Thread:The Final Fantasy/@comment-2219585-20151114100109


 * The new world looks almost identical to the real-world. The idea behind this is to "turn real life into a fantasy." Locations have been given new "fantasy" names and have some fantasy elements applied to them, but visually, the goal is to "thrust Lightning and her allies in the middle of our world, a world where humans are less powerful and capable, to see how they cope and survive when they've had access to things such as magic and monsters to deal with in the past."
 * The purpose of Final Fantasy XIII-3, one could say, is to "set the stage" for Final Fantasy XV, a "fantasy based on reality." Final Fantasy XIII-3 is more realistic, however, since it draws its settings straight from the real-world, rather than from places based on real-world locations. The real world was chosen as a setting because it fit nicely with the realms of "future" and "fantasy" seen in the previous games in the Lightning Saga.
 * The main cast has memories of the old world, while everyone else does not. This allows them to use magic and triggers the appearance of monsters.
 * Final Fantasy XIII-3 is named as such for many reasons:
 * Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the third game in the Lightning Saga, is an "interquel," bridging the gap between Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy XIII-3.
 * Three kinds of "realms" will have been explored throughout the Lightning Saga: futurism (FFXIII), fantasy (FFXIII-2, LRFFXIII), and now realism (FFXIII-3).
 * It is possible FFXIII-3 will be re-envisioned for the PS4 and XBox One. If this comes to pass, a fourth FFXIII game will have been released on a fourth generation console.
 * Gameplay is envisioned as follows:
 * Cinematic in all aspects; the environment is highly interactive. Great care has been given to the AI of each NPC, enemy, and playable character to make them as unique and realistic as possible.
 * Enemies appear in every possible location on the field; their AI allows them to interact in a vast ecosystem where every creature is unique. Hostile enemies may ambush the player.
 * The world map is vast and expansive; players can explore as far as the eye can see.
 * Cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles can be driven when necessary; Sazh's airplane can also be flown by the player.
 * There are day and night cycles, and changing cloud formations create dynamic lighting.
 * FFXIII-3 features several FMV sequences in a similar fashion to FFXIII. The game is depicted in real-time, allowing the characters' equipped weapons to appear both on the field and during battle, as well as during cutscenes.
 * Battles are envisioned as follows:
 * The action and pace of each battle are meant to suggest "playable cutscenes" akin to the fights seen in Final Fantashy VII: Advent Children. Battles take place on the field; the transition between the field and battlefield is seamless and has no loading time.
 * Battles use all regions of the field; they take place in areas with great differences in height. The full environment is intended for use in battle, meaning players must face what's in front of them, to the sides, behind them, and also what's above and below them.
 * Through a special command, players can leap onto larger enemies to access their weak points and destroy certain parts of their bodies. This same command allows for interaction with the environment, as well as for special grappling sequences with enemies of all kinds, shapes, and sizes.
 * There are eight playable characters: Claire Farron (Lightning), Serah Farron, Snow Villiers, Hope Estheim, Sazh Katzroy, Oerba Dia Vanille, Oerba Yun Fang, and Noel Kreiss. Each character takes a different approach to battle and has special attacks, abilities, traits, and other functions unique to him or her. For example, when playing as Sazh, attacking is done through a special third-person shooter mode.
 * The player can switch between characters on the fly, allowing for multiple-character combination attacks to be executed. AI-controlled party members may sometimes join the player for co-op attacks, and they automatically react to situations in various ways under different circumstances. Every playable character has access to all skills, spells, and abilities, but they function differently for each of them.
 * In a similar tactic to Paradigm Shifts, the player can select from a wide variety of weapons during battle and switch between them freely. Each weapon changes the player character's fighting style, and some can be used as shields. Weapons can be customized to some degree, as well as upgraded in a similar fashion to Final Fantasy XIII.
 * The ATB Gauge appears during battle; all attacks and spells in the player's arsenal, as well as all actions he or she performs, have an ATB cost. If the ATB Gauge reaches 0, then the player becomes immobile. As attacks are unleashed in a brilliant cinematic sequence, damage done is displayed on the screen, and each hit is rated on a scale ranging from "Poor" to "Excellent." This contributes to the player's score and star rating at the end of battle. Attacks that strike multiple enemies will trigger a Chain Bonus, increasing the score and damage dealt.
 * The player directly controls the player character's movements and actions via the analog stick. The ATB Gauge merely aids in the execution of action as ATB Slots are filled; the Gauge slowly refills over time.  