PixlBit

Let PixlBit get you up to speed on all things Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2!

If Final Fantasy XIII was known for anything, it was its unique twist on the battle system. While the new system  polarized the fan base, it arguably allowed for smooth and strategic fights. Some may argue that the battle system is largely inactive due to the “Auto Battle” feature which, when active, plotted out the attacks and spells to be used during the combat phase. While this is partially true, what makes the battle system really stand out are the Paradigm Shift and Stagger features.

The Paradigm Shift mechanic is the bread and butter of Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2's battle system. In most cases, each playable character has a set of classes to select from. These classes include Commando, a  warrior type class; Ravager, a black-mage type; Sentinel, a defensive type; Saboteur, a support type focused on weakening enemies; Synergist, a support type focused on buffing allies; and Medic. a white-mage type. While every character eventually gets access to each class, for a bulk of the game each character will specialize in about three of each. For example, Lightning would specialize in Commando, Ravager and Medic until later in the game when the other classes are unlocked. Whether the class limit still stands in Final Fantasy XIII-2 is still a mystery, but it is likely to remain.

You can only have one class assigned to a character per paradigm. This is where a bulk of the strategy comes in. Battles allow you to use three out of the six possible party members. Within each paradigm slot you can select one class for each of the active characters. This ultimately creates a certain paradigm. For example, a paradigm with two Commandos and one Medic might be called something like “Hurt and Heal.”  These combinations are very crucial to the overall flow and success in battle.

Paradigms can be switched in battle on they fly, allowing the player the ability  to alter their play style as the battle evolves. This comes into fruition when you consider the Stagger meter. Enemies in FFXIII and FFXIII-2 have a stagger meter, which builds as they take damage.  Once the meter maxes out, the enemy becomes “staggered” which puts them in a state where they take much more damage than usual. Certain classes have an impact on how quickly the meter builds, or how slowly it decays, so players always want to be considering what classes they use and when they use them. For example, the Ravager class excels at building up the Stagger meter, however the meter falls quickly. Classes like the Commando and Saboteur excel in slowing down the rate in which meter falls, so using these two classes together is essential if you want to get a “stagger” on an opponent.

The battle system also uses an Active Time Battle (ATB) gauge, which essentially affects the number of actions that can be performed in a battle phase. At the beginning of the game you start with a small amount, but that number expands as you progress. During battle your ATB fills with actions that apply to the class that you have selected and once the gauge fills the actions are carried out. Certain buff abilities, like Haste, increase the rate in which this meter builds,  makeing classes like Synergist very important to your party’s success. This meter can also be rebuilt using certain techniques while Paradigm Shifting. If you complete one turn and Paradigm shift as soon as that turn completes, your ATB gauge will remain full, allowing you to attack in rapid succession.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 keeps all of these aspects of battle intact, while adding a few other mechanics. One of the larger additions is the monster system. When monsters are defeated, there is a chance that the monster you defeat will become part of your party, similar to games in the Dragon Quest series. There are hundreds of monsters to collect and each monster comes with unique stat bonuses, passive abilities, and a class of their own. Players are allowed to have up to three monsters attached to the main party at all times. These monsters alternate depending on which paradigm they are assigned to. This means that you can have a Commando type monster assigned to one paradigm and a Medic type assigned to another. Generally your monster will fill out the third party slot so you can't have more than one monster out at one time.

Because of these monsters, there is another feature called Feral Link which is essentially a special attack that the monster can use once a meter fills up which is located right below the monster's health bar. This attack is performed by completing certain quick time actions during combat and once preformed has interesting results that range from very powerful combination attacks, to an onslaught of magical spells.

One last feature that XIII-2 introduces is the Cinematic Action sequences, which are usually placed at the end of boss battles. These are simply quick time events that if completed properly will earn you bonuses in experience and loot.

Among the big changes to the battle system are some minor improvements to the system that are quite easy to appreciate. One of those is that now upon dying in battle, instead of it being game over you switch characters and continue fighting. Along with that, the pausing animation that came along with Paradigm Shifting in the first game is now gone, which provides a smoother flow of battle. Another interesting change to the Paradigm system is that now you can customize Paradigm's to focus on single or multiple enemies, meaning you can optimize paradigms for a mob of enemies, or even bosses.

People might remember the summons in the original game and how they could transform into vehicle forms. That is gone from this game, so players no longer have to wrap their heads around how an awesome dragon could become a motorcycle or something odd like that. Another thing that is related to the summons that won't be returning is the TP system. TP allowed for special skills to be used in the original like Libra or Quake, while also allowing you to be able to summon monsters when enough points are accumulated.

People who were pleased with the battle system that was implemented in the original FFXIII will be right at home with XIII-2. It still provides the same fast paced fun of the original, and with the new additions like the Monster System and the Cinematic Actions battles couldn't be more engaging.