I am currently hip-deep in Final Fantasy XIII, and I can say with confidence that it has more Roman numerals than any Final Fantasy game I've ever played.

My first Final Fantasy game was VII, and I've felt like it would take a really special game for me to take on that third "I." When I saw that XIII would finally feature something I've been begging for – a guy wielding two guns with a baby chocobo in his hair – I decided it was time to take the plunge.

At the same time, I've started playing the original Final Fantasy game on the Wii Virtual Console, because I don't spend enough of my day sitting down as it is.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself "Aren't they basically the same game? After all, there haven't been any real advances in videogame technology in the past 23 years." As it turns out, there are a few differences, which I outline below.

Plot —-

Final Fantasy XIII: There's this Purge going on, because a Pulse fal'Cie has been ... OK, hold on. There are these things called fal'Cie, and they make people into l'Cie, to protect Cocoon from ... OK, there's this place called Cocoon and this other place called Pulse. And Pulse, well the thing is the fal'Cie made Cocoon, actually there are Pulse fal'Cie and Cocoon fal'Cie, and they each make l'Cie, which are ... well, Pulse and Cocoon are at war, or they used to be at war, and there's this one Pulse fal'Cie in a Vestige. OK, well, a Vestige is ... uh ... it's all kind of confusing but at least the heroes of the story don't know what's happening either. They spend most of the time so far asking what's going on and what they should be doing and if they're making the right choices, so I guess you could say it's immersive.

Final Fantasy: The heroes must restore light to the four elemental orbs and save the world.

Big Questions ————-

__Final Fantasy XIII:__What is the nature of duty? What does one do when the most moral action hurts innocents? How can we know what truly controls our destiny?

Final Fantasy: Where's the damn inn?

Battle Options ————–

Final Fantasy XIII: Each character has multiple classes, which can be combined into various paradigms, the better to build up chain bonuses and stagger the enemy – further increasing damage bonuses and often lowering enemy defenses – while protecting your weaker members. You can use automatic actions or choose specific actions, with the ability to determine your foes' weaknesses so that your AI-controlled teammates can better focus their attacks. You can also summon an Eidolon, which takes you to a separate battlefield with different options that you choose within the limited time allotted to the summoning.

Final Fantasy: FIGHT MAGIC DRINK ITEM RUN.

Characters ———-

Final Fantasy XIII: Snow, the idealistic rebel whose cocky demeanor hides the heavy burden of responsibility he carries. Lightning, the battle-hardened soldier who masks her doubt with a single-minded thirst for battle. Hope, a child who seeks a purpose to his life to counter the despair that eats at his soul. Sazh, a man torn from his family by the caprice of forces beyond his control or understanding. Fang, a woman without a past or future who must move ahead at all costs. Vanille, the illegitimate child of Crocodile Dundee and Smurfette.

Final Fantasy: Fighter, thief, white mage, black mage, red mage, black belt – pick any four. You can name them whatever dirty word you can fit into four letters.

Monster Design ————–

Final Fantasy XIII: Freaky-deaky.

Final Fantasy: Sometimes freaky, rarely deaky.

Button You'll Be Pressing in Battle 90 Percent of the Time ———————————————————-

Final Fantasy XIII: "A"

Final Fantasy: "2"

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Born helpless, nude and unable to provide for himself, Lore Sjöberg eventually overcame these handicaps to become a black belt, a red mage and a blue meanie.

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