Just a few days remain between now and the Japanese launch of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII — the final installment in the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy. The pre-launch circuit in Japan has provided us with new images, courtesy of 4Gamer, where we see the last round of information before the game hits store shelves.
There’s quite a lot to know too: it appears that Serah Farron and Cid Raines — characters that previously appeared in Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 will cross Lightning’s path at some point in her journey. However, Lightning encounters them not in the world of the living, but in a place where the souls of all who’ve died in the past congregate. Cid Raines, who assumed the role of Primarch in Barthandelus’s stead in Final Fantasy XIII has fittingly become their spokesperson. You can see him conversing with Lightning in the new images below.
It seems many of the cast of the Final Fantasy XIII games have assembled for a final thirteen-day curtain call. Noel is holed up in Luxerion plotting against the would-be savior, while Vanille can be found hanging out with the so-called Salvation Council. Fang has found herself in the Dead Dunes leading a band of relic-hunting thieves called Monoculus, and Snow Villiers has discovered his favorite color is black. (Oh, and he’s the leader of Yusnaan, a city that’s decided to through a final bash in the days before the end.) Sazh and his son Dajh have their own problems to resolve, as Dajh hasn’t woken up in the time that has elapsed from Final Fantasy XIII-2 until today — they’re currently out in the Wildlands.
One new face is the mysterious Lumina… a girl who seems to both help and hinder Lightning in her quest. While she’s crossed paths with Snow in the game’s opening cutscene, it seems her dubious motivations will come to light as our journey progresses. Bhunivelze, the reigning deity and referred to as God by the denizens of Nova Chrysalia, has given Lightning her quest to save the souls of humanity. He has absolute power of the world, and in exchange for her help, Bhunivelze will reunite Lightning with her sister Serah. Bhunivelze will test Lightning in her new-found role as Savior, and in the screenshots below, she willingly challenges him to fight.
As for the savior herself, she’ll be able to prolong the end of the world by fulfilling quests that you’ll encounter as you play via the Prayer Canvas system. By completing such quests, you’ll also earn status enhancements to your health, attack power, and magic power — so be sure to budget your time accordingly to complete them.
Since Lightning Returns is releasing this week in Japan, we’d like to hear from you guys on what you’re most excited to read or see in the game. Leave your thoughts in a comment below! Over the course of the week, there may be spoilers circulating about the web, so we ask that you be kind to your fellow fan and refrain from posting them in our comments.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will release on November 21st in Japan, February 11th in North America, and February 14th in Europe. Available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, PlayStation Network users will be able to download a digital version at release (9.6GB space required).
Images: 4gamer
