Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Announced

Square Enix has announced Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

The game will be released sometime in 2013. IGN reports that the game will be incorporating “a brand-new story, world, characters and an enhanced gameplay system.”  However, the main part of the game is that Lightning will be returning as a solo playable character and that she will be able to run around in a completely new world.

It would seem that the new game will take place several hundred of years after Final Fantasy XIII-2. It will also be set in a world called Novus Partus. This new world will consist of four islands, all connected by a monorail.

One of the more stressful things about the game will be “doomsday clock”. According to Square Enix, the clock will countdown and end after 13 days. The time spent in the world, travelling with the monorail etc, will spend time and hasten the days.

For those dying to customize Lightning, you’re in luck. Since she’s the only playable character, the developers have made it so you can customize her looks and combat style. We know some more about the battle system though. The battle system will feature “real-time elements including direct control of Lightning’s movement and her attacks, as well as time-based moves that drain the doomsday counter.” A real-time block will also be implemented in the combat system. Another feature is that if you die mid-battle, you can choose to rewind the mistake(s), for the price of draining the doomsday counter.

The game was announced at the Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Event. A teaser site was also launched.