Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII is the thirteenth installment in the Final Fantasy main 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 seventh generation games.

The game was released in Japan on December 17, 2009, and March 9, 2010 for North America and Europe. A traditional Chinese version for PlayStation 3 was released in May 2010. Final Fantasy XIII is the first Final Fantasy game translated into traditional Chinese. A sequel titled Final Fantasy XIII-2 was released on December 15, 2011, and a second sequel, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, was announced on September 1, 2012 and is scheduled to be released in 2013.

Gameplay
The battle system, called Command Synergy Battle in-game, has been described as "more tactical than Final Fantasy X, faster than Final Fantasy X-2, and almost as seamless as Final Fantasy XII". The enemies are visible in the field. When the player runs into them, the screen lights up and the scene switches to a vast, blank battlefield, marking the start of a battle where the player can control one character out of a party of up to three. After a certain point in the game the lead character can be switched. The game's progression is chapter-based and in most chapters, the player will see the story through different characters' view.

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 them 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, but this time it is divided into sections. Each command 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 who are l'Cie. Because of the ATB cost determining the moves a player can use, there is no MP in the game. Since magic cannot be used outside of battle, the party's HP is restored after every battle. Full ATB Skills work similar to Limit Breaks from previous games as being character-specific special moves and even if there is no Escape command, the player can leave battle with the Retry option. Shrouds can be used to move about the field without triggering enemy encounters, and to bestow the party with buffs prior to the battle's start. If the party leader is incapacitated in battle, it will result in a Game Over, but if a battle ends in defeat, the player will simply appear in the point on the field right before the fight was initiated, and they may either re-attempt the battle or leave it.

A new element called the Chain Gauge is specific to each enemy, and fills as the player performs attack combos marked by a percentage. Upon filling the gauge the enemy enters "Stagger Mode", where even more damage can be done. Staggered enemies can be launched in the air and juggled with attacks. Staggering is almost essential to winning many battles.

When a battle is won, a Battle Results screen pops up, giving the player a zero-to-five stars ranking on how they did, as well as showing how long the battle took. This information is linked to the Trophy and Achievement systems of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, respectively.

Final Fantasy XIII is the third main series Final Fantasy game in which the player does not routinely win gil from battles; rather the player obtains the currency from treasure spheres, or from selling items. The first such game was Final Fantasy VIII, where gil was received as SeeD salary, and the second was Final Fantasy XII, where although it is possible for some defeated enemies to drop gil, it is not a universal reward for victory.

Save Stations allow the player not only to save, but access the shops in Retail Network where items can be bought or sold.

Equipment
Each character has eight unique base weapons, most of which can be found during the course of the game, and all of which can be purchased at Retail Network stores. The base weapons can be upgraded to a unique second stage, and eventually to its third and ultimate stage. The third stage of all the weapons of a particular character share a common name, but have differing stats and abilities depending upon which weapon it was upgraded from.

All characters can equip all accessories. Each character can initially equip one accessory at a time, but this capacity can be increased to up to four through upgrades obtained in the characters' Crystaria.

In addition to the basic enhancements provided by weapons and accessories, when a character equips weapons and accessories that belong to the same "synthesis" group (a hidden property), the character can gain additional passive enhancements (such as increased ATB gauge recharge rate).

The basic enhancements weapons and accessories grant to characters can also increase as the items are leveled up through the application of organic and synthetic components. When a weapon or accessory has reached its maximum level (&#x2605;), it can be transformed with a stone ore catalyst into a higher stage of the same class of equipment that can then continue to be leveled up for higher bonuses, although there are some accessories that transform into an item of a completely different synthesis group.

Paradigm Shift
The player can only control one character at a time in battle. The other party members' actions can be affected by a system called the "Paradigm Shift".

Paradigms are described as "stances" or "classes" that the characters temporarily take during battle to define the abilities they use. They are more strict than job classes; for example, the character with a Medic's role can do nothing but heal, while the Commando's role forces the character to only attack with non-elemental attacks.

The paradigms can be changed at any time to suit the situation at hand, but 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 (6 single, 21 double, and 56 triple member combinations). The roles used are shown as colored abbreviations next to the characters' names in the battle screen.

The roles within the paradigms are:

Summoning
Summons return 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, Valefor, Ramuh, and Siren make an appearance, they are not playable. The playable Eidolons have been given mechanical 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 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 are won after battles. Instead of HP, Eidolons use "Summon Points" (SP) to indicate their health, but SP also decreases over time. Once SP is depleted, the Eidolon will disappear, and the other party members will return. 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 the summoner can ride. 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 includes a powerful finisher move that will end the summoning. 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
Gran Pulse has several points marked 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 monsters around Pulse. They are not part of the main story, but players can experience Foci of past l'Cie who 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.: Adamantoises.

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, although the mission reward 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). Replaying these missions is essentially a requirement for those seeking to attain all Achievements or Trophies for the game, as one of these requires a 5-Star battle rating earned for all missions.

Setting
Thirteen centuries ago, a floating, utopian world was created in the atmosphere of a planet known as Gran Pulse. The fal'Cie, beings of immense power and authority, willed the continent be isolated from the wilderness and commissioned machines as the guardians of the citizens. Barriers were set up all around the newly created world, which became to be known as Cocoon.

Having been secluded from the outside world for so long, the citizens of Cocoon have become paranoid of Gran Pulse. The Sanctum, Cocoon's government, led by the Primarch Galenth Dysley, issues an edict whereupon any individuals suspected to be in contact with the world of Pulse, or any of its artifacts or items, are to be banished from the continent.

When a Pulse fal'Cie is discovered in the town of Bodhum mass panic breaks out and soon Cocoon's citizens are crying out for the expulsion of the entire town to Pulse. The Sanctum's personal army, PSICOM, seizes the town's inhabitants regardless of whether they are citizens or tourists. During the Purge the residents of Bodhum are taken to the Hanging Edge along with the Pulse fal'Cie, Anima, contained within the Pulse Vestige.

Plot
Lightning, a former Guardian Corps soldier, is onboard the Purge train to reach the Pulse fal'Cie and save her sister, Serah Farron, who has become a Pulse l'Cie, a being hated and feared by all of Cocoon. Accompanying her is Sazh Katzroy, a civilian airship pilot trying to fulfill his son's Focus in a desperate bid to save him from becoming a Cie'th. Like Lightning, Snow Villiers is trying to rescue Serah, as she is his fiancée. Hope Estheim and Oerba Dia Vanille become involved when Hope's mother, Nora Estheim, joins Snow's resistance army and dies under his care, prompting the two to pursue him.

The five come together in the Pulse Vestige where they witness Serah turn to crystal, an event that only happens when a l'Cie fulfills their Focus. During their trek into the heart of the Vestige they encounter creatures known as Cie'th; l'Cie who fail their Focus and turn into monsters. Lightning believes Serah is dead, while Snow refuses to give up the hope she will awaken someday. Lightning, seeking vengeance on the fal'Cie, heads into Anima's Throne to confront Anima, the Pulse fal'Cie responsible for Serah's transformation into a l'Cie.

As the party faces Anima, PSICOM forces blast the Pulse Vestige and everything in it to pieces. Facing certain death, Anima transforms Lightning and her companions into l'Cie, showing them a dream involving the city of Eden and the mysterious beast Ragnarok. They fall down towards Lake Bresha but survive due to Anima transforming of the area into crystal in its death throes.

The newly branded l'Cie set off to escape the lake, and come across Serah's crystallized form that has become part of the crystallized lake. Snow insists on staying by Serah's side, and the party splits into two: Snow remains behind to dig out Serah, while Lightning and rest head to the ruins of an old city at the lake's edge where they come across an airship left by a PSICOM patrol. Sazh pilots the airship through the blockade and while onboard, the group views a live newscast interviewing the head of government, Galenth Dysley, and the ongoing operation being carried out by PSICOM after the 'success' of the Purge. The airship is shot down, crashing in the Vile Peaks. Meanwhile, Snow receives his Eidolons, the Shiva Sisters, after nearly being killed by a PSICOM platoon sent to exterminate him. He is captured by Oerba Yun Fang, Rygdea, and other members of the Cavalry, along with Serah's crystal and are taken aboard the Cavalry's headquarters, the airship Lindblum, where their leader, Cid Raines, asks Fang and Snow to help him find the other l'Cie.

At the Vile Peaks, the party splits after a disagreeing on their Focus, which they assume to be the destruction of Cocoon. Sazh and Vanille wish to run away and hide from their pursuers, but Lightning is intent on destroying the Sanctum and the fal'Cie Eden. 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 take their toll on Lightning.

Lightning yells at Hope as he can't keep up with her and the Eidolon Odin emerges and attacks Hope, as if to force her to choose between her mission and him. Together, they bring the Eidolon under control and continue onward on their mission.

While passing through the Gapra Whitewood, Lightning learns of Hope's mother, the boy's belief her death was Snow's fault, and that he is bent on getting revenge, and forms 'Operation Nora,' his plan for revenge against Snow, although Lightning tries to convince Hope it was the Sanctum that killed his mother.

Arriving in Palumpolum Hope leads Lightning underground to slip past the soldiers occupying the city. Lightning realizes she has been running away by making the Sanctum her enemy and she now has Hope following suit. She tells him to stop with Operation Nora and, returning to the surface, Lightning and Hope are surrounded by PSICOM troops. They are saved by Snow and Fang and the l'Cie are separated in the chaos, with Lightning and Fang in one group and Snow and Hope in another. Fang reveals she and Vanille are Pulse l'Cie and received their Focus long ago but were crystallized and woke up in Cocoon in the Pulse Vestige. Fang tells Lightning she and Vanille were indirectly responsible for Serah becoming a l'Cie, and that she will awake from crystal stasis like they had.

Elsewhere, Hope confronts Snow over his mother's death and Snow's role in it, intending on taking his revenge. His plans are cut short when a PSICOM warmech attacks them; Snow saves Hope from further harm by cushioning their fall from the rooftops, and the two settle their differences.

Fang, Lightning, Hope and Snow are reunited and head onward to the Estheim Residence where Snow recovers from his injuries while Hope informs his father of Nora's fate. While the party is busy formulating a plan to deal with the Sanctum, PSICOM officer Yaag Rosch arrives with PSICOM troops. Snow demands him to stop the Purge, but Yaag tells him the Purge was demanded by the people of Cocoon. After a confrontation with an attack shuttle, Snow, Lightning, Hope and Fang are rescued by Rygdea from the Cavalry and taken onboard the Lindblum with help from Cid, who seeks to fight PSICOM in the name of the Cavalry.

After making their way out of the Vile Peaks, Sazh and Vanille travel through the Sunleth Waterscape towards Nautilus. Sazh confesses to Vanille how he went to the Hanging Edge to try and save his son, Dajh Katzroy. Dajh became a Sanctum l'Cie at Euride Gorge and Sazh suspects his Focus was to destroy Anima when Dajh uncovered the Pulse Vestige at Bodhum. Vanille is racked with guilt as she knows her and Fang's presence at Euride Gorge caused the fal'Cie Kujata to turn Dajh into a l'Cie.

Sazh and Vanille arrive at Nautilus where they witness the Pompa Sancta parade, a dramatic reenactment of the War of Transgression between Pulse and Cocoon 500 years ago. Sazh, tired of remaining in hiding from the pursuing PSICOM soldiers, decides to turn himself in with the intent of seeing his son one last time. Vanille protests and is about to reveal the truth about her involvement in Dajh's transformation when Jihl Nabaat, PSICOM's supreme commander, arrives with a PSICOM platoon and Dajh. Dajh turns to crystal and Jihl reveals the truth of the events at Euride Gorge; Dajh's transformation into a l'Cie was the result of Vanille and Fang's presence at the facility.

Furious, Sazh confronts Vanille, triggering the appearance of his Eidolon Brynhildr, which he brings under control with Vanille's assistance. In his grief, Sazh tries to shoot himself, but is unable to do so, prompting the PSICOM soldiers to take him and Vanille into custody. They are taken on board the Palamecia, where they are to be transported to Eden and executed before a live audience.

Lightning and the rest mount a rescue mission upon learning of Sazh and Vanille's incarceration, with help from Cid and the Cavalry. They board the Palamecia using a stolen PSICOM shuttle, but their ruse is discovered. Sazh and Vanille escape from their holding cell in the chaos and fight their way through the ship's engine core. The l'Cie are reunited at a forward portion of the Palamecia's exterior, and, using one of PSICOM's militarized wyverns, head towards the bridge.

They face Galenth Dysley, who kills Jihl and the entire bridge crew. Dismissing the l'Cie's assumption he is one of them, Dysley reveals he is the fal'Cie Barthandelus, the true master of Cocoon, and that the l'Cie's Focus is to become Ragnarok and destroy Orphan, the fal'Cie that powers all the other fal'Cie in Cocoon and holds it afloat over Pulse.

Barthandelus departs after suffering defeat at the hands of the l'Cie, leaving behind his familiar Menrva to serve as an airship for them to escape from the now-sinking battlecruiser. The l'Cie make their escape, avoiding pursuit from Yaag Rosch onboard The Proudclad, ending up inside the Fifth Ark underneath Eden. Fang and Vanille recall a legend concerning the purpose of the Arks; armories and training grounds for l'Cie.

The l'Cie venture deeper into the Ark and after a long trek come face-to-face with Cid Raines who reveals himself as Cocoon l'Cie and that every action of the l'Cie had been carefully orchestrated by Barthandelus and the other fal'Cie. He explains the reason behind the fal'Cie's desire for Cocoon's destruction; to summon the Maker, the creator of both fal'Cie and the world. Cid attacks the l'Cie to stop them from fulfilling their Focus and destroy Cocoon, but is defeated and turns to crystal.

Shaken by this turn of events, the l'Cie continue their journey until reaching a dead end. Snow decides they should forget their Focus and fulfill Serah's final wish of saving Cocoon. While everyone agrees Fang turns on the rest of the party, proclaiming that though they might wish to save Cocoon, she would never allow this; having seen the suffering Cie'th experience, she would rather die than see any of her friends become one. Fang unwittingly summons Bahamut, bringing it under her control with the others' help. The l'Cie discover a new path following Bahamut's "taming" and a Pulsian airship at the end, which they use to travel trough a portal leading to Pulse: their only way forward.

The airship is attacked by a wild wyvern in the skies above Pulse, and the l'Cie become stranded in the valley of Vallis Media. Sazh's Chocobo Chick comes to warn the party that Hope's l'Cie brand is advancing and he is unconscious. They bring Hope back to the basecamp where they are ready to give up after spending days wandering the wilderness and finding no trace of civilization. Vanille suggests they go to Oerba, her and Fang's hometown. Hope wakes up and tells them he should remain behind until his Eidolon Alexander is summoned and brought under his control, leaving the rest of the l'Cie to speculate about the true purpose of the Eidolons after Hope is given newfound strength. Discovering a path to the Archylte Steppe, the l'Cie begin their journey towards Oerba.

While traversing Mah'habara Subterra, Vanille claims she alone 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 she hadn't destroyed Cocoon was because the goddess Etro intervened and turned her and Vanille to crystal. Later, Barthandelus moved the Pulse Vestige, where the crystals of Vanille and Fang were placed afterwards, into Cocoon. Vanille's shock from having her lie exposed causes her Eidolon Hecatoncheir to appear. Vanille and Fang defeat it, after which Vanille resolves to come to terms with her fate and stop running away.

The l'Cie traverse the remainder of the Mah'habara mines and the Sulyya Springs, eventually reaching Taejin's Tower, a crumbling mechanical tower where the fal'Cie Dahaka makes its home. The Menhirrim there help them destroy the errant fal'Cie and reach the top of the tower from where the l'Cie ride a capsule down to the slopes of Oerba. Upon entering the village they find it covered in a blanket of snow-like crystal dust and infested with 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, Bhakti. At the end of a crumbling railway overpass, the l'Cie are shocked to find Serah waiting for them.

Serah implores the l'Cie to become Ragnarok and destroy Orphan, but they refuse to believe her. She abandons her disguise and assumes Barthandelus's human form. The fal'Cie explains the reason Cocoon was created; the fal'Cie, desiring to summon the Maker back to Gran Pulse, need a sacrifice large enough to attract the Maker's attention and that the deaths of Cocoon's inhabitants would cause a large enough disturbance in "the great beyond". The l'Cie engage Barthandelus in battle, determined to prevent this atrocity from being committed.

After defeating him yet again, Barthandelus goes on to gloat how the humans in Cocoon are fighting among themselves now that the resurrected Cid has become the new Primarch. He warns them the Cavalry are mounting an attack to destroy Orphan and they have a choice: destroy Orphan themselves or let the humans destroy it. He leaves behind another airship and returns to Cocoon to oversee the final stages of his plan. The l'Cie decide to return to Cocoon and either 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 disrupt an ongoing race, causing mass panic among the spectators and the deployment of a full PSICOM battalion along with the resident Guardian Corps unit. They discover Barthandelus is using portals to warp Pulse creatures and automata from both the surface of Gran Pulse and the Fifth Ark. The l'Cie press on, fighting their way through soldiers and monsters alike.

Meanwhile, the Cavalry have successfully infiltrated the Primarch's office, where Cid, no longer under the thrall of Barthandelus, tells Rygdea his actions will lead Cocoon into ruin. At his request, Rygdea shoots Cid, ending his torment, and proceeds to lead the Cavalry onward to confront Orphan at Edenhall, the seat of the Sanctum's power.

Many of the citizens are taking shelter at Edenhall and at the center of the complex, the l'Cie are shocked to see the same crystal shards they saw at Oerba floating in the air. Barthandelus appears and tells them the shards are the souls of the departed, and its presence signals the Maker's inevitable return and tells them he has their 'loved ones' inside. The Calvary soldiers and PSICOM troopers in their vicinity turn into Sacrifice Cie'th, the result of Barthandelus branding them without giving them a Focus. They are confronted by Yaag Rosch, who, after being defeated for the second time, helps the l'Cie by ordering his soldiers to evacuate the city rather than search for the l'Cie and by detonating the Proudclad's wreckage, ensuring the party won't be followed into Orphan's Cradle, the true command center of Cocoon.

Inside Orphan's Cradle the l'Cie discover the remainder of the Calvary soldiers have been converted into Cie'th. Guided by the fal'Cie Eden, they arrive at the Narthex, Orphan's resting place. Barthandelus destroys Serah's and Dajh's crystallized forms, and commands the l'Cie to fulfill their destiny by destroying Orphan, thereby cutting the power fueling Cocoon's functions and causing it to crash into the surface of the lowerworld. The l'Cie see through Barthandelus's illusions, and Barthandelus engages them in battle only to be defeated and sent sinking into a pool of liquid. Menrva dives into the pool allowing Barthandelus to rise up as the protective shell surrounding the dormant fal'Cie Orphan.

The l'Cie fight Barthandelus in Orphan's first form, but fail to destroy him. Barthandelus, growing frustrated, reveals the reason why fal'Cie make l'Cie: Each fal'Cie was created by the Maker for a defined purpose, and given finite power to accomplish the task given to them, but humans have infinite potential to be anything they want to be through sheer will power and determination, an ability beyond the reach of the fal'Cie. For this reason fal'Cie make l'Cie: to partake in the power inherent in humankind.

Seeing no way out of their situation, Fang turns on the others and attempts to transform into Ragnarok, causing everyone except Vanille to turn into Cie'th. She is attacked by the shambling remnants of her companions, triggering her transformation into an incomplete version of Ragnarok. Fang's Ragnarok is unable to destroy Orphan; only the outer shield dissipates before Fang reverts back to her human form.

Orphan revives Fang and tortures her to force her to transform into Ragnarok once more, while a helpless Vanille watches her friend suffer. Meanwhile, Lightning, Snow, Sazh, and Hope relive the memories of their journey, and find the strength of will to transform back into l'Cie, though they believe their Cie'th forms were another fal'Cie illusion. They fire several magic spells at Orphan, who sinks back into the pool, where he is presumably destroyed for good.

After giving themselves the Focus of saving Cocoon rather than destroying it, the party's l'Cie brands burn out. Orphan's true form rises from the pool, and reveals it shares the same desire as Barthandelus to summon the Maker, even if it means its death. Believing that if they can destroy Cocoon, they can also save it, the l'Cie attack Orphan and destroy it.

The party find themselves outside and falling towards the city of Eden, no longer kept afloat at the center of Cocoon due to Orphan's demise. While the rest of the group floats away, Fang and Vanille join hands to summon Ragnarok's true form. Ragnarok creates a column of lava, which engulfs the surface of Cocoon and slows its descent. Ragnarok crystallizes the lava by summoning the crystal dust from the ruins of Oerba, leaving Cocoon securely supported by a massive crystal pillar entrenched on Pulse's surface. Their Focus fulfilled, Lightning, Hope, Sazh and Snow are crystallized on the surface of Pulse.

Lightning and the rest wake up from their crystal sleep to find their l'Cie brands have disappeared. In the distance, survivors from Cocoon are rallying around the remaining military units, coming to terms with seeing Pulse for the first time. The party is reunited with Serah and Dajh, who have been freed from their crystal sleep. Hope takes one last moment to mourn for Fang and Vanille, and Lightning gives her blessings to Serah and Snow's relationship. In the core of the crystal tower holding Cocoon above Gran Pulse, the crystallized forms of Vanille and Fang float, still holding hands, their Focus complete.

Web Novelization
The official Japanese website revealed a web novelization titled Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise- that contains a series of short stories written by Jun Eishima, leading up to the events depicted in the game. The first story is called "Encounter", and focuses on how Serah became the first Gran Pulse l'Cie on Cocoon for a long time. The second story is called "Stranger", and is about the moment Vanille and Fang awoke from crystal stasis, and began adjusting to Cocoon life. The third story, "Family", focuses on Sazh and his son, Dajh, detailing how Sazh came to own the Chocobo Chick and how Dajh fell into the Sanctum's clutches.

The fourth story, "Search," details Vanille and Fang's separation, Fang's encounter with Cid Raines, and joining him to locate Vanille. Part five of the novel is titled "Friends", and focuses on Hope Estheim's life with his family and friends before his mother's death. The sixth story, titled "Present," involves Snow buying engagement necklaces and Serah finding a birthday present for Lightning. The seventh and final story, called "Tomorrow," is about Fang and Vanille preparing to become l'Cie during the War of Transgression, and Vanille getting ready to be purged to Gran Pulse.

Characters
There are six playable characters in Final Fantasy XIII, and two guest characters. Although the game focuses on each of the playable characters equally, the majority of the story is told through the perspective of Lightning. The main playable characters are all l'Cie.

Playable Characters

 * Lightning — The main protagonist. Lightning was a member of the Guardian Corps in Bodhum before her life came crashing down when her sister became a l'Cie. Regretting her refusal to believe Serah, Lightning volunteers to be Purged with the intention of saving her. She is an agile fighter who makes use of a variety of gunblades, the Blazefire Saber among them.
 * Snow Villiers — Leader of NORA, Snow Villiers is a sturdy man whose mannerism is reputed to resemble that of a cowboy. He traveled to the Hanging Edge to fight PSICOM and the Purge in the hope of saving his fiancée, Serah, who was imprisoned by the Pulse fal'Cie. Although Snow uses his fists to fight, his equipped 'weapon' is a runed coat, designed to enhance the wearer's strength.
 * Oerba Dia Vanille — A young and spirited girl, Vanille's past is a mystery and she carries a heavy burden the others are not initially aware of. Trying hard to get through the events of the Purge, she tags along with Hope and finds herself wrapped up in the events leading to her joining the others. Her weapon of choice is called the Binding Rod. She acts as the narrator of the story and can be considered a deuteragonist. She is described as a gentle person who is easily reduced to tears.
 * Sazh Katzroy — A middle-aged man with dark skin and an afro. He was formerly in the military, but now works as a civilian airship pilot. In the hope of saving his son, Dajh, he boarded the Purge train to the Hanging Edge. He owns a baby chocobo that lives in his hair. He fights with two pistols that can be combined into a rifle.
 * Hope Estheim — A young boy who, along with his mother, was part of the group of exiles onboard the Purge train that Lightning stopped, and whose his mother died during an unsuccessful attempt by NORA to drive the PSICOM soldiers back. Blaming Snow for his mother's death, Hope followed him but ends up being forced to work with him and the others. Hope joined Lightning on her journey to become stronger so that he could avenge his mother's death. He wields boomerangs in battle.
 * Oerba Yun Fang — A wild-looking dark-haired woman with a large tattoo on one arm and a burnt-out mark of the l'Cie on the other. She appeared with Cid Raines and the Cavalry with the intention of capturing Snow in Lake Bresha. However, she had a more complicated agenda, as she searched for a long-lost friend and aimed to complete her Focus. Spears are her weapon of choice.

Guest Characters

 * Gadot — 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 — A woman with black hair and a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder. She is the only female member of NORA. Her outfit is based on volleyball players, wearing short shorts and a tank top-like shirt with puffy sleeves. She uses a rifle in battle.

Non-playable Characters

 * Serah Farron - Lightning's sister and Snow's fiancée. She is turned into a l'Cie and crystallized in the Pulse Vestige. Her fate is one of the main motives in the game.
 * Dajh Katzroy - Sazh's six-year-old son who was branded as a l'Cie under mysterious circumstances. Sazh journeys to reunite with him.

Music
Masashi Hamauzu, one of the composers of Final Fantasy X: Original Soundtrack and the composer of the Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- Original Soundtrack, composed the music for Final Fantasy XIII. The game's vocal theme is called "Kimi ga Iru Kara" ("Because You're Here"), performed by the J-pop artist Sayuri Sugawara. Nobuo Uematsu was originally announced as the composer of the game's vocal theme, but later decided to give the duties to Hamauzu after being hired to work on Final Fantasy XIV.

The Japanese soundtrack was released on January 27, 2010 with two versions available for purchase. The standard version contains four discs while the limited edition contains a bonus "drama CD" written by scenario writer Motomu Toriyama.

In the game's western versions Leona Lewis sings the English theme song, titled "My Hands". Yoshinori Kitase explained 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 game's theme. In the game's western versions the song "Eternal Love" was replaced with "Serah's Theme".

Development
In Famitsu, 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. Final Fantasy XIII was originally planned as a PlayStation 2 game, but the development was moved to PlayStation 3 and the team had to restart making the game assets from scratch. The development of Final Fantasy XIII happened during a time when Square Enix were shifting to a new console generation, and to a certain extent had to anticipate what the future generation would be like. Final Fantasy XIII only had development on the PlayStation 2 at the very beginning of the project, mainly focused around creating the world and story. The team working on Final Fantasy XIII was derailed when they were commissioned to create the Final Fantasy VII technical demo for PlayStation 3; the demo's results were so promising the development of Final Fantasy XIII was moved to this platform as well. The idea from the start was to have a highly action-based game system.

The development was led by Yoshinori Kitase and as such, the development team resembles that of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, although occasionally, developers from Final Fantasy Versus XIII assisted with the game's development.

Final Fantasy XIII was developed on the Crystal Tools engine since the production moved on PlayStation 3. The process of making the company's first PlayStation 3 title proved to be a challenge as the team found it a tricky console to code for. Determined to crack the puzzle, Square opted to create its own development kit, which became known as Crystal Tools.

The overarching concept of Final Fantasy XIII was "a future world fantasy" and "people fighting against fate." The concept for the battle system was to maintain the strategic nature of command-based battles, but to create battles similar to those seen in the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. According to art director Isamu Kamikokuryo, many additional areas that were functioning in an unreleased build, from team NORA's secret base, to Lightning's home and even a zoo, were cut from the game owing to concerns about the game's length and volume. Kamikokuryo additionally remarked that the volume of cut content was enough to make another game.

Final Fantasy XIII was first revealed at E3 2006. Since then, the battle system was changed several times. In the first trailer 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 final game 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.

"Re: Final Fantasy XIII" is a promotional DVD that was released by Square Enix in Japan on December 13th, 2008, to advertise the upcoming games of the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series. Said to be included were never-before-seen trailers, along with the rarely seen trailers shown at the DKS3137 conventional event. The DVD is reported to be fifty minutes and includes the first look at real Final Fantasy XIII gameplay. Included on the DVD as well were promos for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, Dissidia Final Fantasy, and movies for non-Final Fantasy Square titles. 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.

The initial screenshots of the Xbox 360 version Square Enix released to compare to the PlayStation 3 version were revealed, in fact, to be screenshots from the PlayStation 3 version, with the Xbox 360 icons pasted on top. Square Enix apologized, claiming it was a mistake, and later released genuine Xbox 360 screenshots. The Xbox 360 version runs at 576p (FMV CG 576p), as opposed to the PlayStation 3's native resolution of 720p (FMV CG 1080p), but both versions can be upscaled to 1080p.

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

A Problematic Development
After the game's release, Square Enix has revealed that Final Fantasy XIII's development was a difficult one and ridden with miscommunication between different sections of the development team. Final Fantasy XIII had the largest development team of any previous Final Fantasy game, with some of the work also done in conjunction with the Final Fantasy Versus XIII team. At the peak, there were over 200 people working on it, with 180 artists, 30 programmers, and 36 game designers. According to the October 2010 issue of Game Developer magazine, a big problem during the game's development was the lack of unified vision. The game was first announced at 2006, but the E3 trailer was merely a visual concept and the team hadn't created anything playable yet, leading to pressure within the development team on what the battle system should be like. What further complicated the development was that the team was also working on Square Enix's multiplatform engine Crystal Tools. The team made the mistake of trying to accommodate every single project in progress and a considerable amount of time was spent prioritizing all the different requests and the team was not able to determine the final spec requirements. It created a standstill between the engine and game development teams; if the engine's specs couldn't be finalized, neither could the game's.

Being a large-scale project Square Enix wanted to keep details of the game secret, but this led to the international player testing being too late, which further led to scheduling constraints as the team wanted to ensure the game would appeal to Western audiences. The development team was well-aware of criticism toward JRPGs coming from North America and Europe concerning game linearity and command-based battles; the development team experimented with Western development methods and international focus groups were set up for certain titles, including Final Fantasy XIII. However, at this time the development team was already far along in development and it was too late to implement most of the feedback. Despite this, the team was able to gain some insight into what players wanted globally, but also led to conflicts because the development team didn't receive clear instructions on whether to force certain changes into an already tight schedule. Much of the feedback which was unable to be included in Final Fantasy XIII, was later used when developing Final Fantasy XIII-2.

The game's overall vision did not fully realize until the demo included with Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, because even at a late stage of development, the team did not agree on the game's key elements. The team had to make adjustments to the schedule to accommodate the demo, but after it was complete, the team finally had a tangible version of the game that could actually be played, which unified the vision and understanding of the game's direction across the entire development team. Before the demo, different elements for the game had been created with no clear plan on how they would be used in the final game. With the demo pulling all the strings together, the team could prioritize to help increase productivity.

The way the development team has come out open with the problems with Final Fantasy XIII's development is rather unique, and may reflect the polarized reception the game received after its release.

Localization
Final Fantasy XIII was being localized for English as it was being made, but it had no infrastructure to support simultaneous development and localization. There were no content freeze deadlines to ensure the translators were translating with the final context, and cut scenes were still changing after the English voice recording was finished. The entire voice script ended up being re-recorded about four or five times. The translators would have to translate blindly from text, and then see an early render to notice it would not work. When placeholder audio would show up the translators would realize their lines wouldn't match the timing or the emotion that would be on the characters' faces. The translators had scripts from the writers, videos of events, transcripts of the actual Japanese voice data, and the latest game build, but all four would be different and none of them final. Tom Slattery, who was handling the English localization, and Teruaki Sugawara, the sound engineer, who also subsequently left the company, were both serving as representatives from their respective departments at the monthly meetings between Sound and Localization, and both realized that if that was going to be the way localization was handled on subsequent projects, there needed to be a way of keeping all information synchronized without placing unnecessary burden on the development team, Sound, or Localization. When Final Fantasy XIII-2 would be developed, the developers would use a tool called Moomle to do just that.

Jack Fletcher did voice directing and casting for Final Fantasy XIII; his previous experience in the series includes Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XII, and Final Fantasy Tactics. Around twenty auditions were held for the important characters and Square Enix would let Fletcher cast the rest on his own by giving him character descriptions on how they wanted the characters to sound. For lead and cameo characters the producers would want to hear at least five to eight different voice samples per character to choose from. The voice directing team would then pick portions from the game script to send to agencies and get auditions back from them. It has also been mentioned that Square Enix does not want to reuse voice actors too much, so anyone who has played a lead role before is unlikely to get another Final Fantasy lead part soon, and so, even if Ashe's voice actress Kari Wahlgren submitted a good audition, Square would not want to cast her as Lightning. The idea to cast two characters with Australian accent came from the localization team, who requested the voice directing team to look for either Australian or New Zealand sounding voices; the rationale was that the team wanted Fang and Vanille to sound like from another world, but more in a sense of having a different melody to their voices, rather than a thick accent.

Employee Departures
The problematic development of Final Fantasy XIII led to the departure of several members of the development team, who left Square Enix during development or on the game's release, including:
 * Toshiro Tsuchida (battle planning director);
 * Takashi Ohkuma (background technical director);
 * Masashi Hamauzu (composer), who went freelance;
 * Nao Ikeda (sub-character designer), who went freelance.

Themes
The main themes of Final Fantasy XIII are challenging fate and the concept of willpower. The main cast have an unjust fate (Focus) forced upon them and seek a way to escape it and do what they believe is right. Ultimately it is shown that free will triumphs over fate, as the party rejects their Focus and decides to follow their true desire, to save Cocoon. The theme is also present with the characters of Serah and Cid Raines, who similarly defy their fate, and with the interactions of Hope and his father, who tells Hope he must find his own path in life. The fal'Cie are on the other side of this coin, unable to follow their heart's desire as their fate is determined by their creator. Despite lacking magical powers and immortality like the fal'Cie, humans are still implied to be stronger in the end due to possessing free will and Orphan explains to the party that humans' infinite potential is why fal'Cie chose to make l'Cie of men to carry tasks they themselves are unable to do. The concept of having a white l'Cie brand may represent a human's free will triumphing over the bond of a fal'Cie-given Focus, as in the end of the game all of the party's l'Cie brands burn out, which is known to halt the process of turning into a Cie'th.

The themes of loss and revenge are also prominent. Many characters in Final Fantasy XIII suffer great losses in losing their homelands and loved ones, and the different ways the party deals with their losses are at the center of their character arcs. While their first reaction is anger and vengeance, the party must come to terms with their losses and ultimately realize that revenge is futile, and the only way to cope is to move forward. A related theme is the theme of guilt and running away from the past, the things the party are forced to face if they wish to move on.

Release
Final Fantasy XIII was released on December 17th, 2009 in Japan exclusively for PlayStation 3. Coinciding with the release a Japanese alcoholic beverage distributor Suntory released the energy drink Final Fantasy XIII Elixir to promote the game's release. A PlayStation 3 bundle called "Lightning Edition", which includes a copy of Final Fantasy XIII, was released in Japan on the same day. 200 units were allocated to be sold in Taiwan. It contains a Ceramic White PlayStation 3 slim 250GB set with pink Lightning artwork.

On November 13, 2009 the game creators released a video with interviews and new footage that announced the game's international release date. One month prior to the game's release, Square Enix had begun promoting the game via a tour bus where gamers could preview and play the game, until March 9th, 2010, Final Fantasy XIII was released worldwide on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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.

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.

Final Fantasy XIII is the first game in the series to receive an official release in Chinese. The localization uses the original Japanese audio with traditional Chinese subtitles.

The game was released as an Ultimate Hits International Edition on Xbox 360 in Japan on December 16, 2010. It includes a brand new Easy Mode and is packaged with the following content:
 * An artwork booklet, titled FINAL FANTASY XIII -Corridor of Memory- with visual art from both Japan and overseas.
 * FINAL FANTASY XIII Unused Event Scenes, a look at scenes cut from the game with an accompanying script.
 * An epilogue novel, titled Final Fantasy XIII -Episode i-, which reveals the events after the end of the game.

The International release also includes "My Hands" as its theme song instead of "Kimi ga Iru Kara".

On July 21st, 2011, the Japanese PlayStation 3 version of the game, got a free update, which introduced Easy Mode difficulty, to get on par with the Japanese Xbox360 version released a year earlier. The update also disables the use of preemptive attack to the Ochu enemies, and disables the menu when walking to access the Shroud menu.

Sales
In Japan Final Fantasy XIII sold over a million units on its first day of sale and had sold over 1,600,000 copies in Japan at the end of 2009. In March 2010, Square Enix stated that Final Fantasy XIII is the fastest selling title in the series' history. By April American game sales reached an estimated 800,000 units for Playstation 3 and 500,000 units for Xbox 360. As of June 9, 2011, Final Fantasy XIII has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide.

Reception
Final Fantasy XIII received favorable reviews in Japanese game media and was voted as the second best game of 2009 in Dengeki Online's reader poll, and in January 2010, was voted "the best game ever" in Famitsu's reader poll. The game's Metacritic score stands at 83 for the PlayStation 3 and 82 for the Xbox 360, signifying "generally favorable" reviews. However, this score is the lowest of all the offline main series Final Fantasy titles.

Final Fantasy XIII has been hailed as a technical milestone with the presentation of CGI cutscenes and the almost seamless transition of visual quality between them and realtime gameplay. Many have appreciated the game's soundtrack though some feel the replacement of the game's original theme song with Leona Lewis's "My Hands" was unfortunate. The game's battle system has been generally liked, with the increased battle speed and the depth of the Paradigm Shift system. The story, characters and voice acting were mostly received well with reviewers stating the characters worked well together, and the interactions among them made up for shortcomings in the storyline.

Many, however, reacted negatively to the game's linear nature especially in the first ten chapters on Cocoon compounded by the absence of traditional towns and little interaction with non-player characters. Many also noted that the slow pace the game opens up, with the Crystarium System only expanding at certain storyline points to allow the characters to learn more abilities, and the rather late point in the game the player is allowed to choose their battle party, contributed to the game's linear feeling, some citing it "boring". The game director Motomu Toriyama has since stated the lower-than-expected review scores were a result of reviewers approaching the game with a Western point-of-view, and that reviewers were used to games in which the player was given an open world to explore; he noted this expectation contrasted with the development team's vision in that it "becomes very difficult to tell a compelling story when you're given that much freedom".

Final Fantasy XIII ended up being unexpectedly polarizing and is the first Final Fantasy main title to get such a strong reaction from the fans, that even Square Enix CEO, Yoichi Wada, acknowledges it, saying in a Gamasutra interview that "... when it comes to the customers' reaction to the quality of the game, some value it highly and some are not very happy with it."

Controversies

 * Initial screenshots of the Xbox 360 version released by Square Enix to compare to the PlayStation 3 version were revealed shortly after to be screenshots from the PlayStation 3 version, with the Xbox 360 control icons pasted on top. Square Enix apologized, claiming there would be no need to enhance the Xbox 360 screenshots and that a mistake was made, and later released screenshots that did come from the Xbox 360 version. Though the screenshots were of low quality, including one with a mouse pointer over it, analysis of the new screenshots and later technical analysis by DigitalFoundry of both versions of the game revealed that the Xbox 360 version runs at 576p (FMV CG 576p), as opposed to the PlayStation 3's native resolution of 720p (FMV CG 1080p). Both versions can be upscaled to 1080p.
 * On June 2, 2010, a class action lawsuit was filed against Square Enix and Sony Computer Entertainment America due to alleged freezing bugs in the game damaging and physically breaking PlayStation 3 consoles. Square Enix claims it is an issue with the console, while Sony blames the issue on a glitch on the game disc.
 * In August 2010, a television advert of Final Fantasy XIII was banned in Britain by the Advertising Standards Authority due to Square Enix advertising the Xbox 360 version of the game with footage of the PlayStation 3 version exclusively.
 * After the confirmation that an Xbox 360 port of Final Fantasy XIII would be released in Japan, CEO Yoichi Wada received death threats from angry fans accusing him of being a liar.

Sequels
A sequel titled Final Fantasy XIII-2 was announced on January 18, 2011.

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 that the filing is to protect the Final Fantasy XIII intellectual property and is not indicative of a new title. 1st of September 2012 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was announced, which is said to be the last installment in the story of Lightning.

Voice Cast

 * Cocoon Inhabitants (English version)

Alex Fernandez, Barbara Goodson, Cam Clarke, Catherine Cavadini, Cindy Robinson, Daisy Torme, Darren Norris, Dwight Schultz, Erin Fitzgerald, Gideon Emery, James Arnold Taylor, Jeannie Ellas, Jill Talley, Joe Cappellietti, John Mariano, Kate Higgins, Kim Mai Guest, Kyle Hebert, Maile Flannegan, Michael Lindsey, Megan Hollingshead, Mike Sorich, Nika Futterman, Pat Fraley, Phil Procter, Robin Atkin Downs, Sam Riegal, Scott Menville, Steve Kramer, Tara Platt, Travis Willingham, Yuri Lowenthal

April Stewart, Ben Diskin, Candi Milo, Chris Edgerly, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Dante Basco, Dave Rasner, Eden Riegal, Fred Tatasciore, Hynden Walch, JB Blanc, Jessica DiCicco, Jim Ward, John DiMaggio, Kari Wahlgren, Keith Silverstein, Kirk Thornton, Liam O'Brien, Masasa Moyo, Michael Gough, Mickey Cheetham, Neil Kaplan, Nolan North, Patrick Seitz, Robbie Rist, Roger Craig Smith, Scott MacDonald, Sheri Lynn, Steve Van Wormer,

Trivia

 * During the development, models of Yuna, Rikku, Ashe, and Vaan were used as stand-ins for characters that weren't finished yet.
 * The PlayStation 3 version came with a code that, when registered with Square Enix's community website, allowed 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 one registered with an email. The chocobo looks and behaves similarly to the one Sazh carries around with him.
 * Players who registered a first production run of the Xbox 360 version at the Square Enix Members site received download codes for Male and Female PSICOM uniforms for their Xbox Live Avatar.
 * The game was originally planned to have downloadable content (DLC) released after the game, but Square Enix scrapped the plans.
 * Final Fantasy XIII is the first main series game to not feature either the original "Prelude" or "Victory Fanfare".
 * 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.
 * An Easter Egg exists where if the player spins the analog stick as is common for grinding in previous games, the player character will stop and get irritated.
 * The game was released in Japan on December 17, 2009, a day before the anniversary of the original Final Fantasy which was released in Japan on December 18, 1987.
 * The game is the first Final Fantasy title with European packaging artwork that does not only feature the game's logo, but the main protagonist as well.