Final Fantasy XIII-2 Xbox 360
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 50 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 50
  3. Negative: 1 out of 50
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  1. Official Xbox Magazine
    Jan 10, 2012
    90
    FFXIII-2 repairs almost every problem with Final Fantasy XIII, delivering an experience that feels like what that original game should have been. If your faith in Final Fantasy has been damaged by past disappointment, playing FFXIII-2 will restore your excitement for the franchise's future. [Feb 2012, p.68]
  2. XboxAddict
    Mar 2, 2012
    91
    With numerous endings, extremely challenging bonus bosses, and a pokemon-like addictiveness of trying to catch them all, Final Fantasy XIII-2 definitely surpassed my expectations and I'm glad that many of the shortcomings of XIII have been addressed and fixed. If you were let down with XIII, give XIII-2 a shot, you might be impressed with all the improvements and changes.
  3. Console Monster
    Feb 24, 2012
    90
    Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a step in the right direction for the franchise and it is clear Square Enix have listened to fans and implemented a lot of the changes they wanted. One thing that will be frustrating is the ending, or at least one of the ten possible ones, and that it's left on somewhat of a cliff hanger which would indicate some lengthy DLC or another sequel. Other than this it's definitely a great game and for any RPG fans a must have.
  4. TeamXbox
    Feb 20, 2012
    90
    A massive step in the right direction for the series, and helps repair some of the damage done to the brand's reputation over the past few years.
  5. MondoXbox
    Feb 9, 2012
    90
    Square Enix made a good job in listening at fans requests and bringing us a better game than FF XIII, even though the combat system is still too similar to the previous one; the involving story, a greater focus on exploration and the many things to do make it an advised buy for every fan.
  6. ZTGD
    Feb 7, 2012
    90
    There are enough improvements to both exploration and combat to appease the old school FF players while keeping the game play fresh. If you're a fan of Japanese RPG's, you'll love the game. Despite the story slowing down at times, the game is really impressive and a lot of fun to play.
  7. Vandal Online
    Feb 3, 2012
    91
    It would be a shame for Final Fantasy XIII-2 not to receive the attention it deserves. It is one of the best games that Square Enix has made in recent years, and a good proof that the venerable Japanese company can evolve the formula of the genre it helped create. FFXIII-2 mantains its personality and has its own ideas very well executed.
  8. Gaming Nexus
    Jan 31, 2012
    100
    I had great hopes for this game, just like I had for the original title. Square Enix addressed nearly every issue from the previous title and delivered in a huge way. With a non-linear world, plenty of side quests, puzzles, and much more, Final Fantasy XIII-2 adds yet another smash hit to the RPG powerhouse.
  9. Videogameszone.de
    Jan 30, 2012
    90
    Despite its disappointingly open ending, Final Fantasy XIII-2 surpasses the original in every way. The monster hunting is fun, the presentation is a blast and the gameplay is way more open than in Final Fantasy XIII. If you liked the predecessor, you will fall in love with the newest installment of Final Fantasy.
  10. Machinima
    Jan 29, 2012
    90
    Recommending Final Fantasy XIII-2 is an interesting proposition. If you don't like menus and cutscenes, Final Fantasy XIII-2 won't change your world view, because they're still there. However if you, like me, have been waiting for a reason to like Final Fantasy again, this is it.
  11. X360 Magazine UK
    Jan 26, 2012
    90
    The level of customisation, freedom of choice and unending list of things to do makes this one of the most worthy and substantial sequels ever created. [Issue#81, p.79]
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.2 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 202 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 77
  3. Negative: 13 out of 77
  1. Wumbmasta
    9
    This game isn't a masterpiece... But it is still fantastic. More open, good story, unique soundtrack, and amazing gameplay make this game great. A huge improvement on xiii and the whole feel of the game is much more loose and open while still having a good story (which is very hard to do btw, just ask skyrim and its amazing world and addictiveness but horrible plot). I don't understand all the people who give this game crap. I understand you want final fantasy to be like it used to be but you can't just let that cloud your minds from seeing when square has put out yet another great game. You won't find this game as one of the final fantasy classics, but this game is still very good and shows squares determination to make the game that the fans want to play.… Full Review »
  2. gamesreflexoes
    10
    So if you stopped being a FF fan, respect the thousands who currently enjoy the series, and go play and watch another game. If you think that the series has "died" why are you here commenting about it? Final Fantasy have their real fans and not needs those who once were, but today only know to criticize. You are a zero to the left! Very hard to find a true fan of the Final Fantasy series. What there are people who are/was fans of one or another episode, and all they know to do nowdays is follow the series news just to criticize and say that "it was the good on my time, now it is garbage". So pay no attention to haters, realize that each FF has something new and different to offer and has no obligation to please fans of previous episodes.… Full Review »
  3. OspreyB
    4
    Although I'm a long time fan of the series, I don't want to let my bias affect what I say about this game, so I'll review it from a neutral standpoint, as if it were not part of the Final Fantasy series. I have to say that I'm disappointed with FFXIII-2. Whether or not the game is well made, beautiful, interesting, or unique, it lacks the most important component in a video game. It just isn't fun. The graphics are fantastic, but the exploration feels like a chore. The area map is difficult to access, and doesn't feel accurate, and the setting is overly dramatic and uninteresting. The game failed to capture my attention. There are sidequests and missions that can be picked up from NPCs, but as far as I could tell there was no way to track any objective outside of the main storyline, making these sidequests frustrating to deal with and minimally rewarding. I'm sure there are many substories and special items that I missed because I just could not bring myself to go after the sidequests. That aside, even just wandering about in the game was never enjoyable due to constant chirpy quotes from annoying, unrelatable, characters. The music isn't anything special either, so turning off the dialogue volume doesn't solve this problem. Now on to the feature that should be FFXIII-2's selling point: the battle system. I was actually excited to try it out. Again, I was disappointed. You can select paradigm setups in the menu outside of battle, which I found to be enjoyable, but using them in battle is not as rewarding or fun as it should be. For the most part, you select what role you want each character to fill, and then you only have control as one of them in battle, and you choose a chain of moves from a list and then wait. The other charactes run around and do their job, healing the players or doing damage to the enemy. It's nearly impossible to pay attention to them, because the battles are a mess of spinning swords, flashing numbers, and explosions. It's all cinematic, you could select a paradigm that gives the party one attacker and one healer, and then put down the controller and go do something else. You'll eventually win. There's no skill, logic, or thinking involved whatsoever. Your input is completely insignificant to the outcome, and the battles drag on. It can take upwards of 5 minutes to win some of the early battles in the game. I found myself avoiding most enemy encounters, although in other similar games, I tend to search out battles to try out my parties new techiniques and strategies. FFXIII-2 ultimately failed in this regard. Nothing about the game captured my attention or was any fun at all, aside from setting up characters in the menu that I never used. All in all, whether you're a long time fan or a newcomer, I can't bring myself to recommend this game. Rent it or play the demo. Maybe you'll find something you like, but I honestly can't believe this game has receieved any ratings above a 6.… Full Review »
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