I really enjoyed all of your FF13 reviews! Thank you for putting in all the effort for these analysis. You give everything a fair shake & make some great observations. Quality content for sure!

Literally only discovered this channel two hours ago, just to binge watch the XIII Breakdowns. Sometimes, life just gives you the win.

Hot take but I kinda like the ending. Ignoring the “whoa it’s the real world!!!” thing, I have a soft spot for universe reset or renew endings where characters get to enjoy a normal life after hardships.

I disagree about a few things like Lightning's characterization in this game. I found her much more intuition filled, empathic, and likeable than I remembered her in the 1st game. And after having done all the side quests, I liked a bunch of them. I stayed engaged and curious about Lumina, the world, discovering the other characters, and generally seeing what happens pretty much through til the end. Damn near 100% the game, and actually cried at the end which just does not happen with me and media very often. At their release times, I didn't have much fondness for the first 2 games or any of the characters and their journeys, but this game on it's own made me care, made me watch videos like these... I at least will always have a place in my heart for this game in particular

I love how you went from the NieR-/Yoko-Taro-Guy to the FFXIII-Guy. Enjoyed watching all three videos and I agree with most of the things you had to say, especially with this game. It had a bunch of cool ideas but the execution is pretty questionable and the ending especially was really weird. Anyway, looking forward to further content from you!

Honestly Im just happy Lighting and the rest get a happy ending, whether its a earth like new world or not. Im just happy its a happy ending. I love the 13 cast, and just wanted them to not have a bittersweet ending. So im content with what the ending is.

1:03:16 It looks weirdly off because for the first time ever she is smiling :D But for real, I absolutely loved LR's battle system! And FF7Remake kind of took it and evolved it into a more action based version. Pretty much exactly how I wanted round-based combat systems to evolve

As someone who was a huge fan of the 13 trilogy. I actually really enjoyed LR’s feeling of being an ending to an era. It really did feel like an end of an era and I find myself tearing up saying goodbye to this world and these characters at the end every playthrough

tbh Square Enix is extremely experimental given they are a AAA studio. So Im not surprised that their sequels dont feel like mainline games. I think they like to tell stories and are open to experimenting with gameplay. So it is mainline from a story stand point, but the gameplay is experimental which isnt anything new for Square Enix.

I really like this "old man yells at a cloud" series, your insight and analysis of the games alongside good jokes makes this a delight to watch.

I think the characterization of Ligthning as an "emotionless character" makes sense, since in XIII she was relieved when it was all over, let her guard down and thanks to everyone's actions based on feelings things ended up going awry thanks to Etro's intervention, in XIII-2 she entrusts her mission to her sister, and ends up losing her in the process, these decisions were made out of faith in her acquaintances and her emotions (which let's remember she was so aggressive with her acquaintances in the first place to keep them away from the danger she herself believed she represented), so blaming herself for how everything ended and thinking that maybe the feelings clouded her judgment she ended up wanting to seal them, which is not entirely true, since many sidequests are taken based on the empathy that they generate something that hope/Bunivelze himself claims and does not fully understand, not to mention that Lumina does her part trying to make everyone have a few more exciting last days. .. exciting (She only attacks Ligthning directly with normal people she only pranks or plays with them). And this is very well contrasted with the end where she decides to sacrifice herself since for the first time in the whole trilogy we see her asking for help for herself knowing the future that awaited her. It is a very good scene as it contrasts very much with her tough character and the thought of self-sacrifice for the greater good or for her loved ones that she has been carrying since her first appearance, for the first time she asks for help for herself for the first time she wants to be saved.

Consider me one of the few madmen 😂 I played Lightning Returns without playing XIII/XIII-2 and I absolutely LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Gave me Majoras Mask vibes and I crushed on Lightning/her voice actress back when I was a young thirsty pup 🐶😂 Also the music was PHENOMENAL!! ✨

I saw a lot of comments when this game first got released about how the timer mechanic was awful or dampened people's experience. I've played it myself and I think it's mostly psychological, as using her skill repeatedly means you have so much extra time that it's not unrealistic to do every side quest and have more than enough time left (that, or people didn't really spam that time extension skill). I think FF13-3 has one of the most unique worldbuilding I've seen and while some parts didn't come together as nicely, it still had one of the most satisfying endings I've seen in a trilogy. As a musician I also think entire 13 trilogy has an incredible soundtrack. The final boss theme for 13-3 is the most daring and avant-garde composition I've seen from Square Enix, and I love it for that. Masashi Hamauzu paved the way for incredible neo-classical vibe in 13 and the rest of 13 trilogy rose to meet the standard in a spectacular fashion.

You CAN just kill the guys at the beginning for the tail mission and then just get told where to go afterwards. Saves time.

The time mechanic on this game is actually such a non-factor. It introduces pressure but it’s so generous. My Lightning had to sleep for 5 days straight just to get to the final boss.

I'll be honest, Lightning Returns was the first Final Fantasy game I ever played and I loved it, it's what got me into the franchise back in 2014

I just want to thank you for these. For so long FFXIII has been treated with impulsive disrespect and it takes videos like this to provide a balanced perspective. They had their flaws but were ambitious and experimental, and as you stated in your first retrospective, they were the necessary building blocks to FFVII remake, and probably had that in mind from the start. Long live the right way of looking at these dented gems for their endurance and hard work.

Killing every enemy of a species gets allows you to encounter a “Last” version of the enemy with a rare drop. Also, killing all the “Last Ones” unlocks a bonus dungeon and a 14th day with the game’s Secret Boss. I personally loved this game despite the staleness of the side quests. The dope battle system, anti-religious overtones, and shounen-style power boost the main character gets was just awesome to me. Oh and “Elementa” is one of the coolest spells I’ve ever seen in a final fantasy. Very useful too

Lightning Returns will always be a guilty pleasure of mine. Loved the gameplay and the outfits system. The time mechanic was annoying, but it was cool to discover the different outcomes depending on your pace. I've played the game so many times that I'd usually have the main stories finished in the first day or two, so I could enjoy the rest of the game leisurely and just explore

Fun fact about the dog, it's actually not a unique asset! It was used in a couple of places in the first game as a background detail, but they REALLY made sure you got a good look at it in LR. Not sure what they were thinking, but he's still a good boy.

Despite ALL the negatives of this game that I'm completely aware of. I LOVE THIS GAME. Can't tell you how many times I've beaten this game, believe it or not I've never get bored of it and the same goes for 1 and 2. Most appreciate the videos you've covered on the trilogy.

I actually liked this game a lot if you ignore the character development issues & story. The gameplay is great & it actually had my favorite combat in the entire series. I understand some of the hate though.

My favorite of the 13 trio is definitely 13-2. As weird and flawed as it is, I loved it and got a ton of playtime out of it. Loved the music, exploration and Caius and Noel.

Honestly I love Lightning Returns. The maximum cheese the ending provided was the best thing I could've hoped for and that alone puts it above XIII-2 for me. The original XIII is objectively the best of the three games no doubt, but I'll always have a soft spot for Lightning Returns.

I loved the time mechanic, myself. I felt like it gave me pressure to complete things and plan my route for the day. And the combat? Best in the series as far as I'm concerned. I loved it. I loved making your own classes. So amazing. Characters? Adored them. Story? I like the base story and where it eventually went. Overall, sits a bit higher than 2 for me.

I played this in May 2020 just as the pandemic lockdowns were in full swing, taking a week off work in the process. It was a really weird experience exploring a dying, doomed world alone, but I think it helped quell my anxiety about the state of the real world, if that makes sense. I compulsively played it hours on end, late into the night, sometimes hitting the 5:00 AM mark of the in-game day at 5:00 AM in the real world day. This game really shined for me when you enter one of the populated locations like Yusnaan early in the morning and calming tracks like "Nova Chrysalia" or "Sunset Path" play. There's something really achingly beautiful about the fact that people just keep going on living their normal lives even as the end of the world is less than a week away. I dunno. It's hard to describe, but this game really surprised me in terms of atmosphere. Not sure if it's the soundtrack (which easily belongs in the best FF soundtracks for me), the fact that I played it at a sorta appropriate time, or something else. I don't care in the least about the overarching plot, but the somber mood and the game world pulled me in and never let go.

The final boss theme is one of my fave tracks across all final fantasy. Its so warped and weird, you listen to it like 'how is this working?' And then they sneak some of the important themes from 13 and 13-2 (barthandalus is in there, I think caius is too, amongst others) and it works really well for me

36:40 Actually that dog wasn't a new model. The same dog appears walking around in FFXIII in Palumpolum.

I was initially worried about the time mechanic, then I finished all the main quests with many days to spare. Stopping time often, since EP refills fast!

I LOVED 13-3. Combat was great and I enjoyed the game a bunch back when it came out. I also used my EP on pausing the time and didn't get a game over at all so I didn't use the NG+. I was confused as to how to unlock certain things because I didn't realize the game wanted me to lose and come back on NG+. I ended up going back in after beating it and using those mechanics.

You did it man, cheers! Lightning returns is actually secretly one of my favourite games in the franchise. A bit of a guilty pleasure of mine XD. Really wish to see the combat system return in a game with a better story. I hope we will see it's combat system return someday tho.

I unironically liked the real world ending... It's me. I'm the guy that likes it.

The XIII games are a fascinating mess. I was able to enjoy each one but they all come with weirdly distinct issues. Enjoyed the videos!

Even with all of its flaws and shortcomings, playing this game is one of my most treasured experiences. Love the whole series and I also enjoy listening to the criticism and poking fun. It's really a shame about all the localization issues & the censorship that occurred with this game in particular. I've been spending a lot of time just reading up on what got lost in translation and it really makes me yearn for what could have been!

I'm really curious how much of the modern-day ending was part of the original Fabula Nova Crystallis design. This ending makes a much smoother transition to the modern day dress of FFXIII Versus, and explains why FFXV looks the way it does in my mind. Curious if this was more retcon or high design once Versus became XV, but it certainly explains the Cup Noodles and Coleman gear a bit more...

this is honestly in my top 3 video games of all time, it's just so fun yet melancholy and i love the feel of the world at the very brink of being consumed into nothing. such a satisfying ending too

I might be the only person who only played lightning returns, while some mechanics are garbage, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Mainly due to the visuals and nothing else, Lightning is bae and the costumes are great as well as the visual effects in the fights. The combat also felt pretty good.

Dude thanks for these videos. The FFXIII trilogy was a weird one to try and enjoy as a long time FF fan, but I've found a whole new appreciation for the trilogy looking through your lens.

I agree with what you said about all three games. However, the FF13 trilogy will always have a place in my heart. The story it told was so beautiful imo. It had a good combination of despair and elation. I also thought the ending was great. I remember at the time of the game’s release, Lightning was in a real world fashion campaign, which tied in the fact that she’s in our world now. I feel like all characters were fated to have a timeless bond between each other. So i was sad to see Sazh get practically written off after the first game. I wish the game explored bonds between all characters.

loved lightning returns playstyle so much. think my favorite mechanics were the Last Ones and the fact that if you wait before taking on noel or snow they will be stronger and have different appearances. Last ones were a fun grind since you had to make majority of the monsters extinct lol

I was worried about the time mechanic... but then I finished 2 of the big quests and a dozen minor ones in the first day; was doing a lot of jumping between Yusnaan and Luxurion for those. In light of that, the time limit seemed generous, so I just took it easy and was glad it was there for thematic reasons. EDIT: just don't worry about them; scary as time mechanics look, they're always very generous for main quests, even if they're not for side quests.

Thanks for doing this. This trilogy is worth it if you enjoy lore

Can't believe I missed the notification for this, especially since I was looking forward to this the most. 13 was the first mainline HD FF game I played (never had a ps1 or 2) and loved it for what it is. Thank you for this nostalgic and insightful retrospective!

A little thing to note is that there is also a collection of stories released and it details the events that lead to Lightning Returns. Basically all those details like, “why was Hope trapped in Bhunivelze’s arc”, “why did Caius end up trapped with Yuen”, or “why did Snow became an edge lord downer” are all explained in an accompanying side novel never released outside Japan. It’s like how all of the story that helps clarify FFXIII-2 are explained in a side novel. Basically, the biggest issue with Fabula Nova Chrystallys is that they got it in their heads that it was going to be a multimedia project. Meaning they were to release the games, novels, and if they had been successful even manga and anime, all of which were to be treated as canonical sources and relevant to one another. You can see where the issue begins in this concept right? It suddenly becomes a project requiring you to buy everything, amongst different entertainment mediums, just to understand the overall plot.

Hmmm. The only thing that I think you missed is the “extinction enemies” or mechanic. My memory playing the games was basically: story gets worse each game, but gameplay gets better. The monster extinctions felt like a fun thing that built on the improved combat, but rewards were “meh” iirc.

I'm not going to pretend it didn't have it's flaws, but I do think this game had the most ambitious and *one of* the best endings in the series.

I played through the whole game on Normal, without a New Game+, as soon as the game came out. That basically means I didn't even know this game had a New Game+ feature. One of my major complaints throughout the game was "shit, I have all of these weak ass spells and these mobs don't stop getting stronger and stronger". I felt a sense that even though my stats were being upgraded with each quest, I was getting weaker in comparison to the challenges that I was being faced with. I take most fights that I can see on screen, and doing so in the Wild Lands quickly meant that there were only Behemoths left to slay (since I made other monster extinct). Eventually I slayed every Behemoth as well, so only the purple one was left. Oh boy, that basically meant that moving around the map at night was a nightmare. I had to dodge it until I was strong / good enough to beat it. I believe I had a somewhat solid grasp of the mechanics, but that thing just had way more stats than I did to just brute force it at the stage I was. Sure, it was my fault for having triggered this situation, but come on. My final boss experience was just horrible. No further comments. The guy destroyed me over and over until I memorized most of the patterns. I wasn't equipped nearly well enough to deal with that, through a combination of having weak attacks (no upgrading, no anything), not every single resource I should have had at my disposal, and lack of imagination using my equipment (which is my fault). Thing is, in the final day, when time is no longer a concern, you can't "game over" anymore (as far as I know), so I was stuck there completely under equipped. I was still able to beat the game, but it was a shit experience. When I unlocked the New Game+ I didn't even want to play the game anymore. I was tired of it, and I had already completed the story, so I just left it alone. Basically, I never learned that it was even possible to upgrade spells and attacks until I started seeing online content about it. I felt I was punished for approaching the game the same way I approached 13-1 and 13-2, which is to take most fights so I'm never underleveled and I learn the battle mechanics and strategy well. I didn't dislike 13LR, but it felt very sour completing it for the first time. Going back to it after a few years knowing about this New Game+ dynamic felt much better. I did basically what you did: played a few hours, let the clock run dry on purpose and started again having access to some cool stuff. It felt way better.

Thanks for going over the FF13 series, FF13-1 always stuck in my mind but the other entries were always so vague and distant concepts for me so this helped bridge a gap i never would on my own.

Such a great trilogy of retrospectives - I can’t wait to see what’s next!

What a journey. Keep it up. Now I really have a firm appreciation for the FF13 trilogy. I hope you end up doing Agito and FFXV. I'll be there.

Finally had the time to sit down and watch all three of your FF13 retrospectives. As a fan of the trilogy it was awesome to see you bring back discussion to those weird ass games and I loved hearing your thoughts on all the strange decisions made in them. Awesome stuff king, excited to see what else you do!

I agree that the loop is probably intentional. I did EVERYTHING on my first playthrough on normal, even drove a couple monsters to extinction, got the 14th day, felt like a total B.A., but then the final dungeon destroyed me, and couldn't beat the final boss. I needed to start over to get the upgrades to win.

YES I've been waiting for this. Thank you for doing this series for FF13!

"This isn't where the Fabula Nova Crystalis ends, if you catch my drift." (Scours your entire channel and does not find THAT GAME) OMG I am so looking forward to that future video.

I really appreciate the editing style of this video alongside its clear structure as well as its indepth look into the game's mechanics. Especially the mechanical analysis reminded me of rescent works of ludologists I read, which speaks for the essay's professionalism.

I must repeat what I said last time, it is good to see a view of Square Enix in the 2010ths that does not fall to pure cynisism. Even if the games propably needed way, way more time in the oven combined with more planning in every aspect.

I love the connection between the game with type-0 like, people lost memory of the dead if vanille perform the soul song, and the reset mechanic in newgame+ Edit: Instead follow behind, you can kill Etros prayer and proceed to graveyard. After collect 4 digit number, if you insert wrong password, lightning will just screw them up, they will release a jaugernaught which you're too weak to defeat before newgame+

That lead up to the Pikmin story, I for SURE thought he was gonna say “Majora’s Mask”

I like the 13-2 the most. It's because of Caius. He is such a good character he was just in the wrong game I guess. His Character was the best thing of the 13 trilogy. Noel and Yeul are good too but Caius is the best. He is my favorite FF Character, after him comes Sephiroth. Caius is a well written, good looking character. I like his hair style and the feather accessories, it remembers me a bit of the native Americans and I like purple. Purple is my favorite color also his English voice is Liam O'Brien and he voiced him perfectly. It's sad that you didn't see much about his relationship with Noel. I wish we would have seen more about that. Like Caius training with Noel, or just the three of them sitting together on a camp fire. There is a novels about that called "Fragments After" which tells you of the first meeting from Caius and Noel and how he became Caius student but it's a novel. I mean it would be better if this scene was in the game it would make it better at least in my opinion. The novel also tells you about Yeul and that every Yeul except the last one was literally raised by Caius. The reason for that is an old rule made by some of the Yeuls that said that every Yeul needs to leave her family as soon as she speaks her first word. It was mostly in the age of three when they started to speak and then Caius had to took her away from her family and raised her by himself. It explained why Caius is so broken I mean even if he is not her biological father he raised her and its only natural that he got father feeling for her and then he saw her dying over and over again. Also he is older than Fang and Vanille, he live long before the war in which Fang and Vanille took place. The war of Pulse and Cocoon with the Results of every human transported to Cocoon. What I mean is that he saw a lot of Yeuls dying who where all raised by him. It's really sad that you got such important information from a book and not from the game. It explains a lot of his actions but they thought that this information isn't important enough for the game. The game would be better with such information and scenes. I wish they had put these things in the game instead of all these paradox endings. Also sorry for my mistakes, English isn't my native languages.

Another fantastic retrospective! Really excited to see your future content! Keep up the great work!

38:42 I always customize my characters with colors such as blue, cyan, light blue, sky blue, navy or ice blue for a neutral color, sometimes cobalt if it's a metal texture, turquoise, aquamarine, etc. Also black, tan or white if I _really_ need to break things up a bit and ice and navy aren't on the table.

Honestly i played LR because i've finished 13 and 13-2. But god damn i love this game , he fast paced combat , easy to grasp mechanics , the clock was scary but then I forgot it existed until i needed to wait to access certain areas , the dress up simularor was fun , and the most important thing is that like the other games this ran in my shitty pc , but at an stable 60fps unlike the 20-30 of the others. My bad pc is the reason i never used the strongest magics in the other games , in this one i went ham.

Wow, it was fantastic watching you put all of these together. (I seriously don't know how you put these out so quickly) You really made me appreciate the 13 series as a whole. I'll definitely be watching out for that Type 0 video 🔥🤷🏾‍♂️🔥

I loved these videos so much as someone who before this had only ever heard very surface level critiques of these games. It was awesome hearing someone really dive deep into these games this was an amazing series of videos! Also HOW DID I NOT HEAR ABOUT THE ENDING OF LIGHTNING RETURNS BEFORE THIS VIDEO???

I can't really decide on whether having this game instead be called "Lightning Strikes Thrice" would've been brilliant, or maximum cring.

This is actually one of my favorite Final Fantasy games ever

I liked it back when it released. What was memorable for me was the countdown/Time. the way enemies slowly disappear from the world in each battle. and I guess the overall conclusion. It had many lows and average highs but it did have a spot in my heart. Plus the music. Well done on trilogy videos.

I'm really glad what i found out you channel because of this FF13 series. You did a great job, esspecialy pacing and how well u put importamt notes in 1 hour video, when another guys cant even put they thoughts in 2-3hour video. And now im looking forward for you content. P.S Not native speaker, so im sorry if some sounds odd

Despite the game having its downs, I truly appreciated the battle system, customization of color codes, and especially the cutscenes when depending on time of day, it was always different, so that was later implemented in FFXV, so little things like that are what I appreciate the most in innovation of these games.

Can’t lie the 13 series is one of my fave highlights from the entire final fantasy series. Lightning returns was so good but 13-2 has my heart as the best game in the trilogy. Lovely review it was fun to relive the series again as my PlayStation 3 no longer works. I’ve been clamoring for a remaster of the series to hit the switch

You forgot to include the Monster extinction mechanic. I haven't played since release on PS3, but it's one of the few things I remember standing out in a pretty cool way. If you hunt a specific species of monster to a certain point, you can cause them to actually go extinct, with the final one being far stronger than every other variation of its species. Great review overall though. I'd definitely say I agree with pretty much everything.

Really great retrospectives! Makes me want to try playing them all now haha. I guess the next one will be on either Type-0 (which was Agito XIII originally) or XV. Either way I'm sure it'll be quite good. Hopefully you'll get around to doing a retrospective on all of the games in your Steam library too. Hehehe

I remember being so pissed at Noel and how he seemed to have almost forgotten about Serah :,). We had a whole game with them together and then it was kinda underwhelming. Ofc I understand that the end of the world was more important but Snow was still sulking about losing Serah (which did seem quite extreme after practically abandoning her for years in 13-2).

The FFXIII trilogy as a whole was (an still is) my favourite games in the whole franchise. I understand the criticism they had. But, I happened to like (or not really care) about them when I played the games myself. It was the perfect gap between sci-fi and fantasy. And the soundtracks are gorgeous.

Loved the final return of the Sailor Moon music! This video was such a surprise to me - I had no idea there was a negative reception for this game or that people may not have liked it. I played it on release and had the absolute best time. I played it all the way through on the first try and the story beats at the end are still some of my all time favourite moments of the whole series. So it was really interesting to get a balanced examination of the different elements of the game for your later perspective, that was very fun! I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about Class Zero!

Well I am super late to this party, but I only just finished Lightning Returns tonight myself and...yeah. I really remembered having a better time with it back in the day, but revisiting it along with the other 2 trilogy entries really had the starkest difference between my memories and current experience. I really wanted to like it, but it just doesn't feel like a proper continuation of the first 2. I wish they had taken more time on it. That said, I may be the only person in the world to genuinely really like the ending. Here me out. The whole crux of why that ending is supposed to feel good and meaningful is that these characters have finally freed themselves from the influence of higher beings for good. No Falcie, and no gods of any tier or caliber. They can finally live their lives through their own will, and the idea that humanity is at its best when they are working and loving together really resonates with me. As for why our Earth? I think it's actually a really neat way to reveal that accomplishment for humanity. Sure, we could have had some narration saying "in this world magic and gods are gone" or whatever, but I think showing the player that the new world is Earth instantly let's them realize what is the significant difference between the world Lightning and co are leaving, and the new one they're inhabiting. Ultimately, that accomplishment is what I enjoy, and I just think it is a creative case of "show don't tell." Now there is something to be said about the endings impact on a person being influenced by their outlook on the real world. If you're someone who thinks most of humanity is bad, or human nature is vile and selfish or whatever, then yeah you're not gonna see that reveal as anything positive for the new characters. But I still think of humanity on a total scale as good, and the ideas about people loving one another, sharing with one another, taking care of one another, and forging each other's happiness personally resonates with me, which is why I actually end up liking at least that part of the game. I wanted to share my probably very unique and unpopular perspective on that. EDIT: Oh and I can't believe I forgot to add this initially, but thank you so much for all the time you've put into covering these games! None of my IRL friends have ever touched any of these games, so it's so nice to be able to hear someone talk in depth about their thoughts and experiences, especially from a modern perspective. I've enjoyed all of your videos, and honestly will probably watch your other content as well, as I like your video style. You do great work, and I thank you for that.

Normal Mode was a lot easier back when they had the online mechanic to get random items from other players, a lot of them being elixirs

The story was flat for me like many. It seemed so disconnected to the other two. I was really excited about this when it came out. Loved the gameplay. Just wish the story was better fleshed out. The ending was great. I think it’s cheesy but the train part reminded me of Full Metal Alchemist 03. I didn’t hate it.

This was a trip. For someone who hasn't played the games, this retrospective was very enjoyable. Great job

Great video dude, I really enjoy how you add extra information about things the developers where thinking and doing it adds alot of insight into why certain decisions where made.

The only problem with FF13-3 was the budget. The game is incomplete, unpolished, cheap. Devs are not to blame. Sponsored properly this could be GOTY of GOTY for years to come. 13 series is such a gem. Style and quality of 13-1. Music of 13-2. The gameplay of 13-3. Altogether combined it can be a masterpiece.

I enjoyed lightning returns when it came out. Lightning is still one of my favorite characters and after not getting my fill of her in 13-2, seeing that she was back and it was practically just her, I was happy lol I had no self control when it came to the DLCs though. I mean, Lightning wearing a SOLDIER outfit and a fricken buster sword??? Yes please! Plus a good majority of the nostalgia outfits were offered as Pre-order bonuses, SOLDIER being one of the main ones that drew people into pre ordering. Square knew what they were doing lol

I watched all 3 hours of your FF13 series, and I totally enjoyed them. I find myself nodding to nearly all the points mentioned, good and bad. I recently completed Lightning Returns for the first time a month ago, and i'm feeling sort of melancholic. It's like watching someone beloved die slowly from cancer. Sad that it's over, but also somewhat relieved.

Another great video! You've done the trilogy justice with each video. Of course, each game isn't perfect, but they all bring something good to the table with each game.

Man, I adored Lightning. I just can't agree with anyone saying she's stoic and boring. She goes through a big change in the first game. I loved seeing how different she had become in 13-2. It was kinda a bummer that they stripped her of all that in LR, especially seeing how distant she felt from Hope, but I still loved her. And I loved Lumina, too. (No surprise considering LR's big reveal. )

These videos are so well done, entertaining, and detailed. Y'all better smash that like and let them Wayfair ads play through!

Love this video! Nice editing! Loved the Sailor Moon music when you were talking about changing outfits mechanic 🤣

I love this and I'm also sad at the same time. I love that someone is doing a deep dive retrospective on my favorite FF trilogy but this is also the last one. 😭 Content is great! Hopefully you do long form deep dives on other FF titles or JRPGs.

When you keep in mind that this game had a very low budget i think it starts to earn a lot more respect. Definitely my favourite of the trilogy and i loved XIII so much i never thought i would say this before jumping into it.

Me and my friends loved the ending. Especially the part when you see that they created our world c:

This whole retrospective series was a fun watch. Glad to have found this video series and not just listen to someone belittling the game for 3 hours, since FF13 was one of my first "mainline" final fantasy games, and I genuinely enjoyed it at the time. Subbed!

The part about the time mechanic made me think about "The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask". I know many people who got scared off be the "You only have 3 in-game days" thing of MM although, in reality, the game gives you all the time you need. And, despite the fact that MM is also a great game because of its atmosphere, story and characters, like in LR it's just sooooooo satisfactory to tweak your routine for the different days to perfection and to need less and less cycles/in-game days to complete the game. I totally get why the time mechanic scares people away (I'm also not a huge fan of time limits) but if you manage to accept it and get yourself involved in it, it can provide you with a sense of growth and progress like no other gameplay feature.

Thank you for these videos on the 13 games, I really enjoyed it. I actually liked 13 when it came out, but sadly I never really connected that much with the sequels. I would rank the games the way aswell, the first game is easily my favorite. Nowadays I only play the first game because imo Its a self contained story with a great ending.

What a fantastic series! Thanks for you hard work and honest open critique!

You're the first of the reviewers i've watched that matches my thoughts almost exactly on the games, down to your ranking at the end. Tbh, I liked the original 13 and I think it would be remembered better if it *didn't* get any sequels, even if I don't hate 13-2 really.

These were excellent. Just watched all 3 in a row while cooking an obscene amount of food and these helped a lot! Amazing job

In my opinion Lightning returns should of been a game to its slef and not in a trilogy

Before watching this video, absolutely loved this game. I definitely spent the most time on this one out of the trilogy.

I just sat and watched your FFXIII trilogy back to back and you have really done these games a service. It saddens me that XIII get treated so harshly when it doesn't deserve so much hate. You illustrated perfectly where these games really shine and it just brought me back to to the time I spent playing them when they released. It's also a shame that people would have written off the sequels without giving them a try when XIII-2 did improve on a lot of the things XIII fell short on. Really enjoyed these videos and how you have written them. This is the sort of quality I am aiming to achieve in my own videos going forward. I'm looking forward to seeing more!

Thanks for the 3 videos! They were great! Helped me remember what happened in 13 and gave me the rest I always wondered about.