A new Final Fantasy has finally been released, and it seems SquareEnix has finally got the Japanese and English versions of the game released around each other, instead of waiting forever for a version of the game( FF13-2 came out December in Japan). They are also planning on releasing DLC for this game through 2012, but I'll get to that shortly.Story:The story in this game is phenomenal; it kept me wanting to continue to each node trying to figure out what was going on and how I can save each area. It's really cool going to alternate realities and different timelines, which really allows you to see how your actions have changed the world and what happens in time periods you normally couldn't go to.When you load a save game you are presented with cut scenes on what happened so far, with the game loading in the background. This is so freaking cool and I hope many other games adopt this, instead of just text at a loading screen. Saving is a bit different from Final Fantasy 13; you can save at any time you want and the game auto saves at key moments. When you are in the Historia Crux, you can create save files ala Final Fantasy 13 style, and the last save file you choose is the one it auto saves on.Most of the side missions have their own story arc that might require you to go to different era's to complete them, instead of just kill X monster like Final Fantasy 13. Along with that, at key moments you have a Mass Effect like dialogue option that pops up that allows you to ask a question to what's going on. Most of the responses are serious, but some are so random they just make you laugh. This all leads to one of the best endings I have seen in a Final Fantasy game.Gameplay:They really improved the gameplay over the last game. Paradigm Shifts are instant when you change them now, instead of playing an animation the first time you use it for each battle. Along with that the battle system is so much more fun than the previous game, and it feels more intuitive.Monsters spawn randomly, but they show up on the screen like FF13, with the chance of preemptive strikes using a "Moogle Clock" that if you press A(X) and attack the monster while being in the green. You get rewarded with Haste and a minor stagger bonus, and its fun to try to pre-emptive strike everything in the game. They also made five staring battles more worthwhile due to the fact you get 200% increased drop rate bonus at the conclusion of the battle.With Noel and Serah being the only characters you use in the game, you can capture a monsters crystal sometimes after you kill it. So you could have a Behemoth fighting right alongside you and it makes choosing the right role combinations more fun due to the fact monsters have their own strength and weaknesses even if they are the same role.They also added something that is both fun and frustrating at times, and that is puzzles. Most of them add a nice little diversion when you are doing missions and are fun to complete. The ones that make it frustrating are the Time ones. Those got annoying real fast.This game is the first one I have played that has a New Game+ during the game, and not after you beat it. After you complete each section a RB (R1) option pops up that allows you to restart the area back to the beginning, and you can switch right back to the completed version at any time. For me it's really awesome they added this, and I don't have to worry about missing something along the way when you can restart it after you beat it.Soundtrack:I found the soundtrack to be a great addition with mixes of the Final Fantasy 13 music, Singing, and orchestration. I think they continue to do a good job in creating music for FF with Nobuo gone, and I don't mind the addition of a song with lyrics as the main theme of the game. Its quiet varied throughout the game, and like so many other soundtracks, it makes the experience so much better.I enjoyed the voice acting in the game, with none of the voices becoming obnoxious or annoying. Some of the minor NPC's have the same voices, but it's not that big of a deal. All of the sound effects are great, and it's cool to hear the attacking effects.Graphics:This game looks amazing. When it's raining the rain hits the screen along with a good looking raining effect (Some games get this wrong, but not this game); Along with that when it's snowing your characters are actually covered in a bunch of snow and it extends to the monsters when you get into battles. This was astounding to look at, and really makes you feel they are in a cold snowy terrain.Like all other Final Fantasies out there, the cut scenes look beautiful. The people look awesome, and the fights they get into are over the top with amazing visuals of the fighting. It does have that Final Fantasy-ish look to it, but that just adds to the overall experience.Verdict:I know I wrote a lot in this review, but I wanted to convey the fact this game improves so much over the previous game; I also wanted to talk about the parts I really enjoyed in the fight, and that it didn't earn the negative things I have been hearing about this game. During 2012 they're planning on releasing a bunch of DLC, some of it is just outfits, but according to Square-Enix a bunch of enemies are coming to the Coliseum.This game is great for any RPG fan (you will enjoy it more if you beat ff13, but you can still have fun with this if you haven't), and an awesome game for Final Fantasy fans in general. With there being no "new game key" you should buy or rent this game ASAP.~ Written: February, 2012Positives:*Moogle weapon :D*Crazy Chocobo remix*Refined gameplay*Amazing graphics*Awesome RPG game*Tons of side missions to do*Great soundtrack*DLC planned for the future*Fun QTE'sNegatives:*NoneAchievements/Trophies:It takes about 30ish hours to beat the game, but like 50-60 hours to fully complete all the achievements/trophies. Most of them are really easy to complete, but I recommended everyone to get all 160 fragments, to experience all the side missions and what not. No item collecting achievements in this game and you can't miss any of them due to the RB/R1 resetting.