Final Fantasy XIII-2

Unreleased

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the sequel to Final Fantasy XIII, a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. It was announced at the "Square Enix 1st Production Department Premiere" event on January 18, 2011 and is set to be released in December 2011 in Japan and in January 2012 for the rest of the world on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Like the first installment, the game will be directed by Motomu Toriyama. The game's battle system will be evolved from Final Fantasy XIII.

Gameplay
Final Fantasy XIII-2 utilizes the Command Synergy Battle and Paradigm Shift systems from its predecessor. However, the enemies are no longer visible in the field and battles are now random. A gameplay element called the Mog Clock has been added, where the player must attack monsters on the field before the time's up to get the upper hand in the ensuing battle. When the player attacks a monster, the screen lights up and the scene switches to a battlefield, marking the start of a battle. NPCs (such as the remnant PSICOM operatives) will fight monsters that appear in the field to weaken them before a fight. Though the player still controls one out of a three-member party, some monsters can be used as party members. Players can customize a monster's stats via leveling up and even equip them with accessories to further boost their powers. As a bonus, the weather or Climate Type in an area will affect battles, and at times, guest characters will join the party.

Players will be given timed button presses like the Reaction Commands of Kingdom Hearts during "Cinematic Action" sequences to gain the upper hand in battle and event scenes. There are also "Live" sequences, or real time cutscenes that occur to progress the story, meaning the player maintains control of their character although the camera is focused elsewhere. Noel seems to gain access to monster abilities and a unique set of commands through a gameplay element called the Feral Link. Another new element, called the Live Trigger, allows the player to change conversation by deciding on the sentence. The player character will now also be able to engage in conversations with NPCs with speech bubbles above them, and the other characters in the party will wander the area getting into conversations on their own.

A new dungeon exploration system has been added called Unstable Rifts. As the player guides the character through the platforms, they'll have to grab crystals with floor tiles disappearing behind them along the path. In the E3 2011 demo, solving the puzzle in the Rift weakens the boss Paradox Alpha, also known as Atlas.

Another new gameplay element is the Historia Crux feature, the time travel system in the game that can be accessed through the use of gates throughout areas on the field. The gates are activated by finding special Artefacts in hidden treasure chests using Mog, and by resetting the gates, Noel and Serah can redo their adventures. Using Historia Crux, the player will be able to choose the location or era to travel to. There will be a "gate matrix," where players will select their next location based on the game's AF (After the Fall of Cocoon) timeline. Players will also be able to access the save and main menus through gates.

Following player feedback on the linear, story-driven gameplay of Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2 will focus on player-driven gameplay with a more open world that players can explore widely, triggering events as they find them. In all the different types of gameplay presented, the developers' goal has been to make the player the main focus and instigator and the game design to promote the player progressing through the story rather than just passively watching.

The main quest can be played multiple times, but director Motomu Toriyama is looking for an alternate means of achieving this besides a "New Game+" feature. The game will also have multiple endings, and Toriyama compared this mindset to the differences between Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 - the latter builds on the world and story of the former and thus can have a stronger focus on gameplay.

Setting
Three years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, some citizens of Cocoon now reside on Gran Pulse, and adopted a new dating system, since the fall of Cocoon ("AF" or "After Fall"). While searching for Lightning, Serah and Noel will travel back to Cocoon, as well as new places on Pulse. Playing as Lightning, there will also be a mysterious new world, believed to be another dimension, called Valhalla.

Plot


At the end of Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-, Lightning, who felt there was still something threatening the newly acquired peace, found herself in Valhalla while searching for a way to save Vanille and Fang. Three years later, though many of the surviving residents of Cocoon have created settlements on Gran Pulse like the village of New Bodhum near the crystallized structure, believe Lightning to be dead; only Serah refuses to accept it. After a strange crystalline meteor falls from the sky, New Bodhum is attack by mysterious monsters from neither Pulse nor Cocoon, and Serah is saved by a mysterious youth named Noel Kreiss. Noel offers to take Serah to Lightning, but the members of NORA don't believe him. Joined by Noel and her new moogle companion Mog, Serah leaves her home to find her sister. Part of the plot appears to involve an alternate world or universe, as the demo of the game playable at E3 2011 involved a giant enemy called Paradox Alpha, or "Atlas," which Noel stated to be fading in and out of time and space with only its left arm visible. In another demo, Lightning is seen falling from the sky over a crystal-laden beach in Valhalla. She manages to land safely on Odin in his Gestalt Mode, but is promptly pursued by a mysterious entity known as Chaos Bahamut. Riding Odin, Lightning battles Chaos Bahamut, leading it into a city. Dodging Bahamut's attacks, she manages to defeat it with an attack from behind, before being saved from falling debris by Odin.

The story is said to be mysterious and darker than in Final Fantasy XIII, and also reveal events that took place behind the scenes in the original game. Past characters will return, but with important and unexpected changes. As the story of Final Fantasy XIII focused on the Maker and Lindzei, the goddess Etro will be an important element to the story Final Fantasy XIII-2. Square Enix stated a desire to create a world bigger and more alive that reflects the changes after the end of Final Fantasy XIII. In the game's first trailer, Lightning, wearing a suit of armor, is seen kneeling to a crystal throne within a temple of Etro, before crossing swords with an unknown purple-haired male character, who wields a large sword emanating a purple flame, and is featured in the logo with her. Toriyama has described the male character as being of equal strength to Lightning, and being able to fight on even terms with her. He is said to be on a similar mission to Lightning's, and will be in her way as she tries to complete her own. Toriyama has also said that the man has a relationship with Lightning as her fated rival, and is somehow also connected to Noel.

Characters

 * Serah Farron (セラ・ファロン Sera Faron) - Lightning's younger sister, Snow's fiancée and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII-2. She's had dreams of the events to come, namely of the appearance of Noel. Serah wishes to find her lost sister and sets out to search for her. Her weapon is a bow that can transform into a sword.
 * Lightning (ライトニング Raitoningu) - The main protagonist of the original game. Lightning has been missing since the ending of Final Fantasy XIII, but Serah refuses to believe she is dead. She is a knight, protecting the goddess Etro's shrine in Valhalla, and is now close to a deity in existence. Lightning is trying to find a way to free Fang and Vanille from their fate, while being confronted by her fated rival along the way. She now wields a new gunblade resembling a combination of her Blazefire Saber and a traditional sword. Also, Lightning will serve as the narrator for the game.
 * Noel Kreiss (ノエル・クライス Noeru Kuraisu) - The male protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII-2. A mysterious young man who saves Serah from monsters, and accompanies her on her quest to find Lightning. He is a traveler from the future and the last surviving human in a world that was on the brink of doom. He travels back into the past in the hopes of changing the future. As a beast tamer, Noel can command monsters he defeats, turning them to crystals, and gain access to new monster skills by syncing up with them in battle through the Feral Link battle mechanism. He uses two swords that are able to combine to form a spear in battle.
 * Snow Villiers (スノウ・ヴィリアース Sunou Viriāsu) - Snow will appear and is unconcerned about the relationship between Serah and Noel. The recent synopsis of the game reveals that Snow is nowhere to be found. Little else is known about his role, or if he will be playable.
 * Oerba Dia Vanille (ヲルバ=ダイア・ヴァニラ Woruba Daia Vanira ) - Vanille has been confirmed to appear by her English voice actress, but nothing else is known about her role.
 * Hope Estheim (ホープ・エストハイム Hōpu Esutohaimu) - Hope has been seen in the PAX trailer for Final Fantasy XIII-2 still wielding his boomerang, saving Serah and Noel from a Gogmagog, but it is currently unknown if he will be playable.
 * NORA - Snow's friends: Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui and Yuj have stayed with Serah during their years on Pulse.
 * Alyssa - A young girl who is part of a research team from the Academy working with PSICOM trying to understand the nature of paradoxes. In the E3 trailer, she shows Serah the grave of a friend who died running from the Purge.
 * Mog - A moogle carrying a rod adorned with a clock who can transform into Serah's weapon. He's a treasure hunter and will reveal invisible treasure chests within dungeons. He can access treasure in out-of-reach places by being thrown by the player. He also uses his magic to execute the Mog Clock pre-battle system. His traditional moogle's pom-pom appears to be a glowing crystal.
 * PSICOM - The military corps from Cocoon now handles monster extermination on Pulse to protect the new cities that the citizens are building.
 * Lightning's Rival - A new character that has yet to be named. His reason for opposing Lightning is unknown, but it is known that he is of equal strength to her and Noel has a connection to him. In the PAX trailer, he is shown smirking with a smug look on his face before turning towards Valhalla. It is also presumed that he is Chaos Bahamut's master.

There will be other new "main" characters in the game besides Noel. Old party members from Final Fantasy XIII will also return, but it is currently unknown if any besides Lightning will be playable.

Development
Hints at a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII were first given when Square Enix stated they would be willing to create a direct sequel if the fans want it. They also said the first installment had enough cut content to fill a new game. Late 2010, in an interview from the Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega, Motomu Toriyama proclaimed the idea to make a story where Lightning "ends up happy in the end." Furthermore, an autographed postcard was personally sent by Tetsuya Nomura to members of the Japanese Square Enix Members community, with an artwork of Lightning and a message saying "She must not be forgotten." Later, Square Enix registered the domain for the game. The game was officially announced at the "Square Enix 1st Production Department Premiere" event on January 18, 2011.

Toriyama has said in an interview with Famitsu the main reason they decided to make a sequel is that there was demand throughout the world and because the development staff wanted to portray Lightning's character further, to give her a clear conclusion. When questioned about the fact that Lightning has lost her l'Cie powers, Toriyama joked that perhaps Lightning has become an even more incredible existence than a l'Cie.

He said that other than Lightning finding true happiness, the after effects of Fang and Vanille's sacrifice on her and the other characters will be another central theme in the game. He has even compared the light and dark appearances of Lightning and her rival respectively to those of an angel and the devil, but warned not to jump to conclusions about which one is which. Toriyama has said that the traveling system has been completely redone, as the team is trying to create a "truly living world, with lots of people living all the way to the far corners of the game." The game is also said to be more fantasy-oriented as opposed to the futuristic feel of its predecessor. It will also focus on the Farron sisters as opposed to how the first game focused on Snow and Serah.

The team is also said to be investigating the possibility of giving something to players who have save data of Final Fantasy XIII in place.

Staff
The staff behind Final Fantasy XIII-2 are as follows:
 * Producer: Yoshinori Kitase
 * Director: Motomu Toriyama
 * Scenario: Daisuke Watanabe
 * Art Director: Isamu Kamikokuryo
 * Character Design (Playable Character Faces): Tetsuya Nomura
 * Character Design (Playable Character Costumes and Non-Playable Characters): Isamu Kamikokuryo, Nao Ikeda, Yusuke Naora, Hideo Minaba
 * Battle System Director: Yusuke Matsui
 * Composers: Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, and Naoshi Mizuta
 * Image Illustrator and Title Logo Designer: Yoshitaka Amano

Trivia

 * The clothing of the dark-haired man was designed by Yusuke Naora, who also designed Noel's clothing and Serah's. He is also the art director of Final Fantasy Type-0.
 * Final Fantasy XIII-2 marks the first time Hideo Minaba has done character design in a numbered Final Fantasy since Final Fantasy IX.
 * The object in the bottom-left of the in-battle HUD resembles the early Overclock concept seen in Final Fantasy XIII's E3 2006 trailer.
 * The moogles in Final Fantasy XIII-2 are different than the ones seen in the original game because another artist, Toshitaka Matsuda, was chosen to design them for this title.
 * The idea of monsters fighting in the player's party was previously used in International Version of Final Fantasy X-2 where party recruits them after starting new game from "New Game Plus."
 * Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the second game in the series to have two sisters as playable characters, the first being Final Fantasy V.
 * Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the third game in the series to involve time travel as a major plot element, the first being the original Final Fantasy, and the second being Final Fantasy VIII.
 * Final Fantasy XIII-2 mimics logo of Final Fantasy X-2 by having the game's number in larger size (" FINAL FANTASY X-2" and " FINAL FANTASY XIII-2") and having single-colored characters in battle poses.