In Final Fantasy XIII, players will embark on an awe-inspiring journey through the floating cityworld of Cocoon and the savage lowerworld of Pulse, encountering a diverse band of would-be allies along the way.
With seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and in-game cinematics, and an evolved Active Time Battle system offering a perfect harmony of spectacular action and strategy, this will be an adventure unlike any other.
Do you have the courage to face your destiny?
A New Fantasy Begins - Breathtaking environments to explore, unique allies to befriend, and awe-inspiring enemies to conquer.
An Audio-Visual Benchmark - Pushes the boundaries of high-definition cinematic presentation, sound and gameplay.
A Unity of Speed and Strategy - Players can enjoy all the strategy and flexibility of a turn-based system, along with the visceral thrill of an action game.
Lose Yourself in the Drama - An immersive storyline draws the player ever closer to a cast of intriguing characters. Will they have the strength to face their fate, or are they doomed to destroy everything they love?
Talk about your favourite game here
Andriasang writes:
"Hajime Tabata Wants to Make a 3rd Birthday Sequel"
http://andriasang.com/comz4i/
"Hajime Tabata just finished work on his latest project, Final Fantasy Type-0. So what's he working on now?
In a Famitsu interview this week, Tabata reveals that he's working on nothing at the moment. However, he does have some ideas on what he wants to do.
Tabata says that he's been thinking about a sequel to The 3rd Birthday, the game he directed before Type-0. However, he believes that Square Enix policy will require that he work on somehting else -- specifically, a new entry in the subseries spawned by Type-0. In fact, a framework for a sequel in the "Type" series is already being worked on, he said.
Tabata added that he wants to make a console game. He's said this in past interviews.
Regarding Type-0, Tabata describes sales as being very good, but added that he wants the game to sell even more. He feels that, for the first entry in a new series, the game has received a good response."
"Tetsuya Nomura Talks Final Fantasy Versus XIII Moogles"
http://andriasang.com/comz50/ff_versus_xiii_moogles/
"The just released Final Fantasy Type-0 Ultimania guide has a bit of commentary on Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
In a section discussing Type-0's Moogles, Versus XIII director Tetsuya Nomura says that the designs of the Moogles in Versus XIII will follow a similar path to the design of the Type-0 Moogles. He did not provide clarification beyond this.
Regarding the Type-0 Moogles, Nomura joked that when he first saw the Moogle costume designs, he said that they should quickly make goods based off them.
Director Hajime Tabata described the Type-0 Moogles as "cute." The game was originally supposed to have an event scene featuring the full Cranberry Knights. This is the name of the Moogle group that serves at your school in the game. However, Hiroki Chiba, lead scenario writer for the game, forgot to put it in.
Many people think that the "Cranberry Knights" name came from Nomura. It actually came from the scenario staff. Nomura said that he was surprised at the name when he saw it for the first time during the game's voice recording."
"Team Final Fantasy Type-0 Currently Working on International Release"
http://andriasang.com/comz52/ff_type_0_international_release/
"In a Weekly Famitsu interview yesterday, Final Fantasy Type-0 director Hajima Tabata said that he's currently not working on anything. That may have been just a bit of a fib. The Type-0 Ultimania Guide, which just hit retail today, also has an interview with Tabata, and here Tabata says that the game's staff is working on the overseas version of Type-0.
Given the stature of Type-0 and the Final Fantasy name, it was a pretty safe bet that the game would see international release even with the poor state of the PSP market outside of Japan. Now that Tabata has confirmed that an overseas version is in development we can start speculating on timing.
Also in the Ultimania interview, Tabata discusses possible directions for a Type-0 sequel. He said feels like he'd like to do a direct sequel featuring the same world and characters, and also create a true numbered sequel, which he referred as Type-1. He also said that he'd like to make the next title on a console.
The series' future will be determined by player reaction, Tabata said, so if want more of Type-0, be sure and either pick up the Japanese version, or pick up the international version when it's released.
Tetsuya Nomura also sat in on this interview. For a bit of what he had to say about Type-0 and Final Fantasy Versus XIII's Moogles, see this story"
http://www.vandal.net/reportaje/final-fantasy-xiii2-y-yoshinori-kitase/2
http://www.square-enix.co.jp/fabula/0/
http://www.vandal.net/reportaje/final-fantasy-xiii2-y-yoshinori-kitase/2
Google translate:
Q: What else can you say about the rest of the Fabula Nova Crystalis game? We know of Type-0 or Versus for months.
A: [Laughs] Type-0, as you must know, was launched in Japan last month, so it's over. We are working on version for the U.S. and Europe and will know something soon.
A Spanish speaker is welcome to confirm this.
A new demo will be available on November 22.
Siliconera writes:
"Second Final Fantasy Type-0 Demo Coming To PSN Next Week"
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/11/18/second-final-fantasy-type-0-coming-to-psn-next-week/
"Final Fantasy Type-0 is out in Japan and Square Enix released a demo prior to its launch. The Natsubi demo is still on Japan’s PlayStation Store. If you missed both of those there’s a second demo titled "Zero Type" coming on November 22. In addition to all of the unlockable summer clothing items, this demo gives players a Growth Egg which doubles the experience points you earn.
Save data from the "Zero Type" demo can be transferred over to Final Fantasy Type-0 so you can keep the extra costumes and bonus experience points. Square Enix will remove the Natsubi demo the same day the "Zero Type" demo arrives on the PlayStation Store."
A new scan from Jump has surfaced. NovaCrystallis writes:
"A Look at FINAL FANTASY XIII-2′s Crystarium System"
http://www.novacrystallis.com/?p=2116
"Jump has the first real look at FINAL FANTASY XIII-2′s Crystarium system.
If you recall from FINAL FANTASY XIII, the Crystarium was used to essentially level up your characters, however, the system was capped to a certain point in each chapter. Now in XIII-2, the Crystarium is completely open, allowing players to level up as much as they choose.
As you can see in the pictures, the Crystarium itself is shaped in the form of Noel and Serah’s weapons. It appears there are no longer “tiers.” You still have to spend CP to gain new abilities, of course, but this refined system makes it a lot easier. By completing certain conditions of specific roles, for example, you’ll be able to select from several bonuses for your character."
Artwork captured on video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBN-2JqVcHg&feature=related
Gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfs-Yj-Ptpo
Interview with Kitase: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIfNVEcnOTY
More information at Final Fantasy World and Ring:
http://www.ffworld.com/?rub=news&page=voir&id=2171
http://www.ffring.com/news/Evenement-FFXIII-2-notre-compte-rendu-c998d128ae69a.html
From the Paris event:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150370778940706.341992.191664280705&type=1
http://twitpic.com/7dkiz6
http://twitter.com/?photo_id=1#!/ffring/status/135434743935287296/photo/1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113935904045436241841/albums/5674263440163491057#photos/113935904045436241841/albums/5674263440163491057
Quoting FF-TYPE0.net:
"Final Fantasy XIII-2 ESRB Rating and Drug Details!"
http://www.ff-type0.net/index.php?page=article&article=Final-Fantasy-XIII-2-ESRB-Rating-and-Drug-Details!--1056
"Final Fantasy XIII-2 like its predecessor has being rated T by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Noteworthy however in the game summary is a reference to a recreational drug called "stem" popular among the youth along with the expected suggestive themes and revealing outfits."
And:
"FF XIII-2 Beautiful Artwork"
http://www.ff-type0.net/index.php?page=article&article=FF-XIII-2-Beautiful-Artwork--1057
"Some beautiful artwork has surfaced and i'm pretty sure it came out of London because SE is over there right now continuing their FF XIII-2 media tour. The artwork shows off Serendipity(Casino Area), Caitsith, and Odin.
Special thanx to @ParisienneDiary from twitter for the lovely artwork."
FF-Type0.net writes:
"Gameinformer Magazine Spoils Beginning of FF XIII-2"
http://www.ff-type0.net/index.php?page=article&article=Gameinformer-Magazine-Spoils-Beginning-of-FF-XIII-2--1055
"Gameinformer magazine today has surfaced and it appears that they have a little bit of coverage regarding FF XIII-2. Maybe a little bit too much because they have essentially spoiled the beginning after playing a walkthrough of the game."
"Gotta Catch 'Em All", huh...seems that everyone shares the same opinion.
http://www.ff-type0.net/index.php?page=article&article=Final-Fantasy-XIII-2-Limited-Edition-OST--1047
http://www.square-enix.co.jp/fabula/ff13-2/#/novels/novels_detail_2
http://gangan.square-enix.co.jp/introduction/ff_type_0/
andriasang writes:
"AKB48 Member to Cosplay as Serah for Final Fantasy XIII-2's Launch Event"
http://andriasang.com/comyxs/
"Over 50,000 people have "Liked" the Final Fantasy XIII-2 "Test Play" promotional site. Today, we learned the reward for reaching the 50,000 mark. AKB48's Yuko Oshima, spokesperson for FFXIII-2, will appear at the game's official launch event dressed like Serah.
For a sneak peak, try merging these two images:
http://andriasang.com/comyxs/images/23jd2/
http://andriasang.com/comyxs/images/23d8z/
The campaign isn't over yet, though. If 70,000 people like the site, Yuko will wear a different outfit (or possibly both the Serah outfit and a second outfit).
There's a third option as well, but Square Enix hasn't said how many Likes it will take to reach that point."
"Final Fantasy XIII-2 Includes a Bonus for FFXIII Players
Plus, the latest from producer Yoshinori Kitase."
http://andriasang.com/comyxk/
"Hold on to that FFXIII save file if you have it! (This time, we mean it!). In an interview at Xbox.com, producer Yoshinori Kitase confirms that XIII-2 will have a bonus item for those with a save file from the original.
He wouldn't share specifics, but said the item will give you just a slight bonus. It's not something that will have a major effect on game balance, but it is something that will be convenient to have.
(The Xbox.com interview writes "FFXIII" instead of "FFXIII-2" in its response. I'm assuming this is just a misprint, and the the bonus item is for use in FFXIII-2 rather than in FFXIII).
Kitase made a number of additional points in the lengthy Xbox.com interview.
He discussed the game's "Fragment" system. Fragments can be thought of as quests. You'll find over 100 of these, and if you clear them, you'll get rewards, special items, skill ups and more. However, the Fragments are not part of the main story, so those who just want to play through the story can ignore them.
The game's improved loading was mentioned in previous play tests from the Japanese press. Kitase told Xbox.com that the game is extremely quick when it comes to loading. There will be just a bit of loading in the game's "Historia Crux" time travel system when you jump between time periods.
That time travel system, as previously detailed, only includes time periods after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, so don't expect to relive your favorite moments from the original. There's apparently a story-based reason for this. The time traveling was triggered when the "catastrophe" at the end of FFXIII messed up the space time continuum. One of the base components of the story is the "time paradoxes" the characters are involved in as they travel through time.
As previously detailed, you're free to replay individual time segments as you please. Kitase likened this to a "new game plus," where you replay the game with your characters fully powered after clearing the game once. The difference here is that you can replay individual sections without clearing the whole game first.
The time travel system is tied in heavily with the story. If you do something in the past, this will be reflected in future time periods. As you make changes to the past, and those changes are reflected in the future, the story's mysteries will slowly clear up.
Kitase played up the importance of Hope, who's appeared grown up in all the screens we've seen so far. Serah and newcomer Noel are the main characters, he reiterated. While the characters from the original will appear in the game in some capacity, Hope is of particular importance to the story as his role connects to the theme of "prayer for regeneration/rebirth.""
Quoting Siliconera:
"AKB48 Idol Designs Final Fantasy XIII-2 Costume For Serah"
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/11/09/akb48-idol-designs-final-fantasy-xiii-2-costume-for-serah/
"Yuko Oshima isn’t just a Final Fantasy XIII-2 judge, she’s also a costume designer. Square Enix asked the AKB48 idol to design two costumes for Serah and her moogle. Starting on November 15, fans will be able to vote on which one makes it into the game as downloadable content on the Judge13 page.
Oshima calls this first outfit "exposure and defense." When designing this costume she wondered is it really possible for Final Fantasy female characters to fight with so much showing. Oshima thought adding pointed shoes and a shield would make Serah ready for a fight.
The second costume has a red riding hood motif. Oshima thought the idea of mixing red and white together defines a character transitioning into an adult."
And Andriasang:
"AKB48's Yuko Oshima won't just be starring in Final Fantasy XIII-2's commercial. Square Enix also had Yuko design a couple of costumes for the game.
Here are the initial sketches and the final results.
http://andriasang.com/comyx0/
The theme of the black costume is "Exposure and Defense" (that's exposure in the sense of the costume exposing a lot of skin on girls). The red one was designed in the motif of Little Red Riding Hood.
Regarding the Exposure and Defense costume, Yuko explained in a press statement that Final Fantasy female characters often wear clothing that shows so much it makes one wonder if they could really fight. So, she attached the shield to the character's body (look closely -- it's there), allowing her to take part in battle.
Only one of these will make it into the game, released at some point as download content. Square Enix will be staging fan voting at the game's Judge13 campaign site to determine the winner.
Commercials highlighting the campaign will be aired starting November 15."
http://andriasang.com/comyx5/
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/11/10/final-fantasy-xiii-2-u-s-collectors-edition-comes-with-soundtrack-concept-art/
"Final Fantasy XIII-2 U.S. Collector’s Edition Comes With Soundtrack, Concept Art
Square Enix are releasing a limited collector’s edition for Final Fantasy XIII-2 in North America. The collector’s edition will come a 4-disc soundtrack, a 20-page concept art book, and special packaging illustrated by ********* Amano. Here’s what it looks like:
http://www.siliconera.com/postgallery/?p_gal=170173|0
The collector’s edition will cost $79.99, and will be available at Amazon, Best Buy and Gamestop. Each of those stores also has a separate pre-order bonus, with Best Buy easily offering the best incentive:
Gamestop – Alternate Serah costume
Amazon – Omega Boss battle as DLC
Best Buy – Final Fantasy XIII –episode 1- novella, tying the events of XIII and XIII-2 together.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is slated for release on January 31st, 2012 in the U.S. Here’s the game’s regular edition packaging:
http://www.siliconera.com/postgallery/?p_gal=170173|1
http://www.siliconera.com/postgallery/?p_gal=170173|2 "
http://release.square-enix.com/na/2011/11/10_01.html
"Limited Quantity Now Available for Preorder at Major Retailers in North America
LOS ANGELES (November 10, 2011) — Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, today announced a collector's edition for FINAL FANTASY®XIII–2. FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 is developed for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and will be available in North America on January 31, 2012.
FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 is the sequel to FINAL FANTASY XIII, which has shipped 6.2 million units worldwide since its release in North America in March 2010. The sequel has evolved beyond its predecessor, with an extraordinary level design encouraging exploration, an enhanced battle system allowing players to command monsters and a variety of options that support multiple playthroughs.
The FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 collector's edition will be available in limited quantities at GameStop®, Amazon® and Best Buy® for $79.99. Enclosed in premium packaging featuring artwork by ********* Amano, the collector's edition boasts an impressive 4–disc official soundtrack and a collection of concept artwork. The full–color concept art collection contains material from the making of FINAL FANTASY XIII–2, with a variety of never–before–seen illustrations, environments and more.
Additional exclusive incentives are available for users who preorder the standard or Collector's Editions for FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 at the following retail outlets:
GameStop®
Receive an exclusive in–game item by preordering at GameStop e/retailers
– Alternate costume for Serah, visible throughout the game
Amazon®
Omega Boss Battle
– Unique coliseum battle against boss enemy "Omega," who joins the player's party afterward
Best Buy®
Collectible Hardcover Book
– FINAL FANTASY XIII –Episode i– novella, an original story that ties together the events of FINAL FANTASY XIII and FINAL FANTASY XIII–2
This collector's edition is exclusive for North America and may not reflect editions available in other territories.
FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 will be available at North American retailers on January 31, 2012. FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 is rated T (Teen). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.
Related Links
* FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 Official Homepage:
http://na.square-enix.com/ffxiii-2
* FINAL FANTASY XIII–2's Official Facebook® Page:
http://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIII
* Follow FINAL FANTASY XIII–2 on Twitter®:
http://twitter.com/OfficialFFXIII "
"Final Fantasy XIII-2 Directors Discuss Paradigms, Battle Balance and Monster Collection"
http://andriasang.com/comywh/
Dengeki PlayStation has an interview this week with Final Fantasy XIII-2 director Motomu Toriyama and battle director Yusuke Matsui. Here are some of the highlights from Sokuho@Hokanko's summary of the feature.
Paradigm Shifts
You can now switch instantly between Paradigms. This will help out with the pacing during the game's basic battles, as the focus for these is on speed. For the bosses and tougher rare monsters, however, you'll need to actively and strategically switch between Paradigms or you won't win.
XIII-2 makes one major improvement to the usability of the paradigm system: the game will now save your paradigm combinations, so you can easily switch them out.
Difficulty
Toriyama suggested that the bosses in XIII-2 may be tougher than those of the original FFXIII. However, the game has an Easy Mode, so if you're having trouble with a boss, you can turn the difficulty down. And if you still can't defeat a boss, one option may be to temporarily give up and move on to another scenario.
Blood damage was added to the game because Toriyama wanted to fix the problem where if you had a healer in your party you could win the battle by just taking your time. Blood damage can't be healed by healers, although there are items that will recover it.
Balance
Balancing the battles has been difficult, in part because they don't know in what state the player will be when they enter a particular area.
The team made a special program just for balancing work. The program analyzes the test players' logs, and can output such things as how the payer defeated the boss.
The game is being balanced so that, at the extreme, it might be possible to clear the game by defeating bosses. Of course, you can go the traditional route and build up your characters gradually. The game does not place caps on your characters' growth.
Summons
The game will have summon creatures. However, they will not appear in the same form as in the original FFXIII, as the characters are not l'Cie this time.
Battle Presentation
They've been working on the presentation side of battles. The original had relatively few character motions, but this time the characters will move around in ways that match the formation. For instance, a defender will move forward and guard. Additionally, each boss battles will have specialized camerawork designed to make give the fight impact.
Monster Collection
There seems to be quite a bit of variety to the monster collection system. The same monsters will have different growth parameters, with some being fast growth while others take longer. Monsters that have the same role will have different abilities.
As previously detailed, you can give your monsters accessories that change their physical appearance. The staff decided to offer interesting decorations even if they don't fit in with the world.
It's possible to build up your monsters into powerful beasts, as you can make one monster inherit abilities from others. Toriyama said that he's currently try to make the ultimate monster. This is the first time he's wanted a strategy guide while test playing a game.
Wondering what happens if Serah an Noel die leaving the monster as the sole member of your party? You won't be able to take control of the monster. When the two human characters die, the game ends."
Website Update
Hope: http://www.square-enix.co.jp/fabula/ff13-2/#/characters/hope_estheim
Alyssa: http://www.square-enix.co.jp/fabula/ff13-2/#/characters/alyssa_zaidelle
Academia: http://www.square-enix.co.jp/fabula/ff13-2/#/field/academia
Siliconera writes:
"Final Fantasy XIII-2 For Xbox 360 Jumps Into Stores With Desk Calendars"
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/11/07/final-fantasy-xiii-2-for-xbox-360-jumps-into-stores-with-desk-calendars/
"While Final Fantasy XIII started as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in the region, Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International, which had English voice acting and Japanese subtitles for Xbox 360 less than a year later.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 will launch as a multiplatform game, a first for Japan, on December 15. Could a desk calendar convince fans to get the sequel on Xbox 360 instead? Microsoft thinks so because they’re giving one of those out as a first print bonus in Japan.
The calendar stands 100mm tall and is 150mm wide. It has a plastic stand and seven colored cards, six are for months so it looks like the calendar is double sided."
"Bosses In Final Fantasy XIII-2 Will Be Tougher"
http://www.siliconera.com/2011/11/07/bosses-in-final-fantasy-xiii-2-will-be-tougher/
"Did you breeze through Final Fantasy XIII? Final Fantasy XIII-2 will have tougher boss fights, says Dengeki PlayStation.
Worried that the game might be too difficult? Final Fantasy XIII-2 has a feature Square Enix introduced in Final Fantasy XIII International Edition Ultimate Hits – easy mode.
Serah and Noel are joined by a monster in battle. These frenemies can be renamed and equipped with accessories. The magazine notes you can add tails and sunglasses to monsters. I’m imagining a Tonberry with dark sunglasses that says "deal with it" after stabbing an enemy with its tiny knife. Permanent party member right there."
Why? That is why that there are no subtitles in Russian.
In Russia it is a lot of fans of final fantasy but they don't understand English language.
WELL MAKE SUBTITLES ON RUSSIAN
It is despair shout = продажи в Россиии небольшие.
почему?а потому что нет субтитров на русском языке.
В России много фанатов Последней фантазии но они не понимают английский язык.
НУ СДЕЛАЙТЕ СУБТИТРЫ НА РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК
это крик отчаяния