogue options in the first area stating that everybody who was a L'Cie and got turned to Crystal retained the ability to use magic after they recovered from being in a crystal

[@big_red01027]

"Serah was a l'cie? WHAT?!" - Brando, probably.

[@1KrossF]

Best improvement: there's no little pause in battle the first time you swap paradigms for the first time in a battle. The transitions are much smoother and fluid.

[@La-hora-del-terror]

And when the leader die, the game changes you to the other character without a game over.

[@Macheako]

Omg I HATEDDDDDDDDDD switching paradigms for that exact reason 😂😂

[@groudonvert7286]

Well it comes with an other problem : the stagger slowdown can't be skipped now :/

[@Squallyboo]

YES. This. If a potential remaster of XIII is coming, this alongside leader switch on death need to be the first QoL improvements patched in.

[@alexw4482]

If you have the PC version there’s a great tweaks mod on nexus mods that fixes that for 13.

[@coaster1235]

I think the 13 trilogy is particularly interesting in that every game in it goes ”and now for something completely different”. Each game has different strengths to like and different flaws to endure, which is sort of wild for a line of direct sequels in a series of loosely connected games. At least each game has a great soundtrack to vibe to while you get acclimated to what you’re getting next.

[@theazureknight9399]

That's final fantasy in a nutshell. The devs have a weird fixation on radically changing stuff from one game to the next, this got even more exacerbated starting with 10. Not even the side games get a pass. Look at the ff vii compilation, all the games play radically different from each other. OG is a traditional turn based rpg, crisis core is a weird slot machine based game, remake is a full blown action rpg and dirge of cerberus is a friggin shooter, lol.

[@churchking2527]

It makes sense, if you compare to 7 like Brando did in the FF XIII video. FF7 became a brand with many products, the majority of them being none-RPG mobile games. They were trying to do the same thing with XIII, make it a brand with many different types of games that would last over a decade. The big difference being that this was never the plan for 7, it was just a good game with huge success they tried to capitalize on. And this was always the plan for XIII, they just forgot to make a good game...

[@thekwjiboo]

I was just happy that adult Hope didn't grow up to be a whiny little shit.

[@PhoenixFireZero]

If they did great each time, they'd be called revolutionaries. If they did poorly, and they often did, they're thought of as confused and directionless.

[@CarolinaHeart]

X-2 also did that tbf

[@JimFaindel]

This trilogy has stayed in my mind for years after I played it. I love it. I hate it. I keep coming back to it. It's like my ex, but better looking.

[@zacatkinson3926]

Why do you hate it?

[@kevmasengale6903]

​@@zacatkinson3926lightning returns

[@LordMalice6d9]

If you didn't do it right the first time, you failed.

[@leob4403]

@@LordMalice6d9 thats wrong on so many levels, success comes from trial and error and being willing to fail in order to learn and better yourself

[@nunothedude]

Cringe

[@KirsGM]

When there's a villain like Caius, a soundtrack like this, a city design like Academia 4XX (where I wish to live in), time travels, and good combat, I couldnt care less about the flaws. I absolutely love this game for all the amazing things it has.

[@marcusgarcia5089]

Caius was the villain who made more sense than any villain in Final Fantasy to me. His motives made sense, and the story in this game is severely underrated for it.

[@thekwjiboo]

​@marcusgarcia5089 I mean yeah, you can definitely feel for the guy, but I would argue that he may have gone a little overboard in response.

[@DimitriMoreira]

13-2 is basically 8 but less flawed and also less redeemable

[@JoJoZaka]

​@@DimitriMoreirathere is no harder way to kill interest in an ff game than to say it's a better version of 13 that's like 8.

[@GodOfOrphans]

39:00 the explanation for why that works is actually because Serah yelling at the Proto Fal'cie caused Yeul to have another vision which then got recorded on the device Hope has that keeps recordings of all the seeress' visions, that's how he heard her yelling at him. It's contrived a bit but it is forshadowed and explained (without having to even touch the datalog) so it isn't quite the Deus Ex Machina it seems to be at first.

[@KatsuImagitian]

Caius was such a great antagonist, one of the few FF villains that technically won the end/got what they wanted.

[@chrisdaughen5257]

Did he? In Lightning Returns he's so miserable I found it kind of funny.

[@fluffybacon]

@@chrisdaughen5257 That's just his personality. He saved Yuel from a cycle of infinite death, that was all he wanted. He was also miserable in Lightning Returns because Lightning offered him a place in the new word, but he knew he couldn't take Yuel there fore her infinite cycle of death and rebirth would start anew.

[@KatsuImagitian]

@@chrisdaughen5257 From what I remember Caius was pretty content, it was all of the Yeuls that had a problem with him dying that was the issue.

[@bretginn1419]

Honestly, I didn't like Caius at all. I mean, yeah, liked more than what we got in original 13 and Lightning Returns, but that's a rock being more interesting than dirt.

[@Samusdude123]

I couldn't agree more, his reasoning for his actions in 13-2 felt completely legitimate. He was my favourite thing about the game and I still remember him as one of the best antagonists in gaming history.

[@caelumdraws6413]

Just to point this out Sarah has an option to ask Yuel questions later in the game. One option that leads to Yuel explaining the reason for magic and why people can use it. I haven't watch all the way through yet but that part was bugging me. Since I've beaten this game 3 times

[@Tristo3399]

This is actually my most replayed Final Fantasy game. Easily one of my favorite video game soundtracks of all time. They really nailed the atmosphere

[@moneenerd]

Great soundtrack AND sound design

[@snakeslife-uroborodjinn790]

My favourite as well, althought FF 6 comes very, very close. The atmosphere in 13-2 is unmatched to this day.

[@ZeiYuga101]

The soundtrack made me cry multiple times smh I loved plaind of eternity so much I had my game paused for 3 hours

[@dmag85]

What do you play it on? I was gonna buy it on Steam but I saw countless reviews saying game is unplayable due to bugs and crashes

[@Daftanemone]

Rush is one of my favorite songs from any game ever. Those drums mixed with the strings are insane

[@301SO]

Please keep doing these retrospectives! I appreciate the work put into these and your way of narrating as well as your quips are funny af to listen to.

[@ThBrando]

More to come!

[@MissingNo_]

Crazy Chocobo is by far the greatest piece of music in a long time. Period.

[@ascorbic123]

13-2 is a very strange case. Most people didn't give it a chance due to the original title, but it was just a lightyears better game. So much about it flows and plays better than the original.

[@YouTubeCensors]

Bought 13-2 on a whim and it was amazing. Played 13 on game pass and wasn't terrible but found most people who disliked it were spot on with 90% of their critiques , plus I found the main cast boring and not interesting at all. Serah and Noel were far better for me

[@paladinmatt1697]

I was one of those people. I hated 13 with a passion. It was a complete insult to the final fantasy name so I never even bothered with 13-2 or 3. Over a decade later, I'm downloading it on pc lol. It was $10 I figured why not.

[@avatarofcloud]

@@paladinmatt1697 RIP lol, PC port is atrocious

[@Izatrixi]

When I first played the game on the ps4. I could find 13-1 & Lighting return. But wasn't able to grt a copy of 13-2. So it was weird me playing thus series. Have it on pc now, just need to get the urge to play this grindy game out lol

[@Walamonga1313]

Hugely disagree. Combat didn't feel as satisfying and the way progression works is super wack

[@deejaywoodson456]

It’s really great to see people come together to talk about 13 after all this time

[@vince_002]

The clock puzzles are still haunting me in my nightmares

[@YouTubeCensors]

Played the game blind and only found how hated those puzzles were after but some did take me close to 20+ minutes to figure out but still had some fun doing them.

[@JessicaC8486]

If u just start on the number the clock hands default to at beginning of puzzle it's majorly helps

[@MatiasEzze]

Even though the plot is all over the place, I genuinely love this game. Soundtrack is amazing!

[@snakeslife-uroborodjinn790]

>the plot is all over the place and time, lol

[@Arceoxys]

great vid. can't wait for the one on Lightning Returns, which I think has even higher highs than 13-2 *and* lower lows.

[@thaneros]

LR is underrated by far. Its like a love letter game to the entire series.

[@dweblinveltz5035]

I wouldn't say it has higher highs. In fact, I felt the only high was the very end... *well, and Noel, Snow to a lesser extent.

[@ruke2566]

The highs are indeed high, but man... the lows... Especially with the localization like jeez.

[@TheAsvarduilProject]

@@thaneros I mean...if a love letter was written by the most incompetent lover Earth has ever known, yes...

[@thaneros]

@@TheAsvarduilProject Ok we get it cool guy, you don't like the game.

[@wmv8996]

I'll be honest, the twist ending really hit me hard for some reason. Won't forget it.

[@decilence6184]

It hits because you know it's coming , it's been set up since the beginning of the game , and the point of the story is to stop that from happening but it happens anyway.

[@RuneKatashima]

@@decilence6184 I mean the Chaos stuff sure, but I didn't expect Serah to die.

[@Easelgames]

@@RuneKatashima The reason nobody expected it... well it's because it's NEVER happened before.. the MC in a jrpg at the time always "won" even if they gave their life for it, they would "stop" them. Problem is even in this game, lightning is still the "MC" even if you're not playing her.

[@thekwjiboo]

​@@Easelgamesright. Like at the end of FFX, it's tragic and heartbreaking, but at least they "won".

[@kaylee42900]

It's crazy because the game tells you that this is going to happen the whole game and you get to the end and think you beat fate and exactly what they said would happen, happened.

[@happystrykr]

36:14 Sazh not being there until the very end where they need an airship pilot makes sense. His entire narrative arc in the original game was about saving his son. Once he got Dazh back, it makes sense he went on to live a normal life and doing nothing major to change that. It does also make sense that he’d show up when Hope needs someone he implicitly trusts in order to pilot a flightcraft, which was Sazh’s original job before the events of 13. I mean, yea it sucks that he’s relegated to “Oh, gambling minigame,” but narratively it’s how they made him as a character.

[@Venitas751]

never considered this but it makes a very valid point

[@Manchuz79]

Absolutely agree with your view on the soundtrack for XIII-2......one of the best in video games.

[@kenzie2191]

The metal chocobo theme is still one of my favorite things to come from final fantasy. It’s perfectly fit in “so bad it’s good”

[@sipher3516]

I'd forgotten this song was a thing and when the track opened in this video I about fell out of my chair laughing and remembering my original reaction to it back in the day.

[@ltb1345]

I was laughing so hard at that.

[@MANJYOMETHUNDER111]

That song was composed by Eumatsu, who is huge into metal.

[@kellykelly4361]

I hate this game BUT, everytime I replay another FF, I have this specific song in my mind when I ride a chocobo. I love it!

[@SilentGamerMr]

one of my favorite Final Fantasy games ever! I've been waiting for this video and I'm happy it's here.

[@moneenerd]

Same.

[@maxlvl912]

FF XIII-2 is one of those rare sequels that I absolutely hate in regard to the franchise and story it exists in but completely adore in isolation. The way it fucks with the perfect ending of XIII, it’s ridiculous introduction of time travel and other cosmic bullshit, the cliffhanger ending … but from a gameplay, audio, visual, exploration and world perspective this thing is perfect. XIII-2 is a complete little adrenaline shot of a JRPG, it’s brings the wonder and stunning worlds of the XIII series but opens them up and adds a sense of exploration. It’s takes XIII combat issues and fixes almost all of them, delivering one of my favourite modernisations of JRPG combat. The music is this nutty, varied OST that I still listen to today (Plains of Eternity, my god, Plains of Eternity man) couple that with characters and villains that, despite the overarching bullshit around them, are fun likeable and relatable. Plus XIII-2 is one of those rare JRPGs that feels like it has absolutely no filler. That 20 hour run time works in its benefit because we get a JRPG that is all the good stuff, no grinding rare backtracking (and when they do reuse environments they find interesting subversions like the time travel mechanic) FF XIII-2 is the absolute anomaly of not just the XIII trilogy but the entire Final Fantasy series. It has no right being as good as it is and yet it’s somehow one of my favourites to this day. Great content as always man, look forward to seeing your thought on Lightning Returns a game I feel pretty much the opposite about.

[@Macheako]

XIII’s bland and lifeless combat was honestly a turning point for me with buying anymore FF games. I’m genuinely happy to hear the devs listened to people but also that they actually were able to fix it as well. I MIGHT give XIII-2 a chance if the gameplay itself really got the update it desperately needed ❤

[@thekwjiboo]

Oh they totally just pulled some nonsense straight out of their asses to create a reason for a sequel. I agree 100%. Outside that the game was great. And at least they 3rd game didn't need some ex post facto shenanigans to justify making it.

[@berserk____1878]

The time jumping melancholic story with the goated soundtrack. One of my favourite games of all time that i played as a troubled teen, even with all its flaws

[@joshuariddensdale2126]

I've replayed the entire trilogy multiple times, and 13-2 is probably my favorite of the three. I did even get the Requiem Of The Goddess DLC.

[@Spacefrisian]

But did you watch Spirits within after Lightning returns?

[@vanifarron]

Me too, I absolutely loved the xiii series. And it’s still my favorite game series to this day

[@joshuariddensdale2126]

@@vanifarron 13 was my first Final Fantasy since 7 and 8, and I loved it so much that I immediately got the rest of the trilogy. I even have the light novels.

[@lloganm1234]

This might actually be my favourite FF game, the story, tone, PS3 era graphics, that’s some good shit

[@holy9781]

The graphics were amazing.when I watch and see how good sera was designed,it makes me think ff15 really missed out on a female party member

[@kenzie2191]

The graphics are legit what I aspire for when I work in 3D lol

[@final3119]

@@holy9781 nah the brojob train was gold.

[@holy9781]

@@final3119 but it wasn't lol no character development unless u had the dlc

[@final3119]

@@holy9781 brojob brojob brojob brojob

[@ramlethalvalentinedestroye1784]

The battle system in this game is so beautiful in motion

[@YouTubeCensors]

Easy as hell but fun and flashy.

[@YHoll]

I’m so glad Final Fantasy 13 series is getting talked more and more. It is truly my favorite in the FF series despite all its flaws.

[@AusSP]

27:36 - What do you mean? Serah and Snow are only 2.5 years apart (since it's 3 years in XIII, and 2 years in XIII-2), so what's the problem with their ages?

[@faznanbadri6854]

the problem is with the looks. Serah look and sound 16 while snow look and sound 30. English vocals dont do these 2 are favor. Japanese vocal make snow a lot younger.

[@luizy6701]

@@faznanbadri6854 so a black guy married to a Chinese girl is = p£dō?

[@flamingbuu]

@@faznanbadri6854 Ah yes, because someones voice dictates if their relationship is shady. You can be the same age, but if one of you sound young and the other old... well god damn son, you better lock your doors cause the FBI is coming. People have such arbitrary rules for the legitimacy of a relationship smh.

[@faznanbadri6854]

@@flamingbuu voice is 1 of 2 part i said. because they look the same in both english and japanese version, all i can think of is the voice.

[@1SpicyMeataball]

​Calm tf down​. They were just making an observation. Sounds like you got something to hide. Has Chris Hanson been house btw? @@flamingbuu

[@SageOfLimitlessHands]

Caius was definitely best character. You felt his pain because he had good points

[@thekwjiboo]

Plus, when you get to the end of time where Noel and Caius were from, that whole scene was a masterpiece. Vast wasteland with that haunting music being sung in the background.

[@canontheory]

@@thekwjiboo definitely masterpiece story telling, that world felt real and full of emotion like you can just feel the pain caius, noel and yuel had to endure

[@brianl7321]

Agreed. Caius is the best villain in the series and may be the most complete "sad dad" out there in fiction. I say "sad dad" as he's basically not only Yuel's protector but also her father and he constantly has to watch her suffer and it drives him nuts (understandably).

[@camerongrace8524]

It's so rare you get a video where the creator doesnt split it into 18 10 minute clips for the purpose of views at the cost of dragging out content. These have been an actual pleasure to watch and have a genuinely interesting take on games I didnt remember fondly. 10/10 easiest sub I've ever given. Thank you for the content lad

[@Webby125]

As someone who's first FF games were XIII and XIII-2 I've been very excited for this. EDIT: Just like the XIII video, many fair points here. I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking Caius is one of the best FF villains though. You play in Japanese but his English voice acting by Liam O'Brien is fucking incredible IMO.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

"his English voice acting by Liam O'Brien is fucking incredible IMO." true, true

[@moneenerd]

Caius Ballad is the best villain of the 3D FF's easily.

[@bretginn1419]

Am I really the only one that hated Caius? Always see praise for him and I just don't get it.

[@kianabrown2865]

XIII was my first game too. I played it when I was 12 and loved it.

[@CsrSnchz-wc5zo]

Despite all the lows the game has, i think the story and the music really make up for it. Even in Academia 500AF, one of the worst maps in-game, the BGM and the mid-level boss fight save it from being unbearable. Kinda the best game out of the FFXIII trilogy, love it.

[@philipperuiz3589]

the outfit transformation cut scenes from your video XIII retrospective and this one always cracks me up. A year later and I am still enjoying your videos. Final Fantasy XIII was really where I started when I played Final Fantasy games in general. Love revisiting your videos.

[@rorikozoneroriko806]

🤣🤣🤣 man why not let's transform like sailor moon does, fucking epic scenes i am luaghing so hard i had to go to the toilet before it is tool late 😂😂😂

[@mattwo7]

33:30 Final bosses are often not the main antagonists in these games. I mean they're usually at least mentioned earlier on like Cloud of Darkness (Xande was the main antagonist), Yu Yevon (Sin/Jecht and Seymour shared the main antagonist role as Tidus and Yuna (respectively to the antagonists) shared the protagonist role) and Jenova (Sephiroth, obviously). With Orphan, it's not mentioned until near the end, which is where the problem actually lies.

[@Chelaxim]

Don't forget about Zemus,Ultimecia and Necron.

[@groudonvert7286]

Orphan is mentionned in chapter 9 for the first time, but he's actually forshadowed each time the bird appears on screen (he appears for the first time in chapter 3), since he has Orphan on its chest.

[@bigthonty2718]

Very happy to have found your channel man, love hearing your retrospective on this series (13 was my first FF so it's nice to see it be covered not entirely negatively :) )

[@snakeslife-uroborodjinn790]

This game was a true artistic masterpiece on par with the classics. The somber atmosphere of the plot, the stunning vibrant visuals and the incredible array of modern, multi-genre music made for an incredible playing experience. The memorable cast of characters and addicting gameplay sealed the deal. A true hidden gem that harkens back to the golden age of square soft.

[@CRAM079]

The XIII series is actually one of my top fav FF series. With lightning Returns time mechanic to be the only thing I truly hated from it.

[@jayDee92133]

XIII-2 was my favorite of the trilogy, plus my god that soundtrack is amazing.

[@soulessprince267]

The SOUNDTRACK WAS GODLIKE!

[@nickmoesq]

Honestly, I subbed after watching the first FF XIII video, subsequently clicking on this video, and noticing you "only" have 18.4K subscribers. You definitely deserve more.

[@M0HAK0]

Short answer is yes. I loved playing this game! Excellent OST as well!

[@JuliusCaesar103]

One thing I really enjoy about your videos, and why I'm visiting many videos about games that I have at best passing interest in, is your deep dive not only in the story and mechanics, but the development of a game and the different people involved. Please keep that up and never change it, it does make for more research time for videos but it adds so much to your videos.

[@xtatis]

Hearing gilgamesh jp voice on 13-2 is always a treat, I always expect a Zoro attack.

[@Lumancer]

I don't know what you did to appease the algorithm, but today this video was the first of yours to cross my feed, and I'm glad to have found you. Awesome to see you've got a decent back catalogue too- looking forward to seeing your earlier work, and where you go from here!

[@ThBrando]

I don't know either, but thanks for the words guy

[@pandarin6206]

00:40 bottom one is final fantasy one. I recognize the layout of Cornaria and the goblins, as well as the iconic battle screen. Final Fantasy two is on the right because that’s the only one where you can have a three person party at various points. That leaves Final Fantasy three to be the one on the left, recognizable with the onion kid in the lead.

[@marcimousie]

They didn’t tell you in a random “data log ” how Serah controls monsters. It’s in a scene. There are these random live events QTEs and if you hit the right response at that time the scene happens that’s tells you these things. Edit: I mean that maybe you picked different responses

[@14megasxlr]

You may have misheard what he said. He talks about the monster cusctene, he said they explain how she uses MAGIC in a data log. Not monsters.

[@marcimousie]

@@14megasxlr no I didn’t. 25:46 “once again I only know this because I was digging deep into the data log.”. The whole thing starts at 25:38

[@jack5mikemotown]

This is super timely considering your FF13 Retrospective is what nudged me to finally play XIII-2, and I finished it only a few days ago

[@jramirez4310]

XIII-2 is one of my favorite FFs. That said, it would be like, 4th or 5th on the list lol It was easily the best of its trilogy IMO. The weakest element for me was the pokemon aspect. I could've done without it. I agree with your points about it disrupting the gameplay and lore. The Moogle was also annoying in any language. The story, music, visuals, and gameplay ( minus the aforementioned issue) were highlights for me.

[@soulair2628]

"Those videos aren't gonna come close to the length of this one" - Brando, 2021, who made this video a single minute shorter. Jokes aside. Loving these videos, definitely worth a sub already!

[@Randroth]

Dude, I'm so glad that the almighty YT alghoritm recommended your FFXIII video to me. I never had an interest in that game, but your videos are well made and interesting, and I watched both the first one and this one all the way through! Hope that you'll gain a lot more tracktion on youtube from this, and I'm looking forward to your future videos!

[@danielcappuccio6720]

I had a comment to Oni Black Mage maybe 8-10 years ago after I played the 13 trilogy and I've yet to get a fully satisfactory explanation. That comment was BASICALLY that the protagonists have no real agency in both 13 and 13-2. If they "win", then the bad guys get what they want. If they do nothing (not an option to complete the games) or perish, then the bad guys DON'T get what they want immediately. The argument can be made that Caius and Orphan would both find ways to destroy themselves given enough time, but, it all just plays to some of the philosophical undertones of the Fabula Nova Crystalis. And those undertones are REALLY, REALLY depressing. Big hit in the feels for sure and, as you seem to enjoy doing in your videos, queue the Yoko Taro clip! Love what you're doing with these retrospectives and would love to chat with you about the 13 trilogy if that's even remotely a possibility. Happy Holidays, my friend.

[@surihix_hive]

I should have put an additional step in the guide at 04:25 about setting up the controller for this game with steam's controller config. if anyone is playing the game on steam, then please setup your ps4 or xbox controller with steam's controller configuration as that usually solves 90% of the button layout related issues when using the ps4 controller on most steam games. At 05:10 there is an mod that can change the button prompts to ps3 ones and make the QTEs easier to do with a ps4 controller.

[@ThBrando]

Damn you're the guy that made the guide? Thanks a lot for that. Definitely was the whole reason I managed to get the game up and running

[@smokeldogg]

When I think of a FUN FF, 13-2 is the first game that comes to mind.

[@philipford6183]

Always had a soft spot for the entire FF XIII trilogy, tbh. I think FFXIII-2 is probably my favourite. I also love the music across all three games. Still my favourite overall OST for any videogame series. I'm looking forward to your video on Lightning Returns - that game has had a predictably hard time with its critics over the years. Will be interesting to get your take on it. Happy Christmas!

[@raphaeldepaula3054]

XIII was a let down, XIII-2 is such a great game I wasn't expecting! Story, gameplay, soundtrack and chichu! All good!

[@YouTubeCensors]

Played them in reverse and I disliked 13 but love 13-2. Will play LR soon but not expecting to like it much because it's just lightning again ...

[@PJTierney]

Regarding DLC, one thing to point out that messes with the story a fair bit (spoilers below): . . . . . If you complete the Lightning DLC, you can then recruit Lightning as a party member in the main game, taking up one of the monster slots. Not only is she the most powerful ally in the game, but it does make the whole “we’re travelling through time to find Lightning” aspect of the story a little comical when she’s *right there*.

[@nicogalax]

It isn't canon tho because it's useless once u get her, the story is over so...

[@keyblader2k6]

late comment here but the way i understood it, those arent the actual people/monsters, theyre crystals aka representations of their sources. i think thats why theyre called monster crystals and that youre able to switch that third character slot whenever. as for her being the most powerful monster in the game, yes thats 100% true but she becomes incredibly useful fighting gilgamesh and level 99 valdfodr

[@PJTierney]

@@keyblader2k6 It’s a loose lore explanation but either way, fun to think about.

[@keyblader2k6]

@@PJTierney agreed

[@AtlantisPrince]

Love to see you tackling FFXIII-2 now, that you made me play it with your video on the first. And because I am playing it right now, I wanted to correct you on the magic topic. They are telling you in-game about Sera being able to use magic, because she used to be a L'Cie and probably also because she was in a Crystal for a prolonged time. But honestly, it might have been purely accidental, that I got to know that, because NPCs in this game have A LOT to say. I was very surprised, how often I could talk to some of them, and they still having something new to say. That is also the reason, why I can't recall, which NPC gave me the information about magic. I'm just not used to talking so much to NPCs. It feels like, I've talked more to NPCs in the first five hours of this game, than in most modern RPGs entirely.

[@roxas3soraxxx]

I disagree with one statement you said the feral gauge is just another QuickTime event but! The enemy cannot attack while your using this move so if you send out all of your characters to do attacks they get to charge the chain meter while your doing this said move allowing for a wombo combo right after the feral gauge attack. So it’s not another quick time event it’s actually pretty useful mechanic used for that reason

[@Jjydvfgcmsr]

She heads out, hallucinates for a bit, meets Noel who gives her the moogle. - Sounds like my Saturday night. Great vid

[@Makocat]

Really great video series. I always enjoy hearing the opinion of others on this game. It is that case where it has two polar opposites depending on how people viewed the first one.

[@travisboak3178]

13-2 & Lightning Returns were the titles I Platinum-ed trophy wise. But loved how 13-2 dlc gave the main game special monsters for the party to the game's endgame easy. I really enjoy this video

[@clarciel]

people regained the ability to use magic when they settled back on pulse. it is explained in-game somewhere. probably the datalogs

[@OsnosisBones]

He in the video brings up that it's found in the datalogs and states that it's actually a fault against the game since that is kind of key world-building to explain the change in the world's rules that is completely missable and swept under the rug. He even compared it to how most the datalog stuff in the first game being mostly interesting stuff that is not super important to understand why things are the way they are as being why it's mostly okay in 1 but a noticeable flaw here. Though I do think I also remember certain optional dialogue also alludes to this, but that's honestly kinda an issue in of itself since that's kinda important information to make it not seem like a plot-hole, yet you can miss the dialogue.

[@preshader7718]

So then the assumption is while on/in Cocoon, there was some kind of paling or spell in place to prevent humans from wielding magic. Still… seems more like a statement than an explanation.

[@wilddragonchase]

@@preshader7718 iirc people always had the potential to use magic but this lay dormant in Cocoon citizens until activated by a falcie. i believe the source of that power is Chaos, or the crystal in their hearts, which the 3rd game delves a lot into. from a lore perspective, an observer angle from which i remember some of the datalogs being written, the people didn't really have an explanation to regaining magic and thought they adapted it from living on Pulse.

[@preshader7718]

@@wilddragonchase I can get behind the perspective of the people in the World, but the former explanation about dormancy of a crystal inside them not too sure. Chaos I can at least understand as it pervades the world after the fall of I’m not mistaken. Even a little lingering presence would make much sense as to why their ability had returned.

[@super-engineer8437]

Serah can use magic because she was a L'cie before the events of FFXIII but got crystallised after clearing her focus. Previous l'cie who turn back to human from their crystals state can still use magic

[@koheikyouji]

I've noticed a lot of people commenting this even though he shows 13-2s reason for her magic onscreen If Serah gets magic because shes an ex-L'cie...then why does Noel have magic? The only explanation that consistently makes sense is the awful one the game provides ...Maybe they shouldnt have given Noel magic. Maybe Serah should have had the 6 paradigms we're used to, and Noel shouldve had 6 new kinds that utilise his skills as a guardian or something I dunno~

[@twelvesevven4678]

But people awaken from crystal because they have a new focus, right? So what's here's?

[@vino.vvveeee]

y'all .... it's literally explained in NPC dialogue and the Datalog. Ever since the fall of Cocoon and many people moved to Pulse, some people started to have an affinity for Magic and can use it like Serah and Noel

[@tino0988]

Thx for the Video. I love the whole XIII Saga. The Graphics, Soundtrack and Animations are so good, even today. Lightning Returns plays way different from its predecessors. It's more Open World like and tougher, especially at the beginning.

[@jojiattack]

You have no idea how much I've been waiting for this video 😩

[@rpg500e]

Man, playing this game at release, it ended up being so incredibly forgettable for me. It was only with playing lighting returns a year or two ago that the whole series gained new light (oh shit, unintentional pun!) in my eyes. Loved that next game so much, it retrospectively gave more weight to the whole journey. So curious to see how it ends up for you!

[@Asmodea01]

LR is a hidden gem. The somber atmosphere, music and the battle system were really good. I enjoyed it so much, that I didn´t want it to end.

[@zach604]

Lightning return was the first single player FF I didn't play since FF7. XIII and XIII-2 completely killed my interest.

[@nicogalax]

@Goddess lol the sidequests were great and the level of exploration in each area was near perfect (wildlands is the best), if u don't grab every little thing u find on the ground u are screwed

[@gamerforlife3946]

@@nicogalax that’s your opinion but let’s be honest they never made a good sidequest

[@BleedForTheWorld]

@@nicogalax a mainline FF game where it's mostly side quests? You can keep it if you want. Compared to previous titles, that's so bad. Thanks to even more light being shed on this series, it keeps sounding worse.

[@ben_sisko2149]

47:45 I completely disagree with that. XIII "open world" chapter has nothing on XIII. The map is way to big and it offers nothing but fights (the layout is boring and monotonous). XIII-2 is better in everyway as far as I can tell.

[@RockR277]

13-2 was my 1st FF game, which is probably strange. I thought it was alright. Wasn't too into the story but thought the gameplay was mostly fun. The only DLC worth buying imo is the Colosseum, and only if you're very interested in some challenging boss fights.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

how did that come to pass? did you know it was a sequel?

[@RockR277]

@@goncaloferreira6429 Yeah. I was gonna get both but the dude working the gamestop counter told me I shouldn't for some reason. So I, being the impressionable young man I was, ended up just getting the shinier newer one.

[@stardustlucas]

@@RockR277 that's funny lmao

[@OldTownKiller]

how funny 13-2 was my first FF game too! i thought i mightve been the only person to have made that strange choice lol. i knew it was a sequel ofc but figured i'd be fine without playing the first. led to me being extremely confused and giving up on it. then years later, i played lightning returns and had a lot of fun on the ps3, didnt finish it the first time. then a couple years after that, i finally completed the entire trilogy in order on my pc. so incredibly rewarding and a beautiful emotional journey

[@MrClueTea]

Nice man, thanks for your time on these games. It's been great to relive my teen years and never actually finishing these, or even compartmentalising the stories.

[@14megasxlr]

Oh hey, someone asked me for my opinion for once! Thanks! I’ve never beaten 13. My only experience with it was the week long trial i got when I wanted to get it from GameStop. I didn’t get very far, was confused the entire time, wrote the game off, and laughed at the backlash. Add to that, it might as well have been the first final fantasy I’d ever played. However, I played 13-2, and came out of it feeling very positive. Maybe my expectations where set very low by the first game’s reception, but most of what I got out of playing it to completion and feeling engaged with it enough to sincerely learn and enjoy a turn-based combat system for the first time in my life, was confusion as to why it wasnt praised more for fixing a lot of the immediate issues I had with the first game. I own the OST, and the music is permanently on my phone, and the game itself inspired me to play the sequel, and a give the other FF game a a real shot! I don’t really feel much of anything for the characters, I felt like almost none of them were well characterized enough for me to really care about them. Lightning is my favorite, but that’s mainly for aesthetic reasons.

[@Looser1121]

Man your making me want to play these. Even before watching your 13 video I wanted to try it again after all these years. 13-2 on the other hand I never finished I played when it came out and saw the monster capture system, 2 character and that timeline map and I noped out of it. Now I think maybe a I should play it. I dont anything about lightning returns but I cant wait for your video. Thanks for your hard work

[@Taakuyaa]

If you still have your copy of it, go for it, I wouldnt go spend money on it though. I've played 13 through once and a second time up to the fight with bart after eroba(?) vanilles home town, and then put it down (I was playing it at work during my down time, got frustrated after losing the fight once and then quit since I already knew how the game ended anyway and I'd really been making myself play up to that point anyway), and played 13-2 through once I really wouldnt recommend spending money on either of them to be perfectly honest. For his painting of 13 as better than it seems on paper, the thing is, it has the rating it does for a reason. you're going to have to overlook a lot of flaws and "see the good in it" despite that "good" not being apparent, the voice acting and story not selling it, and the gameplay getting stale really fast. Its just the truth, that its something you have to not just want to see the good in, but actively ignore the bad because it detracts from the good so much And 13-2 is honestly worse IMO in that regard. Therse so much bad, so many things that werent improved, or that were in some ways made worse or more annoying, and then the whole time travel thing making it so you can screw up the order of scenes and characters know things they shouldnt or not know things they should at certain points, and their regression of both lightning and snows character development from the previous game, their handling of sazh, hope who SHOULD have serious PTSD from fal'cies literally making a fal'cie like wtf bro ???? They just did not do a good job with 13-2, and 13-3 from what I've seen in playthroughs and such is even worse in so many ways. Like I said, if you have a copy, go for it. But dont let the up-selling of this video get you to trick yourself into thinking they are better than you remember. They arent. They're mediocre at best, and you'll have to make yourself ignore a lot of the fuckups in order to enjoy it more than it just being a time killer. they're not awful games, they're not buggy glitch filled messes that will melt your hard drive or something (well, 13-2 may if you play it on PC) and the voice acting isnt awful or anything like that... buuutttt, they're not objectively good games, and even subjectively you have to blind yourself to the bad and solely focus on the good in order to see it.

[@braingame007]

13-2 2000% pulled it off, game was fucking mind blowing good.

[@jesterdayplays771]

Just finished your XIII review. This is among one of the last lines you said in that video: "I'm gonna do Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns as well, but those videos aren't gonna come close to the length of this one." I'll watch this video now. But out of curiosity, I checked the length of Lightning Returns video as well before starting this one. I wasn't surprised.

[@MrRPGcrazy]

Good video man. This gave me pretty good reminder what I thought of the game when I played it when it came out. I personally enjoyed the story and characters much more in 13, but I do like Noel, Caius and Yeul story in 13-2. gameplay wise your opinion pretty much mirrors mine own. Music wise I still prefer 13 personally. Looking forward to the Lightning Returns video.

[@HarbingersBuddy]

Can’t believe that just found this channel but great stuff. Thanks for covering the games that no one else I know has played 😂

[@ostrichlord9097]

I remember when I was a kid and I randomly stumbled across the demo of this game on the xbox store. I spent the whole day just playing the demo multiple times. Everything about it was so unique and visually appealing that I just kept playing. Took me years to actually buy a copy😂

[@Syenthros]

Whelp, this and the XIII review have earned my sub. We need more good retrospective KZbinrs. I eagerly await the Lightning Returns retrospective. :)

[@OlgaFlowen]

I've been saying for years that Caius is soooo underrated! I'm glad someone else agrees!

[@kevinmendez9126]

I couldn't agree more on how feelings for this game are complicated. I just went through it again, getting the platinum this time, and doing the DLC and there is such a swing between things I adore and things I find so disappointing. I can understand where you're coming from in regards to the ending, though I think downer endings like that are less strong if they're intended follow up doesn't pay it off properly, which you'll see in Lightning Returns if it does or not. You definitely have a sub from me for these videos alone, and I can't wait to watch your LR one, though it'll be after I finish the game too. Also because of when I watched this, Happy New Year!

[@NathanSpotts]

FWIW, in the very beginning in New Bodhum, if you talk to the NPCs, at least one has some commentary on why Sarah can use magic. Lots of the lore can be learned just by interacting with the environment

[@billie-jeanmede2984]

You said it wouldn't be as long as the last video, but I'm really glad that it is.

[@BlackTheDog]

I prefer Fang Hope and Light in my main party actually. I think Noel's memory loss was explained, since they were changing the past his future or time was changed so he couldn't remember anymore.

[@thebiggestgarlic1194]

This game is currently on Game Pass. If you have a Series S/X I highly recommend it. With the increased resolution and boost to 60fps it looks absolutely gorgeous and even on par with some current gen games.

[@AntiBellum]

The HUD in these games is nuts btw. I think when I was super new to FF, I thought 13 was an MMO too, with how much stuff was on the screen lmao.

[@dexedge4645]

bro there's literally only a map on the screen??? and it can be turned off by pressing select.

[@AntiBellum]

@@dexedge4645 I’m talking about the combat

[@revostepify]

ugh i love your ffxiii videos!!! so excited for the other ffs you may cover :)

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

In the Paper Mario games on the N64 you could Swing your hammer to get a first strike, I'm unsure if the first Mario RPG has this mechanic... but this mechanic has existed far before Persona even existed. It may have even existed before this, I just don't know of it.

[@gfditto3390]

There was so much about 13-2 that made it amazing! And for a mainline sequel, the story totally holds up too

[@izzy2511]

I love this game a lot, one of the few games I platinumed. I really wish it was released on ps5, so I can play it again!

[@Voeris1]

Lighting Returns is a whole different beast... Hope you enjoy your time with it.

[@adiksaff]

1:00:29 - I'm okay with this sequel's existence. Love Caius & Noel to death. I just hate how XIII-2 erases the first game's well earned ending. Now it's not humans overcoming the divine wills of false gods. It's more of "less messed up god saves party from more messed up god". Vanille is one of my most favorite "perky foreigner" archetype though. She's one of the more layered examples.

[@nicogalax]

The main theme of 13 is still present in the sequels...I mean, LR has the real final fight 13 needed

[@fcr7th]

from making NieR lore and recap videos to Final Fantasy Retrospective, You Sir. are a fucking delight to watch! keep up the awesome stuff

[@devilofether6185]

it has been a while since I played it, but I remember the existential dread of noel's future and the time traveling nightmare impacting me

[@yoda0017]

Great retrospective! I also really enjoyed that there was a different area music when you were in the pre-encounter state. I've always thought of this kind of thing as "dynamic music" where the music is adapting to what is going on. Also happy to find another 13 Sentinels lover. That game was such a blast to experience!

[@Monty2289]

I'm almost positive that someone including Serah DOES state that the crystal dust from the pillar does give humans the power to use magic

[@YouTubeCensors]

It does happen, either she does or someone does. This dude is wrong.

[@XStormieX]

It had its issues but this was what got me back into FF again after 10 and 12. I loved it so much I 100% the story with the different branches. I see it as a flawed yet amazing masterpiece for when it came out and the trends at the time which you covered in the last video.

[@snake555510]

Controversial opinion, FF13-2 my favourite FF game :D

[@Wrek100]

I forgot I beat this game until I was almost done with your video. I think I beat it and never bothered with XIII-3 like you lol. Great vids btw!

[@AMaleAlicorn]

I think I originally just assumed Sarah doing magic was a leftover of having been a La'cie in the first game. Never even thought to question it. 13-2 is the only one of the 13s I havent replayed over the years but maybe I'll give it another crack on the PC. will be interesting to see if my feelings change. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on 13-3. its my personal favorite final fantasy game, and imo has the most interesting combat system of any RPG Ive played. Hope you enjoy it to!

[@aeroga2383]

Careful. The PC port is terrible.

[@OldTownKiller]

@@aeroga2383 it really is lol. still managed to play through with relatively little issues besides it crashing once or twice

[@kamii_999]

Your first video was great lol I like how at the end you said you would make this video but it wouldn't be any where near as long and this video still ended up longer than the last haha but I ain't complaining.

[@EggyEggtoast]

Serah was a lcie and lcie can use magic it was kinda at least half the impetus of 13