History VideoGame / LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII

* InvulnerableCivilians: You can have Lightning swing around her massive sword in civilian-populated areas. This will typically result in panic if you are too near any NPCs, though it can never actually harm anyone.

* EleventhHourSuperpower: Right before the FinalBoss, you can complete some trials for the Ultima Sword and Ultima Shield. The former gives boosts to strength and magic of ''2500''. During your first playthrough, your strongest sword until that point will likely be Stigma, which provides 950+ to strength and magic [[note]]There are swords with greater strength/less magic and vice/versa, most of them quite expensive on a first playthrough[[/note]]. The Ultima Shield also adds about as much HP as you can ''have'' up to that point.

* TwentyBearAsses: The majority of the Canvas of Prayers sidequests are basically "find X number of Item Y". Most of which are monster item drops, all of which have a 100% rate [[note]]Except Schrodinger, which for some reason has an iffy 50-ish drop chance, higher if staggered[[/note]], with the rest being items you either get through side-quests or pick up in specific locations.

* {{Retraux}}: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQrBSO74DzA Retro-spective Trailer]] recaps the two preceding games in the style of the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem ''Final Fantasy'' games.

* BruceLeeClone: Interestingly enough, one of the available Garbs is colored and patterned exactly the same as Bruce Lee's iconic Game of Death yellow-and-black tracksuit. It even transforms the game's "Punt" Ability into "Whirlwind Kick" Ability; the (ab)use thereof is key to one strategy against the game's hardest BonusBoss. See DifficultButAwesome below.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* TimedHits:
** You can Guard against attacks to reduce the amount of damage you take, at any time. As an added bonus, if you use Guard at the exact same time an enemy hits you, the word BLOCK will appear on screen, meaning you take no damage from the attack (there's even a trophy for doing this). You can also use the Evade command to dodge attacks.
** While it's not hinted at (unless you read the Battle Guide in the Datalog), attacking enemies with the right timing with also get a PERFECT rating, increasing damage and stagger power considerably.

The game features a day-night system, an equipment system that affects Lightning's appearance (seemingly a combined form of ''XIII'' and ''XIII-2''[='=]s equipment system with ''X-2''[='=]s outfits and costumes), a real-time version of Command Synergy Battle (''XIII'' and ''XIII-2'''s variant of the Active Time Battle system) with seamless integration and free movement [[TimedHits complete with timed hits]], and Lightning as the sole playable character for the duration of the entire game.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Flare, Chill, Surge, and Tornado are top-level spells that strike everywhere on the field, no exceptions, and cause damage proportionate to Lightning's present HP. This sounds a ''lot'' more useful than it is; with only twelve available commands at any given time, you're better off with proper Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, and Aero spells - and this doesn't get into their intensive ATB-costs, well above even those of the -ga spells. Not to mention the CameraScrew, making it difficult for you to time your Guard.

* BonusBoss: The Aeronite in the Dead Dunes and the Ereshkigal at the end of the Ultimate Lair. Both of them have convoluted stagger conditions and come with a time limit, but drop incredibly useful head accessories.
** Delaying certain main quest objectives long enough will also cause the main quest bosses to become a "+" version of themselves [[note]]Noel, The Dead Dunes boss and Snow after Day 7 -- though Snow gets a ''second'' Plus version after Day 9 - while Caius doesn't change at all.[[/note]], that are harder but give better rewards.
** Meeting certain conditions on New Game Plus will make the final boss a "+" version too. And obviously, it's not easy on your first New Game Plus, even with 'maxed' stats and the best abilities.

* SpiritualSuccessor: This game has a lot in common with the ''Valkyrie Profile'' series. In addition to an overall time limit that can be depleted by taking various actions, Lightning has a decidedly Valkyrie motif, and uses the four face buttons for different attacks during battle.

* TyopOnTheCover: The description for the Mist Wizard+ Garb mentions it having the ability Thunderstorma. That skill ''doesn't exist''.
** Even better, the last loading screen (the one you'll see if you escape from the final boss, which you probably will) uses the word "be" instead of "by".

[[caption-width-right:300:[[ApocalypseHow The world is ending]], and if you want a [[MessianicArchetype savior]], you're gonna have to [[TheChosenOne be the savior yourself]].[[note]]Left to right. Front row: [[ElegantGothicLolita Lumina]], [[TheHero Lightning/Claire Farron]], [[MissionControl Hope Estheim]]. Middle row: [[BenevolentBoss Oerba Yun Fang]], [[TheChick Oerba Dia Vanille]], [[VigilanteMan Noel Kreiss]], [[HeartbrokenBadass Snow Villiers]], Serah Farron, [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter Mog]], [[OnlySaneMan Sazh Katzroy]]. Back row: [[BornAgainImmortality Paddra Nsu-Yeul]], [[DrivenToMadness Caius Ballad]][[/note]]]]

''Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII'' is the third installment in what is now the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' trilogy and fifth announced, fourth entry in the ''Franchise/FabulaNovaCrystallisFinalFantasy'' series, marking the first instance of a direct trilogy in the [[RunningGag flesh-crystallizingly]] [[CashCowFranchise popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series. It has been announced for release on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 PS3]] and [[UsefulNotes/{{Xbox360}} Xbox 360]] and is meant to cap off the "Lightning Saga" of the ''Fabula Nova Crystallis'' franchise.

** In "Voices From The Grave", Lightning, much to her own unsease, discovers that [[spoilers:she can collect Eradia from some of the dead, which should fall outside her portfolio.]]

* WeDoTheImpossible: [[spoiler:Gathering enough Eradia (which in Game terms requires you to complete all 5 Main quests and do 40 Side quests, not counting Canvas Prayers) allows Lightning to extend the world's lifespan to a ''fourteenth'' day -- one beyond what was supposed to be Nova Chrysalia's time limit by re-obtaining the missing 26 hours from the past 13 days. Doing this unlocks a trophy and a BonusDungeon.]]