Parents' Guide to

Final Fantasy XIII

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Gorgeous fantasy RPG with combat & some suggestive scenes.

Game PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2010
Final Fantasy XIII Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Final Fantasy XIII Game: Screenshot #1
  • Final Fantasy XIII Game: Screenshot #2
  • Final Fantasy XIII Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 9 parent reviews

ChrisH.
ChrisH. Adult
November 25, 2014
age 15+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
sherlock1701
sherlock1701 Adult
November 19, 2014
age 8+
This often-underrated game is a good choice for most ages. In spite of the combat-centric gameplay, it's blood-free, and the language is pretty mild. The story is enjoyable, with good characters and profound lessons that can positively influence young and old alike. Top it off with beautiful graphics and an amazing soundtrack, and a simple but nuanced control system (some complain it's too simple: the fact is that the controls are designed to be as simple or complex as your individual approach to gameplay, melding to the user's preferences). A few thematic elements and disturbing creatures are perhaps the biggest concerns, but if you let your kids play Zelda or the more recent Mario games, there's no reason they can't play this.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
See all 9 parent reviews

What’s It About?

If you can get past the irony of a thirteenth \"Final Fantasy\" game -- not to mention dozens of offshoots over the years -- Square Enix's latest cinematic epic is ready for action. Available on both high-definition consoles at launch (for the first time), FINAL FANTASY XIII focuses heavily on a moon called Cocoon, once a floating utopia, but now a target of the hostile fal'Cie from the seedy lowerworld. The combat-heavy mechanics should be familiar to fans of past games, though new features have been added including the ability to execute numerous commands in a single turn, the summoning of creatures (called Eidolons), and support for a specialized party of fighters (commando, medic, and so on).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (31):

Yes, especially for longtime fans of the series. Final Fantasy XIII once again brings together the talents of producer Kitase Yoshinori, director Motomu Toriyama, character designer Tetsuya Nomura, and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo, to deliver a stunningly deep and breathtakingly beautiful role-playing game that plays out more like an interactive movie -- complete with orchestrated soundtrack and the theme song "My Hands" by Leona Lewis. The modified turn-based battle mechanic should also please veterans as it provides more freedom and tactical options during gameplay.

The game, however, is quite linear, which might disappoint those looking to roam in this gorgeous fantasy world. But this ambitious single-player adventure features an interweaving storyline, new characters, and tweaked battle mechanics that should excite and delight Final Fantasy enthusiasts and RPG fans alike.

Platform Note: Both versions of the game play and look the same.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether they like a game with so many non-interactive sequences. As with many other Final Fantasy games, do you like all the mini-movies designed to help push the story along or would you rather play without the cutscenes that break up the action? What do you prefer? Or did the developers do a decent job balancing the two?

Game Details

  • Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Square Enix
  • Release date: March 9, 2010
  • Genre: Role-Playing
  • ESRB rating: T for Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
  • Last updated: August 31, 2016

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