Square Enix updated their official Final Fantasy XIII website with a brand spankin’ new trailer! Definitely worth checking out.

NOTE: In a bid for YouTube to keep up with the Jones’, embeddable videos now feature an option to be viewed in high quality instead of the usual compressed-to-shit quality we’ve been forced to put up with until now. Just click the icon in the bottom right corner once the video begins playing and select ‘HQ’ to view the trailer in all it’s high quality glory.

This is easily the first trailer in the series which has left me with a feeling of anticipation for the game’s release. The preceding trailers were just a little too dull and void of anything really interesting. They lacked a hook. In this trailer  we finally get to see more of the battle system and actually hear the character’s voice over dialogue. Square Enix is still keeping rather tight lipped on the battle system, but it looks like XIII will share more in common with X-2’s than XII’s: with all the chain attacks being able to interrupt enemy attacks and visa versa.

I always liked leading lady Lightning’s design, but this trailer has me loving her even more. She looks like even more of a bad arse! I just hope Square Enix give her some depth. No characters in a Final Fantasy game have been given a great deal of development and depth since the cast of Final Fantasy VII.

The game is looking real sharp from a graphical standpoint. I just hope the story and gameplay are up to scratch. Because XII damn near bored me to death with how boring it was, despite it being one of the PS2’s best looking games.

Square Enix seem to be getting the XIII wagon rolling now, which is a good sign. I think fans were beginning to get bored with there not being anything on the game and Square Enix rehashing the same images and trailers. Still no confirmed release date, but it is certain that Japan will definitely be getting this game at the end of the year. With the America’s and Europe seeing a 2010 release.

The official websites for Square Enix’s forthcoming Final Fantasy epic’s (I shall use the term ‘epic’ lightly until I see and know more about the game) have gone live! There’s not much to look at, but there are a few high resolution screenshots of the game and main character art to check out.

Most interesting is that the Final Fantasy XIII site features a previously un-heard piece of music! The name of the song and its composer is not disclosed anywhere on the site. And whether the piece is the theme of XIII, simply a piece that’ll play on the title screen or if it’ll appear in the game at all is unknown. But what is certain is that it’s a stunning piece and a sole reason to check out the site – seeing as there’s sod all else to get caught up in.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII also has itself a website, but there is nothing on it as I write this.

Square finally seem to be taking baby steps in getting the Final Fantasy promo train running. Although it could be a good few months until we get anything new on the game. I cannot wait for the system comparisons to make their way onto the Internets. I’m already scared at the potential can of worms that could open – especially if the 360 version ends up on only 2 discs and looks better…

Official Japanese ‘Fabula’ websites: XIII | Versus XIII

Given that Square Enix recently vowed they’d be making an effort to release their games worldwide simultaneously, I think we should take a look at the games we hope we’ll be getting around the same time as Japan. Starting with Fabula nova crystallis.

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