Final Fantasy 13 Dated

[BreakABone]

Seems like Q1 is gonna be a hectic time for gamers.

March 9th, 2010
And can read all the un-needed stuff below.

PRESS RELEASE

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, announced today the highly anticipated street date for FINAL FANTASY XIII. This latest project in the multi-platinum FINAL FANTASY series promises to be intensely compelling and will be available for both the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on 9th March 2010.

FINAL FANTASY XIII marks the dawning of a new era for the celebrated series, bringing the series to multiple hi-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history. Expanding upon the rich tradition of the series, producer Yoshinori Kitase (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), director Motomu Toriyama (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY V, VI, VII, VIII, X) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANASY X, XII) combine their creative vision to deliver the latest masterpiece in the FINAL FANTASY universe. Additionally, Masashi Hamauzu (FINAL FANTASY X, DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-) presents a sweeping soundtrack while movie director Takeshi Nozue (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN) and his team of artists adorn the game with seamless cinematic sequences of unparalleled calibre.

“FINAL FANTASY XIII promises to be a huge event in the 2010 gaming calendar,” said Phil Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Europe. “This is truly a landmark title, arriving simultaneously for multiple platforms for the first time in the history of the series. We are also immensely proud to be able to bring the game to the European and PAL audience much earlier than was publically anticipated.”

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Leona Lewis has come on board with Square Enix to provide the theme song for FINAL FANTASY XIII. The song is entitled “My Hands,” and is featured on her highly-anticipated second album ECHO (J Records/Syco Music) set for release on November 16th. Leona Lewis took the music world by storm with her 2008 6x platinum debut album Spirit which features her chart topping, biggest selling single of 2008 “Bleeding Love,” and mega-hit “Better In Time.”

“When Square Enix approached Leona about including her song, “My Hands,” in FINAL FANTASY XIII, she was honoured to be partnered with such an iconic and groundbreaking video game series,” said Tom Corson, EVP/GM, RCA Music Group. “Leona is a natural fit with the game’s powerful themes and strong female protagonist. We’re delighted to be part of this effort, bringing great musical artistry to FINAL FANTASY XIII which is a riveting and dynamic gaming experience.”　　

Introducing new worlds, memorable characters and extraordinary stories with each new instalment, the FINAL FANTASY series has continued to reinvent itself over the last two decades and has shipped over 85 million copies worldwide. The series is defined by a constant evolution, offering nothing less than the finest creative vision, graphical quality and gameplay system of its generation with every instalment, and FINAL FANTASY XIII will be no exception to its legacy.

[Vampyr]

GiantBomb article about it, with video:

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/final-...-america/1759/

You can stop worrying: There are in fact games coming out early next year. One of them is Final Fantasy XIII, which Square Enix has just confirmed will release in North America on March 9. That's both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.

The company also confirmed the game's requisite pop song will be performed by... Leona Lewis. Still scratching my head a bit over that one, though at least this choice will curry more favor in Western markets than the Japanese pop stars that have contributed to previous games in the series. This also marks the first time Final Fantasy and Simon Cowell have come together in a meaningful capacity.

Hey, Square put out a trailer to promote this announcement. This trailer has a host. They are serious about this.

While I'm throwing promotional business at you, here are three new shots of the game, along with the company pitch on the game's story and features (WARNING: STRAIGHT OUT THE PRESS RELEASE). Square would also like you to know that three new characters--Fang, Hope, and Serah--are now on display at the official site, too.

Story
Cocoon — a utopia in the sky.
Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise.
Under the Sanctum's rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity.
Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal'Cie, and believed that tranquil days would continue forever.
Their tranquility was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal'Cie.
The moment that fal'Cie from Pulse — the feared and detested lowerworld — awoke from its slumber, peace on Cocoon came to an end.
Fal'Cie curse humans, turning them into magic-wielding servants.
They become l'Cie — chosen of the fal'Cie.
Those branded with the mark of a l'Cie carry the burden of either fulfilling their Focus or facing a fate harsher than death itself.
A prayer for redemption.
A wish to protect the world.
A promise to challenge destiny.
After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins.

Features

* Take Part in a Gaming Experience that Sets New Standards – The first in the series developed for a simultaneous release on multiple high-definition consoles, FINAL FANTASY XIII pushes new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound and gameplay.
* Experience the Unity of Speed and Strategy with the Ultimate Active Time Battle system – The familiar system has evolved, granting players the freedom of executing numerous commands in a single turn with the multi-slot ATB gauge. Whether inputting singular commands in each slot for consecutive attacks, or expending multiple slots at once to activate a devastating blow, it’s up to the players to respond effectively to the battle conditions at hand.
* Adapt to the Ever-Changing Tide of Battle with Paradigms – A brand-new game mechanic enabling players to assign roles to their party members at any time during battle, shifting between combat paradigms. Consisting of various combinations of the game's six roles, ranging from Commando, the offensive specialist, to Medic, the quintessential healer, paradigms allow players to respond and adapt instantly to any given situation to turn the tide and seize victory.
* Witness the Battle Scene Transform with an All-New Summon System – Introducing Gestalt Mode, a powerful dimension of the summon system that elevates the action to a whole new level. In Gestalt Mode, characters and their transformed Eidolons fight as one, dealing massive damage to enemies through simple button commands.
* Delve into an Emotional Experience – An immersive storyline connects players to an intriguing cast of characters. Will they have the strength to confront their cursed fates, or will destiny prevail over all that they believe in?

[TheGame]

I wonder when XIV will be out.

[Angrist]

In other news, I heard FFCC:TCB did not sell too well in Japan. Weird, it looks like a very fun game to me.

[DarkMaster]

Originally Posted by Angrist

In other news, I heard FFCC:TCB did not sell too well in Japan. Weird, it looks like a very fun game to me.

Nor did it receive great scores from Japanese magazines/other shit. Can't say I'm surprised, but I remain hopeful.

So Mass Effect 2 and FFXIII in the first few months of the new year, can't wait to be playing RPGs again.

[Dylflon]

I lol'd at the exclusive never-before-seen look.

Couple battle shots + riding a chocobo.



I am actually super pumped for this game though.

[Szymon]

I yearn for a final fantasy in HD.

[Typhoid]

I don't like the "Your HP/MP is automatically regenerated after every battle" deal.

But we'll see.

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

I don't like the "Your HP/MP is automatically regenerated after every battle" deal.

But we'll see.

Why not?

I used to hate being killed by something pityful, or fighting a weak enemy with some cheap attack that puts you at a huge disadvantage. (Self destruct moves are the first thing that comes to mind)

But I guess what I hate more then that is the random battles that would pop up without warning.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by TheGame

Why not?

I used to hate being killed by something pityful, or fighting a weak enemy with some cheap attack that puts you at a huge disadvantage. (Self destruct moves are the first thing that comes to mind)

But I guess what I hate more then that is the random battles that would pop up without warning.

Let's call a spade a spade, RPGs aren't that difficult of a genre. For the most part, doesn't deal with reflexes like most other genres.

Where the skill comes in is item management and character development, if you take away part of it by healing after every battle, you make the game simpler.

We all hate the self-destruct enemy, but you take them down before can do harm or you come prepared with tons of healing items or a character.

And you need to always be ready for battle, that's the point!

And what random battles pop up with warning?

[DarkMaster]

Lots of RPGs now offer full healing after battles, or at save points. Chrono Cross was one of the best games of all time in my opinion and it offered healing after battles, which really just made it less annoying, not less difficult.

From what I've gathered of FFXIII's combat system, it's designed to be made more challenging depending on the skill level of the player, like if you're blowing through battles like nothing the enemies will progressively get harder. And apparently boss battles were designed to be specifically hard for this game because of a system that they implemented where you can retry a boss battle right after you die. Also I think "exp" and rewards are determined by a rank you receive at the end of each battle which calculates your performance, so if you did terrible and need a lot of healing at the end of a battle, you'll receive not so great rewards, and vice versa.

Basically it's a system that claims it'll hold your hand if you want it too, but greatly encourages you to play better.

[Typhoid]

Where the skill comes in is item management and character development, if you take away part of it by healing after every battle, you make the game simpler.

Ding. This, exactly.



And DM, Every super recent Final Fantasy has offered full healing at save points. I am okay with that. I am actually completely okay with that, as it adds the element of health management to the game.

But with the "Alright, we removed random battles from the game, and we also removed health management."

And we're already only controlling one character with this game.
So, only 1 character...no health management, no random encounters.
What's next? No leveling system? Instead your new level is displayed as a puppy that ages over time.


Actually...

[Szymon]

I can't imagine that simplifying things a little makes a huge difference if the story is amazing and you're still having a lot of fun. I guess if you need something very challenging, then you might be out of luck. I'll reserve my judgment for after I've played it.

[Vampyr]

Regenerating health after each battle usually means each individual battle is tougher and more exciting, as opposed to long series of tedious fights.

[Typhoid]

I've never played - nor conciously know of - an RPG where you regenerate health after every encounter.

That's like in Fallout 3 if your AP and Health regenerate after each enemy. It's dumb. Even if battles are harder - it's still dumb. What made them hard before (to the point of this conversation) was health and MP management.


This is almost as bad of an idea as Tactics A2's MP starting at 0 each battle.