07-03-2013 18:59
Os traigo un artículo en la lengua de Shakespeare sobre FFXIII-3: http://www.edge-online.com/features/ligh...ches-tack/
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasy-610x343.jpg[/img]
The city of Luxerion is a stark contrast to the tight corridors of Final Fantasy XIII. Crowds of NPCs wander the streets, and Lightning ÔÇô back once more in the hands of players ÔÇô is able to explore these paths freely. ThereÔÇÖs a day/night cycle, sidequests to pick up and roaming monsters to battle. ItÔÇÖs the rich, dynamic space thatÔÇÖs been sorely missing from an increasingly static series.
The architecture is ornate, classical and reminiscent of the sun-washed stone of AssassinÔÇÖs CreedÔÇÖs Renaissance Italy ÔÇô and the similarities donÔÇÖt end with the setting. Lightning is on the trail of a secretive cult, and we see snippets of her investigation, such as tailing hooded figures through winding streets and climbing rooftops. Square Enix says that quests will offer a variety of gameplay types to supplement the seriesÔÇÖ trademark Active Time Battles.
In one example, Lightning must discover a numerical code in order to access the cultÔÇÖs headquarters. The digits are hidden around Luxerion, scribbled on walls in hard-to-reach places. To form the password, she has to explore the city, collect the numbers and then piece them together in the correct order. Such variations in pace and quest structure should stop this game feeling like a procession of battles linked by lengthy cutscenes.
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasyXIII-2-610x343.jpg[/img]
The majority of our demo is spent in Luxerion, but we do get some glimpses of other environments. In the Dead Dunes, we see Lightning sliding down banks of sand and exploring ancient ruins, echoing Journey. The Wildlands are home to lush forests and small towns filled with quest-giving villagers. Each island will offer a different style of quest, and Square Enix boldly claims that some of these isles are so large you can get lost in them.
Wherever you go, Lightning is the protagonist. The reason behind this, director Motomu Toriyama explains, is that thereÔÇÖs never been a strong lead female in the series before (he doesnÔÇÖt count Terra). LightningÔÇÖs visually striking, sure, especially in her ostentatious new costumes, but her sullen demeanour ÔÇô many have called her FFXIIIÔÇÖs answer to VIIÔÇÖs brooding Cloud Strife ÔÇô doesnÔÇÖt make for the most charismatic lead.
Like any Final Fantasy hero worth their salt, LightningÔÇÖs on a quest to save the world. The twist here is that she only has 13 days to do it. Throughout the game, a timer keeps you informed about how many days remain before the apocalypse. ItÔÇÖs difficult not to think of MajoraÔÇÖs Mask, although it seems Lightning wonÔÇÖt be able to manipulate time in the way Link did. Clocks are dotted around the environment, serving as a constant reminder that youÔÇÖre battling against minutes as well as monsters. Many quests can only be picked up or completed at night, and some NPCs only appear at set points in the day.
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasyXIII-3-610x343.jpg[/img]
Time management is going to be crucial to success in this game. Travelling between the four islands will take several in-game hours, and quests have time penalties. The reward for a given quest may be great, but it will use up more time, so youÔÇÖll have to decide whether itÔÇÖs worth the increased risk. The idea is that the game is designed to be played through multiple times, which is another Final Fantasy first. ThereÔÇÖs no way to complete every sidequest in a single playthrough, so youÔÇÖll have to go back through the story more than once in order to see them all.
As in XIII-2, battles take place on a separate screen, although youÔÇÖre no longer tethered to the ground, moving Lightning around with the left stick, much as in Ni No Kuni. Abilities and magic are mapped to the face buttons, rather than accessed through the usual menus, giving the battles the immediacy of an action game. ItÔÇÖs a dramatic departure for the series, although it runs the risk of being overly simple.
ItÔÇÖs in LightningÔÇÖs costumes that the strategy may potentially lie, acting as an alternative to the Paradigm Shift system. Each of her so-called ÔÇÿGarbsÔÇÖ brings with it a selection of powers, and you can switch between them in battle with the shoulder buttons. The outfits are comically flamboyant, even for a Final Fantasy game, all billowing silk, ornate metalwork and leather chaps. Each also represents a different class; enemies will be weak against some and resistant to others, and knowing which to choose ÔÇô and when ÔÇô forms the meat of the combat.
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasyXIII-610x343.jpg[/img]
Three large ATB bars dominate the HUD, showing you the status of the three costumes you have to choose from and when theyÔÇÖre available to equip. LightningÔÇÖs loadout can be further augmented with swords and shields, which share the same extravagant designs as her outfits. Garbs may be customised, so you can have, say, one dedicated to healing and another set up for elemental magic. The system doesnÔÇÖt look that deep as yet, but it does seem to bestow some freedom on the player to create bespoke builds to suit different situations.
As well as smaller monsters running wild on the streets of Luxerion, we were treated to a larger battle with a behemoth. Lightning spots the creature stampeding down an alley and approaches it from behind, with a damage bonus awarded from the resulting backstab. The battle screen swirls into view and Lightning circles the beast, pummelling it with familiar Final Fantasy spells. During the fight, she staggers her opponent with a knockdown effect, giving her a few seconds to attack without fear of reprisal. Square Enix makes a point of telling us that all the spell and combat effects are new, and that little has been recycled from the previous two games.
Our biggest concern is that Lightning Returns borrows so much else from other games that it lacks an identity of its own, while Final Fantasy traditionalists may well lament the loss of menus and the dramatic shift in combat direction. The Crystal Tools engine is also beginning to show its age. The character models are typically beautiful, but they jar against the flat, grubby environment textures. A cutscene shows a clock close-up, and the numbers on its face are a blur. The exquisite detailing of the character models clearly comes at a cost. Still, itÔÇÖs heartening to see Square Enix trying something different with Lightning Returns, and, with its busy and open cities, build on XIII-2ÔÇÖs attempts to address complaints about the linearity of the first game.
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasy-610x343.jpg[/img]
The city of Luxerion is a stark contrast to the tight corridors of Final Fantasy XIII. Crowds of NPCs wander the streets, and Lightning ÔÇô back once more in the hands of players ÔÇô is able to explore these paths freely. ThereÔÇÖs a day/night cycle, sidequests to pick up and roaming monsters to battle. ItÔÇÖs the rich, dynamic space thatÔÇÖs been sorely missing from an increasingly static series.
The architecture is ornate, classical and reminiscent of the sun-washed stone of AssassinÔÇÖs CreedÔÇÖs Renaissance Italy ÔÇô and the similarities donÔÇÖt end with the setting. Lightning is on the trail of a secretive cult, and we see snippets of her investigation, such as tailing hooded figures through winding streets and climbing rooftops. Square Enix says that quests will offer a variety of gameplay types to supplement the seriesÔÇÖ trademark Active Time Battles.
In one example, Lightning must discover a numerical code in order to access the cultÔÇÖs headquarters. The digits are hidden around Luxerion, scribbled on walls in hard-to-reach places. To form the password, she has to explore the city, collect the numbers and then piece them together in the correct order. Such variations in pace and quest structure should stop this game feeling like a procession of battles linked by lengthy cutscenes.
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasyXIII-2-610x343.jpg[/img]
The majority of our demo is spent in Luxerion, but we do get some glimpses of other environments. In the Dead Dunes, we see Lightning sliding down banks of sand and exploring ancient ruins, echoing Journey. The Wildlands are home to lush forests and small towns filled with quest-giving villagers. Each island will offer a different style of quest, and Square Enix boldly claims that some of these isles are so large you can get lost in them.
Wherever you go, Lightning is the protagonist. The reason behind this, director Motomu Toriyama explains, is that thereÔÇÖs never been a strong lead female in the series before (he doesnÔÇÖt count Terra). LightningÔÇÖs visually striking, sure, especially in her ostentatious new costumes, but her sullen demeanour ÔÇô many have called her FFXIIIÔÇÖs answer to VIIÔÇÖs brooding Cloud Strife ÔÇô doesnÔÇÖt make for the most charismatic lead.
Like any Final Fantasy hero worth their salt, LightningÔÇÖs on a quest to save the world. The twist here is that she only has 13 days to do it. Throughout the game, a timer keeps you informed about how many days remain before the apocalypse. ItÔÇÖs difficult not to think of MajoraÔÇÖs Mask, although it seems Lightning wonÔÇÖt be able to manipulate time in the way Link did. Clocks are dotted around the environment, serving as a constant reminder that youÔÇÖre battling against minutes as well as monsters. Many quests can only be picked up or completed at night, and some NPCs only appear at set points in the day.
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasyXIII-3-610x343.jpg[/img]
Time management is going to be crucial to success in this game. Travelling between the four islands will take several in-game hours, and quests have time penalties. The reward for a given quest may be great, but it will use up more time, so youÔÇÖll have to decide whether itÔÇÖs worth the increased risk. The idea is that the game is designed to be played through multiple times, which is another Final Fantasy first. ThereÔÇÖs no way to complete every sidequest in a single playthrough, so youÔÇÖll have to go back through the story more than once in order to see them all.
As in XIII-2, battles take place on a separate screen, although youÔÇÖre no longer tethered to the ground, moving Lightning around with the left stick, much as in Ni No Kuni. Abilities and magic are mapped to the face buttons, rather than accessed through the usual menus, giving the battles the immediacy of an action game. ItÔÇÖs a dramatic departure for the series, although it runs the risk of being overly simple.
ItÔÇÖs in LightningÔÇÖs costumes that the strategy may potentially lie, acting as an alternative to the Paradigm Shift system. Each of her so-called ÔÇÿGarbsÔÇÖ brings with it a selection of powers, and you can switch between them in battle with the shoulder buttons. The outfits are comically flamboyant, even for a Final Fantasy game, all billowing silk, ornate metalwork and leather chaps. Each also represents a different class; enemies will be weak against some and resistant to others, and knowing which to choose ÔÇô and when ÔÇô forms the meat of the combat.
[img height=343 width=610]http://media.edge-online.com/wp-content/uploads/edgeonline/2013/03/FinalFantasyXIII-610x343.jpg[/img]
Three large ATB bars dominate the HUD, showing you the status of the three costumes you have to choose from and when theyÔÇÖre available to equip. LightningÔÇÖs loadout can be further augmented with swords and shields, which share the same extravagant designs as her outfits. Garbs may be customised, so you can have, say, one dedicated to healing and another set up for elemental magic. The system doesnÔÇÖt look that deep as yet, but it does seem to bestow some freedom on the player to create bespoke builds to suit different situations.
As well as smaller monsters running wild on the streets of Luxerion, we were treated to a larger battle with a behemoth. Lightning spots the creature stampeding down an alley and approaches it from behind, with a damage bonus awarded from the resulting backstab. The battle screen swirls into view and Lightning circles the beast, pummelling it with familiar Final Fantasy spells. During the fight, she staggers her opponent with a knockdown effect, giving her a few seconds to attack without fear of reprisal. Square Enix makes a point of telling us that all the spell and combat effects are new, and that little has been recycled from the previous two games.
Our biggest concern is that Lightning Returns borrows so much else from other games that it lacks an identity of its own, while Final Fantasy traditionalists may well lament the loss of menus and the dramatic shift in combat direction. The Crystal Tools engine is also beginning to show its age. The character models are typically beautiful, but they jar against the flat, grubby environment textures. A cutscene shows a clock close-up, and the numbers on its face are a blur. The exquisite detailing of the character models clearly comes at a cost. Still, itÔÇÖs heartening to see Square Enix trying something different with Lightning Returns, and, with its busy and open cities, build on XIII-2ÔÇÖs attempts to address complaints about the linearity of the first game.