History VideoGame / FinalFantasyXIII

''FinalFantasyXIII'' is part of a "ten year project" called ''[[WordSaladTitle Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy]]'' (a recent interview removed the XIII to avoid confusion over ''[[{{Final Fantasy Type-0}} Type-0's]]'' name change and inclusion in the compilation), which is a [[PretentiousLatinMotto Pretentious Latin Title]] meaning "The New Tale Of The Crystal". The other games of this project are ''FinalFantasyVersusXIII'' and ''{{Final Fantasy Type-0}}'', which are set in the same universe, but are not related to each other directly. It is also the first offline game in the franchise to be initially released on multiple platforms, set to arrive on both the [[PlaystationThree PS3]] and [[XBoxThreeSixty XBox 360]] in international markets. It was released in Japan on December 17th, 2009 and was made available worldwide on March 9th, 2010. A [[VideoGame/{{FinalFantasyXIII-2}} direct sequel]] was announced on January 18th, 2011.

* AnticlimaxBoss: [[spoiler:The final form of Orphan is... less than impressive when compared to its utterly monstrous and extremely powerful first form, arguably due to the absence of Barthandelus and its unintimidating voice. Nevertheless, it is still somewhat challenging, especially when compared to [[FinalFantasyX other]] [[FinalFantasyVII examples]]. It's potentially more difficult than the previous form if you haven't done much leveling outside the main quest, so [[YourMileageMayVary YMMV]] a lot.]]

** ArtificialBrilliance: On the other hand, they'll automatically adjust to the needs of the current battle: Synergists will buff you with the right elemental when they know the enemy's weakness, and use special protection spells if an enemy specializes in a given element. Ravagers will never use something an enemy is strong against or absorbs, and will even follow your lead on whether to use single-target or area of effect attacks; if the enemy's strengths and weaknesses are unknown, they'll experiment with different attacks to formulate a strategy. Medics will adjust healing based on how bad everyone's hurt/what statuses there are, etc. The battle system gives you very little direct control, but the party's smart enough to do its part without you needing to micromanage it like in ''FinalFantasyXII''.

* CharacterDevelopment: The plot of the game really isn't that much worth mentioning, but the CharacterDevelopment is what's really driving the narrative. It shares a similar narrative structure with ''FinalFantasyV'' and ''FinalFantasyVIII''.

* DungeonCrawling: This game is the series' take on that genre, possibly as an "antidote" to the QuicksandBox that made up most of ''FinalFantasyXII's'' gameplay.

* {{Expy}}: The obvious being who Lightning is; A special soldier, with angst that comes off as being cold-hearted, and is named after weather. She fits in perfectly with [[FinalFantasyVII Cloud]] and [[FinalFantasyVIII Squall]]. She even has the former's face, and the latter's weapon.
** Gadot looks like [[FinalFantasyX Wakka]]'s long lost twin.
*** All seemed right when he said [[FinalFantasyVIII "Y'know"]].

** Yaag Rosche bears a striking resemblance to [[PhoenixWright Miles Edgeworth]]... but also Luneth from ''FinalFantasyIII DS''.
** Hope has father issues and angst much like [[FinalFantasyX Tidus]] and also wants to follow and learn from the others to acheive his goals, like [[FinalFantasyXII Vaan]].

** Snow looks just like [[TheWorldEndsWithYou Beat]] and [[FinalFantasyVIII Seifer]]. In fact, Snow basically IS Seifer, "romantic dream" and all, except he uses all of his energy for doing good, as well as having the rebellious aspect of [[FinalFantasyVI Locke]], even wears a a long white coat like the former, and a head rag like the latter. His anarchic streak is evidenced by his leading an organization called [[FunWithAcronyms No Obligation, Rules, or Authority]]; it's just that his brand of anarchy is less wantonly evil than Seifer's.

** Jihl Nabaat looks like [[FinalFantasyVIII Quistis]] with long hair.
** [[spoiler:Cid's boss form]] looks like [[FinalFantasyX Seymour]].
** Lightning, Snow, and Serah are all slightly reminiscent of, respectively, [[FinalFantasyVI Celes, Locke, and Rachel.]] The Farron sisters are also a physical/personality match to [[FinalFantasyV Faris and Lenna]], except they are not pirates/royalty.
** Lightning's manner of dress is also reminiscent of [[FinalFantasyXII Ashe's]].

** Not a character, but [[spoiler:Oerba plays just like Zanarkand did in FinalFantasyX. The city itself is in ruins, [[BGMOverride the same sad music plays throughout the entire town]], said music remains during battle, and at the end of battle the victory theme doesn't play and the characters don't say their usual victory phrases.]]

* GoodBadTranslation: A retroactive subversion (inversion?) is thrown in -- a humanoid giant mech named the "Proudclad" makes an appearance. After all these years, we know what [[FinalFantasyVII Scarlett and Heidegger's ultimate weapon]] was meant to be translated as.

* InterplanetaryVoyage: The first time the plot has you doing this in a ''FinalFantasy'' title since ''FinalFantasyIX'', and the first time you could travel between planets ''at will'' since ''FinalFantasyIV''.

* KillerApp: Or, it was supposed to be. Its absence for the first ''four years'' of the PS3's lifespan, as well as its hop to international multi-platform release, has blunted its impact. Total sales of the game are more-or-less on par with ''FinalFantasyXII'' (which is no mean feat on the Playstation 3, which has the lowest userbase of the Big 3 consoles of this generation.)

* NamesTheSame: No, [[BonusBoss "The Undying"]] [[MythologyGag are not the same ones]] from [[spoiler:''FinalFantasyXII'', of which one acted as the Final Boss.]]

* ProgrammingGame: Paradigms are more or less simplified [[FinalFantasyXII Gambits]], only the AI isn't as rigid (mainly because they have less options to choose from all at once.)

** Surprisingly for a FinalFantasy game, only one of the classic FF tunes appears in its entirety, the [[EarWorm insanely catchy]] vocal J-pop rendition of the Chocobo theme. The series Prelude can be heard briefly in the game's original prelude, and the Final Fantasy theme (the one that usually plays during the credits) can be heard in the track "Miracles". Then again, this is somewhat typical of Masashi Hamauzu, who very rarely if ever pays tribute to Nobuo Uematsu's old musical cues. See: ''DirgeOfCerberus'' (scored by Hamauzu), which is bereft of any of the original ''FinalFantasyVII'' leitmotifs, compared to ''CrisisCore'' (scored by Takeharu Ishimoto) which borders on ContinuityPorn in its reuses of ''FFVII'' melodies.

* ShoutOut: [[FinalFantasyVII This game begins on a train, has you hurtling through a city with green energy casting an eerie glow over everything, features two party members [one a cold, cynical Ex-Soldier and the other a black guy with guns], has you fighting against several military grunts, and ends with a fight against a giant scorpion.]]
** Hope's hometown of Palumpolum is named after the twin Mysidian mages from FinalFantasyIV.
** Similarly, the [[FinalFantasyIX Lindblum]] and [[FinalFantasyII Palamecia]] are also named after places from other games.

* TechPoints: Two Types: Crystal Points (CP), which are similar to ''FinalFantasyX'''s AP, and are given out at the end of combat. CP are how you move along the crystarium level up system. Technique Points (TP), which are a form of {{Mana}}, are rewarded at the end of combat if you finish combat quickly, or during combat if you wait until your action bar is full -- essentially, wait to do a full BeamSpam type attack.
* TechTree: A variant. The game uses a system called the crystarium, which is most similar to the AP system seen in ''FinalFantasyX''. However, each character has 1-3 out of 6 different crystarium boards open initially, and each one has a different progress bar and different unlockables -- they are basically this game's version of a character class. Skills and spells are only usable when you are in that tech tree, but passive bonuses to HP, Strength, et cetera are permanent. All the areas of the boards are locked out until [[AntiGrinding you progress far enough into the plot]].

* TokenNonhuman: Averted for the first time since FinalFantasyVIII. Or subverted if you look at it in another way: the game could be the first in the series to have no human playable characters, as everyone in the party becomes a [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman L'Cie]]. Which means in the first two chapters of the game [[spoiler:Vanille is the TokenNonHuman in the group]].

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Oh come on, how is Vanille's uncrystallizing transformation sequence NOT this? Not to mention the fact that all crystallized L'Cie are naked underneath, with strategic crystals and everything...

** Later, there is a group of Ochus in Gran Pulse that with the right setup can be taken out in 30 seconds and they give 26000 CP when it's doubled AND give you some good drops for leveling up weapons.
** Adamantoises are where it's at though, they can be taken out in about 2 minutes (using Vanille's Belladonna Wand/Eidolon/Deshell/Death combo), they give 40,000 CP normally, and have a chance to either give you an item you can sell for 150,000 gil or a synthesis item you'll need for the ultimate weapons, so you can get your equipment leveled up too.
** There's also the option of Cactuar Prime, But you will need to heavily buff yourself and the party to survive it's onslaught of 1000 needles, defeating Cactuar Prime gives you 30,000 CP (with the Growth Egg of course), a safer grinding route of you feel uneasy about the Adamantoise.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Whenever a member has doubt or fall into desperation, Eidolons will come to snap their master back into sense, [[DieOrFly give them helping hands if they get back on their toes, or kill them if they fail.]]

** Anyone who's played through Persona 3 will know exactly where the plotline with Hope and Snow is going -- situation for situation, it matches the plotline with Ken and Shinji. Hope himself is an expy of Ken ([[CuteShotaroBoy considerably younger than the rest of the cast]], joins the main party for revenge against the one who killed his mother, etc.) while Snow is an expy of Shinji -- they even have similar hairstyles and clothing.

* RecurringBoss: Relatively few compared to the rest of the series. Only the Proudclad (piloted by Rosch) and [[spoiler:Barthandelus]] are fought more than once.

* TitleDrop/BilingualBonus: [[spoiler:Barthandalus]], in the pre-FinalBoss cutscene makes mention of a "new crystal legend."

** The [[spoiler:first time you fight Barthandelous at the end of Chapter 9]] also comes down to this. There's no hints or mentions of what you should do [[spoiler:when he's preparing to pull off Destrudo, an instant-kill attack that can be subverted if he's lost enough HP while charging up]], making this a GuideDangIt moment for the ill-informed after they've had their asses handed to them on a silver platter a few times or so.

** BilingualBonus: they are still saying it, just in English and not French.

* TheBeautifulPeople: Everyone, including extras; save maybe 1 or 2 like the BigBad or anyone BlessedWithSuck.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Numerous examples:
** [[spoiler:Vanille feigns LaserGuidedAmnesia in order to protect Fang from the truth of their past. This act sets ''the entire plot into motion'', resulting in Serah and Dajh becoming l'Cie. Dajh ends up finding the Vestige -- which leads to the Purge -- and Serah inadvertantly causes the rest of the party to become l'Cie as well]].

* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The English version of ''Final Fantasy XIII'' changes the Japanese theme, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlgU9vMcq2k "Kimi ga Iru Kara"]], to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qtteb9FBY&feature=player_embedded "My Hands"]], by Leona Lewis. This is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] because the dubbers weren't able to translate the whole song into English.

* BrickJoke: The owl. It first shows up at the end of Chapter 4, when the heroes are leaving Lake Bresha. That same owl shows up repeatedly, and then ''sits on Dysley's shoulder'' for the remainder of Chapter 9. It is later revealed that [[spoiler:Dysley is the BigBad that has been watching over the heroes the whole time, and the owl activates Dysley's [[OneWingedAngel true form]], Barthandelus.]]

** Reaches its natural climax in Chapter 12. Compare the arguing, [[HeroicBSOD HeroicBSODing]], murder plotting, and bitch-slapping at the beginning to the [[BadassCrew confident, cohesive]] [[{{Nakama}} team]] that [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome invades Eden.]]

* CrapsaccharineWorld: The world of Cocoon is a very happy and beautiful place to live... as long as you're not a l'cie [[spoiler:and you don't know the real reason the people are being kept happy and complacent]].

* WhatTheHellHero: While Hope and Lightning are in the underground of Palumpolum, they find the fal'Cie Carbuncle, the source of nourishment for all of Cocoon. The latter actually considers ''destroying'' the fal'Cie and [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential starving all the citizens of Cocoon, including military personnel "and" civilians]]. This even prompts Hope to ask her ''"I think people hate us enough already, don't you?"''

*** And those cool levitating powers Lightning uses in the beginning? She could have given them up when she chose to get purged but even then, that's an AssPull.

* InASingleBound: Some of the jumps you make whilst moving around maps are ridiculous. [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome Or ridiculously awesome]]. If you thought [[CapcomVsWhatever Super Jumping]] was silly...

** Sahz's Chocobo, as one unfortunate soldier finds out.
* NotSoFastBucko: [[spoiler:Most of the party is quick to rejoice after Galenth has been defeated, but Lightning isn't so convinced. Cue shocked expressions and ominous chanting when his owl flies in...]]
** The look on the party's faces, especially Lightning's, when [[spoiler:Galenth reveals his fal'Cie form for the first time on the ''Palamecia'']] pretty much reads "OhCrap".

* PlanetOfHats: ''Every single one'' of Cocoon's uncountable number of fal'Cie are [[spoiler:evil and in on Barthandelus and Orphan's plan to summon the Maker via mass sacrifice, even though it would also mean their suicides]]. Even the ones in charge of [[MundaneUtility operating the automatic doors]].
* PlotHole: The entire MindScrew sequence that involves Anima giving the heroes a Focus (which is explained later on) and then Lake Bresha being remade as a ''[[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome crystal lake]]''. The game then abruptly jumps to the heroes surviving the fall from ''miles'' above.

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: The Pulse Vestige, several airships, and Cocoon itself seem to change size with every scene. The vestige, for example, seems to be both the size of a skyscraper and the size of an ''entire country'', judging from establishing shots between chapters.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Chapter 10 spoiler: [[spoiler:Cid Raines and Galenth Dysley/Barthandelus]]. You'd think this would apply to PSICOM, but Lightning explicitly notes ([[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome after easily dispatching a whole squadron in the first chapter]]) that PSICOM's only real advantage is their superior equipment, and that the majority of PSICOM is made up of inexperienced recruits. As the game progresses, though, you fight more experienced troops until you're eventually fighting the Home Guard: the last line of defense who -- because they're hardly ever needed -- spend all their time doing combat drills and training. That said, the Homeguard isn't there long, since PSICOM replaces them again. Even though the Homeguard has been [[InformedAbility supposedly prepared for]] [[spoiler:a Pulsian invasion of Eden]] for centuries.

* AbuseIsOkayWhenItsFemaleOnMale: Lightning spends a good portion of the storyline psychologically (and occasionally physically) attacking her soon-to-be brother-in-law Snow. While it's not exactly Played for Laughs, she's never really called out on it, and a large segment of the fandom cheers when she does it. Let's face it; if Lightning and Snow's genders were swapped, the former would have been VERY differently received by audiences.

[[caption-width-right:318:From left to right: TheBigGuy, TheChick, TheSixthRanger, TheHero, the OnlySaneMan, the TagalongKid... [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Serah.]] ]]

[[ArcNumber 1300]] years ago, the Creator-God of this world instructed the fal'Cie to construct a [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas paradise for humanity]]. The floating shell of Cocoon was created, floating high above the world. [[{{HungryJungle}} Pulse]], a source of lurking menace, stretches out below Cocoon.