Final Fantasy XIII-2

I was going to make a poll for this, but was having a hard time figuring out choices that would be able to reach as many people as possible, so decided to make a post instead asking.

I ask because I've seen people who say it "saved" the FFXIII triology, who see it as a good thing and even better than the original game, but also people who said they were very unnecessary. I don't judge anyone regardless of opinion, both sides are valid and certainly have their own reasons for thinking like they do.

I personally loved them. I've watched the cutscenes of the whole triology, alternate endings and extra content of FFXIII-2 inclusive, and I really liked it. FFXIII by itself does for a pretty nice game and story, but I didn't find the sequels unnecessary. I mean, FFXIII-2 gets to explain how did they lost their L'Cie brand at the end of the first game and the journey of Noel and Serah looked really interesting. I was not prepared, however, for when Caius died. No one told me that, I actually thought he lived (in a certain way, he does, but also kinda doesn't), it was quite a shock for me. He does appear in Lightning Returns, but then again, he isn't exactly alive like everyone else. And speaking of the last game, seeing Lightning saving the souls of random people but even more of the people she gained a bond with was really heartwarming. I think my favorite was Sazh's quest. I also really liked Caius's and Yeul's. I didn't like, however, how they changed Hope's beautiful aquamarine scarf to something gray, so without life. And, yes, that did mess with me, because the little blue details his design has in the previous games (the scarf in FFXIII and tie in FFXIII-2), how can I say, make it more pleasant to look at, so to say. Like, a cold color in the middle of all the other hot colors calms it down. Gray doesn't do the trick. But anyway, watching Lightning with some normal clothes for once at the end was amazing too. Of course, I loved Cid Raines more, even if it isn't really him but all the souls of the dead. I suppose they took his form to appear in front of Lightning due to what Cid Raines had done for her and her companions in the first game. Say, with the way the way the game ends, he too goes to the new world, right? So, technically, he is alive again.

The first one is Warrior of Light's line upon seeing Lightning. "Is that really you, Lightning?" is the same line Serah says upon seeing Lightning in her Knight of Etro's outfit personally for the first time, before the most end part of the game.

The second reference is Lightning losing her weapon during the fight to call forth Shinryu, while she fights Sephiroth. The same happens while she fights Caius in the beginning of the battle. The difference is Noctis was there to retrieve the sword and give it back, but in the original game she did it in a very badass way. We got a spin and everything!

Considering that most FFXIII related stuff was more related to Lightning Returns, being that even the reason Snow serves as the antagonist representing that world and not Caius, it's still nice some little references like this were made. Of course, I have yet to watched Lightning Returns, I'll do it tomorrow, and these same things could happen there as well, but I have my doubts. Well, references to all three games are made, I suppose, but figure I'd share these.