It's an exciting time to be an RPG fan because the launch of the first next-gen Final Fantasy, which just so happens to be the thirteenth installment in the long-running saga, is looming near.
If you can read or speak Japanese and you're incredibly impatient, the game will be on sale in Japan on the 17th. However, if you're fluent in broken English then you're going to have to wait until March 9th, 2010 to get your grubby hands on a copy -- which isn't that bad of a wait, actually. Time flies.
I'm still crackin' jokes about the Xbox 360 version, though. All year I've been saying how it'll end up being eight discs verus the single Blu-ray the PS3 version is being stamped on. Well, I was close; it's been revealed the greener edition of the two will be three DVDs. Not that disc swapping is that bad, but the Playstation 3 is the paq-land approved way to experience this title, lol.
On a side note, you can pre-order it now through my site's store here for the PS3 or here for the Xbox 360 for $56.99 and FREE-ASS shipping.
Anyways, in a refreshing move, Square's taking a page from the Kingdom Hearts playbook with the promotion of Final Fantasy XIII by including a pop song on the soundtrack. Leona Lewis, winner of the Brit's version of American Idol -- The X Factor, will supply the epic's theme with the song "My Hands" from her recently released sophomore effort "Echo".
After hearing it, it sounds like a good choice for a lead track in a game like this and I'm glad we FINALLY get some non-translated J-Pop. Nothing against J-Pop, 'cause I dig it at times myself, but the English version getting it's own original theme earns some points in my book.
The box art has also been revealed, and it's, well, fairly ordinary and by-the-numbers. Although, gamers with decent memories will remember the cover artwork for Final Fantasy games of yesteryear were bleak as well. It wasn't until Final Fantasy X they really started adding some color and backgrounds to it. History lessons aside, some people have actually been complaining about the decision to go for a simple cover. To me, it's a good throwback to the glory days of VI and VII. Now, if the gameplay hold up to the classic style is yet to be seen.
While I'm under the impression the battle system will indeed be "different" to say the least, I don't anticipate another Final Fantasy XII sized diaster. XII's battle system was so broken, I quit playing it in under three hours and never thought twice about picking it up again. My fingers are crossed that Square doesn't mess this one up because the entire Final Fantasy series is on it's last chance with me. It's becoming way too easy and dumbed down and seeming way too big for it's own good in my humble opinion. Final Fantasy X had a good balance of new skool vs. old skool, but everything else has been downhill. I think Square has too much technology to play with, lol...
Either way, I will be buying this. Are you? And if you are, for which system? Is this enough to make you buy a console if you don't own one yet? Sound off in the Facebook comments below!
