New 4WoL artwork, fresh squeezed (from the site)

A new piece of artwork for Four Warriors of Light was found on the official website today. This picture of the chibi warriors taking on a monster is one of many conceptual artwork pieces from Akihiko Yoshida made public since the announcement of the DS game. Japan is still expecting to have the game release this year.

◆ New piece of artwork.

SOURCES: Gilgamesh (NeoGAF)

A smidge of new FFXIII pics

Thinking of new topic titles is a little hard when you have new pics coming in at least once a day. IGN posted a few new high quality screenshots of Final Fantasy XIII post it's Premiere Party. The first screenshot should be reminiscent of something I've posted here before: an in-battle look of the Optima Change/Paradigm Shift system. Here, LiSnVa (haha) have particular roles matched up to their function in battle. In this screen we'll be able to switch those roles per what battle conditions exist. The second screenshot is the Optima Change/Paradigm Shift in progress. I've happened to note that each role has a color associated with it (see the text in the first pic) and the color of the OC/PS is what you are changing to. The third pic shows a huge monolith in the sky in the scene I posted earlier with Serah. This huge structure is reminiscent of the large object that is being transported through Cocoon. (Vanille watches.) Would this hint at the demo scenes being later on in the game?

◆ #1: Party roles in Optima Change.
◆ #2: Lightning uses Optima Change.
◆ #3: Snow stans before a monolith.

SOURCES: IGN

New FFXIII screens and video (moar Serah!)

Courtesy of Famitsu and footage caputred on TV by Japanese fans, new images and a video show even more of Final Fantasy XIII. The video (below) shows us an in-game FMV depicting Serah calling out to Snow for help as she enveloped by a mysterious forces with Yaag Rosch in pursuit. Could this be the fate Serah succumbs to as nuanced in previous footage? In the new pics, we have a clearer shot of Sazh Jr. (whom I think we still know as Dodge, the jury's still out on the real translation) sporting just as impressive 'fro as Sr. We also see a few battle shots that highliht the Optima Change (Paradigm Shift) system unique to FFXIII that will allow different characters AI to perform different critical roles in combat.

◆ YouTube video.

◆ #1: Lightning uses the Optima Change system.
◆ #2: Lightning buffs Vanille as an ENH (Enhancer).
◆ #3: Snow hurls spells as a BLA (Blaster).
◆ #4: Optima Change overview.
◆ #5: Dodge/Dahj gives daddy an unexpected hug.
◆ #6: Dodge/Dahj and chocochick point out something off-camera.

SOURCES: Famitsu, agfr3795 (YouTube)

Sure was lack of 4WoL news around here. >:

(Right?)

The Famitsu site has posted more 4WoL eyecandy, showing more job classes such as the Bard class shown above. Also featured is the Knight, Monk, Beast Tamer classes. Click here to check 'em out~ Furthermore, the magazine has confirmed another class called the "Recorder," which uses the party's stats (number of battles fought, enemies defeated, times escaped, etc.) to modify battle circumstances.

The recent Jump has also confirmed that guest party members (a la FFXII) will be featured in 4WoL, one of them being a mouse who dreams of becoming a great sage one day (hehe).

Lastly, the OST for 4WoL has been announced, and will be on sale November 4th. If you're Japanese-savvy, click on the album art for more info.

SOURCES: duckroll@NeoGAF (via GoNintendo)

UPDATE:
New Famitsu scans:

◆ #1: 4WoL's available jobs.
◆ #2: 4WoL's available jobs. (cont)

SOURCES: True Gaming (via GoNintendo)

FFXIII Shiva and Odin summoning videos

Gamepro was able to attend the Final Fantasy XIII Premiere Party, and they brought a gambit of new videos with them. In these, we see the orchestra perform some signature pieces from the soundtrack as well as gameplay footage. This footage shows Lighnting summon Odin and Snow summon Shiva as well as combat against a party-exclusive boss.









Original videos can be found here.

SOURCES: GamePro

New FFXIII character revealed: Dodge (Sazh's son)

Haha, adorable.



FF7AC Reunion, Famitsu

IGN posts hands preview with new FFXIII demo

IGN had a chance to check out a new demo of Final Fantasy XIII at it's premiere party yesterday. Under the light of Cocoon (see festive picture above) they were able to get a good hands-on of this newest build.

Pre-TGS 09: Hands-on with Final Fantasy XIII
A pair of enticing new missions joins a phenomenal trailer.
by Ryan Clements

September 8, 2009 - Tonight (or yesterday, depending on your current location in the world), Square Enix held its Final Fantasy XIII Premiere Party, which delivered a number of exciting bits of news to Final Fantasy fans across the globe. As covered in my live blog of the event, Square Enix officially unveiled the release date and price point for the game, as well as the news that Japan will be bestowed with a Final Fantasy XIII PS3 Slim bundle. Unfortunately, no details were given on whether or not this bundle would make it to the United States, but I imagine there's at least a slight possibility that it will.

But there were even more intriguing things on display at the party than these formal announcements. Shortly after the event began, curtains were pulled back to reveal playable builds of the game, which I had the pleasure of trying out. The last two events I attended (E3 and Gamescom) both had Final Fantasy XIII sessions, but neither session was playable. This was the first time I had played the game since my initial impressions of the Advent Children Blu-ray demo, so it was great to finally get my hands on the controller again.

The demo on display was actually divided into two separate missions that occur at different points in the game. The first mission places you in control of Lightning, the fierce main character, with silver-haired boy Hope along for the ride. Set in Palumpolum, the Capital of Commerce, this short mission finds Lighting and Hope sneaking through a government-controlled area in a massive harbor town. Before the demo began, I was treated to a stunning cinematic that depicted the government soldiers and ships deployed at the capital and on a mission to hunt down the L'Cie. The forces were being controlled by the oddly named Yaag Rosch, who can be seen shouting out orders into a sleek headset.

At the start of the playable section, players must guide Lightning and Hope through the dangerous territory towards some sort of drainage pipe they can covertly crawl through. Of course, seeing as how my time with the game was incredibly short, I opted to charge into battle head-first and kick ass as loudly and flamboyantly as possible. To hell with stealth -- that's what Metal Gear Solid is for.


I was glad to play this portion of the demo because the environment was not only stellar looking for an RPG, but also much more open than the bridge environment used in previous demos. Although the path was ultimately linear (I didn't have much time to explore), there were a lot of different smaller paths you could take towards your goal, which is hopefully a recurring trend with the rest of the game.

Palumpolum immediately reminded me of Junon from Final Fantasy VII, which brought back quite a few fond memories. Perhaps more striking then the vistas, however, are the game's character models, which really do look phenomenal. When the camera gets up close and personal, a huge amount of detail comes out in those models, like the intricate textures of the clothing to the superbly detailed hair. Regardless of how you feel about Final Fantasy XIII's gameplay, there's no getting around the fact that this is a very pretty RPG.

Nothing overly dramatic took place during my play time, but the few short battles I participated in ran smoothly. Players can queue up a number of actions (depending on how many action points are available) and then can execute these custom combos all at once. Although I've been pleased with the battle system so far, I worry about only being able to directly control one character at a time, which I found a bit disappointing. In fact, it sounds like players will have little choice about the characters they use, as certain portions of the game must be played through as one particular character.

After a few uneventful battles, I personally used Lightning's summon, Odin, for the first time. I must say I've always been a big fan of Final Fantasy summons and Final Fantasy XIII is no exception. The incredible summoning sequences are only outdone by the grand spectacle of seeing Odin stomp into battle alongside Lighting and lay waste to dozens of soldiers. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to give Odin's Gestalt mode a try, so I made it a special point to give it a go during the Snow mission. This was met with hilarious results.

But before I describe those hilarious results to you, let's set the stage. Snow was joined by Sazh and Vanille during the demo, and the three characters were fighting their way through what looked to be ancient stone ruins. I didn't have nearly as much context for this portion of the demo as I did for Lightning's portion, but all you need to know is that Snow and Co. are seriously invested in roughing up the masked soldiers of the government.

It was during the first few Snow battles that I took notice of the "Optima Change" system, or "Paradigm Shift" system here in the United States. This allows you to set the AI routines of your teammates on the fly in combat, which is a nice little layer of strategy to consider. In the Japanese build at the event, some of the classes included Healer, Enhancer and Blaster. Women have called me all three of those things on various occasions.

But as I mentioned before, I wanted to experiment with the Gestalt system for at least one of the summons, so my only chance was with Snow, as my time with the demo was running short. After summoning Snow's semi-robotic version of Shiva onto the screen, I activated Gestalt mode. This essentially combines the summoned creature with the character in question, increasing their powers and making them a formidable force overall. So after sitting through two incredibly elaborate cutscenes (one depicting the initial Shiva summon and the other showcasing the flashy transformation) and eagerly awaiting my chance to ride around on the Shiva motorcycle, the battle instantly ended.

Yes, I never got the chance to drive the Shiva-cycle. Apparently, one of my teammates landed a killing blow on the last remaining enemy right as I pressed the Gestalt mode button. So close, yet so far...

Following my session with Final Fantasy XIII, the event ended with the premier of the newest trailer, which was one of the most spectacular trailers I've seen in a long time (I'm sure the dizzyingly massive HD screen and reverberating sound system helped the viewing experience quite a bit). As taking video or pictures of the trailer was strictly prohibited, the best I can do is describe the surprisingly long video for those interested.

The trailer began with an extended CG sequence following Snow and newly announced Serah, the vibrant, schoolgirl-esque beauty that apparently has a romantic connection with the bandanna-wearing brawler. In the scene, the two rode a small hover ship around a spectacular egg-shaped structure, the walls of which were clear enough to see the dazzling fireworks show going on inside. Snow and Serah talked for a time as they drifted through the night sky, showered in the glow of the lights, before leaning in to give each other a gentle kiss. When they pull apart, Serah's face was definitely colored with a certain amount of melancholy. Could this foreshadow the character's untimely death, which seems to be hinted at throughout the trailer? Am I just being overly sensitive again?

The scene eventually transitioned to a lengthy mix of CG cutscenes and in-game footage, most of which was entirely new. Highlights include a colorful festival environment (which could be connected to the egg structure), a green field populated by lumbering stone creatures, Serah and Snow talking on a dock that's bathed in the light of a sunset, the bespectacled villain Jihl tormenting Sazh with what appeared to be disturbing news (perhaps a threat against Sazh's son, or worse), Vanille falling to her knees in front of Serah on what appears to be the same dock (Foreshadowing!), and Sazh frantically pointing a gun at Vanille. This assortment of scenes shows just how dialogue-heavy the trailer was, but the emotional payload was still very noticeable. On top of all the excellent direction of these segments, the Final Fantasy XIII's engine still continues to amaze me.

There were two other notable sections of the trailer. The first was a gameplay clip that revealed Sazh's summon: a creature whose fiery skin could only be Ifrit. The level of "badass" is exponentially raised when Ifrit transforms into a ridiculous hotrod with side-mounted machine guns. This leads me to believe that Sazh has the most over-the-top Gestalt summon yet.

The last section worthy of note introduced a new character, though there was little context surrounding her appearance. Sporting dark brown/black hair and a number of tattoos, this woman was definitely on the "cool looking" side, though she might be working against our heroes in some capacity.

So, to summarize: enjoyable demo and an amazingly sweet trailer. I'd call that a "successful event."

Original article.

SOURCES: IGN

IGN posts news video, more snippets of FFXIII footage

Here, we can see Lightning in DRIVING MODE as well as Snow. Check it out:



And another video with more cinematics and battle footage:



SOURCES: IGN

Some new FFXIII footage with "Kimi Ga Iru Kara".

A promotional video showcasing some new footage of the trailer shown at the FFXIII Premiere Party has our first look at Serah (amongst other things). The song featured is called "Kimi Ga Iru Kara" (Because I Have You) by Sayuri Sugawara.

Take a look:





SOURCES: FF7AC Reunion, homme0640 (Youtube)

Introducing "Elixir"! ...a new softdrink...

In the vein of "Potion" before it, a promotional new softdrink called "Elixir" after the Final Fantasy item was revealed at the FFXIII premiere party. Take a look:



SOURCES: FF7AC Reunion

More details emerge from FFXIII premiere party

A wellspring of new information has come out of the Final Fantasy XIII Premiere Party. I can provide a rough translation of what was shown in a new trailer, but we were also told that we will be seeing it later this month at Tokyo Game Show 2009.

+ Serah is Lightning's sister, also a l'Cie.
+ Serah's fiancee is an acquaintance of Lightning and Snow.
+ "Eternal Love" played in the background.
+ Pulse and Cocoon are cut off from each other as far as travel is concerned.
+ If a l'Cie is unable to complete a Focus they are turned into "monsters" or what was referred to as a "Cie Corpse", something alike an undead.
+ There is a scene where Serah and Snow watch some fireworks. They kiss.
+ Sazh's patron summon is Ifrit.
+ Ifrit's DRIVING MODE is a sports car. (haha win)
+ As we've already known Lightning is not Lightning's real name; she apparently abandoned her name. It is said that her parents died when she was young so she became a surrogate parent for her sister Serah.
+ An unclear moment of dialogue between Sazh and Jihl, referencing his son and the "will of the Crystal".
+ Snow apparently makes somewhat of a speech against PSICOM (shirtless) to which Rosch interjects.
+ There is somewhat of a startling scene involving Vanille and Serah in which she asks someone to shoot her(may or may not be the literal translation, take with a grain of salt); she then apologizes frantically.
+ A new l'Cie (playable character) was shown. She is from Pulse and has tribal tatoos. Designed by Nomura.
+ Apparently Snow and Hope have a battle at some point.
+ December 17th was confirmed as the official launch date.

Kotaku writer Brian Ashcroft was also there first-hand to view the new trailer. On which, he posted a light review of what he saw:

The climax of tonight's Final Fantasy XIII party was the game's brand new trailer. It will be shown at this year's Tokyo Game Show, so all attending will be able to check it out.

Tonight, however, only a hundred or so individuals were able to see it. The trailer is so new that many Square Enix staffers hadn't even seen it yet.

During our liveblog, I wrote about the trailer. Fact: it's hard to type and watch something at the same time. But I did my best, trying to pull images or scenes that convey what exactly was going on.

If you didn't read the liveblog, here is my description of the trailer. It doesn't do it justice. It's not supposed to. What it is supposed to do is hopefully clue in those who weren't able to see it, but wanted to.

The trailer opens with a voice over. A young girl says something like "The future is scary because you cannot see it." Character Snow Villiers is on some sort of bike craft with teenage girl Serah. Fireworks are exploding around — it's beautiful. Even though, she's considerably smaller than Snow and younger looking, they lean in for a romantic kiss.

Cut to an airshift, which is descending. PSICOM soldiers deploy. Silver-haired Yaag Rosch orders the troops forward.

This is followed by a montage of game play scenes, complete with boss battles and footage of characters Hope and Snow running through the field. It gives a taste of what it's like to play FFXIIII. Sazh Katzroy's Summon appears and goes into Gestalt Mode — which is a race car. Very surprising transformation and Sazh hopes into the vehicle.

Quick scene of Lightning talking with Serah. Cut to Jihl Nabatt interrogating Sazh Katzroy.

Another quick cut to orange-haired girl Oerba, who drops to her knees and holds onto Serah's skirt saying, "I'm so sorry."

We get a scene of an aircraft flying through electric bolts.

Another scene. It's day time, and we're up in the clouds. Serah falls out of an aircraft, and Snow calls out after her.

Cut to Snow with his shirt off. His chest appears to be bandaged. There is male nipple action. He is surrounded by the Cocoon army. The troops have their weapons draw, laser sights pointed at Snow's chest. Yaag steps forward as Snow begins to talk them down.

Series of quick scenes: Sazh and Oerba having an argument. Hope pissed off. Snow pissed off. An explosion. Snow is carried by troops past a lady with brown hair and a tattoo.

Serah collapses onto the ground, saying "Protect me."

During the mid-point of the trailer, the game's theme song, "Kimi ga iru kara" (sung by Sayuri Sugawara) kicks in and plays throughout the trailer.

Full article.

SOURCES: FF7AC Reunion, Famitsu, Kotaku

Sayuri Sugawara "Eternal Love" official song for FFXIII

Announced at the FFXIII premiere party, a song that will appear in FFXII: "Eternal Love" by Sayuri Sugawara. It's not specifically mentioned if Nobuo Uematsu composed this theme (as we were led to believe) but it is official.

You can check out the music video here.

SOURCES: FF7AC Reunion

FFXIII Japanese release date announced

The official Japanese release date for Final Fantasy XIII is December 17th 2009! This flash reveals the official date ahead of the FFXIII release party. Square-Enix is still on schedule to have a Spring 2010 release date for North America.



SOURCES: FF7AC Reunion