Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII's combat system | Why I Love
Why I Love is a series of guest editorials on GamesIndustry.biz intended to showcase the ways in which game developers appreciate each other's work. This entry was contributed by Joel Roset, Game Director at developer Noname Studios, whose genre-bending 2D adventure platformer, Worldless published by Thunderful and Coatsink is coming to Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch and PC on November 21.
When people think of the Final Fantasy series they generally don't think about Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
The original Final Fantasy XIII was often considered an overly linear disappointment that lacked the exploration and towns that made previous entries in the series such beloved epics. So the idea of two additional sequels – Final Fantasy XIII-2 was the first follow-up – wasn't on many's wish list. Yet this oft overlooked third entry, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, really stuck with me for one important reason: its combat system.
Lightning Returns' combat system had everything you'd want from an RPG. Its stamina system meant you needed to juggle fast-paced resource management, there was a huge emphasis on planning a strategy and customizing your character, and its enemy weakness Stagger System ensured all abilities could be useful at any point of the game. Allow me to break this down:
In most RPGs it's common that many early actions become basically useless once new upgrades or new skills come to play. Lightning Returns solves this with its Stagger System. Here, some abilities work better to fulfill those stagger requirements, allowing you to freeze an enemy in place and wallop them with massive damage. In essence, you could chip away at your foes dealing damage all throughout, or you could focus on staggering
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