Final Fantasy XIII interview makes us want it ASAP

Final Fantasy XIII interview makes us want it ASAP - as if we didn't before

by Jem Alexander { May 31st 2007 at 10:45AM }

Fed up of interviews? Then I have some bad news for you because a user over on the NeoGAF forums has put together a collection of quotes from interviews with Square Enix developers from the latest issue of LEVEL magazine. The excerpts include discussion by the interviewees, Motomu Toriyama, Tetsuya Nomura and Hajime Tabata, of Crisis Core, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII.

Whilst generally an exciting collection of quotes from some of the top names at Square Enix it is hard not to be disappointed by Toriyama's statement that the games in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series will be kept largely separate. We had harboured hopes of cross-game cameos. Imagine two Final Fantasies where the main characters from each game meet up and help each other get through a problem before going on their separate ways again. Sadly this doesn't look likely, though the games will link with each other through a "vague crystal theme," as Nomura puts it. Same as all the previous FF games then?

Nomura's thoughts on the tone and style of Final Fantasy Versus is a particularly interesting read. For those of you who suffer from fears that the series will be moving over to other consoles, then let me put them to rest. Both Nomura and Toriyama make it clear that they couldn't do the things they're doing without the power of the PlayStation 3. Make sure you check out all of the quotes over at the NeoGAF forums for more info.

Tags: Fabula nova Crystallis, FabulaNovaCrystallis, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Final Fantasy XIII, FinalFantasy, FinalFantasyVersusXiii, FinalFantasyXiii, Interview, Square Enix, SquareEnix

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

AHHHNOLD @ May 31st 2007 10:55AM

YAWN...FLEEZEN FLOOUZEN

allen @ May 31st 2007 10:55AM

OMG, are they really going to use "Fabula" in the game title ?!!?!?!? And the series as well?? OMG OMG OMG, that is quite possibly the gayest title ever !!!!

What an embarrassment !!!!!!

Ciddan @ May 31st 2007 11:00AM

Yay! I have this issue :) It's a really fat, nice article. Level and Sweden FTW :P

ShaleX @ May 31st 2007 11:26AM

that's some sexy flamebait there. The way I read Nomura's quote, confirms that it's not going to be ported to the PS2.

But I think they should rename it "Milkus Final Fantasyus" Project.

gamesblow @ Jun 1st 2007 7:16AM

Meh, it's final fantasy... I think we've done what the series can do for, what... ? 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and now gearing up for the 13th one. YAWN... I'm done with the gameplay in these things. Change it up... I don't care how powerful the PS3 is said to be, make use of it in more ways than graphics. Then, and only then, will I play a new FF game.

Malhavoc @ May 31st 2007 11:33AM

#5 You do realize that almost every FF game has changed the formula up? 7 added Limits and the Materia based skill learning system. 8 used the draw and junctioning systems. 9 went back to a more old school form of gameplay with skills that were leanred from equipped weapons. 10 had more strategical combat with a queue of turns instead of an ATB, summons that stayed out to fight, and the ability to switch party members in and out. X-2 had a job system that could be changed on the fly and combat that allowed multiple characters to attack simultaneously. 11 was an MMO. 12 was a single player game with MMO style combat. Versus 13 is looking to be a KH-style action game. How much more do you want them to change it up?

ShaleX @ May 31st 2007 11:41AM

?Meh, it's final fantasy... I think we've done what the series can do for, what... ? 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and now gearing up for the 13th one. YAWN... I'm done with the gameplay in these things. Change it up... I don't care how powerful the PS3 is said to be, make use of it in more ways than graphics. Then, and only then, will I play a new FF game.?

You know, the irony is, the switching up of the gameplay is what I think is wrong with the seires. I mean, FFX!! played very differently. Versus, is an action game...

No... I think Final Fantasy has become the game industry's best scam. You have a series, with a rabid fan base... and a bunch of games that.. barely have to be connected.... save for some reoccuring themes, and cameos. But each plot-line is disconnected, the gameplay dosen't even have to be the same. But with the name... it WILL sell millions of copies. Do they have to be good? Pssh, no... Mediocre to decent is fine. As long as the game isn't completely broken.

Squeenix... and FF have been going downhill since the Post-PS1 days. IMHO, Square is still coasting on the legond they got with SNES/PS1 games. In those days, they were fuckin brilliant. the FF series, Parasite Eve, Enhiender, Xenogears, Saga Frontier, Chrono Trigger... and the list goes on.

Then came PS2... and Final Fantasy 10 and 11 being announced at the same time was the beginning of the end. FFXI should have not happened. It should have been called Final Fantasy Online... not be part of the numbered series. Then came X2, the first numbered sequal..... and then came the 4 FFVII based products..

And, yes, I fell for them. ALL! I play FF 11, day it came out, X2... though i preferer X2 over the origonal, I played the FFVII shooter... and i've been dissapointed. Square needs to return the series to it's roots again... but I unfortunatly think Mistwalker is the only company who can do that now.

kingofwale @ May 31st 2007 11:47AM

the ONLY reason Enix is able to succeed with FF franchise is its ability to re-invent each iteration of the game and adding different story/character/system into it.

Something can't be said to Mario and Master CHief, eh? :)

I'm perfect happy with 2 seperate games, although it'd be cool if you can have characters coming from both games, but that'd almost be like forcing people to get 2 games, and that wouldn't be too smart.

RoboChocobo @ May 31st 2007 2:06PM

"The ONLY reason Enix is able to succeed with FF franchise is its ability to re-invent each iteration of the game and adding different story/character/system into it.

Something can't be said to Mario and Master CHief, eh? :)"

Only problem with that is the fact that excluding the Final Fantasy Title, as well as the re-occuring themes and items, it's ridiculous to call the FF games a series.

Re-name each title, and you have games that in no way are a series in the traditional sense. More like the various RPG's in the 90's that Square and Enix and Atlus would sneak references to past games in.

Final Fantasy is just a linear progression more akin to trial and error than a traditional series like Halo, with a persistant state universe, a progression of the world through titles, and a continued evolution while holding the title true to it's roots.

Due to Final Fantasy's lack of persistent worlds between games SquarEnix gets to try radically different things between games. That's why they ran into trouble making X-2, as they were enacting a rather large shift in gameplay and style onto something already estanblished, but they failed to do so with a smooth transition.

shase @ May 31st 2007 3:15PM

As much as I want this to be ps3 exclusive but after DMC4 anything could happen... I recall they kept saying "360 can't do it" for dmc4 and it will be on 360. Of course if there's something the 360 really "cant do" we will notice it when it comes out. He said it wasnt possible on last console generation so 360 is a possibility still..