ShareThis"Final Fantasy XIII-2"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Genre: Role-playing
Publisher: Square Enix
ESRB Rating: T, for Teen
Grade: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
A rich library of characters and storylines allows the "Final Fantasy" franchise to flesh out entire games around seemingly minor characters. This is what gamers are presented with in "Final Fantasy XIII-2," which comes with the chance to experience solid storytelling blended with exceptional game design.
Lightning, the heroine from the original "FF13" game, is stuck in Valhalla, so now younger sibling Serah owns the main story, along with Noel, who is there to help her reunite with her sister. Lightning is not just toiling away -- she has a plot of her own as she deals with Caius, a villain with more complexity and intrigue than you would normally get in a video game.
Shorter than most "Final Fantasy" releases, this balances the relative brevity with a sped-up leveling system, and rewards you early and often. Defeating and collecting monsters pairs nicely with the character leveling, which, when combined, gives you a powerful party of warriors able to deal punishment in droves.
Paradigms are back and as powerful as ever. For the uninitiated, paradigms are attack or defensive strategies. They are stunning to watch unfold in explosions of light and other onscreen effects, but are almost too formidable, and make it nearly impossible to be defeated. This can sap some of the tension from fights that should help build up to the bigger boss battles.
"FF13-2" is less linear than its predecessor, but there isn't a lot of content in the more open world. If you can keep focused on the task at hand and not get bored by the occasional emptiness, the action and excitement you encounter in guiding Serah and Noel will be well worth your time.
"NFL Blitz"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Genre: Sports
Publisher: EA Sports
ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone
Grade: 3 stars
Bringing classics back to life takes many forms, but really it comes down to three options -- rerelease the original, make a full-bore reinvention or try something in between. There is no magic bullet for success, which is why many companies choose option three and hope something special happens.
Not every sweet spot is hit in the case of "NFL Blitz" on the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Luckily, enough of the original game lingers, and there are just enough new tweaks to take older gamers like me on a satisfying trip down memory lane.
"Blitz" is not for the younger gamer -- sorry, it just isn't. In the 1990s we skinny, pale, friendless geeks pumped quarters into this machine because it was an exaggerated version of football that had massive hits, wild 400-yard passing games and not much defense. Come to think of it, that sounds a lot like the modern-day NFL. Who knew "NFL Blitz" could predict the future?
The game has somewhat updated graphics, but the meat of the updates is in the game modes. Gauntlet, Elite and Battle feature a series of tests, either against goofy opponents (Gauntlet features robots, pirates and more) or human opponents online in specific challenges (wagering playing cards in Elite or promotion/relegation status in Battle).
For its budget price of around $15, this game will certainly entertain nostalgia-seekers who remember the thrill of sliding a quarter into a machine and gunning for glory.
(Follow Chris Campbell at twitter.com/campbler or email him at game_on_games(at)mac.com.)
Game On
