I’m a total sucker for this series, having played the very first one on the original 8-bit NES, back when I was still in 8th grade. I played FFIV (originally released in the U.S. as FFII) right before I started college, FFVI (originally released in the U.S. as FFIII) in my (I think) sophomore year. When FFVII came out, I ended up buying myself a Sony Playstation my senior year in college. I played FFVIII during my first year in med school. I skipped FFIX and FFX/FFX-2, and have never played the MMORPG FFXI, but I played FFXII during my 3rd year in residency, while on vacation, right after one of my cousins died and I was feeling decidedly antisocial. It’s kind of weird realizing how all these games bring back these memories of things that happened right around the time I played them.

I’ve been waiting for this newest installment for a while, though. I haven’t gotten very far into the game, really, and I’m just getting used to the battle system, which is really different from any of the systems that’ve come before.

But, just some random thoughts about the game:

1. It’s kind of neat how the beginning of FFXIII kind of mirrors the beginning of FFVII, involving a train entering the city. I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising, since Lightning was supposedly created as a female version of Cloud Strife.

2. The zone I’m in right now, the Gapra Whitewood, reminds me of the Nexus from World of Warcraft for some reason.

3. The opening song and recurring theme “The Promise” sounds kind of like a mash-up of the A.D. 600 Guardia Overworld Theme from Chrono Trigger and part of “The Highwind Takes to the Skies” from Final Fantasy VII (starting at around 0:52) or maybe Aerith’s Theme (starting around 1:55)