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Final Fantasy XIII-2 has been announced by Square Enix.

The direct sequel to the 2010 role-playing game will be developed by the same team as the original, according to Andriasang.

Director Motomu Toriyama has said that fans have been asking for a follow-up, which is set to address the complaints of the original game.

While few details of the title were revealed, it was confirmed that Lightning will return alongside a new central character.

It is being developed simultaneously on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and will be released this year in Japan.

Digital Spy

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Here's a bit of a crap clip of the trailer, I think it's been edited in a way that Square wont detect it (for some reason they only like a select few seeing their trailers)

Youtube video

[Stu]

Meh, if they said themselves it's to respond to the criticizms of XIII then it will be nothing like it linearity wise I guess, so I'm happy. I'll consider this the 'true' XIII.

Hopefully it will be like X to X-2's jump up in terms of open endedness, sidequests, and whacky customizable battle configurations.

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I hope they do correct the faults of XIII, which could have been an amazing game if they'd concentrated on the fact it was meant to be a RPG

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Better quality trailer

Youtube video

[Tom4784]

The date worries me, unless development started before XIII was released otherwise it hasn't had long which could mean it's been rushed or they've just transplanted the old gameplay system into this one. I hope they've listened to the criticisms of XIII though, given the ending of that hinted towards a Pulse set sequel there's no reason for it not to be less linear.

I do wonder though,will Versus EVER be released? It's ironic we haven't heard anything about it yet given that the Square event they're having was originally solely for a proper Versus reveal.

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Youtube video

I wonder how far ahead in time it is? I assume people of Cocoon will have begun building settlements in Pulse

[Novo]

I love the Main theme of FFXIII, Glad they have kept it for FFXIII-2, They changed the FFX main theme for FFX-2 but it was equally as good

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That music for XIII made me want to play it again..lol

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The official site is open now
http://na.square-enix.com/ffxiii-2/

[Novo]

She even has the Yuna pose there, and there is the Male version of Paine

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Woops! This is the UK's official site lol
http://www.finalfantasy13-2game.com/#/uk/home/

I hope the game isn't a much about the Fal'Cie this time

[Tom4784]

I wonder if there's a chance it'll come out this year in the West if they've already started on the English VO? There wasn't any English trailers for XIII until after it was released in Japan so I reckon their release dates could be quite close. If I remember right Dissidia Duodecim's launching worldwide at a similar time so maybe they're aiming to plug the gap between Eastern & Western release dates.

They MUST have started developement on this a few years back if they've already got that much done. I kinda hope that's the case, otherwise it would mean this has been rush released.

When the initial news about the website was released (before the announcement) I was expecting it to take place hundreds of years into the future and you'd play as Fang & Vanille after coming out of Crystal Sleep. I'm glad Lightning's back, I'd like all the cast to come back....except Snow. I hope an Adamantoise trod on him after the ending of FFXIII

[Scarlett.]

I reckon the started on this when XIII was in its last stages, the production time of this one will have been lessened by the fact that XIII was the first game on the new engine

I hope Snow died falling of a pavement AS A HERO...not xD

Lightning was a great character

The UK site does say "Coming Next Winter"

[Tom4784]

I reckon it could be a Christmas release then given they've already done or started on Western promotion.

“FINAL FANTASY XIII-2” is currently in production with an aim for producing high quality game contents which exceed “FINAL FANTASY XIII” in every aspect; namely, a brand-new story which stems from the previous title as well as a battle system which has evolved further since “XIII” – and more. We will be disclosing further details about the new game in the future.

That's interesting, I reckon the core systems will probably stay the same then. Not that that's a problem, the battle system was the best part of XIII. I'm just hoping for less linearity and a better story to go along with the good characters they established last time.

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http://www.ffworld.com/images/news/02_06_11/01.jpg
http://www.ffworld.com/images/news/02_06_11/02.jpg

Stop staring at that single pic of Lightning surrounded by feathers. Real screenshots of Final Fantasy XIII-2 have popped up just ahead of the start of E3, giving us a first look at actual gameplay.

Writes Square Enix:

"Set a few years after Lightning and the others saved Cocoon, some survivors have decided to start over by rebuilding on Gran Pulse. Lightning, however, is nowhere to be found and thought dead by many, but Serah believes otherwise. When her town is suddenly overrun by monsters, a mysterious man named Noel appears to save her. Together, the two set off to find Lightning..."

XIII-2 will be one of Square Enix's main games at E3, so we should be getting a lot more shortly.

Looks like Serah is the main character this time!

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I heard in a preview that creatures apparently join in the battle (on your side, I think) also, towns are definately back and outside towns, it isn't simply linear

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From Wired.com

So … did Square Enix fix Final Fantasy XIII?

With the long-awaited 13th game in the series having been a high-profile misstep for the storied role-playing game franchise, the announcement of a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII wasn’t quite as impactful as it might have been had the first game been received with open arms.

But the awkwardly named Final Fantasy XIII-2 brings with it a shot at partial redemption, a chance to make a game that feels more like a proper RPG and less like a 30-hour movie.

It’s impossible to tell for sure based on the game’s 20-minute E3 demo, but Square Enix is at least taking a shot at it. Here’s how Final Fantasy XIII-2, to be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this winter, differs from its big brother.

Quick time events: This may not excite you, but it’s true. XIII-2 calls them “Cinematic Actions,” but they are what they are: At predetermined points in the game’s battles, a button prompt will appear on-screen and you’ll have a very generous window of time in which to press that button. This will cause your character to do something big and splashy and cause the enemy in question a world of hurt.

The XIII-2 demo begins with Serah, the sister of the previous game’s protagonist, Lightning, and her friend Noel attacking a giant monster. Well, a giant monster’s arm, at any rate. The creature is emerging through some kind of dimensional portal, but it’s only got one of its limbs through. Noel and Serah hack away at the arm gamely, though.

Nonlinear areas to explore: This is the big one. FFXIII never let up on the action for a second; you had to constantly run forward and battle enemies. XIII-2’s demo area is in a camp populated with people, a largish nonlinear area that you can run around and get lost in if you like. You can actually walk up to people and press X to talk to them. Some of them actually had some interesting things to add to the plot.

Jumping: You can jump. I am pretty sure this is the first time that a mainline Final Fantasy game has tried this. You can go leaping around the levels if you like. There’s something to be said for a good jump button to break up monotony, isn’t there?

Active enemies on the battlefield: When you see your enemies wandering around and get in range of them, an on-screen stopwatch starts ticking down. You have a few seconds to run up to the enemy and begin the battle, and if you start early enough, you’ll get a stat bonus. If you dilly-dally, the battle will start normally. If you are really late, you’ll begin at a disadvantage. This makes running around on the field and getting into battles a little more interesting and engaging. Also, Square Enix says weather elements on the field, like rain, will affect the flow of the skirmishes.

Collectible battle monsters: Like the first game, XIII-2 lets you have three people in your party. Unlike the first game, one of them will be a monster. As you fight foes, you will gradually add them to a list of enemies that can battle alongside you. After I battled a Behemoth, for example, I could add him to my roster. The game doesn’t change the “Paradigm” battle style of its predecessor, but as you pick different Paradigms, different monsters will swap in to add their talents to your damage-dealing.

Puzzles: This is the aspect of the XIII-2 demo that surprised me most. After finding my way with Serah and Noel through a twisty maze toward some magical gewgaw that would give me an advantage in the boss fight, I expected to simply pick it up and be on my way. But no. The game dumped me into an area called “The Void Beyond: A Temporal Rift,” and I was set to a puzzling task.

I had to make my way across a bridge of shimmering red tiles that dropped away as I walked on them, and figure out a way to get to the exit without getting myself stuck. This was very un-Final Fantasy but quite fun. I’m hoping the final game is full of puzzles like this.

Bad English-language rapping: I didn’t say all these points would be better in the new game, just different. The music in the XIII-2 demo was grating. I don’t know how the symphony orchestra concert series is going to do rap.

When all else fails, blatant fan service: The most popular critter in the Final Fantasy mythos is the Moogle, a fluffy little ball of whatever who says “Kupo!” a lot, which roughly translates to “buy a plush doll of me.” Serah now has a pet Moogle named Mog that follows her around, saying the catchphrase over and over until your heart melts. Since this is a modern-day Final Fantasy, Mog also turns into a crossbow, which Serah uses in battle.

So … did they fix Final Fantasy XIII? I can’t say at this point, but the sequel will certainly be a substantially different game.

[Stu]

The battle system looks largely the same so I won't be playing it. I get what they were going for with it in XIII. Why make the player constantly use fire on an ice elemental enemy that's weak to fire when you can have it done for you. I get it. I do. But it works in theory far better than it does in practice. It's a boring, shit battle system that relegates me to the sidelines holding the controller in one hand spending most of my time watching rather than participating.

Oh look my party isin't faring too well. I better switch to a healing paradigm and watch what happens! What a thrill!

Versus looks decent but it probably won't be out for another eight years and will dissapoint in some sort of way. I'm done with Square Enix. I'm tired of waiting for them to give the franchise a serious kick up the backside.

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Totally agree there, I hated the battle system, so when I saw it in this one, my hope for it sank a little, I'm gonna play it anyway, glad they're bringing towns and stuff back into it.

I hope the system for XV is more like the old ones, I don't care for the flashiness of the battle scenes, I'd rather have time to think about the items/spells/attacks I'm using.

I have a feeling Versus is the new 'Duke Nukem Forever'.

[Tom4784]

I thought the battle system in XIII was the best thing about it, what's so different about picking to use fire in XIII then it is in VII? You still watch the results. Then again I rarely used the auto battle option.

[Stu]

Do you think XIII's battle system is as free form, creative and hands on as VII's then? With as many choices and tactics to pull off and really feel like you are pulling off?

I found it as involving as a Killzone script.

[Novo]

Lost Odyssey was more like a Final Fantasy game then Final Fantasy XIII i thought.. it fact i probably would have preferred if it was because FFXIII was dire the only reason i carried on playing it in the end was for the Xbox achievements and the fact i am a FF fanboy at heart not so much anymore though.. it felt like the end of an era after the FFVII 10th Anniversary

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Stu

Do you think XIII's battle system is as free form, creative and hands on as VII's then? With as many choices and tactics to pull off and really feel like you are pulling off?

I found it as involving as a Killzone script.

No, my point was picking actions and watching them unfold is kind of a staple of the series. I found relying on the auto battle on XIII to be a bad habbit, The AI was limited in making the most of the turn. I think the actual battle system was one of the best the series has done, however the Crystarium had potential and it did open up at the end when you had access to learning new roles and such but it was flawed admittedly.

I enjoyed the game for what it was, not the best FF but miles above low points such as XII and III.