Choose LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII
Choose LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII if you want the Adjustable Text Size side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 43% cheaper on the Steam Store. 2,168 Steam reviews back the pick.
LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII vs FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION
LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII and FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION both land in RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are RPG games on Steam. LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII (2015) is 3 years older than FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION (2018). FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION scores higher on Steam reviews (82.5% positive) than LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII (79.8% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION
Choose FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 82.5% positive across 17,547 reviews.
Both LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII and FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION sit in RPG on Steam and both list Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, and Playable without Timed Input, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII |  FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | RPG | RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 7.99 USD | 13.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 79.8% positive (2,168 reviews) | 82.5% positive (17,547 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Square Enix | Square Enix |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII (2015) is 3 years older than FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION (2018).
- FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION scores higher on Steam reviews (82.5% positive) than LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII (79.8% positive).
- LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII is currently ~43% cheaper on Steam than FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION (7.99 USD vs. 13.99 USD).
- FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION has co-op; LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII does not.
- Steam Deck: LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII is Deck Playable, FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION is Deck Verified.
LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII vs FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION — FAQ
- Which is better, LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII or FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION?
- On Steam reviews FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION scores higher (82.5% positive) than LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII (79.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII or FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION first?
- If you want chronology, LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII (2015) came out before FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION (2018). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII and FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION similar?
- They overlap on RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII have multiplayer like FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION?
- No. FINAL FANTASY XV WINDOWS EDITION supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII is listed as single-player only.