Final Fantasy XIII

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Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII Logo
Developer(s)Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher(s)Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Designer(s)
SeriesFinal Fantasy series
EngineWhite Engine
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (rumored)
ReleaseTBA
Genre(s)Console role-playing game
Mode(s)Single player

Final Fantasy XIII (ファイナルファンタジーXIII, Fainaru Fantajī Sātīn) is an upcoming console role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix Co., Ltd. and the thirteenth installment in the Final Fantasy video game series. It is slated to be the first numbered Final Fantasy game for the Sony PlayStation 3 video game console. Unveiled at E³ 2006, the game features a high-tech futuristic world. The only characters revealed thus far are a woman with the code name Lightning who wields a gunblade-like weapon, and an unnamed, giant man who is her ally. Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 director Motomu Toriyama returns as the director of the game.[1] According to Square Enix President Yoichi Wada, the storyline will focus on "those who resist the world."[2]

Final Fantasy XIII will run on the "White Engine", a proprietary engine built for Square Enix's next-gen games. The game was originally planned for the PlayStation 2 but was later moved to the PlayStation 3 after the development team discovered the power of the platform. Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, has expressed his concern that an Xbox 360 release of Final Fantasy XIII may be needed for continuing success of the series. [3]

Square Enix recently announced they had licensed Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 to use on a number of particular next generation titles, but will still use the White Engine for most exclusive Playstation 3 games, most notably Final Fantasy XIII.[4]

Gameplay

File:Ff13 2.jpg
Combat in Final Fantasy XIII

From the footage shown at E³, battles in the game appear to be in real-time, similar to Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XII, but without the colored target arcs linking player to target. Square Enix has also confirmed that the game will feature real-time battles.[5]

In a developer interview, Toriyama stated that the E3 Trailer shows what is known as the 'Gravity Bomb', known as the spell 'Gravity' in previous games. Presumably, it refers to the electrical energy field that surrounds the young woman shown in the trailer. She can use it to defy gravity or to attack enemies.[6]

In the upper right-hand corner of the battle screen, a circle-shaped gauge is visible. Once the number inside this circle and other conditions have been met, the protagonist can enter a so-called Overclock status. This status has a slow-motion effect, slowing down everyone but the player. It has been suggested that this Overclock system would replace the traditional limit break system found in previous Final Fantasy games. Overclock seems to resemble the Trance mode in Final Fantasy IX. Once Overclock is activated a number appears inside the meter and decreases, probably signifying the duration of the Overclock mode.[7]

Summons were also revealed in Jump Festa, and showen as part Mecha and are featured not only for battle support, as Motomu Toriyama states "The treatment of summons beasts has changed quite a bit," he said, "The fact that the players can summon will not change, but what happens after that will be something totally different."[citation needed] The example he pointed too was Shiva and how she transforms into a motocycle. Toriyama hinted that Lightning may ride Shiva in battle.[citation needed]

While players will still be able to experience Final Fantasy XIII as an offline game, producer Yoshinori Kitase has stated in the developer interview that players will also be able to take advantage of special online features, although the main focus will be offline.[8]

File:Gunbladehiq.jpg
The new weapon capable of interchanging into a sword and a firearm

Battle system

Toriyama comments on Final Fantasy XIII's battle system: "Final Fantasy XIII took on the challenge of seeing how much of the battles in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children can be recreated in a game. The battles that were impossible to be presented in current Final Fantasy games were shown in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. In reverse, Final Fantasy XIII will show how much of that can be represented in the game."[6] Toshiro Tsuchida, the creator of the Front Mission franchise and previously the battle director of Final Fantasy X, will return as the battle system director for the game; he has reaffirmed that random encounters will not return, whilst suggesting individual enemies may be given personalities. [9]

Development

Along with Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Agito XIII for the mobile phone and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, an action game for the PlayStation 3 made by the Kingdom Hearts team, make up three facets of the overall project known as Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII.[10] According to Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIII is neither a prequel nor a sequel to Final Fantasy Agito XIII or Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Square Enix has explained that although all three games take place in the same universe, they are not directly related.[11]

The game runs on the White Engine, an all-new exclusive seventh generation game engine built for Square Enix's future games. Both the engine and the game were originally slated to be used with the PlayStation 2 but were later moved to the PlayStation 3.[12]

One of the main aspects of the engine is that it allows CGI to be rendered in real-time. It also handles advanced audio processing, cinematic cut-scene transition, physics effects calculations and special effects rendering. The White Engine reportedly uses 4 of the 6 synergistic processing elements (SPEs) available to games, of the Cell processor, to achieve near-pre-rendered CGI quality in realtime.[13]

In February of 2007, there was some misinformation regarding the game's development. Initially, an interview with Square Enix President Yoichi Wada in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said the company was no longer using the White Engine, but Unreal Engine 3 instead, in order to reduce development costs. This has been recognized as an error by the editor. While the use of Unreal Engine 3 is true for other upcoming Square Enix games, the White Engine is still being used for Final Fantasy XIII.[14]

Toriyama stated that Final Fantasy XIII will be released "as soon as possible". However, in an interview with character designer Tetsuya Nomura, he revealed that he does not believe the game will be released in 2007.[15]. Some of the developers in Final Fantasy XIII are also veterans. Kazushige Nojima will return as the scenario writer. Eiji Fujii, previously the movie director of Final Fantasy XII, will return as the movie director. Isamu Kamikokuryou, previously the co-art director of Final Fantasy XII, will return as the art director. The main programmer will be Kazumi Kobayashi. Tetsu Tsukamoto will design the weapons.

Story

Final Fantasy XIII's story begins as something from the lower world invades the Cocoon, causing a panic. Cocoon is an air city which was created by the crystals, protected by machines. Having lived peacefully for many years, the inhabitants of Cocoon are very fearful and are afraid of everything from outside of Cocoon, and above all what comes from the dark region. Also the operational “strange organization” are feared by the denizens of Cocoon. The biggest concern amongst Cocoon residents is that of their home falling from the sky. People who do things that could make Cocoon fall from the sky, and people who are believed to have the ability to do such things, are deported from Cocoon. Recent contact with those from the world below, Pulse, have caused people to question one another and their ways of life. Due to this disturbance, the government of Cocoon have decided to exile those who show signs of coming in contact with the world of Pulse. The crystal looked for itself a woman, who should destroy this world and its inhabitants. One believes that this woman will lead the world to its fall. Her name is Lightning. [16]

In Geemaga it is confirmed by Toriyama that the game's story isn't about a group of people banding together to save the world, but there will be party battles.

World

Jump Festa 2007 revealed that the world of Final Fantasy XIII is based in a government-controlled floating fortress called Cocoon defended by advanced technology. Those cast out of Cocoon are placed into the world below, called Pulse. It is heavily implied that the world of Pulse is the Earth and where the crystals that have "chosen" Lightning are found. These crystals are said to give men the power to change their destinies and shape the world as they see fit. In fact, the crystals were previously used to control the citizens of Pulse to work against their own will. The citizens of Pulse rebelled against the government, asking for a fair treatment of the law.

Characters

File:Lightning FF13.jpg
Lightning, as seen in the E³ demo
File:Newcharacter ff13.jpg
The unnamed character as shown at the Jump Festa convention.

The first confirmed main character is a young woman featured in the E³ trailer. Jump Festa 2007 confirmed her name as "Lightning", though Famitsu magazine states that it is a codename that she will probably use for parts of the game. In a recent interview with Toriyama, he said the character only calls herself Lightning to keep her true name a secret. He went on to say that the reason will be revealed in the plot.[15] Character designer Tetsuya Nomura describes her as 'not very feminine', and says that he was asked to create a 'female version of Cloud [from Final Fantasy VII]' when designing her. Very little information is known out about Lightning yet but Square-Enix has revealed that the two yellow stripes on Lightning’s left shoulder symbolizes her Rank and Social status

Jump Festa 2007 also confirmed the presence of a second character, a blond, bandanna-wearing male who rides a motorcycle and uses a gun to come to Lightning's aid when she is outnumbered by soldiers. It also has been recently released that this character's name is related to weather, and that he is not related to Lightning in any way. Toriyama also confirmed that the blond male and Lightning are supposed to have a unique relationship. He has also been described by the staff as cowboy-like.

Through Geemaga, it confirmed that he is wild and heroic but there isn't really a sense of him being an ally or enemy for Lightning. He has also been confirmed to have a funny way of fighting.

Possible multiplatform title

On February 28nd 2011, it was revealed during a interview with Sony France, that Final Fantasy VIII may go multiplatform and release on the Xbox 360 as well as the PS3, also the newly announced Sega console may also feature this. According to Sony Computer Entertainment France president Georges Fornay, "the development costs of games have exploded and it´s more difficult to have exclusives". Thus, making it a multi platform game may be necessary, in order to maintain the Final Fantasy series´s success. Squre-Enix haven´t released a statement about this yet...so we await this probably during the summer periods of 2009 [17]

References

  1. ^ Brad Shoemaker & Dan Tochen (2006). "E3 06: Square Enix announces trio of Final Fantasy XIII games". Gamespot. Retrieved 8 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Matt Sloderbeck (2006). "Square Enix Pre-E3 Event Features New Games, New Details". RPGamer. Retrieved 10 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Final Fantasy needs Xbox 360". 360 Gamer. 2007-03-19. Retrieved 2007-03-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |http://www.360-gamer.com/news.asp?id= ignored (help)
  4. ^ http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/758/758363p1.html
  5. ^ Square Enix (2006). Enix.com/e306/titles/fabula/ff13/ "E3 2006 - SQUARE ENIX ~ FINAL FANTASY XII". Enix.com/na SQUARE ENIX. Retrieved 10 May. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b Duckroll (2006). "Final Fantasy XIII Developer Interview". Gamebrink. Retrieved 8 June. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ KingdomHearts77 (2006). "Final Fantasy XIII Famitsu Scan Translations". Final Fantasy-13.Net. Retrieved 19 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Chris Winkler (2006). "Square Enix Talks FFXIII, Crisis Core". RPGfan. Retrieved 11 June. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Alex Donaldson (2007). "Final Fantasy XIII Battle System Director Announced". Retrieved 26 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Chris Roper (2006). "E3 2006: Final Fantasy XIII Official". IGN. Retrieved 8 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Erik Brudvig (2006). "E3 2006: Final Fantasy XIII Showcased". IGN. Retrieved 11 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ IGN (2006). "IGN: Final Fantasy XIII Update". IGN. Retrieved 10 November. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Play UK (2006). "New Play UK and OPM UK Scans". FinalFantasy-XIII.net. Retrieved 17 November. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ nikkei.co.jp (2007). "Yoichi Wada Interview". Nikkei Arena. Retrieved 18 February. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b Tomer (2007). "Final Fantasy XIII may not be released in 2007". Forever Fantasy. Retrieved 24 January. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Forever Fantasy" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ Nitro (2007). "Dengeki PlayStation 2 "Final Fantasy XIII" scans". Spira's Destiny. Retrieved 19 January. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Emma Boyes (2007). "Sony: FFXIII PS3 exclusivity under discussion". GameSpot. Retrieved 22 March. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

External links

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