Final fantasy Versus XIII

Final fantasy Versus XIII :

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Final Fantasy Versus XIII  is an upcoming action role-playing game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and currently being developed by the company's 1st Production Department. Alongside Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Final Fantasy Type-0, the game is a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy series. 
Unveiled at E3 2006,the game focuses on a mysterious protagonist, Noctis Lucis Caelum, who is the last heir of a dynasty ruling over the only remaining city to control crystals. Under unforeseen circumstances, he makes a stand against marauders seeking to take the crystal as their own.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII is, according to its developers, a wholly independent story unfolding with different characters and a different visual design. Although it is set within the same Final Fantasy XIII universe, it is unrelated to any other entry within the series and is thus neither a sequel nor a prequel to any other entries in theFabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series.

Gameplay

Battles will take place in real-time environments using all regions of the field, from the tops of buildings down to street level. Nomura said that the game will feature battles that take place in areas with great differences in height, as shown in the trailer, and the players will have to fight using the full environment. This means fighting what's in front, as well as above and below (vertical battles). The battle interface consists of several aspects, mainly Magic, Item, Summons and EX-ARTS. In addition, there are highly animated character portraits on the lower right corner of the screen. The portrait will change according to the character's feelings and current movement similar to Star Ocean: The Last Hope albeit in a wider variety. The game also uses a real-time event system, allowing players to suddenly be attacked or trigger certain events while walking around. For example, when Noctis reaches a pedestrian bridge, a behemoth beast will attack. Another example is a plane crashing into the road. Implementing these kinds of real time events, which transition seamlessly into the flow of gameplay, takes a long time in terms of development, said Nomura.Director Tetsuya Nomura has stated that Versus XIII's gameplay will be a realistic derivation of Kingdom Hearts's battle system with some elements of a third-person shooter. The gameplay concept of enemies on the field map with seamless battle transitions is similar to Final Fantasy XII. Nomura has also stated that the game will depart from the light and magical aesthetic of his previous directorial games (i.e. Kingdom Hearts) and opt for a darker, bleaker world that is intended to counter previous Final Fantasy installments. According to Nomura, the world of Final Fantasy Versus XIII is based on the modern Shinjuku district. In formulating a realistic world, Nomura has stated that he wants the characters to be "believable" and thus realistic. As a testament towards his desire for realistic characters, he appointed Jun Akiyama to be the Event Director due to his experience directing cut-scenes with realistic themed characters in Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII. Nomura has said that the game is also set to be more mature and violent compared to previous Final Fantasy titles. Final Fantasy Versus XIII had a greater display of graphic violence with an instance of blood in the PlayStation Premier trailer for the game.

The game's combat will be party-based, with each party consisting of a maximum of three characters at a time with players being able to switch between the controlled characters. At the start of the game, the party line-up will be predetermined, though players will get the ability to freely switch out members as the story progresses, similar to Final Fantasy XIII. Each character will have his or her own unique special attack capabilities, and all characters will be able to use magic, although the effect of the magic differs from character to character. For example, when Noctis casts magic, it emerges from his weapon, while for another party member, it may light his surroundings with fire. Noctis is the only character capable of equipping all weapon types in the game; other characters each have their own unique specialties. For example, one of the characters is a gun specialist who can switch to a third person view for precise aiming at the enemy's weak points, buildings, and other objects.

Nomura has also stated in Dengeki PlayStation that he aims to create previously unseen "tricky" battle sequences, reminiscent of the CGI film, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. He has also stated that the development team have been implementing a traversable world map, used in the main Final Fantasy series up until its removal in Final Fantasy X. Nomura later commented, in an interview conducted via Twitter, that players will be able to control an airship around the world map.

Like some of the previous games in the Final Fantasy series the game will feature large open fields in the world map which allow players to walk through almost anything on the field apart from the mountains. Nomura has also mentioned that the fields are truly vast and that it was very far to traverse from one end to another; thus, to facilitate easy navigation, the game will feature the return of vehicles such as an airship along with a form of fast travel between specific locations on the world map as well as a car, allowing players to easily traverse the large fields. Players can ride cars, aircraft and Chocobos; they can also steal tanks.

One of the trailers shows Noctis selecting from a number of different weapons to defeat the enemy soldiers in front of him. The various weapons in the game will have different methods of attack, and some will even be usable as shields to go along with Noctis's crystal power. Weapons will have some sort of customization such as elemental attacks as well. The trailer also showed Noctis warping around killing enemies. Nomura explained that players won't be able to warp freely to every spot but will be able to warp to the location where the sword is placed but is limited to an attack gauge. This is one area that is being tested on so it's a matter of time to see if this all makes it into the final product. Summon beasts are in the game and will have to be defeated to be used. Nomura has also said that the game may have Sixaxis support on the PlayStation 3.

Setting

Final Fantasy Versus XIII involves Noctis Lucis Caelum, the last heir to an isolated nation, which holds the last Crystal protected by kings. Its isolation is due to the city's resistance; to protect itself against invading heretics. The game has been said to initiate at the "clearing" of a long cold war between warring nations that revolved around the crystals.

The official trailer starts with the words, "This is a fantasy based on reality." The trailer shows modern technology such as cars, freeways, and automatic weapons and bears a striking resemblance to the real world today.

Very little information regarding the plot of the game has been revealed since E3 2006; however, Square Enix representatives have commented that Versus may be the darkest Final Fantasy game yet.

Screenshots from Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu, have revealed a large city reminiscent of Tokyo which showcases a recreation of the real-life Shinjuku, surrounding Square Enix's office, in game. The lead character is seen battling a Behemoth in the dead of night with cars and flames in the distance.

Characters

Main characters

• The protagonist of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Noctis is the last heir to the Caelum Dynasty, which rules over the only remaining city-state that controls the Crystals. Noctis attempts to protect his city-state against those who seek to conquer it and take the Crystals by force. Nomura has compared Noctis's family to the modern-day Japanese mafia. The color of his eyes have been shown to change from blue to crimson during battle; according to Nomura, the color changes are both intentional and significant. Noctis's full name is Latin for "Light of the Night Sky," and his nickname is "Noct". Noctis Lucis Caelum 

Noctis wields many weapons, ranging from swords, spears, and lances to guns. He controls them with telekinesis (through the power of the Crystal), using them for both attack and defense. Nomura has stated that each weapon has a different usage and is not directly limited by normal standards of attack; for instance, some weapons are also usable as shields. Noctis also has the ability to teleport or to suddenly move at a high speed, Noctis can also do this in game play according to the trailer posted by Square in 2011.

Noctis's personality is different from other characters in the Final Fantasy franchise and is one that Nomura had wanted to try out for a long time. In the past, protagonists were not given strong personalities while distinctive ones were delegated to the supporting cast, but Nomura states that Noctis's idiosyncrasies mark a departure from this tradition. Although his character is said to be hard to define given his complexities, a good measure of his personality can be sensed from his first meeting with Stella. Noctis hides his shyness underneath a façade of coolness in front of her, which creates a cold and unsociable impression. However, he smiles and acts more openly around his friends, a testament to Nomura's statement that "[Noctis] is not the least bit a silent, gloomy little boy."

• A young woman with golden-blonde hair, Stella is said to be the daughter of the Fleuret family of the country Tenebrae (Latin for "darkness") and an enemy to Noctis, though her allegiances are under suspicion as she talked to him during a social gather and talked about the goddess Etro and her relation to their abilities. Fleuret is the French name of the fencing foil, a direct reference to Stella's weapon of choice, a rapier. Like Noctis, she is able to materialize weapons from thin air, as she is shown summoning her rapier from a rune similar to one used by Noctis to summon his sword, though Stella's rune is golden while Noctis' is blue.

Like that of Noctis, a good measure of Stella's personality can be sensed during her first meeting with Noctis. For instance, in their discussion about the power they share and its connection to an old legend, Stella is very open about the matter while Noctis seems reluctant to talk about it, suggesting that they keep it a secret. Stella is described to be ladylike and extremely polite but direct in her manner — a reflection of her proper but strong upbringing. She acts according to her beliefs, believing the powers she and Noctis have are part of a greater purpose, and doesn't shy away from problems. Nomura states that she will be the first to stand out from other female characters in the Final Fantasy franchise, although it is not specified how.

Other characters

Another character, shown in a white robe, is seen facing off with Noctis. Noctis approaches the character with intent, implying that they are enemies.

Noctis has three companions who have been revealed in the video game magazine Famitsu. The first is Ignis (voiced by Mamoru Miyano), a man with light brown hair and glasses who is seen wearing a suit and driving Noctis's car. He uses throwing knives in battle. The second is a bulkier man with long dark brown hair and a scar on the left side of his face, named Gladiolus (voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto). In the January 2011 trailer, he's seen wielding a long two-hand sword. The third is a younger, blond-haired man named Prompto (voiced by Tetsuya Kakihara), who is seen carrying a shotgun and teasing Noctis. Unlike other characters, he can target weak spots on enemies with his precise aiming. These three people are Noctis's friends; they speak casually and amicably with him, and they also accompany him during his travels.

Soldiers have been seen in the trailers as well. These unknown warriors wear medieval-styled armor but carry assault rifles that resemble modern automatic weapons. Another man, dressed in a business suit and shown leading a meeting with several other men in a cathedral-style chamber, is Noctis's father and the ruler of their city. He possesses the same weapon-manipulating powers as Noctis, and is shown fighting another man, thought to be Stella's father or grandfather, the king of Tenebrae.

Development

Tetsuya Nomura stated in May 2006 that absolutely nothing had been done on the actual scenario and that the team had yet to start actual work on the game's story. However, he also said that he had the plot worked out for some time in his mind and he was in the process of discussing the plot and concept with his staff. Both Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase believe Final Fantasy Versus XIII is unsuitable as an iteration of the main Final Fantasy series due to the concept and thinking behind the game's plot and structure.

Directed by Tetsuya Nomura, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is being developed by the teams responsible for Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, and Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, which are currently part of Square Enix's 1st Production Department. The scenario is being written by Kazushige Nojima based on the story idea by Nomura. The cut-scenes will be directed by Jun Akiyama who was the cut-scene director of Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII. The music is being composed by Yoko Shimomura.

Along with Final Fantasy XIII, the game utilizes the Crystal Tools engine—an engine specifically designed by Square Enix for the seventh generation of video game consoles. However, in early 2007, Square Enix had announced they had licensed Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 for use in their future next generation titles, like The Last Remnant. Some speculated that Final Fantasy Versus XIII would be developed using the Unreal Engine 3, however, Square Enix has stressed the White Engine—later renamed Crystal Tools—would be used in Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. It was announced that the game would use the PlayStation 3's motion-sensitive SIXAXIS controller.

Reports of June 2008 that Final Fantasy Versus XIII had been put on hold so that the Versus team could assist work on the main title, Final Fantasy XIII, were later debunked by Square Enix, stating that this was a mistranslation of an interview from Famitsu and misinterpretation of the article, and that both games are moving along at their original schedules; occasionally, Versus developers would assist with Final Fantasy XIII development. Square Enix announced at its DKΣ3713 party in August 2008 that the demo of Final Fantasy XIII, as well as new trailers of Versus XIII and Agito XIII, would be released in the highly-anticipatedFinal Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete Blu-ray Disc. Square Enix announced the release date of the new Advent Children Blu-ray release to be some time during March 2009 (later changed to April 16) and asked fans to disregard previous release dates. Famitsu released a 50-minute DVD entitled "Re: Riplai" on December 13, 2008, including trailers from the Fabula Nova Crystallis series and other Square Enix titles.

On December 19, 2009, gameplay footage of Final Fantasy Versus XIII was shown as part of a trailer shown at Jump Festa 2010 in Japan.

When asked by a Square Enix investor at a shareholders meeting about a possible Xbox 360 port, president Yoichi Wada stated "We'll be looking into it internally until right before the formal announcement." After some backlash, he later clarified his original statement by saying on Twitter "It looks like the [inter]net is heating up. Versus on Xbox? What I said at the earnings press conference was just that until a formal announcement is made at the announcement time; all points about all titles are not finalized."

In regards to the announcement of Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International for the Xbox 360, Nomura was asked by fans on Twitter regarding the fate of Final Fantasy Versus XIII's exclusivity and his response was "Multiplatform is when you start development on a game with the assumption of optimizing for multiple platforms. Porting is something that's done after you've developed a game specifically for a particular platforms[sic]. The debate over porting is decided by the management based on the current market and the costs. All I can say right now as a developer is that Versus is being developed specifically for the PlayStation 3."

In late August 2010, producer Yoshinori Kitase cast doubt over a release within the next year as he stated that Square Enix would not commit to a 2011 release. A brief trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII was shown at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show, where Square Enix announced that a press conference regarding the Fabula Nova Crystallis series will be held on January 11, 2011. On December 13, 2010, the date for the conference was changed to January 18, 2011, and the conference is now known as the "Square Enix 1st Production Department Premier." The trailer shown at the conference included Noctis being voiced for the first time, gameplay footage featuring swordplay and shooting elements, and Noctis firing from a tank-like machine and operating a robotic biped.Nomura has said the game is unlikely to be released in 2011 and that the earliest possible reveal of information about the game would be at E3 2011. However, the game was not present at the show.

Developer(s) Square Enix 1st Production Department

Publisher(s) Square Enix

Series Final Fantasy

Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy

Engine Crystal Tools

Platform(s) PlayStation 3

Release date(s) TBA

Genre(s) Action RPG

Mode(s) Single-player

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