RPG
LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII
Give it 15 hours
Gets good by 15h then rated almost like by veterans
Fully opens up by 35h rated like by long-time players
Reach the ending 20% of players who started
Started playing 71% of owners
Steam reviews 79% positive of 4,863
What the data shows
- In the first 2 hours 1 in 2 reviews are negative (46%); after 35h it's 1 in 10 (10%).
- Fully opens up by hour 35.
- 20% of players who start reach the ending.
- The biggest drop-off is between “The Savior's Descent” and “The Hope of a Promise”: from 100% to 43% of starters.
- 71% of owners got the first achievement.
When it gets good
Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.
before it gets good opening up fully opened up
Based on all 4,872 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 298 reviews: 40.1h for positive, 8.2h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.
Where players quit
Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (70.8% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.
- Started playing 100%
- The Savior's Descent Proof of one who has mastered the basics of this world and begun a great journey. 100%
- The Hope of a Promise Proof of one who has seen through the dark mysteries that lurked in Luxerion, bringing justice. Most players quit here 43% −57
- Hope at the Edge of Despair Proof of one who has stood upon the stage in glittering Yusnaan, bringing peace to the Patron. 35% −8
- An Appetite for Chaos Proof of one who has visited the temple that towers over the Wildlands and touched the great Chaos. 30% −5
- The Mystery of the Holy Clavis Proof of one who has made it through the Dead Dunes to find ancient treasure. 29%
- A Legend from Times Past Proof of the true savior, who overthrew even the god of light to lead the people to a new world. 21% −8
- Beyond Thirteen Proof of making the impossible possible by using Eradia to bring the world a 14th day. 20% −1
story milestone ending biggest drop-off
Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.
All achievements (42)
story milestone ending side
- The Savior's Descent Proof of one who has mastered the basics of this world and begun a great journey. 100%
- Perfect Timing Proof of successfully guarding against an enemy's attack with perfect timing. 90%
- Novice Stylist Proof of customizing your first schema. Continue on this path to find your own style. 89%
- Novice Synthesist Proof of synthesizing your first ability. Did it prove useful? 66%
- Seeing Stars Proof of staggering enemies 50 times with fearsome attacks. Do not ever let them rest! 52%
- Deliverer of Salvation Proof of clearing 5 side quests. It is a fine beginning, but the journey is still long. 48%
- The Hope of a Promise Proof of one who has seen through the dark mysteries that lurked in Luxerion, bringing justice. 43%
- Hero of Might Proof of victory over 100 foes in battle. 42%
- Novice Artist Proof of customizing the color of one of your garb. Let your true colors shine through. 39%
- Miracle of Light Proof of one who has used 50 EP. 37%
- Hope at the Edge of Despair Proof of one who has stood upon the stage in glittering Yusnaan, bringing peace to the Patron. 35%
- Expert Stylist Proof of obtaining 30 different garb. 32%
- An Appetite for Chaos Proof of one who has visited the temple that towers over the Wildlands and touched the great Chaos. 30%
- Hero of Glory Proof of victory over 300 foes in battle. 29%
- The Mystery of the Holy Clavis Proof of one who has made it through the Dead Dunes to find ancient treasure. 29%
- Angel of Salvation Proof of clearing 25 side quests. It is a great feat to lead so many souls to salvation. 29%
- A Helping Hand Proof of clearing 25 quests that have appeared writ on the Canvas of Prayers. 28%
- A Father, a Son, and a Chocobo Proof of helping a father and son reunite, bringing back a smile that seemed long lost. 28%
- Harbinger of Death Proof of defeating your first Last One, the final specimen of a species on the verge of extinction. 28%
- Expert Synthesist Proof of synthesizing abilities 30 times. 28%
- The Chocobo's Savior Proof of nursing the holy chocobo back to full health among the rich pastures of the Wildlands. 27%
- Perfect Passenger Proof of riding upon all of the great monorail lines that cross this shrinking world. 23%
- Hero of Legend Proof of victory over 500 foes in battle. 23%
- Fatal Impact Proof of dealing damage so great that it goes beyond all reason or expectation. 22%
- A Legend from Times Past Proof of the true savior, who overthrew even the god of light to lead the people to a new world. 21%
- Crimson Rebirth Proof of restoring a sword, once broken, to its former glory and power. 21%
- Beyond Thirteen Proof of making the impossible possible by using Eradia to bring the world a 14th day. 20%
- Goddess of Death Proof of defeating 10 Last Ones, exterminating forever 10 different species of monster. 19%
- Seed Collector Proof of a brave warrior who has managed to claim 50 soul seeds from the Chaos. 18%
- Globetrotter Proof of building strong bridges to span the depths between continents, making all the world one. 17%
- Lizard Lariat Proof of hunting down more than 30 lizards in the shifting sands of the Dead Dunes. 16%
- Novice Craftsman Proof of upgrading your first accessory. Did you find the experience thrilling? 14%
- Queen of the Arena Proof of achieving victory in the lists of the Battle Arena 10 times. 12%
- Holy Garb of Destruction Proof of obtaining the ultimate garb, imbued with destructive magic. 12%
- Monster Bane Proof of mastering all creation and conquering even the Ultimate Lair. 12%
- Novice Swordsmith Proof of improving your first weapon. Did you make something worthy? 12%
- Desert Dragonslayer Proof of victory over the dragon Aeronite who brought terror to the Dead Dunes. 9.9%
- Novice Shieldsmith Proof of improving your first shield. Use it wisely to guard yourself. 9.2%
- Unearthly Apothecary Proof of obtaining an elixir. It's so rare that it seems almost a waste to use it, doesn't it? 6.9%
- Expert Craftsman Proof of upgrading accessories 30 times. 6.6%
- Expert Swordsmith Proof of modifying weapons 30 times. 5.6%
- Expert Shieldsmith Proof of modifying shields 30 times. 5.4%
Steam page Updated: 2026-10-19.