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[SirNinja]

I'm really stressed I'll run out of time.

Don't worry about the time limit. As long as you plan your time decently (and make use of Chronostasis, but even that's not necessary), you'll have more than enough time to do everything you need and more.

Also - and this is something I wish I knew when I started - if you actually do run out of time, you'll just start again with all your items, garbs, equipment, money, and stats. The game's timer is basically just counting down to New Game Plus.

 

[Glittering Crux]

Ah, well I think the only one I killed "today" was a Niblet so it looks like I'm out of luck. I'll be sure to watch out for those now though.

 

[MrDenny]

Less than a month, and it's already 46$ on amazon.
Was 50$ yesterday.

 

[SoraanTribal]

On day four, have 5 days left. Still on Luxerion doing side quests. Best noël already. Really wanna go to Yusnaan now.

I'm really stressed I'll run out of time.

As someone who was extremely worried about the time limit prior to playing the game and even some at the beginning, you really have nothing to worry about. Trust me, you'll probably have several days where there will be nothing to do except exterminate monsters or do canvas of prayers quests at the end of the game, lol. The time limit is extremely lenient - especially if you use chronostasis often like I did. As someone else said tho, I don't recommend exterminating enemies too early - you miss out on some good ability/item drops if you do that. I believe the monsters upgrade their loot once on Day 7 then again on Day 10. So try to wait until at least Day 10 before exterminating monsters. Obviously, you have to kill some here and there to keep enough EP going, but don't just sit in one place grinding a lot. And some monsters do not become extinct like Anubis, some of the mechanical monsters, the human guards in the cities (which you can hit them with your sword 2-3 times to get in a fight with them), Flanitors, etc.

I also recommend holding off on beating the quest "Death Game" in Yusnaan for a few reasons (the quest has you getting 30 points, so what you do is get like 28~ or so, then go fail the quest by walking out of the exit and then start it again to keep from beating it). 1) it's a great way to farm Soul Seeds, 2) it's actually decent money - each one gives you like 700gil and you get a ton of weapon drops that you can sell for over 1,000. and 3) it's a great EP-farming place since each fight gives you at least 1 EP. Can keep Chronostasis active nonstop while farming gil or abilities (Heavy Slash Level 3 drops from them on Day 10+). There's 3 enemy types in that quest - only the anubis doesn't go extinct.

Do all Last Ones drop accessories or just Niblet? I've defeated a good amount of Last Ones and haven't picked anything up...

I finished 2-2 today and will probably finish 2-3 tomorrow. After that I may head to the Dead Dunes and get the last Fragment I need. Not sure I'm ready for 3-3's boss.

Yep, all Last Ones drop items after you kill them. With how the game teaches you to always be on the move and going to the next objective (due to the timer), a lot of people kill the omega, then immediately leave like I did for Niblet. It's a shame...

Uh oh! They all drop things (red sparkly on the ground). I am somewhat sure that those sparklies and also Soul Seeds remain where they are dropped until the end of the game, so you may want to backtrack to where you killed those other Last Ones and look for their drops.

Many bosses also drop things where they die.

Unfortunately, I'm 99% sure the item goes away if you change areas/zones. I killed the Omega Niblet in Yusnaan, left to the Wild Lands for a while, then remembered I didn't pick up the item, and immediately went back (still on the same day) and it wasn't there. And I'm positive of where I killed it.

Quest-specific items and quest progression off the top of my head; Soul Seeds too.

Ah okay, thanks!

 

[Darth_Caedus]

List your Schematas for me.

As a general rule of thumb: Prior to hard boss fights you want as much EP as possible. You want to use Overclock to exploit enemy weaknesses. Either use Overclock when a target is Staggered and vulnerable, or use Overclock when a target is vulnerable to being staggered (for example, some enemies are vulnerable while using specific attacks, so you can use Overclock to slow down time and attack that enemy until it is Staggered). Don't forget that Overclock completely restores all ATB to your Schematas, so it's often a good idea to use up all that ATB before using another Overclock.

This game is all about Staggering enemies. If you don't learn how to Stagger enemies you will have a very hard time with the game. Blocking in a timely fashion also Staggers enemies.

For many bosses, you may want to get them to low health (below 50%) before using your Overclocks, as bosses have a tendency to "enrage" and become more powerful when at low health.

If you're capable of killing a Behemoth (Reaver), you may want to go farm some and try to get the "Shard Blade" drop, which is an extremely powerful weapon that will help a lot.

Note that the game design considers Noel endgame content. Technically, you are supposed to visit each area of the game and then attempt to complete the main quests of each area by killing their final bosses. Almost-required debuffs such as Imperil can only be found in specific areas, for example. You can definitely kill Noel as is, but you will stand a much better chance by visiting other areas first. This is not a linear game.

Thanks. All I have is Savior with attack, guard and thunder. Red Mage with light strike, ruin, sparkstrike. Mist wizard with deshell, blizzard, thunder. And I'm incredibly overwhelmed by the time limit.

 

[SoraanTribal]

Thanks. All I have is Savior with attack, guard and thunder. Red Mage with light strike, ruin, sparkstrike. Mist wizard with deshell, blizzard, thunder. And I'm incredibly overwhelmed by the time limit.

iirc, Noel is weak to Thunder, so spam Thunder, Sparkstrike, etc. until he staggers, then use your hardest hitting attacks to do some big damage. Don't be afraid to Overclock either.

If you don't mind using a guide, I would recommend this one. It includes some very helpful maps showing where all items and sidequests are located and where you need to go to complete them. I felt overwhelmed initially, but kept the maps nearby so I could plan out my day. And in the end, I had like 5 days left over with nothing much to do. The time limit really isn't that bad. That said, I do think it would have been better without it personally.

-----

Wooot, I beat the

Spoiler

Ultimate Lair. The final boss of that area was really easy compared to Aeronite, lol. Just had to stagger him quickly and then keep Poison on 100% of the time. Kind of reminded me of the final cei'th stone mission in FFXIII. I killed all the Last Ones, too! Got out of the dungeon at like 14:00 or something. That was with killing some of the bigger Last Ones prior to going inside, so that would have added a few more hours if I hadn't done that.

Now... I guess I can actually beat the game.

 

[Adaren]

Thanks. All I have is Savior with attack, guard and thunder. Red Mage with light strike, ruin, sparkstrike. Mist wizard with deshell, blizzard, thunder. And I'm incredibly overwhelmed by the time limit.

Another tip: when Noel isn't attacking you, use Thunder to keep your distance. When he attacks, you'll have ample time to see him charging and start blocking. After he stops hitting you, use Sparkstrike while he's vulnerable and then back off again.

 

[HawthorneKitty]

Playing this game has kinda motivated me to try and Platinum XIII. If I can grind for fun here, I think I might be able to grind a plat there.

 

[Adaren]

Has anyone managed to beat Ereshkigal on a Normal Mode first run without Poison? I was trying it without Poison since people said that it made him easy, but I can't find a strategy to remotely dent his health bar before he Meteors me to death (I'd rather use Poison than a Phoenix Down, if it comes to that!).

On a related note, is it possible to Evade to dodge Meteor? I couldn't get it, but maybe my timing with Evade just sucks.

 

[SoraanTribal]

Has anyone managed to beat Ereshkigal on a Normal Mode first run without Poison? I was trying it without Poison since people said that it made him easy, but I can't find a strategy to remotely dent his health bar before he Meteors me to death (I'd rather use Poison than a Phoenix Down, if it comes to that!).

On a related note, is it possible to Evade to dodge Meteor? I couldn't get it, but maybe my timing with Evade just sucks.

Hmm, I'm not sure. He has so much HP, I feel like Poison is how they intended you to beat him, lol. I killed him on my first go with Poison, np. I did die once to one of his attacks (had to use a Phoenix Wing) - did like 41,000HP. I'm not sure if that was avoidable or not - it was something like Supernova.

 

[Balphon]

Has anyone managed to beat Ereshkigal on a Normal Mode first run without Poison? I was trying it without Poison since people said that it made him easy, but I can't find a strategy to remotely dent his health bar before he Meteors me to death (I'd rather use Poison than a Phoenix Down, if it comes to that!).

On a related note, is it possible to Evade to dodge Meteor? I couldn't get it, but maybe my timing with Evade just sucks.

I just wailed on him with regular attacks from Helter Skelter after enough staggers. Poison didn't seem to be doing anything or lasting very long so I stopped casting it.

I probably overclocked a half dozen times, though.

 

[Glittering Crux]

I finished the Yusnaan main quests today.

I think next in-game day I'll finish the Quill Pen & Sinless quests + do whatever opens up in Yusnaan after finishing the main stuff. If the Wildlands boss isn't time specific I'll probably fight him too. I've had no trouble whatsoever with Noel and Snow so I'm hoping I can win this fight without too much trouble.

I haven't bought any equipment from vendors yet and have ~170k. I'm wondering if I should save it or buy a better weapon for my physical attacker before the Wildlands boss. I've been using Vengeance + Shadow Hunter for Jump but there is probably better options available.

I'm really enjoying my time with this game. It's very unique. One of the few open world games I actually enjoy.

 

[Tohsaka]

Playing this game has kinda motivated me to try and Platinum XIII. If I can grind for fun here, I think I might be able to grind a plat there.

Yeah, I really want to go back and platinum the first two games. I did it in this game but not the previous two. Unfortunately, too many other new games keep coming out for me to bother with replaying older games for now.

 

[romulus91]

forgive my ignorance but the ending ......... someone care to explain

Spoiler

the scene after the credits

 

[HawthorneKitty]

forgive my ignorance but the ending ......... someone care to explain

Spoiler

the scene after the credits

Spoiler

There is a real Lightning amongst us in this world; we must find her.

 

[romulus91]

Spoiler

There is a real Lightning amongst us in this world; we must find her.

thought so ..... didnt mind it actually

 

[Falk]

Playing this game has kinda motivated me to try and Platinum XIII. If I can grind for fun here, I think I might be able to grind a plat there.

Not comparable in the least.

 

[Adaren]

Hmm, I'm not sure. He has so much HP, I feel like Poison is how they intended you to beat him, lol. I killed him on my first go with Poison, np. I did die once to one of his attacks (had to use a Phoenix Wing) - did like 41,000HP. I'm not sure if that was avoidable or not - it was something like Supernova.

I just wailed on him with regular attacks from Helter Skelter after enough staggers. Poison didn't seem to be doing anything or lasting very long so I stopped casting it.

I probably overclocked a half dozen times, though.

Thanks! I went ahead and used Poison. Got him down in 3:35 before he had time to do Supernova (one shot even through Defaith+Blocking q_q) or even a second Meteor. It took a few tries and a lot of refining of my schemata in order to get out enough damage, but the kill was pretty satisfying. It felt like I got better with each attempt and made very few mistakes when I killed him.

This game's combat is gerat.

 

[Crash Station]

I just want to say the Bhakti quest is the most emotional thing in this game.

 

[RpgN]

Aeronite is FINALLY defeated! After hours of practice and after a few days (no stars but who cares, it took 10 minutes). At first I just tried taking him on the 7th day straight away with the garb that I had when you guys mentioned them (the one with Artemis Arrow). While it helped out big time to stagger the boss 3 times, obviously it wasn't enough. On the next day I finished other side quests/Canvas Prayers, bought new garbs, tried to find as many ethers as possible and experimenting with different garbs. The fight was mostly decided with the Artemis Arrow garb, Paladin garb, Midnight Mauve garb, 3 ethers plus one turbo ether, Nektar of Gods (the one that gives Bravery, Faith, Regen), Crusader's Potion, Warrior Potion, Holy Potion, elemental magic, defaith, debrave etc. After having all of this, I started staggering him all the way to the end but I didn't have enough time to take all his health away for like 5 times (didn't use overclock constantly, wanted to keep ethers). But it worked last time with all ethers used up.

Army of One was pretty useless during that fight, are there any benefits to it? Also, Paladin garb is amazing for guarding. Having it along with Preta Hood and a high defence shield made it pretty immune to most attacks.

Thank you so much guys for your help. If it wasn't for your suggestions, I might have not been able to beat him anytime soon. Also, this fight definitely forces the player to experiment and seriously take a look at the garbs that are in possession and whether the equipment fits with the garbs depending on what you want. Along with having to understand how the stagger gauge works 100%. It's like, I knew how these things worked good enough but I didn't bother putting too much effort into them when most fights weren't that challenging. It feels good once it clicks like that and you feel like you have mastered the system.

Now please tell me he is the toughest boss in the game?

 

[timshundo]

Literally the entire world is gonna hate me for saying this but I want a continuation of this series in the future ahahaha. It could be Final Fantasy FFXVII or FFXVIII or just something after the next decade, a complete reboot, where the only thing it has in common with the FFXIII series is

Spoiler

the return of the old cast. The game would take place on earth with Lightning and gang meeting up because of destiny etc etc and them having to deal with the return of magic powers unto the world and shit as well as discovering why they all know each other / the real history of the previous universe.

 

[Szadek]

Literally the entire world is gonna hate me for saying this but I want a continuation of this series in the future ahahaha. It could be Final Fantasy FFXVII or FFXVIII or just something after the next decade, a complete reboot, where the only thing it has in common with the FFXIII series is

Spoiler

the return of the old cast. The game would take place on earth with Lightning and gang meeting up because of destiny etc etc and them having to deal with the return of magic powers unto the world and shit as well as discovering why they all know each other / the real history of the previous universe.

It would probably have a metacrtic score of 50 and sales 500000 copies world wide.

 

[BocoDragon]

Literally the entire world is gonna hate me for saying this but I want a continuation of this series in the future ahahaha. It could be Final Fantasy FFXVII or FFXVIII or just something after the next decade, a complete reboot, where the only thing it has in common with the FFXIII series is

Spoiler

the return of the old cast. The game would take place on earth with Lightning and gang meeting up because of destiny etc etc and them having to deal with the return of magic powers unto the world and shit as well as discovering why they all know each other / the real history of the previous universe.

I've been surprised by the extent to which I've been re-engaged in the XIII story in XIII-2, and now putting the cast to rest in LR...

..but still, no. We're done here.

 

[CrimsonCrescendo]

Literally the entire world is gonna hate me for saying this but I want a continuation of this series in the future ahahaha. It could be Final Fantasy FFXVII or FFXVIII or just something after the next decade, a complete reboot, where the only thing it has in common with the FFXIII series is

Spoiler

the return of the old cast. The game would take place on earth with Lightning and gang meeting up because of destiny etc etc and them having to deal with the return of magic powers unto the world and shit as well as discovering why they all know each other / the real history of the previous universe.

Falling sales, falling scores, waning interest, and the fact that Square obviously only made the games as a way to recoup costs in the first place (low budget, middling profits... which means a 50 to 75 million sequel on a new system wouldn't be applicable) would prevent this on the business side. On a personal note: Hell no. The story ended perfectly with XIII (when put in the context of "I know what the two unplanned sequels did to the story"), the last thing we need is a third sequel dragging things out even more. It's done. They told the story they wanted to tell and then some. Just because you can come up with ideas to extend a story doesn't mean you should. I'm not saying it's a terrible thing that the sequels happened since, at least with XIII-2, it explores interesting concepts (LR did as well, but it was just so heavy handed and disappointing that I can't even enjoy those background concepts)... but enough is enough.

 

[RpgN]

Uhm, what the hell did Lumina say to Lightning on the 8th day? Did she just say Serah was

Spoiler

inside Lightning? Or at least her soul? Did she mean just her memories of Serah being taken out of Lightning or...did LR's story turn into Kingdom Hearts?

. Either I wasn't paying attention or this bit is more silly and complicated than the rest of the game.

 

[SoraanTribal]

Uhm, what the hell did Lumina say to Lightning on the 8th day? Did she just say Serah was

Spoiler

inside Lightning? Or at least her soul? Did she mean just her memories of Serah being taken out of Lightning or...did LR's story turn into Kingdom Hearts?

. Either I wasn't paying attention or this bit is more silly and complicated than the rest of the game.

It was

Spoiler

kind of hard to tell what she meant. They made it sound like Serah's soul was literally in Lightning's heart which definitely made me think of Kingdom Hearts, lol. But then maybe Bhuni took Serah's soul/memories out? I'm not sure. I'm hoping the game makes more sense once I finish (doubtful lol).

---

Can someone explain to me what purpose some of the key items you find are used for? Like a key item in a chest "Holy Revelations" or "Prophecy of Rebirth", etc. They don't seem to be used for anything and you can't read them either. Just a bit confused on their purpose.

 

[RpgN]

It was

Spoiler

kind of hard to tell what she meant. They made it sound like Serah's soul was literally in Lightning's heart which definitely made me think of Kingdom Hearts, lol. But then maybe Bhuni took Serah's soul/memories out? I'm not sure. I'm hoping the game makes more sense once I finish (doubtful lol).

---

Can someone explain to me what purpose some of the key items you find are used for? Like a key item in a chest "Holy Revelations" or "Prophecy of Rebirth", etc. They don't seem to be used for anything and you can't read them either. Just a bit confused on their purpose.

This whole bit was getting silly.

Spoiler

Lightning slept to be a vessel for Serah's soul? What does that even mean? I hope it does not end up like Kingdom Hearts. The games are fun but the story attached to them is usually...unique. Ahem.

Prophecy of Rebirth is a note for one of the monsters. I think it was one of Noel's forms. I don't have Holy Revelations yet, but I'm guessing it's another one of those notes. They give you all the information about the enemies and make them have a higher drop rate for rare items.

 

[SoraanTribal]

This whole bit was getting silly.

Spoiler

Lightning slept to be a vessel for Serah's soul? What does that even mean? I hope it does not end up like Kingdom Hearts. The games are fun but the story attached to them is usually...unique. Ahem.

Prophecy of Rebirth is a note for one of the monsters. I think it was one of Noel's forms. I don't have Holy Revelations yet, but I'm guessing it's another one of those notes. They give you all the information about the enemies and make them have a higher drop rate for rare items.

Oh okay, gotcha.

And you have no idea what silly is until you beat the game. ;P

---

So I finally finished the game and saw the ending. That was... definitely something. Um. Yeah. At least it was gorgeous - always loved SE's CG scenes, lol.

A few questions (if it's even possible to have answers to some of these):

So just to confirm, Lumina

Spoiler

is the part of Lightning that she shut out back when her parents died (so she could be strong and not weak or "have feelings" like that), and took a physical form via the Chaos? That Fake Serah and Lumina basically called her a young "Claire Farron". And Serah's soul was "safe" inside Lumina to protect it from the Chaos? I don't mean to be snide, but is this just an excuse to explain how shitty Lightning was written in the previous games? Like when people said she had no emotions (other than anger, of course) and was boring in the previous games, SE thought they would use this as a plot point for later? lol. I'm mostly kidding about that, but the story took such a weird turn at the end.

Also

Spoiler

how exactly did Hope, Snow, Fang, Vanille, Noel, etc. find Lightning in that other "god" realm? They just appeared out of nowhere for that "my friends are my power!" bit where they destroyed Bhuni. Hmm, what else.. so about Yeul/Caius/Noel.. once again, their inclusion was the most interesting and should I say, "touching" part of the ending. When Noel yelled that he wanted Yeul and wanted her alive - I liked that scene. However, the part after was not explained very well. So Caius somehow freed that final Yeul from the curse of being a seeress? Uhh, how? Could he always have done this and if so, why didn't he free all the Yeuls? lol. But whatevers, I do like that Noel finally got his Yeul back. And how ironic that Caius and Yeul(s) would stay behind in the unseen realm to act as the new Goddess of Death considering they killed the old one, lol.

I really could have done without that final CG scene post-credits. I almost want to imagine that didn't happen and the ending was just the pre-credits stuff.

Spoiler

I would have preferred if the new world was mostly a replica of Pulse than Earth. Seeing Lightning in those more realistic clothes just looked so odd. I was spoiled regarding something to do with this prior to playing the game. Someone didn't spoiler tag properly and the tag said something about Lightning ending up in Paris. Is that where she actually was? I didn't see anything in particular that made me think of Paris personally, but ya know.

Anywho... there were parts of the story I enjoyed, but most of it was a bit nonsensical with some stuff not even explained at all. But that's fine, it was at least a conclusion that tied up most of the loose ends of the previous games. The XIII series makes me feel really weird... I had fun most of the time when I played the games (mostly due to the battle systems and certain characters), but they are such incredibly flawed games. There are touches of brilliance here and there over the course of the three games, but the execution was poorly lacking. I think XIII-2 is still my favorite of the trilogy with LR being my least favorite. LR just didn't feel like an epic adventure most of the time. Too much of the game was going around solving simple tasks for people to make me feel like I'm on some real journey. LR did have a few interesting bits, but most of the stuff I had fun with involved the battle system and customization - so awesome.

Looking at my trophies, I might as well platinum the game since I'm so close. Just gotta upgrade some weapons/shields and collect some more accessories. I ended up doing every sidequest (minus the "Last Ones" that you can't do on first playthrough) and every Canvas of Prayers (yes, I did them all for some reason lol).

 

[Szadek]

I highly recommend to not think about the story at all,because neither did the writer.

 

[SoraanTribal]

I highly recommend to not think about the story at all,because neither did the writer.

haha, maybe that's for the best.

 

[RpgN]

And you have no idea what silly is until you beat the game. ;P

Oh no, now you're getting me all worried about the ending again. I'm on day 10 and am dying to see the ending already >_< Did they ruin the characters?

Speaking of crazy story...I don't mind when some are very imaginative like Chocolina's origin, Sazh's son and some of the NPC characters. But this one was just too stupid to the point that it made me scratch my head for a different reason;

The Aeronite side quest.

Spoiler

So the whole reason Nolan wanted Aeronite's flesh was to be able to grow, become old and die?!

For one, I'm not buying that there are people who want that just because they don't age. And most importantly, the guy only has a few days to experience this.

Spoiler

How is he going to experience becoming an old man in a few freaking days?!

. Unless the people there don't know when exactly the world is about to end, thinking he has enough time to do that?

 

[Falk]

Spoiler

Someone didn't spoiler tag properly and the tag said something about Lightning ending up in Paris. Is that where she actually was? I didn't see anything in particular that made me think of Paris personally, but ya know.

Spoiler

Red poppies and "Chateau _______" on the building at the station strongly hint towards it, along with where the little blips of light went right at the end of the ending CGI on "Earth"

 

[SoraanTribal]

Oh no, now you're getting me all worried about the ending again. I'm on day 10 and am dying to see the ending already >_< Did they ruin the characters?

Speaking of crazy story...I don't mind when some are very imaginative like Chocolina's origin, Sazh's son and some of the NPC characters. But this one was just too stupid to the point that it made me scratch my head for a different reason;

The Aeronite side quest.

Spoiler

So the whole reason Nolan wanted Aeronite's flesh was to be able to grow, become old and die?!

For one, I'm not buying that there are people who want that just because they don't age. And most importantly, the guy only has a few days to experience this.

Spoiler

How is he going to experience becoming an old man in a few freaking days?!

. Unless the people there don't know when exactly the world is about to end, thinking he has enough time to do that?

I won't say they really "ruin" characters, but some of the stuff that happens will make you scratch your head. But I guess that's fairly typical for the XIII series, lol. There are elements/parts of the ending I like, but in between those are filled with big "WTF" moments. xD

I agree about that Aeronite quest. It makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever. And

Spoiler

I don't believe for a second there's anyone alive in that world that doesn't know the world is ending, lol. That sidequest made no sense whatsoever.

Spoiler

Red poppies and "Chateau _______" on the building at the station strongly hint towards it, along with where the little blips of light went right at the end of the ending CGI on "Earth"

Oh, I gotcha. I did notice that

Spoiler

on the building. Guess it makes sense how people came to that conclusion. I guess based on what I read, I was expecting to see the Eiffel Tower in the ending, haha.

 

[Szadek]

Spoiler

So the whole reason Nolan wanted Aeronite's flesh was to be able to grow, become old and die?!

For one, I'm not buying that there are people who want that just because they don't age. And most importantly, the guy only has a few days to experience this.

Spoiler

How is he going to experience becoming an old man in a few freaking days?!

. Unless the people there don't know when exactly the world is about to end, thinking he has enough time to do that?

Spoiler

Well,I do.I can see why someone who is over 500 years old don't want to live any longer.
It's philosophical thing.Thier immortaliy is unnatural,human are not supposed to live that long. and they feel that.
I liked that part...too bad that the end of the world is so close that it doesn't matter anymore.

 

[HawthorneKitty]

I like how the many side-quests deal with death in a different way; very entertaining.

Wait, what?

 

[Adaren]

Just finished. 83 hours.

I wish the final area had more visual variety, but the cutscenes and effects going on there were on a whole different level from the rest of the game.

Final boss was everything I could have hoped for, both in gameplay and presentation. The difficulty was spot-on.

The ending was stupidly cheesy, but also stupidly awesome. Reminded me of Bayonetta and Wonderful 101 in more ways than one. I also got nostalgia shivers more than a few times.

Overall, this is probably my favorite entry in the trilogy (and I liked XIII-1 quite a bit). Solid story, exceptional gameplay, awesome soundtrack, and endless customization. The one hiccup for me is the occasional performance drops, but the game still manages to look stunning in many of its locales.

All of the elemental ultimates currently do less damage than their base counterparts (Fire, Thunder, etc.) even in the best conditions. It is presumed that the abilities are bugged in some way. Square has not addressed it yet.

Now that I have Flare, I collected numbers on it vs. Fire/Fira. Only conclusion so far is that Flare doesn't seem to scale with Magic on your gear. However, when I compare my numbers to those that this video has, Flare clearly scales with something.

Current theory is that it might scale with your base magic/strength? and be unaffected by modifiers such as Defaith and weaknesses. I'll try to look into it more.

 

[ULTROS!]

I'm having trouble connecting to the outerworld service in Facebook... Anyone having the same problems?

Also, how do I purchase an elixir from the outerworld services?

 

[HawthorneKitty]

Also, how do I purchase an elixir from the outerworld services?

You just have to hope someone sent one to the Outerworld, all chance; check all the blue NPCs and eventually you'll find one... hopefully. It's like 360k or so also.

 

[RpgN]

Spoiler

Well,I do.I can see why someone who is over 500 years old don't want to live any longer.
It's philosophical thing.Thier immortaliy is unnatural,human are not supposed to live that long. and they feel that.
I liked that part...too bad that the end of the world is so close that it doesn't matter anymore.

Spoiler

I'll be honest, for a moment there I did consider that and mostly considered the curiosity part. But that quickly disappeared when it just didn't make sense considering there aren't many days left. And that the way Nolan talked about death made it sound like a gift and something positive. That rubbed me wrong way. It's like humans always clamour for something that they don't have. Or rather, they always complain! In real world, we don't want to die and we want to live as long as possible. When you finally have that, you tell me there are people who want the opposite now because they don't have it anymore? Maybe it's just hard to resonate because I would want the opposite if given the chance. Then again, you can't reproduce in their state. So I suppose I can see why they might be negative about that, but that doesn't have to do with growing old and dying.

The monsters are definitely tougher on the 10th day, but they have better drop so that's good.

What I have left to do:

-Probably final conversation with Luka's Tears side quest.
-Extinct around 14 monsters for the Last One side quest (not bothering with Moenekton though).
-Collect around 16 seeds to get that trophy for it.

Not much is left, I'm looking forward to the extra dungeon on the final day and finishing the game.

 

[SoraanTribal]

You know, after having some time to think about the ending, it actually kind of reminds me of another JRPG that came out last generation.

Spoilers for both games below (I can't really name the other RPG I'm talking about in the spoiler tag because that would kind of spoil elements to that game's ending, too):

So Lightning Returns' ending is both very similar and at the same time, the opposite of

Spoiler

the way Xenoblade did its ending. First the similarities: in both games, the world is stagnant and dying (this happens late in Xenoblade's story) and needs to be remade into another world/universe. Both final bosses take place in a god-like realm resembling space, and the final boss themselves are both the gods of those respective worlds (well, we learn that Zanza was never the true god, but you get my meaning). Both Bhuni and Zanza want to recreate a new world and do not want humans to be there (the humans Bhuni would want are not "real" humans -more like emotionless dolls). Both games have a similar moment of "with the power of my friends and our humanity/free will, we will create this new sword to kill god!" In LR, Lightning is basically a goddess herself while in Xenoblade, Shulk becomes a god due to Zanza inhabiting him and unintentionally giving him powers. Both games even talk about not needing gods in the new world they create so that humanity can go on their own path. What else.. um, oh yeah, so this is kind of where the endings are both similar and different. In LR, the world of Gran Pulse is changed into a pseudo-Earth after they kill Bhuni. In Xenoblade, the world USED to be Earth, but was changed into the world of the two giant gods/mechs a long time ago because of Klaus/Zanza. So both games dealt with a world changing into and from Earth as well.

Even though there are a lot of similarities between the two games final moments, I personally feel the execution in Xenoblade was far superior to that of Lightning Returns. A big part of that is actually because of the epilogue after the new world is formed in each game. LR's epilogue is both really short, feels out of place, and just the whole idea of that fantasy world with moogles, Odin, etc being turned into earth (where those creatures would probably no longer exist in those forms) is kind of depressing and boring. I would have preferred if Lightning actually found her friends and family, too - maybe Snow and Serah's wedding or whatever. I would have preferred if the new world they created was just a remade Pulse actually. In contrast, Xenoblade's epilogue was both extremely well done and very satisfying/touching. I just sat there after beating it (when the credits were rolling) and was sad the adventure was over. I didn't feel like that with LR's ending at all.

 

[squall211]

So I've gotten to near the end of my second playthrough, also on normal. The "+" version of the final boss is kicking my ass though. Does anyone have any good schema setups? Any help would be great!

 

[KeRaSh]

So I've finished all the main quests and I'm now on day 7. Do I miss anything by skipping all the side quests and going straight to the final day or are there some things I should definitely check off my list before that?

 

[Tathanen]

Whatever dudes, I liked the ending. ;-;

Also

Spoiler

Fabula Nova Crystallis is Xenoblade prequel confirmed

.

 

[SoraanTribal]

So I've finished all the main quests and I'm now on day 7. Do I miss anything by skipping all the side quests and going straight to the final day or are there some things I should definitely check off my list before that?

By not doing sidequests, you'll miss out on the added stats from doing them. They might not look like much, but it adds up quite a bit, so the final boss and areas will be harder if you don't do at least some of them. Also, if you do something like 40-50 sidequests (Canvas of Prayers quest do not count), you'll unlock

Spoiler

a 14th day which lets you go into the optional Ultimate Lair dungeon with the hardest versions of every monster in the game + a special boss there.

Also, Aeronite - one of the optional end-game bosses starts spawning on Day 7 and is quite challenging (probably the hardest enemy in the game). But he drops an amazing item. It all depends on what you want to do in the game. If you are just after the story, you can go ahead to the final day, but be prepared for some tough encounters if you didn't do any or many sidequests.

Whatever dudes, I liked the ending. ;-;

Also

Spoiler

Fabula Nova Crystallis is Xenoblade prequel confirmed

.

I actually didn't hate the ending as much as others here, but there are a few moments that made me roll my eyes and have a big "WTF" moment. xD

@spoilertag you said: Oh my god...

Spoiler

it all makes sense now. Zanza/Klaus = Hope GROWN UP AGAIN!

---

I beat the game last night and got the Platinum today after a couple hours of playing in the second/third playthrough. It's pretty crazy how easy it to get to the platinum. I mean, the XIII games had fairly easy platinums compared to other games, but this one takes the cake as being the easiest. I finished it at 61~hours. To be fair, I did use a guide some. I got all 3 platinums for the series now, lol.

 

[KeRaSh]

By not doing sidequests, you'll miss out on the added stats from doing them. They might not look like much, but it adds up quite a bit, so the final boss and areas will be harder if you don't do at least some of them. Also, if you do something like 40-50 sidequests (Canvas of Prayers quest do not count), you'll unlock

Spoiler

a 14th day which lets you go into the optional Ultimate Lair dungeon with the hardest versions of every monster in the game + a special boss there.

Also, Aeronite - one of the optional end-game bosses starts spawning on Day 7 and is quite challenging (probably the hardest enemy in the game). But he drops an amazing item. It all depends on what you want to do in the game. If you are just after the story, you can go ahead to the final day, but be prepared for some tough encounters if you didn't do any or many sidequests.

Ah thanks! I think I did around 20-30 sidequests. I might give it a shot.

 

[Ganon Dragmire]

Beat the game.

Started hard mode. Not so hard at the moment. Managed to beat

Spoiler

Noel

some shots:

Not only

Spoiler

is this familiar,it mirrors what happens in the original XIII.(the l'cie's vision)

So the glasses were just an accessory?

Chasing Chocolina

 

[SoraanTribal]

I want to replay the game at some point on Hard mode to see how much it changed. I messed around in Hard Mode a little today while finishing up the platinum, but it didn't feel very hard to me. Granted, the hardest enemy I killed was a Cyclops, but it died with just a few Artemis arrows to the face, lol.

When I replay the game, I'm gonna wait to do

Spoiler

Noel, Snow, and Fang's

main story quests until after Day 7 to see those harder forms.

 

[CrimsonCrescendo]

You know, after having some time to think about the ending, it actually kind of reminds me of another JRPG that came out last generation.

Spoilers for both games below (I can't really name the other RPG I'm talking about in the spoiler tag because that would kind of spoil elements to that game's ending, too):

So Lightning Returns' ending is both very similar and at the same time, the opposite of

Spoiler

the way Xenoblade did its ending. First the similarities: in both games, the world is stagnant and dying (this happens late in Xenoblade's story) and needs to be remade into another world/universe. Both final bosses take place in a god-like realm resembling space, and the final boss themselves are both the gods of those respective worlds (well, we learn that Zanza was never the true god, but you get my meaning). Both Bhuni and Zanza want to recreate a new world and do not want humans to be there (the humans Bhuni would want are not "real" humans -more like emotionless dolls). Both games have a similar moment of "with the power of my friends and our humanity/free will, we will create this new sword to kill god!" In LR, Lightning is basically a goddess herself while in Xenoblade, Shulk becomes a god due to Zanza inhabiting him and unintentionally giving him powers. Both games even talk about not needing gods in the new world they create so that humanity can go on their own path. What else.. um, oh yeah, so this is kind of where the endings are both similar and different. In LR, the world of Gran Pulse is changed into a pseudo-Earth after they kill Bhuni. In Xenoblade, the world USED to be Earth, but was changed into the world of the two giant gods/mechs a long time ago because of Klaus/Zanza. So both games dealt with a world changing into and from Earth as well.

Even though there are a lot of similarities between the two games final moments, I personally feel the execution in Xenoblade was far superior to that of Lightning Returns. A big part of that is actually because of the epilogue after the new world is formed in each game. LR's epilogue is both really short, feels out of place, and just the whole idea of that fantasy world with moogles, Odin, etc being turned into earth (where those creatures would probably no longer exist in those forms) is kind of depressing and boring. I would have preferred if Lightning actually found her friends and family, too - maybe Snow and Serah's wedding or whatever. I would have preferred if the new world they created was just a remade Pulse actually. In contrast, Xenoblade's epilogue was both extremely well done and very satisfying/touching. I just sat there after beating it (when the credits were rolling) and was sad the adventure was over. I didn't feel like that with LR's ending at all.

That was actually the original ending. Instead, because

Spoiler

"It stated with Lightning (No it didn't. NO IT DIDN'T. I don't care how you look at it, NO IT DIDN'T!), it had to end with Lightning." So instead of everyone getting one final send off and getting to see how they all ended up happy together, we got Lightning on a train.

 

[Jisgsaw]

Has anyone managed to beat Ereshkigal on a Normal Mode first run without Poison? I was trying it without Poison since people said that it made him easy, but I can't find a strategy to remotely dent his health bar before he Meteors me to death (I'd rather use Poison than a Phoenix Down, if it comes to that!).

On a related note, is it possible to Evade to dodge Meteor? I couldn't get it, but maybe my timing with Evade just sucks.

Yes.
Well, I also did use Poison, but I could've manage without it.

The trick is to always stay in the air, this way most of his attacks miss. Use a light physical attack to jump, and then bombard him with aero/aerora, putting an attack here and there to stay up the air.
Go in with a few ethers, use Overclock when you trigger the fourth stagger till he dies, and you're good to beat him in like 5 to 7 minutes.

 

[HawthorneKitty]

I love the Yellow Chocobo Girl's song in Japanese.