Final Fantasy XIII-2 Logo
On October 3, Square Enix Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in the Americas, announced preorder plans for Final Fantasy XIII-2. The game is being released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is part of the ever more popular trend of sequels to the already numbered Final Fantasy games. With this sequel, the developers are taking the fan’s opinions into consideration by opening up the world a bit more and putting more development into the battle system, two areas in which Final Fantasy XIII was often criticized. They claim that the sequel will feature a more open level design, intended to encourage players to explore rather than just advance. Further, the battle system has been tweaked, with the most noticeable change being the ability to command monsters. Square Enix even claims that options meant to support multiple playthroughs will be included.
Square Enix is offering exclusive incentives for players who preorder at Gamestop, Amazon or Best Buy. Gamestop Preorders will receive an exclusive in game item: an alternate costume for Serah, the game’s main protagonist. Amazon is offering a unique coliseum battle, against the exclusive enemy “Omega”, who upon defeat joins the party. Best Buy is taking a more out of game incentive approach, offering a novella entitled Final Fantasy XIII -episode i-, a story that ties together the events of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2. From wherever players preorder the game, they will have their choice of goodies, tailored to different desires, from the cosmetic to the combat and even for readers. FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 will be available at North American retailers for $59.99 on January 31, 2012, and is not yet rated.
