Square Enix has decided to share some more details about Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13, mostly involving costumes, settings, and the battle system.
The PlayStation Blog had the scoop on the details, so let's get right into it. First up, the costumes.
For the furry fans out there, Lightning will be able to do some cosplaying of her own as the cat-like feline Miqo'te race featured in the MMORPG, Final Fantasy 14, as well as its relaunch, A Realm Reborn. While in this particular outfit, Lightning's victory pose will be one of the unique poses of this race, seen above. Lightning will also be able to equip at least one weapon from one of the game's cities, in the Lominsan Cutlass and Escutcheon, which, as the blog describes, will "give you some awesome rapid attacks and leave enemies dead in your wake."
On to battles - Not unlike other RPG's, certain enemies in Lightning Returns will feature destroyable sections that the player can target independently of other sections. Disable a certain part, and not only will it weaken the enemy (depending on the section), but you can also gain different items as rewards once you've won the battle, adding a nice bit of challenge to the series.
Lastly, as far as the area goes, we know the game takes place in Novus Partus, a world born form the merger of Gran Pulse and Valhalla. Square Enix posted some screenshots of one of the setting's cities, that of Yusnaan, the so called "city of revelry." In this city's case, it looks like betting is in top form, as the city is home to an arena hosting nightly battles called The Slaughterhouse. Seems like a good place to do some grinding, and I'm sure there'll be some nice prizes for Lightning to win against some of the Slaughterhouse's tougher monsters. It should also serve as a good place to try out the game's counter attack system. Basically, if you time your attacks just right with the enemy's, you can stagger them. The only downside is that it takes up a large amount of ATB, and is only useful against physical attacks.
The PlayStation Blog isn't the only place that's getting a look at Lightning Returns. Square also showed off a new trailer at Comic-Con, which you can check out below.
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 out in the states some time in February 2014 on PS3 and Xbox 360.
