A small provocation for the RPG lovers who still have high expectations towards “FFXIII”. This is a slightly altered translation of a rant e-mail I’ve just sent to a dear friend of mine who loves the series. Just watch the trailer (found here) and then read. It’s not to be taken dead seriously, as I am being sarcastic, but I think my point is pretty clear.

“Notice the frenetic rhythm, adorned by the tempo of hollywodesque action cinematography – shooting guns and thunderous explosions blazing – calling forth a memory much closer to that of a Bruckheimer or Michael Bay production than the melancholic tone we’ve come to associate with the series (remember, for example, the destruction of the world in “FFVI”, Aeris’ death in “VII” and the love story in “VIII”). The over-blown mise-en-scéne,  excessively replicating fantasy clichés – all things made pretty and shiny, brimming with naiveté (including the “Star Wars-like” big evil empire), and the absurd focus on expansive, idyllic landscapes – not to mention the saccharine, happy-feely polish, of questionable taste, even for a longtime fan of the genre (nothing we wouldn’t expect from “FFX’s” co-author and “FFX-2’s” creator). Even character design follows the more basic Manga archetypes – the stylized haired heroine, the cool looking Afro with Colgate smile, the gorgeous “Brad I’m so blond Pitt” action hero, and the ever present sidekick, an anthropomorphized teddy bear made hyper-cute (special focus on his Bambi-like eyes) so that little girls can sigh profusely.

This is what passes for a “Final Fantasy” these days…”