Final Fantasy XIII Releasing on a Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc
Dec 9th
Unsurprisingly there was another interview regarding Final Fantasy XIII in this week’s Famitsu, however, quite an unusual question was asked.
Unusual because the game is still PlayStation 3 exclusive in Japan.
Famitsu asked if there would be any differences between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, and they were told a few brief things:
- The PlayStation 3 version will ship on a dual layer blu-ray disc, which means the game is definitely larger than 25GB in size.
- The Xbox 360 version will have compressed video as well as audio in order to fit on multiple DVDs. The number of DVDs was not given.
Final Fantasy XIII Famitsu Score
Dec 8th
This week’s Famitsu cross review features Final Fantasy XIII.
The game received a score of 10/9/10/10, or 39/40… one point away from a perfect score.
A brief translation of what the reviewers had to say is as follows:
10: “Although the game is linear until the midway point, the story is substantial, like no FF before it, with its own distinctive appeal. The battles based around changing characters’ roles is radical, and highly strategic. The tempo is speedy and you get very excited when fighting strong enemies. Being able to restart battles is a user-friendly feature I’m happy about.
9: “Unquestionably the highest echelon of event and movie scenes. Moreover, changing Optimas on a dime, the varied abilities and being able to use multiple magics at once bring real exhilaration to the battles. That high quality is unfortunately offset by a story that stays linear until the midway point. The lack of gimmicks during the middle of the game also worried me.”
10: “The overwhelming graphics expressing every nook and cranny of this unique world, along with the praiseworthy direction, moved me!! The battle system is applicable both to beginners and micro-managers. They progress quickly, and have ratings, so you never grow tired and can always fight with a feeling of urgency. The melancholic story is also so dramatic, you can’t tear your eyes away from it.”
10: “I doff my hat to the overwhelming graphics and story. Since the game’s various systems become denser as the story progresses, you find yourself pulled ever deeper into the experience. The summon battles take careful planning and strategy, so I was frustrated a few times, but the feeling of achievement when you win is something special. You’ll be sorry if you don’t play this!”
New Famitsu Direct Feed Screenshots
Dec 7th
Famitsu has updated today with several direct feed screenshots from last week’s magazine issue. The shots feature new characters Cid and Rygdea.
Source: Famitsu.com.
Official Japanese Site Updated With Cid and Hecatoncheir
Dec 4th
The official Japanese website has been updated today with information and CG renders of Vanille’s eidolon, Hecatoncheir, as well as the character Cid Raines.
A Book section has also been added to the Special page featuring a postcard book, scenario and battle Ultimanias, the printing of Episode Zero, and the Final Fantasy XIII World Preview book.
Sugawara Sayuri’s Single, Eternal Love Released in Full
Dec 3rd
On December 2nd, Sugawara Sayuri’s single for the Final Fantasy XIII theme, Kimi ga Iru Kara was released, and included with the disc was the insert song for the game titled Eternal Love.
Final Fantasy XIII Action Montage CM
Dec 2nd
Square-Enix continues its promotion for Final Fantasy XIII with another commercial. This time it’s all gameplay elements.
You can view the commercial here: