Final Fantasy XIII

Unreleased

Final Fantasy XIII is an upcoming 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 will run on Crystal Tools (formerly known as White Engine), a proprietary engine built for Square Enix's next-generation games. Though the game is set to be released in Japan in 2009, overseas releases will not be until April 2010 at the earliest. The demo and its site states the game will be out in "Winter 2009" though this is clearly only a release date for Japan.

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 camera changes position and the battle menu pops up, marking the start of a battle. This makes the transition from exploration to battle nearly seamless.

In the battle, the player can control only one character out of a party of up to three, but that character can be switched anytime. The other party members are speculated to act according to A.I.-settings, and can be given pre-assigned roles and will act in accordance with these roles. However, using a command called "Paradigm Shift", the player can apparently alter these roles during battle and thus change the way the character's A.I. acts.

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 Launch, which will send the enemy flying into the air; Radial Strike, which causes an area-of-effect damage; and Ruin, a new non-elemental spell. The system how a character learns these commands is not yet revealed. Magic is 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.

The Active Time Battle bar returns in the battle system, but this time it is divided into sections (different screenshots show three and five sections). Each command available to the battle party have 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.

A new element called the Break bar 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, "Break Mode" is entered, where even more damage can be done. Enemies in this mode can be Launched in the air and juggled while in Break Mode.

When a battle is won, a victory screen pops up, giving the player a one-to-five 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.

Summoning
Summons return in this game as the Eidolons, linked with the powers of the l'Cie. Revealed veteran summons include Shiva, Ifrit, Carbuncle, Siren, Bahamut and Odin, who all have a new, more futuristic design and the power to change their shape. The summons are used both in battle and as plot devices in cutscenes. Each character has only one summon, and summons replace the other party members besides the summoner when called. Summons vanish when they take a certain amount of damage, depending on how the player handles their summon they can extend its appearance time significantly.

In addition to summoning Eidolons to fight alongside them, each Eidolon can transform into some sort of vehicle the summoner can ride. In a mode called "gestalt mode", Snow can transform the Shiva sisters into a motorcycle, and combat becomes more action oriented with Snow able to perform various special attacks and can damage enemies by running them over. How often and how long the player can activate this ability is determine by "TP", which is acquired by defeating enemies.

Setting
Thirteen centuries ago, a fal'Cie, preternatural being formed by the crystal residing inside it, created a floating, utopian city in the atmosphere of a planet known as Pulse. The fal'Cie willed that the city be completely isolated from the crude and brutal wilderness below, and commissioned machines to be the guardians of the citizens. Barriers were subsequently set up all around the city, 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 are now becoming anxious of what Pulse really holds. Recent contact with those from the world below has caused people to question one another and their ways of life. Wised up to the word on the street, the Sanctum of Cocoon have decreed a new edict: Any individuals suspected to be in contact with the world of Pulse are to be banished from the city unconditionally and cast into the harsh environment of the planet below.

In tandem with the increasing uneasiness among the citizens of Cocoon, the believers of destiny are now painting the gloomiest of futures: the downfall of the entire world. Belief has it that the fal'Cie residing on Pulse has sought a woman to destroy the world and its inhabitants. This woman goes by the codename Lightning. The fal'Cie force Lightning and her companions to do its bidding, marking them as the l'Cie and giving them the power of the crystals. The l'Cie struggle against their destiny, but how can they rebel against beings worshipped by people as gods?

According to director and scenario writer Motomu Toriyama, Final Fantasy XIII will not have a prominent main character.

In summary, the storyline will focus on "those who resist the world," says Square-Enix President Yoichi Wada.

Characters
Information about the characters in the game has been sparse ever since its announcement back in 2006. However, nine prominent characters have appeared in various magazines and trailers, some of whom just recently in the trailer shown in the Closed Mega Theater at Jump Festa 2009. It has been stated that, in a similar vein to Final Fantasy VI, there is no "main character". Instead, the story will focus equally on the cast, though Lightning is the protagonist. The first five characters are all L'Cie.


 * Lightning (ライトニング Raitoningu) — The protagonist of the game, Lightning is deemed an adversary of humankind, having been chosen by the Crystals to bring about the end of the world. Codenamed Lightning, her true name remaining a mystery even to her. It has been stated that the player will discover her true name some time during the game. A formidable and agile fighter, Lightning wields a sword that has the unique ability to transform into a semi-automatic gun if she so chooses. As seen in the trailers, she can also manipulate gravity with a mechanism attached to her left index finger.


 * Lightning previously served the Holy Government of Cocoon in the army. Interestingly, trailers show that she will be assisting in the rescuing of Oerba Dia Vanille from the claws of the Cocoon army. As for her relationship with the other main characters, it has been confirmed that she will team up with Snow Villiers in Team Nora.


 * Snow Villiers (スノウ・ヴィリアース Sunou Viriāsu) — Leader of Team Nora and an l'Cie, Snow Villiers is a sturdy man whose mannerism is reputed to resemble that of a cowboy. As seen in later trailers, Snow drives a motorcycle, which is composed of the Shiva Sisters which is believable because of their mechanical appearence and wheels on each of their bodies. On his right forearm, there is a tattoo that implies his relationship with the fal'Cie. It has also been claimed that the tattoo is the source by which he performs magic. He fights with his fists.


 * Snow Villiers is the leader of the mission to rescue Oerba Dia Vanille, as seen in one of the later trailers. His motivations for rescuing her however, are yet to be confirmed.


 * Oerba Dia Vanille (ヲルバ=ダイア・ヴァニラ Woruba Daia Vanira) — A young and spirited girl with autumn red hair tied up in pigtails, Vanille is a citizen of Pulse and ostensibly a subject of great interest to both the Holy Government and the resistance group led by Snow Villiers. She is an l'Cie, and carries a heavy burden she is not initially aware of herself. She wears a savannah-style outfit and wields a staff.


 * In one scene in the trailer, she is seen standing on top of a cliff taking in the view of the wild nature of Pulse. In another scene, she is walking in a funeral procession, tailing the coffin while escorted by soldiers to a battle plane. It is unclear whose funeral this is. In a third scene, she is seen catching a disc, from which the summon Carbuncle appears.


 * Sazh Katzroy (サッズ・カッツロイ Sazzu Kattsuroi) — A middle-aged man with dark skin and afro hair. He owns a baby Chocobo that has been said to live in his hair. He is described as a gentle person who is easily reduced to tears. He appears in shots to be slightly cowardly, yet compassionate. He knows Lightning from their time serving the military of Cocoon. He is playable from the early stages of the game, and he fights with two pistols.


 * A fifth character was revealed at E3 2009. He is a young boy with silvery-blonde hair who dresses in orange and yellow. Lightning appears to have a disdain towards the boy, saying she has too much to worry about so she doesn't want to bother protecting a kid. He is shown arguing with Snow about helping the l'Cie. Since he travels with the other playable characters, he might be playable as well.


 * Gadot (ガド Gado) — A member of Team Nora. He is a dark-skinned man with orange hair and teal clothes, who was revealed in a trailer shown in the Closed Mega Theater at Jump Festa 2009. His design is based on NBA and hip hop fashion. In the trailer, he uses a machine gun in battle.


 * Lebreau (レプロ Reburo) — A tattooed woman who has black hair tied in a ponytail and a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder. She was revealed in the trailer shown at Jump Festa 2009. She is also a member of Team Nora. She dresses in strange fashion based on volleyball players, wearing short shorts and a tanktop like shirt with puffy sleeves. She uses a rifle in battle.


 * Maqui (マーキー Mākī) — A young blond man with goggles who was revealed in the trailer on display at Jump Festa 2009. 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 Team Nora.

Other characters
In Dengeki PS3, the name of the leader of the Holy Government was revealed to be "High Confessor Cid," though what he actually looks like is yet to be shown.

The trailers have featured a woman with glasses and blonde hair reaching all the way down to her knees, appears to be situated in the higher echelon of the Holy Government. She is seen wielding a high-powered sniper rifle. In a scene in the trailers, she speaks to the captured Vanille. In an interview with Famitsu, the developers said that the woman has both political and personal motivations.

A man whose blue hair is tied up in a ponytail is featured in the trailers, giving a speech to PSICOM troops about the threat from Pulse that are the l'Cie.

The Trial Version released with Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete showed an older woman and her son who were both in the train that deported people out of Cocoon. In the demo, the woman chose to fight with Snow while her son remained with Vanille.

Music
Masashi Hamauzu will be composing most of the music for Final Fantasy XIII. As for the game's main theme, however, Nobuo Uematsu has been hired on to compose it.

Development
It was revealed at E3 2008 that Final Fantasy XIII will be released on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe, but will remain a PlayStation 3 exclusive in Japan. The game will hit the shelves in Japan some time in 2009, followed by a later simultaneous release in North America and Europe on both platforms.

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 the opening prologue, the demo aimed to familiarize players with the battle system, while featuring Cocoon and the l'Cies. Only Lightning and Snow were playable, with Sazh, Lebreau and Gadot supporting them during battles. The demo is not to be released outside of Japan.

The staff behind Final Fantasy XIII are as follows:


 * Game Director & 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
 * Main theme: Nobuo Uematsu
 * Music Composer: Masashi Hamauzu
 * Game Producer: Yoshinori Kitase
 * Image Illustrator and Title Logo Designer: Yoshitaka Amano
 * Battle Designer: Toshiro Tsuchida
 * Weapon & Equipment Designer: Tetsu Tsukamoto

Trivia

 * The game was originally planned for the PlayStation 2, but was later moved to the PlayStation 3 after the development team discovered the power of the platform.