FFXIII-2

[Uzor]

XIII-2 makes one major improvement to the usability of the paradigm system: the game will now save your paradigm combinations, so you can easily switch them out.

Um, what? Didn't this already exist in XIII, or are they speaking about something completely different?

[Elcura]

Um, what? Didn't this already exist in XIII, or are they speaking about something completely different?

I guess they're talking about not having to remake new paradigms? I know you could make a set of like 5, but if you wanted to change any of those 5 you needed to remake the Paradigm completely, so maybe this just saves time doing that?

[miokomioko]

Which is why the superior situation would be to have a system where not all characters are proficient in everything... but allow the player to choose which character will fill what role.

Sound familiar? :D

[vadre]

I'm guessing it'll be an option to save sets of paradigms basically, rather than just individual ones. So you might have one set ready for boss fights that might need SEN more, one for trash that's mostly just CON/RAV + MED setups etc.

[TacoTaru]

This been covered yet? I apologize if it has.

America's Final Fantasy XIII-2 Special Edition is Opulent.
http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/215569-header.jpg

$80 for:
-Game
-Manual
-20 Page Art Book
-4 Disc soundtrack
-Custom artwork by Amano

[Ratatapa]

Holy shit

Nothing yet on amazon.ca tho

[Correction]

Not a bad deal for the soundtrack but I've never been a fan of DVD-case sized artbooks. At only 20 pages it's barely there.

[Kaslo]

Calling Gamestop now to see if they have it to reserve, I'll have to switch mine over...

[Ratatapa]

Canada will surely not get it

[Teron]

This been covered yet? I apologize if it has.

America's Final Fantasy XIII-2 Special Edition is Opulent.
http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/215569-header.jpg

$80 for:
-Game
-Manual
-20 Page Art Book
-4 Disc soundtrack
-Custom artwork by Amano

EU will get:

Pre-Order Bonus Pack:
• FINAL FANTASY XIII -Episode i-. This novella explores the events taking place between FINAL FANTASY XIII and FINAL FANTASY XIII-2. Witness the untold story!
• Three lithograph artcards, showing key images for the game
• DLC content; Alternate costume for Serah and Noel
• DLC content; Unique Weapon for Noel
• DLC Content; Monster battle: defeat Omega, the famous FINAL FANTASY boss monster, and then have it join your party as you continue on your adventure.

Limited Collector's Edition:
• Unique packaging containing the FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 game
• Composer Selected Soundtrack: CD with selection of music tracks from the game, specially chosen by the composers
• Artwork book “The Art of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2”, featuring artwork across the production
• 6 collectible postcards, featuring high quality CG artwork of main characters in the game
• High Definition Lenticular Artprint, showing an iconic image of the Lightning character

Crystal Edition:
• Presentation box containing the FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 game
• 4-Disc FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Original Soundtrack, with premium digipak packaging
• Exclusive FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 T-Shirt from the SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS range. Never to be available elsewhere!
• Artwork book “The Art of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2”, featuring artwork across the production
• 6 collectable postcards, featuring high quality CG artwork of main characters in the game
• High Definition Lenticular Artprint, showing an iconic image of the Lightning character

[Elcura]

The fuck? Why is EU getting stuff all of a sudden?

[miokomioko]

My boner for art books is tingling.

[Crab_Cake]

Which is why the superior situation would be to have a system where not all characters are proficient in everything... but allow the player to choose which character will fill what role.

Sound familiar? :D

FF5 and FF Tactics? With the exception of "Bare" and "Mime"(which both were overpowered once you maxed out all the other jobs), FF5 allowed you to customize the characters really well. FF12 International gets a thumbs down for no job switching >.> but it does work well too.

I would definitely prefer if FF13 went that route. With me being bias, I'm glad Vanille is awesome in FFXIII but I know players (and me too) would have liked the ability for all characters to be able to learn all abilities (maybe with the exception of full ATB skills) and maybe mix and match.

Maybe characters would have like 20-25 slots for abilities or something in a pool of how many abilities there were in FFXIII.

I'd like to make Vanille a commander (with Blitz + Launch, two abilities doesn't get to learn sadly) so she could use her weapon more often <3. Also Vanille with Haste would have been neat too (If you didn't know or didn't try before, you can buff Eidolons. Though it doesn't affect Gestalt mode unfortunately [Brave and Faith that is]. Haste would have been useful to stagger the enemy faster).

Though Vanille in general is really good all around already in FFXIII which I'm glad (well except for the whole Hecatoncheir not having Curaga for some [balance reasons?] thing).

Not a bad deal for the soundtrack but I've never been a fan of DVD-case sized artbooks. At only 20 pages it's barely there.

It is good deal - $60 for game, $20 for OST, and the artbook and other stuff are cherry on top.

Hmm I'd definitely get the CE if the artbook features Vanille (if it does, I'd scan it, save copies, make backups ) but otherwise I think I'll go for the regular version and maybe wait for the OST to be released on iTunes at a good price if I like it (FFXIII AFAIK is just $10 on iTunes. Though that was a year and a half after FFXIII was released).

[Yugl]

Idk if this has been posted yet:

http://www.tokyohive.com/2011/11/osh...antasy-xiii-2/

Recently, AKB48’s Oshima Yuko became the leader of ‘Judge XIII‘, a group of beta testers for the upcoming Square Enix game, “Final Fantasy XIII-2“. The latest development in her career as a beta tester will be seen in a new CM, which will start airing on November 15th.

In the CM, Oshima attends a business meeting to discuss the DLC (downloadable content) to be offered after the game’s release. She suddenly raised her voice and asked, “Excuse me! I was thinking that maybe we could offer additional costumes…?” The others seem to like her proposal.

Oshima personally designed two costumes for the main character, and fans will be able to vote for their favorite design online once the campaign site gets updated on the 15th. The design that receives the most votes will eventually become available as a DLC after the game gets released.

Apparently, it was Oshima’s wish to be able to change the main character’s outfit, which made Square Enix think about adding extra costumes. They polished up her rough sketches in order to give players a better idea of how they’ll look inside the game.

[Hyan]

Hold on to that FFXIII save file if you have it! (This time, we mean it!). In an interview at Xbox.com, producer Yoshinori Kitase confirms that XIII-2 will have a bonus item for those with a save file from the original.

He wouldn't share specifics, but said the item will give you just a slight bonus. It's not something that will have a major effect on game balance, but it is something that will be convenient to have.

(The Xbox.com interview writes "FFXIII" instead of "FFXIII-2" in its response. I'm assuming this is just a misprint, and the the bonus item is for use in FFXIII-2 rather than in FFXIII).

Kitase made a number of additional points in the lengthy Xbox.com interview.

He discussed the game's "Fragment" system. Fragments can be thought of as quests. You'll find over 100 of these, and if you clear them, you'll get rewards, special items, skill ups and more. However, the Fragments are not part of the main story, so those who just want to play through the story can ignore them.

The game's improved loading was mentioned in previous play tests from the Japanese press. Kitase told Xbox.com that the game is extremely quick when it comes to loading. There will be just a bit of loading in the game's "Historia Crux" time travel system when you jump between time periods.

That time travel system, as previously detailed, only includes time periods after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, so don't expect to relive your favorite moments from the original. There's apparently a story-based reason for this. The time traveling was triggered when the "catastrophe" at the end of FFXIII messed up the space time continuum. One of the base components of the story is the "time paradoxes" the characters are involved in as they travel through time.

As previously detailed, you're free to replay individual time segments as you please. Kitase likened this to a "new game plus," where you replay the game with your characters fully powered after clearing the game once. The difference here is that you can replay individual sections without clearing the whole game first.

The time travel system is tied in heavily with the story. If you do something in the past, this will be reflected in future time periods. As you make changes to the past, and those changes are reflected in the future, the story's mysteries will slowly clear up.

Kitase played up the importance of Hope, who's appeared grown up in all the screens we've seen so far. Serah and newcomer Noel are the main characters, he reiterated. While the characters from the original will appear in the game in some capacity, Hope is of particular importance to the story as his role connects to the theme of "prayer for regeneration/rebirth."

http://andriasang.com/comyxk/

Replaying individual segments without forced meaningless replayability bullshit? Fuck yes. Sounds like TO:LUCT.

Also it cracks me up how every feature is a "<cool name> system". I kinda hope it's intentionally silly, because I find it funnier than the titles they pick for these games.

They're not sidequests- it's the FRAGMENT SYSTEM 2012

[Lonely]

In an interview at Xbox.com, producer Yoshinori Kitase confirms that XIII-2 will have a bonus item for those with a save file from the original.

He wouldn't share specifics, but said the item will give you just a slight bonus. It's not something that will have a major effect on game balance, but it is something that will be convenient to have.

FUCK, played XIII on xbox but i'll be playing XIII-2 on superior PSTRIPLE. Recently replayed the game to so I can't be bothered to do it again on a new system.

[Celeste]

I can't imagine why people played XIII on the X-Box 360. Didn't you need to have extra discs? This is X-Box > PS2 all over again.

[vadre]

I can't imagine why people played XIII on the X-Box 360. Didn't you need to have extra discs? This is X-Box > PS2 all over again.

Personally I only have a 360 and don't really want to buy a PS3 for XIII.. I don't think I'm alone in my financial limitations either

[Tyrath]

He was probably more talking about people who have access to both systems.

[Evane]

EU will get:

Pre-Order Bonus Pack:
• FINAL FANTASY XIII -Episode i-. This novella explores the events taking place between FINAL FANTASY XIII and FINAL FANTASY XIII-2. Witness the untold story!
• Three lithograph artcards, showing key images for the game
• DLC content; Alternate costume for Serah and Noel
• DLC content; Unique Weapon for Noel
• DLC Content; Monster battle: defeat Omega, the famous FINAL FANTASY boss monster, and then have it join your party as you continue on your adventure.

I'm confused. Do all of these bonuses come from just pre-ordering or must be ordered from specific retailers like the NA ones? Because Amazon UK lists only Noel's weapon. :/