Ben-DutkaThat's what game director Motomu Toriyama believes, at any rate.
Lightning has been the heroine of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, but we'll be seeing a slightly different protagonist when Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII hits in February 2014.
And while the majority of long-time franchise fans seem to dislike the character (based on what I've seen), Toriyama believes she'll be "massively appreciated." This according to what he said in the official French PlayStation forums (as cited by DualShockers ):
"About Lightning Returns I really hope to introduce a new Lightning, and not just the Lightning that you got to know before, and that is already loved by the old fans of the series. This Lightning is different, attractive, and will be massively appreciated by all the fans. Please be patient just a little more."
…I really had no idea that Lightning was so beloved by "the old fans of the series." I mean, I didn't really have a problem with her, but she's hardly one of the most memorable FF protagonists, right? And does he really think her goddess transition in Lightning Returns will make her more attractive? Well, I suppose it's possible.
Related Game(s): Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
I like Lightning and that's probably the only positive thing I can say about the series.
She looks terrible. Her original design was so much better. As for her character, meh, she was stiff and boring to me. Monotone is what comes to mind when I think of Lightening.
I think of one word dialogue…
There you go.
Some famous Lightning lines from FFXIII:
"Serah!"
"Ugh…"
"Snow…."
"ok."
"Go."
"Just…"
"Fine."
"Hmph"
Or some of her more complex multi-word lines
"Shut up."
"I… don't know…"
"Do it."
"Try me."
"Stay out of my way"
*blank stare*
"
"Try me" was my favorite.
I responded with Bane's voice: "I will break you"
Lol!
Yeah… it's easy to justify depth of character when you show very little of them. It allows us to fill in the blanks and essentially write her character for them. When you completely expose a character (like Joel or Ellie in TLOU) and they still remain complex (which the ending of TLOU did -VERY- well)… then…. THEN… you have a good character…
There is a community of youngsters that seem to like her, I suppose you could call them fans of a sort. Not the "old" fans that made them all rich mind you. But maybe he means the fans of her in XIII (since we barely saw her in XIII-2).
This must be some sort of poorly translated jargon about her being a little more emotionally dynamic (and of course visually dynamic with her dress spheres and custom gear/colors) but who in the once proud FF community really cares? Nobody.
That will be reflected in the sales I think. The footage I've seen so far is total amateur hour, and even if we are able to appreciate her newfound personality a little better what does that matter when there's a big ugly timer ticking down that nobody is going to appreciate?
Why in the bloody hell are they so damn fixated on ONE flippin' character!? Is S-E just not willing to let XIII gracefully bow out? Ugh…
I have to admit I don't see the what this cult like fascination with Lightning is. I didn't mind here but she was not my favourite character of XIII.
In all honesty I just want this to end now. The Final Fantasy series just isn't meant to have sequels. They always deceive the original in being completely different. XIII-2 was just so convoluted with all it's timetravel and to be honest Serah was just no main character material so compaired to her yes Lightning is far more appealing but she has nothing on any protagonist from VI – X.
Most people say she is grouchy, so was Squall. But his slow transformation through out the game was so well handled. I cannot think of a core moment in XIII-1 where Lightning really changed a a character. The conflict between Hope and Snow will always be what stands out for XIII-1 for me. Their confrontation in Palumporum was superb and easily one of my favourite moments within a game this gen.
kudos for saying something nice about XIII, it wasn't horrible, just well you know…
I loved that confrontation too…
As I said below, I like Lightning just fine, but I can't see how she could surpass characters like Tifa, Terra, Lulu an Rikku (FFX version). Hell even in FFXIII Fang and Vanille are way more interesting characters than her (and much more central to the story), crappy VA or not…
I really don't understand this fixation on Lightning….she's not a particularly good character.
Looking back on XIII, she's easily the character I liked the least…so bland.
Assuming it's not Toriyama conflating the fact that he has a hard on for Lightning with the fanbase feeling the same way, I think he "fans" he's referring to are probably JPN FF fans.
Side note, Ultimadesires:
> Most people say she is grouchy, so was Squall. But his slow transformation through out the game was so well handled.
Actually that's completely untrue. Squal was a sour dick to everyone, including Rinoa, right up until the got hurt. Then Squall did a complete 180 and acted all weepy and went all "can't live without her". It was anything but well handled.
Squall's one of my more liked FF characters, and I like his overall story in FF8 (no one else in my gaming circle did though; they make fun of him to this day), but that particular transition was jarring and bad story telling.
IIRC, In a poll that square made in Japan about their favorite FF male and female character, Zack from FFVII won the male poll, and Lightning won the the female one (Aerith came in second), so I guess she's pretty popular in Japan and that's what Toriyama san was talking about…
EDIT: Oh BTW, not saying I agree with the poll, Just saying maybe that's what he was talking about when he said old fan of the series… I mean, I like Lightning just fine, but best female character in ALL FFs? Please…
Last edited by darxed on 7/12/2013 10:37:40 AM
Zack is like a nothing speck in the series, he was passable in Crisis Core but I never came to like him, he was more of a straight man near other more interesting characters. You can never predict Japanese tastes.
I agree World but he may have something about him that we're just not seeing. My wife who's never played a FF game but knows plenty about them loves Zack for some reason. She was thrilled when he appeared in Advent Children.
Last edited by Jawknee on 7/12/2013 11:06:52 AM
Maybe it's the long black hair?
@World
I thought about Zack that way before Crisis Core, but after the ending… I mean, I saw Final Order, I knew what would happen but TBH, I almost cried when I saw it.
Last edited by darxed on 7/12/2013 12:38:05 PM
I was glad, he doesn't deserve to be anywhere near Aeris.
But he's forever intertwined with her in the lifestream. :p
Oh World, you so cold me chilling, he he
@ World
I gotta disagree . I think Zack is better for Aerith and Cloud for Tifa. (Man… feels like Tifa doesn't get enough recognition )
Final Fantasy XIII was not a bad game, but there isn't any reason for these sequels. Especially a sequel revolving around Lightning.
It at least makes more sense than one revolving around Serah. Though I think they had a real chance to make Serah into an interesting character in XIII-2 and just blew it.
They think if they slap on a FFVII preorder suit that people are going to swoon I suppose. Lightning was a shallow and uninteresting character that bored me to tears. I couldn't force myself to 100% XIII and never picked up XIII-2 and don't intend on getting Lightning Returns. First time in FF history to be able to say all those things as I even 100%-ed X-2 and will do so again when the HD version comes out.
Anyway, I think it's more hype to try and squeeze some interest out of people.
Toriyama is out of his gourd.
As I said, maybe he was talking about the Japanase fans, which seem to like Lightning quite a lot. Motomu Toriyama has done enough in the franchise for him to be so disconnected with the world wide fans.
I liked her in XIII not in XIII-2. And she's a classic tsundere girl type of character so that's maybe the reason Japanese folks and anime fans liked her.
i personally couldn't find FF13 fun at all to me RPGS are about exploring the role they give you and not just 1 straight path like most action games give you
i honestly cant even call 13-1 an RPG
now as far as Lightning goes winning a pole either square enix fixed that pole or the Long time FF fans were so pissed at FF13 they didn't even vote in that pole so mainly the 13 only fans voted
though i swear square enix treats Lightning like their Sex idol and now their playing dress up with her in their new game at least with FF5 and FFX-2 different outfits actually meant a new class and they wore clothing/Armor accordingly to the class
Square Enix is Forcing Lightning down peoples throats don't believe me lets take a look
FF13 Main character
FF13-2 game is about saving Lightning
FF13-3 Main character is Lightning
FF dissidia duo decium your forced to open the story as Lightning
FF14 Lightning and Snow are the First characters that will be appearing as cameo chars for quests and by doing there quests you get their outfits
ill say this for anybody that likes 13 we seriously wouldn't mind if they weren't forcing a character down our throats