The story of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII picks up after the events of Final Fantasy XIII-2. You will remember that in the ending of the second title Lightning was found sitting on the throne of the former Goddess in what players could only assume was the protagonist taking on her new role With the new release, Lightning has returned to the world of Novus Partus--the remains of the worlds of both Gran Pulse and Valhalla after the merging of the two worlds. Novus Partus is on the brink of destruction with only 13 days remaining before the world is destroyed be the reawakening of the ancient god Bhunivelze.
Lightning will reunite with other heroes from the previous journeys along the way including Snow Villers and Hope Estheim, and depending on Lightning's actions throughout the game, time can be altered and moved ahead or backwards. Time alteration is one of the biggest changes in the new game, as Lightning attempts to save the world before time runs out and more time is earned through additional side missions, and each town visited in the game will have constant reminders of what time it is currently in the game. The passage of days into night is always present as well, and the stages and enemies encountered will change with the passing of time as well.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will change the way Final Fantasy games are typically played and explored. The more action oriented title will allow players to explore the world at a different pace while quickly getting around cities with interactive objects including poles, walls and more. Certain missions in the game will not only be about combat, as Lightning stealthily follows a group of enemies to their hideouts, solves serial murders and performs other unique tasks. When actually in combat, Lightning will be allowed to move around freely in combat and can be customized with various moves she has learned that will be assigned to a specific face button to utilize in combat including Evade, Light Slash, Heavy Slash and more. This makes the game more fluid than ever before and assures no fight is exactly like another, just as the developers have promised different events can only be accessed once per game meaning multiple playthroughs are required to see all of the different events of the game and making no playthrough exactly like another. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII looks like an amazing title, and we can't wait to get our hands on the completed version later this year.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is now available for preorder from participating retailers for the MSRP of $69.99 and can be purchased for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is not yet rated. For more information on the game, check out the official Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII website.