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Final Fantasy XIII

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Final Fantasy XIII
European Final Fantasy XIII box art featuring Lightning showing a PEGI 16
Developer(s)Square Enix
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Producer(s)Yoshinori Kitase
Designer(s)Motomu Toriyama
Toshiro Tsuchida
Yoshinori Kitase
Artist(s)Tetsuya Nomura
Nao Ikeda
Isamu Kamikokuryou
Writer(s)Motomu Toriyama
Daisuke Watanabe
Composer(s)Masashi Hamauzu
SeriesFinal Fantasy
Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII
EngineCrystal Tools
Platform(s)PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Release
Genre(s)Console role-playing game
Mode(s)Single-player

Template:Nihongo title is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It was released on PlayStation 3 in Japan on December 17, 2009 and is due for release in North America and PAL regions on March 9, 2010 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. First appearing at the 2006 E3, the game features both futuristic and natural elements; it is set between a land of wilderness and the high-tech world above it. Final Fantasy XIII is the flagship title of the Fabula Nova Crystallis collection of Final Fantasy games.

Gameplay

The concept for Final Fantasy XIII's battle system is to maintain the strategic nature of command-based battles. The system stemmed from a desire to create battles similar to those found in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.[4] Like those in Final Fantasy XII, enemies are integrated into the world environment. However, unlike Final Fantasy XII, battles do not take place in the same "dimension", but rather a short flash transports players to a new battle screen, separate from the main playing world.[5] The Active Time Battle (ATB) system will return, but it will work differently from its predecessors. Users will be able to chain large numbers of commands together in order to achieve attack bonuses.[6]

File:FF13battle.png
The Final Fantasy XIII battle system, with the option to use "Paradigm Shift".

The first battle system was shown during the E3 2006, but it was only a prototype. A new interface was shown in September 2009 by Square Enix in various Japanese magazines and trailers (depicted in the image adjacent). In battle, the player can only control one character at a time out of a party of up to three.

Multiple commands can be stacked into slots per turn and released at the same time to form a combo. The number of command slots increases as the characters grow in strength.[6] These commands include series staples such as Attack, Fire, Blizzard and Cure, as well as new ones such as Ruin, Ruinaga, and Radial Strike.[7][8] The difference between XIII's battle system and the ATB gauge is that these commands can still be placed in the slots even though the bar has run out, and the actions will be executed once the required slots are filled up. The game does not make use of MP but introduces "cost points" for each command, which determine how many times the commands can be used per turn. Because magic cannot be used outside of battle, the Hit Point (HP) of the party is completely restored after each battle.[6]

When engaging an enemy, the camera moves to another position and the battle menu appears, making the battle transitions nearly seamless.[9] The after-battle victory screen in XIII holds information such as the time it took to finish the battle, the highest number of combos executed, the number of break attacks and the quality of battle which is determined by a ranking of one to five stars.

A "break state" is one of the new features of the Final Fantasy XIII battle system. The breaks refer to the times an enemy enters a state of reduced retaliation. This occurs when a chain combo has been maintained for a certain period of time on an enemy, filling a bar to maximum. When a high level combo has been achieved, the enemy will glow red and enter this state, during which the player will be able to inflict high amounts of damage and knock some enemies high into the air. The chain bar will gradually deplete during this period; when it becomes empty, the break state ends.

The party will be able to purchase new weapons in the game and actually see them in battle.[10] The leveling system for the game is called the Crystarium System which resembles the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X.[11] Instead of gaining experience points after winning a battle, characters gain CP (Crystal Points) which can then be spent in order to unlock abilities and increase attributes such as maximum HP or MP.

Roles and Paradigms

The "Role" system exists in order to control what abilities are available to characters in battle. Rather than having all abilities available to characters as they are learned, abilities are restricted to certain Roles, similar to the Job system of previous installments. The Japanese version's Roles are Attacker, Blaster, Defender, Enhancer, Jammer, and Healer, while the English localization calls them Commando, Ravager, Sentinel, Synergist, Saboteur and Medic, respectively. Commandos strike with physical, non-elemental attacks; Ravagers use elemental abilities like Frost Blow and Thundaga; Sentinels provoke and absorb enemy attacks, and dish out counterattacks; Synergists use buffs like Shell and Brave, while Saboteurs use debuffs like DeShell and Bio; and Medics exclusively heal, using abilities like Cura, Raise and Esuna. Roles, with a specific purpose in mind for each, are the only means by which to direct ally AI.

Each character may only take on one role at a time, and each combination of three Roles for a given party is called a "Paradigm" ("Optima" in Japan). Up to six Paradigm combinations may be stored at any one time. During battle, players may switch between them on-the-fly, called a "Paradigm Shift" ("Optima Change" in Japan).[12] Timing Paradigm Shifts correctly can fill the ATB gauges, making switching frequently in battle advantageous.

Summons

The classic summoned creatures called Eidolons (as they were in Final Fantasy IV DS and Final Fantasy IX) return in Final Fantasy XIII. Each character possesses only one Eidolon that is summoned from a crystal that sprouts from the character's mark of l'Cie.[6] The Eidolons include series staples Odin, Shiva, Alexander, and Bahamut, and newcomers Hecatoncheir and Brynhildr.[13] When summoned, the Eidolon stay in battle while the characters accompanying the summoner leaves the party.[14] There is also a new feature called "Gestalt Mode" (known as "Driving Mode" in Japan), which when activated joins the summoned and its summoner; Snow can ride and steer the combined Shiva Sisters which is a motorcycle, Vanille's Hecatoncheir can transform into a bipedal mech with machine gun turrets in which she can control, and Sazh can ride and steer Brynhildr as a race car. This changes the pace of the combat significantly. But not all summons turn into mechanical vehicles; Odin's Gestalt Mode changes him into a horse for Lightning to ride on, Bahamut's Gestalt Mode is a flight mode for Fang to ride on, while Alexander's Gestalt Mode changes him into a large castle which surrounds the enemy and fires lasers at them from all sides.[15] The summons play a major role in the game's storyline as well, much like Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X.[16]

Synopsis

Plot

The plot of Final Fantasy XIII, taking place in a world known as Pulse, revolves around the fal'Cie (ファルシ, farushi) (Template:Pron-en), mechanical beings of godlike power created from crystals residing inside them.[6] People who are marked by the fal'Cie for greater purposes are called l'Cie (ルシ, rushi).[17] Each l'Cie has a Focus, a goal the fal'Cie wants him or her to fulfill within a certain amount of time; however, the fal'Cie do not explicitly say what the goal is: l'Cie learn what their Focus is by interpreting visions that are given to them. L'Cie gain the ability to summon Eidolons (monsters who fight with the l'Cie), but this ability comes with a price: if a l'Cie dies before completing his or her Focus, fails to tame his or her Eidolon, or fails to complete his or her Focus within a set period of time, he or she becomes a monster known as a Cie'th (シ骸, shigai, Cie Corpse in the japanese version).[18] If a l'Cie does complete his or her Focus, the reward is not much better: permanent transformation into a crystal. For this reason, being chosen as a l'Cie is seen as a curse.

Some 1,300 years ago, a fal'Cie named Orphan constructed a paradise for humanity: the shell-like city of Cocoon, which floats high above the surface of Pulse. Then Orphan created life forms and machines for Cocoon's inhabitants to use, and humanity flourished. Over time, after disaster destroyed Oerba Village and wiped out its residents, the people of Cocoon began to fear for the safety of their world, worrying that it would be cast down from the sky into the hell that they saw Pulse to be.

Although most Cocoon citizens have never seen Pulse with their own eyes, they have been told that it is a dangerous place that has strange effects on those who venture down to its surface. Consequently, anyone who is discovered to have visited Pulse is immediately subjected to quarantine and exile by the theocratic government of Cocoon, known as the Sanctum.[19] The Sanctum enforces this policy with its strongest military branch, which is called PSICOM.

As Snow leads the resistance group Team Nora in an attempt to stop the purging of civilians, the mysterious Lightning fights her way past PSICOM soldiers with the aid of Sazh to find a Pulse fal'Cie, Anima, who turned her sister, Serah (who is also Snow's fiancée), into a l'Cie. Through a chain of events, these three, along with two exiles, Vanille and Hope, are forced by the fal'Cie of Pulse to become l'Cie, and with that become enemies of humanity with the Focus of bringing about the downfall of Orphan and Cocoon.

Characters

Playable characters

A former sergeant of the Cocoon military, Lightning sought the fal'Cie of Pulse in order to ask it to save her sister Serah, whom the fal'Cie had turned into a l'Cie. However, much to her dismay, Lightning was turned into a l'Cie herself. Lightning has long pink-brown hair and is 177 cm tall (5'9"). Originally named Éclair Farron (エクレール・ファロン, Ekurēru Faron),[20] she discarded her birth name after her parents died in an attempt to emotionally reinforce herself so she could protect Serah, though this only caused tensions to rise between them. For her design, character designer Tetsuya Nomura was asked to create a "female version of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII". During development, he described her as "not very feminine".[21] Lightning wields a weapon called a Blaze Edge that is a combination of a gun and a sword (one collapsing into the other). and she can also manipulate gravity with a device on her thumb (though due to Sazh's interference, this device becomes damaged).[22] In battle, she is agile and uses acrobatic moves. As a l'Cie, she can summon the Eidolon Odin to fight by her side in battle, who can assume a horse-like form that she can ride on.[23] While riding, Lightning dual wields Odin's detachable sword. Her l'Cie mark is in the center of her chest. Her strongest unique special attack is called Scene Drive.[24]

  • Snow Villiers (スノウ・ヴィリアース, Sunou Viriāsu)

Prior to becoming a l'Cie, Snow is the head of Team Nora, a resistance group against Cocoon.[25] He is a big character and is capable of running while carrying two people.[26] He was nicknamed "Mr. 33 cm" by the staff of Final Fantasy XIII as a nod to his shoe size.[27] He uses his fists to take down opponents, focusing on brute force compared to the fast and agile Lightning.[28] After becoming a l'Cie, Snow gains the power to summon the Shiva Sister (シバシスター, Shiba Sisutā) Eidolons, Nix (二クス, Nikusu) and Stiria (スティリア, Sutiria), who can combine into a motorcycle form for Snow to ride while toting a large gun. Unlike most grapplers, Snow changes his runes on his coat rather than buying new gloves.[10]

  • Oerba Dia Vanille (ヲルバ＝ダイア・ヴァニラ, Oruba-Daia Vanira)

Vanille is a mysterious but upbeat young girl with red-brown hair worn in pigtails who lives in Oerba Village located within Gran Pulse. She also serves as the game's narrator.[17] Her weapon is a form of foldable fishing rod with multiple lines that can be reeled.[29][30] She has been a l'Cie for a long time, one of two l'Cie given the Focus to summon the Eidolon Ragnarok. Her Eidolon is Hecatoncheir, a multiple-limbed, earth-elemental summon who can transform into a bipedal mech armed with machine guns that she can pilot.[31][32]

  • Sazh Katzroy (サッズ・カッツロイ, Sazzu Kattsuroi)

A former airship pilot of the Military, Sazh wields dual pistols (which can be combined to form a collapsible rifle), and his strong point is striking enemies from a distance. His l'Cie mark is at the base of his neck. He has a six-year-old son named Dajh with whom he is very close. When Dajh inadvertently became a l'Cie and was taken by Sanctum, saving him became Sazh's main motivation.[33] Sazh has a pet baby chocobo that lives inside his afro. Sazh is described as having good judgment and moral discernment. He has a gentle personality and is easily moved to tears, and joins the party early in the game. His Eidolon is Brynhildr,[34] a female fire-elemental knight who can transform into a race car.[35] Tetsuya Nomura based Sazh's appearance on Lionel Richie.[36]

  • Hope Estheim (ホープ・エストハイム, Hōpu Esutohaimu)[18]

Hope is a fourteen-year-old boy with silvery-blonde hair and orange, yellow, and green clothing. He uses collapsible boomerangs in battle. During the Purge, his mother offers to help Snow and Team Nora fight off PSICOM. She dies during the battle, and though Snow honors her final request to protect her son, Hope nonetheless hates Snow in a grief-induced rage for his connection to his mother's death. His Eidolon is the holy-elemental summon Alexander,[37] which transforms into a fortress in Gestalt Mode, and is able to blast enemies from afar with multiple cannons.[38]

  • Oerba Yun Fang (ヲルバ＝ユン・ファング, Oruba-Yun Fangu)

A raven-haired woman who comes from Oerba Village, donning clothing resembling the traditional Indian Sari adorned with tribal accessories, and bearing the mark of a l'Cie on her left shoulder. Though she is a l'Cie from Pulse, she originally works for the Cocoon Sanctum under Cid. It later turns out she is one of the two l'Cie given the focus to summon Ragnarok. She wields a spear that can transform into a sansetsukon in battle, and her Eidolon is Bahamut, who can take flight in his Gestalt-mode. As revealed by Tetsuya Nomura in an interview, during the early stages of development she was originally scripted to be a male character.[39]

Villains

  • Jihl Nabaat (ジル・ナバート, Jiru Nabāto): An intelligent but cruel Lietenant Colonel of PSICOM with knee-length blonde hair and glasses. Nabaat is first seen in the trailers interrogating the captive Vanille and Sazh. She sees the l'Cie as subhuman and is bent on exterminating them. As the henchwoman of Galenth Dysley, Nabaat is the final obstacle between the main party and Galenth; however, she is killed by Galenth when he decides she has outlived her usefulness.[40]
  • Yaag Rosch (ヤーグ・ロッシュ, Yāgu Rosshu): An intimidating-looking man with a scar on his forehead and silver hair that is tied back in a ponytail. Rosch is Nabaat's right-hand man in PSICOM and Lightning's former superior. Unlike Nabaat, Rosch has begun to question his orders from the Holy Government, though he feels he must follow his orders for the sake of the people of Cocoon. He is mortally wounded after fighting the main party in Proud Clad; after begging them to save Cocoon, Rosch sacrifices himself to ensure the main party is not pursued.[41]
  • Cid Raines (シド・レインズ, Shido Reinzu): An Air Force Brigadier from Sanctum who commands the warship Lindblum and uses a Blaze Edge.[42] Like Rosch, Cid doubts the government in its current state and believes that Cocoon should be run by its people instead of the fal'Cie. He wanted to keep helping the l'Cie but later ends up becoming a l'Cie himself and, soon after, a Cie'th after failing to achieve his Focus. After fighting Lightning's group, he ends up being crystallized and disintegrates. However, Cid is revived by Galenth to create chaos in Eden until he realizes he is just a tool/slave of the fal'Cie and Rygdea fulfills his wish and puts him out of his misery.[43][44] This is the second time in the series that the recurring character Cid is portrayed as an antagonist, the first being in Final Fantasy XII.
  • Galenth Dysley (ガレンス・ダイスリー, Garensu Daisurī): The main antagonist of the game and the leading figure of the Sanctum of Cocoon. In reality, he is actually the fal'Cie King of Pulse Baldanders (バルトアンデルス, Barutoanderusu), intending to use the Eidolon Ragnarok in order to destroy Orphan and Cocoon. However, Galenth ends up being defeated by Lightning's group as Orphan assimilates him.
  • Orphan (オーファン, Ōfan): A wheel-like, sun-elemental fal'Cie who betrayed Galenth and created Cocoon. Orphan's defeat is the Focus of Lightning's group. Awakening from its slumber after assimilating Galenth, Orphan uses its power to turn all but Vanille and Fang into Cie'th. However, when Fang uses her l'Cie power to kill it, Orphan retaliates by torturing her until the others return to normal and destroy Orphan in its true form.

Other characters

  • Serah Farron (セラ・ファロン, Sera Faron): Though mentioned by her given name in earlier news, Yoshinori Kitase confirmed her appearance and full name during Gamescom 2009. Serah is Lightning's younger sister and engaged to Snow - a relationship of which Lightning does not approve. Serah is the first Pulse l'Cie in Cocoon by the Fal'Cie Anima, and her mark is located in her left arm and also given the Focus to lure most potential l'Cie to the ruins where Anima resides. She crystallizes after unknowingly fulfilling the Focus through Lightning and Snow as they attempt to find a means to save her in the fal'Cie's place. After Orphan's defeat, Serah returns to normal and is reunited with her sister and Snow.
  • Rygdea (リグディ, Rigudi): A captain working under Cid Raines's command who later puts him out of his misery.
  • Dajh Katzroy (ドッジ・カッツロイ, Dojji Kattsuroi): Sazh's son, whose mother died when he was three. The baby Chocobo that rides around in Sazh's afro actually belongs to Dajh, who bought it at a gift shop during their travels. When Dajh unexpectedly becomes an l'Cie, he is taken from Sazh by Jihl Nabaat as a martyr for Cocoon to use his power of sensing "Pulse" to track down other l'Cie. He is turned into a crystal after completing his Focus.[45] Like Serah, Dajh returns to normal after Orphan's defeat, and is reunited with his father.
  • Team Nora (ノラ, Nora): In the Jump Festa 2009 and the official global trailer[46] The four known members of NORA are featured in the first Final Fantasy XIII demo. The members of the resistance group, Nora, are seen participating in the hijack of the captives' train and the resulting battles, though Maqui does not participate in the fighting. Gadot, Lebreau, and Maqui were designed by Nao Ikeda, who based their clothing on the athletic clothing styles of basketball, beach volleyball, and snowboarding, respectively.[47] The four known members of NORA are featured in the first Final Fantasy XIII demo.[8]
    • Gadot (ガドー, Gadō): a man with orange hair and dark olive skin. He uses a machine gun in battle, providing quick assistance when it comes to executing combos.
    • Lebreau (レブロ, Reburo): a black-haired woman with a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder and a sense of invincibility. She uses a shotgun in combat and acts as the team healer. Gadot and Lebreau are said to be childhood friends of Snow.[48]
    • Maqui (マーキー, Mākī): a relatively younger, blond-haired, worrisome man with goggles on his head. He was friends with Serah prior to meeting Snow, whom he idolizes to the point of dressing himself in an attire similar to his.
    • Yuge (ユージュ, Yūju): another member of the group who is assigned to protect the Pulse exiles by Snow.

Cast

Character Japanese seiyū English voice actor
Lightning Maaya Sakamoto Ali Hillis
Snow Villiers Daisuke Ono Troy Baker
Oerba Dia Vanille Yukari Fukui Georgia van Cuylenburg[49]
Sazh Katzroy Masashi Ebara
Hope Estheim Yūki Kaji Vincent Martella
Oerba Yun Fang Mabuki Andou
Serah Farron Minako Kotobuki Laura Bailey
Yuge Wataru Hatano
Gadot Biichi Satō
Lebreau Yū Asakawa
Maqui Makoto Naruse
Nora Estheim Komina Matsuhita
Bartoromy Estheim Masaki Aizawa
Dajh Katzroy Shōtarō Uzawa
Yaag Rosch Hiroki Tōchi
Jihl Nabaat Mie Sonozaki Paula Tiso
Rygdea Yasuyuki Kase Josh Robert Thompson
Cid Raines Yūichi Nakamura
Galenth Dysley Masaru Shinozuka
Orphan Hiro Shimono

Development

Final Fantasy XIII was first shown at the 2006 E3 convention.[50] Along with Final Fantasy Versus XIII and the PlayStation Portable game Final Fantasy Agito XIII, Final Fantasy XIII is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII project,[51] but is not a prequel or sequel to any of the other installments. Square Enix explained that although all three games take place in the same universe, they are not directly related in terms of story.[52] The game runs on the Crystal Tools engine, a seventh generation multiplatform game engine built by Square Enix for its future games. The engine and the game were originally slated to be used with the PlayStation 2 but were later moved to the PlayStation 3.[26]

Final Fantasy XIII is developed by Square Enix's Product Development Division 1 (led by Yoshinori Kitase), meaning that the development team will look more like it did when Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 were made, rather than Final Fantasy XII. Several of the game's developers have worked on previous installments of the series. Yoshinori Kitase, director of Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and producer of Final Fantasy X and Dissidia: Final Fantasy among others, once again returned as producer for the game. Motomu Toriyama, director of Final Fantasy X-2 and director and scenario writer of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, directed the game and wrote the story. Eiji Fujii, previously the movie director of Final Fantasy XII, returned in this position. Isamu Kamikokuryō, previously the co-art director of Final Fantasy XII, returned as well, with Tetsu Tsukamoto designing the weapons. The main programmers will be Kazumi Kobayashi and Yoshiki Kashitani. Occasionally, developers from Final Fantasy Versus XIII assisted with the development of Final Fantasy XIII.[53] Final Fantasy X's battle director Toshiro Tsuchida returned as the battle system director for the game.[54]

According to art director Isamu Kamikokuryou, many additional areas that were functioning in an unreleased build, from Team Nora's secret base, to Lightning's home and even a zoo, were cut from the game owing to concerns about the game's length and volume.[55] Kamikokuryou additionally remarked that the volume of content cut was, in itself, enough to make another game.[55]

In an interview in Famitsu, Square Enix says the audio and video in Final Fantasy XIII will be compressed in multiple DVDs in the 360 version while the PS3 version will be uncompressed and be on one Blu-ray Disc.[56]

Music

Final Fantasy X's co-composer and Dirge of Cerberus's composer Masashi Hamauzu scored the game.[57] The score features orchestral recordings by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra,[58] (which were orchestrated Yoshihisa Hirano) though there is also synthetic tracks implemented by Keiji Kawamori.[59] A single featuring the game's theme songs, "Because You're Here" (君がいるから, Kimi ga Irukara) and error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help), was released on December 2, 2009 and features vocals by Sayuri Sugawara.[60] Although the game's main theme was originally announced to be composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Hamauzu was assigned to it after Uematsu was selected as the composer for Final Fantasy XIV, making XIII the first entry in the numbered Final Fantasy series without Uematsu involved.[61] The game's soundtrack will be released in Japan on January 27, 2010, along with a limited edition. The standard version will have four discs, while the limited edition will contain a bonus "drama CD" written by scenario writer Motomu Toriyama.[62]

On November 13, 2009, it was announced that the song "My Hands," from British singer Leona Lewis' second album Echo, was chosen to replace Final Fantasy XIII's original theme song, "Kimi Ga Iru Kara," by Sayuri Sugawara for the game's North American and European release.[63] Yoichi Wada has stated that it would have been better if the American branch of Square Enix had produced a theme song from scratch, but the lack of staff led to the decision of licencing an existing song instead.[64]

Tracklist

Disc 1
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Prelude Final Fantasy XIII"FINAL FANTASY XIII プレリュード FINAL FANTASY XIII Preryūdo2:54
2."Final Fantasy XIII ~Oath~"FINAL FANTASY XIII ～誓い～ FINAL FANTASY XIII ~Chikai~2:30
3."The Thirteen Day"第13日 Daijūsannichi 
4."Rebellion Against Fate"運命への反逆 Unmei e no Hangyaku2:23
5."Blaze Edge"ブレイズエッジ Bureizu Ejji4:03
6."Hanged Edge - The Restricted Zone"封鎖区画ハングドエッジ Fūsa Kukaku Hangudo Ejji6:49
7."Those Who Are Purged"パージされる者たち Pājisareru Mono-tachi5:15
8."A Battle to Return"帰るための戦い Kaeru tame no Tatakai4:30
9."Pulse Fal'Cie"下界のファルシ Parusu no Farushi4:21
10."It's OK to Run Away"逃げてもいいの Nigete mo Ī no 
11."Snow's Theme"スノウのテーマ Sunō no Tēma6:13
12."Ruins"異跡 Iseki4:16
13."Ragnarok"ラグナロク Ragunaroku 
14."The Sky of that Day"あの日の空 Ano Hi no Sora 
15."Eternal Oath"永遠の誓い Eien no Chikai 
16."Eternal Love" 4:30
17."Lake Bilge"ビルジ湖 Biruji Mizūmi3:38
18."The Pulse l'Cie"下界のルシたち Parusu no Rushi-tachi 
19."Eidolon"召喚獣 Shōkanjū4:42
Disc 2
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Flash"閃光 Senkō 
2."Fanfare of Glory"栄光のファンファーレ Eikō no Fanfāre 
3."Battle Result"バトルリザルト Batoru Rizaruto2:15
4."Brief Repose"つかのまの安息 Tsukanoma no Ansoku 
5."Theme of the Guardian Corps"騎兵隊のテーマ Kiheitai no Tēma2:39
6."Escape"脱出 Dasshutsu 
7."Shot Down"撃墜 Gekitsui 
8."Afro Blues"アフロブルース Afuro Burūsu 
9."Vile Peaks - Cocoon Deadlands"遺棄領域ヴァイルピークス Iki Ryōiki Vairu Pīkusu5:14
10."Lightning's Theme"ライトニングのテーマ Raitoningu no Tēma2:28
11."Sazh's Theme"サッズのテーマ Sazzu no Tēma5:23
12."Explosive Dreadnought Assault!"ドレッドノート大爆進！ Doreddonōto Daibakushin! 
13."The Gapra Whitewood"ガプラ樹林 Gapura Jurin5:28
14."Tension"緊迫 Kinpaku 
15."Endless Sprint"果てなき疾走 Hatenaki Shissō 
16."The Sunleth Waterscape"サンレス水郷 Sanresu Suigō6:47
17."Lost Hope"見失った希望 Miushinatta Kibō 
18."L'Cie Hunting Operation"ルシ狩り作戦 Rushi Kari Sakusen 
19."Hopeless Conflict"希望なき闘争 Kibōnaki Tōsō 
20."The End of Love and Hate"恩讐の果て Onshū no Hate 
21."The l'Cie of Gran Pulse"グラン=パルスのルシ Guran-Parusu no Rushi 
22."Serah's Theme"セラのテーマ Sera no Tēma1:26
Disc 3
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Daddy's Going to Fight!"父ちゃん奮闘だぁ! Tō-chan Funtō dā! 
2."PSICOM"  
3."Hope's Theme"ホープのテーマ Hōpu no Tēma2:55
4."This is Your Home"おまえの家はここだ Omae no Ie wa Koko da 
5."Atonement"償い Tsugunai 
6."Vanille's Theme"ヴァニラのテーマ Vanira no Tēma2:55
7."Time"刻限 Kokugen 
8."Pompa Sancta"ポンパ・サンクタ Ponpa Sankuta 
9."Nautilus ~City of Amusement~"歓楽都市ノーチラス Kanraku Toshi Nōchirasu4:03
10."Cocoon de Chocobo ~Finding Our Dreams~"コクーンdeチョコボ～夢をみようよ～ Cokūn de Chokobo ~Yume o Miyō yo~2:49
11."Feast of Lies"偽りの饗宴 Itsuwari no Kyōen 
12."End of A Dream"夢の終わり Yume no Owari 
13."Trials of the l'Cie"ルシの試練 Rushi no Shiren4:40
14."Enemies of the World"世界の敵 Sekai no Teki 
15."Game Over"ゲームオーバー Gēmu Ōbā 
16."Sanctum Primarch, Dysley"聖府代表ダイスリー Seifu Daihyō Daisurī4:03
17."A Struggle Against Fate"宿命への抗い Unmei e no Arai 
18."Feelings of the l'Cie"ルシたちの想い Rushi-tachi no Omoi 
19."Inherited Will"継ぎゆく意志 Tsugiyuku Ishi 
20."Deathmatch"死闘 Shitō 
21."Mystery"神秘 Shinpi3:00
22."Choose to Fight" 4:28
Disc 4
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Fang's Theme"ファングのテーマ Fangu no Tēma 
2."Gran Pulse ~Cocoon Continent~"異境大陸グラン=パルス Iki Tairiku Guran-Parusu3:34
3."Archylte Steppe"アルカキルティ大平原 Arukakiruti Daiheigen 
4."Pulse de Chocobo"パルスdeチョコボ Parusu de Chokobo4:22
5."Mount Yaschas"ヤシャス山 Yashasu San2:05
6."Kind Memories"優しい思い出 Yasashī Omoide3:01
7."Srya Lake"スーリヤ湖 Sūriya Mizūmi5:05
8."Taejin Tower"テージンタワー Tējin Tawā3:02
9."Colorless World"色のない世界 Iro no nai Sekai 
10."Homecoming"帰郷 Kikyō2:05
11."Countdown"カウントダウン Kauntodaun 
12."Disturbance in Eden"動乱のエデン Dōran no Eden2:27
13."Cradle of Demise"終焉の揺籃 Shūen no Yōran6:21
14."Nascent"降誕 Kōtan3:23
15."Sinful Hope"罪深き希望 Tsumibukaki Kibō4:17
16."Fabula Nova Crystallis"ファブラ・ノヴァ・クリスタリス Fabura Nova Kurisutarisu 
17."FINAL FANTASY XIII ~Miracle~"FINAL FANTASY XIII　～奇跡～ FINAL FANTASY XIII ~Kiseki~1:30
18."Focus"使命 Shimei 
19."Nascent Requiem"生誕のレクイエム Seitan no Rekuiemu4:17
20."Determination"決意 Ketsui 
21."Kimi ga Iru Kara"君がいるから5:50
22."Ending Roll"エンディングロール Endingu Rōru6:30

Release

During Sony's media briefing at the 2008 E3, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XIII would have downloadable content for online North America and Europe Japan on the PlayStation 3. A playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII is included in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (released on April 16 in Japan and June 2 for North America[65]) on Blu-ray Disc for PlayStation 3, along with new trailers of Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII.[66] The demo, however, was only released in Japan and is not reflective of the actual game as it was created using an old build of the game.[67]

Square Enix confirmed at a Japanese press event that Final Fantasy XIII would be released on December 17, 2009 in Japan. Suntory also plans to release the Final Fantasy XIII Elixir to promote the game's release.[68] At the same press event, Square Enix also announced that it would be bundling Final Fantasy XIII in Japan with a limited edition white 250GB PlayStation 3 Slim with a pink colour print of Lightning on the surface of the console, which will release on the same day.[69] On the same day the game released in Japan, a Final Fantasy XIII PlayStation Home personal space was made available for free in the Japan Home until January 13, 2010 along with a costume and personal space furnishings.[70]

The game's producer, Yoshinori Kitase, along with other creators of the game, put together a video with interviews and new footage on November 13, 2009. The conclusion of the video announced that the game is to be released on March 9, 2010, for both Europe and North America.[1] An international trailer for the game showing both gameplay and pre-rendered scenes was released on January 14, 2010 featuring the game's theme song for Europe and North America, "My Hands", by Leona Lewis. One month prior to the game's release, Square Enix had begun promoting the game via a tour bus where gamers could preview and play the game.[71]

Collector's edition for PAL territories get a limited collector's edition for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It includes the Final Fantasy XIII Original Sound Selection, a soundtrack CD that includes a selection of music tracks from the game that are especially chosen for this Limited Collector’s Edition by composer Masashi Hamauzu. The CD is presented inside a slipcase featuring artwork from Final Fantasy XIII, and also liner notes that are written by the composer. The Collector's Edition also includes The World of Final Fantasy XIII, a hardback book featuring character artwork, CG rendered artwork and environments from across the game production. It also includes exclusive art prints—3 highly collectable art prints showing artwork of the Eidolons, powerful summoned allies of the lead playable characters in Final Fantasy XIII. Finally, the Collector's Edition includes unique ‘Brand of the l’Cie’ decal, a collectible decal featuring this most iconic symbol from the game storyline.

While the game will be released on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in western regions, the game will remain a PlayStation 3 exclusive in Asian territories. [72]

Reception

The game sold in excess of one million units on its first day of sale in Japan,[75] and had sold 1,698,256 copies in Japan at the end of 2009.[76] Square Enix had anticipated high sales for the game and shipped close to two million units for its launch.[77] Dengeki praised especially the battle system, stating "the battles are by far the most exciting in the series", and they concluded "FF13 deserves a score of 120, a 100 is not enough".[78] The game was voted as the second best game of 2009 in Dengeki online's reader poll.[79]

Several Western websites reviewed the Japanese version of the game soon after release. The UK based gaming site Electronic Theatre praised the game, calling it "a blockbuster in every sense" and "undeniably a success in near-every respect" though "there are a few minor niggles."[80] Meanwhile, RPG Site's Nathan Barnes praised the story, battle system, graphics, and especially the character development for the protagonists, saying "this is the most interesting, well developed and likeable ensemble of protagonists you will find in a Final Fantasy game to date", but he criticized that the villains are not memorable, giving the game a final score of 85%.[81] Play.TM's review of the Japanese release gave the game a score of 79%. They praised the quality and design of the graphics, the game's characters, and the fun battle gameplay, while the reviewer criticised the "contrived, linear" nature of the environment, noting "while greatly detailed, feels flat and lifeless [...] little more than wallpaper thrown over a tunnel that players walk through".[82] The Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) gave the game 9/10, praising the depth of the character development, the "fast and unrelenting" combat, and the graphics and environments, but also noting the lack of NPCs and towns, contributing to the fast pace of the game which "can sometimes feel a bit monodynamic and one-dimensional".[73]

References

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