Just something I found while searching IGN. Enjoy


June 24, 2008 - With E3 approaching quickly, there's been an increasing amount of chatter regarding high profile games. Titles like Resistance 2, Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet have been getting quite a lot of attention, but we haven't heard much about Final Fantasy XIII, the next iteration of the legendary RPG franchise. Granted, the game is still a ways out and won't likely make an appearance at the show (though it might rear its head somewhere at TGS), but XIII is still very much on our minds.

With the continued lack of information about this Square Enix project, Database Mike (GameStats Database Editor and Final Fantasy enthusiast) and I thought we'd take a moment and consider 13 items that we'd love to see included in Final Fantasy XIII -- ingredients that will make the game great, or even incredible. Although some items on our "wish list" are less likely to be fulfilled, we'd still say that this is a pretty sweet recipe for a mind-blowing RPG experience. Here they are, in no particular order.


A Humble Story
Something we'd desperately love to see is a narrative rooted in humble intimacy. All too often, RPGs attempt to tell a story of world-ending proportions, striving to attain the most epic and apocalyptic atmosphere possible. While these types of stories certainly have their moments and can convey a respectable amount of dramatic weight, some of the best stories are told on a smaller scale. Having a conflict that doesn't concern the entire planet can be far more riveting than putting the universe at stake. Although we doubt the developers at Square Enix will keep things personal (they love their global catastrophes), it would be nice to see a Final Fantasy tell a simple tale -- or even just simpler than usual.

Insanely Addictive Combat
An RPG's battle system makes or breaks the experience as a whole, so this ingredient is critical to the recipe. It's been a long time since we've jumped into a battle and said "This will never get old." We still remember the first few fights in Grandia II and how undeniably fresh and entertaining they felt. Or consider the combo system in Xenogears or the Materia system in Final Fantasy VII. These games -- and their respective combat mechanics -- offered an invigorating, addictive feeling that made battle after battle a real treat. The battles of Final Fantasy XIII have to be fun, not a chore, and a deeply engaging magic system (think VI's Espers!) is a must.

Database Mike Says: Bring back the chainsaw from VI. Chainsaws make everything better.

Variable Degrees of Commitment
There's no question that the majority of people who pick up a copy of Final Fantasy XIII will be looking for a "hardcore-friendly" experience. Most RPG fans have no qualms with grinding for hours and investing a tremendous chunk of time into a game. We still want these options in XIII -- leveling, item collecting, uncovering secrets, the whole bit -- but actually finishing the game and participating in the story shouldn't require that level of commitment. Previous Final Fantasy titles have done this fairly well, so we'd love to see that on the PS3.




Summoning Options
Summoning creatures has always been a big part of the Final Fantasy franchise and we can only imagine it will make a full return in XIII (teaser trailers seem to confirm these suspicions). The real question at hand is how the summoning system will function and that's where things get interesting. We love sitting back and watching ridiculous cutscenes that show our monsters trouncing the opposition, but we're also quite fond of controlling them manually. Why not have both? It would be great if you can select an "Auto Limit Break" option to simulate classic Final Fantasy summons or spend extra MP and take control personally. Having the option would keep everyone happy -- except those who are perpetually unhappy.

Database Mike Says: Like me. Also: hour and a half long summon sequence. Make it happen.

An Open World Map
As Database Mike always says, "Whatever happened to those?" Confining world exploration to a lackluster menu is all the rage and we're not entirely sure why. Having an open-world map makes traveling more fun, expands the potential for exploration and puts more control and interactivity into the hands of the player. Furthermore, this would enable Final Fantasy enthusiasts to finally get back behind the broad, wooden wheel of an airship. Beautiful.

Specialized Cast
The heroes of an RPG are extremely important, so we need to see a great group of characters added to the mix. Although we don't know much about Lightning, we hope she delivers on an emotional level as well as an aesthetic one. But even with a strong protagonist, you still need a solid supporting cast to optimize the experience. We think having each character fulfill a very specific role, both in terms of storytelling and gameplay, would give XIII a real edge.



The Music of Olde
We're not going to claim that we disliked the recent themes of the Final Fantasy franchise, but this recipe wouldn't be complete without pristine tunes that do honor to Uematsu's older pieces. Modern scores just don't seem to touch the heart like the now legendary score contained within Final Fantasy VI. We'd really appreciate a score of that magnitude, one with instantly charming themes that stick with long after the final boss.

Memorable Villain(s)
An irreplaceable ingredient. After all, a fire dies out if no one stokes the embers. There's nothing more exciting than facing off against a stylized group of anti-heroes that face you one after another. We can't help but think of Organization XIII from Kingdom Hearts II or the villains from the Metal Gear universe. All RPG fans know the delectable nature of a good boss battle and we've been itching for the next Sephiroth or Kefka to take the stage.

Database Mike Says: No enemies with just one wing, because it's laughably impossible to fly with one wing. Laughably. Impossible.

Hearing Voices
Although we often lament the general absence of text-only RPGs, we recognize the importance of fantastic voice acting. Although Square Enix rarely gives us dual-language titles, the English voice actors need to be the best of the best to make sure the presentation of the characters and narrative flows smoothly.

Database Mike Says: They might as well keep the Japanese language track. They need to use that Blu-Ray space for something.




Pause-able/Skip-able/Replay-able Cutscenes
For those of you who've had the chance to play Metal Gear Solid 4: isn't it great that you can pause and also -- if need be -- skip all the cutscenes? Final Fantasy XIII will inevitably have cutscenes and having the ability to pause them is an absolute must, especially when the option is becoming increasingly available. But what we'd really appreciate is a method for re-watching previously viewed cutscenes. Want to show your friend that time Lighting battles 800 shotgun ninjas while running along the crest of a tsunami wave? You should be able to. We were thrilled that Final Fantasy X let you purchase cutscenes for viewing, but this feature's been largely absent from other RPGs. Let's hope XIII brings it back.

Multiplayer?
Remember how you could play Final Fantasy VI with a friend? A bit silly, but still fun. Having Final Fantasy XIII be fully multiplayer would be impractical and perhaps even impossible, but having some multiplayer component would be a great feature and noble ingredient for our recipe. Why not allocate summoning control to a second player? Let them play mini-games with you? Having at least a minor multiplayer component gives your friends a chance to do something while you play the game, so they can go beyond the role of spectator. Call us crazy, but this would definitely give XIII some spice.

Top-Class Choreography
If you've seen Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, you know Square Enix is more than capable of presenting absolutely stunning martial arts choreography and that's something we think should show up in XIII. Lightning already looks like she has a fair amount of badass potential, so let's hope that her fighting segments are technical and elegant. If Devil May Cry 3 can do it, so can Final Fantasy XIII.

Cyber Chocobos
Instant entertainment.

And one final note from Database Mike: More zippers. Now get away from my desk.


There you have it: our recipe of features and gameplay mechanics that could make Final Fantasy XIII the best RPG to hit store shelves in a long while. Before you go, make sure to drop a comment below and give your own recommendations for delightful Final Fantasy ingredients.

by Ryan Clements, Michael Pereira