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| Chris Winkler |
Info on summons and more inside.
06.10.09 - 4:44 PM
Square Enix has shed some more light on its highly anticipated PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 RPG Final Fantasy XIII. Compared to Final Fantasy XII, the development process of the new game has been accompanied by less limitations and trouble. Compared to the demo released in March, the final product will have a more realistic feel to it and the transition from CG sequences to real-time scenes will be smoother. AI will be improved and party members will be capable of delivering a varied portfolio of combination attacks.
The development team isn't ready to explain exactly what kind of relationship exists between Lighting and Snow, yet Snow apparently refers to the heroine as "older sister." Lightning's crystal is shaped like a rose, whereas Snow's looks like a heart.
Following Ifrit, Shiva, Carbuncle and Bahamut, Odin is the fifth summon officially confirmed to appear in the game (as seen at Microsoft's E3 press conference). Like Shiva, Odin will be able to transform into a vehicle during battle. Talking about Shiva, the two sisters which make up this icy summon can be transformed into a bike. Players can ride this bike by using the analog stick to freely move around on the battlefield and attack their opponents by pressing a button. In this mode, the game will feel similar to an action game. Apparently, there will be summons that are even more mechanical than Shiva. Summons in general will play an important role not only in battle, but also in the game's storyline.
Final Fantasy XIII has yet to receive an official release date, but is to be believed to arrive on Japanese retail store shelves in late 2009. Fans on this side of the Pacific will have to wait until early 2010 to get their hands on the game.
