• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Non-Linear Time Traveling, Sidequests, New Great Locations

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

Pooya

Member
Historiacross = Historiacrux in EN version xD

Could you give us an overview of what the Historia Crux is and how it works?


The Historia Crux is a new gameplay system that functions like a compass for time travel. As the portal which allows the player to select areas and time periods to go to, it functions a bit like a home menu and is at the heart of the story and gameplay progression of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2. The player can enjoy travelling through time by freely choosing between all the time-space locations where gates have been opened up. Although these locations proceed onwards into the future, you also have the option of rewinding time so it will be possible to experience many different historical possibilities.



What specific fan feedback are you trying to respond to with the Historia Crux?


The original game, FINAL FANTASY XIII, was primarily story driven and progressed in a very linear manner. For the sequel, FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, we are going for a much more player driven concept, so this time around the gameplay and story itself will alter to fit the player’s choices. You will be able to freely come and go between all the areas; the game will provide not just simple environmental exploration, but also a multi-layered exploration of history through the Historia Crux.



How does the Historia Crux affect the gameplay in FINAL FANTASY XIII-2?


The Historia Crux branches off into multiple different routes depending on the player’s choices. You will be able to take a detour into areas that have branched off of the route you have taken, perform side missions and turn back time in each of the areas to experiment with all possibilities. It is of course also possible to progress simply following the main story, like in the original FINAL FANTASY XIII. The flow of areas accessible via Historia Crux has been structured so that all of the player’s actions and decisions will influence the gameplay.


Casual players will be able to use the Historia Crux in a similar manner to browsing a favourite website – picking and choosing between all the different links available. It also contains elements aimed at more dedicated gamers, allowing for more challenging play through encouraging exploration of all the different times and places; to find additional secrets including the multiple endings that are hidden in the different routes.



Many fans have been longing for an explorable World Map for a while. Do you feel that the Historia Crux is a good alternative?



The Historia Crux divides the world into multiple layers, overlapping with the different time periods that can be played with the feeling of jumping freely around several world maps. This is a completely new system and experience, so it cannot be unconditionally compared with other options; however, when considering the key concept of “player freedom”, I believe it to be an optimal system for combining the best parts of open-world style games with the story-driven aspects of FINAL FANTASY XIII. The player can adjust their play style to either delve deeply into everything available and be engrossed, or just make more straightforward choices while going along their adventure.



Is it possible to share more information on how the Historia Crux allows for sidequests and hidden objects to feature in the game?



In the original game, the sidequests were only unlocked in the second half of the story in Gran Pulse, but in the sequel we have put in many different sidequests right from the start. Due to the overwhelming demand from players of the original, we have also included many strong and colourful mini games, a tradition of the FINAL FANTASY series. You will be able to return to any of the times and places whenever you like from the Historia Crux, so it is completely up to the player in what way they choose to play these.



Is it possible to change events that happen in the future depending on your actions in the past?


Depending on the player’s actions, new turning points to new futures will appear in time, and these will certainly form the basis for the multiple endings.


This is the first time time travel has featured so prominently in a FINAL FANTASY game, is this something you'd like to explore more in future games?


For the FINAL FANTASY series, each game has its own new game system, so it is not as if we are intending on making time travel key to all future instalments. We want fans to look forward to each FINAL FANTASY having its own unique system. For FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, we are experimenting with carrying out repeated large scale user tests to reflect the opinions of users in the game itself. We really have received a lot of feedback about the game, but among the voices there are those who say it reminds them of the classic RPG, CHRONO TRIGGER. For FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, we are aiming to make time travel a major thematic direction, and be able to express this on high-end game machines.




Will we be meeting older/younger versions of FINAL FANTASY XIII characters as we travel through time?


The main characters from the original FINAL FANTASY XIII will show up in this journey through time, so we will see them in many different situations and guises. I am sure that the fans of the original will be looking forward to seeing them again and how they have changed over the years!



Is it possible to return to time periods you've already visited and replay them as if it’s your first time you have visited the area?


It will be possible to wind back time in each of the areas you visit and replay them. Character levels and equipment etc will be carried over so it will be possible to play the game as if doing a “New Game+” for each of the areas at different times. It will be possible to play through from the start using your levelled up characters, once you have completed the game. We have taken care to put a number of elements into the game system to make replays more exciting and user-friendly.
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
Does Lightning travel to the invisible world? Where Muin disappeared into after Buniberzei defeated her?
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
miladesn said:

Is it possible to return to time periods you've already visited and replay them as if it’s your first time you have visited the area?


It will be possible to wind back time in each of the areas you visit and replay them. Character levels and equipment etc will be carried over so it will be possible to play the game as if doing a “New Game+” for each of the areas at different times. It will be possible to play through from the start using your levelled up characters, once you have completed the game. We have taken care to put a number of elements into the game system to make replays more exciting and user-friendly.
Click to expand...

Interesting
 
Jinfash

Jinfash

needs 2 extra inches
demosthenes said:
I'd like to know where Snow is as well.

And is the guy Lightning keeps fighting Noel from the future?
Click to expand...
Thanks for spoiling the entire plot man. Knowing SE, that's probably their biggest twist.
 
P

Pooya

Member
If you've completed FINAL FANTASY XIII you will know that Lightning manages to save her sister, Serah, from her crystallised form and save the world with the help of her friends. Since then Lightning has left the world of Cocoon and Pulse behind her and become the protector to the Goddess Etro in Valhalla, the land of Chaos.

Through her journey Lightning has become incredibly strong and is currently fighting her own battles in Valhalla, against the mysterious purple-clad character whom you should remember from the initial announcement trailer. Lightning is unable to leave Valhalla and leave Etro at the mercy of the enemy and so she asks Noel for his help.

This is where the game kicks off - with a meteor landing near the home of Serah and the rest of Team NORA, which heralds the arrival of Noel and the opening of paths across time. "Come with me across the boundaries of time", Noel says. "Your sister is waiting".
Click to expand...

.
 
W

weeaboo

Member
Woha, the Historiacrux stuff sounds amazing and it actually makes sense. Is Toriyama going to deliver this time? I don't think so!
 
L

Lumpy Onion

Member
Pics look amazing. Frost encrusted chocobo shot looked pretty cool. As does that huge city. But I think I am learning a bit too much about the games story and figure its time to go on blackout till January. Can't wait till then.
 
Perfo

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
D

duckroll

Member
Zoe said:
Noel already knows about or has met Lightning by the time he meets Sera.
Click to expand...

Ah, but that doesn't stop Noel from eventually becoming the person who now fights Lightning. Time travel is fun!
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
Game sounds great.

And to think I was laughed at by Kagari for saying S-E is turning things around with this game :(
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
619314_20110908_screen003.jpg


619314_20110908_screen007.jpg


619314_20110908_screen008.jpg


619314_20110908_screen009.jpg


619314_20110908_screen010.jpg


619314_20110908_screen011.jpg


619314_20110908_screen016.jpg


619314_20110908_screen017.jpg


619314_20110908_screen023.jpg


619314_20110908_screen024.jpg


http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/rpg/final-fantasy-xiii-2/images.html
 
K

Kambing

Member
Oh man, i am starting to get hyped like last time for ff13, i hope it does not dissapoint. Seems like it has a variety of different locations too.
 
B

brandonh83

Banned
I really like the way it looks, but Noel annoys me than any other FF character ever has. He's like Snow and Hope, snowballed into one. And the music I heard in some E3 videos still grates at my nerves (especially after the incredible FFXIII soundtrack). So while it's harder for me to remain optimistic, I am liking the screens very much. I just hope that Noel and the music isn't as bad as the game goes on because those two things are plenty enough to keep me from going full excite.
 
Jinfash

Jinfash

needs 2 extra inches
Everything sounds nice so far, but I'm a bit concerned about this Historia Crux. It could potentially give a disjointed and incohesive game world if done wrong. I'd appreciate a FFX approach more where several locales are linked at the very least, with the rest accessible through this "home menu" like system.

Also, I haven't seen many open-field maps. The ones I came across so far, while not structured strictly as tunnels, are pretty straight forward. I'd like to see at least several Archylte Steppe maps.
 
R

Rpgmonkey

Member
Oh wow, this sounds really cool. Thought the time travel was going to be stiffly structured and linear. Playing around with time to experiment, explore, and change things sounds a lot more interesting.

Hopefully the level design isn't as boring, but I'm still really liking the direction they're going with this game.
 
D

demosthenes

Member
Jinfash said:
Everything sounds nice so far, but I'm a bit concerned about this Historia Crux. It could potentially give a disjointed and incohesive game world if done wrong. I'd appreciate a FFX approach more where several locales are linked at the very least, with the rest accessible through this "home menu" like system.

Also, I haven't seen many open-field maps. The ones I came across so far, while not structured strictly as tunnels, are pretty straight forward. I'd like to see at least several Archylte Steppe maps.
Click to expand...

Need to get to chapter 11, and they don't want to spoil that part of the story.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Jinfash said:
Everything sounds nice so far, but I'm a bit concerned about this Historia Crux. It could potentially give a disjointed and incohesive game world if done wrong. I'd appreciate a FFX approach more where several locales are linked at the very least, with the rest accessible through this "home menu" like system.

Also, I haven't seen many open-field maps. The ones I came across so far, while not structured strictly as tunnels, are pretty straight forward. I'd like to see at least several Archylte Steppe maps.
Click to expand...

Have you played FFX-2? I think they're going for something similar here.
 
M

michaeltraps

Member
This is looking legitimately fantastic - loving the time travel concept and it seems like they're playing it smart with the New Game + angle. Hopefully they throw in some Chrono Trigger callbacks like leaving chests in the past to receive more powerful versions in the future.

I'd like to see the level progression system now
I'm a menu whore and those reveals always excite me - something more akin to the sphere grid, hopefully
.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Rpgmonkey said:
Hopefully the level design isn't as boring, but I'm still really liking the direction they're going with this game.
Click to expand...

I agree. Level design was the worst part of FFXIII, and it really made a lot of the game feel a lot worse than it actually is, when you consider all the other factors. If they actually have good level design here, and the areas are fun to explore and move around in, it could be a major improvement.
 
H

HammerOfThor

Member
Stargate gets canceled now everyone is using a "gate" for travel, Terranova, FF, wtf......


But I'm kinda looking forward to this, I still need to beat XIII. While I didnt love it, I was able to tolerate it and play it.

When is the release?
 
.la1n

.la1n

Member
Looking better. I actually prefer the game not become too nonlinear or make it more of a choice with a clear goal still set. I can't be bothered to run around areas over and over looking for trivial things to progress, don't have the time. It's one of the reason I loved XIII, hated the characters / story though :|
 
K

Kyoufu

Member
duckroll said:
I agree. Level design was the worst part of FFXIII, and it really made a lot of the game feel a lot worse than it actually is, when you consider all the other factors. If they actually have good level design here, and the areas are fun to explore and move around in, it could be a major improvement.
Click to expand...

Anything other than a straight line is actually improving FFXIII's level design, so I'd say that from what we've seen already, they've improved the game immensely.

And the thing is, the battle system was great anyway, so this is shaping up to be a good game. The only thing that will probably let it down is the story if they focus it around whiny kids and not the intriguing mythology the game is based on.
 
C

cosmicblizzard

Banned
Okay, I am now significantly more hyped than I already was. Loved FFXIII, but this looks to improve on nearly everything. The only thing I'm still not sure on is the limited party members.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Wish they didn't ruin the cast. One of the things FF13 got right; I liked everyone but Vanille.

Does anyone really care about this Noel clown?
 
D

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
"New Great Locations"? OP had better not be exaggerating...

...

Yeah, ok. They look alright, except for some of those textures. I hope the level design isn't underwhelming. Some of Serah's facial expressions in those screens make me laugh a bit. Maybe it's because I'm tired, but I'm still not really hyped for this. Holding judgement until I actually play the thing. I will say, however, that the time travel stuff sounds interesting on paper, but whether it'll be executed well or not is another story altogether.

miladesn said:
Historiacross = Historiacrux in EN version xD
Click to expand...
Great. Now the whole thing is Latin. The least they could have done was decline the lexical items correctly, however. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught the OOPARTs error in that article... -_-
 
R

Rodney McKay

Member
Damn, this sounds really awesome, but I hated what I played of FF13 and never got far in it.

I wish Spoony Experiment would do a 10 part review for it.
 
base shagohod

base shagohod

Member
I was gonna ignore this game but damnit, it's just too pretty. I can't quit you S-E.

p.s. I could care less about FFXIII's story. Honestly. Probably gonna skip 90% of any talking cutscenes too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Final Fantasy XVI Successfully Expanded the Series to New, Younger Players, Says Square Enix
Game Dev 2
92
5K
LavitzSlambert replied
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH - Launch Trailer
Trailer
3
569
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
Final Fantasy 7 Remake team wants to give players more freedom and new gameplay in the trilogy’s final part
Game Dev 2
95
4K
rkofan87 replied
A demo for Final Fantasy 16 is reportedly coming to PC soon.
News
5
792
demented waffle replied
  • Poll
New Final Fantasy Collection at UNIQLO + More Gaming T-Shirts
News Community Business
20
1K
Kaachan replied
Top Bottom