Vanille will also have a role to play in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
By Erren Van Duine on July 27, 2013 at 3:32 AM
Japanese fans got their first hands-on with Lightning Returns today – courtesy of a Sony sponsored Play Community event held in Tokyo – where they were able to preview the beginning of the game. While most of the details shared at the event encompass information we already know, a few new tidbits have leaked out from those who attended the viewing.
Earlier this month, we learned that Fang would be rejoining the cast and it looks like she won’t be alone. Vanille is also back in some form, although details on her reappearance are still largely unknown. It seems she will show up in Luxerion.
The reason for Hope’s appearance as his 14 year old self is also still a mystery – one that will likely be solved during the course of the game. Apparently he went missing 169 years ago from the start of the game’s story, and although he can’t remember how he reverted to his teenage form he still remembers events from the past – just not in an emotional sense. Both Lightning and Hope seem to have thinning emotions. The older version of Hope from XIII-2 will make at least one appearance via a cutscene, but it’s still unknown if he’ll return to his adult form in the end. Snow has changed somewhat as well – no longer referring to Lightning in a casual manner, but now simply as “Savior.”
The fourth and final area in the game – the Wildlands – was shown off to the audience. It’s an open forest sort of area in which Lightning can ride chocobos through.
As previously detailed, the collaborative costumes from Final Fantasy VII, X and XIV will feature unique sets of victory poses as well as their own victory themes. Color customization will be available on these outfits as well for those wanting to change the look of Cloud’s SOLDIER uniform, however weapons and shields will not have the ability to be pallet swapped. Lightning will also be able to obtain Yuna’s summoner garb – which was initially revealed at E3 and will likely be a part of Square Enix’s Go There campaign.
For those that still have save files from Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, you’ll unlock Lightning’s outfits from each respective game automatically.
Lightning’s other costumes will be available through quests or purchased at a shop, while some abilities can be gathered through enemy drops. She’ll also be able to wear a variety of accessories including necklaces, earings, mascot items (such as XIII-2’s Mog) and glasses. Equipping the right setup is key – by using the right configuration of equipment, the game’s final boss can be felled in under 50 seconds. Players more interested in a less action-based approach need not worry – Lightning can be stacked more on the defensive side of things which will eliminate the need to reply on Guard and Evade tactics.
Lastly, the staff took some Q&A time to answer fan questions – one in particular curious if Lightning’s bust size had really increased as indicated in a Japanese interview at E3. It’s true, according to Toriyama and her bust size will actually change depending on the type of Schema she is wearing.