Final Fantasy 13/XIII - Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy XIII (13) is an RPG video game, the thirteenth installment in the flagship Final Fantasy series. It was produced by Square Enix and was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and later for the Windows operating system. The game was released in Japan in December 2009 and worldwide in March 2010. The game was directed by Motomu Toriyama and produced by Yoshinori Kitase. The lead programmer was Oshiki Kashitani.
The plot of Final Fantasy XIII
The game takes place in a world called Gran Pulse. Above Gran Pulse floats a giant artificial biosphere called Cocoon, ruled by a theocratic government called the Sanctum. The Sanctum orders a purge against Cocoon civilians who have come into contact with beings from Pulse, the dreaded world below.
Lightning , the game's main protagonist, takes up arms against the Cocoon government in an attempt to save his sister Sarah, who has been branded a servant of a divine being from Pulse and an enemy of the state. The Fal'Cie are mechanical, god-like beings that rule both worlds. Lightning and a group of other adventurers encounter the fal'Cie from Pulse named Anima, and are labeled as l'Cie, and are given missions or a "Focus" to complete. Their Focus is to destroy Cocoon, and whether the character completes or fails their Focus will ultimately determine whether they become monsters or crystals.
Characters
- Lightning - A former member of the Bodhum Guardian Corps before being thrown into turmoil when she discovered her sister Serah had become a Pulse l'Cie. Lightning joined the Purged in hopes of saving her. She is a skilled fighter and expert with firearms.
- Snow Villiers - The leader of NORA, Snow Villiers is a rugged, masculine character. He travels to Hanging Edge to fight PSICOM and the Purge in order to save his fiancée, Serah. He is adept at hand-to-hand combat but wears a special rune coat that increases his strength.
- Oerba Dia Vanille - A lively young girl with a mysterious past. The main narrator of the story whose weapon is a binding rod.
- Sazh Katzroy - A middle-aged Black man with an afro. He used to be in the military but now works as a civilian airline pilot. In order to save his son Dajh, he becomes a Purged. He has a Chocobo chick that hides in his afro and fights with two pistols that can be joined to become a rifle.
- Hope Estheim - A teenager who, along with his mother, is part of the group of exiles traveling aboard the Purge train. He blames Snow for his mother's death. Hope uses boomerangs in combat.
- Oerba Yun Fang - A tanned wild woman with a large tattoo on one arm and a l'Cie burn mark on the other. She wishes to complete her Focus. She is effective with spears.
Gameplay
Similar to Final Fantasy XII , the game takes place in an open world in which characters can engage in or avoid combat with monsters. New items can be acquired and various abilities unlocked as the player progresses through the game. A separate battle interface appears once combat is initiated, and players can choose from a menu to attack, use magic, abilities, techniques, or use an item. The abilities a player has access to depend on their paradigm, which can be changed. In battles, the characters' HP and TP (Technique Points) are displayed.
The game builds on the classic Active Time Battle battle system first introduced in Final Fantasy IV , where a gauge fills and depletes as characters perform actions. The gauge has only two slots at the start, but can increase to six slots as the game progresses. It is also possible to select automatic sequences that execute themselves. In battle, one character at a time is controlled by the player, the other two use AI to perform actions on their own.
Each enemy has what is called a stagger point and a chain resistance (chain bar). The enemy chain bar starts at 100% and increases as an enemy is attacked, eventually resetting. Enemies eventually reach a preset stagger point, which affects the amount of damage and resistance enemies deal, as well as their ability to be launched into the air. Eidolons can be summoned by the current character in battle, which costs Technique Points (TP). Summoned Eidolons take the place of the other two characters and have a preset timer instead of a health bar, performing actions and assisting the player in battle.
Characters become more powerful in a system similar to Final Fantasy X 's spherical grid called the Crystarium system. Characters receive "Crystogen Points" (CP) in battle, which can be spent to purchase stat upgrades, spells, and a range of other abilities on a circular chart.
Development
Development of Final Fantasy XIII began in 2004. Compared to previous Final Fantasy games, director Motomu Toriyama wanted the main protagonist to be a new type of female character. The main character, Lightning, is portrayed as stern and athletic, very different from the more feminine main characters of the past, and was designed to be based on the image of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII .
