So it seems Final Fantasy XIII-2 will arrive on North American shores in January 2012 .
And you know, everyone still has a ton of questions. Just about every role-playing fan and Final Fantasy aficionado would just love to sit down with the FFXIII-2 developers and start up a Q&A. Well, that can be difficult to do so we figured we'd play the role of facilitator.
We have a few questions for Square Enix and we know you do, too. We'll gather up a bunch of 'em and forward them to the designers responsible for Final Fantasy XIII-2 . So give us your most pressing questions. What must you have answered before your excitement level is allowed to rise? Be sensible and civil; obviously, we won't submit badgering questions. But please do post your queries in the Comments, and we'll take them into consideration.
Please just bear in mind that with localization/translating, you will have to be patient.
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII-2
Is there an overworld connecting towns, dungeons, etc, to explore?
Can you pilot airships, boats, etc?
Is the an option for "wait" battles, not just "active" battles?
Are there side quests?
Are you making any HD collections?
When's Versus XIII coming out?
Yes, forget everything and ask about ff versus 13.
I don't care about 13-2, I didn't even beat 13 yet. I just want Versus.
"What sort of improvements have you placed to cater not only the others but more importantly long time RPG fans?"
Uhh… Will that do?
But I'm not that optimistic about XIII-2 though…
Why does Noel wear Hammer pants?
Will there be numerous side quests?
Will the whole party die when the leader dies?
Can I control more than just the leader?
Does our health regenerate with each battle?
How can they use magic when you have to be a LaCie to do that?
Which characters besides Lightning and Serah will return?
Why did you stick with auto battle?
Will it use the crystarium again?
Will gil be easier to obtain?
Will there be more or less exploration than FFX?
Will we be able to go back to places we have already been?
…that's all just for starters.
What the hell did you do to the awesomeness that is the gunblade (ff8)?
I couldn't resisit. I apologize
They made it foldy 🙂 I kinda like the new gunblade actually. Too bad we can't actually pull the trigger ourselves.
Hey world, what's resonance of fate about? I saw your post on the wkc2 topic and it got me curious.
Erm lots of stuff, but it was just way too complex for my taste. Instead of trying to capture it myself I'll refer you to Ben's review here: https://temp.psxextreme.com/ps3-reviews/362.html
And the Wiki's plot setting:
Resonance of Fate takes place in the distant future where Earth has undergone a drastic change in the environment. For reasons unknown, poisonous layers of gases permeated the land, causing cancer, which resulted in near extinction for mankind due to humanity's inability to adapt to the new changes. The remaining humans built a gigantic device called Basel, an environment purifier buried deep in the ground, which cleanses the air in the surrounding land; it was called the Zenith System. Civilization began to reform around Basel itself, building a city around the tower.[11] In order to overcome the cancer, human lives were tied to quartz and linked to the Zenith system, making them immune to disease and mutation, but requiring them to remain in the city, and giving them a set shelf-life.
Civilization gradually began to grow around Basel, with people eventually moving inside the machine itself and building up the core, raising it high above the planetâs surface. As centuries went on, people built levels around the core and established various towns, cities, and even theme parks and landmarks for the survivors to enjoy themselves. However, Basel has now existed so long that people have forgotten why they live there, or that there is even a world outside Basel.[12] The Cardinals, who are the political/religious leaders that foster a worship of Basel and its machinery, built their luxurious mansions in the uppermost layers of Basel, in the monster-free âChandelierâ, while the lower classes reside among the many districts built around the base and stem of the tower.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 7/18/2011 11:11:32 PM
i liked resonance of fate but i agree that it could get overwhelming. i still havent finished it though but i do still have the game.
I loved Resonance of Fate. Very fun and also has a very unique battle system.
Also, what's up with Dragon Quest? Does Nintendo own it or what? What's the deal? o.O
the last and only dragon quest i played is dragon quest 8 for ps2 and i loved it. i just refuse to play them on handhelds and the wii. wii, i'm just tired of it, zelda better be playable with standard controls. as for handhelds, i dont like playing a game that i'll most likely spend a lot of time on using a small screen.
Question to guarantee my purchase. Will I still be able to play as Lightning through almost the entire game?
no, the focus is on Noel
Tired with FFXIII-2 already….give us damn Versus SE!
This.
Can you do group battles rather than just controlling one person?
Can we have the option to kill off hope and the other guys? There annoying. Can we have the option to take off the quick time events in each boss battle? Will the story make sense? Do I auto heal after each battle? Can I turn that off? Will Cait Sith make a cameo? When does FFXIII-3 come out?
Was one bad Final Fantasy just not enough?
Tell me about it.
Hey Jawknee I watched Oldboy, that sh*t was disturbing!
Yea it is. I felt like I needed to scrub my eyeballs and my soul with a brillo pad and some bleach when I was done watching it. Sick stuff.
Have you seen Insidious? Very creepy stuff.
No, but funny you ask because I saw an ad for it last night. Will probably watch it with the wife.
I thought Oldboy was a great film, and highly recommend seeing the other two films in the series; Sympathy for Mister Vengeance, and Lady Vengeance. Great Korean flicks, in my opinion.
Will XIII and XIII-2's battle system remain unique to these two games in the franchise, or will you continue to use it? If not, is there any chance you would consider a more traditional turn-based battle system for your longtime fans?
Will you ever give us anything turn-based again?
(I didn't really mean 'give', I'm willing to buy it)
Last edited by tes37 on 7/18/2011 10:53:32 PM
Here's my question for SE regarding FF XIII-2;
With FF XIII and FF XIII-2 you seem to be taking the FF series further away from the games of old. Many older FF fans feel let down and even abandoned by you. They feel that the genre defining franchise that they loved has left them behind as it moves in a new direction. What do you say to the fans that feel abandoned by Square Enix and the direction the Final Fantasy franchise it taking? What do you say to the lovers of the more traditional JRPGs and turn based JRPGs that made Square and Square Enix what it is, but are no longer being developed?
This NEEDS to be asked!
uhmm Highlander, you're gonna make them cry… "We're sorry, we're sorry!!!, we didn't want to but the upper ups wanted more money and less art!!!"
Darxed,
That's fine with me, then they can quite and sign up with Level 5 – The king is dead, long live the King. Square/SquareEnix is dead to me, Level 5 rules.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 7/19/2011 10:15:52 AM
The truth hurts
Why did you decide to make XIII-2?
When did you decide to make XIII-2?
Can I have some action figures?
Why is Wada still there?
Can I have an autographed copy of the game?
Why is Square-Enix making XIII-2?
FFIII brought awesome puzzles. FFVI brought storytelling. FFV brought deep character growth. FFVI improved storytelling further. FFVII brought 3D, FFVIII brought proportioned graphics and Junction. The list goes on and on. What will FFXIII-2 add to the series as a whole?
Keeping in mind the previous Final Fantasy games, are XIII and XIII-2 is an indication to where the series is eventually headed?
What do you feel is better about the new combat system then the previous ones such as ATB and CTB?
Square-Enix says frequently that they listen to their fans. You certainly have a lot of fans with different perspectives – what kind of requests are you implementing?
Who will compose the music for FFXIII-2?
Will there be a hard mode?
Will more complexity be offered in the battle system?
Also: Will there be decent customer support? My copy of FFXIII stopped working about 100 days after I bought it. I've never seen the ending. It takes that long to get 3/4 that way into a game that length. If my older PS3 can't read the dual-layer disc, what help will be offered?
And Ben, thanks for serving as the middleman with all of these questions. Of course everyone's won't all get asked, but hopefully we can get some real interaction with Square-Enix this time around. I'm cautiously optimistic.
The folks at S-E are very competent and talented, and while their recent decisions are certainly questionable, they are still very capable of making a great Final Fantasy!
Out of all the drugs that your executives are consuming, what is the most popular and what is the preferred means of intake?
lol – their repertoire of drugs must be nothing compared to the guys making Katamari. Oh man they must have been on some serious class A when doing those games. 😀
Last edited by Beamboom on 7/19/2011 6:51:38 AM
Will there be any bonuses for those who completed the the first game?
I have heard there is meant to be and I am curious to what this will be, it's not like it can take your previous stats.
i only got one main question concerning final fantasy 13-2
after the most disappointing final fantasy, final fantasy 13, why should a long time squaresoft and early square enix rpg fan even bother with final fantasy 13-2 if its basically the same game as final fantasy 13?
although i do have some general questions that i personally want answers to.
1. Can you fire Wada?
2. can you create a game developing environment where the executives, people who dont know anything about videogames, are completely isolated from the game development process? let them do everything else except anything that has to do with making a game.
3. what will it take for the square enix merger to dissolve so that someone else, like sony, to handle the talent which was Squaresoft?
4. How many new final fantasy fans did you get after final fantasy 13? Was it worth losing tons of loyal fans?
5. How does it feel to fall from being the go to rpg game developer by your own hands?
6. we all know wada, but who are the people responsible for leading the company in the retarded direction that they're on now? i want to know all the people to blame for this.
7. when will you start making actual RPG games again?
8. After admitting that you removed enough content for a complete new game, How much of final fantasy 13-2 is actual final fantasy 13-2 content? This just seems like an expansion or DLC, so will you charge full price for it? (although i already know the answer to the last part)
Last edited by johnld on 7/18/2011 11:59:55 PM
1.-Are you trying to change final fantasy franchise from RPG to an action game?
2.-The best Final Fantasy games are made with different team members (the only one I can recall being in all of them is Amano, the character drawer/designer). Saying this, Have you learned from your mistakes in the recent past, of letting key people -people who made Squarsoft/Enix who they are now- out of proyects?
3.-Why you let Nobuo Uematsu go from Final Fantasy?
4.-Are you still convinced that going multiplatform was the best idea? Can you tell us if that final decision was based on economic purposes or what other reasons did you consider (Note: you can't say that you wanted to let more players to play it, because you would've chosen the Wii also 😉 ).
5.-Why are you taking so long to make a FF7 remake? Are you keeping it as your last ace under your sleeve, knowing that your last few financial years have been not very well?
Last edited by godsdream on 7/19/2011 12:52:00 AM
I think that's pretty unfair. FFXIII just couldn't happen on the Wii. They also said a full FFVII remake would take about 10 years to produce, or something. Mr. Uematsu did write the music for FFXIV and from what I heard it's pretty good! The vocal track, "Answers," is really awesome. Susan Callaway has the perfect voice for it, too.
FFXIII-2
1.Will there be: world map,villages,cities,dungeons,infested forests and other unique places to explore? FF7-FFXII,Star Ocean The Last Hope,WKC1&2 and Lost Odyssey kept its true rpg essence. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28_mUBO5Pbw
2. What about npcs??? Npcs in towns or cities always give players insight(pov) of the story. They sometimes give clues to secret items or missions. Neglecting actual npcs is a darn mistake SE!
3. Is there gonna be overdrive mode or limit break similar to FFVII-FFX?(LOL). Isn't it SATISFYING to use a flashy limit break on tough(s.o.b) enemies??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlRnnVF7QmE&feature=related
4. What about allowing players to pilot airships just like the good old Final Fantasy series?
5. Can you give gamers the option to choose Active Time Battle or Turn Based Battle??
6. Did you learn anything from previous Final Fantasy titles?
7. Will Square Enix ever remake Final Fantasy VII? Listen to your fans once in a while!
Will i be able to buy it for $15 a month after it releases like the other one (and then sell it for $10)?
Do you really think it will sell well? (If yes) Are you insane? or how does the brain washing work?
Why did you choose to go with a story that is not actually a direct sequel to the game, using an audience substitute for the main character when only people that loved FFXIII will be likely to play this?
Will the ATB/Paradigm system be slower this time to better facilitate the use of strategy, and might we also be able to control more than just a single character through something more akin to the older ATB?
Why have you chosen to add in extra (may I say impure?) elements, such as platforming, as opposed to aiming for a stricter, clearer RPG focus?
And can we please, please get a rough estimate on a possible release date for Versus and assurances that it will remain PS3 exclusive worldwide?
So are you guys working on an xbox version of ff versus 13? (blink once for yes. Blink twice for yes but im not allowed to say)
some fans did not like that rpg features were stripped out of ff13. you say you are listening to the fans. what examples can you give where you have have listened to the fans?
are the kill tubes completely removed from ff13-2?
can you swap out charcters during battle?
you have said the battle system is evolved and will will allow for more customization and player control. what exactly do you mean by this? can you give an example?
you have said it is difficult to know which direction to take the ff series. what makes you say this? is becuase of the rise of twitch based gaming? are the fans giving you mixed messages?
will the level caps still be in place as progress through the chapters?
When we can expect a European release date, I know yo announced yesterday the US release date, does that mean we'll get ours around spring or the same time?
Sorry for DB but I have another question.
I want to know if the story progression will be structured like XIII? The joy of XIII was that every half an hour you would get a cut scene progressing the story. Obviously after the complains of the linear structure of XIII, this could be compromised to the style of XII where you would not get a story update 5-hours apart.
Also, will there be a more prominent antagonist with XIII-2?