Final Fantasy double-whammy on PS3

Tuesday 9 May 2006
Square Enix has used its E3 press conference to reveal two brand new games bearing the title Final Fantasy XIII and both of them are exclusive to PlayStation 3.

Final Fantasy XIII is an RPG... or at least we think so - details are slimmer than slim at the moment. The trailer shown at the Square Enix press conference started with gorgeous visuals that were beautifully shot, exactly what you'd expect from a Final Fantasy title.

The movie showed a lone female warrior in a similar mould to the gun slinging Yuna from Final Fantasy X-2 or Ashe from the upcoming Final Fantasy XII - sexy and badass. She flipped around a futuristic level filled with soldiers and suddenly it became apparent that the beautiful CG movies had seamlessly shifted into real-time PlayStation 3 graphics.

Above: On the evidence of the movie, Final Fantasy XIII promises to be a sci-fi influenced RPG

The female character - name unknown - leapt into the air and spun to face her enemies, unloading a special attack. Every single enemy on the screen took damage, with the familiar bouncing hit point damage numbers appearing, live.

The movie also showed the main character investigating a dungeon that looked much more normal for Final Fantasy - a long pathway through a mystical, glowing forest environment.

In the world of Final Fantasy XIII, the "most advanced level of civilization ever seen in the Final Fantasy series," magic and technology have joined together. This sci-fi tinged adventure is unmistakably a Final Fantasy game, but its style is also a step beyond anything we've seen before.