Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is the direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII-2, and a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series. Intended to end the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, it features Lightning as the main protagonist. The game takes place five hundred years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII-2 where Lightning is tasked with saving the souls of humanity in a world heading for destruction.

Unlike Final Fantasy XIII-2, the game's retail version contains the complete story, meaning players won't have to purchase downloadable content. Also unlike its predecessor, the game has just one ending.

The game's world, Nova Chrysalia, is an active open-world with some platforming elements. Players have a high degree of freedom and will see new roads and cities from tall landmarks and can easily get lost. Nova Chrysalia has been designed similar to a "tourist guide style" seen in MMORPGs, and each team presented the continents in this style. Yuji Abe has stated that in Final Fantasy XIII many areas were places the player could only pass through, but in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, there are many places to explore. Keywords for the world's design are "gothic, mechanical, and fantasy."

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was announced to come for Steam in the wake of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2. However, the stated Spring 2015 release window passed with no news. In June 2015 Square Enix tweeted that the game was still coming for Steam, but could not confirm a release date. In November the release date was announced for 10th December 2015.

Gameplay
Players take control of Lightning, the main character from Final Fantasy XIII, as the sole playable character. She traverses freely over the game's variety of terrain and can jump on obstacles, such as telephone poles, and use elements of stealth. Her abilities differ based on her elevated height. The developers have aimed for a world where the players would be able to reach almost everything visible on the screen, and there are no load times between areas unless the player either teleports, uses a vehicle, or there is a storyline event that transports the player somewhere new.

The game has an open-world structure and the explorable area is bigger than what has been seen in previous Final Fantasy titles, and the player may not have time to visit everywhere on their first play-through. The player can either walk between destinations or use the monorail for faster travel. Chocobos are available to use as well.

Monsters range in size and can be enormous. Not only appearing in the sprawling wilderness, they terrorize the cities as well, increasing in number at night. Although many enemies return from previous titles, about half of the monsters in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII are new. Because of time's ever-flowing nature, the non-player characters' locations keep changing.

The Crystarium system does not appear in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII; instead, Lightning's stats are increased by completing story events and side quests. The player can buy equipment and items, visit restaurants to buy food items that restore HP or status effects, and stay at inns to restore health in exchange for spending time. The more souls the player rescues the more powerful Lightning becomes. Anything that requires depletion of EP will be learned by Lightning herself. General abilities are associated with whatever garb is equipped, or obtained through item drops from enemies. By visiting sorcery shops, the player can synthesize the abilities to boost their strength. Enemies are more likely to drop abilities if they are staggered.

Battle
Enemies are found on the field and Lightning can sneak up on them to perform preemptive strikes, and if Lightning can strike first, the enemy will lose 10% of their starting HP. If Lightning strikes an enemy before they notice her, they'll lose 25%. If an enemy comes in contact with Lightning, the battle will start with her losing 5% of her HP (unless playing in Easy Mode).

The battle system is a heavily modified version of the Command Synergy Battle system the two previous games used, and features real time features, such as freely taking control of Lightning's movements and attacks, and a real time block, dodge and counter system. The new combat system is named Style-Change Active Time Battle (SATB).

Players can assign four commands to the controller's face buttons and instead of selecting commands, players will press buttons that correspond to the individual abilities. There are also timing-based mechanics. Though the battle system is of an action-RPG, it features an ATB gauge and every action depletes this bar. By tilting the left analog stick, the player can move Lightning on the battlefield.

Lightning will have a variety of different weapons, but they will all be close-range ones; magic is reserved for ranged combat. For most abilities, Lightning will move automatically to the correct range to execute the desired attack.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII features boss battles with the key being destroying various body parts on the monsters. The stagger system returns from Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, now being depicted as a wave around the enemy's HP bar. Enemies have multiple weaknesses so the player can knock them down in different ways making for less repetitive gameplay. Lightning can assemble a schema that exploits the enemy's weak points, and via the stagger system Lightning can juggle some of the enemies in the air with her attacks.

Via the EP Abilities the player can teleport to specific areas or even momentarily stop time. The Energy Points gauge is on the lower-left part of the screen and Energy Points are acquired upon clearing battles. Lightning will always start with full Enemy Points at the start of each day. Originally this system was part of Eradia (points given to the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil, to extend the world's lifespan), but the developers decided to separate them and now players can use the points without having to worry about the world's lifespan.

If the player loses a battle, they don't get a Game Over, but must use the Escape command to return to the field, penalizing the player by taking an hour of the world's time (in the normal version of the game only).

Schemata and garbs


Players have access to several custom-made paradigm-like schemata that change Lightning's assigned skills on-the-fly. Each schema has its own ATB gauge, meaning the player can swap between schemata and maintain constant action while allowing the other schemata to recharge. If the player runs out of ATB and cannot perform any actions, the gauges will gradually refill as Lightning idles.

Lightning is customizable with wide array of garbs, weapons, shields, accessories, adornments and abilities. Schemata allow players to put these together to create different skills and attributes. Lightning can collect and customize her equipment through completing quests and synthesizing them from components found in the world, shops, or battle. Players can preset different schemata and change between them, similar to how Paradigm Shift worked in earlier games.

Garbs change Lightning's look on the field, and their color can be customized. The default schema's garb is the one Lightning wears on the field. Civilians react with different comments depending on which costume Lightning is wearing.

The "doomsday clock"


The game plays on the world-driven concept with a "doomsday clock" element that determines how much time is left before the Apocalypse. The player is initially given seven days to explore the world, but this can be extended to thirteen days by completing sidequests. Chronostasis stops the flow of time momentarily to give the player a chance to explore, and playing in the Easy Mode has no time-punishment for fleeing battles. A countdown timer indicating the time left until the end of the world is displayed in the upper-right of the screen.

A day in the world of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII lasts twenty-four hours, like in the real world, as after the Day of Ragnarok in Final Fantasy XIII, two hours were lost. This is to make up for the clocks in Nautilus and Oerba's schoolhouse in Final Fantasy XIII that were 13-hour clocks, and for Mog in Final Fantasy XIII-2 having a 12-hour clock to show the change in a day's length. Time stands still when talking to people, during cutscenes and battles, in menus, on the Ark, while Chronostasis is active, and on the final day.

The player may want to be in specific locations in specific times where black haze called Chaos infusions will appear, indicating the area has become monster territory, where the player will find the toughest opponents for a chance at better rewards. Lightning will only be able to hold six battle items at the start of the game, but this will increase when the player progresses. Depending on which day the player battles certain storyline bosses, their stats and/or appearance can change. The world faces constant changes by the hand of a weather system and day/night cycles, with monsters becoming more vicious at night time.

Because the play time can be extended, it allows for a player-specific game experience, and different choices yield different events. It will not be possible to see every cutscene in one playthrough, and the time management structure means players can have different experiences each time they play the game.

Quests


Instead of being divided into chapters, like the previous two games, the story of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is told in the form of five main quests. Side quests are available to increase Lightning's stats and Eradia for Yggdrasil to hold off the Apocalypse. Both main quests and side quests are rewarded with stat increases, Eradia and gil and item rewards.

Outerworld Services


A new function was incorporated in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII so players could post screenshots or messages on a community board via social networks. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII let players share game updates onto Twitter and Facebook, such as upon defeating in-game bosses; the updates would include the player's overall score for defeating said boss. The outerworld services allowed the player to make snapshots with the possibility of excluding Lightning from them. The service closed 26th April 2016.

Setting
Nova Chrysalia, known in the Japanese version as Novus Partus (Latin for "new offspring," "new Births," "new cocoon," or "rebirth"), is a world created when Gran Pulse and Valhalla came together. It is composed of four continents (two natural and two cityscape) surrounded by a Sea of Chaos and connected by a monorail system.

Nova Chrysalia contains a mix of architecture ranging from medieval-style to modern. The cities have many clocks to display the progression of time. The pleasure city of Yusnaan is designed as a place of entertainment, while Luxerion is ruled by religious cults. The new Cocoon, Bhunivelze, floats in the sky over Nova Chrysalia, and inside it lies the Ark.

The remains of Academia and Valhalla are now a part of the Wildlands, a continent comprising vast and open forests, plains, and mountains, including small villages to explore. The Dead Dunes feature dungeons and ruins containing relics from ancient times, alongside a vast desert.

The realms' merge affected the Chaos dwelling within human hearts as per the Fabula Nova Crystallis lore, stopping humans from aging and reproducing, though they can still die due to violence or disease.

Nova Chrysalians dress up in a variety of ways: some wear long robe-like black and white garbs with golden masks and mechanical backpacks, while others, such as the citizens of Yusnaan, dress in extravagant colors and outlandish accessories. The citizens of the world are aware of its impending doom, but only few know how much time there is left. Depending on the continent, people react to the impending apocalypse differently: the people in Luxerion wait for the god Bhunivelze to create a new world, while those in Yusnaan celebrate it with lavish festivities.

Playable character

 * Lightning - After sleeping in crystal stasis for five centuries, Lightning awakes in Nova Chrysalia and is chosen by the god Bhunivelze to be a savior of souls. She learns the world and its inhabitants face oblivion in thirteen days and fights to save them and reunite with her late sister Serah.

Guests

 * Angel of Valhalla - A legendary white chocobo said to herald the end of the world.
 * Oerba Yun Fang - Lightning's former companion who seeks an ancient relic on the Dead Dunes.

Story
In the year 1000 AF, five hundred years after Chaos entered the mortal realm, Lightning awoke from her crystal sleep in the world of Nova Chrysalia. The world is doomed to be destroyed and Bhunivelze—the god who created the fal'Cie deities: Pulse, Lindzei, and Etro—chose Lightning to be the savior tasked to free mankind's souls and lead them into a new world he is crafting. In return, Bhunivelze assured Lightning he will resurrect her sister Serah.

Lightning teamed up with her former companion Hope Estheim, who has physically regressed to his teenage state. Although he remains in the Ark, the two keep in contact over wireless communicators, with Hope guiding Lightning through knowledge he obtains by analysing the Chaos around her. While remaining in the Ark Hope tends the tree, Yggdrasil, which acts as a preserving force for the world, extending the its life to the maximum of thirteen days in exchange for an energy called Eradia, obtained whenever a soul is saved. After each day Lightning is pulled back into the Ark where she relinquishes the Eradia she has collected from saved souls to the tree, and each new bloom on the Yggdrasil grants one more day for the world.

As Lightning sets out on her quest she encounters many of her former allies. Snow Villiers, depressed over Serah's death and still a l'Cie, has become Patron of the pleasure city of Yusnaan. Noel Kreiss, tormented by his role in Etro's and Serah's deaths and the world's current state, has become a vigilante in Luxerion. Oerba Dia Vanille is being sheltered by the Order of Salvation, being hailed a saint for having gained the ability to hear the voices of the dead. Believing the Order is using Vanille to suit their own ends, Oerba Yun Fang leads a band of thieves in the Dead Dunes to obtain a relic the Order is after.

In the Wildlands, an untamed region where the creation of Nova Chrysalia took place, Sazh Katzroy grieves over his comatose son Dajh while Mog leads a settlement of moogles. Caius Ballad, the man responsible for Nova Chrysalia's creation, resides within the ruins of Etro's temple where the Chaos is bleeding from with only the various incarnations of Paddra Nsu-Yeul for company. Lightning also encounters the mysterious child-like entity Lumina, who resembles Serah in appearance, whose agenda is unknown. Every now and then Lumina pulls Lightning into a secluded place apparently existing inside her soul where Hope cannot hear their conversations to plant seeds of doubt in Lightning's mind on Bhunivelze's true plan for her.

In Yusnaan, Lightning storms the end of the world festivities at Patron's Palace to confront Snow, Serah's fiancé andt he last l'Cie in the world. As a Chaos infusion manifests inside the palace Lightning aids Snow in dispersing the monsters that emerge from it, but afterward the two turn their weapons on each other, as Snow does not trust her. Lumina intervenes and breaks Lightning's weapon, and Snow retreats deeper into the palace. Lightning follows, but is halted by a locked door. She can sense Chaos on the other side and questions Snow's sanity if he went inside. Lightning retreats as she hears the guards approaching and the day draws to a close.

A cult known as the Children of Etro believes Lightning to be the harbinger of the oncoming Apocalypse, and murders pink-haired women during their nocturnal rites to lure her out. While putting a stop to the cult's activities in Luxerion, Lightning runs into Noel Kreiss who believes he must kill her to ensure the coming of a better world and allow him to reunite with the seeress Yeul from his era, a girl who was endlessly reborn back when time still flowed normally. It turns out the Oracle Drive prophecy he followed is a fake created by Lumina, and when given a chance to strike at Lightning Noel destroys the Oracle Drive instead. Yeul's spirit emerges from the damaged Oracle Drive and promises they will be together soon, and Lightning saves Noel's soul by freeing him from his burden of guilt.

After hearing of Lightning's exploits in the city Vanille requests to see her, and Lightning is granted night time passage into the Luxerion Cathedral after she delivers Vanille's missing crystal shard to her aide. Lightning finds Vanille with Lumina, and the former shows Lightning a mass of Chaos residing underneath the cathedral she dubs the wind of sorrow. After Etro's death the cycle of life was broken with no new life being born, and the dead no longer passing on, instead staying trapped in a state of limbo with Vanille able to hear every cry of their pain. Vanille is determined to help the dead as she is the only one who can hear them, and thus has decided to stay with the Order of Salvation who claims to have discovered a way to save the dead by granting them oblivion as per Bhunivelze's orders. The Order is an organization that acts as de facto world government who worships the god Bhunivelze and spreads the word of the oncoming end of the world and the salvation Bhunivelze has promised his followers in the new world.

Lightning returns to Yusnaan and infiltrates Snow's palace during the performance of the The Song of the Savior show. She proves to Snow she is not an impostor by recognizing the engagement necklace he and Serah wore after deciding to marry. Snow desires death as penance for his failure to protect Serah, and intends to have Lightning kill him after absorbing a Chaos infusion at the center of his palace he has been keeping contained to save Yusnaan. Snow transforms into a Cie'th but is defeated in battle, and Lightning reverses his transformation by convincing him that Serah's soul still wishes to be with him.

In the Dead Dunes, Lightning finds Fang leads a bandit group known as Monoculus, and joins to help in their quest of locating the holy clavis needed for a ritual only Vanille can perform that is said to save the dead. Lightning uncovers a path to the Temple Ruins underneath the desert where she and Fang learn how Bhunivelze created the gods that formed the world and mankind, and find the clavis. when Fang tries to destroy it, a confused Lightning stops her, and during the ruckus the clavis falls into the Order's hands. Fang explains the Order is using Vanille and the ritual she is to perform will kill her, and Lightning urges Fang to meet her in Luxerion on Nova Chrysalia's final day to convince Vanille not to go through with it.

In the Wildlands Lightning finds an injured white chocobo the local legends know as the Angel of Valhalla said to herald the the end of the world. Lightning nurses him back to health and rides him to Etro's Temple from where the Chaos is bleeding into the area. She discovers the origin of the Chaos is the seeress Yeul's fragmented soul, and meets her numerous incarnations and Caius who yearns for death but is unable to die. The Yeuls ask for Lightning to save Caius's soul, but she is unable to, as the Yeuls' wish to be with him has bound him to Chaos permanently. Caius and the Yeuls remain at the temple as Lightning moves on, intending to be destroyed alongside Nova Chrysalia as there is no place for them in the new world.

Elsewhere on the Wildlands, Lightning finds her former ally Sazh Katzroy and his comatose son in an abandoned airship and helps collect Dajh's soul fragments to restore him to life, saving Sazh's soul as well. Mog, the moogle whom Lightning had entrusted as Serah's "good luck charm" to lead her to Valhalla, has reunited with his moogle friends. He leads the Moogle Village deep in the Jagd Woods. At first Mog fears confronting her, as he feels culpable for Serah's death, but Lightning doesn't blame Mog and asks him to be there on the final day when Serah will be revived.

As the end draws near the souls of the dead that reside in the Chaos talk to Lightning in the form of Cid Raines, asking for her help as Bhunivelze sees them as impurities that need to be purged. Lightning is not convinced by the spirit of Serah that has been sent to her to keep her on the path chosen by Bhunivelze, feeling that something is amiss, and Lightning fears she has lost the ability to feel Serah's soul and thus a part of her humanity. In a safeguarded place inside her own soul, Lightning sometimes meets Lumina who tries to remind her of the true self she keeps denying, and implies she knows where the real Serah is.

On the final day, the Chaos swallows all but the Luxerion Cathedral. Lightning and Fang team up to save Vanille from the ritual, and Lightning learns the Soulsong is part of the Order's intention to destroy the souls of the dead to free those still living from remembering them so they could live in perpetual bliss in Bhunivelze's new world. After being coaxed into listening to the dead, Vanille learns that, despite their suffering, the souls carry the hope of being reborn. Vanille stops the ritual, and Snow arrives and destroys the clavis with Fang's spear. Together, Fang and Vanille guide the dead to the Ark to be reborn in the new world with their souls acting as the guiding light.

Lightning's purpose as the savior of souls is fulfilled as the bells toll to the end of the world and the final day comes to pass. Bhunivelze appears to her and Lightning learns that centuries ago Hope became a puppet body that Bhunivelze has been using to better understand mankind as part of his scheme to purge it of their emotions and free will for his new world. Now having taken over Hope's body entirely, Bhunivelze admits he can't see human souls and thus doesn't know where Serah's soul is.

Lightning seeks Bhunivelze's true body out in Cosmogenesis, an otherworldly dimension where Bhunivelze is in the process of creating his new world. Bhunivelze explains his plan for Lightning to replace the late Etro as the goddess of death and protect the world balance. She rejects the apotheosis and rebels against Bhunivelze, as she desires a world free of gods where humans can decide their own paths in life.

The powers Bhunivelze had granted to make her the savior make Lightning strong enough to take him on. At first she intends to plunge herself and Bhunivelze to the Chaos to free the souls he had consumed, but the simulacrum of Serah Bhunivelze had created to keep her acquiescent appears to her and implores Lightning to find the real Serah. It is revealed that when Bhunivelze had purged Serah's soul from Lightning before making her the savior, Lightning's denied feelings that had always lain latent within her had been made manifest by the Chaos, creating Lumina, who had become a vessel for Serah's soul. Lightning accepts the part of herself she had wanted to deny and Lumina is reintegrated into Lightning, freeing Serah's soul.

As Lightning frees Hope's soul from Bhunivelze, Hope saves her from sacrificing herself by plunging both herself and Bhunivelze into the oblivion. Joined by her former friends and allies when they escape the deity's hold, including Serah and the Eidolons, Lightning frees the souls Bhunivelze consumed and uses their collective power to defeat him. With Bhunivelze turning to crystal, Nova Chrysalia is destroyed and all that is left behind is a dark wasteland.

Caius and the various incarnations of Yeul appear before Lightning and her friends and the Yeuls announce their decision to take over Etro's role as the protectors of the dead and keepers of the balance between the realms of the living and the dead. As the realm begins to collapse, in a final act of redemption, Caius allows the final incarnation of Yeul leave with Noel while he and Yeul's other incarnations are drawn into the new unseen realm.

With the old world no more, Lightning and her friends find a glimmering crystal in a void. The Eidolons and Mog bid their farewells and fade away while Lightning and the souls of humanity leave for the new world. Having begun her life anew, Lightning, no longer dressing like a soldier or a servant of the divine, steps off a train in a countryside on a peaceful journey to reunite with one of her friends.

Music
The music for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is composed by Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Mitsuto Suzuki, who previously worked on Final Fantasy XIII-2. The game does not have a vocal theme song, but the ending theme is composed by Hamauzu, Mizuta, and Suzuki.

"", the track from the JumpFesta announcement trailer, was released on December 23rd, 2012, on iTunes as part of the game's promotion campaign. Hamauzu says that "Crimson Blitz" was composed in Le Locle, Switzerland, during his Europe tour as the church bell rings every fifteen minutes, and that reminded Hamauzu of the passing time in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Another promotional track released on iTunes was "The Savior", a track featured on the E3 trailer. Composed by Naoshi Mizuta, the track was released on iTunes on June 6th, 2013, and is used in the game as a battle theme.

Each of the continents has its own composer, and depending on the time of a day—morning, afternoon, evening, and night—a different song will play.

The original soundtrack was released in November 21st, 2013. A PLUS soundtrack was released on March 26th, 2014 in Japan.

Downloadable content and extras
The localized version has a DLC package that features both the original Japanese dialogue and Japanese lip-synching, providing "a more natural and localized game experience". The DLC package was free to download for the first two weeks after the game's western release, but requires a payment after that. This was the first time a localized Final Fantasy console game has featured both English and Japanese voice tracks.

If the player has save data from Final Fantasy XIII and/or Final Fantasy XIII-2, they can unlock Lightning's outfits from those games (her Guardian Corps uniform and her valkyrie armor, respectively) as garbs and buy them in the rewards shop.

Most of the DLC and the extras are included in the Steam version.

Development
Square Enix registered a domain name for Final Fantasy XIII-3 on September 7, 2011, but no development plans were announced. A representative of Square Enix noted the filing was to protect the Final Fantasy XIII IP and was not indicative of a new title. During the interview with 4gamer in early December 2012, producer Yoshinori Kitase said the team decided not to name the game Final Fantasy XIII-3 as it "would give the impression that it was a direct evolution of XIII-2, rather than the 'new experience'".

The Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania Omega book released on June 21st 2012, contains an interview with Yoshinori Kitase and Motomu Toriyama that sees the pair suggesting a successor to Final Fantasy XIII-2. Kitase stated (the last part about Lightning's DLC episode) that "explaining 'XXX Years Later' would be pointless. It might seem that the line 'To Be Continued...' means that Lightning's chapter will continue in more download content, but we are doing it in a different interpretation".

In a scenario interview with Toriyama and Watanabe, Toriyama said that although Final Fantasy XIII-2 did not bring the happy ending for Lightning he had promised before in Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega, he hopes to tell more stories from the Fabula Nova Crystallis.

2012
The development for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII started soon after the global release of Final Fantasy XIII-2. The developers have later said they always had a concept of expanding the story of Final Fantasy XIII since the start of Final Fantasy XIII-2 project, but weren't fully decided on whether to make it a trilogy.

In August, Square Enix launched an official website regarding the new entry into the saga and at the Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary event, the Final Fantasy XIII stage took place at 11:30 on September 1st, titled "Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Saga: New Developments Presentation", where Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was announced. Motomu Toriyama, Yuji Abe, and Isamu Kamikokuryo each presented an element of what the game would be about, yet only disclosed that Lightning's new appearance, designed by Tetsuya Nomura, would play on her light, speed, and elegance.

As of September 4th, 2012, the game was confirmed to be 30% complete. As Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is the third title on its generation's hardware, director Motomu Toriyama has said it to be the most complete and polished game in the Final Fantasy series.

In a developer interview with Famitsu on September 6th, 2012, art director Isamu Kamikokuryo stated that Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was using newly designed assets to build the game and that Nova Chrysalia was being built from the ground-up.

On October 10th, 2012, character designer Tetsuya Nomura reported he has finished the designs of the outfits for Lightning and Snow Villiers, and that his work in the game had been completed. In terms of technology, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII shares the same elements from Final Fantasy XV, while sharing a few gameplay and design elements of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, as well.

On November 22nd, 2012, Yoshinori Kitase gave a development update on the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Facebook and Twitter accounts, stating the first part of the game had been implemented to a certain extent, and that they had been collecting play test feedback.

2013
In January 2013, Square Enix embarked on a global media tour for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, where various media outlets were invited to witness an early but playable build of the game and have a QA session with the developers. This is unusual in light of past Final Fantasy games' development, as usually Square Enix had been secretive about the progress of their projects and the version of Lightning Returns shown to spectators during the media tour was the earliest build of a Final Fantasy game showed publicly. This version had many placeholder assets, models, and music being substituted in.

On May 29th, 2013, Famitsu revealed that Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was at 70% completion. In the E3 trailer, it was announced the game would be released on February 2014 in North America and Europe. After Gamescom, where the game was exhibited, Yuji Abe revealed that Lightning Returns would be next revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2013, and that at the event, a wholly new character would be introduced.

Gameplay
When designing Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII the developers wanted to implement player feedback the previous titles in the Final Fantasy XIII saga had received, namely the criticism Final Fantasy XIII received for its linearity. Thus improved player freedom and the growth of character while exploring the world became important facets when planning for the gameplay. The idea was to create an expansive world, but simultaneously make it so the player wouldn't be thrown into it haphazardly. Thus the element of time management was included so the player would pay attention to the world, and think how to interact with its inhabitants. Having an open environment heavily impacted the way the world map was developed and weight was placed on how much of the restrictions that a traditional Final Fantasy game sets for the sake of making the world look beautiful could be removed. The teams handling the different areas were told to ruminate on how to keep players from straying too far off track and get lost.

At the beginning the developers received negative feedback for the "doomsday clock" system, because the original time did not even allow the player to reach the end of the game. Adjustments were made to arrive to a satisfying amount of time. At first there was a countdown running towards zero on the upper part of the screen, but based on player feedback this was changed to a clock.

With Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII the developers wanted to improve on the freedom of moving around in the field compared to previous entries to the Final Fantasy XIII saga, and various actions were added so Lightning can make the most use of the three-dimensional map's structure. Director Motomu Toriyama has said the aim was not about adding more action elements, but about providing a wider range of traveling methods so the player can efficiently move around in a world that has a time limit.

Many players found the battle system of the previous Final Fantasy XIII series games difficult to understand, and so with Lightning Returns developers wanted to make it easier to see what the player should be thinking and to have a direct response to that, which ties to the idea of having just one playable character.

The developers talked with the Final Fantasy XV development team, who utilize an action-rpg-based system for their game, and got some inspiration. The plan was still to retain the strategic elements from older Final Fantasy games as the foundation for the new battle system. To achieve dynamic fights, the developers took the paradigm system from the two previous entries to the trilogy, and chose them as a set on four buttons for four different actions instead of using a command menu to create a style of gameplay that is simultaneously tactical, yet dynamic. The game was designed so the flow of play would not be disturbed by the battles. After the developers had direct response controls set up, they concluded it would be more intuitive to have the player control the single character of Lightning alone.

In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII the player can dodge and block enemies' attacks; when Lightning's outfit was created the shield came into the design, and the developers thought to utilize it in battles by allowing her to block attacks. This enabled the creation of various fighting styles, as it is possible to be more offensively focused with the sword, or play defensively with the strengths of the shield.

Player reaction to the downloadable costumes in Final Fantasy XIII-2 was mixed, as some players felt the effect should be more than cosmetic. Thus in Lightning Returns the different outfits Lightning can wear were designed with this in mind to offer stat boosts and other battle advantages. With the previous games in the trilogy there was always a request from the development team to be able to change the look of the characters when their paradigm roles switched, and with new system memory resources opening up with a single playable character this became possible with Lightning Returns. However, the concept of changing outfits didn't come first but naturally found its way into the game based on the compatibility between how the game mechanics were set up.

Yuji Abe has commented on the weaknesses of the paradigm system used in the previous titles to the trilogy, feeling that by relying on setting AIs and switching between pre-set combinations distances the player, makes it less accessible and that it dilutes the feeling of immersion by not having a specific character for the player to inhabit. The system in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was put together with the intent of sharing the basic philosophy of the systems from the first two games, but simultaneously acting as a counterpoint to them.

Abe named the allowing of fewer story scenes with allied characters as the main downside of the one-playable-character system.

Art direction
A number of artists are involved with crafting the world, with careful detailing in crafting specific sofas, chairs and telephone booths. Art director Isamu Kamikokuryo said the concept of a dying world in which technology is deteriorating was the foundation of the artwork. Motifs from 19th century London during the industrial revolution, Asia, and the Middle East were made to appear in Nova Chrysalia depending on the location. To contrast the high-level modern civilization depicted in Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII has a more retro feel.

The gothic feel and the monochromatic color scheme of Luxerion were chosen to represent a surreal twilight. The city's style merges gothic, medieval, modern, and fantasy designs. The city's colors are mainly composed of white and black, symbolizing light and darkness, as well as featuring the ethereal green seen in Valhalla from Final Fantasy XIII-2. Director Motomu Toriyama said the city's grim tone symbolizes "the strong awareness of death in a world that has lost its concept of mortality." It's been said that Luxerion has a western look, similar to that of Paris. The city's style has been called "Mech-Goth", alternatively called "Mechanical Gothic".

Yusnaan was inspired by a blend of Renaissance and Middle Eastern cultures. The Dead Dunes and the Wildlands were designed to allude to some elements of the classic main Final Fantasy titles, such as the dungeons and open fields which the players could freely explore.

Each of the four main areas—Luxerion, Yusnaan, Dead Dunes and the Wildlands—were designed to be distinctive in feel and look, and care was put into designing the NPCs found in the area. For example, the people of the religious town of Luxerion dress modestly, and those especially devout in an almost cult-like manner. Many people in Yusnaan dress in extravagant colors and accessories, and the dress sense of the inhabitants of Dead Dunes and Wildlands is designed to be appropriate to their environments. The characters with more outstanding accessories are usually the ones who give out quests, and upon completing the quest, Lightning can often receive the quest-giver's accessory as an adornment.

The ideas for the feel and look of the game areas came from director Motomu Toriyama, who wanted to show types of locations that hadn't been explored in the trilogy's previous installments; this is why a desert was included. The idea was to express the ideas, themes and concepts the game is built upon. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII has the overarching theme of time and its passing, and thus day-and-night cycles and designs incorporating large clock faces, were included in the designs.

Producer Yoshinori Kitase has explained the title logo was revamped because the team wanted to convey the "newness" of the installment compared to previous Final Fantasy games. The intention was to use an emblem with sharp edges and a symmetrical design. The idea was to draw up the logo from scratch and create something different from the usual Yoshitaka Amano outing. They went through many different designs until deciding upon the concepts: "lightning" and "metallic." The symbol will also appear in the game, for example: Lightning's default outfit.

Story
The game was designed to be the end of Lightning's story and the universe of Final Fantasy XIII. Concurrently, the game was meant to be the final game on seventh-generation consoles, with the staff working extra-hard to get it out in the short time before the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Japan, and with next-gen versions of the game not being considered. Along with the main ending, the team created an epilogue. According to Toriyama, it was created to be slightly open-ended so players could imagine what would happen next. Ideas for Lightning to meet up with her allies and friends were not used: Toriyama felt that the story should start and end with Lightning.

Themes
The overall theme of fighting against destiny, the united theme across all Final Fantasy XIII games, remains in Lightning Returns with Lightning having been once again tasked by a deity to perform a special mission.

The main theme of the story is "the salvation of souls". Having awoken from her crystal sleep, Lightning has become their savior, and is tasked by Bhunivelze with freeing people from the darkness in their hearts and guiding their souls to the new world that will be born when Nova Chrysalia ends after the final thirteen days. The concept of religion is prominent, as shown by the worship of Bhunivelze and the late Etro in Luxerion.

Another main theme is the "rebirth of Lightning", defined by Lightning's appearance in each game in the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, and that being the reason why the game is called Lightning Returns instead of Final Fantasy XIII-3. Toriyama has the story focused on Lightning to show her in a different light for players to get to know her better. In the beginning of the game, Lightning is closed off and distant, but as the story progresses, more details about her internal struggles, thoughts, and true feelings are revealed and she becomes more human and vulnerable as she once again chooses to defy her destiny to save her sister.

Another theme is how much Hope has grown and matured in Lightning's "motherly" point of view. In Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning acted like a surrogate mother to Hope, and has not interacted with him since the original game. Now that Lightning has Hope helping her in her new mission, she gets to see how much he has changed.

Japanese release
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was released in Japan on November 21st, 2013. A special edition called "Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Ultimate Box" was released at the same time.

The Ultimate Box contains the following: A special Hori controller also accompanies the game's release.
 * Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Blu-ray games
 * Play Arts Kai figurine of Lightning.
 * Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Ultimate Box Special Soundtrack (3-disc)
 * Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Art Works
 * Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Ultimate Box Special Stand

The downloadable PSN version of the game is 9.8 GB large. On November 19th, players were able to pre-load the game so they can play Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII on the launch day without delay. Those who picked the downloadable version, got SOLDIER 1st Class garb for Lightning.

North American release
In the United States, as a pre-order bonus, players received Cloud Strife's SOLDIER 1st Class Uniform as a garb and Buster Sword. With these, players hear the victory fanfare from Final Fantasy VII and Lightning performs Cloud's iconic victory pose in this gear.

The game was released simultaneously as a boxed release and on the PlayStation Network.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Collector's Edition was available exclusively through the Square Enix Online Store. It has a different cover art and includes an 80-page hardcover art book. The book is wrapped in a dust jacket featuring character designer Tetsuya Nomura's original drawings and has a foreword by art director Isamu Kamikokuryo. The set comes with a silver embossed pocket watch inspired by the game's theme that revolves around a countdown doomsday clock. Aerith Gainsborough and Cloud Strife DLC sets are included as well.

The Collector's Edition set was released through the Square Enix Online Store on February 11th, 2014 for $89.99.

GameStop was also selling the Lightning Returns PlayStation 3 DualShock 3 Wireless Controller that was at first announced for the Asian markets.

PAL territories release
As a pre-order bonus European players get a limited edition steelbook including downloadable content token giving access to the SOLDIER First Class and the Buster Sword.

Another pre-order bonus is a Lightning Samurai three-piece set that includes Shogun, Sohei Savior and Flower of Battle items.

The Nordic Limited Edition includes Cloud Strife's SOLDIER 1st Class uniform and Buster Sword, and Lightning Samurai Set Nordic Edition, which includes Shining Prince, Utsusemi and Dark Samurai garbs.

The Collector's Edition available in North America will not be released in Europe.

The game was released simultaneously as a boxed release and on the PlayStation Network.

Asian territories release
A limited edition Dualshock 3 featuring a Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII design was released on November 21, 2013. Additionally, a "Dualshock 3 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Edition Bundle Pack" containing the said controller and the Chinese/Korean version of the game was also released.

Microsoft Windows and Steam
Square Enix announced at Tokyo Game Show 2014 that Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII would be coming to PCs via Steam. The first two were released couple months after the announcement, but Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII still didn't have a release date. Square Enix tweeted in June that they were still working on the port.

In November 2015 it was announced Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII would be coming to Steam on December 10. The game includes the various downloadable content schemata, apart from the Aerith set. On Christmas eve 2015 the PC version of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was updated with 4K and offline support.

System requirements

 * Additional notes


 * Steam Cloud needs to be active in order to start the game.
 * Maximum supported frame rate: 60fps
 * Graphic options.
 * A game controller using Xinput is recommended for this game. If using a DirectInput based controller, please use the driver side key configuration to adjust settings as required.

Steam trading cards
The Steam version comes with six trading cards to collect.

Sales and reception
Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the game 37 score with the four reviewers giving 10, 10, 8, 9 respectively. When the first sales figures were published after the first week of the game being out, Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII had sold 277,082 physical copies for the PlayStation 3, making it the best-selling game of the week.

Yoshinori Kitase has commented on the game's mixed reviews in the west by saying it was what he had anticipated, and argued the game might leave some with an initial negative impression, but if one plays it the whole way through, their mind might change. He went on to talk about how in a normal process of making numbered Final Fantasy games it takes two or three years, and is a long turnaround, but the Final Fantasy XIII games had been allowed a shorter than usual cycle as they were released in just under four years, allowing Square Enix to better keep up with changing tides. Motomu Toriyama also commented on the mixed reviews. He stated that much of the negative comments about the game in Japan revolved around the time limit, and that opinions had softened with time.

Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII achieved Number 3 at UK charts.

Voice cast
Adam Bobrow, Adam J Smith, Alexa Kahn, Alicya Packard, Alistair Duncan, Amanda C Miller, Amanda Troop, Amelia Gotham, Andre Sogliuzzo, Andrew Bowen, Andrew Kishino, Anna Graves, April Hong, April Stewart, Ashley Bell, Ashley Russo, Audrey Wasilewski, Austin Highsmith, Barry Dennen, Barry Trachtenberg, Becky Boxer, Ben Carroll, Ben Diskin, Bill Holmes, Bob Joles, Brandon Keener, Brian Bloom, Brian George, Brian Kimmet, Brian T Stevenson, Brian T. Delaney, Bruce Thomas, Bryce Papenbrook, Cam Clarke, Cara Pifko, Carlos Ferro, Cat Taber, Charlie Adler, Chris Cox, Chris Edgerly, Chris Fries, Chris Parsons, Chris Smith, Christina Pucelli, Christine Lakin, Cindy Robinson, Colleen Foy, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Courtenay Taylor, Cree Summer, Crispin Freeman, Dale Dickey, Daniel Bonjour, Daniella Jones, Danielle Judovitz, Daran Norris, Darcy Rose, Daren O'Hare, Dave B. Mitchell, Dave Boat, Dave Wittenberg, David Forseth, David Lodge, Debi Derryberry, Devan Leos, Dina Sherman, Edita Brychta, Elaine Torres, Eliza Jane Schneider, Elle Newlands, Eric Artell, Eric Bauza, Eric Loomis, Eric Lopez, Erica Luttrell, Erin Fitzgerald, Ethan Peck, Fred Tatasciore, Fryda Wolff, Georgie Kidder, Gideon Emery, Greg Berg, Greg Chun, Gregg Berger, Grey DeLisle, Haley Powell, Hayden Byerly, Hope Levy, James Horan, Jamie Alexander, Jason Frankovitz, Jason LaShea, Jason Spisak, Jay Preston, JB Blanc, Jeannie Elias, Jill Talley, Jim Connor, Jim Cummings, Jim Meskimen, Joe Smith, Joey D'Auria, Joey Gibson, John Bentley, John Mariano, Johnny Yong Bosch, Jon Curry, Jon Olson, Jorjeana Marie, Josh Keaton, Julia Mc Ilvaine, Julian Stone, Juliette Landau, Kaji Tang, Kamali Minter, Karen Strassman, Kari Wahlgren, Kate Higgins, Kate Miller, Katelin Petersen, Kath Soucie, Katy Townsend, Keith Ferguson, Keith Silverstein, Kelly Jean Badgely, Kelly Stables, Kevin Delaney, Kevin Noonchester, Keythe Farley, Kim Mai Guest, Kimberly Brooks, Kirk Thornton, Kyle Hebert, Kym Hoy, Lara Jill Miler, Laraine Newman, Larry Cedar, Laura Post, Leigh Allyn Baker, Lex Lang, Lori Rom, Lori Tritel, Maggie Baird, Marissa Holmes, Mark Silverman, Mary Lynn Wissner, Mary-Elizabeth McGlynn, Matt King, Matt Olsen, Matt Taylor, Matthew Mercer, Mela Lee, Michael Bell, Michael Benyar, Michael Gough, Michael Yurchak, Michelle Ruff, Michelle Sargent, Michelle Specht, Misty Lee, Mona Marshall, Nan McNamara, Natalina Maggio, Neil Kaplan, Nick Jameson, Nickie Bryar, Nicolas Roye, Nolan North, Olivia Hack, Pamela Adlon, Pat Fraley, Pat Pinney, Patricia Ja Lee, Patrick Seitz, Paul Eiding, Paulette Ivory, Peter Beckman, Peter Jason, Peter Renaday, Phil Morris, Phil Proctor, Quinton Flynn, Rachel McFarland, Rebecca Davis, Rebecca Reidy, Reed Rudy, Richard Epcar, Robin A. Downes, Rochelle Greenwood, Roxanne Ortega, Roy Samuelson, Ryan Smith, Salli Saffioti, Sam Riegel, Shane Stevens, Shawna Wesley, Stacey Aswad, Stefan Marks, Stephanie Lemelin, Stephanie Panisello, Stephanie Riggio, Stevanie Sheh, Steve Blum, Steve Staley, Sylvia Aimerito, T.J. Storm, Tara Platt, Tara Sands, Terri Douglas, Tess Masters, Tessa Auberjonois, Tia Texada, Tim Russ, Tom Bromhed, Tom Kenny, Torry Thompson, Traci Lords, Travis Willingham, Vanessa Marshall, Vic Mignona, Wally Wingert, Wendee Lee, William Mapother, Yuri Lowenthal
 * Additional Voices – English

Allusions
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII contains many allusions to the previous Final Fantasy XIII games as well as the Final Fantasy series as a whole, among other references.

Trivia

 * The winner of Square Enix's "Final Fantasy Super Fan 2012" contest, Randis Albion, has his name credited in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
 * The logo of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII initially appeared as an icon for the website of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, as a placeholder, until an official icon was used.