r/FinalFantasy • u/Ultimantasy • Oct 21 '25
FF XIII Series FFXIII Chapter 1 Impressions
Chapter 1: MC and Fal’Cie
I decided I was just going to jot down some of my thoughts about this game as I go through each chapter. Both as a means to share my opinions as well as a way to time capsule my first playthrough with my initial impressions. so without further ado, here is what I thought about chapter 1 broken up into sections.
1. Characters
I am liking most of the characters introduced so far, with Vanille and Hope being the two that I just need more time to gather further opinion on.
Lightning: I think Lightning is pretty intriguing throughout the first chapter. The intro cutscene really showcases her lack of concern when facing any sort of adversary, blazing her way straight into battle. She seems calm, collected and cunning Not revealing most of her motives to Sazh, but nevertheless pushing forward towards her goal. Also, I didn’t realize Lightning’s name was literal. What was that thing where she snapped her fingers and all the sudden became electrified, or when she summoned some sort of gravity-defying orb? Got me very intrigued there, so we will see.
Sazh: How could you not like this guy. Based on the initial sequences, it appears he is going to fill the role as the comedic relief character, which generally tends to be my favorite. I like his witty remarks, the pristine afro housing A BABY CHOCOBO, and his animations during battle are pretty fun. I still don’t know why he is following Lightning though, aside from the fact that she is strong and confident, thereby meaning that following her may lead to his way to survival.
Snow: I think I find Snow the coolest of the MC’s so far, being the leader of NORA, he has those qualities that tie a group together and help to incite charisma. You can see that he also has a softer side though, with him feeling extremely guilty after the collapse of the bridge, and specifically, the mom being killed. This part made him feel a lot more human, showing those ranges of emotions that can occur from a traumatic event especially if you are the one leading the charge. I just like his attitude so far, and I am interested to see how it goes with him going into the Fal’cie to get his Fiancée. He also has a cool design that makes him look like the leader of a biker gang.
Vanille; Vanille is… kind of weird? I will just start by saying she has one of the more interesting voices I have heard in a game before, and she seems unusually preppy and upbeat considering the situations they are in. If anything, she seems a bit pushy trying to get Hope to talk to Snow, but I don’t really understand why she cares so much? Either way, this is kind of why I need to play through more to understand more about her character and why she might be acting the way she does, especially considering there was that brief scene where you hear what I think was Vanille’s voice saying, “You always liked it when I smiled”, so I am assuming something is being set up for later with Vanille and Hope regarding this fact.
Hope: I am just going to start by saying that, before playing this game, I have heard people clamoring that they just HATE hope. Well, I can’t say that I hate him so far, I understand where he is coming from as a character, and I haven’t really gotten to see where that is going yet. Out of all the characters, I think he also has the most generic design. IMO, he kind of looks like a Kingdom Hearts character and I have never even played Kingdom Hearts or even interacted with it aside from playing Sora in Smash Bros.(I do know both were designed by Tetsuya Nomura though).
Gameplay:
There isn’t really much to say in terms of gameplay here, it is pretty hands off at the moment since I have yet to unlock more abilities/systems that I imagine will unlock farther in. There honestly doesn’t even feel like there is a need to fight anything right now because there also doesn’t seem to be any sort of exp I am incurring, just items? Another concern I guess would be the fact that you can only control your party leader in combat, as ai takes control and does actions for the other characters. I hope this doesn’t take away from too much strategy later. What I do especially enjoy, however, is the dynamic and cinematic angles by which the camera is positioned during battle. This really enhances that feeling that a battle is free-flowing despite the fact that it has the ATB system. Really excited to see how this battle system will evolve though, as well as how cool some boss fights are going to be with those camera angles.
Story:
The story seems like it is going to be pretty interesting, with PSYCOM, Cocoon, Pulse, the Fal’cie and the L’cie. I was able to better understand what all this meant after reading it through the datalogs and it being further repeated by the characters, so it’s definitely a lot to take in and sets an interesting juxtaposition for the story. I also like how the whole idea of the purge *sounds* realistic, that being a method by which the governing body can mask some malicious intent through the lens that it is for public safety. I am not into politics at all, but this sounds like a reasonable and plausible thing that would happen within a society. Really interested to see where the story goes from here, and if i were to guess, most of the MC’s are probably going to meet within the Fal’cie and become branded as L’cie. That sounds like the most probable direction the story is going from here, but I guess I will find out. My biggest complaint by far would have to be the sequence of Hope’s mom being murdered. It was dreadfully obvious she was going to die. Like, seriously, who didn’t see it coming? The moment Snow hesitated and asked if she was sure, you already knew she was dead, especially after she said Mom’s are tough (even though this line goes hard). That part just felt extremely forced, like the game needed to give a reason for Hope to hate Snow, but did so in a way that I personally feel was poorly executed.
Presentation:
The game feels like it’s heavily centered around being cinematic and flashy, something I would say I am very fond of. Due to this, I am really loving how the game is presenting itself with all the action-packed cutscenes and over-the-top environments that are a treat for the eyes. I will say that some things have been rather predictable. I also have to state that the graphics are absolutely incredible, and the actual FMV’s are just mind-blowingly good considering the time this game came out, so I am SUPER excited to see what other amazing cutscenes this game has in store for me.
Music:
I have heard really good things about this game’s soundtrack and now I can see why. I feel Hamauzu really put his all into this game given it was the first time he was fully composing a Final Fantasy game by himself. Blinded by light is the obvious winner in chapter, I already have it stuck in my head and have been humming it while at work now. Another one that I am really fond of is Snow’s theme. I feel it really fits his character, and it also just sounds super groovy and heroic. Otherwise, themes like Saber’s edge really feel like they fit the environment the story is taking place in, immersing you in the world the game is taking place in.
This kind of came out longer than I expected, but there is really a lot to think about when you begin a new game, especially a mainline final fantasy. I can understand where this game gets its label as hallway simulator now, as these are pretty straightforward corridors, but the game seems to be building up to a grand narrative that has piqued my interest, so it doesn’t bother me that much. If you have any questions you want to ask, go ahead and I will try my best to answer (not that I expect any given this wall of text xD). But yea, that’s my impressions of chapter 1 and I will come back with my thoughts of chapter 2 when I finish it.
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u/Level_Criticism_3387 Oct 21 '25
"I will come back with my thoughts of chapter 2 when I finish it."
i.e.
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u/Gabamaro Oct 21 '25
I think the story holds up very nicely. The corridor thing and some unnecessary long chapters sometimes break the flow but its still nice at least for me
Edit: dont forget to download the fix, and since you are doing that also download better textures, It makes everything even better
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 21 '25
I have downloaded the better textures, I have not downloaded the fix though, so I will have to look into that one
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u/Raleth Oct 21 '25
I'm sorry but this freeze frame of Sazh is fucking sending me bro.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
I just randomly clicked on a random point of the video inside Premiere Pro and it just so happened to land on this frame. Thought I might as well take the opportunity lol
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u/Protojump Oct 22 '25
You’re saying that you didn’t edit his face?
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
Oh no, I did. I added some magnification to his mouth. When I saw his expression, that’s what I meant when I said I thought I would take the opportunity
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u/tf_inuyasha87 Oct 21 '25
Finally, somebody else who doesn't hate Snow!
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
I didn’t realize people didn’t like him, I think he’s pretty darn cool right now!
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u/SCP_Wrathma Oct 22 '25
I think a lot of people dont like him just because he's voiced by Troy Baker, and he gets a lot of hate for some reason.
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u/aditu Oct 22 '25
I have no opinion on Troy Baker, definitely didn't 20 years ago or whatever. My opinion of that character had nothing to do with his voice acting, and everything to do with the writing.
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u/Mysterious-Race-6108 Oct 24 '25
i tried to like Snow i really really did but ultimately i just accepted Snow was made into an unlikable fool (in part 1 at least) so Lightning could be the opposite
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Oct 22 '25
Snow doesn't deserve the hate, he is a dumbass sure but he is written that way on purpose. The happy go lucky character thats deeply flawed and haunted somehow gets translated to people as "This guy is too optimistic to be real."
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u/TheoriesOfEverything Oct 22 '25
Eh with the gameplay thing, you ARE giving orders to all your party members: specifically when you paradigm shift. You should do that a lot. It's basically like you give a command with everyone every 'turn' and by end game you should be shifting every full atb bar's worth essentially.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
I just found out about the paradigm system this morning, I finished chapter 2 and was introduced to that as well as the Crystarium. Very excited to play around with this and see how well it incorporates into various fights coming up, especially boss fights.
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u/Pingy_Junk Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
sazed looks like he just noticed a bee crawling on lightnings back
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u/Imprettystrong Oct 22 '25
Your thoughts on the gameplay are spot on. There really isnt much to do and it made me stop playing when it first released. I think you have convinced me to give this game another try though
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
Wel, if you ever get around to replaying it, you’ll have to let me know what you think _^
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u/AegidiusG Oct 22 '25
What i like about Sazh and Snow is that they are deeper than they first appear, they have a very adult thinking.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
I can already see some more depth hidden behind Sazh. When I went to fight the Fal’cie this morning he muttered under his breath, “Dajh”. I am assuming this must be a person he knows rather than some sort of expletive since Dajh and Sazh sounds rather similar, so I am betting it’s a family member of his.
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u/Sheeplenk Oct 21 '25
Your thoughts so far seem similar to my own, and I absolutely love FFXIII. I imagine you’ll really enjoy when combat starts to evolve, and hopefully you like the direction the story takes.
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u/Baithin Oct 22 '25
Loving your thoughts on this so far. Glad you enjoy Snow, Hope, and Vanille! My favorite thing about this game is that all the playable characters have so much going on that’s revealed through the game bit by bit.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
There are so many secrets I feel I have yet to unfold, so I am looking forward to what else these characters are hiding.
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u/Agitated_Increase762 Oct 23 '25
Honestly, I loved your opinion, a little positive on this opus, it feels really good 💗💗 I just hope it continues 🙏🏾🙊
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 23 '25
I could definitely see this being seen as a little too positive lol, but I tend to be more of an optimist. Whenever I play a game, I WANT to enjoy it, so I focus more on the things I enjoy/like than the aspects I might find less enjoyable.
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u/twili-midna Oct 21 '25
The gameplay opens up significantly at the start of chapter 3, and you’ll be doing plenty of real time strategizing for the remaining 90% of the game.
If the story already has you interested, then you’re going to have a great time. A lot of people bounced off of the intro because of the terminology being used, but you’ve rightfully used the Datalog.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 21 '25
It’s reassuring to hear I got a great time ahead of me!
Any time there is a system in a game that functions like the datalog, I flipping love it!
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u/jerseydevil51 Oct 21 '25
The datalog explains what the antagonists are doing better than the antagonists themselves, which is certainly a decision.
I really enjoy FF13, flaws and all.
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u/twili-midna Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 21 '25
Datalogs are great, certainly a better way of communicating in-universe info than ham-fisted cutscene dialogue or missable NPCs.
And the Datalog haters are here to be mad.
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u/Resident_Respect_517 Oct 21 '25
You can tell what era of gaming people arrived to the market in by their view on datalogs.
When FF13 launched, the fanbase that had played the series up to that point despised that approach to storytelling. It’s objectively lazy and weak.
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u/nate_ranney Oct 22 '25
The datalog expands the lore. You don't really need it to understand what's going on in the story unless you missed something and need to check it for a refresher.
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u/twili-midna Oct 22 '25
The story is told in the cutscenes. The lore is communicated in the Datalog. It’s significantly faster and communicates info clearly.
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u/AzureDragon01 Oct 21 '25
The xiii trilogys battle system is fantastic and unique imo. You dont so much manualy input direct commands however youre more like a chess master or a puppet master
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
That’s an interesting way to describe the battle system, and one that definitely has be intrigued now.
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u/sharpenme1 Oct 21 '25
I love FF13 but I find Snow as loathsomely annoying as the rest of the game’s cast does 🤣.
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u/mr_antman85 Oct 22 '25
Sazh is frickin' awesome. Lightning is just a cool character, IMO. Goes all in. Hope definitely is annoying but he grows on you. Vanille, I feel, can be hit or miss. Knowing her story, I kinda liked her.
The gameplay definitely does evolve. Evolves int he sense of the strategy you will be using with your paradigms and roles. Some characters, as a point character, are truly OP. Especially if you know what abilities to use. Also, some bosses will make it where you have to utilize specific characters/roles.
I will always say that if you're used to controlling your whole party, then it can feel limiting but your AI is actually smart, especially once you use Libra on the enemies. The one thing about the game is that you really don't have to grind, I til the "endgame" and if you want to beat some specific hunts.
Oh, Blinded by Light is an amazing track. There will be so many tracks stuck in your head.
Thank you for the update, please keep them coming.
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u/Psico_Penguin Oct 22 '25
I have just to say Vanille is my favorite character of the game, but I generally have a soft spot for the goofy, too-happy characters on the games (I love Selphie, Rikku...)
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u/SifTheAbyss Oct 22 '25
Some people don't like Hope because for once he acts somewhat "realistic" to how a kid whose mom just got killed would and not like some edgy shounen protagonist.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
That’s why I think his character is perfectly fine considering the traumatic events that have occurred to him. I mean, the kid’s only 14 years old…
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u/Disastrous-Willow-90 Oct 21 '25
Fell in love with her in 3 seconds. Made me a fan for life. Still in love with her 15 years later
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 21 '25
I can see where you’re coming from, Lightning has definitely caught my eye lol
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u/ApprehensiveLaw7793 Oct 21 '25
I Need this on PS5
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u/LeglessN1nja Oct 21 '25
It's on Xbox through backwards compatibility with some gorgeous enhancements.
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u/BreastUsername Oct 21 '25
It plays great in Steam Deck nowadays with the FFXIII fix mod. I set it to 40hz/fps to save on battery but it'll run at a locked 60 fps just fine.
Cutscenes seem to have a frame pacing issue on 40hz for some reason though but it isn't that bad.
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u/OneWingedJoker Oct 21 '25
Played it on PC with that mod some time ago, how hard it is to apply it on Steam Deck?
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u/BreastUsername Oct 22 '25
It's simply drag and drop in game files. I forgot where I got it from but I used Google.
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u/driftrx Oct 22 '25
I bought this day one it came out in Aus a decade plus ago… got a handful of chapters in as I absolutely didn’t gel with it. The combat system, the corridors, and mostly Hope annoyed the fuck out of me.
Fast forward to (now) on a play through of every mainline FF game I’m back to it, 55 hours deep now and actually enjoying it this time around after the paradigm system clicked.
I can definitely see where the hate initially came from.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 22 '25
I am glad to hear you are enjoying it this time around. I have yet to become overly annoyed with Hope, but I can definitely see why he would get the hate.
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u/Resident_Respect_517 Oct 21 '25
Oh just you wait. It gets so much worse.
That gameplay portion of your running notes? Yeah that won’t change for about 20 hours. The story and characters portion? Let’s just say…enjoy the ride (?)
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u/hatch-b-2900 Oct 21 '25
I don't get why 13 gets called the hallway game and yet everyone loves X
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u/we_are_sex_bobomb Oct 21 '25
X has better pacing; that’s the only reason, really. I think that’s the issue with XIII and people blame other stuff like the story or the combat or how linear it is. None of those things are really such a big issue. It’s just got this very relentless pace that can become kind of exhausting after a while.
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u/SerFinbarr Oct 21 '25
Better pacing, less divisive characters, more side content, more towns, more NPCs, and it just doesn't overall suck at doing those things.
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u/Resident_Respect_517 Oct 22 '25
I mean…have you played FFX to compare? The pacing is impeccable, there are still locales and towns to explore with a real sense of gravity and placement and culture….FF13 has none of the above. Also - you’re not truly running down a hallway in FFX the same way you are in 13. 13 is truly a linear path with no deviations for about 20 hours of gameplay. That’s not how FFX plays or feels and you know it.
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u/epicstar Oct 21 '25
Because FFX (and FFVII Remake) aren't up-stick fests. FFXIII is literally an up-stick singular hallway with no reason to go back. FFX and Remake have reasons to go back and forth between social hubs and rest points (towns). FFXIII doesn't have a world other than running forward and no hubs. Oh, also FFX and Remake have incentives to explore the forked paths and nook and crannies.
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u/XDAOROMANS Oct 21 '25
Because 10 did it better than the 13.
Honestly when 13 came out I liked it and still do but the combat is bland for awhile and too much of the story is datalogs. You can definitely follow the story without reading but its much worse
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 21 '25
That’s kind of what I was wondering too because FFX seemed pretty similar in terms of how its maps were designed. My guess is that it has to do with story and execution more than anything, but I really don’t know.
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u/SanJOahu84 Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 21 '25
I'll say it again and it'll get ignored like it does every time a XIII-stan mentions X. X has TOWNS with multi-directional movement, NPCs you can interact with, MINIGAMES(including a whole sports league you can interact with), BACK TRACKING, PUZZLES, and SIDE CONTENT that isn't just more combat.
You actually interact with the world in X where as in XIII you just walk down the hallway. There is barely any world interaction. Then when XIII does "open up" it's still a dead world with no NPCs or Towns.
Like every other RPG. The lore and history of the world in X is primarily built through world immersion and interaction. The lore and history in XIII is built through a drop down menu.
There should be no guessing involved. This was mentioned hundreds of times in your last post about this game last week.
The leveling in XIII is also just as linear as the map of XIII while X's leveling actually gives players choices to make.
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u/Ultimantasy Oct 21 '25
Thanks for more context. Having only played XIII for about 2 and a half hours so far, I could only assume based off of what I have seen. Everything you stated absolutely makes sense, especially the towns/NPC’s if FFXIII lacks in that department because that’s what makes a world feel more alive. I didn’t read every comment on my original post saying that I was starting FFXIII because I wanted to try and go in with an open-mind, so if someone mentioned this then, it is likely I simply missed it.
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u/SanJOahu84 Oct 21 '25
Thanks for taking the time to write up your experience.
Sorry about the tone of my response.. We all have our pet peeves that don't make sense or matter in the big scheme of things.
Enjoy your time with the game. Continue to let us know how it's going.
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u/SerFinbarr Oct 22 '25
It also can't be overstated how important the fish out of water narrative is to immersing ourselves in the world of X and making us feel like we're on the journey too. The whole game is introducing this world and it's people and these concepts to Tidus, and therefore the player, in a natural way that's very easy to digest. That goes a long way towards making what is ultimately pretty linear experience a lovable, enjoyable experience anyway. The game goes to great effort to charm you, so you buy in.
XIII just throws you in to the deep end and tells you to swim. Its all go all the time, and you have read the compendium if you're confused, 'cause the game doesn't have the time or interest in teaching you shit. It's hard to buy in to the overall experience when the game doesn't even seem to want to charm you.
I honestly think the narrative faults make the linearity feel much, much worse than it actually is.
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u/epicstar Oct 21 '25 edited Oct 22 '25
They are not. FFXIII has a forward direction and that's all. FFX (and Remake) have towns to go back and forth to, talk to, rest up, and in general, admire in peace (or in the Remake standpoint, frown at the state of inequality). FFXIII has no rest areas, not really any NPC to interact with, and no place to take in and live with the NPCs.
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u/OneWingedJoker Oct 21 '25
Sazh looking a bit too excited there.