5 Tips for Surviving Combat in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII may have familiar series qualities like spell names and giant riding chickens, but it’s a huge departure from what franchise fans are used to in the gameplay department. Lightning spends much of her quest fighting without fellow party members by her side, and she does so in an action packed battle system that demands fast reflexes and regular equipment swapping.

If you started your journey on the normal difficulty, you likely found stronger resistance than you’ve come to expect from a Final Fantasy game. Monsters hit like trucks, and many seem to barely take any damage unless you hit them with one of a few abilities or attack patterns. To make matters worse, you don’t gain experience points for killing enemies like you do in most RPGs, and failing a battle advances the game’s apocalypse countdown. With the stakes so high, you might be tempted to avoid combat whenever you can.

In this MakeUseOf video, I’ll share the tricks I’ve learned to make Lightning Returns’ challenging combat a bit less intimidating. Set up your Schemata and mount your Chocobo; I’ll have you battle ready in no time!

Do you miss old school, menu driven Final Fantasy combat, or do you welcome Lightning Returns with its faster pace and hands-on action? Let us know in the comments!

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Image Credit – Abstract Wallpaper by Luke Schmader