• 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.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII DEMO - OUT NOW* -

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
Try out for yourself the most promising jRPG coming out this year and get a bonus item for the final game!

http://eu.square-enix.com/en/blog/lightning-returns-ffxiii-demo-out-now

*now on XBOX LIVE and NA PSN; tomorrow on EU PSN

If you weren’t lucky enough to attend any of last year’s events that hosted Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, we have good news for you! We're excited to announce that you can get your hands-on a playable demo!

Available from today on the Xbox Live Marketplace and from tomorrow on the PlayStation Store, you don't have to take our word for it that this game is unlike anything Final Fantasy has ever done before, because it's finally time for you to see for yourself.

So what's in the demo itself? Of course, you're playing as Lightning, but you're now mysteriously tracking down her old friend Snow Villiers in the city of Yusnaan. As Lightning, it's going to be up to you to fight through the chaos to see what happened.

And the battle mechanics? No Final Fantasy is without battles, and this demo gives you just a taste of the real-time elements incorporated into both the field and the battle system, and it includes but a fraction of the ways you can customize Lightning.

Once in battle, you'll notice how the battle system has evolved from the traditional paradigm shift party system into strategically using Schema. Each Schema has its own ATB gauge, allowing you to attack relentlessly with commands mapped to corresponding buttons. Then you'll switch to a new Schema, and all of your attacks change too, allowing you to pummel the enemy with different elements and attacks - Lightning is a one-woman army!

Finally, one of the features that the demo shows off is called the "Outerworld," a way for other players to communicate their progress via social networks like Facebook and Twitter to post their battle scores, and more.

If you can beat the Zaltys boss at the end of the demo and you post your score via Outerworld, you will unlock the Siegfried Garb in the full game. Who is Siegfried, you ask? Play Final Fantasy VI, and more will be revealed.
**

We're so excited over here to have you check out the demo and tell us what you think about the new battle system and gameplay. So what are you waiting for? You can pre-order Lightning Returns here, and of course download the demo from the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store when it updates tomorrow.

**Siegfried Garb
LRFFXIII_Siegfried.png

Also, Yuna's outfit confirmed for North America:

edit.

And more about the strategy guide:

The Standard guide includes 352 pages of strategic goodness, a giant map poster covering the entire game world of Nova Chrysalia, and two ribbon bookmarks. Fork out a little more for the Collector’s Edition and you’ll get an extra 32-page section with exclusive features, a soft-touch dust jacket and hard cover, and a new Schema for Lightning: Art of War. The schema consists of a new garb, weapon, ability, finishing move, and bonus magic resistance.




Aiming for 100% completion? Every secret, every unlockable, every New Game+ bonus, every Achievement and Trophy is revealed and explained in a dedicated Extras chapter. The guide will walk you through all Main and Side Quests, whilst the Strategy and Analysis section illustrates how to get the most from the game's key systems and features. An all-encompassing Bestiary and Inventory lists all enemies, garbs, weapons, shields, accessories, items and shops. Carefully designed to avoid unnecessary story spoilers, the guide covers both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

You can pre-order both editions of the guide through one of the following links: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Australia. And to pre-order Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, visit: http://sqex.to/pre-order

For more details visit the official website or follow and 'like' Lightning Returns: FFXIII here:

91NJNH2K3XL._SL1500_.jpg
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Oh great. Another retailer-specific preorder costume.

They're gonna sell this on PSN if I ever decide to care, right?

And is this the same demo as J-PSN but in English?
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
You can bet. The same was for XIII-2.
I actually bought one of the pre-order bonuses for XIII-2 of a Gaffer and I did see that it was being sold on PSN later on. Well good... I don't know if I care about costumes but maybe one night I'll be drunk and wanting some Yuna action. :p
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
Most promising? I'm not even sure if it's in the top 10 for jrpgs coming out in 2014.

For sure I don't even recall much about incoming jRPGs other than Tales of Xillia 2. That alone tells alot about "2014".

I actually bought one of the pre-order bonuses for XIII-2 of a Gaffer and I did see that it was being sold on PSN later on. Well good... I don't know if I care about costumes but maybe one night I'll be drunk and wanting some Yuna action. :p

I'm definitely interested in owning all the Legacy Outfits for this game. Hopefully I'll get most of them through preorder. They're all cool additions and I'm a whore for fanservice in my FFs.
 

Thoraxes

Member
I actually bought one of the pre-order bonuses for XIII-2 of a Gaffer and I did see that it was being sold on PSN later on. Well good... I don't know if I care about costumes but maybe one night I'll be drunk and wanting some Yuna action. :p

Were you the one who asked to buy/bought my Behemoth code? That was soooo long ago :D
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I know this has not been regarded by importGAF as a perfect FF game or anything (it's a XIII game alright), but I at least hope it's a fun videogame.

Fun battles and a top-shelf soundtrack... That's what I want.


Were you the one who asked to buy/bought my Behemoth code? That was soooo long ago :D
Must have been you, yeah :) 2 years ago.
 

HawthorneKitty

Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
I didn't buy into cosmetic XIII-2 DLC because it wasn't Lightning.
I don't think I can contain myself this time.
 

Labadal

Member
For sure I don't even recall much about incoming jRPGs other than Tales of Xillia 2. That alone tells alot.
Trails in the Sky 2.
Atelier Whatshername
Tales of Xillia 2
Tales of Zestiria (maybe)
Drakengard 3

LR is not the most promising jrpg but I will play the demo.
 

Mpl90

Two copies sold? That's not a bomb guys, stop trolling!!!
Ok, I'll give it a shot tomorrow, when it releases on PSN.
 
Finally, one of the features that the demo shows off is called the "Outerworld," a way for other players to communicate their progress via social networks like Facebook and Twitter to post their battle scores, and more.

Pre-order cancelled and set on fire.
 
Trails in the Sky 2.
Atelier Whatshername
Tales of Xillia 2
Tales of Zestiria (maybe)
Drakengard 3

LR is not the most promising jrpg but I will play the demo.

Don't forget that NA is getting Bravely Default next month, not the most fair to list that game, but still.
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
Trails in the Sky 2.
Atelier Whatshername
Tales of Xillia 2
Tales of Zestiria (definitely not in the west)
Drakengard 3

So it's definitely the best and not just the most promising. Thanks for making it clear.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Huh, the Siegfried garb is cooler than I was expecting.

LRFFXIII_Siegfried.png
It's odd because Siegfried was a cryptic character in FFVI. He was barely there and I didn't know what to make of him. So odd to see him invoked 20 years later in some way.
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix
Persona 5...

Final Fantasy VI iOS?

People should stop mentioning titles from a decade ago. We're obviously speaking of new jRPGs. And no, P5 is not making to the west this year.

next?

It's time to deal with it. If that's because LR: FFXIII will be good or because the market doesn't have anything to offer better it's another thing. Not for me to decide. I'll enjoy the game and stop fightning once out :)
 
Argh, and just as I'm going abroad on a work trip for a couple of weeks too... I won't be able to play this demo until I get back. I'm so hyped for this game!
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
It's beyond me why you would post a sentence like that right at the top knowing it's going to immediately derail the thread. But whatever.

Interested to try this out later today.
 

li bur

Member
I want to give this game a chance but i am sure i'll be disappointed.
i'll just at least give the demo a shot.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Meh I think Perfo's right. I don't think LR will be the best game ever, but I'm hardly interested in the competition this year. Maybe Bravely Default.
 
Final Fantasy VI iOS?

People should stop mentioning titles from a decade ago. We're obviously speaking of new jRPGs. And no, P5 is not making to the west this year.

next?

It's time to deal with it. If that's because LR: FFXIII will be good or because the market doesn't have anything to offer better it's another thing. Not for me to decide. I'll enjoy the game and stop fightning once out :)

Jim-Halpert-Shrug-and-Leave-The-Office.gif
 

Jucksalbe

Banned
Hmm...I wonder if English could make this demo any better? I guess I'll try it later.

Congratulations to locking (?) your costumes behind preorder bonuses and external sites, SE.
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
Meh I think Perfo's right. I don't think LR will be the best game ever, but I'm hardly interested in the competition this year. Maybe Bravely Default.

Competition for this year is non-existent unfortunately, LR: FFXIII will definitely be the best JRPG of the year among them. Well like you say Bravely Default could be an interesting opponent, but I'm european and I already played and finished the game in 2013, thus it's old enough already for me to compete.

Did they goof? Link is removed.

I noticed. They're really lol.

Hmm...I wonder if English could make this demo any better? I guess I'll try it later.

Congratulations to locking (?) your costumes behind preorder bonuses and external sites, SE.

It's not really something new in the industry, most of the publishers do the same. If anything you can be sure all these DLCs will be on sale after one or two weeks on PSN and LIVE to everyone.
 

Dantis

Member
Try out for yourself the most promising jRPG coming out this year and get a bonus item for the final game!

PERSONA5?!?!?

But yeah, I played the Japanese demo. It wasn't great, but it also wasn't the worst game I've ever played.
 

YAWN

Ask me which Shakespeare novel is best
Most promising JRPG of the year?
And people wonder why these threads always turn into a war. Don't start complaining Perfo when your the blooming cause of it.
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
21 hours into replaying FF13.
I'll probably make it in time for the release.

Speaking of FFXIII, I think that's only jRPG that I played more than twice. That game is so made for multiple playthroughs, not because there's anything new to see with each one but because the game's pacing is so smooth that I actually never get bored, but only entertained from start to end. I hope this last entry is equally entertaining differently from its prequel, XIII-2.
 

Dark_castle

Junior Member
Competition for this year is non-existent unfortunately, LR: FFXIII will definitely be the best JRPG of the year among them. Well like you say Bravely Default could be an interesting opponent, but I'm european and I already played and finished the game in 2013, thus it's old enough already for me to compete.

Tales of Xillia 2 and X.
 
Speaking of FFXIII, I think that's only jRPG that I played more than twice. That game is so made for multiple playthroughs, not because there's anything new to see with each one but because the game's pacing is so smooth that I actually never get bored, but only entertained from start to end. I hope this last entry is equally entertaining differently from its prequel, XIII-2.

Holy shit, did I just step into an alternate reality?
 
Top Bottom