More Tasty FFXIII Tidbits

The latest issue of Famitsu included a relatively lengthy article on Square’s upcoming PS3 title, Final Fantasy XIII. While much of the article was speculation, a few details were discovered in an interview with the development team.  Some of you may or may not know this, but FFXIII was originally being developed for the PS2, and just as of recently has the project’s platform switched to the PS3. Back at E3 of 2005, the same team that showed you the FFVII Technical Demo for PS3 was simultaneously working on FFXIII for PS2. Motome Torishima, director of the main FFXIII title, said that the development team for FFXIII had a difficult time returning to their work on FFXIII (PS2) after experiencing the power and flexibility of the PS3 while they created the FFVII Tech Demo. Visual quality has always been paramount for delivery in a Final Fantasy title.  In the demonstration of FFXIII at E3, we can see that the gap between pre-rendered animation and real-time animation is closing dramatically.

Although the plot doesn’t focus on this, one of the mythologies that will exist in the world of FFXIII concerns a certain type of crystal.  These crystals create the every day objects that the inhabitants of the FFXIII world interact with on a regular basis. Every object is made of these crystals, from small signboards to entire structures. These crystals each have some deeper meaning, and they are meant to lead the people of FFXIII “into the future”. Although this may leave you scratching your head, you may not get alot of insight into this part of the story even when you play the game. Torishima explains that this is an established element of the story, the characters of the game don’t so much concern themselves with the ancient legends surrounding these crystals.  He also added that these crystals would not be the focus of the storyline.

FFXIII will feature many elements from the previous Final Fantasy games, including mythological names, chocobos, moogles, magic, and so on. On the gameplay side you’ll see revamped mechanics, like a sped-up ATB (Active Battle Timer) system.  The game will also have more cinematic fighting animations that really take advantage of 3D space and even alter time.

We’re keeping our eyes fixed on the progress of FFXIII, so stay tuned to QJ for more info as it breaks!

The latest issue of Famitsu included a relatively lengthy article on Square’s upcoming PS3 title, Final Fantasy XIII. While much of the article was speculation, a few details were discovered in an interview with the development team.  Some of you may or may not know this, but FFXIII was originally being developed for the PS2, and just as of recently has the project’s platform switched to the PS3. Back at E3 of 2005, the same team that showed you the FFVII Technical Demo for PS3 was simultaneously working on FFXIII for PS2. Motome Torishima, director of the main FFXIII title, said that the development team for FFXIII had a difficult time returning to their work on FFXIII (PS2) after experiencing the power and flexibility of the PS3 while they created the FFVII Tech Demo. Visual quality has always been paramount for delivery in a Final Fantasy title.  In the demonstration of FFXIII at E3, we can see that the gap between pre-rendered animation and real-time animation is closing dramatically.

Although the plot doesn’t focus on this, one of the mythologies that will exist in the world of FFXIII concerns a certain type of crystal.  These crystals create the every day objects that the inhabitants of the FFXIII world interact with on a regular basis. Every object is made of these crystals, from small signboards to entire structures. These crystals each have some deeper meaning, and they are meant to lead the people of FFXIII “into the future”. Although this may leave you scratching your head, you may not get alot of insight into this part of the story even when you play the game. Torishima explains that this is an established element of the story, the characters of the game don’t so much concern themselves with the ancient legends surrounding these crystals.  He also added that these crystals would not be the focus of the storyline.

FFXIII will feature many elements from the previous Final Fantasy games, including mythological names, chocobos, moogles, magic, and so on. On the gameplay side you’ll see revamped mechanics, like a sped-up ATB (Active Battle Timer) system.  The game will also have more cinematic fighting animations that really take advantage of 3D space and even alter time.

We’re keeping our eyes fixed on the progress of FFXIII, so stay tuned to QJ for more info as it breaks!