Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

A game of two halves, Lightning Returns isn’t a brilliant end to the XIII trilogy that you may have hoped for, but it’s enjoyable. Just try to ignore the coma-inducing story.

73%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

optimization, grinding

80% User Score Based on 2,590 reviews

Critic Score 68%Based on 15 reviews

Platforms

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About

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a single player open world hack and slash game with fantasy, anime and science fiction themes. It was developed by Square Enix and was released on December 9, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

This Collector's Edition is a Square Enix Online Store exclusive that contains the following: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, DLC code, premium packaging, 80 page hardcover artbook and a silver embossed pocket watch.

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80%Audience ScoreBased on 2,590 reviews

story524 positive mentions

optimization55 negative mentions

Innovative and engaging combat system with fast-paced, skill-based action and deep customization through the schemata/garb system.
Unique time management mechanic adds strategic depth and urgency, with generous time allotment allowing exploration and quest completion.
Rich world-building and atmosphere, compelling character arcs especially for Lightning and some side quests, providing satisfying closure to the trilogy.
PC port is the best of the trilogy ports, running relatively stable and with good graphical options out of the box.
Varied open-world exploration across four distinct zones and diverse side quests that reward stat progression and expand story context.
Excellent soundtrack and sound design that complements the game’s mood and setting.

Time limit mechanic can create stress and feels tacked on; some quests are time-sensitive with lack of in-game markers making navigation tedious and frustrating without a guide.
Story and narrative presentation are uneven and convoluted, with little character development for many supporting cast and some plot points abrupt or underdeveloped.
Side quests are often repetitive fetch quests lacking substance, with heavy backtracking and filler content diluting pacing and player interest.
Graphics inconsistent with occasional low-quality textures and assets, especially compared to previous series entries.
Gameplay progression is slow with no experience gained from combat; leveling relies exclusively on quest completion, which some find grinding and tedious.
Controller and keyboard/mouse support is poor or clunky, requiring a controller for optimal play and leading to subpar PC controls.

story
2,638 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
72%
8%
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII serves as a fitting, if flawed, conclusion to the trilogy, wrapping up character arcs and the overarching narrative with emotional moments and a darker tone. The story is more straightforward than its predecessors but often convoluted, with many players finding it disjointed, reliant on prior knowledge of the series, and burdened by repetitive and sometimes tedious fetch quests that are integral to character progression. While the time-limited mission structure adds urgency, it can induce stress and disrupt pacing, with many side quests overshadowing the main plot and some quests only available at specific in-game times, making quest management and understanding the narrative challenging for newcomers.
- “Lightning returns: Final Fantasy XIII stands out as a masterful conclusion to the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, offering an exceptional gaming experience that excels in both gameplay and storytelling.”
- “Lightning returns brings back one of the most important characters to round up the story of the trilogy and adds a big improvement to the battle system of the two previous games.”
- “The story unfolds in a world on the brink of collapse, with a 13-day cycle that players must navigate to save humanity. Lightning is portrayed not just as a formidable heroine, but as a profoundly complex figure with a story that culminates in an emotionally powerful conclusion.”
- “The premise is good but overall the main plot is kind of bad and trying to be more convoluted than it really has any right to be or needs to be.”
- “Every side quest and even a surprising number of main story missions feels like busywork that exists purely to pad out the runtime, not to meaningfully develop the world or characters.”
- “That's just bad game design and so unnecessary as it really doesn't add anything to the gameplay or the story.”
gameplay
886 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
64%
8%
Lightning Returns offers a bold and fast-paced real-time combat system that significantly departs from its predecessors, emphasizing strategic outfit (garb) customization and timing mechanics like perfect guarding. The game's defining feature is its Majora’s Mask-style time limit, which adds a layer of urgency and tension but is divisive—some find it engaging, while others see it as frustrating and restrictive. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its depth, fluidity, and innovation, though it can have a steep learning curve and occasional pacing issues due to the time mechanics and repetitive side quests.
- “Absolutely one of a kind and a stellar finish for the Final Fantasy XIII series of games, a dying world filled with stories, an exciting time management mechanic that brings the world to life, and the culmination of XIII's ATB and paradigm system infused in a half-action RPG with fabulous build potential and options; each XIII game builds upon the last, and Lightning's final adventure is one to remember.”
- “With its real-time combat, countdown-to-apocalypse mechanic, and heavy emphasis on customization, it's a game that breaks tradition in nearly every way. The customization options are deep, and fashion fans will enjoy dressing Lightning in everything from full armor to cosplay-style ensembles—each with gameplay relevance. If you can embrace its strange mechanics, storytelling structure, and time-based urgency, you'll find a surprisingly emotional sendoff—not just for Lightning, but for one of the most polarizing sub-series in Final Fantasy history.”
- “The gameplay is the only reason to play Lightning Returns. The combat system is fun, fast paced, rewards proper timing and strategy, and the time limit mechanics are interesting and well implemented. Mechanically, the combat is the best of the three games, and the varied stats and certain skills that come with each piece of gear makes you have a more tactical approach to the game. It isn't just about rushing in and smashing things to pieces; you'll die very quickly attempting that.”
- “The time mechanic is not only hugely distracting, but also very annoying.”
- “In the end, lightning returns gameplay is just boring, left me wanting something different and more engaging.”
- “Sadly the gameplay is very badly done, you're on a time limit at all times but there are a lot of pointless time restrictions so you cannot do the things the game requires you to do.”
graphics
427 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beautiful art direction, character models, and stylish visuals that hold up well even years after release, especially with the PC port's enhanced resolution and smooth 60fps performance. However, many note inconsistencies, with some environments and NPCs looking dated or low quality compared to earlier series entries, and graphical options being limited and basic. Overall, while not as visually impressive as its predecessors, the game's aesthetic and optimization make its graphics appealing and effective for the experience.
- “For a game that came out in 2015, this game looks incredible and also runs surprisingly well on my Intel UHD graphics and Intel N100 CPU.”
- “Like XIII and XIII-2, this game looks absolutely incredible; from the texture work to art style, it's all just so beautiful and awe-inspiring.”
- “The graphics hold up really well, especially considering the game’s age.”
- “Despite being touted as the best port of the FF XIII trilogy, the limited graphics options and capped 60 fps framerate cause stutters, especially noticeable in the open world and worse at higher framerates.”
- “The graphics are a huge downgrade from the first one, with the world completely messed up and characters not true to the original concept, making the PC port a mess.”
- “The graphics noticeably take a step back from XIII and XIII-2, with many assets reused and the graphical fidelity hits due to rushed development and hardware limits.”
music
310 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The music in this game is widely praised as excellent, with a rich and emotional soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and narrative, though some note it relies heavily on reused tracks from previous installments. Fans appreciate the blend of new and familiar compositions, including serene and intense battle themes, making the soundtrack a standout aspect of the trilogy. While a few find some tracks less memorable or the music inconsistent at times, overall it is regarded as one of the best in the series, deeply complementing the gameplay and story.
- “The music is consistently excellent, from melancholic piano pieces to high energy battle themes that remind you this is still Final Fantasy at heart.”
- “As with the other FFXIII games (and the series in general), the OST for the game is top notch and I've found myself adding quite a few songs from it to my easy-listening / relaxing playlists.”
- “Each one of them is played at the exact moment, so when you need a calm song to behold the landscape, there'll be one; when you need some intense song for fighting, there are many (yes, this game has more than one battle music), it's just perfect.”
- “The soundtrack is more muted than either of the previous XIII games, which overall adds to the tone of the title, though it also results in an overall less memorable OST.”
- “Soundtrack does its job, but is all the same recycled from part one, so many stuff could change this game into an awesome one, but sadly development ended in failure.”
- “Music is all recycled from the previous two games as well - which might be nostalgic for some but I found myself getting all too familiar with the very limited music and SFX variety as well.”
optimization
166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
The game's optimization is notably better than its predecessors in the trilogy, generally running smoothly at 60fps on mid to high-end PCs with fewer severe performance issues. However, players still report frequent stuttering and frame drops in crowded or specific areas, inconsistent performance, and some technical limitations such as lack of mouse support and capped resolution. Overall, while a significant improvement over earlier ports, the PC version still experiences occasional performance hiccups that may affect gameplay enjoyment.
- “I've been making my way through this trilogy in the last 6 months and was glad to see that this port is actually well optimized out of the box with no need for a mod to make the game function.”
- “+ among the F13 trilogy this is the best optimized game, it does have some problems but compared to the nightmare that was FF13-2 this is a massive improvement.”
- “The optimization settings are all what people have asked for and the game runs flawlessly on even a mid-tier PC setup on highest settings.”
- “And lastly my god the performance in Yusanaan and Luxerion a lot of the time was really bad. I think it's something to do with the amount of NPCs on screen that makes your game plummet in performance.”
- “That said, like the previous games, it is still a badly optimized port, and the crappy engine almost breaks down on itself causing the worst FPS drops and stutters out of all three games, even on high-end hardware in 2025.”
- “You can at most get 60 fps, with frequent lag, stuttering and drops when loading in areas, enemies, and more.”
grinding
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
4%
93%
Grinding in the game is widely considered tedious and time-consuming, often exacerbated by an imposed time limit that conflicts with traditional RPG grinding. While some appreciate the shift from battle-based leveling to quest-driven stat improvement and find elements like ability farming engaging, many players find the fetch quests repetitive and grinding-heavy, especially near the endgame. Overall, grinding can feel like a core but frustrating part of the experience, with mixed opinions on its implementation and enjoyability.
- “There is no grinding enemies.”
- “I can avoid monsters all I like and almost no grinding.”
- “It encourages active play towards your goal and not grinding.”
- “The way abilities are upgraded was also lame and required grinding specific monsters on specific days to maximize potential, which was not really fun, so I played with what I naturally gathered.”
- “The time limit wouldn’t have been nearly as bad if finding side quests to earn experience points wasn't so tedious.”
- “I managed to reach the final boss and did the side quest to get the ultimate sword and shield, but even with that I struggled to stagger the boss. The game has the audacity to have a reset option to reverse everything so you can do even more grinding to boost your stats. There is no leveling up, so you have to do side quests to gain stats and become stronger. This is terrible game design, and making a final boss that is so strong you have to reset the game's timeline is the worst idea ever; the ending is also stupid.”
emotional
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its powerful, melancholic atmosphere and meaningful character arcs, especially highlighting Lightning's growth and closure. While some side quests and storytelling elements are seen as uneven or lacking build-up, long-time fans often find the conclusion emotionally satisfying and heartfelt. The combination of evocative voice acting, dynamic soundtrack, and thematic weight contributes to a deeply emotional experience that resonates strongly with players invested in the trilogy.
- “The voice acting is another high point: Lightning is more human and introspective here than she’s ever been, and the supporting cast generally delivers strong, emotionally grounded performances that sell the stakes of a dying world.”
- “Lightning—previously stoic and emotionally restrained—is given center stage to reflect, reconnect, and redeem herself.”
- “The story by the end made me feel extremely satisfied to conclude the trilogy.”
- “This trilogy is just a nonsensical, boring story.”
- “No free roaming, mobs in towns instead of dedicated areas, really boring story.”
replayability
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
51%
6%
The game's replayability is widely praised, driven by features like new game+ mode with persistent stat boosts, hard mode, extensive customization of weapons, armor, and outfits, and challenging combat that encourages multiple playthroughs. While some players find replay value slightly diminished by delayed feature unlocks or limited variety in side quests, overall the combination of non-linear progression, achievement hunting, and growing character power offers substantial incentive for repeated play. Replayability strongly appeals to those who enjoy exploring diverse strategies and unlocking all content.
- “Lightning does not earn any experience in combat, but each completed quest awards permanent stat boosts, which further incentivizes interacting with the world and promotes replayability, as those stat boosts carry over into subsequent new game+ cycles.”
- “Replayability is great since hard mode is unlocked after beating the game for the first time, which not only makes the game harder but also allows customization and upgrades of weapons and armor, as well as the ability to challenge one of the hardest bosses in any Final Fantasy game.”
- “With so much customization, all sorts of new tactics become available, allowing for lots of replayability.”
- “Sadly, there's no replay value because there's no nuance or variety in how the side quests play out.”
- “The replayability feels a bit forced; some features aren't even available until you've completed the game (e.g., weapon and armor upgrades), which increases the tedium.”
- “You need to play it at least twice to get all the achievements, and personally, I wouldn't say the replayability factor is very strong for me, but that's a personal view.”
atmosphere
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is notably melancholic and immersive, effectively conveying a world on the brink of destruction with detailed environments, dynamic day-night cycles, and a poignant soundtrack. While some players find it emotionally impactful, consistent, and uniquely crafted compared to predecessors, others feel it can be dreary or boring due to limited exploration variety and pacing. Overall, the strong artistic direction and music significantly enhance the somber, apocalyptic mood, making the atmosphere a standout yet divisive aspect.
- “The attention to detail in the environments, coupled with a poignant soundtrack composed by Masashi Hamauzu, contributes to an immersive atmosphere that perfectly complements the game’s narrative and tone.”
- “Lightning Returns: FFXIII is brimming with an almost-idyllic, yet apocalyptic atmosphere that I have never seen replicated in any other game, even FFXIII-2, which obviously shares some themes with this one.”
- “Lightning Returns is probably the first truly open-world Final Fantasy game and rather than having an incoherent mess of locations like XIII-2 did, it instead has just four but each one is different from the gloomy European Luxerion and the vibrant, festive Yusnaan to the more open and diverse spaces of the Wild Lands and the Dead Dunes, each of which has a different atmosphere depending on the time of day (the day-night cycle is dynamic for the first time in the series).”
- “The atmosphere of the game is very boring, and you spend a huge amount of time in one area.”
- “The atmosphere is really dreary and sad.”
- “It also has a very depressing atmosphere that doesn't do it any favors.”
stability
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
3%
70%
Stability experiences are mixed, with many users reporting a mostly stable and smooth gameplay, while others encounter occasional bugs such as monster despawning, graphical glitches, dialogue loops, crashes, and freezing issues. The PC port shows improvement over predecessors but still suffers from unresolved glitches and performance inconsistencies, requiring frequent troubleshooting and saves. Overall, the game runs well on most setups but can be impacted by frustrating bugs and occasional instability.
- “No bugs, no glitches, no crashes.”
- “The game runs great on my laptop with a GeForce 860M (almost max) and of course no problems on my desktop with a Core i5 and GeForce 980.”
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck (if you run on desktop mode first you can adjust the FPS and all that good stuff).”
- “There is as well some really annoying bugs like sometimes some quests dialogues glitch and you end up stuck in a dialogue loop without being possible to finish or start the quest, forcing you to restart the game to retry. The game also suffers from random crashes without a clear cause, happening more frequently in certain areas (wildlands), so it is recommended to save constantly to avoid losing progress.”
- “95% of my playtime was spent troubleshooting this game to fix the stuttering without any luck.”
- “You cannot start up this game and play it out of the box without first spending hours troubleshooting it.”
character development
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
49%
24%
Character development in the game is highly divisive, with some praising the deeper focus on Lightning's arc and certain sidequests that offer insight into her character, while others criticize the overall lack of growth, robotic behavior of characters, and a reset or shelving of previously established development. Lightning's portrayal receives both acclaim as a strong protagonist with satisfying conclusions and criticism for stoicism and blandness. Overall, character development is seen as uneven, with moments of depth overshadowed by missed opportunities and inconsistent storytelling.
- “I love that this game finally gives some character development to Lightning because she desperately needed it and this was the first time you really see what she is like (she makes a mean steak).”
- “Character development: Lightning's character arc is brought to a satisfying conclusion.”
- “The game had a functional story with lots of character development, especially for Lightning.”
- “The characters behave like robots (which they even mention themselves, as if that excuses it) and do not resemble their previous iterations; there is almost no character development and this whole game seems like FFX-2 got cloned with different writing.”
- “What little story there was both made me go 'what the actual ♥♥♥♥ is going on here?!' while simultaneously ticking me off by throwing out any and all character development the characters had from the past two games.”
- “Character development is shelved or reset, which is the cardinal no-no in storytelling.”
humor
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of deadpan, ironic, and campy moments, often shining through Lightning's dry, somber delivery contrasted with ridiculous quests and outfits. While some find the humor amusing and enjoy the quirky side quests and character interactions, others may see it as awkward or off-putting due to uneven tone and cringey moments. Overall, the humor adds a quirky, unpredictable charm that complements the game's grindy and nostalgic elements.
- “I'd say it's especially noticeable in some of the sidequests that border on funny melodrama while Lightning is stuck in unemotional deadpan purgatory. I had fun pointing and laughing at the writing at times, but I know some people will find it a reason to turn the game off.”
- “People comment on your outfits/garbs; Lightning is hilariously aware of how ridiculous you dress her, and not all people are going to be kindhearted.”
- “Plus it's really funny having the dumbest quests making you do the stupidest stuff and Lightning delivering a somber monologue about the follies of mankind at the end.”

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68%Critics’ scoreBased on 15 critic reviews

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Buy Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

39h Median play time

62h Average play time

33h Main story

67h Completionist

11-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 23 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a open world hack and slash game with fantasy, anime and science fiction themes.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is available on PC, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 3 and others.

The main story can be completed in around 33 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 67 hours to finish. On average players spend around 62 hours playing Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was released on December 9, 2015.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was developed by Square Enix.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a single player game.

Similar games include FINAL FANTASY XIII, FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, Tales of Zestiria, Tales of Arise, Final Fantasy XVI and others.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Platforms

story

gameplay

graphics

music

optimization

grinding

emotional

replayability

atmosphere

stability

character development

humor