Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII is the thirteenth installment in the Final Fantasy series, and is the first of the series to be released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Unveiled at E3 2006, the game is the flagship of Square Enix's Fabula Nova Crystallis project. The game runs on Crystal Tools (formerly known as White Engine), a proprietary engine built for Square Enix's next-generation games. The game was released in Japan on December 17, 2009, and 9th March, 2010 for North America and Europe. A Traditional Chinese version has been announced on the PS3 to be released in May 2010. This marks the first time a game in the series being translated into Traditional Chinese.

Gameplay
The battle system, called Command Synergy Battle in game, has been described as "More tactical than Final Fantasy X, faster than X-2, and almost as seamless as XII." The enemies are visible in the field. When the player runs into them with the playable characters, the screen lights up and the scene switches to a vast, blank battlefield, marking the start of a battle. In the battle, the player can control only one character out of a party of up to three, but after a certain point in the game that character can be switched. The progression in the game will be chapter-based. In each chapter, you'll see the story through the view of different characters.

Experience points are not featured in the game, and characters grow in power in a system similar to the Sphere Grid from Final Fantasy X called the "Crystarium System". Characters win "Crystogen Points" (CP) in battle, and can use these CP to purchase stat boosts, spells and other abilities on a circular chart. The skills a character learns affects their ability to learn other skills and opens new paths on the chart—learning Fire, for example, opens a skill path that leads to Fira and other spells.

The Active Time Battle bar returns in the battle system, but this time it is divided into sections. Each command available to the battle party has a numeric value referred to as "ATB Cost" next to the name indicating how many of these sections it will take up. This allows the player to input several commands per turn. The next turn comes up sooner if the ATB bar is only partially used.

The available commands vary from character to character, but series staples such as Attack, Summon, Fire, Blizzard, and Cure make a return, along with new commands such as Blitz, which causes area-of-effect damage, and Ruin, a new non-elemental spell. Magic and summoning are only available to characters that are l'Cie.

Because of the "ATB Cost" points, there is no MP in the game. Also, since magic cannot be used outside of battle, the party's HP is completely restored after every battle. At Gamescom 2009, it was revealed that there are no Limit Breaks because of the unique summoning powers, and that there is no way to escape from battles once they're initiated. There are items that can be used to avoid battles, though. If a battle ends in defeat, the player has the option to either try it again or return to the previous save point.

Save points in this game allow the player not only to save, but access a shop in which items can be bought or sold.

A new element called the Chain Gauge is added to the battle, as well. It is specific to each enemy, and it depletes as the player performs attack combos marked by a percentage. If the combos continue, "Stagger Mode" is entered, where even more damage can be done. Enemies in this mode can be launched in the air and juggled with attacks. When a battle is won, a victory screen pops up, giving the player a one-to-five stars ranking on how they did in the battle, as well as showing how long the battle took and the number of chain and break attacks. This information is linked to the Trophy and Achievement systems of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, respectively.

This is also the first, Final Fantasy game in which you cannot win Gil from battles, rather you need to find them in Item Spheres or sell items.

Paradigm Shift
In the battle system of the game, the player can only control one character at a time. The other party members' actions can, however, be affected by a system called the "Paradigm Shift" ("Optima Change" in the Japanese version), which was explained by Motomu Toriyama at Gamescom 2009.

Paradigms are described as "stances" or "classes" that the characters temporarily take during battles to define the abilities they use. However, they are more strict than job classes; for example, the character with a Healer's role equipped can do nothing but heal, while the Attacker's role forces the character to only attack with physical and magical strikes.

The paradigms can be changed at any time to suit the situation at hand. However, they cannot be changed individually to each character, only for the whole party at a time. Thus, a paradigm is a combination of three roles. There are a total of 83 possible paradigm combinations. The roles used are shown as colored abbreviations next to the characters' names in the battle screen.

The roles within the paradigms are:

According to the developers, this system was added later in the development process to give more strategy and depth to the battle system.

Summoning
Summons return in this game as Eidolons, linked with the powers of the l'Cie. Playable Eidolons include the Shiva Sisters, Odin, Bahamut, Alexander, and two new summons Brynhildr and Hecatoncheir, while Ifrit, Carbuncle and Siren appear in Final Fantasy XIII but are not playable. All Eidolons have been given futuristic designs and the power to change their shape. The Eidolons are used both as a gameplay feature and as plot devices in cutscenes. Each character has only one Eidolon, and Eidolons replace the other party members besides the summoner when called.

Eidolons are summoned by the use of "Technical Points" (TP), which is won after battles. Also, instead of HP, Eidolons use "Summon Points" (SP) to indicate their health, but SP also slowly decreases over time. Once SP is completely depleted, the Eidolon will disappear, and the other party members will return. Additionally, each l'Cie must win the "approval" of their respective Eidolon by defeating them in combat.

In addition to summoning Eidolons to fight alongside them, each Eidolon can transform into another form that combines them in some way with the summoner. This takes place in a mode called "Gestalt Mode" ("Driving Mode" in the Japanese version), where combat becomes more action-oriented, with the summon being able to perform various special attacks with certain button combinations. Each Eidolon's Gestalt Mode also includes a powerful finisher move that will end the summoning after being used. The duration of Gestalt Mode is determined by the Gestalt gauge that appears once an Eidolon is summoned, the gauge will fill as the summoner builds attack chains with their Eidolon.

Missions
When on Gran Pulse, there will be several points marked by large crystals, called Cie'th Stones, where the party may acquire "Missions." These are similar in function to the Hunts in Final Fantasy XII and involve battling one of the many large monsters around Pulse. They are not part of the main story, but players can experience Focuses of past l'Cie. These l'Cie failed to complete their assignments, and thus their targets are still alive. It is up to the player whether to defeat the specified enemy, some of which have been compared by the staff to mountains towering above the party e.g.: Adamantortoises.

By completing these tasks, the party can gain materials and items to improve their equipment. The main difference between the Hunts of Final Fantasy XII and the Missions of Final Fantasy XIII is while every Hunt can only be completed once, the player may take up each Mission multiple times. However, the mission reward for each mission can be obtained only once; subsequent missions will earn the player a different type of reward, usually of lesser quality (e.g.: Bomb Ashes and Bomb Shells).

Setting
Thirteen centuries ago, a floating, utopian world was created in the atmosphere of a planet known as Pulse. The fal'Cie, beings of immense power and authority, willed that the continent be completely isolated from the crude and brutal wilderness known as the Gran Pulse below and commissioned machines to be the guardians of the citizens. Barriers were subsequently set up all around the newly created world, and as such was the metropolis granted its befitting name: Cocoon. Having lived secluded from the outside world for many years, the citizens of Cocoon have become anxious of what Gran Pulse really holds. Fear has spread across Cocoon and now the Sanctum of Cocoon, the government led by the Primarch Galenth Dysley, have decreed a new edict: Any individuals suspected to be in contact with the world of Pulse or any artefacts or items from the world of Pulse are to be banished from the continent unconditionally and cast into the harsh environment of the planet below.

And so, when a Pulse fal'Cie is discovered in the small town of Bodhum, a mass panic breaks out and soon all the citizens of Cocoon are crying out for the expulsion of the entire town to Pulse below. The Sanctum's forces, PSICOM and the Guardian Corps, have no choice but to execute the exile of everybody in the town to the world of Pulse below. This event becomes known as the Purge, and the game begins as the citizens of Bodhum are being taken to the Hanging Edge along with the Pulse fal'Cie, Anima, which is being contained within the Pulse Vestige.

Plot
The game's main characters are brought together by the events of the Purge. Lightning is onboard the Purge train in order to destroy the Pulse fal'Cie and save her sister Serah Farron, who became a Pulse l'Cie. Accompanying her isSazh Katzroy, a civilian airship pilot trying to fulfill his son's focus in a desperate bid to save him from becoming a Cie'th. Snow Villiers is trying to rescue Serah as well, as she is his future bride. Hope Estheim and another of the deportees, Vanille, are wrapped up in events when Hope's mother Nora Estheim is killed in Snow's care, prompting the two to pursue him.

Thus, these five characters end up together in the Pulse Vestige where they witness Serah turn to crystal, an event that only happens when a l'Cie fulfills their Focus. They also witness creatures known as Cie'th, l'Cie that fail to complete their focus in the allotted time. Lightning believes that Serah is dead, while Snow refuses to give up. Lightning, seeking vengeance on the fal'Cie, heads into the center of the Vestige along with the rest of the party in order to confront Anima

As the party fights Anima's avatar, PSICOM forces begin to blast the Pulse Vestige and everything in it to pieces. Facing certain death, Anima transforms Lightning and her companions into l'Cie, giving them a dream involving the city of Eden on Cocoon and the mysterious Ragnarok in the process. They fall down towards Lake Bresha below, but survive due to Anima's transformation of the entire area into crystal in its death throes.

The new l'Cie set off with the intention of escaping the lake but soon come across Serah's crystallized form. Snow insists on staying by Serah's side, causing an argument to break out between Lightning and him. The party splits into two after successfully defeating a PSICOM warmech; Snow remains behind to dig out Serah's statue, while Lightning and rest of the group heads towards the ruins of an old city. There, they come across an airship left by a PSICOM patrol. Sazh manages to pilot the airship through the initial blockade, sustaining only minor damage to the hull in the process. While onboard, the group uses the airship's functions to view a live newscast interviewing the Sanctum leader, Galenth Dysley, and the ongoing operation being carried out by PSICOM. The airship is eventually shot down, causing it to crash in the Vile Peaks. Meanwhile, Snow receives his Eidolons, the Shiva Sisters, after nearly being killed by a PSICOM platoon sent to retrieve him. He is soon captured by Cid Raines, Rygdea and Oerba Yun Fang and taken aboard the airship Lindblum, where Cid asks Fang and Snow to find the other l'Cie.

At the Vile Peaks, the party splits after a disagreement on their Focus, which they assume to be the destruction of Cocoon. On one hand, Sazh and Vanille simply wish to run away and hide from their pursuers. Lightning, however, is intent on destroying the Sanctum and the fal'Cie, believing it to the only way out of the current situation. Accompanied by Hope, she intends to travel to Palumpolum and then on to Eden, the heart of the Sanctum government. As she and Hope trek through the remainder of the Vile Peaks, the pressure of keeping Hope safe and dealing with the enemy soldiers begin to take their toll on Lightning. In a moment of anger, Lightning yells at Hope about how she can barely protect him when she can hardly keep herself alive and tells him to get stronger on his own, collapsing to the ground as the Eidolon Odin appears and attacks Hope, as if to force her to choose between her mission and him. Together, they defeat the Eidolon and move on together.

After passing through the Gapra Whitewood and arriving in Palumpolum, Lightning and Hope find themselves surrounded by PSICOM troops. However, they are saved by Snow and Fang, and then split up. Fang reveals that she and Vanille are both Pulse l'Cie and received their focus long ago. Upon completing it, they were crystallized and woke up on Cocoon in the Pulse Vestige, with Fang's mark scarred. Elsewhere, Hope confronts Snow on the rooftops, intending to get revenge for his mother's death. When a PSICOM warmech attacks them, Snow saves his life, and the two manage to settle their differences. Soon Fang, Lightning, Hope and Snow re-unite at the residence of Hope's father Bartholomew Estheim.

There, Snow tries to recover from his injuries while Hope tells his father about Nora. Just when they are about to formulate a plan to go against the Sanctum, PSICOM officer Yaag Rosch arrives with hoards of PSICOM troops. After a confrontation, Snow, Lightning, Hope and Fang escape on board the Lindblum with help from Cid who seeks to fight back against PSICOM in the name of the Cavalry.

Meanwhile, Sazh and Vanille travel through the Sunleth Waterscape towards Nautilus. Sazh confesses to Vanille about how he went to the Hanging Edge to try and save his son Dajh Katzroy. Dajh became a Cocoon l'Cie at Euride Gorge and Sazh suspected that his focus might be to destroy Anima when Dajh uncovered the Pulse Vestige at Bodhum. Vanille is racked with guilt as she knows that her and Fang's presence at Euride Gorge caused the fal'Cie Kujata to make Dajh into a l'Cie.

They arrive at Nautilus where they witness the Pompa Sancta parade. Sazh shares with Vanille his plan to turn himself in to the Sanctum in the hope of seeing Dajh again but she protests and is about to reveal the truth when the Sanctum's Jihl Nabaat who has been looking after Dajh arrives with PSICOM troops. Sazh sees Dajh turn to crystal upon aiding PSICOM in finding Pulse l'Cie and Jihl tells him the truth about what happened at Euride Gorge. Furious, he confronts Vanille, triggering the appearance of his Eidolon Brynhildr appears. In the end, he is unable to exact revenge Vanille or even commit suicide and so they find themselves in the hands of Jihl and of PSICOM. They are taken on board the Palamecia.

When the others learn that Sazh and Vanille are on the Palamecia, they mount a rescue mission with help from Cid and Rygdea, boarding the Palamecia using a stolen PSICOM shuttle. The Primarch Galenth Dysley is present on board with Jihl in the main control room. Sazh and Vanille escape on their own and the team meets on the ship's exterior where they use one of PSICOM's creatures to fly to the bridge. They come face to face with Dysley, who kills Jihl and all the PSICOM members in the room and reveals a horrific truth - he is the fal'Cie Barthandelus, the true master of Cocoon and that the l'Cie's focus is to become Ragnarok and destroy the fal'Cie Orphan in Eden.

He departs upon an airship and the l'Cie escape as well, despite an attack from Yaag, and they find themselves in the Fifth Ark under the city of Eden. Fang tells them how the arks are armories and training grounds for l'Cie. They proceed into the ark and come face-to-face with Cid who informs them that he is a Cocoon l'Cie and that all the l'Cie's actions have been carefully orchestrated by Barthandelus and the other fal'Cie. They want them to destroy Cocoon in order to bring back the Maker who created the fal'Cie and humans in the first place. Cid attacks the l'Cie in order to stop them from fulfilling their focus and destroy Cocoon but is defeated and turns to crystal.

Confused by these events, the team move forward until Snow finally decides what they should do. He says that they should forget their focus and fulfill Serah's final wish - to save Cocoon. Everyone agrees except Fang who takes a stand against them but her eidolon Bahamut appears and she decides to go with them. They find an airship and use it to travel through a portal to Pulse - their only way out.

They are attacked by a wild creature in the skies above Pulse and become stranded in the Vallis Media. After spending days wandering the wilderness and finding nothing, they are ready to give up hope until Vanille finally suggests where they should go - to Oerba, where she and Fang come from. Hope thinks that he should not come until his Eidolon Alexander appears and gives him strength, leaving the team to speculate about the appearance of eidolons. Arriving at the Archylte Steppe, the l'Cie begin their journey to Oerba.

On the way there, Vanille claims that she became Ragnarok and destroyed Cocoon's outer shield as her previous focus but Fang does not believe her and tricks Vanille into revealing the truth - it was Fang who became Ragnarok. The reason that she hadn't gone on to destroy Orphan was because the Maker intervened and turned Fang back to normal. Later, Barthandelus moved the Pulse Vestige where the crystals of Vanille and Fang were placed afterwards to Cocoon in the hope that they would awake and finish their focus. Shocked that the lie has been exposed, Vanille's eidolon Hecatoncheir appears. Vanille and Fang defeat it and Vanille finally decides to stop lying and to stop running away.

They pass through the Mah'habara Subterra and the Sulyya Springs, and soon reach Taejin's Tower where the fal'Cie Dahaka lives. The Menhirrin there help them to destroy the fal'Cie and reach the top of the tower. There, they ride a capsule down to the slopes of Oerba. Upon entering the village, they find it adrift in snow-like crystal dust and populated only by Cie'th. Vanille and Fang lead the party through their old home, where they still find remnants from the past including Vanille's old pet robot. At the end of a fractured bridge, they are surprised to see Serah.

She tells them that they must destroy Orphan and become Ragnarok, but they refuse to believe her and she reveals her true form as Barthandelus. Barthandelus tells them how the humans on Cocoon are beginning to fight among themselves now that Cid has become the Primarch. He warns them that the Cavalry are mounting an attack to destroy Orphan and that they have a choice - destroy Orphan themselves or let the humans destroy it. He leaves them with an airship and returns to Cocoon.

The team finds a Cie'th stone which gives them new hope - they decide to go to Cocoon and save Orphan or die trying. They board the airship and use a portal in Pulse's atmosphere to return to Cocoon.

The l'Cie arrive in the city of Eden and land near a racetrack. They find that Barthandelus is using portals to warp the creatures out of the Fifth Ark and into the city, leading to a full scale war between PSICOM and the monsters. Then they descend to the city streets and intend to reach Orphan before the Cavalry, now under the command of Rygdea. Meanwhile, unknown to them, the Cavalry have infiltrated the Primarch's office, where Cid tells Rygdea that his own actions will lead Cocoon into ruin. At his request, Rygdea shoots and kills Raines, then leads the Cavalry forward to confront Barthandelus and Orphan at Edenhall, the heart of the capital.

Many of the citizens are taking shelter at the Edenhall which is the only place safe from monsters in the city. At the entrance, the l'Cie discover a strange type of crystal dust. Barthandelus appears and tells them that it is signaling the return of the Maker and that he has their 'loved ones' inside. Entering the enormous central structure, the Pulsian monsters now penetrate the building and the Sanctum's soldiers are turning into Sacrifice Cie'th. They encounter and defeat Yaag Rosch who helps them at the last moment by ordering his soldiers to evacuate the city rather than search for the l'Cie and then detonates his ship, ensuring that the Pulsian monsters cannot reach Orphan's Cradle which the l'Cie are now descending into.

The Calvary too have been transformed into monstrous Cie'th, and the party has no choice but to move on alone, guided by the trinity fal'Cie Eden to the deepest part of the Cradle, the Narthex. Barthandelus appears and commands the l'Cie to fulfill their destiny by destroying Orphan. When they refuse once more, he battles them only to be destroyed and left to sink into the pool. However, he is not defeated and together with his familiar Menrva, he forms a blade-like shell around the dormant Orphan.

They fight the fal'Cie but fail to defeat it. With time nearly up, Barthandelus tricks Fang into thinking that the others have turned into Cie'th and Fang finally decides to finish the focus, transforming into Ragnarok. She attacks Orphan viciously, penetrating its outer shield. However, the Maker intervenes again and turns Fang back to normal while also bringing back the other l'Cie. They attack and destroyed Barthandelus and Menrva who sink down into the pool below, defeated at last.

Orphan is now awake and rises from the pool, accepting its fate if it will mean the return of the Maker. Believing that they if they can destroy Cocoon, they can also save it, the party attacks the fal'Cie. Orphan is destroyed and its death cuts off all power to Cocoon, disrupting the gravity field that is holding the planet in place above Pulse.

The party find themselves outside, falling towards the city of Eden. Fang and Vanille band together to become Ragnarok and use their power to construct an enormous crystal pillar that holds Cocoon in place above Pulse and stops the two from colliding, thus saving all the citizens of Cocoon. Lightning, Hope, Sazh and Snow are all crystallized and are placed on the surface of Pulse below.

Waking up from their crystal stasis, the party hears Vanille's voice once more in the same way that she has been narrating throughout the story. They finally re-unite with Serah and Dajh who have also been freed from their crystal sleep now that the fal'Cie are gone. Hope takes one last moment to mourn the loss of Fang and Vanille who sacrificed themselves to save Cocoon. In the very core of the enormous crystal tower holding Cocoon above Pulse, the crystallized forms of Vanille and Fang float together, their Focus finally complete after 500 years.

Web Novelization
The official Japanese website revealed a web novelization titled Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero: Promise. It contains a series of short stories written by Jun Eishima, leading up to the events depicted in the actual game. The first story is called "Encounter", and it focuses on how Serah Farron became the first Gran Pulse l'Cie in Cocoon for a long time. The second story is called "Stranger", about the moment when Oerba Dia Vanille and Oerba Yun Fang awoke from their crystallized state, adjusting to Cocoon life. The third story, "Family", focuses on Sazh Katzroy and his son, Dajh, detailing how Sazh came to own the Chocobo chick and how Dajh fell into the clutches of Sanctum. The fourth story is about Oerba Dia Vanille and Oerba Yun Fang's separation, and Fang's encounter with Cid Raines. Part five of the novel is entitled "Friends", and it focuses on Hope Estheim's life with his family and friends before his mother's death. The sixth story involves Snow and Serah, entitled "Present." The seventh and final story is called "Tomorrow."

Characters


Final Fantasy XIII does not have one prominent main character. In a similar vein to Final Fantasy VI, the story focus's equally on the cast, though Lightning is often considered the protagonist. The main playable characters are all l'Cie.

Main Playable Characters

 * Lightning (ライトニング Raitoningu) — The main protagonist of the game, Lightning was a member of the Guardian Corps in Bodhum before her whole life came crashing down when her sister Serah became a l'Cie. Now regretting refusing to believe Serah, she volunteers herself for the Purge with the intention of saving her sister. She is an agile fighter, who wields a sword that can transform into a gun, called "Blazefire Saber".


 * Snow Villiers (スノウ・ヴィリアース Sunou Viriāsu) — Leader of NORA and a l'Cie, Snow Villiers is a sturdy man whose mannerism is reputed to resemble that of a cowboy. He has traveled to the Hanging Edge to fight back against PSICOM and the Purge in the hope of saving his fiancee, Serah who has been imprisoned by the Pulse Fal'Cie. He is blonde and has a well-built body. Snow uses his bare hands to fight, but his weapon is actually his coat.


 * Oerba Dia Vanille (ヲルバ=ダイア・ヴァニラ Woruba Daia Vanira) — A young and spirited girl, Vanille's past is a mystery and she carries a heavy burden that she is not initially aware of. Trying hard to get through the events of the Purge, she tags along with Hope and finds herself wrapped in the events that take place on the Pulse Vestige, leading to her joining the others. She wears a savannah-style outfit, and her weapon is called the Binding Rod, which has a head piece that looks like a pair of antlers. Its body contains four long wires with hooks that deal damage to enemies by latching on and pulling.


 * Sazh Katzroy (サッズ・カッツロイ Sazzu Kattsuroi) — A middle-aged man with dark skin and afro hair. In the hope of saving his son Dajh, he boarded the train to the Hanging Edge and soon met Lightning who also wanted to fight back against the Purge. He owns a baby Chocobo that lives in his hair. He is described as a gentle person who is easily reduced to tears. He fights with two pistols that can be combined into a rifle.


 * Hope Estheim (ホープ・エストハイム Hōpu Esutohaimu) — A young boy with silver hair who along with his mother belonged to the group of exiles carried in the train that Lightning stopped. After his mother volunteers to help NORA, she dies at the hands of Snow. Blaming Snow for his mother's death, Hope follows him to try and confront him but ends up being forced to work with him and the others. Hope begins his journey with Lightning to become stronger so that he can avenge his mother's death one day. He wields boomerangs in battle.


 * Oerba Yun Fang (ヲルバ=ユン・ファング Woruba Yun Fangu) — A wild-looking dark-haired woman with a large tattoo on one arm and a mark of the l'Cie on the other. She first appears with Cid Raines and the Cavalry with the intention of abducting Snow in Lake Bresha. However, she has a much more complicated agenda in reality as she searches for a long-lost friend and aims to complete her Focus. Spears are her weapon of choice.

Sanctum Officials

 * Jihl Nabaat (ジル・ナバート Jiru Nabāto) — An intelligent but cruel woman with glasses and blonde hair reaching all the way down to her knees, who is a lieutenant colonel of the Sanctum. She is very cunning and calculating, manipulating the l'Cie in the name of the Primarch. With so much attention focused to the front, she completely ignores the growing problems behind her...


 * Yaag Rosch (ヤーグ ロッシュ Yāgu Rosshu) — A silvery blue-haired man who is also a lieutenant colonel of the Sanctum. He desires peace for all citizens in Cocoon, and as such, sees Lightning and her allies as threats. A major PSICOM commander, he risks his own life again and again in his quest to destroy the l'Cie.


 * Cid Raines (シド・レインズ Shido Reinzu) — The Cid of the game. He is a Brigadier in the Sanctum, and is shown speaking to Snow while he is in captivity. While Cid works for the Sanctum, he and the Cavalry intend to fight back against the fal'Cie injustice and so he is willing to help the l'Cie if they will help his cause. He appears to be much younger than most previous Cids.


 * Rygdea (リグディ Rigudi) — A captain working for Cid. He is an ally of Lightning and the rest of the party, lending them supplies when needed. Although he carries great respect for his leader, Rygdea is far more extreme and is ready to take whatever action is necessary against the fal'Cie, perhaps too much...


 * Galenth Dysley (ガレンス・ダイスリー Garensu Daisurī) — The leading figure of the Sanctum and an overshadowing presence throughout the game. He carries the position of Primarch, the link between the fal'Cie Eden and the main bulk of the Sanctum while also remaining firmly in the public eye. While appearing to be a weak and frail old man, it is unclear how he has come to be so strong.

Supporting Characters

 * Serah Farron (セラ・ファロン Sera Faron) — A teenage girl who wears a red skirt, a white top and has pink hair tied in a side ponytail. She is Lightning's younger sister and Snow's fiancée. As a l'Cie marked by the fal'Cie of Gran Pulse, she is crystallized at an early point in the story, telling Lightning to save Cocoon. However, the l'Cie struggle to pinpoint her true Focus and whether it is something much more sinister.


 * Gadot (ガドー Gadō) — A member of NORA and Snow's childhood friend. He is a dark-skinned man with orange hair and teal clothes. His design is based on NBA and hip hop fashion. He uses a machine gun in battle.


 * Lebreau (レプロ Reburo) — A woman who has black hair tied in a ponytail and a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder. She is also a member of NORA. Her outfit is based on volleyball players, wearing short shorts and a tanktop like shirt with puffy sleeves. She uses a rifle in battle, and is a barmaid in Bodhum.


 * Maqui (マーキー Mākī) — A young blond man with goggles. He wears black and pink clothes and a pair of goggles, in the style of snowboarders. Like the two characters above, the youngster is a member of NORA.


 * Yuj (ユージュ Yūju) — A member of NORA with feathery blue hair who has an insatiable interest in fashion. He and Maqui are two of the more excitable members of Team NORA.


 * Dajh Katzroy (ドッジ・カッツロイ Dojji Kattsuroi) — Sazh's sweet six-year old son, who sports a similar afro to his father's, and adores chocobos. The fal'Cie Kujata marks him as a l'Cie, upon which he is taken in by the Sanctum. Sazh journeys to the Hanging Edge to try and help his son complete his focus at the beginning, unaware that he is being manipulated by the cruel Jihl Nalbaat.


 * Nora Estheim - Hope's mother, exiled with her son during the Purge. She volunteers to fight with Snow and NORA to protect Hope, but loses her life in the process. Hope blames Snow for her death.


 * Bartholomew Estheim - Hope's father, a brown-haired bespectacled man who works for the Sanctum. Despite his position, he chose to hide his l'Cie son from the officials.

Music
Masashi Hamauzu, one of the composers of the Final Fantasy X soundtrack, composed the music for Final Fantasy XIII. The game's main theme is called "Kimi ga Iru Kara" (translated to "Because You're Here"), and it is performed by the J-pop artist Sayuri Sugawara. It was originally assumed that the main theme would be composed by Nobuo Uematsu; however, four years after the first announcement of the game, this Uematsu theme still had not surfaced in any of the trailers and official sites. This led to rumors stating that Uematsu's involvement in the project may have been scrapped in favor of a 100% Hamauzu soundtrack, especially seeing how Uematsu is not mentioned anywhere on the official site. Meanwhile, Uematsu announced that he would be composing the entirety of the Final Fantasy XIV soundtrack.

In September 2009, it was announced that Uematsu had opted out of composing for Final Fantasy XIII to focus on Final Fantasy XIV. The game has another theme song, titled "Eternal Love."

The Japanese soundtrack was released on January 27, 2010 with two versions available for purchase. The standard version contains 4 discs while the limited edition contains a bonus "drama CD" written by scenario writer Motomu Toriyama which includes the talents of the game's voice actors.

In the Western versions of the game, the winner of the British television talent show The X Factor Leona Lewis sings the English theme song, titled "My Hands". Yoshinori Kitase explained that the decision to use a different song was made due to difficulties translating the lyrics of "Kimi ga Iru Kara" into English, and thus "My Hands" was chosen as the lyrics of the song still fit the theme of the game. In the Western version of the game, the song "Eternal Love" was replaced with Serah's Theme, for the same reason as "Kimi ga Iru Kara."

Voice Actors
Cocoon Inhabitants (English version)

Alex Fernandez,               April Stewart, Barbara Goodson,              Ben Diskin, Cam Clarke,	              Candi Milo, Catherine Cavadini,	      Chris Edgerly, Cindy Robinson,               Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Daisy Torme,                  Dante Basco, Darran Norris,                Dave Rasner, Dwight Schultz,               Eden Riegal, Erin Fitzgerald,              Fred Tatasciore, Gideon Emery,                 Hynden Walch, James Arnold Taylor,          JB Blanc, Jeannie Ellas,                Jessica DiCicco, Jill Talley,                  Jim Ward, Joe Cappellietti,             John DiMaggio, John Mariano,                 Kari Wahlgren, Kate Higgins,                 Keith Silverstein, Kim Mai Guest,                Kirk Thornton, Kyle Hebert,                  Liam O’Brian, Maile Flannagan, Michael Lindsey,              Michael Gough, Megan Hollingshead,           Mickey Cheetham, Mike Sorich,                  Neil Kaplan, Nika Futterman,               Nolan North, Pat Fraley,                   Patrick Seitz, Phil Procter,                 Robbie Rist, Robin Atkin Downs,            Roger Craig Smith, Sam Riegal,                   Scott MacDonald, Scott Menville,               Sheri Lynn, Stephanie Sheh,               Steve Kramer, Steve Van Wormer,             Tara Platt, Travis Willingham,            Wally Wingert, Yuri Lowenthal

Development
Final Fantasy XIII was originally planned as a Playstation 2 game, but the development was moved to Playstation 3 and the team had to start again from scratch.

The game was first revealed at E3 2006. Since then, the battle system of the game has changed several times. In the first trailers, the camera angles and shifts were more dynamic and Lightning had a gravity-controlling ability that influenced the gameplay, lending to a somewhat more action-based and cinematic presentation than the final, more classic battle system. In the playable demo, the battle transitions were nearly seamless as the exploration and battle fields were very similar in appearance, unlike in the more recent videos where the differences between the two fields are much more apparent.

It was revealed at E3 2008 that Final Fantasy XIII would be released on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe, but would remain a PlayStation 3 exclusive in Japan. A demo version of Final Fantasy XIII was released with Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete in Japan on April 16 exclusively for PlayStation 3. Covering a part from the early stages of the game, the demo aimed to familiarize players with the battle system, while featuring Cocoon and the l'Cie. Only Lightning and Snow were playable, with Sazh, Lebreau and Gadot supporting them during battles. The demo was not released outside of Japan.

A second demo was featured in the Final Fantasy XIII Premiere Party and Tokyo Game Show in September 2009, showcasing the summons as well as the Paradigm Shift system. Again, only Lightning and Snow could be controlled in battle, while Sazh, Vanille, and Hope were supporting party members.

Similar to Final Fantasy X, XI, and XII, Final Fantasy XIII has only English and Japanese sound dubs. Subtitles were only localized to local languages.

InFamitsu, Kitase revealed that the initial project concept for Final Fantasy XIII was thought of in 2004 when the Final Fantasy X-2 International team came up with the idea during a jogging session.

A Limited Collector's Edition of the game was released exclusively in PAL territories. It contains the game packaged with the following exclusive content:
 * Artwork of all six party members with their respective Eidolons
 * Two stickers of the Pulse l'Cie brand
 * The Original Sound Selection, which includes composer Masashi Hamauzu's comments on the ten tracks comprising the selection
 * A hardback book, titled "The World of Final Fantasy XIII", which contains scenario information for the game

Staff
The staff behind Final Fantasy XIII are as follows:


 * Game Director &amp; Scenario Writer: Motomu Toriyama
 * Character designer: Tetsuya Nomura
 * Subcharacter designer: Nao Ikeda
 * Art director: Isamu Kamikokuryo
 * Summon monster designs: Chikako Nakano
 * Main programmer: Kazumi Kobayashi
 * Movie director: Eiji Fujii
 * Music Composer: Masashi Hamauzu
 * Game Producer: Yoshinori Kitase
 * Image Illustrator and Title Logo Designer: Yoshitaka Amano
 * Battle Designer: Toshiro Tsuchida
 * Weapon &amp; Equipment Designer: Tetsu Tsukamoto

Trivia

 * During the development, models of Yuna, Rikku, Ashe, and Vaan were used for characters that weren't designed yet.
 * A PS3 bundle called "Lightning Edition" which includes a copy of Final Fantasy XIII was released in Japan. 200 units were allocated to be sold in Taiwan. It contains a Ceramic White PS3 slim 250GB set with pink Lightning artwork.
 * A special Xbox 360 bundle was available for the North American, European, Australian, and New Zealand releases of the game. The bundle included a 250GB Xbox 360, 2 wireless controllers and a copy of Final Fantasy XIII.
 * The PS3 version of the game comes with a code that, when registered with Square-Enix's community website, allows one to register to be a beta tester for Final Fantasy XIV.
 * In the lead-up to the release of Final Fantasy XIII, Microsoft ran a promotion where a Chocobo Avatar item would become available if a certain amount of the hashtag '#FFXIIIXBOX' had been used on Twitter or if you registered with your email. The chocobo looks and behaves similarly to the one Sazh carries around with him.
 * If you registered a first production run of the Xbox 360 version at the Square Enix Members site, you received download codes for Male and Female PSICOM uniforms for your Xbox Live Avatar.
 * A brand of soft drink named "Final Fantasy XIII Elixir" was released with the game. It reportedly has three times the amount of caffeine as a normal soft drink.
 * Final Fantasy XIII is the first main series game to not feature either the original Prelude or Victory Fanfare whatsoever.
 * Final Fantasy XIII marks the fourth time Square Enix has enlisted a non-Asian vocalist (Leona Lewis) to perform a vocal piece for a Final Fantasy soundtrack, after Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, and Dissidia Final Fantasy.