Monday, May 21, 2012

The Promise of Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning's Atonement


Lightning's Atonement
Last month I wrote an article entitled The Promise of Final Fantasy XIII-3.  In it, I wrote about the lack of resolution in the Final Fantasy XIII story.  In response to Final Fantasy XIII-2’s cliffhanger ending, Square Enix responded by pointing players to paradox endings and DLC.  I have unlocked all of the paradox endings, and I have now played all of the DLC.  And there is no resolution to be found.  And so there is only one other option left: Final Fantasy XIII-3.  Many people may ask why we need Final Fantasy XIII-3, and that is certainly a valid question.  No other Final Fantasy game has two direct sequels – why is XIII any different?  In the following article, I will attempt to explain why we need XIII-3, and why it deserves a chance.

SPOILER ALERT: The following article contains MAJOR spoilers for Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and the “Requiem of the Goddess” DLC.  If you are interested in finding out the story elements yourself, please play all of these first.  I will also mention that there is a secret ending you can obtain by beating “Requiem of the Goddess” twice, which is also discussed in detail in this article.

Throughout the stories of Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, there has been a recurring theme.  Lightning will often face incredible obstacles to protect her loved ones.  She tries to carry the weight of these problems squarely on her shoulders, but they are too much for one person to bear.  So her loved ones help her overcome these impossible obstacles, but in the process something usually goes awry.  Lightning blames herself for this, and spends a lot of time beating herself up about it.  Finally, she seeks atonement - usually alone at first, but then joined by her friends.


Lightning: the soul of Final Fantasy XIII.
I think the reason why I love Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 so much is because I care deeply about Lightning.  It is not her fault that all of these crazy events happen: it is not her fault that Serah became a L’Cie, that Fang and Vanille were turned into crystal, that Serah died.  All of these events did happen while her loved ones were helping her, but that is what loved ones do.  They put themselves at risk for each other.  As Serah says at the end of “Requiem of the Goddess”: she has no regrets.  Yes, she may be dead, but she was trying to save her sister, and she does not regret that.  And yet we all know how guilty you can feel when someone you love suffers for you, how even though you would do the same for them in a heartbeat, it is ultimately them that is suffering. 

Lightning wants more than anything to protect her sister and her friends; she wants them to be safe and happy.  And when they are not, she blames herself.  I think this is the source of the melancholy that we saw with her at the end of XIII, and it certainly plays a prominent role in “Requiem of the Goddess”.  The Chaos that has trapped Serah accuses Lightning of being the sole cause for Serah’s death.  It strikes at the very center of Lightning’s heart, of Claire’s heart.  And I think it works: Lightning’s guilt is what propels her to sit on the throne of the goddess, becoming crystal until the end of eternity.  As she says, this act will be her “atonement”.

Lightning and Serah - will they ever be truly reunited?
Speaking of “Requiem of the Goddess”, I actually enjoyed the DLC a lot.  I believe that DLC should offer experiences that are part of the main game that were not playable before – i.e., something that is mentioned or alluded to but not actually seen.  And I think Lightning’s DLC did just that.  It offered a different viewpoint on the action of the game, and actually did a good job wrapping up the game itself.  After playing through it, I have to say that everything in Final Fantasy XIII-2 does make sense.  Yes, the story is presented in a confusing manner and is not tied together very well, but all in all it does add up.  You do find out why Caius is trying to destroy the future, you do find out what happened to Lightning, and Serah and Lightning do have their reunion scene (which is beautiful, by the way).

While “Requiem of the Goddess” does tie up FFXIII-2 well, however, it still does not offer players what they are ultimately searching for: an end to the Final Fantasy XIII story.  But despite Square’s proclamations, I really don’t think it should have.  DLC should add-on the the experience of the game, not provide a resolution for the entire story.  That is simply too much pressure to put on a DLC. 

The question then is this: if Square wanted us to look to the paradox endings and the DLC for a resolution, where is it?  As I mentioned in my previous article, a resolution occurs when the actions you take in the game change the world of the game.  However, this does not happen in Final Fantasy XIII-2: Caius wins, the timeline is destroyed and the world becomes Valhalla.  We set out at the beginning of XIII and XIII-2 to save the world, and now ultimately those actions are rendered moot.  Nothing Serah, Noel, and Lightning did in the game changed the outcome: the world is destroyed. There is no change as a result of their actions, and therefore, there is no resolution.

Lightning chooses to turn into crystal to preserve Serah's memory.
It’s actually funny, because during the DLC Lightning mirrors many players thoughts: she reveals that she has many questions that have been unanswered as well.  I believe that Square knows that there is no resolution to the XIII story.  And from what we have experienced, it was not their intention to offer a resolution through paradox endings and DLC.  So what is left?  Where do we turn for our resolution?


A virtue that I believe nearly all fans of Final Fantasy XIII hold is patience.  Patience was required to become engaged in XIII’s story.  But if you stuck with it, XIII became a beautiful tale of friendship and determination that taught us to never give up hope.  Patience was required to fully understand XIII-2’s story – we had to wait nearly 4 months for the final DLC.  And while this DLC offered no resolution, it did offer hope.  The action of the DLC mirrors the game’s situation as a whole.  Serah is gone, and yet she still urges Lightning to not give up hope.  There is no resolution to be found in Final Fantasy XIII-2, but we cannot give up hope.  Serah chooses to not give into despair because she knows Lightning can save the world.  She believes in her sister.  Despite all of the obstacles, all of the questions, all of the missed opportunities, Serah will not give up on Lightning.  And we must do the same.

Will they ever find true happiness?
The DLC ends just as the game did, with the world collapsing into Chaos, and with Lightning sitting on the throne of the goddess, encased in crystal.  But instead of “To Be Continued”, there is just blackness.  If you play through the DLC twice, however (on any level), you will unlock a secret ending after the credits.  In it, Lightning speaks of the gift the goddess gave to humans: their souls.  And with a soul comes the constant struggle all of us must face: of light and dark, good and evil, hope and despair.  Lightning’s soul is heavy with despair – her sister is dead, the world is destroyed, and her friends are lost.  Despite all of this, however, Serah will not give up on her.  Serah knows that Lightning’s soul has the power to overcome all of that despair – it has the power of hope.  As Lightning herself said, “It’s up to you to keep hope alive”.  And Lightning does keep hope alive: the final image of the DLC reveals her walking in A Dying World, speaking of how she awaits “the end of eternity, and the day I awaken once again”.

As this secret ending unfolds, the prologue music from Final Fantasy XIII plays softly in the background.  Lightning speaks of a “world consumed with chaos, in a world where spirits are fading”, mirroring her words of “in a world where I no longer exist” from the beginning of XIII-2.  I believe this secret ending is a prologue.  The world is consumed with chaos, which leads to a new beginning, as Vanille tells us in the paradox ending “Vanille’s Truth”.  There is hope for a new beginning, and Lightning is that hope.

Square has created two games that achieved something truly incredible.  No, the games were not perfect by any means.  But they offered us something more important than perfection: a world that we came to know and love, a story that enthralled us, and characters that we truly care about.  I care about Serah.  And Noel.  And Fang, Vanille, Sazh, Snow, and Hope.  And I care about Lightning.  I won’t give up on her.  I want her to save the world, and I want to experience her story until the end.  I want to play as Lightning again.  I want to explore the vast wilderness of Pulse again, the new Cocoon.  I want to find and unlock the secrets of Valhalla.  I want to see Vanille and Fang again.  I want Noel and Hope to find peace.  I want to rescue Snow from the Coliseum.  I want Sazh and his son to be safe.  I want to save Serah.  And I want Lightning to be happy.  I need to believe that the impossible can happen.  That Lightning can find atonement.  That she won’t be alone.  That she and her friends can be happy.  Final Fantasy XIII began with a promise: the promise to save Cocoon.  And Final Fantasy XIII-2 ends with a promise: the promise of Final Fantasy XIII-3.


It's up to us to keep hope alive.


UPDATE: I have written another article for "The Promise of Final Fantasy XIII-3" series, in which I discuss my hopes for the game specifically.  If you'd like, please check it out and let me know what you think.  You can find the article here).
Posted by Vaucresson13 at 12:23 PM
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87 comments:

  1. Very inspiring blog. I too are really looking forward for XIII-3 as well. I hope they'll announce and make that game.

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  2. Love it!.....awesome blog. Let's see hope they don't screw this beautiful game and story up and bring it with xiii-3 even if they have to bring Mog back!.

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  3. ©HAPCHO (Happy Chocolate)May 22, 2012 4:40 PM

    Oh gosh, beautiful writing! Thank you for the inspiring write up!

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    1. ©HAPCHO (Happy Chocolate)May 22, 2012 6:00 PM

      Oh yes, your blog is featured in my group: http://finalfantasy13-3.deviantart.com/journal/The-Promise-of-Final-Fantasy-13-3-303801640

      Thanks again!

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    2. Couldn't have agreed with you anymore. This is exactly how I feel about both FFXIII and FFXIII-2. Both aren't perfect games by any stretch of the imagination (what game is, really?), however, as you eloquently put, they both offer very powerful themes, an awesome world (well 2 worlds anyway) and great characters that people can truly get attached to and understand if they take the time and patience to do so.

      I for one am happy that there is someone that loves Lightning and these other characters as much as I do. I too want to believe that these characters "live to make the impossible possible" as Light put it in FFXIII.

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  • i dont know if there will be

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  • I truly couldn't agree more. The questions mentioned in the previous article were exactly the same what I have been thinking. And now that I have seen the endings of "Requiem of the Goddess", I truly believe that Final Fantasy XIII-3 is coming. Square Enix did mention, that they were going to create a conclusion, where Lightning ends up happy. In her current state she certainly isn't: Serah is dead, she failed to protect the goddess. A happy ending is what we have always seen every previous Final Fantasy title, and I don't think Square Enix is going to break that trend. But still, is hard to wait for Square Enix to make the announcment.

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  • Could'nt agree more. Fans of the game came up with an idea for the player to control the characters Noel, Hope, and a released Fang and Vanille to search for a way to close the seal to Valhalla and save Lighning from her crystal sleep. As for travel when all the time gates are supposed to be closed, Sazh can be summoned by the player at any time to take them to the beggining of a new location or a certain point on a previous one using his ship from the end of the second game. As for the scene in a Dying World at the ending, Lightning was not seen to wake up so this could be her in a dream?

    FFXIII-2 made SE profit as did its parent game and the fact that even now not once has anyone from SE (not even those from the team behind it) say that a trilogy is on the horizon and instaed check the paradox endings and DLC. Plus no news on any new FF game either apart from a musical one on a hand-held, they could be preparing to start work on a XIII-3 now! with so many people (even in Japan) having the same views that a final part to the story is needed, and that a changed battle system was used for the new Lightning episode suggests that something is going to happen. Maybe an annoucement will be made at E3???

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  • I loved the article and I couldn't agree more with all of the comments. Square promised the fans that there would be resolution and Lightning would be happy. As of yet they haven't delivered on their promise. I honestly don't care if I get to play as Lightning again, just as long as I get to see her and all of her friends happy.

    Also, in every FF game the world ends up being saved and the antagonist vanquished at the end which did not happen in XIII-2. I really hope Square takes it upon themselves to make a clear conclusion to this installment of the franchise. After all of the crap that Light and friends have been through, they all deserve a happy ending.

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  • Is Yaag Rosch and Cid Raines will be Brought Back to Life Sometime and what about Rygdea? did Team Nora Members such as Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui and Yuj Survive?

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  • ""And I care about Lightning. I won’t give up on her. I want her to save the world, and I want to experience her story until the end.""

    =>It's exactly what I've felt since i finished Final Fantasy XIII-2.
    As the story went on, i cared more and more about the main characters, especially about Light. This special link that appears between the gamers and the characters is the very essence of a Final fantasy. Not many games can awake such feelings in our heart.

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    1. You all are making me feel like I really missed out on something by not playing those games. I must get Vaucresson to convince me.

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  • All very hush hush from SE about the subject and everything else! Wonder if they will make an annoucement at E3? Serie4s certainly needs a conclusion and a lot of questions anwsered

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  • Latest Anonymous May 29, 2012 1:03 PM
    ""All very hush hush from SE about the subject""

    ==> Quite agree with that. It's TOO strange, not to say suspicious! If they're not developing FF 13 3, why don't they tell us explicitly that they will write a novel, which will be the sequel of FF 13 2?

    Indeed, there's no doubt that they prepare a sequel : otherwise, why do they bother to make a teaser in the end of the Lightning's DLC? They simply could write "THE END", as they always do in the end of a FF! Because it IS a teaser : a teaser, isn't it a video that is supposed to arouse the curiosity of the spectators and catch their attention?

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  • I'm glad to see there are people who actually care about the story of Final Fantasy XIII/XIII-2 and not the "gamer experience"! Nothing but beautiful writing! Thank you for writing this! I hope they make Final Fantasy XIII-3 and i also hope Lightning finds true happiness in Final Fantasy XIII-3.

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  • Oh please make a XIII-3! FFXIII has so influenced my life over the past two years - personally, I think this is a game that Square can never afford to end or drop; the plot, characters and atmosphere are something I, after thirteen years of gaming, will never be able to get enough of.

    Long live FFXIII!

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    1. I wish they could do FF13-3, FF13-4, FF13-5...etc :(

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  • Thank you for the beautiful article - I couldn't agree more. I just finished that 'special ending' after the credits, and the sad conclusion made me feel empty, even with the fifty-thousand references to 'hope' -_- SE needs to do SOMETHING to wrap this up, because I can't keep writing fanfiction forever to make myself (and their wonderful, miserable characters) happy! I was truly burned when the fate of essentially every other character was left unknown, and that as compared to the grim fates of Serah and Lightning. It just isn't right. We were given too much back-story, too much build-up, and too much incentive to believe in the hard work of Lightning and company for the end to just be an apocalyptic wasteland.

    Your effort to put this case so eloquently is appreciated. I'll have to keep a close eye out for E3 news!

    In the meantime, back to writing...

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  • Reading this made feel happier about this series :D
    As much as I can see the flaws that everyone points out, it doesn't stop me from loving these two games to bits, and I can't wait to see more to this story. Granted, if what I've heard is true about this being the same team that's supposed to be working on versus XIII, I do hope they finish that first since it's been announce for so long, but after that I definitely want a XIII-3!!

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  • There will be a FFXIII-3. After playing XIII-2 and all its DLCs, I started to replay FFXIII again, and I have come to the conclusion that there is definately a "bigger picture" within this series. They had this planned and hints and clues between the two games are overwhelming. I think it all depends on if the Square team pushes through for us and especially for Lightning. Given the XIII-3 chance, she has the power, will, and spirit to save them all!!

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  • Only some of the team was transferred to the Versus XIII team, as the majority stayed to do the dlc for XIII-2. Lets hope we find out this week about news for XIII-3. There is so much material to work with and with all the hints (and not one denial) theres no doubt they will complete the story.

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  • You have put words to my feelings. 'nuff said.

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  • Anonymous June 4, 2012 10:02 AM

    ""Only some of the team was transferred to the Versus XIII team, as the majority stayed to do the dlc for XIII-2.""

    ==> Did they really need a major complete team to develop Lightnings DLC?
    THEY HIDE SOMETHING FROM US!

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  • Same Director for both Versus and XIII-2. Apart from a FF musical for the 3DS, don't eem to be any FF news at E3. More likely be more news on a XIII-3 at the TGS in September as it's where Japanese games get a huge amount of coverage, whereas E3 is more directed towards western audiences. Has anyone noticed the increasing calls for a XIII-3 on both Facebook and when searched on Google?? SE said in there downloadable magazine that they listen and take in a lot of feedback from the fans and act on it. Well they can't ignore the calls of so many fans for a conclusion.

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  • Where did you find the SE downloadable magazine? i searched it on their North American website, i didnt see it!

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  • I love it! I really want a true conclusion to the Final Fantasy XIII saga. Lightning is one of the best game heroines out recently. I really personally hope in FF13-3 there will be much more interaction between the past cast members - I really loved the entire FF13 cast, and I was rather disappointed at the lack of interaction between them.

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  • The SE downloadable magazine was emailed to registered users on the SE website in Europe about two weeks ago. Said a few times that they really listen to fans feedback. Well if thats true, then a final game is needed to wrap up the story. The novel Fragments After is a bunch of stories on the background of 5 characters and does not give any closure. SE like to be very silent, on both a 13-3 and Versus 13. Seems we will have to wait till either the TGS in September or the SE Conference in January. Took them ten months to confirm 13-2 when they started development in March 2010. We may have a long wait ahead of us.

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  • I really think the point of the games is summed up in XIII as the teams prepares to fight Orphan. As players, we guided these characters throughout their journey. And just like them, "We live to make the impossible possible. That is our focus."

    In a way, the gamers are the L'Cie. Our fate is unanswered questions, being "lost" like the Ceith, unless we can guide these beloved characters to their salvation.

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    1. Then, since we're doomed to be lost like the Ceith, there won't be any sequel to FF 13 2? Is this what you mean?

      I think that it would be quite complicated for Square Enix to release two FF games (FF 13 3 and FF Versus 13) within two years, before the next gen consoles are launched.

      That is why I think that there won't be any FF 13 3. To my mind, Lightning, and even other FF 13 heroes, may appear in Versus. But they won't be the main characters.

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    2. Not likely. Motomu Toriyama said the games are completely separate worlds with their own main characters, that share only the mythology on which their development was based. They had completely separate development teams.

      Now that they're done making DLC for FF13-2, they'll probably focus their main effort on finishing up Versus first, before they announce a 13-3. It's gonna happen though. No FF storyline has ever ended that unhappily. Even VII. It ain't over.

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    3. Toriyama said the games have two complete worlds YEARS AGO. Things can have changed : they can have modified their concept. I think that creating a link between FF 13 Versus and FF 13 can be really exciting. It would make the story of FF 13 Versus very interesting.

      Plus no one will deny that FF7 dirge cerberus was supposed to be the sequel of FF 7. And yet, the teams that developed these two games were different right?

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    4. sorry, I mean "Toriyama said the games have two complete DIFFERENT worlds YEARS AGO......"

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  • You know what I'm thinking?
    The first FFXIII told us few things about mythology.
    Lindzei,Bhunivelze and The Maker is on my mind.
    I was thinking before XIII-2 came out,that it will have something to do with "Gods". That didn't happen.
    The Maker will be summoned if millions of people is killed.Barthandelus was trying to make The Maker come back,by destroying Cocoon. He failed. But we all know what happend at the end of XIII-2.
    Bhunivelze (God) crystalized himself until his creations find a way for him to get into "The Land Of Dead". Lindzei have the task to wake him up.
    The background is set.
    It's just a guess,but who knows... if XIII-3 will come out,I have a feeling that it'll have Gods involved more directly,than in some poetry like FFXIII had.

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    1. I want The Maker to come out in FF13-3 cuz the world in 13-2 was destroyed!

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  • If there was no XIII-3 being planned, SE would have siad so by now, as they are quick to deny other rumors. Why leave the ending (and DLC ending) so open, the story feeling incomplete and most characters fates unknown? They can use the charcters from both games such as Noel, Caius, Yuell, Hope, Vanille, Fang, Sazh and to a degree Lightning to continue the story in the darkness known as Chaos. Plus with new and old areas to explore. The FF fanbase is calling for a proper end to the series and theres no doubt it would sell just as well as XIII-2. Each Developement Department was several teams and most of the people on those teams work on 4 to 6 games at once. XIII-3 is coming, and so is Versus XIII and KH3. However with no news the calls will continue to grow.

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  • Such a beautiful game, it would be a shame for the story to end at XIII-2. This was also the best article I've read about the ending, it summaries so many feelings many of us have after finishing the game

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  • i really want vanille to be the main character of 13-3 or at least let her out of the piller

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  • Vanille and Fang were saved from the piller, but like most chacters in the game, their fates remained unknown. Just one of many questions left to answer

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  • Amen. This is exactly what I've been feeling all the way through FFXIII and XIII-2. Glad to see there are others like me out there. It'll help me deal with all the haters. Awesome article.

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    1. Most of haters are FF7 stupid fanboys. They live in the past for 15 years and still didn't move on. How pathetic!

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  • Patience. It will come.

    To quote another trilogy:
    Seraph: Did you always know?
    The Oracle: Oh, no. No, I didn't. But I believed... I believed.

    There will be a happy ending for the sisters and their friends. It may not be perfect, but it will be worth waiting for.

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  • It would be interesting if they tied in this series with FF versus 13. I just find it strange that they would call it versus 13 if it didnt have any connection to the final fantasy 13 series.

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  • Only the mythology is the same. The characters and the stories have no common ground whatsoever. XIII-3 threads are all over forums across the net, that it would make it unlikely for SE to end the series as it is. It's been nearly 6 months since XIII-2 has come out and almost a month since the last DLC was released. If XIII-3 would not be made then SE would have siad so by now. I mean look how quick they were to rubbish the rumor about Versus 13 being renamed FF15 and announcing in an interview that remakes of games like FF7 wont be happening as the focus is on making new games. XIII-2 was in development for 9 months until it was announced, and throughout 2010 there was a few hints about it. XIII-3 will be coming, but unlikely to be out till December next year, as the last two games were. Plus they need a bit more information to go on about the game, like story, characters etc, instead of just saying XIII-3 is being announced. Would make them look idiots otherwise when it comes to Q&A.

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  • Well if the endings are paradox endings that means they have nothing to do with the main story. So with a huge cliff hanger like that on the main story there will be a XIII-3. If the timeline was warped like Caius said then the main character will be Lightning cause she is not in the timeline.

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  • Very well written! After playing through everything and seeing everything that has been released, I really hope they will release XIII-3. I hated how we went from a decent ending in XIII and then a tragic ending in XIII-2. I personally want to see Serah somehow come back and finally be able to get married to Snow. I think they deserve it. All the characters deserve to get a happy ending!

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  • Before the final battle in XIII Snow mentioned they were all happy together in the future. Then even more hope that the end of XIII-2 would provide it. Instead it does the opposite and leaves this and so many things unsolved. Even Japanese gamers have the same views as most people that the story is not finished, which is why we have not had the XIII-3 rumor denied whilst every other rumor gets rejected very quickly by SE

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  • Maybe we will get an answer at the Ultimania Omega this weekend? In 2010 they said that they wanted to make the story so Lightning and friends would end up happy. As it turns out, was the complete oppositeand left open for a trilogy. As of yet no word on if the game will be made or not.

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  • Brian MansurJune 18, 2012 9:12 PM

    Personally I cannot see Square Enix leaving the story as it is. Final Fantasy is and has always been about saving the world and bringing your party through to the end. Its appeal is its optimistic outlook despite all that goes wrong. I don't see the executives mucking too much with that formula for fear of alienating the fan base. Also, I believe there will be a full-blown FF XIII-3 to wrap this up. DLC simply isn't a versatile enough medium to finish such a broad sweeping story.

    About Serah. IMHO, Serah has always been the real star of the XIII universe. She was why Snow and Lightening fought in the first game. She was the lead heroine in the second. And as for Serah dying ... well, there is a saying among fans of another universe full of time travel (yep, Star Trek): the surest sign that a popular character will guest star later is if she gets killed. Even Aerith returned for a whole movie (though I hope we don't have to wait almost a decade like we did between VII and Advent Children). Serah's story is not over yet. Not unless someone over at Square Enix is hell bent on setting FF fans up for a cruel lesson in nihilism. Again, futility is not what Final Fantasy is about. So even if Serah stays dead, her death will have to mean something more than what XIII-2 left it at.

    Of course, in the end, the fate of Serah and the others is really up to the fans who influence the writers of the next game. If S.E. sees the demand for a third installment, you can bet your chocobos that they'll make it. See you all when they announce it ;-)

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  • Whilst I cant see Serah coming back to life (maybe a guest apperence as a memory), the other characters are also in peril. Snow is stuck in the Colosseum, Lightning is in the dream of A Dying World (much like Noel was). Sazh, Hope and Noel are on Sazh's ship when the Chaos engulfs the New Cocoon and Gran Pulse. And finally Fang and Vanille are still in a crystal sleep. Clearly alot to do and no amount of DLC can bring that to a conclusion. We will no doubt hear an annocement at the TGS in September, or the SE conference in January. If not then why have they not said that a third game is in the pipline and whenever asked the question have pointed to the paradox endings and the DLC. As the DLC was made after the game was released and they had the feedback about the ending, they still ended the DLC with a cliffhanger and hints strongly that the adventure is not over. Its just a question of waiting for news, which these days can take months.

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    1. NO!! Serah MUST come back (somehow). It's FF, everything is possible. Snow an Serah are meant to get married, and that's how FF13-3 should end :)

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  • Brian MansurJune 20, 2012 1:13 PM

    Given that Yuel simply wouldn't *stop* coming back to life in one form or another throughout XIII-2, I don't see why Serah can't ;-)

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  • It's possible as Yuel is keeping her spirit captive according to the Lightning DLC and as hinted in both games Etro must have died before and and been revived somehow. No reason it can't happen again. Plus at the end of XIII she released some members of the party from crystal and they were human again. Perhaps the same could be done to the three heroines who we know to be in crystal still??

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  • Thank you for writing this, I'm ready for 13-3. I'll will go through it all once more if it means giving a happy ending to someone who tried so hard just to save the ones she loves. SE cannot allow us to end things this way.

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  • Yesterday they gave strong hints that XIII-3 is in the works at the Ultimania Omega. Likely we will hear more at TGS.

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  • Brian MansurJune 22, 2012 2:03 PM

    Read some of the quotes from the interview (assuming I read a real translated transcript). The producers explicitly agreed that the XIII story wasn't complete, that the DLC was not sufficient to conclude the story, and expressed a desire to see it done. There was specific mention made of "Serah being rewarded". All this strongly points to XIII-3 happening sometime. Given the producers are starting a new project, that very well could be XIII-3. All we can do is wait for the announcement one way or the other.

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  • Agreed. If they left it like it was it would not have gone down well with fan at all. But that said, maybe they planned to leave it open on purpose? will no doubt get more hints at the TGS and have the game confirmed in January at the SE Conference. Will be a long six months, but well worth it. I hope the characters from the first game get more then a few minutes in a third game!

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  • mud_alchemistJune 26, 2012 11:07 AM

    I always said that the last FF game I'd ever play or love was FF6... And then I accidentally ended up loving 13, and 13-2, and loved the endings of both, especially 2. I massively appreciate a game that can genuinely kick me in the gut!

    I still can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm seriously hoping they make just one more sequel. I don't think I've ever loved a cast of characters in a video game more.

    (Also, for other fans of well told stories and gut wrenching endings, try emulating Terranigma for SNES... :P)

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  • If its so, I hope the characters from XIII get more involved then a meager few minutes! Many new and old places to explore and all in chaos. Im betting September or January for the official announcement. They can only give cryptic messages and anwsers regarding the subject as they not allowed to give much info during early development. And more good news- they still did not say that a XIII-3 won't be happening! :)

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  • Wait in requiem of the goddess lightning said she would turn into crystal until the end of time. Crystal never loses its shine even in the deepest darkness. Crystals never die. Vanille and fang were saved from the crystal pilar before every thing went chaotic. Every thing filled with darkness. But fang and vanille are still in crystal. What if lightning fang and vanille woke up from crystal stasis together at the end of time? Sounds to me the main characters are going to be fang vanille and lightning if they make XIII-3. thoughts?

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  • Would be interesting, but from what we saw at the end, the chaos only transformed the land into darkness and did not seem to affect any people. Remember Serah and Noel were in Valhalla and the chaos did not affect them. Fang and Vanille completed their focus and therefore have no reason to be crystal anymore and with the technology in 500AF, who can say that they might be woken up again? As for Lightning? We never saw her awaken so maybe she is in the same dream Noel had and still having fights with Caius. Would imagine that all the charcters have there conclusion to the tale told, but maybe they get split into groups at first and reunite later like they did in XIII? Would be able to explore a lot more areas that way, including new ones. We can only speculate until more info is released by SE.

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    1. I think they didnt get affected because time had already stopped in that valhalla. When the new valhalla arose the chaos erased the timeline destroying it pretty much. I think you were thinking wen only a part of the darkness slipped through and changed everything into a puzzle like maze. Isnt it in the mythology that a if a l'cie completes thier focus they turn to crystal for who knows how long? I dont think they could come up with technology to get rid of a curse. I guess fate is just waiting for the right time for their release. It could be a dream but remember in noels dream it was him in his future. Lightning may have awoken in his future at the end of time. Like it said in the secret scene at the end of requiem of the goddess "... in a distant future." And yeah it would be cool if they split at the beginning so much possibilities but how would that work? Lightning alone and fang and vanille together? Still cool though.

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  • How can you people agree with this? The story in the 13morning saga was so subpar compared to the other final fantasies. The characters have to be nothing short of stellar in order to even care about the story. How you can you even care about light so much? She's an infernal grump throughout both games. I understand she doesn't really have anything to be happy about but where's the spontaneity? She has 2 modes, angry and stoic. Where's the range? The only character who seems to undergo any development in these games is hope. At first you hate the kid but then he does some growing up and you're feelings toward him change. And thats what makes his character believable. Thats probably why he has a significant role in both games. He has an arc. Nobody else does really. Vanille is adorable and pulls some stunts that give her mystery so i like her. Sazh is kinda just there lacking intrigue much like the whole story. Snow's a total bro who is monumentally self possesed "look at me im such a hero". Fang is a closet dike who hasn't realized she's in love with Vanille. And that WOULD be cool, except the ENTIRE story has little to no subplot. Every good story needs multiple subplots, they are what give the characters substance so you can relate and actually care about them. Almost every character in this game is as one dimensional as the story. At least Noel has a good excuse. He grew up with like what 2I people? One of them was Cauis. Speaking of, he has got to be the lamest nemesis, him and barthandelus or whatever his name is. All I could think whenever i saw him was "wow does this guy ever stop whining?". Note to SE, if you are going to make most of the characters boring, make the last boss interesting. Not only is Cauis dull beyond conception, he frigging wins in the end! Storyline aside, the gameplay and battling for these games is top notch. It's the only reason i even played all the way through.

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  • Correction. 13morning is just supposed to be 13. And 2I is just 2.

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  • Brian MansurJune 28, 2012 5:43 AM

    A brief admonishment to any blogger/commenter: maturity in how we communicate is a precious thing. No one asks that everyone agree. No one asks that we all like the same things. Indeed, it would be quite the boring world if we did! But when such disagreements are expressed as personal attacks against someone's judgement or taste, this only seeds animosity.

    I have to ask, what's the point in saying, "How can you people agree with this?" or "How you can you even care about light[ning] so much?" I can tell you from decades of experience that this approach hurts feelings and does not encourage useful discussion.

    Having said that, the author of the 6/28 Anonymous post made some interesting observations. If couched in less aggressive language, they would have been valuable for making us reflect on why exactly certain characters or plot threads appeal or fail to appeal to us. To put it plainly, what Anonymous said wasn't the problem. How that person said it was sadly inconsiderate. We are all capable of doing better. Please always endeavor to do so.

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  • Fortunatly there are more lovers then haters of the XIII series, and if haters want to express their opinions using offensive language, then they can start a forum on another site and do it there!

    Moving on, the characters stories do take a while to get going, particually in the first game. Sazh is trying to save his son, whilst Lighning and Snow are trying to save Serah from the same fate. Hope gets caught up in the mess after loseing his Mother in the Purge. Whilst Vanille and Fang are more like sisters then best friends as they have grown up together and accidentally started the events that led to start of the game. Plenty of time to explore the characters further as XIII-3 is all but confirmed judgeing by the cryptic message's that the Director and Producer left in the Ultimania Omega. Also some friends of mine live in Japan and the demand over there for a third game has been HUGE! Any thoughts on how the final installment should be done???

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  • obviously all of us want a happy ending in FF 13-3, but what we are truly looking for is how they will make it a happy ending. . .

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  • I can't imagine Final Fantasy XIII-3's story going beyond Lightning seeking revenge against Caius. For the sake of getting FFX HD and Versus XIII released, XIII-3 could be a 20-40 minute CG movie cobbled with FFX HD.

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    1. No, I want FF13-3, a game, not a CGI movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • Best way for a happy ending is if the door of souls is closed with the goddess Etro being reborn (as we know has happened before) Plus Snow can leave the Collisuem, Searh revived, Lightning, Fang and Vanille awaken from their crystal sleep and Noel, Hope and Sazh can finally find peace. Possible for all to happen in the end, but how it will all come about is the interesting part Wonder if they will give you the freedom to explore previous areas using say Sazh's ship? Will be interested in what old places such as New Bodum and Oerba is like, plus new places such as New Coccon and Valhalla. But most of all how would you defeat enemies that cannot die now the chaos is unleashed? Unless maybe they turn to crystal dust and can later reform if too much time passes by?

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  • Totally agree with the blog! I do not care anything about the critique FF players have pointed, saying that FFXIII & FFXIII-2 are not the best games of the series, but what I do know, is that FFXIII & FFXIII-2 have a beautiful story to be told, a story about hope, friendship, love, and many other beautiful feelings that can not come to mind... I would like to see with my own eyes the resolution that is discussed in the blog. For me, I do care about Claire´s feelings; I do not want to see her sad, living in a dying world. I want her to be happy. To tell the truth, when I finished the games, I felt a void in my life, a void that could not be filled with anything or anyone else... in the end (and I am not kidding, this is real), I think I fell in love with Claire. I WANT TO SEE HER HAPPY...

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  • I do not care about everyone that looking forward to this game saying awesome and whatnot, me, just "meh".
    It's obvious that Toriyama has a fetish toward Lightning, "i want Lightning to be happy etc". The story should end in FF13, it is true that SE take account about all of those critiques, but that's not how you do it SE, just no.

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  • XIII-2 was a lot shorter then XIII, which is why there was no reason that they could have tied up all the loose ends and given a proper ending. There was too much that dlc would have had on it, to solve all these questions, which is why a third game is needed, and thats probably what the team have also realised. Then again they may may planned to make it a trilogy, after seeing how well the first game was recieved. One thing is clear from the first game, before the final battle is that the others told Fang that she and Vanille was with them in their vision and everyone was happy. As it stands its the complete opposite. Heres hoping that more info will be annouced about it at the TGS. If we get another cryptic message, that will mean waiting till January which is what they did to annouce XIII-2.

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  • They gave a cryptic message in the XIII Ultimainia Omega saying that the story could continue, and then a few months later XIII-2 was annouced. Seems they are following a similar patten, except they registered the domain name in advance this time.If there was no XIII-3, then a representative of SE would have made a statment putting the rumor to bed, but still they have'nt and they would be well aware that the hope of so many people is flooding the net begging for it! Its all set up for a first FF trilogy.

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  • This made me cry man. I have gotten really attached to the characters and HOPE/Love really shined through in these games. When Serah died I brokedown man. I didn't buy any of the DLC, but I want to see the first FF Trilogy and if they fix broken things between the two, the game play will be something else. And i don't think a game has ever tore at my heart so much to want a sequel this bad.
    I really have no idea what they could do with the story man, I hope they bring forth something amazing. And you're right, they always defy the impossible and never gave up hope... it's so inspiring. I'm sure we'll see that again.

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  • I'm sure they have worked out how to do the story. At the end of the Lightning dlc, she say "when I awaken." This means that as she is still asleep in crystal (like Fang and Vanille), then the story can continue where the second game left off, and expolre in a world infected in Chaos. It may be dark, which is what they wanted, but there are so many ways to make the story carry the player along with it, till it gets a clear conclusion that solves all the questions XIII-2 left. Plus Lightning on the throne is keeping the world going despite the Chaos being unleashed, and we did not see it causing any damage to the worlds, so it must just transform things into darkness (eg. monsters). Reason that nothing was made at E3 or has been made public is that the "new project" that is strongly hinted at XIII-3, is way to early in development for them to release anything yet. For time being giving hints is all they can do, until the game is made offcial at either the TGS or SE conference. The fanbase in Japan is huge compared to the rest of the world, and they are asking and anticipating the same. SE would be mad to ignore it and move on with another FF series, which is why they have not denied XIII-3 at all. Anyone agree?

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  • It was 3 months after the XIII Ultimainia Omega that SE announced XIII-2. If they follow a similar patten, then the TGS would be the place to unviel XIII-3 in early development, as by then the basics of the game would have been laid. If not then we will have to wait till January to find out about it. As they are out sourcing more to other compaines that they own like they did with XIII-2, to meet there prefered deadlines instead of waiting up to five years as they did with XIII. Hope we hear more soon!

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  • Something great about every Final Fantasy is there is a lesson, a lesson that may not exactly apply to our lives or future, but there's a lesson in it and we the Final Fantasy Fans choose to learn the lesson. Some lessons are difficult to learn and we don't like what we learn if we take the time to learn it at all, but all in all it's pretty amazing. Even if it all is nothing more then a game, Final Fantasy will be a chapter in my life and im sure others, and a chapter I don't regret. I hear the hate that square enix has been getting for just about every game when it comes out, guess what not everyone is going to be happy. Though if you are a true Final Fantasy Fan you'll give it all a chance afterall that's a lesson in itself you learn while playing. I love all the Final Fantasys, sure there are flaws with each of them, but that's part of the journey, you surpass the obstacles in the game as well as of the game. People shouldn't have anger towards the games, after all you choose to play it. Just go on living with hope and appreciation, look forward not get swelled up in the past, or get sucked into the future too much either. Anyways Just Enjoy. :P

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  • Agreed! Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2's story was not resolved at all, to leave the players hanging with to be continued at the end of XIII-2. Granted there was DLC's but they were mainly added bonus for gameplay. Lightning's DLC Requiem of the Goddess did explain Lightning turning to crystal but to leave the world sucked up by Valhalla after Light's journey in XIII and Serah and Noel fixing the timeline to bring Light back for naught isn't right. Square-enix has to make XIII-3 they cant leave everything messed up like it is now it just doesnt work, none of the other final fantasy games have a messed up ending like this story has now. To have Serah die like that was just ridiculous. XIII-3 does deserve the chance to end the story like the other games in the Final Fantasy series, besides Serah may be dead but Chaos has captured her in death and for lightning's atonement and the world being sucked into Valhalla opens up a whole new adventure in the story and what about Vanille and Fang yea it was made apparent that they were saved before Serah died but it didnt show it :/ XIII has a lot of loop holes to tie up before the story can end again proving there needs to be a Final Fantasy XIII-3

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  • I think they're should make movie (like FF VII ACC) instead the game.

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  • Guys, the updated blog is here https://violentgamerreviews.com/2012/07/promise-of-final-fantasy-xiii-3-hopes.html
    And it has a lot of interesting news! :)

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  • Honestly This nearly brought me to tears. In a community of gamers filled with hatred for the XIII series this kind of post is what keeps MY hope alive. My hope for Lightning. Ever since the first time i saw Lightning's face in a video game magazine years ago, I became enamored by her. Her expressions, her voice, her passion, her strength, her beauty, her belief in what is right, and most of all her desire to fight to protect those she loves were all of the things I could have ever hoped for in a video game heroine.

    Thank you so much for writing this.

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  • After the secret ending of "Requim of the Goddess" Lightning woke up in year 700 I guess light will find noel there again in the dying world I mean he can't be dead because he had been born in this year and it already happened with the fall of cocoon etc... I think lightning waited for this year because of noel I mean he was able to be the next guardian I think he will take a really important part in 13-3

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  • Lightning did not actually wake up, she was dreaming in a crystal sleep as chaos engulfed the world. With chaos nothing can die and time stays still, so the question is what happens to the world and the characters we all loved?? Been reading the updated article on a possible 13-3 on here, its titled "Hopes and Dreams" and was posted on July 6th. Check it out!

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  • Cooper BelleJuly 26, 2012 6:06 PM

    I would like to see lightning come back as the reborn goddess Etro herself (or Sarah) and eventually do battle Bhunivelze and the Maker for all the marbles alongside Vanille and Fang. Start out with her own ridiculous powers and then obtain the powers of Etro throughout the game (foresight), and end up having to face the Mother and balance the forces of life and chaos with Vanille and Fang being able to transform into Ragnarok as a summon. Only if...

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  • I hope Lightnung and Noel will be the main characters or a duo in 13-3. I mean they were the most popular characters in 13-2.

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  • Hope we see Fang and Vanille wake up!

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  • I love final fantasy 13 & 13-2 and everything you are saying is what I'm saying in my heart as well I really want to see everyone happy together

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