Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Chapter 2: Can't Catch 'Em All

"Every soul you leave behind will be lost for all eternity," Hope said. However, there are only thirteen possible days left in the world, not enough to save everyone. Lightning must save as many souls as possibly, but she must be careful. If she spends too much time trying to fulfill an elaborate request, others will suffer because of it. She must prioritize who is saved and who is not, no enviable task. There was a transportation device in this ark, which appeared to be the remains of the new cocoon that humanity built to be its home. Stepping into the device, Lightning was surrounded again by crimson lightning bolts, and appeared on a train to another city. This one, Luxerion, the city of light.

Concept art for Luxerion. Dig it. Source.

The cool night air played across Lightning's skin as she stepped off the train. Even at night, the city square was still quite active. Not the least of which was because there was a crime scene being investigated. A woman had been murdered... a woman who had pinkish colored hair, not unlike Lightning herself. Hope chimed in on his radio connection, telling Lightning she should approach the inquisitor who was in charge of investigating the murder. Soon after, shouts of surprise rang out in the square. Another body was slung from a nearby clock tower! She hung swaying, taking her last breaths. However, Lightning quickly realized this body, thankfully, was simply a dummy. Eerie glowing letters appeared, "The evil Savior will die at the hands of the Shadow Hunter."

Lightning examines the dummy.

Lightning's first task is to help gather evidence to help the inquisitor solve the murder case. By talking with people and finding a few things scattered about the square, it quickly becomes apparent that this murder was perpetrated by a group of fanatics called the Children of Etro. This is interesting, because Lightning was the champion of the now dead goddess Etro in 13-2. She now serves Bhunivelze, and some worshipers of her previous patron are now her enemies.

This is what the screen looks like when the player has a quest explained to them. I really enjoyed the matter-of-fact first sentence here.

Since the numbers don't appear until 6AM, I had some time to explore. As a side note, Japan uses 24 hour clocks, as does much of the world, as far as I know. The game clock in the corner of the screen is 24 hours, but the in game explanations use AM and PM for us westerners. This necessitates converting in your head. I really wish they would have just stuck with using the 24 hour clock for everything. This is a case of what the translators probably thought was simplifying things, but they ended up making it more difficult.

To kill time, I took a quick train ride to another area called The Wildlands. Here the folk try to keep some connection to their roots, tending the land, and holding to worship of Etro. As Lightning stepped off the train, she was contacted by a mysterious voice, which sounded like Yeul. It said that Light would meet the "Angel of Valhalla" at the end of the world. The Angel, it turns out, is a legendary... chocobo? I didn't stick around long here, as 6AM came up. At this time, the day ends, and Lightning returns to the Ark.

Each day there will be a new item or two waiting in the Ark. The first day brings the Red Mage garb. As my avatar will tell you, I do love me some Red Mages.

On this first trip back to the Ark, Hope also explains something called the Tree of Life, which shows how many days are remaining for the world. By saving souls, Lightning collects "Eradia" which will power the Tree, and thus give the world more time. Hope also mentions that there are five people in what is left of the world (called "Nova Chrysalia") that have especially large burdens. These people will yield more Eradia, and thus should be a priority. Hope reveals that one of these people is Snow, who Lightning has already seen in the palace of Luxerion. This all seems like a lot of information and gameplay mechanics to absorb only within a couple hours of starting. We've got a completely new battle system, a time limit, and open world, all to understand in a couple hours time. 

Quite frankly, I was overwhelmed, mostly because the time limit puts such a pressure on the player. Once you play for ten hours or so (or maybe 20... or 30), I'd say you get the hang of things, and realize the time limit doesn't mean you need to freak out to complete the game. From experience and what I've read online, I highly recommend playing on "Easy" your first time. Your options are "Easy" and "Normal." It may seem lame to play on Easy, but I think that's the best way to do it. Playing on Normal without being comfortable with the game mechanics quickly became a drag. I was always worried about healing with the limited amount of items available, and running out of points to use special abilities.

Once Etro died, and the Chaos overwhelmed Gran Pulse, the cycle of life and death was stopped. There are no births, and all of the people are frozen in age. The elderly have been elderly, and children have remained children for 500 years. The boy above sums up a lot of what this game is about. These people are still doing their day to day grind, and living their lives, over and over. Yet, as their lives have extended beyond their normal length, they struggle to find meaning. Some people, like the boy above and Snow, try to find entertaining ways to spice this life up. The boy offers to race any takers. Snow provides massive banquets, shows, and fireworks to help people forget the impending doom of the world. However, Snow's efforts are simply a distraction, as we see later, it does not quiet the aching of his soul.

At it's heart, this game is asking, "What is the meaning of life?" It's a portrait of a world having an existential crisis. I don't know if it's everyone's cup of tea, but I found the philosophical questions brought up by it's dialogue and quests to be very intriguing.

I probably don't need to go through the "This blog isn't dead" speech again. I think you know by now my posts may sometimes be unpredictable. August is always my busiest time of year. Now that it's over, I'm hoping to get back on a more regular posting schedule.

Thank's for stopping by, come back again soon for more, at This Bard's Tales!