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The story takes place five hundred years after the previous game's ending. [[Lightning (Final Fantasy)|Lightning]], the main protagonist of the first game and a key character in the second, awakes from a self-imposed hibernation thirteen days before the world's end, and is chosen by the deity Bhunivelze to save the people of the dying world, including former friends and allies who have developed heavy emotional burdens. As she travels, she learns the full truth behind both the world's fate and Bhunivelze's true agenda.
The story takes place five hundred years after the previous game's ending. [[Lightning (Final Fantasy)|Lightning]], the main protagonist of the first game and a key character in the second, awakes from a self-imposed hibernation thirteen days before the world's end, and is chosen by the deity Bhunivelze to save the people of the dying world, including former friends and allies who have developed heavy emotional burdens. As she travels, she learns the full truth behind both the world's fate and Bhunivelze's true agenda.


Development of the game started in May 2012, shortly after the release of ''XIII-2''{{'}}s final piece of DLC, and was unveiled at a special 25th Anniversary Event for the ''Final Fantasy'' series in September that year. Most of the previous games' key creative minds and developers returned, and it was developed by Square Enix's First Production Department, with developer [[tri-Ace]] helping with the graphics. The development team wanted the game to bring a conclusive end to the story of both Lightning and the ''XIII'' universe, and to address criticisms leveled against the last two games. The game has received mixed to positive reviews in both Japan and Western territories: while the main praise went to the game's battle system and time limit, opinions were more mixed for the graphics and other aspects of gameplay, while the story and characters were criticized for being weak and poorly developed.
Development of the game started in May 2012, shortly after the release of ''XIII-2''{{'}}s final piece of DLC, and was unveiled at a special 25th Anniversary Event for the ''Final Fantasy'' series in September that year. Most of the previous games' key creative minds and developers returned, and it was developed by Square Enix's First Production Department, with developer [[tri-Ace]] helping with the graphics. The development team wanted the game to bring a conclusive end to the story of both Lightning and the ''XIII'' universe, and to address criticisms leveled against the last two games.


==Gameplay==
==Gameplay==
Line 417: Line 417:


==Reception==
==Reception==

{{Video game reviews
| GR = 65.96% (PS3)<ref name="grps3"/><br />72.00% (360)<ref name="gr360"/>
| MC = 66/100 (PS3)<ref name="mcps3" /><br />69/100 (360)<ref name="mc360" />
| EuroG = 8/10<ref name="EGreview"/>
| Fam = 37/40<ref name="FAMreview"/>
| OPMUK = 6/10<ref name="OPMreview"/>
| GI = 7/10<ref name="GIreview"/>
| GSpot = 5/10<ref name="GSreview"/>
| IGN = 7/10<ref name="IGNreview"/>
}}
===Sales===
===Sales===
In Japan, the PS3 version of ''Lightning Returns'' reached the top of the Top 20 in software sales in its first week, selling just over 277,000 units and beating [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''.<ref name= "FirstWeekSalesPS3"/> In the same period, the Xbox 360 version sold 4,000 units, under half of the initial sales of ''XIII-2'' for that platform.<ref name= "FirstWeekSalesXBOX360"/> By the end of 2013, the PS3 version was 17th among the 100 best-settling titles of the year, selling 404,147 physical copies.<ref name= "LRsales2013"/> In the United Kingdom, ''Lightning Returns'' debuted at third place in the top ten debut video games.<ref name= "LRukchart"/>
In Japan, the PS3 version of ''Lightning Returns'' reached the top of the Top 20 in software sales in its first week, selling just over 277,000 units and beating [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''.<ref name= "FirstWeekSalesPS3"/> In the same period, the Xbox 360 version sold 4,000 units, under half of the initial sales of ''XIII-2'' for that platform.<ref name= "FirstWeekSalesXBOX360"/> By the end of 2013, the PS3 version was 17th among the 100 best-settling titles of the year, selling 404,147 physical copies.<ref name= "LRsales2013"/> In the United Kingdom, ''Lightning Returns'' debuted at third place in the top ten debut video games.<ref name= "LRukchart"/>


===Reviews===
===Reviews===
The game scored 37/40 in ''[[Famitsu]]'' magazine, with the reviewers giving scores of 10, 10, 9 and 8 out of 10 for each console version of the game.<ref name= "FAMreview"/> Aggregate sites [[GameRankings]] and [[Metacritic]] gave the PS3 version 65.96% and 66/100 respectively.<ref name="grps3"/><ref name="mcps3" /> The Xbox 360 version received 72.00% and 69/100.<ref name="gr360"/><ref name="mc360" />
The game scored 37/40 in ''[[Famitsu]]'' magazine, with the reviewers giving scores of 10, 10, 9 and 8 out of 10 for each console version of the game. And Western reviewers proved themselves ret4rds that just need to be shot in the head over and over again. They really should just f*cking kill themselves.

Western reviews were mixed to positive, with the battle system gaining the highest amount of praise. Matt Elliot of ''[[PlayStation Official Magazine (UK)|Official PlayStation Magazine]]'' said the battle system was fun and "[felt] like ''Final Fantasy'': an energetic, modern approximation of combat that was previously turn-based."<ref name="OPMreview"/> IGN's Marty Sliva greatly enjoyed the battle system, saying that "Lightning Returns did a great job of empowering me to create a [trio of Schema] that felt unique and personal.",<ref name="IGNreview" /> while Joe Juba of [[Game Informer]] was pleased with the system, which he considered and improvement over the previous two ''XIII'' games and that the switching of Schema created "a fast-paced, high-tension system that makes fights exciting."<ref name="GIreview" /> [[Eurogamer]]'s Simon Parkin called it the system "perhaps the best and certainly most flexible version yet" when compared to the other ''XIII'' games, while [[GameSpot]]'s Kevin VanOrd stated that if it were not for a few flaws such as the blocking, "it may have even found a place among Final Fantasy's better battle systems."<ref name="EGreview"/><ref name="GSreview"/>

The quest gameplay was less-well received, with Sliva saying it made him "feel like [he] was stuck in the opening hours of an MMO", while Juba called the tasks "dull".<ref name="IGNreview" /><ref name="GIreview" /> Parkin stated that the quests "can seem trivial under the eye of the apocalyptic clock".<ref name="EGreview"/> The time limit received mixed reviews. Sliva said the time limit gave the game "a sense of urgency [...] that I really enjoy.", while VanOrd said the limit worked against the player and "collides with almost every other aspect of the game."<ref name="GSreview"/><ref name="IGNreview" /> Juba enjoyed planning out his days, but on the other had felt that the time limit prevented exploration, and that it "severely [limited] your ability to fully dive into some of the systems."<ref name="GIreview" /> Elliot said the limit overly pressured him, and became unpleasant when coupled with the time penalty for fleeing battle.<ref name="OPMreview"/>

The graphics received mixed reviews. Sliva referred to them the locations as "visually interesting and varied", while VanOrd said the player "can't help but gawk at the beautiful spectacle before [them]."<ref name="GSreview"/><ref name="IGNreview" /> Juba liked the overall look and design of the main cast and environment, but critiqued the environment textures and NPCs.<ref name="GIreview" /> Elliot praised the CG cutscenes, but said that "the tired, boxy side streets feel unfinished.", though the expansive nature of environments balanced this out.<ref name="OPMreview"/> Reviewers were mostly negative about the game's story. Sliva said the narrative was "drenched in uninteresting pathos that failed to give me a reason to care about these characters that I’ve spent well over 100 hours with."<ref name="IGNreview" /> Juba called the story "a joke", saying that there was little development for Lightning as a character, and that the narrative "killed whatever lingering investment [he] had in the universe."<ref name="GIreview" /> VanOrd found the large amount of character dialogue a distracting and jarring feature, while Parkin said that the game's narrative could not fix the issues present in the previous two ''XIII'' games, although the side-quests and dialogue helped lighten Lightning's character.<ref name="EGreview"/><ref name="GSreview"/> Elliot spoke of it as one of the things to play the game for, terming it as "typically bonkers narrative".<ref name="OPMreview"/>

===Official response===
Both Toriyama and Kitase have responded to the mixed review scores the game received. Speaking to Siliconera about the Japanese reviews, Toriyama said that most of the negativity stemmed from the time limit, and that "opinions on the game become more positive after some time since Lightning Returns’ initial release [after players get used to the nuances]."<ref name="LRnewworld"/> Speaking with [[Joystiq]], Kitase said that he "wasn't really shocked. There are negative reviews and positive reviews, it's a real mixture. When I started making this game I took on very new challenges, so in a way I had anticipated that there would be mixed opinions, so this is more or less what we had anticipated."<ref name= "LR_kitase_reviews"/>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 03:20, 5 March 2014

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
A woman in a leather suit with a large cape. On the left, the game's title appears in a font unusual for the series. In the background, a clockface is visible against a blurry, colorful background. The game's logo is visible on her chest.
Developer(s)Square Enix
tri-Ace
Publisher(s)Square Enix[3]
Director(s)Motomu Toriyama
Producer(s)Yoshinori Kitase
Designer(s)Yuji Abe
Programmer(s)Naoki Hamaguchi
Artist(s)Isamu Kamikokuryo
Writer(s)Daisuke Watanabe
Composer(s)Masashi Hamauzu[4]
Naoshi Mizuta[4]
Mitsuto Suzuki[4]
SeriesFabula Nova Crystallis
Final Fantasy
EngineCrystal Tools
Platform(s)PlayStation 3[3]
Xbox 360[3]
Release
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (ライトニング リターンズ ファイナルファンタジーXIII, Raitoningu Ritānzu: Fainaru Fantajī Sātīn) is a console action role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released on November 2013 in Japan and February 2014 in Europe and North America. The game is a direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII-2, concludes the storyline of Final Fantasy XIII, and forms part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries. Lightning Returns employs a highly revamped version of the gameplay system from the previous two games, with an action-oriented battle system, the ability to customize the player character's outfits, and a time limit the player must extend by completing story missions and sidequests.

The story takes place five hundred years after the previous game's ending. Lightning, the main protagonist of the first game and a key character in the second, awakes from a self-imposed hibernation thirteen days before the world's end, and is chosen by the deity Bhunivelze to save the people of the dying world, including former friends and allies who have developed heavy emotional burdens. As she travels, she learns the full truth behind both the world's fate and Bhunivelze's true agenda.

Development of the game started in May 2012, shortly after the release of XIII-2's final piece of DLC, and was unveiled at a special 25th Anniversary Event for the Final Fantasy series in September that year. Most of the previous games' key creative minds and developers returned, and it was developed by Square Enix's First Production Department, with developer tri-Ace helping with the graphics. The development team wanted the game to bring a conclusive end to the story of both Lightning and the XIII universe, and to address criticisms leveled against the last two games.

Gameplay

The player directly controls the character Lightning through a third-person perspective to interact with people, objects, and enemies throughout the game. The player can also turn the camera around the character, which allows for a 360° view of the surroundings. The world of Lightning Returns, as with Final Fantasy XIII and its sequel XIII-2, is rendered to scale with the character, who navigates the world on foot. In one of the areas, the player can use chocobos, a recurring animal in the Final Fantasy series. The in-game clock runs continuously during normal navigation, with one in-game day equating to one hour in real time. The timer starts out at seven in-game days, but can be extended to a maximum of thirteen days.[5] The timer stops during cutscenes, conversations and battles. Lightning can also pause time using an ability called Chronostasis.[6] The player is able to freely navigate the game's open world layout, explore towns and country areas, and accept quests from various NPCs.[7] The game features four difficulty levels: Easy,[8] Normal and Hard, the latter of which is unlocked after first completing the game. There is also a New Game+ option, whereby players can start a new game while carrying over their equipment from a previous playthrough.[5]

Quests are directly linked to Lightning's growth: as she completes quests, her stats are boosted, with the main story quests yielding the biggest boosts.[5] Many side-quests can only be obtained at certain times, since the real-time build of the world means NPCs are in constant movement, and only appear in certain places at a given time.[7] Lightning can also accept quests from the Canvas of Prayers, a post board found in all the main locations.[9] Upon completing quests, Lightning is rewarded with a portion of Eradia, spiritual energy retrieved when a person's burden is lifted.[10] Every day at 6 AM game-time, Lightning is drawn back into the Ark, a location where the in-game clock does not progress. Once there, Lightning gives her gathered Eradia to a tree called Yggdrasil: if she has gathered enough, the in-game clock is extended by a day. She can also restock on supplies and collect new equipment.[11][12] Another feature in the game is Outerworld Services, a feature where players can take photos and share them, along with their personal stats and battle scores, on Facebook and Twitter.[13]

Battle system

A woman attacking a bipedal monster with magic, with a UI overlay on top of the image depicting their status.
The Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII battle system, with the ATB meters for Lightning's garb, the available abilities of the current garb, and the EP visible. The enemy's health and stagger meter are visible above it.

As with the previous game, enemies appear in the open field and can be avoided or engaged. The number of enemies increases during nighttime,[10] and their strength and ability to deal damage increases the more days pass in-game.[5] By killing all the standard versions of an enemy, a final version appears as a boss. Defeating it will yield a high reward and make the enemy type extinct in an area of the game.[14] When Lightning attacks an enemy, or they attack her, the battle starts. If Lightning strikes a monster, they lose a small portion of health, while if the enemy strikes Lightning first, she will lose health. The battle system, termed the Style-Change Active Time Battle system,[8] uses elements from the Active Time Battle-based Paradigm system from the first and second XIII games and bears similarities to the dressphere system featured in Final Fantasy X-2.[15][16][17] Lightning has access to several customizable outfits (garb) with different power sets (Schemata, Schema in the singular). Each garb has its own separate ATB gauge, and actions for them are mapped onto the controller's face buttons, meaning that the usual menu-style ATB battle system is no longer needed: this enables Lightning to be moved around the battle field to a limited degree.[15] The majority of the garbs and their accessories are either purchasable in the in-game shops or received upon completing quests.[5] Stronger garbs, items, shields and weapons are unlocked in Hard Mode, along with access to more challenging areas and boss battles.[18]

As Lightning performs attacks, her ATB meter is drained and she must switch to another assigned garb: the depleted garb's meter recharges while it's not being used. Lightning utilizes her many swords for short-range melee attacks and magic for long-range attacks. She can block enemy attacks using her shield,[19] and has the option to evade an attack, which can be assigned to any garb.[20] Each enemy has a stagger meter, represented by a line behind their health bar. As Lightning lands certain kinds of magical of physical blow, the meter oscillates more. Eventually, the enemy is staggered, rendering them vulnerable to damaging attacks.[21] Lightning can also spend Energy Points to perform special moves or activate abilities, such as Overlock (which slows time for Lightning's opponents and enables her to land more hits) Army of One, Lightning's signature move,[15][22] and create a decoy to distract enemies.[20] By winning battles, Lightning earns gil, the in-game currency, and replenishes a portion of her Energy Point gauge.[23] If Lightning flees from or dies in battle, one in-game hour is lost.[24] Unlike the last two games, the player character does not automatically recover HP after battles, instead needing to use remedies bought from in-game merchants and shops, and there is no auto-battle mode, with Lightning needing to be controlled manually at all times. In Easy Mode, Lightning can recover lost health if she stands idle.[18][20][25]

Plot

Setting

The story of Lightning Returns is set after the stories of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2. In XIII, Lightning is one of six people who are turned by a fal'Cie - one of a race created by the gods[26] - into l'Cie, servants of the fal'Cie gifted with magical powers and a 'Focus'—an assigned task to be completed within a time limit; those that succeed in their Focus go into crystal stasis, while those that fail turn into monsters called Cie'th.[27] The six were intended to cause the large, floating sphere named Cocoon to fall onto the world below, named Gran Pulse, killing all of the humans of Cocoon. At the finale of the game, two of the l'Cie transformed into a crystal pillar to support Cocoon, preventing the catastrophe. The remaining l'Cie were made human again by the Goddess Etro, the deity responsible for maintaining the balance between the mortal world and the Unseen Realm. In XIII-2, it is revealed that Etro's interference allowed Chaos, an energy trapped in the Unseen Realm, to escape and distort the timeline as written after the fall of Cocoon. Lightning was drawn to Valhalla, Etro's citadel, and decided to stay and act as her protector. Three years after Cocoon's fall, Lightning's sister Serah sets out to correct the distortions and reunite with Lightning, while the people of Gran Pulse construct a new Cocoon, since the old one is destined to collapse. The protagonists unwittingly end up instigating the death of Etro, which allows Chaos to spill into the mortal world and bring an end to time itself.[28] Serah also dies, causing Lightning to nearly lose hope. Reassured by her sister's spirit, Lightning chooses to enter crystal stasis to preserve her sister's memory and keep hope alive.[29]

Lightning Returns is set five hundred years after the ending of XIII-2, during the final thirteen days of the world's existence. Because of the unleashing of Chaos, the world of Gran Pulse has been consumed, leaving only a set of islands called Nova Chrysalia.[30] The new Cocoon, called "Bhunivelze" after the key deity of the XIII universe, acts as the world's moon. Over the intervening centuries, two opposing religions have formed and dominate the life of Nova Chrysalia's people: The Order of Salvaion, that worships Bhunivelze,[31] and a rebel cult called the Children of Etro, who worship the Goddess.[32] The world itself is divided into four regions, each dominated by a specific mood or environment.[33] The city of Luxerion is a capital of worship whose people are loyal to the Order. The pleasure capital of Yusnaan is a city of revelry where people live in a constant state of celebration.[34] The Dead Dunes is a desert area dominated by ruins, where relics linked to Bhunivelze are believed to rest. The Wildlands is an untamed area where the human city of Academia used to stand; it also houses the remains of Valhalla, the capital of Etro. Within the New Cocoon is the Ark, a zone where time is frozen.[35]

Characters

Main article: Characters of the Final Fantasy XIII series

Lightning, a central character from both XIII and XIII-2, is the game's main protagonist, sole playable character, and narrator. The other main characters from the previous games also make appearances: Hope Estheim aids Lightning using a wireless communicator;[36] Snow Villiers, devastated by the death of Serah Farron - his fiancée and Lightning's sister - becomes the leader of Yusnaan and the world's last l'Cie; Oerba Dia Vanille and Oerba Yun Fang, released from crystal stasis, go separate ways, with Fang becoming the leader of Monoculus, a bandit gang in the Dead Dunes, and Vanille gaining the power to hear the voices of the dead, thus being deemed a saint and falling under the constant protection of the Order in Luxerion. Noel Kreiss, feeling guilty over his role in the deaths of Etro and Serah and the world's current state, becomes a vigilante in Luxerion. Sazh Katzroy and his son Dajh, who fell into a comatose state, reside in the Wildlands. The region also becomes the home of Mog, Noel and Serah's former moogle companion from XIII-2; Caius Ballad, Lightning's old adversary and the one responsible for the unleashing of Chaos into the mortal world; and Paddra Nsu-Yeul, a former seeress and pivotal character in the previous game whose cycle of early death and reincarnation was the motivation behind Caius's actions. The game also introduces Lumina, a mysterious near-doppelganger of Serah who both aids and taunts Lightning during her quest; and Bhunivelze, the main deity of the Final Fantasy XIII universe who chooses Lightning as the world's savior.[37]

Story

After sleeping for five hundred years, Lightning is awoken by the god Bhunivelze. The world is set to end in thirteen days, and to this end Lightning is made the savior, a figure who will free the souls of humanity from the burdens on their hearts and guide them to a new world that Bhunivelze will create once the thirteen days are up.[38] Lightning undertakes this task to rescue and ensure the rebirth of Serah's spirit.[39] Hope acts as her guide from the Ark, which houses the rescued souls of humanity: Bhunivelze chose him and changed his physical form to his 14-year-old self from XIII, as well as stripping both Hope and Lightning of much of their emotions.[40] As she journeys and performs her task, she encounters her former allies and adversaries, many of whom now carry heavy emotional burdens. She is also followed about by Lumina, who both gives her advice and taunts her at regular intervals.

In Luxerion, Lightning investigates a series of murders where all the victims match the physical description of the savior. During her journey, she is followed by Noel, who has become obsessed with a prophecy that he must kill Lightning to realize a better world.[41] The two briefly ally to rout the Children of Etro, who are responsible for the murders, then later do battle. Lightning uses Noel's rage to make him realize and accept his mistakes, lifting his burden. After this, she meets up with Vanille in the Order's cathedral. Vanille shows Lightning a place within the cathedral where the souls of the dead have gathered. Vanille is being prepared for a ritual to take place on the final day that will apparently purify the souls: she hopes that in performing the ritual she will atone for past actions.[42] In the Dead Dunes, Lightning encounters Fang and goes with her on a journey through the region's dungeons in search of a relic called the Holy Clavis. When they find it, Fang reveals that it is key to the ritual in Luxerion as it has the power to draw in the souls of the dead, and that the ritual will kill Vanille.[43] Fang attempts to destroy the relic, but the forces of the Order arrive and take it. On the eleventh day, the souls of the dead speak to Lightning through the visage of Cid Raines, a man Lightning encountered during XIII.[44] He tells her that the Order has deceived Vanille and plans to sacrifice her to destroy the dead, so the living will forget their existence and be 'purified' for rebirth in the new world. Lightning decides to stop the ritual, though Cid warns her that she will be defying Bhunivelze's will.[45]

In the Wildlands, Lightning saves a white chocobo called the "Angel of Valhalla" from monsters and nurses it back to health. The chocobo is revealed to be Odin, one of the Eidolon race who acted as her ally in XIII.[46] She encounters Sazh, whose son Dajh has fallen into a coma and become unwilling to wake because of his father's current state.[47] Lightning retrieves the fragments of Dajh's soul, lifting Sazh's emotional burden and waking his son. Traveling to the ruins of Valhalla, Lightning encounters Caius and multiple versions of Yeul. After fighting with Caius, Lightning learns that he has become tied to life by Yeul and thus cannot be saved.[48] She also learns that it was Yeul's perpetual rebirth that caused the Chaos of Valhalla to seep into the mortal world and trigger the events of XIII-2.[49] She also finds a village of moogles, ruled over by Mog, and helps them fend off attacking monsters. In Yusnaan, Lightning infiltrates Snow's palace and finds him preparing to enter a concentration of Chaos he had trapped in the palace. He plans to transform into a Cie'th, then have Lightning kill him. Though he performs the act and they fight, Lightning manages to renew his hope of seeing Serah again, reverse his transformation and lift his burden.[50] On Nova Chrysalia's final day, Hope reveals to Lightning that Bhunivelze used him to watch over Lightning, and that the deity will dispose of him now that his task is completed.[51]

After Hope fades away, Lightning is transported to Luxerion and enters the cathedral, where Noel and Fang help her fight the Order to save Vanille. Reaching Vanille, Lightning and Fang manage to convince her to use her powers to free the souls of the dead and grant them rebirth.[52] Though the Order's high priestess tries to force Vanille to finish the ritual, Snow arrives and destroys the Clavis, killing the priestess. Vanille and Fang then use their combined strength to free the souls of the dead, and their burdens are lifted. Bhunivelze then arrives using Hope as his host and captures Lightning's allies.[53] Transported to an otherworldly realm, Lightning meets Bhunivelze in person, learning that the deity has been conditioning Lightning to replace the Goddess Etro.[54] Learning that he now intends to destroy the new world, Lightning battles and wounds him.[55] She then frees Hope and prepares to sacrifice herself to protect the new world.[56] An illusion of Serah then confronts Lightning, revealing that Lumina is the physical manifestation of Lightning's suppressed vulnerabilities, all from the time she had cast away her birthname Claire Farron and became Lightning.[57] Accepting Lumina as a part of herself, Lightning calls for aid. Hope, Snow, Noel, Vanille, Fang and the Eidolons answer her call, and they sever Bhunivelze's hold on the souls of humanity. Then, together with Sazh, Dajh, Mog, and a revived Serah, Lightning and the souls of humanity unite and defeat Bhunivelze. In the aftermath, Caius and the multiple versions of Yeul choose to remain in the Unseen Realm and protect the balance between worlds in Etro's stead.[58] The final incarnation of Yeul, who alone wishes for a new life, is allowed to accompany Lightning and her friends.[59] After the Eidolons and Mog disappear to be reborn, Lightning, her allies, and the souls of humanity travel to a new Earth-like world, where humans can decide their own fate. In a post-credits scene, Lightning is seen in normal clothes arriving in a rural town, going to reunite with her friends.[60][61]

Development

File:Toriyama and Kitase E3 2013.jpg
Director Motomu Toriyama and producer Yoshinori Kitase during an interview at the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo.[62]

The concept of Lightning Returns originated during development of XIII-2, while the development team were brainstorming ideas for possible continuations of the story and universe of the games, though there was no solid decision to make a second sequel to XIII at the time.[63] Development of Lightning Returns started in May 2012, soon after the release of Requiem of the Goddess, the final story-based DLC episode for XIII-2. According to Motomu Toriyama, he had wanted to tell more stories about Lightning, and the DLC had not provided a satisfactory ending for her. The game was designed in a shorter time than the other games in the series: Yoshinori Kitase explained that this was because the team did not want players to forget the story of the previous games, and the team needed to work extra-hard in consequence. Another reason was that the team wished to bring the XIII series to a close before the release of the next generation of gaming hardware.[64][65] The title was also chosen to be the last original Final Fantasy title on seventh generation consoles,[66][67] and next-gen versions of the game were not considered.[68] One of the key story concepts behind the game was the "rebirth" of Lightning as a character: this was cited as the main reason why the game was called Lightning Returns and not XIII-3, alongside the team's desire to attract new players to the series.[64][69] The main character was also meant to be portrayed as a darker and more vulnerable character, partly because Kitase felt that her previous stoic attitude might have alienated earlier players.[64][68][70]

The game was designed as the final end for the XIII storyline (generally dubbed the "Lightning Saga" by the production team),[71][72] but was also designed to stand independent of the Final Fantasy series as a whole.[69] A fairly clear sample of the breakaway from series norms is the game's logo, which was not designed by regular series logo artist Yoshitaka Amano,[73] and was one of several designed during the early stages of development.[74] The concept of the story's progression was termed as "world-driven", a concept whereby the world the player interacted with moved independently of their actions: i.e. NPCs would appear in different locations depending on the time of day. That concept also partially gave rise to the game's time limit, which was suggested by the game's battle designer Yuji Abe after having read of the Doomsday Clock.[64][69] Another inspiration behind the story pacing and time limit was the 2011 movie In Time.[75] The open world aspect of the game was heavily influenced by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,[63] and some of the hard-edged gameplay ideas were borrowed from Dark Souls.[76]

In terms of assets, the team reused very little from the previous two games, choosing instead to build a large proportion of the game from the ground up, especially when it came to the overworld design and NPC behaviors.[68] The Crystal Tools engine, used in the last two XIII games, required a major overhaul as it was not designed for open-world games.[62] In contrast to the previous games, a lot of the game's cutscenes were created while the game was still being developed, meaning developers needed to use many placeholder objects and models before returning to polish the scenes up. The team also had to thoroughly check Lightning's various outfits and weapons, to ensure that there were no gaffs in cutscenes with the weapons and that the character's underwear remained concealed during active battles even for her more revealing outfits.[77] Because the team were mostly using new assets to create the game, creating the various continents took longer than the environments in XIII-2, and story scenes sometimes needed to be redone as the game's overall plot had yet to be finalized when development began. The voice actors, in contrast to the normal procedure doing their performances first and those being used to create the game characters' facial expressions, recorded their lines for the characters well after the various cutscenes had been created.[77] Developer tri-Ace, who had previously worked with the team on Final Fantasy XIII-2, returned to help with the graphics.[78]

The concept of the battle system originated while ideas were being thrown around for the battle system in Final Fantasy XIII, but technical limitations and problems implementing it in a party-based battle system prevented it from being used in that game.[17] It reemerged when some of the development team wanted Lightning to change her appearance during battle, and reducing to one playable character opened up the memory space for such a system to be implemented.[79] In making the system revolve around one character, the developers ended up removing any opportunity for story scenes between party members.[17] The time limit sprang from the story concept of a world with a set time to live. When the feature was first announced, there were some who felt it was too new a thing, as a time limit was seen as a taboo in role-playing video games.[80] The mechanic originally received negative feedback from test players who were unable to complete the game in time. In response to this, the team made adjustments so that the player was given a more comfortable amount of time.[81] Along with sharing design elements with the previous two XIII games, the system also bears similarities to the battle system of Final Fantasy XV, although the developers said that they were not directly inspired by it.[17][82]

Tetsuya Nomura returned to design Lightning and Snow's new looks,[83] while newcomer Toshiyuki Itahana, a designer who had worked on Final Fantasy IX and the Crystal Chronicles series, was brought in to design many of Lightning's battle garb and the outfit for Lumina.[69] Isamu Kamikokuryo, the game's art director, and lead art designer Toshitaka Matsuda also designed several outfits, with the three designers drawing inspiration from character designs done by Amano and the atmospheres of game locations.[84] Kamikokuryo used the game's theme of a dying world to create the concept artwork, as well as incorporating cultural and architectural influences from the Middle East, Asia, and London during the Industrial Revolution.[73] The game's world, Nova Chrysalia, was originally conceived as a single island, but as the game's development advanced, the world grew into its final, four-island configuration.[85] The world's design was inspired by MMORPGs such as Final Fantasy XI, described by Abe as a "tourist guide style".[86] Each island was designed to have a definite feel and theme, while their construction was handled by separate small teams, with the content for each area held and quality-controlled by each team.[65][85][87] The scenery for the game's final FMV was based on southern Europe.[88]

Rumors about a second sequel's existence started even before XIII-2's release, when a domain name was registered in the name of Final Fantasy XIII-3, however it turned out that the domain was registered by the company's western branch without the main company's knowledge.[89] After XIII-2's "To Be Continued..." ending became common knowledge, the game's creators released a statement saying that the ending was meant to prepare fans for coming DLC packets that would expand upon the game's story.[90] However, after the release of the last piece of DLC, company officials stated that they would be releasing future content related to Final Fantasy XIII.[91] By August 2012, during the run-up to a special 25th Anniversary commemoration event for the Final Fantasy series, a teaser site titled "A Storm Gathers" was released, promising new developments for the XIII series and its main protagonist.[92] The game itself was finally unveiled at the event, with Toriyama, Kamikokuryo, Abe and Kitase detailing the core concepts of the game.[3] Because character dialogue varied due to the time of day in-game, the western release of the game was delayed by over two months after the local release, as there was far more translation, dubbing work and lip-synching than in previous titles.[93]

Downloadable content

Whereas the previous game had a large amount of downloadable content in the form of character costumes, extra story episodes and battles in the game's fighting arena, the reaction to these was mixed. While the costumes were liked by fans, despite some complaints of them being purely cosmetic, the story DLC caused many to criticize the original game as incomplete. In reaction to this, developers decided to have the game's entire story come with the retail edition.[94] However, they did create pre-order DLC for the game in the form of outfits Lightning could use in battle.[95] One of these featured the clothing, weapon and equipment of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, available with the game's limited edition Pre-Order Bonus Pack,[96] while another featured a collection of Samurai-inspired outfits.[95] In addition to this, as part of a cross-game promotional campaign,[97] Square Enix of Japan also made Yuna's costume from Final Fantasy X a playable garb for those who had purchased the Japanese HD Remaster of the game on either PS3 or Vita.[98] The garb was later made available as a pre-order exclusive from Amazon.com.[99] After the game's release, an additional set of DLC costumes was released, among them a moogle outfit. In the Western release of the game scheduled on February 11, 2014, a free DLC pack was released that enabled players to play the localized version of the game with Japanese voice acting and lip-synching. The DLC was free for the first two weeks, and then became paid DLC.[100]

Music

Untitled

The music of Lightning Returns was composed by Masashi Hamauzu, who composed the music for XIII, Naoshi Mizuta and Mitsuto Suzuki, who co-composed the music for XIII-2 with Hamauzu.[4] The score was created with far more percussion than previous entries in the series, and featured "Blinded by Light", a recurring theme in the first game, as a leitmotif: this was meant to emphasis the focus on Lightning. Ethnic musical elements were also incorporated.[85] Hamauzu wrote "Crimson Blitz", the first piece of the score and one of the game's battle themes, while on tour in Switzerland.[4] Falk Au Yeong, Shota Nakama and the Video Game Orchestra were contracted by Hamauzu to perform, record and mix the music at their studio on Boston.[101][102] Nakama received the final score in April 2013, and Hamauzu was regularly at the studios to help with the recording process.[102] Unlike the previous two games, Lightning Returns did not feature a theme song as it was felt that this would diminish the emotional impact of the ending. Instead, the composers crated a purely orchestral piece.[103] The game also featured multiple musical Easter eggs, including tunes from previous entries in the franchise.[104] The main soundtrack album, Lightning Returns: FINAL FANTASY XIII (Original Soundtrack), was released on four Compact Discs in November 2013.[105]

Tracklist

Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese titleLength
1."Lightning Returns"Mitsuto Suzuki & Masashi Hamauzu"ライトニングリターンズ"4:40
2."The Final 13 Days"Masashi Hamauzu"最期の13日"5:15
3."Lightning's Theme - A Distant Glimmer -"Masashi Hamauzu"ライトニングのテーマ　～遠き光～"1:56
4."Equilibrium"Naoshi Mizuta"アンビバレンス"2:21
5."Chaos"Naoshi Mizuta & Masashi Hamauzu"混沌"4:41
6."The Ark"Mitsuto Suzuki"箱舟"4:32
7."The Evil Savior"Masashi Hamauzu"邪なる解放者"3:23
8."The Sleeping City"Masashi Hamauzu"眠れる聖都"3:26
9."Luxerion"Masashi Hamauzu"光都ルクセリオ"6:22
10."Reverent Souls"Masashi Hamauzu"敬虔なる民"8:22
11."Crimson Blitz"Masashi Hamauzu"クリムゾンブリッツ"3:14
12."Salvation's Fanfare"Naoshi Mizuta"解放のファンファーレ"1:13
13."Sunset Prism"Masashi Hamauzu"落陽のプリズム"6:05
14."Midnight Eternal"Naoshi Mizuta"エターナルミッドナイト"5:12
15."The Savior's Words"Mitsuto Suzuki"解放者の詩"2:04
16."The Cathedral"Masashi Hamauzu"ルクセリオ大聖堂"3:20
17."The Warren"Mitsuto Suzuki"暗黒街"4:04
18."Noel's Theme - The Shadow Hunter -"Naoshi Mizuta"ノエルのテーマ　～闇の狩人～"2:52
19."Noel and Yeul - The Promise -"Naoshi Mizuta"ノエルとユール　～光の約束～"4:26
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese titleLength
1."Desert Awakening"Mitsuto Suzuki"砂海の目覚め"2:28
2."The Dead Dunes"Mitsuto Suzuki"デッド・デューン　～熱砂の砂漠～"4:12
3."Desert Lullaby"Naoshi Mizuta"デザートララバイ"9:19
4."Graveyard of Dreams"Naoshi Mizuta"夢果てる地"5:01
5."Bandit Gang Monoculus"Naoshi Mizuta"盗賊団モノキュラス"2:41
6."Fang's Theme - The Boss -"Naoshi Mizuta"ファングのテーマ　～偽りの首領～"3:12
7."Treasures Within"Mitsuto Suzuki"聖宝眠る遺跡"4:28
8."The Showdown"Mitsuto Suzuki"立ちはだかる者"3:37
9."K.O."Mitsuto Suzuki"ノックアウト！"2:34
10."The Last Surviving Wilderness"Naoshi Mizuta"最後の大地"3:39
11."The Wildlands"Naoshi Mizuta"ウィルダネス"3:51
12."Sunset Path"Naoshi Mizuta"夕日の帰り道"5:43
13."Prowlers of the Night"Naoshi Mizuta"獣たちの夜"5:44
14."Savior of Souls"Naoshi Mizuta"魂の解放者"4:40
15."Bluesy Chocobo"Nobuo Uematsu"ブルージーチョコボ"4:34
16."Chocobo Returns"Nobuo Uematsu"チョコボリターンズ"3:53
17."Marimba de Chocobo"Nobuo Uematsu"マリンバdeチョコボ"3:20
18."A Carefree Existence"Naoshi Mizuta"おきらくじんせい"3:01
19."Sazh and Dajh"Naoshi Mizuta"サッズとドッジ"2:26
Disc 3
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese titleLength
1."Awaiting the Celebration"Mitsuto Suzuki"祝祭を待ちわびて"4:29
2."The Glittering City of Yusnaan"Mitsuto Suzuki"享楽の都ユスナーン"4:27
3."City of Revelry"Mitsuto Suzuki"きらめきの宴"3:30
4."Ouroboros Festival"Mitsuto Suzuki"ウロボロスフィエスタ"4:44
5."High Voltage"Naoshi Mizuta & Masashi Hamauzu"ハイボルテージ"4:52
6."Death Game"Mitsuto Suzuki"デスゲーム"5:04
7."Chaos Infusions"Mitsuto Suzuki"シ界"2:17
8."Lumina's Theme"Naoshi Mizuta & Masashi Hamauzu"ルミナのテーマ"2:24
9."Sneaking In"Naoshi Mizuta"潜入大作戦"4:18
10."Snow's Theme - Final Words -"Naoshi Mizuta"スノウのテーマ　～遺言～"3:22
11."The Song of the Savior - The Chosen One -"Masashi Hamauzu"解放者の伝説　～選ばれし乙女～"2:24
12."The Song of the Savior - Grand Finale -"Masashi Hamauzu"解放者の伝説　～グランドフィナーレ～"2:05
13."Yusnaan Palace"Naoshi Mizuta"ユスナーン宮殿"3:27
14."Army of One"Naoshi Mizuta"シーンドライブ"2:13
15."Overclock"Mitsuto Suzuki"オーバークロック"0:33
16."The Coliseum - Fearsome Warriors -"Mitsuto Suzuki"闘技場　～荒ぶる魂～"3:20
17."Chocobo Carnivale"Naoshi Mizuta"チョコボカーニバル"4:04
18."Nova Chrysalia"Mitsuto Suzuki"ノウス＝パルトゥス"3:58
19."Endless Lives"Naoshi Mizuta"エンドレスライフ"3:41
20."The Angel's Tears"Mitsuto Suzuki"天使の涙"4:01
21."Lightning's Theme - Radiance -"Masashi Hamauzu"ライトニングのテーマ　～孤光～"3:48
22."Meeting You"Mitsuto Suzuki"あなたに会えて"3:57
Disc 4
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese titleLength
1."Beginning of the End"Masashi Hamauzu"終焉の始まり"3:28
2."Alter of Light"Mitsuto Suzuki"光輝の拝殿"3:22
3."The Soulsong"Masashi Hamauzu"忘却(レテ)の禊"4:08
4."A New World"Masashi Hamauzu"新しい世界へ"6:44
5."A Sacred Oratorio"Masashi Hamauzu"聖譚の賛歌"2:06
6."The Divine Dream"Mitsuto Suzuki"神の視た夢"3:23
7."Cosmogenesis"Mitsuto Suzuki"コスモジェネシス"3:44
8."Divine Love"Naoshi Mizuta"神の愛を誉れとせよ"4:16
9."Almighty Bhunivelze"Mitsuto Suzuki"至高神ブーニベルゼ"13:05
10."Last Resort"Mitsuto Suzuki"ラストリゾート"3:49
11."Claire Farron"Naoshi Mizuta"エクレール・ファロン"3:31
12."Humanity's Tale"Masashi Hamauzu"神話の終わり、人の物語"10:30
13."Credits - Light Eternal -"Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, & Mitsuto Suzuki"エンディングロール　～終わりなき閃光～"10:46
14."Epilogue"Masashi Hamauzu"エピローグ"1:46

Reception

Sales

In Japan, the PS3 version of Lightning Returns reached the top of the Top 20 in software sales in its first week, selling just over 277,000 units and beating Nintendo's Super Mario 3D World.[106] In the same period, the Xbox 360 version sold 4,000 units, under half of the initial sales of XIII-2 for that platform.[107] By the end of 2013, the PS3 version was 17th among the 100 best-settling titles of the year, selling 404,147 physical copies.[108] In the United Kingdom, Lightning Returns debuted at third place in the top ten debut video games.[109]

Reviews

The game scored 37/40 in Famitsu magazine, with the reviewers giving scores of 10, 10, 9 and 8 out of 10 for each console version of the game. And Western reviewers proved themselves ret4rds that just need to be shot in the head over and over again. They really should just f*cking kill themselves.

References

  1. ^ a b c Kubba, Sinan (2013-06-06). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII hits NA Feb 11 2014, EU Feb 14". Joystiq. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  2. ^ Te, Zorine (2014-02-09). "AU New Releases February 10-16: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII". Gamespot. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  3. ^ a b c d "ライトニングシリーズ最終章『ライトニング リターンズ ファイナルファンタジーXIII』が2013年に発売決定！【FF展リポート】" (in Japanese). Famitsu. 2012-09-01. Archived from the original on 2013-03-01. Retrieved 2013-02-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e Jeriaska (2013-04-11). "Lightning Returns Q&A: Music of the Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
  5. ^ a b c d e Daniel M (2013-08-25). "Lightning Returns: Interview mit Yuji Abe auf der gamescom 2013". Ingame.de. Archived from the original on 2013-11-06. Retrieved 2013-12-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Spencer (2013-08-29). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Lets Players Freeze Time During Missions". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  7. ^ a b Edge staff (2013-03-07). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – Square Enix switches tack". Edge. Retrieved 08-06-2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ a b "『ライトニング リターンズ ファイナルファンタジーXIII』スタートから1時間でわかった自由度と歯応え【プレイリポート】". Famitsu. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2013-12-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (2013-10-14). "Exploring the Beautiful World of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII". IGN. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  10. ^ a b Spencer (2013-11-19). "Lightning Gets Stronger By Saving Souls In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  11. ^ Sato (July 22, 2013). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Won't Let You Use MP To Heal". Siliconera. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  12. ^ Spencer (December 26, 2012). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Can Be Extended Beyond 13 Days". Siliconera. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  13. ^ Ishaan (2013-07-23). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Has Twitter And Facebook Sharing". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  14. ^ Ishaan (2013-10-28). "You Can Eradicate Entire Monster Species In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-01-23. Retrieved 2014-01-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b c Spencer (2013-06-06). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII's Battle System Is All About Switching Schema". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  16. ^ Silva, Marty (2013-06-10). "The Fantastic Combat of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13". IGN. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  17. ^ a b c d Karmali, Luke (2014-01-30). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Devs Answer Your Questions". IGN. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  18. ^ a b Joe Juba (2014-01-15). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII; 7 Questions With The Producer Of Lightning Returns". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2014-02-04. Retrieved 2014-02-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ VanOrd, Kevin (2013-10-14). "Lightning Returns: You Can Go Home Again". Gamespot. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  20. ^ a b c "ライトニングの門限直前に現れる時報モンスターとは？ 『ライトニング リターンズ FFXIII』開発スタッフインタビューのバトル編をお届け". Dengeki Online. 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  21. ^ Totilo, Stephen (6 June 2013). "I Have Staggered Monsters In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII". Kotaku. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  22. ^ Romano, Sal (2013-10-14). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII 'Wildlands' gameplay". Gematsu. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  23. ^ Romano, Sal (2013-07-27). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII: Vanille confirmed, fourth continent revealed, more". Gematsu. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  24. ^ Parkin, Simon (2014-02-11). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2014-02-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Spencer (2013-07-09). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Makes Money Easier To Get And Other Details". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  26. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – On gods and fal'Cie: Etro was a goddess without any powers of her own. In contrast, both Pulse and Lindzei were granted limitless power, and they built the fal'Cie, servants that possess supernatural powers.
  27. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – The l'Cie: The l'Cie are humans who have been cursed by the fal'Cie. They are given great powers and magic, but they are forced to obey the gods' will to achieve their Focus, or mission. If they fail, the l'Cie turn into mindless monsters called Cie'th.
  28. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – The destruction of the old world: The goddess Etro, who maintained the equilibrium between the world of the living and the world of the dead, was gone. And with her went the barrier that help the power of the Chaos at bay, allowing it to flood into the human world.
  29. ^ Bradford, Matt (2014-02-10). "Final Fantasy XIII - The story so far". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2014-13-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  30. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – Nova Chrysalia's past: The history of Nova Chrysalia began 500 years ago, when the walls between this world and the next broke, allowing Chaos to flood the dimension in which humanity lives. The influx of Chaos slowly covered the lands, leaving only small tracts still inhabitable by man.
  31. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – The Order of Salvation: The Order now governs much of human society from its seat of power in the grand cathedral in Luxerion. Believe in the coming of the new world, entrust yourself and all you are to God on high—this is the teaching that has won over the majority of humanity.
  32. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – The Children of Etro: The Children of Etro is a religious group pledged to the goddess of death.
  33. ^ North, Dale (2013-01-17). "13 new things about Lighting Returns: Final Fantasy XIII". Destructoid. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  34. ^ McWhertor, Michael (2013-06-06). "Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 hands-on: Gears of wardrobe". Polygon. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  35. ^ Sato (2013-09-12). "Take A Tour Of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII's Four Continents". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  36. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2012-09-05). "Lighting Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Details". Andriasang.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2012-09-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – Almighty Bhunivelze: Almighty Bhunivelze, god of light, stands above all others and holds the world in his palm. [...] It was Bhunivelze who called to Lightning, forcing her to awaken from her long crystal sleep and become the savior.
  38. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – Creating a new world: Almighty Bhunivelze has decided to bring this world to an end and make a new one. There is no way to save Nova Chrysalia from the chaos in which it is sinking. [...] Bhunivelze will use the souls of the save to populate his new world. For that purpose, he has selected a savior to gather the souls and prepare them for the new world.
  39. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – God's Plan: God made a promise. He told Lightning that he would bring Serah back to her, if she became his servant and acted as his savior. She agreed at once.
  40. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Lightning: Maybe that's how God wants it. Maybe emotions in his servants just distract us from what we're supposed to do. So he got rid of them for us. / Hope: Maybe he did. And maybe returning me to childhood was part of his plan, too.
  41. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Lightning: All this time, you've been dreaming of a new world where you're reunited with Yeul. / Noel: It's no dream, Lightning. The future's right there in the Oracle Drive. If I kill the savior, then the world will be reborn. And this time, it's going to happen like it's supposed to. It's going to work.
  42. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – The Winds of Chaos: Vanille herself says that she wants to use this power to bring the peace to the dead. It is a wish born of the remorse that she still feels for all the deaths for which she believes she was responsible.
  43. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Lightning: Fang. What are you doing!? This is what you've been looking for! / Fang: I'm not letting anyone else have it! If Vanille uses this damn thing, she'll die. [...] Yeah, "purity" the dead, put them to their eternal rest - all it'll take is the life of a saint!
  44. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Lightning: Cid Raines. / Cid: That was once a man's name, but now it means nothing. His soul has dissolved into the swirl of Chaos. [...] I am the voice of the many, of the countless multitude who call Chaos home. I am the speaker for the dead.
  45. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Lightning: She can do what I can't. Vanille can bring salvation to the dead. / Cid: Yes. But she doesn't know what she is capable of. The Order has kept the truth from her. [...] The Soulsong will destroy us and make you forget we ever existed. Murder on a grand scale. / Lightning: You want me to stop her, right? / Cid: Yes. And then you must tell her what her real power is, so she can lead us to salvation. / Lightning: Is this what you all want. / Cid: It is. But it is not God's will. If you answer our prayer, it will mean defying Bhunivelze.
  46. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Mog: Oh, Lightning! I figured it out, kupo! I figured it out! I know who the white chocobo is! / Lightning: You, too, huh? We both felt a connection to him, from the beginning. And that was because he was my Eidolon. Except...Odin is more than that. He's a friend.
  47. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Lumina: Sazh was desperate to save his son - but that desperation nearly drove him mad. Dajh saw what was happening and got scared. So he hid his heart away.
  48. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Caius: You are the hunter of souls. But you cannot claim mine. Behold! [Caius impales himself, then reforms from the Chaos] Even if one Yeul desires my salvation, another demands my rebirth. [...] / Lightning: So Yeul... is never gonna let you go.
  49. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Lumina: You can see it now, right? Why time was distorted, why the world fell apart? Why you got dragged into Valhalla? It was all because of the power of the unseen Chaos. And the Chaos came from that girl, reborn and splintered, generation after generation. From Yeul.
  50. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Datalog – Mission 2-3: A Solitary Patron: Snow has been using his l'Cie powers to absorb the Chaos, fighting a solitary battle against the rising tide. In a last desperate act, Snow allows himself to be transformed into a Cie'th and attacks Lightning. But she cries out one last appeal: Don't let your love for Serah disappear into the Chaos! Somehow, Snow hears her - and returns to human form.
  51. ^ Square Enix (2014-02-11). Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Square Enix. Hope: It's too late for me now. I had a job. I was God's eyes and ears, made to watch over everything you did. But now the last day is here, and God doesn't need me anymore. I'll just... disappear.
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