At this point, the staff at Square Enix have revealed themselves unequivocally to be consummate masters of trolling. Gamers have long been chomping at the bit, nay, aching for a remake of Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix knows this. So in a nice bit of toying, they're offering fans the chance to play as the game's infamous spikey haired protagonist in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII...kind of, via a pre-order bonus.
It's still a long time coming before the Lightning Returns arrives, the conclusion to the first ever trilogy of games in the Final Fantasy series, but the RPG masters have revealed a pre-order bonus for the game that gets players about as close a chance at a current-gen version of former mercenary Cloud Strife since Dirge of Cerberus.
If gamers pre-order the game now, they'll net themselves with a recognizable weapon and outfit for the eponymous protagonist, said bonuses being Cloud Strife's 1st class SOLDIER uniform, and the infamous, brobdingnagian Buster Sword. In addition, players will also let Lightning celebrate victories FF7 style, with Cloud's win pose and the game's victory theme.
Lightning Returns sees the eponymous hero wake from a Rip van Winkle like nap for the last few hundred years. As Lightning, players are tasked with saving the world in a short 13 days. Each day is the equivalent of about 2 hours in real world time. Since it's pretty easy for players to lose themselves in a Final Fantasy game, 26 hours sounds like a preposterous amount of time to save the world.
However, worry not, because players can add time to their quest depending on the decisions they make in game. On the flip side, decisions can also shorten the clock as well. Square Enix has previously hinted that even making the "right" decision can have disastrous consequences, as well as different endings.
Treasure that time though, because this will be the last outing for not only Lightning, but all the rest of 13's characters as well. In a interview with IGN, director Motomu Toriyama confirmed this information, saying via translator, ""The 'Lightning Saga' that began with Final Fantasy XIII -- in other words, the characters and universe that revolve around Lightning -- will come to an end with this installment. I'm sure that Lightning and the people around her will all have a happy ending. Please look forward to the final episode worthy to be called the denouement of the 'Lightning Saga.'"
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 is set to release this February on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The pre-order bonus is available for both versions of the game.
