Figure i should give this another spin, try the entire series again. Last time i played/beat it was... 2015?

Having beaten it before and looking at hints given by characters and who are narrating it.

Though i'll try to skip as many fights as i can so i don't take 40 hours to play through it.

But i admit it is a very pretty game. Though the battle system early on is not too helpful.

Just for curiosity, I googled the HLTB time for it, and it seems like right around 50 hours is an average playthrough, so I think you'll be doing pretty good at 40.

Mhmm...

I remember being uncertain with aspects of it. No healing between battles, dealing with status effects, and the active time battle system isn't very strategic.

But when you start getting into the paradigms you realize your role is less tactical and more overseeing, so calling to the troops (offense, defense, fall back, use magic) etc. While FF12 married both active and wait systems fairly well with the gambits where you program behavior pretty well, but pausing to give specific orders when necessary.

I hope to beat it in 30 hours (skipping pointless paths and extra battles). Sure there will likely be a little grinding later for some battles i skip earlier on, but probably won't be enough to notice that much of.

A little annoyed no NG+ option, else i'd breeze through the first portion of the game much faster only doing boss battles and beating them in no time. 13-2 and 13-3 both have NG+ options (13-2 you reset areas and can access new endings/paths you couldn't before, 13-3 literally is NG+ with difficulty setting differences after the initial entry).

I remember enjoying 13-2 a lot, though there's a bug where i can't get the full enemies rollout for one particular area and thus the arena stays locked. Could replay it from scratch or try getting the patch if PSN will let me.