Things You Should Know About Final Fantasy XIII:

Reading information about a game you’re anticipating is always a bittersweet experience. Sure, it helps you get through the agonizing wait, but each new tidbit you learn is something you can’t discover on your own, and spoilers wait around every corner to mar the experience. Over the past couple of days I’ve been playing quite a bit of the Japanese version of FFXIII, and although I’ve had quite a few revelations spoiled for me, I thought I’d put together a list of things that are actually helpful to know going into the game, while avoiding spoilers at all costs. If you can’t make it until March 9th, consider this a (mostly) guilt-free appetizer.

Pro tip: Try not to die:
I realize that seems pretty obvious, but more than any previous Final Fantasy game, FFXIII punishes you for falling in combat. As you probably already know, you only control the actions of your party’s leader – the other characters will be controlled by AI. The biggest change to the formula comes from the fact that if your leader dies during battle, it’s instantly game over: You can’t resurrect yourself with a Phoenix down, or be revived in any other way by your teammates. That means that even if an enemy’s attack only floors you but leaves your partners with full HP bars, the battle still ends. The internet is already awash with criticism of this new gameplay mechanic, but if you’re aware of it going into battles, it’s usually not a big deal – especially if you heed the next bit of advice…

Roles make all the difference:
Lots of games use designated roles to control AI partners, but never has it been more necessary than in FFXIII. The Optima roles are more than just a management option: Your characters’ move sets are dependent on what role they’re currently in, meaning you will want to switch roles frequently during battle. You’ll definitely want to take the time to set up custom role combinations in the options screen before heading into battle – there’s a big difference between say, Blaster, Enhancer, Healer, versus Attacker, Defender, Healer. Each character is also better at certain roles than others, so experiment a lot to find the roles that work best for you. Don’t be fooled by early reports that FFXIII’s combat is simple – there’s a lot of depth waiting underneath the surface!

Setting your characters to "Attacker" isn't always the best solution

Libra is your friend:
Libra is a special command that acts differently from all of your other abilities. Whereas most moves make use of your ATB bar, Libra uses your Tactical bar (the same bar Summons use). Libra allows you to analyze your enemies to identify weaknesses. It is essentially the Scan ability from previous games, but it comes with a major perk: Because you no longer control your other teammates, performing Libra will inform the other members of these weaknesses as well,  resulting in instant damage increases as your partners automatically change tactics. Each enemy can be scanned several times, so it’s definitely worth taking the time in battle to scope them out.

The antagonist is…a mystery:
Perhaps this one belongs in a list of things you shouldn’t know about Final Fantasy XIII. But think about it – when was the last time you went into a Final Fantasy game with this much mystery surrounding the antagonist? Now that people are posting complete video walkthroughs of the game, do yourself a favor and take advantage of Square’s ability to get you this far without spilling the beans. Just a few more months!

Behold FFXIII's most dreaded antagonist, the mighty chocobo!

Get your Eidolon under control:
You probably know by now that each party member only has one Eidolon they can summon. But what you may not know is that you’ll have to best that Eidolon in battle in order to gain the ability to summon it. These summon battles are among the most difficult battles in the game, as each one requires a different technique to best, and because the super powered creatures instigate a doom counter at the beginning of the battle. If the timer reaches zero and you still haven’t beat them, the game is over, regardless of your HP. FFXIII will offer even experienced Final Fantasy fans a stiff challenge.

Driving mode doesn’t suck:
There has been a healthy amount of skepticism over the fact that Eidolons can now transform into rideable vehicles – especially Shiva’s sexcycle. But while they are indeed completely absurd, controlling your Eidolons via Driving mode changes up the gameplay and unleashes devastatingly powerful attacks. Turning summons into hotrods may not be the most sophisticated turn the Final Fantasy series has ever taken, but it still works.

It's OK if the thought of a young woman riding a giant death machine turns you on – it just means you're a disgusting pervert

It’s not all linear:
Early importers have been complaining a lot about how linear the game is, but complaints that the whole game just shuffles you from one corridor to the next are indeed unfounded. And the level design isn’t the only thing to open up; the weapon upgrade system, summons, and party management all take time to be fully realized. The game isn’t meant to be an eight hour experience, so don’t be upset if everything isn’t to your liking when you first pick up the controller. This is Final Fantasy after all, not a shallow action game.

Need help making it to the March 9 release date? Commiserate with your fellow readers in the comments section below, and share your tactics for coping with the anticipation!