Queen's Blood (Final Fantasy Thread)

[Ruki]

Square Enix is to reveal another FFXIII game during the company's Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary celebrations next week.

The announcement was made via a new site, which currently features the headline “A Storm Gathers,” against the backdrop of a cloudy sky lit by lightning.

The text beneath reads, "The 'Lightning Saga' that started with the release of FINAL FANTASY XIII, has achieved a cumulative shipment of over 9.6 million units; and in May 2012 FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 was brought to conclusion with the add-on content entitled 'Lightning's Story: Requiem of the Goddess'.

"Key members of the FINAL FANTASY XIII development team including the Producer, Director and Art Director, are in preparations to present new information about the direction of Lightning's story.

"This presentation will take place at an event in Tokyo to celebrate FINAL FANTASY 25th Anniversary, on 1st September 2012."

So there ya go. Prepare yourself for another FFXIII game. Lightning must have some severely sore udders.

SIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHH.

I love Lightning as much as the next person, but come on. Give me a new world. A new system. A new game.

Also, has anyone played the DLC? Tempted to get it...but also just as tempted to save a few bucks and watch it on Youtube.

[Benji]

Not buying it. After XIII-2 they can fuck off. I'll try XIV, XV, Tactics, more FF VII sequels, but fuck off am I buying FF XIII-3 after the insulting end to XIII-2.

[Ruki]

XIV? Screw online games.

But I am with you. XIII has been done to death, and needs to be done.

Although, I say I won't buy the game, but I probably will. They own my soul..."Maybe this time they won't hurt me."

[TKz]

I'll get it. I'm still annoyed at the ending, but id rather have another game to enjoy than miss out. Besides, as a planned trilogy it's more acceptable, especially if they've got a lot more stuff planned. XIII-2 was so much fun until the last 5 minutes too. Felt like a great step towards a more fun Final Fantasy, which they'll hopefully improve on even more!

[tenaciousg]

They at least remastered some of the MIDI tracks (I think?).

Unless they put in the piano tracks, why do that? Those tunes were awesome. Gold Saucer theme is the greatest.

No, I meant that they remastered the shitty PC-port MIDI tracks; not the console version's soundtrack.

Some guy made a program that replaces 99% of the game's music with the console version stuff, though. You've also got the choice of fan-made tracks and official covers and other stuff done by Nobuo and the like. I think there are only two instances where the music couldn't be replaced, one of which is the ending (since the music's tied to the cinematic or whatever)... and I can't remember the other.

[Herr Matzat]

FF Dymensions is comming to iOS on the 31th. It´s going to be one of the most expensive ios games ever clocking in at 30$. But you can buy it in episodes, the first one is only 3$ so you can see if you like it first.

[Herr Matzat]

And there is is.

http://toucharcade.com/2012/08/30/ta-plays-final-fantasy-dimensions-the-slow-misadventures-of-brad-eli-nissa-and-jared/

[Ruki]

Lightning Returns places an emphasis on "time." The game has a real time system, with day turning to night and people and facilities around town changing accordingly. You'll have to clear the game within 13 days time, although this can be extended as you defeat enemies.

Character customization will be more robust. Lightning will have a large number of costumes, available from the start.

In a press release issued following the stage, Square Enix said that

Lighthing Returns

will be the final chapter in the Lightning series. It will offer a more active and free style of play.

A trailer and play demonstration was also shown at the event, but just for attendees (meaning it was not broadcast through the stage's live stream). According to an attendee, the build shown at the event was an alpha version, even using development staff in place of professional voice actors. The demonstration showed Lighthing facing off against a Behemoth, apparently changing her fighting style during combat.

Lightning Returns will be available on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, and is set for a 2013 release.

Guys....COSTUMES! Best game ever.

Edit: Just found a little more:

Lightning Returns will incorporate “a brand-new story, world, characters and an enhanced gameplay system,” according to Square Enix. The game will feature Lightning as a solo playable character and allow her to freely roam a new world.

Other details regarding Lightning Returns are limited. We do know that the main story takes place hundreds of years after Final Fantasy XIII-2, set in a world called Novus Partus — which is composed of four islands connected by monorail. The development team told IGN that three of the guiding pillars for the art direction in Lightning Returns are “gothic, mechanical and fantasy.”

The most startling change to Lightning Returns comes in the form of the doomsday countdown. According to Square-Enix, the world will end after 13 days, and a massive clock will count down constantly in the corner of the screen to indicate this looming deadline. Any action players take, even taking the monorail from place to place, will spend time and hasten the end of days.

With Lightning as the only playable character, players will have unparalleled control over customizing her looks and combat style. The battle system itself, a greatly modified version of the previous two, will feature real-time elements including direct control of Lightning’s movement and her attacks, as well as time-based moves that drain the doomsday counter. Lightning Returns will also include a real-time block system, designed to make battles much more active and time-based. Even dying mid-battle will activate a prompt to give players the choice to rewind their mistakes at the expense of the timer.

I don't know how I feel about Lightning (as much as I love her) being the ONLY character in the game. Final Fantasy is a team-based game! It's all about balance!

But the doomsday countdown...that kinda sounds cool.

[Benji]

That sounds fucking terrible. One of the things I love about Final Fantasy is taking time to do everything. Putting it on a time limit is pretty much the single dumbest thing they could add.

[Ruki]

It sounds like this is going to be more of an action game than an RPG.

The battle system itself, a greatly modified version of the previous two, will feature real-time elements including direct control of Lightning’s movement and her attacks,

Kinda sounds like Star Ocean to me. While those aren't horrible games, it's not Final Fantasy. I want my party of three or four...a warrior, a black mage, a white mage and whatever the fuck else I want to round out the party!

[TKz]

It'd be cool if the next game they made was a Final Fantasy game. That'd be nice.

[Benji]

It'd be cool if the next game they made was a Final Fantasy game. That'd be nice.

Coming from me, this won't mean much, because we all know I'm a massive FFIX fanboy, but they really need to do what they did with that game - sit down and write a game that is basically a piece of fan masturbation. It's the only way I can ever see them getting back on track.

[Ruki]

Yay fan masturbation!

[TKz]

They could always use what their fans actually liked in the past and just make a fucking game around it. How hard is it to make a god damn turn based RPG? It's like they're innovating all of the wrong things. Sure, you can change it up a bit, change the way the story is told and so on, but fucking hell, Final Fantasy was a success because of the strength of the gameplay, what is their obsession with getting rid of the one thing that always works?

Did anyone really ever give a shit that it was unrealistic for your characters to stand around, waiting for the next attack? It's not like anyone new is going to buy a Final Fantasy game just because you move around slightly more when you're waiting for your turn.

It'd be like Coca Cola saying "Hey, fuck it, you know what'd be different and make us stand out? If we started selling bags of Cola."

[King Ellis]

They probably have those in Canada.

[Clawson]

They probably have those in Canada.

Not yet but I'm on my way to the patent office.

And fuck, if you're gonna make an action-RPG why not give us Kingdom Hearts 3 instead of this shit?

This is cool though... http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/08/31/square-reveals-final-fantasy-25th-anniversary-collection

Edited September 2, 2012 by Clawson

[Trey]

I'm just holding out hope that you can grind the doomsday clock insanely high so you ne'er have to really worry about it.

[Ruki]

The game’s development is at about 30% currently. This is the final title with which Lightning can see a happy ending. She’s going to face a final trial in this battle, one that puts her against the very Larry Zbyszko that she spent all this time creating. Even though there aren’t multiple endings, you certainly can run into bad endings if you run out of time – resulting in the world being destroyed.

So, it is the final game. For sure.

Hopefully it will release next year (October? November?), and then we can have Final Fantasy XV (I like the way that looks in roman numerals) by 2014 or early 2015.

[Pizza]

I'm going to be extremely disappointed if the final boss isn't Larry Zbyszko now.

[hugobomb]

Finally got a 360 and decided to give 13 a go. About 45 minutes in and so far Vanielle's voice is annoying me. Other than that nothing much to complain about so far