Thanks to Nightengale for the thread title, and to Dragmire for the cover suggestion.
Please use spoiler tags when appropriate (story discussion, late-game areas, etc.), and say which game(s) you are discussing. This is the first time some people are playing one or all of these games, so please be mindful of them.
Also, this thread is not meant to be used for needlessly bashing these games. We get it, they have some problems. Please be civil with one another, and refrain from drive-by posts. If you don't have anything constructive or relevant to say, then it's preferred that you don't say anything at all.
Overview
Mainly released throughout the first half of the 2010s, the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy - comprised of Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - is part of a collection of games known as the Fabula Nova Crystallis (Latin for "The New Tale of the Crystal"). Unlike other entries in the FNC which tell separate narratives, these three roleplaying games tell one connected story that begins in Final Fantasy XIII, continues in XIII-2, and concludes in Lightning Returns. The games place a great emphasis on their mythology and lore, while a core theme throughout the stories relates to fighting against and changing fate.
Final Fantasy XIII is notable for being the first single-player Final Fantasy title to be released on an Xbox platform, and now, the Xbox 360 versions of it and its sequels have been brought forward by way of backwards compatibility. On November 13, 2018, all three titles in the trilogy were made playable on Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X, with enhancements also available on the recent Xbox Series S and Series X systems. On September 2, 2021, Final Fantasy XIII was added to Xbox Game Pass for both Xbox and PC, making it even easier to give this game a try on modern platforms.
The battle within begins...
As a deepening crisis threatens to plunge the floating world of Cocoon into chaos, a band of unsuspecting strangers find themselves branded enemies of the state. With the panicking population baying for their blood, and the military all too happy to oblige, they have no choice but to run for their lives. Join them on a desperate quest to challenge the forces controlling their fate, and prevent untold destruction.
Developer: Square Enix 1st Production Department (original game), Virtuos (Windows 10)
Publisher: Square Enix
Xbox 360 release dates: March 9, 2010 (worldwide), December 16, 2010 (Japan)
Xbox Game Pass release date: September 2, 2021 (Xbox and Windows)
Number of players: 1
Xbox One & Series X|S install size: 30.58 GB
Windows Store install size: 56.32 GB
Prices: $15.99 (US), £11.99 (EU), $23.45 (AU), ¥ 1,944 (JP)
Xbox Store links: United States, Europe, Australia, Japan
Windows Store links: United States
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2
Why does mankind defy its fate?
Developers: Square Enix 1st Production Department, tri-Ace
Publisher: Square Enix
Xbox 360 release dates: December 15, 2011 (Japan), January 31, 2012 (North America), February 2, 2012 (Australia), February 3, 2012 (Europe)
Number of players: 1
Xbox One install size: 8.28 GB
Xbox Store prices: $19.99 (US), £14.99 (EU), $29.95 (AU), ¥ 3,024 (JP)
Xbox Store links: United States, Europe, Australia, Japan
LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII
How will you spend your final days?
Developers: Square Enix 1st Production Department, tri-Ace
Publisher: Square Enix
Xbox 360 release dates: November 21, 2013 (Japan), February 11, 2014 (North America), February 13, 2014 (Australia), February 14, 2014 (Europe)
Number of players: 1
Xbox One install size: 7.17 GB
Xbox Store prices: $19.99 (US), £19.99 (EU), $29.95 (AU), ¥ 7,200 (JP)
Xbox Store links: United States, Europe, Australia, Japan
Useful Guides
These games use many unique terms for various roles pertaining to the story. The in-game datalogs provide in-depth explanations of nearly everything in the games. However, if you just need a brief reminder of what a word means, please look for it below.
This is my personal opinion, but no, I don't think so. Let me be clear: these games have faults, probably moreso than most other games in the Final Fantasy series. However, there's also a lot to love here. The games place a heavy emphasis on the story, and while the execution falters here and there, the main characters and deep mythos are what make the stories shine. Additionally, the combat systems across the three games are unique and fun, though it opens up a bit slowly in XIII. And of course, being modern Final Fantasy games, they tend to look really nice. Just don't tease Low-Poly Doggo in Lightning Returns-- it hurts the pupper's feelings.
Do I need to play any other Final Fantasy games before playing these?
No. While other entries in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series share a similar mythos to the XIII games, the stories themselves are wholly independent of each other. These three games are directly related to one another in narrative, however, so it's recommended that you play them in order: XIII, then XIII-2, and then Lightning Returns.
Do these games have a setting for playing with Japanese voices in the non-Japanese versions?
For the first two games on Xbox, no. Even the Japanese release of Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox One only has English voices. However, paid DLC for Lightning Returns does add the option to play with the game's original Japanese voices.
On PC, all three games give you the option to play with English or Japanese voices without requiring any additional DLC purchases.
I'm playing XIII, and I'm not sure how the weapon upgrading works exactly.
See DarkCloud12X's post below:
Is there an easy difficulty option for Final Fantasy XIII?
Sort of. The Japanese and Asian releases of the Xbox version of the game - known as Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International - include an easy difficulty that you can swap to and from at any time. The other releases of the game on Xbox don't have any difficulty settings. When the game first became backwards compatible on Xbox One, there was a method players could use to download Ultimate Hits International outside of Asia, but that method is no longer available.
The PC versions of Final Fantasy XIII - both on Steam and on the Windows Store / via Game Pass - include the easy difficulty setting without requiring any workarounds.
Do I need to repurchase these games in order to play them on Xbox One?
Nope! You can use your original Xbox 360 discs, or if you own the games digitally, you can simply download them from My Games & Apps. If you use the physical discs, keep in mind that you will still be prompted to download the games, and your discs will serve as "keys" to play them (meaning you will still need to insert the disc anytime you want to play the game).
XIII's download size is huge for a 360 game! What's up with that?
In the first game of the trilogy, many cutscenes are pre-rendered video files. Because of this, the game takes up much more space overall than it would have otherwise needed, and unfortunately, the video quality was generally subpar on the Xbox 360 version specifically due to heavy compression in order to fit everything on three DVDs. On Xbox One and Series X|S, the cutscenes are still video files rather than happening in real-time; however, the benevolent wizards at Microsoft have gone the extra mile with this release and replaced these videos with higher quality versions. They look much clearer now, at the cost of taking up even more space than before.
In the PC versions, these video files are still somewhat poor quality. The reason for the 50+ GB installation size is due to the PC version including toggles for English and Japanese voices in the launcher. This setting requires two versions of each voices cutscene: one in English, and one in Japanese.
Is there any downloadable content for these games?
For XIII, no. However, XIII-2 and Lightning Returns both have DLC in the form of equipment (outfits, weapons, etc.) that can be purchased from the Xbox Store. For XIII-2, there are also several Coliseum boss fights that can be purchased, as well as three story-oriented scenarios (Sazh's Story: Heads or Tails?, Snow's Story: Perpetual Battlefield, and Lightning's Story: Requiem of the Goddess). These scenarios are not meant to be played until after completing the main story of XIII-2, and the Lightning scenario in particular serves as both an epilogue to XIII-2 and a prelude to Lightning Returns. Additionally, see DarkCloud12X's post below:
Are the Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed DLC outfits still available for XIII-2?
Unfortunately, both N7 outfits were delisted some time ago, as was Noel's Ezio outfit. However, if you managed to buy them before they were removed from the store, you'll find them available to download under My Games & Apps.
Do these games have any sort of multiplayer?
No. These are strictly single-player RPGs.
I'm playing through XIII, and it's very linear so far. Do these games open up at all?
Without spoiling anything, yes. XIII opens up a bit more towards the end of the game, while both sequels allow for much greater exploration of the world right from the start.
So you think you can ride this chocobo?
Got Chocobucks? You better put 'em on this chocobo!
Please use spoiler tags when appropriate (story discussion, late-game areas, etc.), and say which game(s) you are discussing. This is the first time some people are playing one or all of these games, so please be mindful of them.
Also, this thread is not meant to be used for needlessly bashing these games. We get it, they have some problems. Please be civil with one another, and refrain from drive-by posts. If you don't have anything constructive or relevant to say, then it's preferred that you don't say anything at all.
Overview
Final Fantasy XIII is notable for being the first single-player Final Fantasy title to be released on an Xbox platform, and now, the Xbox 360 versions of it and its sequels have been brought forward by way of backwards compatibility. On November 13, 2018, all three titles in the trilogy were made playable on Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X, with enhancements also available on the recent Xbox Series S and Series X systems. On September 2, 2021, Final Fantasy XIII was added to Xbox Game Pass for both Xbox and PC, making it even easier to give this game a try on modern platforms.
FINAL FANTASY XIII
The battle within begins...
As a deepening crisis threatens to plunge the floating world of Cocoon into chaos, a band of unsuspecting strangers find themselves branded enemies of the state. With the panicking population baying for their blood, and the military all too happy to oblige, they have no choice but to run for their lives. Join them on a desperate quest to challenge the forces controlling their fate, and prevent untold destruction.
Developer: Square Enix 1st Production Department (original game), Virtuos (Windows 10)
Publisher: Square Enix
Xbox 360 release dates: March 9, 2010 (worldwide), December 16, 2010 (Japan)
Xbox Game Pass release date: September 2, 2021 (Xbox and Windows)
Number of players: 1
Xbox One & Series X|S install size: 30.58 GB
Windows Store install size: 56.32 GB
Prices: $15.99 (US), £11.99 (EU), $23.45 (AU), ¥ 1,944 (JP)
Xbox Store links: United States, Europe, Australia, Japan
Windows Store links: United States
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2
Why does mankind defy its fate?
Three years after Lightning and the others saved Cocoon, some survivors decided to start over by rebuilding on Gran Pulse. Lightning, however, is nowhere to be found and thought dead by many, but Serah believes otherwise. When her town is suddenly overrun by monsters, a mysterious man named Noel appears to save her. Together, the two set off on a journey that transcends time and space, hoping to find Lightning.
Developers: Square Enix 1st Production Department, tri-Ace
Publisher: Square Enix
Xbox 360 release dates: December 15, 2011 (Japan), January 31, 2012 (North America), February 2, 2012 (Australia), February 3, 2012 (Europe)
Number of players: 1
Xbox One install size: 8.28 GB
Xbox Store prices: $19.99 (US), £14.99 (EU), $29.95 (AU), ¥ 3,024 (JP)
Xbox Store links: United States, Europe, Australia, Japan
LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII
How will you spend your final days?
The world is sinking into a sea of chaos, and in thirteen days, nothing will remain.
Though the planet is doomed, there is still hope for those who call it home.
After centuries in crystal stasis, a hero has awoken—a legendary warrior on a god-given mission to save the souls of mankind. Her name: Lightning.
Blessed with incredible strength and an arsenal of new weapons, she has everything she needs for the coming battle. Everything except time. And now she must make an impossible choice...
Though the planet is doomed, there is still hope for those who call it home.
After centuries in crystal stasis, a hero has awoken—a legendary warrior on a god-given mission to save the souls of mankind. Her name: Lightning.
Blessed with incredible strength and an arsenal of new weapons, she has everything she needs for the coming battle. Everything except time. And now she must make an impossible choice...
Developers: Square Enix 1st Production Department, tri-Ace
Publisher: Square Enix
Xbox 360 release dates: November 21, 2013 (Japan), February 11, 2014 (North America), February 13, 2014 (Australia), February 14, 2014 (Europe)
Number of players: 1
Xbox One install size: 7.17 GB
Xbox Store prices: $19.99 (US), £19.99 (EU), $29.95 (AU), ¥ 7,200 (JP)
Xbox Store links: United States, Europe, Australia, Japan
Useful Guides
- XIII - AgentNoun's Weapon Upgrading & Weapon Analysis guide (GameFAQs)
- XIII-2 - SirNinja's Stat Maxing Guide (Steam)
Glossary
These games use many unique terms for various roles pertaining to the story. The in-game datalogs provide in-depth explanations of nearly everything in the games. However, if you just need a brief reminder of what a word means, please look for it below.
- Cocoon - Created centuries ago by the deities known as the fal'Cie, this is the high-tech Dyson sphere-esque continent that the cast of Final Fantasy XIII inhabits. Cocoon floats over the larger world of Gran Pulse, providing protection from the monsters and harshness of the world below, which its residents live in fear of.
- Gran Pulse - Often referred to by Cocoon's residents as just Pulse. Living on this world is believed by many to be a fate worse than hell, as it is the opposite to Cocoon in many ways. While Cocoon is kept safe and orderly, Pulse is chaotic and overrun with monsters. Cocoon thrives on its advanced technology, while Pulse is primitive and ruled by nature.
- The Sanctum - The theocratic governing body of Cocoon, led by its ruler Galenth Dysley and the fal'Cie known as Eden.
- fal'Cie - The fal'Cie are supernatural entities that have existed in the worlds of Cocoon and Pulse for many ages. Each fal'Cie serves a different purpose and has its own agenda.
- l'Cie - The title bestowed upon a human who has been tasked by a fal'Cie to complete an objective (referred to as the human's Focus). Those who successfully complete their Focus are supposedly promised eternal life; meanwhile, those who fail become monstrous beings known as Cie'th.
Digital Foundry Assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these games as bad as people say they are?This is my personal opinion, but no, I don't think so. Let me be clear: these games have faults, probably moreso than most other games in the Final Fantasy series. However, there's also a lot to love here. The games place a heavy emphasis on the story, and while the execution falters here and there, the main characters and deep mythos are what make the stories shine. Additionally, the combat systems across the three games are unique and fun, though it opens up a bit slowly in XIII. And of course, being modern Final Fantasy games, they tend to look really nice. Just don't tease Low-Poly Doggo in Lightning Returns-- it hurts the pupper's feelings.
Do I need to play any other Final Fantasy games before playing these?
No. While other entries in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series share a similar mythos to the XIII games, the stories themselves are wholly independent of each other. These three games are directly related to one another in narrative, however, so it's recommended that you play them in order: XIII, then XIII-2, and then Lightning Returns.
Do these games have a setting for playing with Japanese voices in the non-Japanese versions?
For the first two games on Xbox, no. Even the Japanese release of Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox One only has English voices. However, paid DLC for Lightning Returns does add the option to play with the game's original Japanese voices.
On PC, all three games give you the option to play with English or Japanese voices without requiring any additional DLC purchases.
I'm playing XIII, and I'm not sure how the weapon upgrading works exactly.
See DarkCloud12X's post below:
Is there an easy difficulty option for Final Fantasy XIII?
Sort of. The Japanese and Asian releases of the Xbox version of the game - known as Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International - include an easy difficulty that you can swap to and from at any time. The other releases of the game on Xbox don't have any difficulty settings. When the game first became backwards compatible on Xbox One, there was a method players could use to download Ultimate Hits International outside of Asia, but that method is no longer available.
The PC versions of Final Fantasy XIII - both on Steam and on the Windows Store / via Game Pass - include the easy difficulty setting without requiring any workarounds.
Do I need to repurchase these games in order to play them on Xbox One?
Nope! You can use your original Xbox 360 discs, or if you own the games digitally, you can simply download them from My Games & Apps. If you use the physical discs, keep in mind that you will still be prompted to download the games, and your discs will serve as "keys" to play them (meaning you will still need to insert the disc anytime you want to play the game).
XIII's download size is huge for a 360 game! What's up with that?
In the first game of the trilogy, many cutscenes are pre-rendered video files. Because of this, the game takes up much more space overall than it would have otherwise needed, and unfortunately, the video quality was generally subpar on the Xbox 360 version specifically due to heavy compression in order to fit everything on three DVDs. On Xbox One and Series X|S, the cutscenes are still video files rather than happening in real-time; however, the benevolent wizards at Microsoft have gone the extra mile with this release and replaced these videos with higher quality versions. They look much clearer now, at the cost of taking up even more space than before.
In the PC versions, these video files are still somewhat poor quality. The reason for the 50+ GB installation size is due to the PC version including toggles for English and Japanese voices in the launcher. This setting requires two versions of each voices cutscene: one in English, and one in Japanese.
Is there any downloadable content for these games?
For XIII, no. However, XIII-2 and Lightning Returns both have DLC in the form of equipment (outfits, weapons, etc.) that can be purchased from the Xbox Store. For XIII-2, there are also several Coliseum boss fights that can be purchased, as well as three story-oriented scenarios (Sazh's Story: Heads or Tails?, Snow's Story: Perpetual Battlefield, and Lightning's Story: Requiem of the Goddess). These scenarios are not meant to be played until after completing the main story of XIII-2, and the Lightning scenario in particular serves as both an epilogue to XIII-2 and a prelude to Lightning Returns. Additionally, see DarkCloud12X's post below:
Are the Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed DLC outfits still available for XIII-2?
Unfortunately, both N7 outfits were delisted some time ago, as was Noel's Ezio outfit. However, if you managed to buy them before they were removed from the store, you'll find them available to download under My Games & Apps.
Do these games have any sort of multiplayer?
No. These are strictly single-player RPGs.
I'm playing through XIII, and it's very linear so far. Do these games open up at all?
Without spoiling anything, yes. XIII opens up a bit more towards the end of the game, while both sequels allow for much greater exploration of the world right from the start.
So you think you can ride this chocobo?
Got Chocobucks? You better put 'em on this chocobo!
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