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| Liz Maas |
No, you don't get a new trailer. You got that last week!
01.26.11 - 6:20 PM
Once again, like Final Fantasy Versus XIII, there wasn't much last week at Square Enix's event that was said about the suddenly-announced Final Fantasy XIII-2. We did, however, get a very brief (but not very telling) trailer at the time, in which we saw Lightning, a new character... and lots of feathers.
And once again, the details didn't come until this week's Dengeki PlayStation and Weekly Famitsu were released, so here it goes. Don't expect J-Pop karaoke and costumes like Final Fantasy X-2 had though - this one will have a dark, mysterious feel. The title will also cover a different area of the 'Fabula Nova Crystallis' mythology than did XIII. This mythology is the basis of all the Final Fantasy XIII titles, and Final Fantasy Type 0, formerly known as Final Fantasy Agito XIII. XIII-2 will focus on the deity Etro, and delve a little deeper into the Fabula mythology than its predecessor did.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a direct sequel, starting in Grand Pulse right after XIII ends, and will expand upon the epilogue that was included with Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International, a Japan-only Xbox 360 release. Players will be seeking a gate to an invisible world called Bunibelle as Lightning, although other characters will make appearances in different forms. Some of them will even see major changes. Lightning's new armour is the biggest change in her design this time around, and the feathers that are so prominent in the trailer are supposed to represent how Lightning is drawing closer to the 'realm of gods.'
There wasn't much explained about Lightning's new male rival, who we saw in the trailer, but he is also (naturally) other character in the game's logo. His strength is equal to that of Lightning's, although he is still without a name, nor do we know his origin or why he is at odds with her.
The game's producer, Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama also said in the interviews with the magazines that the battle system will be an 'evolved form' of XIII's ATB (active-time battle) system. They hope to improve upon what worked best in XIII's battle system, and are listening to feedback both inside and outside the Square Enix offices (including overseas) in regards to this, as well as concerning the story and characters.
Currently, Kitase and Toriyama are still considering the game's difficulty options. FFXIII Ultimate Hits International had an Easy setting included, so XIII-2 may see this as well. They are also working on making the game enjoyable for those who didn't play (or complete) Final Fantasy XIII.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is expected to see a release sometime next winter in North America and Europe.
