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This has been continuously stated that New World is the International theme song, while Yakusoku no Basho is just exclusive to Japan. They are mirroring the first game in this. Why do you think none of the English trailers feature Yakusoku no Basho?
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==Reception==
==Reception==
Final Fantasy XIII-2 has received perfect 40/40 scores from Famitsu. Ranbu Yoshida said, "It feels like a very different game from its predecessor; the story changes depending on where you choose to go in your time-traveling journey, and it's easy to lose yourself in changing and redoing areas you've previously finished." While assistant editor Norihiro Fujiwara wrote, "The setting and presentation is fantastic, and the issues people brought up with the first game -- its linearity, its lack of meaty gameplay -- are a thing of the past. You're sucked into the game right from the beginning, and the story's very easy to get into."<ref>{{cite web|title=Final Fantasy XIII-2 1UP"|url=http://www.1up.com/news/japan-review-check-final-fantasy_2|accessdate=6 December 2011}}</ref>
Final Fantasy XIII-2 has received perfect 40/40 scores from ''[[Famitsu]]''. Ranbu Yoshida said, "It feels like a very different game from its predecessor; the story changes depending on where you choose to go in your time-traveling journey, and it's easy to lose yourself in changing and redoing areas you've previously finished." While assistant editor Norihiro Fujiwara wrote, "The setting and presentation is fantastic, and the issues people brought up with the first game -- its linearity, its lack of meaty gameplay -- are a thing of the past. You're sucked into the game right from the beginning, and the story's very easy to get into."<ref>{{cite web|title=Final Fantasy XIII-2 1UP"|url=http://www.1up.com/news/japan-review-check-final-fantasy_2|accessdate=6 December 2011}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 21:25, 9 December 2011

Final Fantasy XIII-2
File:FFXIII2NTSCcover.jpg
Cover art featuring Lightning; the game's logo, designed by Yoshitaka Amano, depicts her to the right of the game's antagonist, Caius.
Developer(s)Square Enix Product Development Division 1[3]
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)Motomu Toriyama[4]
Producer(s)Yoshinori Kitase[4]
Artist(s)Isamu Kamikokuryo[4]
Tetsuya Nomura[4]
Writer(s)Daisuke Watanabe[4]
Composer(s)Masashi Hamauzu[4]
Naoshi Mizuta[4]
Mitsuto Suzuki[4]
SeriesFinal Fantasy
Fabula Nova Crystallis
EngineCrystal Tools
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release
  • JP: December 15, 2011[1]
  • HKG: January 31, 2012
  • NA: January 31, 2012[2]
  • AU: February 2, 2012
  • EU: February 3, 2012[2]
Genre(s)Role-playing game
Mode(s)Single-player

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (ファイナルファンタジーXIII-2, Fainaru Fantajī Sātīn Tsū) is an upcoming console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is being produced by Square Enix's 1st Production Department.[3] It is a direct sequel to the 2009 role playing game Final Fantasy XIII.

Three years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning, the protagonist of the original game, has disappeared into an unknown world. Her younger sister Serah Farron, a returning character from the original title, and a boy named Noel Kreiss attempt to find Lightning.

The game is due to be released in Japan on December 15, 2011, January 31, 2012 in North America and February 3, 2012 in Europe.[5] Square Enix Europe has stated that the game "exceeds Final Fantasy XIII in every aspect" and that it has an evolved battle system of the original game.[6] The game's theme song for the Xbox 360 and International PlayStation 3 is "New World" by Filipino singer/actress Charice, while JapanesePlayStation 3 version is "Yakusoku no Basho" by Mai Fukui.[7]

Gameplay

Combat System

As in Final Fantasy XIII, the game will use a variation of the Active Time Battle (ATB) system and the Paradigm Shift system. The system will address issues with those used in the previous game.[8] There will also be a feature that allows the player to control the difficulty of battles.[8] During battles, players will be put through quick time events called "Cinematic Action" which will allow them to deal higher damage to foes and gain the upper hand in certain battles.[9] The player can tame monsters and use them as party members in battles. This also leads to a new "Feral Link" feature being in the game; as the player attacks an enemy while a tamed monster is in their party, the Feral Link bar fills up and when it is full the player can make their current tamed monster do a special attack on the enemy via a quick time event.

Mog Clock

Monsters no longer roam the map like in Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XIII, they instead randomly appear on the field when the player gets close. Just as the monsters appear on screen, a dial clock called "Mog Clock" appears in the middle of the bottom half of the screen and a red ring surrounds the player's character with a radius of about 3 meters. The introduction of this Mog Clock feature grants the player various bonuses (or penalties) depending on the time it takes them to enter a battle with the enemy.[10]

Live Trigger

The player will be presented with a series of "dialogue trees" when talking to non-player characters (NPCs). These choices offer the player different things to say at certain story scenes and to different NPCs.[11] The game will feature multiple endings but these are not affected by the decisions made by Live Trigger. The director Motomu Toriyama has stated that the Live Trigger system is in place "more for enjoying conversation rather than for the branching story" and that the multiple endings will be affected by a different system. The introduction of the Live Trigger system is simply for allowing the player to have unique things to say during story scenes and conversations with NPCs. The dialogue selections will also change each time the game is played.[12]

Temporal Rift

Players will be presented with puzzle-like problems in a void between dimensions. When they completely solve the current anomaly, they will be able to resolve a paradox happening in the real world.[citation needed]

Historia Crux System

The Crux system allows players to jump through various gates throughout XIII-2. Players will see a drastic change, based on their choices. This would also go towards the multiple endings of the game.[13] This time travel system adds a significant element of nonlinear gameplay. It allows players to travel through “time-space locations,” ranging from hundreds of years in the future to hundreds of years in the past, allowing them to turn back time in order to explore different plot possibilities in each location.[14] The game's time travel elements have been compared to the role-playing games Chrono Trigger[15] and Radiant Historia.[14]

Plot

Setting

The worlds of Gran Pulse and Cocoon in Final Fantasy XIII return in Final Fantasy XIII-2.[16] Players will be able to revisit old areas that have changed in appearance like Lake Bresha, now called the Bresha Ruins. A re-created version of the city of Bodhum had been made on Pulse, known as New Bodhum. Many of the civilians from Bodhum now live here. The Yaschas Massif on Pulse reappears with its ruins now inhabited by Cocoon soldiers and scientists like the Bresha Ruins. Valhalla, otherwise known as "the invisible world" will also be a playable area. Serendipity is a floating casino city packed with minigames like Slots and Chocobo racing. The city of Academia replaces Eden as the new capital of Cocoon and is Hope's new hometown.

Characters

See also: Characters of Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII-2 has two new main playable characters: Serah Farron, Lightning's younger sister, and Noel Kreiss, a mysterious young time traveler from 700 years in the future who uses dual combinable swords.[12] He is the last surviving human from a time in the future, and he seeks to change that fate. As the main protagonist of the original game, Lightning will have brief playable appearances as she serves as a knight protecting the Goddess Etro's shrine from Caius in Valhalla. Serah appeared as an NPC in XIII and is given a much larger role in this game as she goes on a journey with Noel and her new Moogle companion named Mog to find her sister.

Other new characters include Caius Ballad (カイアス・バラッド, Kaiasu Baraddo), a mysterious purple-haired man in dark purple and black clothes from the future who is the game's antagonist, Noel's former friend and mentor, Lightning's fated rival, and the immortal guardian of the timeline; his companion Paddra Nsu-Yeul, a Pulsian seeress with strong connections to Serah and Caius referenced in Final Fantasy XIII as the author of two Analects; and Alyssa Zaidelle, a girl with short blonde hair in yellow and red clothes who works as part of the Academy organization as Hope's assistant. In addition, all six main playable characters and NORA from Final Fantasy XIII will make reappearances in Final Fantasy XIII-2.[12]

Snow and Hope return with drastically new appearances. Hope returns as the 17-year-old leader of the Academy, a scientific expedition group that studies the world's history, looks for a new energy source for Cocoon to replace its dead fal'Cie, and plans to build a future in which the world does not rely on the fal'Cie. Snow reappears in darker clothes and shows his hair. He returns as a Pulse l'Cie in the Sunleth Waterscape as a guest character. He saves Serah and Noel from a giant Flan-type monster before the latter berates him for always believing himself to be "The Hero". Sazh returns taking part in activities to better Gran Pulse, but nothing else is currently known about his role.

Story

Final Fantasy XIII-2 begins at the end Final Fantasy XIII, when Vanille and Fang transform into Ragnarok to prevent Cocoon's collision with Gran Pulse by turning themselves and the structure into a crystal pillar. Freed of her l'Cie status along with Snow, Hope, and Sazh, Lightning is reunited with her sister Serah as she awakens from crystal stasis. However, Orphan's defeat and Cocoon's fall have an unintentional side-effect which spirits Lightning out of her time to Valhalla. As a result, with the exception of Serah, many believe that Lightning is dead or she sacrificed herself alongside Vanille and Fang. Two years later, many of the survivors of Cocoon's fall begin rebuilding their lives on Gran Pulse with Serah living in the constructed town of New Bodhum. Only Snow believes in Serah and leaves her in order to find Lightning for her, but ends up going missing himself.

One year later when New Bodhum is overrun by monsters, Serah is saved by a mysterious youth named Noel who says to have met Lightning. Accepting his offer of bringing her to her sister, Serah sets off through time and space to find out what has happened to Lightning while learning more about Noel and the mysterious enemy Caius.[17]

Unlike Final Fantasy X-2, which had a more cheerful and humorous feel than Final Fantasy X, the overall tone of the story of Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be darker and more mysterious than the original.[8] Director Motomu Toriyama said that considering Vanille and Fang are gone and the world is in a state where Cocoon had fallen, there's no way for the new story to be totally peaceful. Yoshinori Kitase, the producer, has said the story will have the serious feel of a true numbered entry in the Final Fantasy series.[8]

The actual story will delve deeper into the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology and this time focus on the Goddess Etro.[8] The personality of Lightning will be the same as it was in the original game and not experience a change like Yuna had in Final Fantasy X-2. The game's story will continue to value the refined and noble qualities of Lightning's personality.[16] Other characters will also appear in the game, but in new and unexpected forms, and some of these returning characters will see major changes to their personalities.[8] The game will also have a number of new characters, in addition to the mysterious man, Caius, shown in the teaser trailer. Caius is in direct conflict with Lightning and equal to her in strength.[8] The original game ended with a lingering question: "Is Lightning really happy?" The conclusion of the story in Final Fantasy XIII-2 will provide a clear answer to this question.[16]

Development

Due to global demand and the development staff's desire to further Lightning's character, development began for a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII,[16] with input from both inside and outside of Square Enix, as well as overseas.[8]

Talk of a sequel came as early as January 2010; the game's art director mentioned in an interview that the amount of working art assets that were cut from the final product was enough to make up an entire game.[18] In March 2010, during an interview with Kitase, producer for the game, he was asked about the possibility of a sequel. In response, he replied: “If we could do a XIII-2, we could direct all our attention to the story and refine what we have already built.”[19] On December 15, 2010, Tetsuya Nomura, main character designer for the original game, released a drawing of Lightning, along with the words “She must not be forgotten”.[20] On January 11, 2011, Square Enix registered the domain name FinalFantasy13-2game.com via a proxy company that it had used to register websites for several other unannounced games at the time, including MindJack and Nier.[21]

The game was officially announced at the Square Enix 1st Production Department Premier in Tokyo on January 18, 2011. The teaser trailer showed Lightning, outfitted in armor, drawing her weapon and engaging a mysterious male warrior. The teaser was officially released on January 20, 2011, and can be viewed on the game's official websites.[22][23][24] Motomu Toriyama, who was also the director and scenario designer of the original game, returns as director alongside producer Yoshinori Kitase, who was the producer of the original game. Tetsuya Nomura returns as the character designer, though he will only be responsible for designing the faces of new and returning characters. The clothing of all new and returning characters is being designed by other artists.[25] The armor worn by Lightning was designed by Isamu Kamikokuryo, the art director of the original game who returns to the role for the sequel.[25] The clothing of Noel, Serah and the male character shown in the teaser trailer were designed by Yusuke Naora, who was the character designer of The Last Remnant.[25][26] The Moogle was designed by Toshitaka Matsuda.[26]

On June 2, 2011, two in-game screenshots from the English version of the game were released in relation to E3. They showed Serah as a returning character with a new costume and a new male character named Noel. One of the screens showed Serah and Noel engaged in battle, with Serah as the playable party leader.[27] GameSpot released an exclusive teaser trailer for the game the next day, showing more characters and a glimpse of the battle system.[28] There were two demos presented at E3: One where Serah and Noel deal with a giant boss called Atlas and other having Lightning riding her Eidolon Odin and fighting an alternate existence of the Eidolon Bahamut.

In August 2011, a new trailer was released at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle.[29] It depicted further gameplay and cutscenes, as well as a figure appearing to be Hope from Final Fantasy XIII, using his Airwing boomerang to aid Serah and Noel.

In September 2011, two new trailers were released for the 2011 Tokyo Game Show, one entitled "Promise", the other entitled "Despair". Both were released in English and Japanese. New footage included Hope and Snow returning from the previous game, and the appearance of Paddra Nsu-Yeul. Extensive footage of Caius in battle with Lightning was also shown.

October 2011 saw the release of yet another trailer, titled Change the Future, made specially for New York Comic Con. This trailer elaborated on how Lightning went to Valhalla, and further showcased Caius, Yeul, Snow, and Hope.

Anticipation

Pre-release anticipation has been varied from East to West. Final Fantasy XIII-2 was a runner-up for 1UP.com's "Best Xbox 360 Game of the Tokyo Game Show 2011," but did not earn a mention in the PS3 category, despite being playable on the platform.[30] In Japan, the game finally climbed to number one on Famitsu Magazine's Most Anticipated List after Final Fantasy Type-0 was released in October 27, 2011.[31] To promote the game's upcoming release, AKB48 member, Yuko Oshima, was appointed the leader of a group of thirteen official test players.[32]

Reception

Final Fantasy XIII-2 has received perfect 40/40 scores from Famitsu. Ranbu Yoshida said, "It feels like a very different game from its predecessor; the story changes depending on where you choose to go in your time-traveling journey, and it's easy to lose yourself in changing and redoing areas you've previously finished." While assistant editor Norihiro Fujiwara wrote, "The setting and presentation is fantastic, and the issues people brought up with the first game -- its linearity, its lack of meaty gameplay -- are a thing of the past. You're sucked into the game right from the beginning, and the story's very easy to get into."[33]

References

  1. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2".
  2. ^ a b "Final Fantasy XIII-2 dated, special edition PS3 announced". {{cite web}}: Text "accessdateSseptember 14, 2011" ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b "「Final Fantasy XIII-2」が2011年発売予定，「Agito」は「Final Fantasy 零式」と名称変更して2011年夏発売。「Square Enix 1st Production Department Premiere」をTwitterで実況". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas, Inc. January 18, 2011. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "STAFF". FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Official Website. Square Enix. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2 Release Date For US Confirmed". Game Breakers.
  6. ^ Andy Robinson (January 18, 2011). "Final Fantasy XIII-2 'exceeds FFXIII in every aspect'". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  7. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2 theme songs revealed". Gematsu.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Gantayat, Anoop (26 January 2011). "Toriyama and Kitase Discuss Final Fantasy XIII-2". News. andriasang. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  9. ^ "FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 E3 trailer". Square Enix. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  10. ^ "E3 2011: Final Fantasy XIII-2". Shack News. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  11. ^ "Direct-feed Final Fantasy XIII-2 footage". Gematsu. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  12. ^ a b c Gantayat, Anoop (14 June 2011). "More Final Fantasy XIII-2 Bits From Dengeki". News. andriasang. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  13. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2: Historia Crux, Noel's origins, and Lightning's role". Gematsu. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  14. ^ a b Schreier, Jason (September 8, 2011). "Time-Travel Gameplay Could Save Final Fantasy XIII-2". Wired. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  15. ^ Yoon, Andrew (September 8, 2011). "Final Fantasy XIII-2's time travel explained". Shacknews. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  16. ^ a b c d Gantayat, Anoop (28 January 2011). "Kitase and Toriyama Talk FFXIII-2 and Fabula Nova Crystallis". News. andriasang. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  17. ^ "GAMING WORLDS COLLIDE AS SQUARE ENIX UNVEILS E3 2011 TITLES" (Press release). Square Enix. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  18. ^ Brian Ashcraft (January 13, 2010). "Interview: There Is Enough Discarded Final Fantasy XIII To Make Another Game". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  19. ^ Brian Ashcraft (March 15, 2010). "Direct Sequel For Final Fantasy XIII?". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  20. ^ Anoop Gantayat (December 15, 2010). "Final Fantasy XIII's Lightning Must Not Be Forgotten!". Andriasang. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  21. ^ Brian Ashcraft (January 13, 2010). "Mysterious URL Hints At More Final Fantasy XIII". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  22. ^ "FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 (Official North American website)". Square Enix. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  23. ^ "FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 (Official Japanese website)". Square Enix. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  24. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Official European website)". Square Enix. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  25. ^ a b c Gantayat, Anoop (1 February 2011). "Hey Mr. Tetsuya Nomura, Whatchu Up To?". News. Andriasang. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  26. ^ a b Gantayat, Anoop (24 August 2011). "Final Fantasy XIII-2's Serah, Noel and Moogle Detailed by Character Designers". Andriasang. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  27. ^ "First Final Fantasy XIII-2 Screens, E3 Details". News. Final Fantasy Network. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  28. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2 - GameSpot Exclusive E3 Teaser Trailer (PlayStation 3)". Videos. GameSpot. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  29. ^ New FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 trailer emerges from PAX
  30. ^ "1UP Best of Tokyo Game Show 2011". 1UP.com. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  31. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2 is Japan's Most Wanted Game". Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  32. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2 Judge 13"". Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  33. ^ "Final Fantasy XIII-2 1UP"". Retrieved 6 December 2011.

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