Gamer demand led to Final Fantasy XIII-2

Fans of Final Fantasy XIII have no doubt heard about the game's upcoming sequel, which was officially unveiled at Square Enix's production department event held in January this year. This week’s Famitsu magazine in Japan (translated by Andriasang) includes an interview with producer Yoshinori Kitase and director/scenario writer Motomu Toriyama, which sheds more light on the upcoming game.

In the article, Kitase and Toriyama both stated that the reason they wanted to make a sequel was due to the huge worldwide demand for a follow-up to Final Fantasy XIII. The focus of the sequel will be on FFXIII’s female protagonist Lightning, with the sequel providing an answer on whether Lightning was happy following FFXIII’s ending that involved the sacrifice of a few key characters.

Toriyama also teased that there was a chance that Lightning may be questing on her own and that her key goal in the game would be to help said sacrificed characters. He also stated that the story will hit focus on the after-effects of the sacrifice, particularly to the rest of the key characters involved in FFXIII, which would lead to the game being darker in tone.

There isn’t much being shared as far as gameplay goes, but it’s stated that Lightning has lost her FFXIII abilities (such as her summons and magic casting). Toriyama also stated that gamers will need to hold onto their Final Fantasy XIII save data, as the team is looking at giving bonuses to players who have said data on their systems.

Final Fantasy XIII's sequel will be released in Japan at the end of the year.