Since the launch of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the reviews have been mixed. Trying a different approach, Square Enix has steadily released a stream of DLC for the game, as a much needed source of extra revenue, and as a way of winning the fans around.

The first offical DLC came as part of the preorder pack, and featured costume changes for the lead characters Noel and Serah, and also featured a new weapon set which helped to tip the balance in your favour during the earlier encounters. Weapons that provide a different ability or increase character stats without having to perform missions to provide them are always going to be a welcome addition, but the addition of clothing that serves only an aesthetic purpose harks back to the days of the previous direct sequel (Final Fantasy X-2). Also included in the preorder pack is the addition of a Coliseum and an additional high level monster (Omega) which you can battle repeatedly until you obtain his crystal.

It was here that the 4 levels of DLC were clearly divided:
-Coliseum Monsters
-Story Missions
-Costumes
-Weapons

The costumes and weapons are, for the most part, redundant additions, as by the time they were released, most people had finished the game and no longer needed to have the (slightly) increased power in battle or the costumes to view in the cutscenes. The addition of an N7 jumpsuit for both characters (from the Mass Effect games) and the suit Ezio Auditore wears in Assassins Creed: Revelations, are eye-pleasing inclusions.
The Coliseum monsters have got slowly better, with the introduction of Lightning, General Amodar and Nabaat (all in costumes from Final Fantasy XIII) to fight against and potentially tame as a member of your “Paradigm Pack”. Other creatures are also available at varying prices, the latest of these is Snow, Serah’s love interest. They all have unique skills, and some are better than others, especially when upgraded appropriately. Lightning makes an excellent Ravager and is quite nice to see back in the main party, and Snow is a pretty serious Sentinel. It also features some pretty cool characters from the Final Fantasy back catalogue, including the occasional summon Gilgamesh, and the elixir hungry alien PuPu from Final Fantasy VIII.

The story missions, in contrast, are somewhat limited, consisting only of Sazh’s search to find his son, by taking part in the Serendipity Casino. There are no battles, only card and table based gambling. If you succeed, you get Sazh’s crystal and can have him fight with Serah and Noel, but this takes a fair amount of time and effort. It feels more like a lazy side mission, than an actual “story”.

The final story mission is the one most players have been anxiously awaiting: Lightning’s story – The Requiem of the Goddess.
In this mission as Lightning, you must battle against Caius using a set of roles that are not available to anyone else. They are similar to the roles that already exist, but they have slight strengths and weaknesses compared to the usual roles, and their names are completely different which presents a challenge in itself. With names like “Paladin” for a variant on the Commando role, and “Conjurer” for a slightly limited Synergist role, it will take some time to complete the mission. Thankfully, time is something you will have an abundance of, as the mission grants you CP (Crystarium Points) to level up whether you win or lose against Caius – and be warned you will lose A LOT. With each defeat, you gain a level, and either an extra ability or a new role to play with. The further you get in the battle against Caius (the longer it lasts and the more damage you can inflict), the more CP you can win to level up quicker, but be warned, there is no Medic role available in any form, and you only have 6 potions and 1 elixir in your inventory to use at your discretion, so you will have to fight smart and hard to win the battle. The reward for this? To see Lightning’s take on the end of the story, and to potentially win her crystal (in order to have her fight with the team in the main game).

It isn’t quite the spectrum of DLC I was hoping for, if I’m honest. I like the weapons, and the costume changes are decent enough (even the 14 costumes for Mog) additions, the Coliseum battles add a challenge and certainly help to make your Paradigm Pack more interesting, but the story missions are a little lacking in any real substance, and even the addition of a story featuring Lightning doesn’t have the thrill that the hype foretold of. Compared to extra missions available in other games as DLC (including the Catwoman missions in Batman: Arkham City, being among the weakest I can think of), this DLC falls short of the mark.

Overall Rating for DLC: 6/10