Final Fantasy XIII (ファイナルファンタジーXIII, Fainaru FantajÄ« SÄtÄ«n?) is a console role-playing game being developed by Square Enix. It is slated to be released exclusively for PlayStation 3 in Japan, and on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Europe and North America. First appearing at the 2006 E3, the game features are futuristic and set in a high-tech world. Final Fantasy XIII is the flagship title of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII collection. Gameplay The concept for Final Fantasy XIII's battle system is to maintain the strategic nature of command-based battles. The system stemmed from a desire to create battles similar to those found in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Like those in Final Fantasy XII, enemies are integrated into the world environment. Yet unlike Final Fantasy XII battles do not take place in the same "dimension", but rather a short flash transports players to a new battle screen, separate from the main playing world. The Active Time Battle (ATB) system will return, but it works differently from its predecessors. Users will be able to chain large numbers of commands together in order to achieve attack bonuses. The first battle system was shown during the E3 2006, but it was only a prototype. A new interface was shown recently by Square Enix in various Japanese magazines and trailers (depicted in the image adjacent). In battle, the player can only control one character at a time out of a party of up to three. Multiple commands can be stacked into slots per turn and released at the same time to form a combo. The number of command slots increases as the characters grow in strength. These commands include series staples such as Attack, Fire, Blizzard and Cure, as well as new ones such as Launch, which sends the enemy up in the air and allows the character to perform mid-air combos on the opponent, and spells such as Ruin, Ruinaga, and Radical Strike. The difference between XIII's battle system and the ATB gauge is that these commands can still be placed in the slots even though the bar has run out and the actions will be executed once the required slots are filled up. This, however, affects the chain combo hits as the combo has been interrupted. The game does not make use of MP but introduces "cost points" for each command, which determine how many times the commands can be used per turn. A "break state" is one of the new features of Final Fantasy XIII battle system. The breaks refer to the times an enemy enters a state of non-retaliation. This occurs when a chain combo has been maintained for a certain period of time on an enemy. When a high level combo has been achieved, the enemy will glow red and this state, as indicated by the break bar in the interface. The player will be able to inflict the highest amount of damage to the target. However the chain bar will gradually deplete and when it is empty the break state ends. Magic, including summoning, is restricted to characters that belong to the group called l'Cie (pronounced /ËŒləˈsiË/). Magic is not readily available in the beginning of a game, but it is bestowed upon the characters after a certain event. Because magic cannot be used outside of battle, the HP of the party is completely restored after each battle. The classic summoned creatures called again Eidolons (as they were in Final Fantasy IV DS and Final Fantasy IX) will return in Final Fantasy XIII. Shiva, Carbuncle, Ifrit, Siren and Odin appeared in shown footage. Producer Yoshinori Kitase has confirmed that Bahamut will also appear in the game. When summoned, the Eidolon stay in battle while the characters accompanying the summoner leaves the party. There is also a new feature called "Gestalt Mode", which when activated joins the summoned and its summoner somehow; for example, the character Snow can ride and steer the combined Shiva Nix and Shiva Styria in a "Driving Mode". This changes the pace of the combat significantly. But not all summons turn into mechanical vehicles, Odin's Gestalt Mode changes him into a horse for Lightning to ride. Each character will posses only one Eidolon that is summoned from a crystal that sprouts from the character's mark of l'Cie. It has been recently revealed that the summons will play a major role in the game's storyline as well, much like Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X. Characters will be able to use special skills other than ones gained while working with summons. The player is able to view the HP and name of the enemy before engaging it in battle. When engaging an enemy, the camera moves to another position and the battle menu appears, making the battle transitions nearly seamless. The after-battle victory screen in XIII holds information such as the time it took to finish the battle, the highest number of combos executed, the number of break attacks and the quality of battle which is determined by a ranking of one to five stars. Plot Story The plot focuses on the fal'Cie (pronounced /ˈfæl si:/), beings created from the crystals residing inside them . The people marked by the fal'Cie for a greater purpose are named the l'Cie. But being a l'Cie has a price; for should they die before fulfilling their Focus, they will turn into monsters called "Cie Corpses". Some thirteen centuries ago, a fal'Cie constructed a paradise for humanity: The shell-like city of Cocoon floating high above the surface of the world now known as Pulse, both maintained by their own fal'Cie. Cocoon's fal'Cie created life forms and machines for its inhabitants to use, and humanity flourished. Over time, the people of Cocoon began to fear for the safety of their world, and were worried that it would be cast down from the sky into the hell that they see Pulse to be. In present day, the wilderness of Pulse has strange effects on people, and the theocratic Cocoon Sanctum quarantines and exiles anyone who has been influenced by Pulse from the city with the help of its mighty army, PSICOM. However, as Snow leads Team Nora in a vain attempt to stop the purging, the mysterious Lightning fights her way past PSICOM soldiers to find Pulse's fal'Cie with the aid of Sazh. But by a chain of events, these three along with two of the Purgees, Vanille and Hope, are chosen by the fal'Cie of Pulse against their will to become l'Cie among others, and with that become enemies of humanity that would bring about the downfall of Cocoon. Characters The full cast of Final Fantasy XIII is yet unknown. The following characters have been shown in trailers and screenshots of the game, along with other released information. * Lightning (ライトニング, Raitoningu?) A former soldier of the Cocoon military, she sought the fal'Cie of Pulse only to be made l'Cie much to her dismay. Lightning has long strawberry-blonde hair and is 175 cm tall (5'9"). For her design, character designer Tetsuya Nomura was asked to create a "female version of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII". During development, he described her as "not very feminine". Lightning wields a combination of a gun and a sword and can also manipulate gravity with a device on her thumb. In battle, she is agile and uses much more acrobatic moves than the rest of currently revealed cast. She can also summon the Eidolon Odin to fight by her side in battle. Her Japanese voice actress is Maaya Sakamoto. * Snow Villiers (スノウ・ヴィリアース, SunÅ ViriÄsu?) Prior to becoming a l'Cie, Snow is the head of Team Nora, a resistance group against Cocoon. After becoming a l'Cie, Snow gains the power to summon the Eidolon Shiva sisters Nix (二クス, Nikusu?) and Styria (スティリア, Sutiria?) who can combine into a motorcycle form for Snow to ride while toting a large gun.[24] He is a big character and is capable of running while carrying two people. He was nicknamed "Mr. 33 cm" by the staff of Final Fantasy XIII as a nod to his shoe size. In the October 2008 issue of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, it is revealed that he uses a power that is related to the tattoo on his left forearm. He uses his fists to take down opponents, and can Summon the Eidolon Shiva. Compared to the fast and agile Lightning, Snow focuses more on power and strength. In the Japanese version of the game, he is voiced by Daisuke Ono. * Oerba Dia Vanille (ヲルãƒãƒ»ãƒ€ã‚¤ã‚¢ãƒ»ãƒ´ã‚¡ãƒ‹ãƒ©, Oruba Daia Vanira?) Vanille is a young girl with red-brown hair worn in pigtails who lives in Pulse.Her weapon is a kind of foldable fishing rod with multiple lines that can be reeled. In a trailer, she is seen captured by the Cocoon army and walking in a funeral procession. In the demo and past trailers, she is the character narrating most of the events. She first is seen by Snow as he hands her a gun to defend the rest of those being forced to leave Cocoon, then seen with the boy. As a l'Cie, she can summon the Eidolon Carbuncle. In the Japanese version, she is voiced by Yukari Fukui. * Sazh Katzroy (サッズ・カッツãƒã‚¤, Sazzu Kattsuroi?) Sazh is a young man with an afro who Lightning knows from her time serving in the military. Sazh wields dual pistols, and his strong point is striking enemies from a distance. His pet, a baby chocobo, lives in his afro. He is described as having good judgment and moral discernment. He has a gentle personality and is easily moved to tears, and joins the party early in the game. His voice-actor in the Japanese version is Masashi Ebara. * Hope Estheim (ホープ・エストãƒã‚¤ãƒ , HÅpu Esutohaimu?) Hope is a young boy traveling with the party. The boy has silvery-blonde hair and is clad in orange, yellow, and green. He uses boomerangs in battle. He is seen arguing with Snow about helping the l'Cie. He is also first seen in the game demo wearing same Purge attire as Vanille as his mother offers to aid Snow fighting in off PSICOM. She died as a result and Hope hates Snow for it in spite of him honoring his mother's final request to protect the boy. He is voiced by YÅ«ki Kaji in the Japanese version and by Vincent Martella in the English version. In the Jump Festa 2009 and the official global trailer, three more characters who are part of Snow's resistance group called NORA are seen in the hijack of the captives' train and act the role of heroes. One is a man with orange hair and dark olive skin called Gadot (ガドー, GadÅ?). He uses a machine-gun in battle, providing quick assistance when it comes to executing combos. The second is a black-haired woman with a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder and a sense of invinciblity named Lebreau (レブãƒ, Reburo?) who uses a shotgun in combat and acts as team healer.Gadot and Lebreau are said to be childhood friends of Snow. The third is a young blond-haired worrisome man wearing goggles and a bright pink outfit named Maqui (マーã‚ー, MÄkÄ«?). They were designed by Nao Ikeda, based on sports, and are inspired by NBA, beach volleyball, and snowboarding fashions, respectively. The four known members of NORA are featured in the Final Fantasy XIII demo, although Maqui does not participate in battles. In a trailer at the DKΣ3173 event in Tokyo in 2008 and E3 2009, two antagonistic characters were featured: a high-ranking female commander with knee-length blond hair and glasses who interrogates the captive Vanille in the trailer, and an intimidating man wearing his hair up in a ponytail, who leads the Cocoon army. Development Final Fantasy XIII was first shown at the 2006 E3 convention. Along with Final Fantasy Versus XIII and the PlayStation Portable game Final Fantasy Agito XIII, Final Fantasy XIII is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII project, but none is a prequel or sequel to any of the other installments. Square Enix explained that although all three games take place in the same universe, they are not directly related in terms of story. The game runs on the Crystal Tools engine, a seventh generation multiplatform game engine built by Square Enix for its future games. The engine and the game were originally slated to be used with the PlayStation 2 but were later moved to the PlayStation 3. Final Fantasy XIII is made by Square Enix Production Team 1 (led by Yoshinori Kitase), meaning that the development team will look more like it did when Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 were made, rather than Final Fantasy XII. Several of the game's developers have worked on previous installments of the series. Yoshinori Kitase, director of Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and producer of Final Fantasy X and Dissidia: Final Fantasy among others, will once again return as producer for the game. Motomu Toriyama, director of Final Fantasy X-2 and director and scenario writer of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, will direct the game and write the story. Eiji Fujii, previously the movie director of Final Fantasy XII, will return in this position. Isamu KamikokuryÅ, previously the co-art director of Final Fantasy XII, will return as well, with Tetsu Tsukamoto designing the weapons. The main programmers will be Kazumi Kobayashi and Yoshiki Kashitani. Occasionally, developers from Final Fantasy Versus XIII assist with the development of Final Fantasy XIII. Final Fantasy X's battle director Toshiro Tsuchida will return as the battle system director for the game. He intends on giving individual enemies their own personalities and background stories. He chose not to comment when asked whether players will input commands for individual party members or control will be limited to the current party leader. Final Fantasy X's co-composer Masashi Hamauzu will be scoring the game, with former regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu providing the vocal theme. [edit] Release Due to the frequency of rumored release dates appearing on the Internet, Square Enix's official website issued a statement reminding consumers that any "confirmed release dates" reported by sources other than Square Enix are "erroneous and should be disregarded". During Microsoft's media briefing at the 2008 E3, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XIII would be released first in Japan on PlayStation 3 in 2009, then released in North America and Europe on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (but wanted the camera far away during G4's coverage of the event). The latter would start development only after the Japanese PlayStation 3 version is completed, and the 360 version will come on multiple discs. A Japanese release of the Xbox 360 version of the game is not planned. At the DKΣ3713 Private Party event in August 2008, Square Enix announced that a playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII will be included in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (released on April 16 in Japan and June 2 for North America) on Blu-ray Disc for PlayStation 3, along with new trailers of Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII. The demo will see a limited release, subject to the initial shipments of the Advent Children package. The demo, however, is not reflective of the final product as it was created using an old build of the game. The official Japanese website has recently (as of late April 2009) been updated to include mention of a broad "Winter 2009" release window for Japan. However, when speaking to Japanese press, Square Enix claimed the game might not even come out in this fiscal year. Speaking at a Dissidia: Final Fantasy-related press event in London, producer Yoshinori Kitase stated that the team was aiming to cut down the time it takes for localization. Suggesting a European release "before winter 2010", he mentioned that localization was underway with some translation and voicework already completed. At the same time, it was denied there were any current plans for a Western release of the trial version. Giant advertisements of Final Fantasy XIII appeared on the cross-street of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa Street in the city of Los Angeles on May 23, 2009. These consisted of three huge billboards, showing the three lead characters of the game: Vanille, Snow, and Lightning, confirming the release date of the North American version of Final Fantasy XIII to be in 2010 on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. During Microsoft's E3 2009 conference, it was announced that Final Fantasy XIII was to be released "Spring 2010"[58] worldwide and for both consoles (except Japan) and that a concrete date has not been determined yet. All this information can be found on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_XIII More information and pictures of gameplay will be included as development of this game continues.
I doubt it, there hasnt been a final fantasy on PC since FF8 (that and 7 were straight ports of the PSX version, they didn't even bother reworking the save system, so it still asks which memory card slot you want to save in, and not counting XI, which is not part of the main series).
I doubt it as well. But you'd think that with it already being ported to the Xbox, it wouldn't take much more work for them to make it a PC version? Didn't they release Last Remnant on the PC? (Ya, I know, not a FF game, but still a more recent Square title, which was moved to the PC after being released on the 360).
Why do they taunt us? From the looks of things so far, it could be described as a mix between 6, 7 & 8. why do you taunt us, lightning? Whyyyyyyyyyy?
Can't wait for this game to come out.. (TT___TT) Too bad things have halted for XIII Versus. From the scenes it looked like that game would've been epic. It might take awhile for that game to be finished too.
I know I'm being cynical about this but I am not excited for this game at all. Hype killed my expectations for FFXII and I'm not about to be burned again. For me, the last good Final Fantasy game was X. Boo-hoo me. Also - this may sound retarded coming from a girl - but why aren't there more male characters? The Japanese really suck at making female characters in most games and I'd rather have more men than women characters in my RPGs just so they actually put time and thought into the characters. I don't know. Just me, I guess.
You sure you just couldn't recognize the males underneath their incredibly feminine features and clothes? I'm not gonna get hyped or anything over this since XII didn't interest me in the least but I'm willing to give it a shot at least. I've always had a soft spot for Square-Enix games anyways.
Square won't get anymore money from me, at least when pertaining to the FF series. The last one I liked was 9. Yes, I think 9 is significantly better than 10. I hated 10's story, the characters (how unbelievably awful they are), and the repetitiveness that JRPG's flaunt. Can't stand that I paid full price for it back when. What was that garbage with waterball and fake Hawaiians? Ugh, so terrible. Since 10 I've had a mental block with anything bearing FF, Chrystal Chronicles didn't help. Square will most likely be swiping my debit for The 3rd Birthday. Parasite Eve, why have did you waste so much time on cell phones!?
