Take a Look at Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII's New Battle System

more garbage from Square-Enix. FFXIII was an abortion. I don't see why they're trying to cram this shit down our throats. And speaking of which.....is this even ever going to come out?? or are they trying to set a new record in dev time.

oh well. I'm passing either way. That shit-show that was FFXIII turned me from this series. Show me you actually know what you're doing with it again and maybe I'll care.

It's weird that they stopped such a successful franchise with the advent of the PS2, but I'm sure they had their reasons.

@lordwafflemoose: THAT GIF IS ADORABLE. WHERE IS IT FROM?

*ahem* This game looks fun. I'm going to buy it.

The demo was pretty cool, also sunglasses and dragoon armor is totally badass.

Don't care much for the story was mostly non-sense parts that are only interesting stand-alone whilst the big picture save the world story is boring at best. Lightning is a pretty alright character. Probably in the top 5 protagonists(after Cloud, Squall, FF6 hero whose name I can't remember), and Zidane, in no particular order).

The combat was sub-par in 13 mostly because you mostly just clicked on the auto thing 99% of the time and there was a real lack of experimentation, and a lack of incentive to experimentation. That being said I like that they are just sticking to FF13 and trying to make it better. It makes little business sense to just always rewrite your combat system, they should just make a fantastic one and keep improving it. I think they should start combining all of the successful mechanics they have used in the past(to a greater extend than they are). Missing in FF is frustrating and annoying, making it more skill based is a good idea(maybe squall style trigger is a good idea), active dodging also seems like a good idea. Stagger is a good idea, synergy between spells is a good idea, more customizability with element immunity and absorbing would be cool, like ff8, characters attacking together like FF9 and not this dumb ultimate system they have added. They just have so much under their belt it seems dumb to throw is away at every game.

I'd hold hands with a girl in real life that looks like Lightning. I wouldn't let her have my soul though.

With all those video glitches, I am gonna assume that Final Fantasy 13 takes place in the Animus.

Lightning looks fierce. But her personality is boring.

@gunstarred: You don't really. Story barely makes sense in the first one, and then the second one undoes it. I have skipped the second one. Combat is the fun part.

@mrcool11: yours too? I thought it might have been my connection, which is silly considering it is fibre optic!

I clicked on the video and now I'm here I can't be bothered watching it.

Ok then, I'll watch it... Actually, that looks pretty alright. I'd probably consider it if I didn't have to finish the first and second games. (Played XIII for about 40 hours.)

@mrcool11: It's freaking out on my iPad Air, too. Weird.

DEEEUUUUUUUUS!!!!

@alex This trailer is mega busted.

Yeah! Some love for FF XIII... it was strange. I came out of that game feeling like I had no idea what the story was about, and wasn't even really crazy about the story, but I had so much fun with the combat that it basically compensated. I never played XIII-2, and the lack of Lightning kind of turned me off of it (which is weird, because I have a love/hate for her character), but I am looking forward to this game a lot.

And of course... the outfits!

Alex Navarro is our number one source for all things Lightning Returns

It's Liam O'Brien.

I liked it too. Maybe it wasn't the greatest RPG ever made, but it was a fun game on it's own.

Agreed. Bought it when it came out, didn't actually play it until last year, but I now have fond memories of the music and the battle system. The story...was ok too ;)

You can hate Final Fantasy XIII all you want, it was a good game with an outstanding combat system.

@danteafk: I liked that system a whole lot, then you could exploit it to such a degree that you didn't even need to touch the controller. I wouldn't mind SE returning to it in the future.

The voice of the purple haired guy sounds very familiar....

He sounds like Illidan... I think.

Nah, The Spirits Within all-the-way!

What to wear? what to wear?

I still don't know or want t know what this game is...and I forced myself to play through FF12.

Mostly because refund wasn't an option.

XIII was ok when skipping the cut-scenes. XIII-2 was too J-pop/Pokemon to finish. Can't see myself playing this, even if it does remind me of Rogue Galaxy in some minor ways.

XII had the best battle system up today, hands down.

Pretty sad they don`t use it anymore.

Looks like they took the the system before and boiled it down from multiple characters into one. The battle system was fun, but the world, both linear design and atmosphere, and story are so garbage and non sensical I don't think I can play it. That and it was WAYYYY to easy.

Wait does this game imply that the whole thing is her returning her copy of FF13? ... I think I would play that game.

the video is mega glitchy here i took a picture

Not gonna

@alex this trailer is all kinds of busted

Sorta iffy on the 13 stories, but I played the demo and the combat system was a lot of fun to play around with. Based on what little they have shown of 15 this almost looks like they are trying out some of 15's new mechanics here first.

For about 30 seconds, there, I was convinced this trailer was going to be all action cutscenes, and Alex was just being really facetious with that title. And then artifacting and audio drop-out and I don't even know.

I put down FF13 about 6 hours in when it first came out and never wanted to pick it up again. Part of the reason for that was that I really disliked Lightning as a character. Squeenix have been putting a lot of stock in the idea people want to see more of this character, which has bummed me out.

So much hate... Good lord.

TAKE YOUR NIHILISTIC GAMES AND IDEALS OUTTA HERE!!!!

All the UI elements look totally overdesigned. Style for style's sake instead of clarity. Seems to be Japan's M.O. in general last generation (PS3/360) and the one before that.

Sands of Destruction

"If you wish to have my soul you must take it by force." My new pick up line.

(sigh).......

Alright, just release it so I can buy it and let my shame burst free.

I'll be damned if I played those first two games and then Didn't play the 3rd installment.

Yah, I was wondering if she was suposed to be in the matrix until my left audio just stopped. Then I was wondering if she was suposed to be in the matrix, and my speakers stopped working, but no, they didnt stop. So I guess its ether a broken video player, a realy eager video trailer producer trying to get the whole matrix point across, or the video is broken.

I'd take a new Advent Children like Final Fantasy CG movie over any game they could offer.