Final Fantasy XIII-2 is official, coming 'next winter'

You know what the world needs? More Final Fantasy. Not content with its upcoming roster of spin-offs, cross-overs, prequels and ports, Square Enix has announced that it is giving Team Lightening the full-on sequel treatment"next winter"(late 2011 or early 2012?)with the reveal of Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Revealed this morning during Square Enix's 1st Production Department Premiere event in Tokyo, the game will be a direct sequel to last year's Final Fantasy XIII and be ready for North American PS3s and Xbox 360s next winter. The announcement was also posted to thePlayStation US Blogwherein Square Enix Senior Brand Manager, Adrian Arnese, explained, %26ldquo;We have a new story in store that stems from the previous title, a battle system that is evolved from %26ldquo;XIII%26rdquo; %26ndash; and more%26hellip;%26rdquo;

Details are predictablythin, but Square Enix did release a new screenshot and logo for their upcoming title:


Above: Lightning's new outfit looks substantially more "Fantasy" than her last


Above: Lightning on the right, plus a new character on the left, who looksa lot like an "evil" Lightning


Above: The teaser trailer, before it's likely pulled down

Final Fantasy XIII was loved andloathed in equal doses by Final Fantasy fans, so the biggest question will be if XIII-2 repeats the original's weirdo pacing or retreats into more familiar JRPGterritory. As longthe team isn'tplanning to include dress spheres or giggling sidekicks, they're already on the right track.

Correction: This article originallyindicated a"late 2012" release.The official word, however,is "next winter," and we have adjusted thewording to indicate that. Sorryfor any confusion.

Jan 18, 2011

[Source:Square Enix Members Blog/PlayStation.Blog.US]


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Team Lightning comes correct with a breakneck, all-out fight for survival


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Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries. 

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