Square Enix Announces Lightning Returns: FF-XIII

Roses…they have many meanings according to Final Fantasy’s Series Director Motomu Toriyama. Shortly after Toriyama teased a large audience tonight, he revealed that Lightning would be making a new appearance in a coming Final Fantasy game. Though she has only been in two games so far, XIII and XIII-2, this will apparently be the end of Lightning’s saga.

To begin on details of the upcoming game, it will be a full console release, as opposed to recent rumors of social/mobile titles in the works. Though some may remember that Lightning seemed like an all powerful god of sorts in XIII-2, this could be the case in a way or another. Toriyama had said that he wanted to put Lightning back to her roots, being how she was in XIII, Though, he also said that Lightning will be better than ever before in the upcoming title, hinting at some type of cross-hybrid, maybe?

As you can see above, Square wants to introduce new kinds of customization into the title. When showing the above, they mentioned that customization wouldn’t just be something to make Lightning look pretty, but would actually have affects on her stats, as it should be. Imagine all of the possibilites now!

The game supposedly will take place across but thirteen days and nights, and at the end of these thirteen days, humanity will cease to exist. The world that you play will run on a real time clock, therefore things like transportation will run at certain times, catered to day pursuits.

Check out our gallery below to see some concept art of the game that has been released, as well as a handful of 3D models that will likely be in the game. As you may notice from the concept art, main themes in the upcoming Lightning title will be Fantasy, Goth, and Mechanical. Furthermore, current release window is sometime in 2013, for both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

One thought on “Square Enix Announces Lightning Returns: FF-XIII

  1. Why? Just why, Square?
    You say you want Versus to be nostalgic. You say, in other words, you want it to have a soul. And then you dump this on us. Another game with an unlikable character (the hilarious part being I loved Cloud and Squall both, and Lightning is a female Cloud…guess you used the newer, more emo Cloud and not the “let’s mosey” Cloud!) with a Majora’s mask mechanic and the Dresspheres from FFX-2. The only parts of this idea that look good are the clock and of course, the graphics. At least you’re innovating with the game mechanics. But other than that…no soul.
    The sad/hilarious part is you’re milking an old character (Cloud) still- only in a female body so you can make a fan service game. Yes, Lightning Returns is fan service with a female Cloud. Trololol!!!!!!!!!
    Here’s some ideas for Versus- an equipment grid like XII (the only good part of it) only tweaked and made better, a system affected by character’s emotions (y’know, the things you need a soul for) like Crisis Core’s DMW only less random and it doesn’t control your level and less “scroll through menus while Trogdor burninates you” than Kingdom Hearts. You don’t have to! These are just suggestions! Better yet is to do entirely new things! I don’t care as long as that awful staggering system is gone!
    Most importantly, replay VII-X. Hell, while you’re at it, boot up IV and VI! Even Kingom Hearts and TWEWY! What do these games all have? …A soul! Cloud had a soul, but you sucked it out of him! It was taken away, given back for a while for the amazing Crisis Core, and then taken away again! Squall fared a better, but seems very flat and trite without background for his behavior. I think I cried at least twice when I played VIII, and I know I cried multiple times when I played X, especially in the final battle! You fleshed out the worlds and characters so well! The best thing you could possibly do for Noct and his friends is give them that soul. Give their world depth. Make us care! Make us feel things! Give the damn game a soul! Whether you incorporate old elements or do something new with gameplay, compared to this, is irrelevant!
    I mourned Zack when he died in Crisis Core! As in, literally cried and went into mourning!
    Stop giving us garbage and give us a game that has actual life in it. And put this whole thing to rest. The last thing Cloud needs is his name attached to an expy we can play dress-up with. He’s had enough dress-up, thank you.

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