Final Fantasy XIII Preview
Square Enix is Ready to Redefine Turn-Based Role Playing Games
May 10, 2009
Although the title may not be the most original, Final Fantasy XIII carries on a legacy that’s spanned multiple decades. The newest addition to the long-standing series looks visually extraordinary and has a few new additions to make combat a more enriching experience.
Final Fantasy XIII Looks Exquisite
Square Enix have long been considered by many to be the masters of CGI cutscenes, something they have proved with their visually stimulating films based in the Final Fantasy universe, ‘The Spirits Within’ and ‘Advent Children.’ Final Fantasy XIII is no exception, but what makes this new addition surpass its predecessors is its stunning in game graphics.
While most new video game titles have downgraded their cutscenes to in-game scripts to increase the seamlessness of the scenes. The seamlessness of Final Fantasy XIII’s transitions from CGI cutscene to gameplay shows that they are instead working on improving their in-game graphics to a whole new, beautifully sculpted, level.
Background of FF XIII Story
Final Fantasy XIII is set in the world of Pulse, a place greatly feared by the inhabitants of Cocoon who live in a floating city far above the surface of Pulse. Those who come in contact with Pulse are considered ‘infected’ by some unknown disease, and are banished from Cocoon to be put in quarantine.
Improved Combat System
Combat in Final Fantasy XIII is somewhat similar to the old system. It takes place in real-time, with players designated three time gauges in which to utilize moves, these gauges refill themselves slowly over time. Each move takes a certain amount of the gauge to complete, but it does not necessarily require an entire gauge to complete a certain move.
Another cool appendage to the fluid combat system is that moves can now be queued, similar to Knights of the Old Republic. This will allow players to try out a multitude of combos in quick succession, without waiting for the time gauge to be ready for execution. Other additions include a radar for determining where enemies are located, and also the reinstitution of Limits, which allow characters to perform special attacks causing vast amounts of damage once their limit meter is full.
New Characters in the Final Fantasy Universe
Final Fantasy XIII’s protagonist is a young female known simply as Lightning, a gun-slinging swordswoman with a gravity manipulator device on her thumb. This device makes her extremely agile, as seen in the Final Fantasy XIII trailer. Other playable characters include Sazh, who has an afro with a baby chocobo living inside, Snow, who likes big guns and motorcycles, and Oerba, who prefers bows and is able to summon.
Release Date Information
Final Fantasy XIII will be available on PS3 and Xbox and is slated for release around Winter 2009 in Japan, which means English versions will probably be on sale by Winter 2010. A demo for Final Fantasy XIII was recently released in Japan, packed with the Final Fantasy: Advent Children on Blu-ray. Unfortunately, there are no plans to release the demo in English.
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