| Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Role-playing video game |
| Developers | Square Enix |
| Publishers | Square Enix |
| Creators | Yoshinori Kitase Kazushige Nojima |
| Platforms | PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360 |
| First release | Final Fantasy XIII |
| Latest release | Final Fantasy XIII-2
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Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy (ファブラ ノヴァ クリスタリス ファイナルファンタジー Fabura Nova Kurisutarisu Fainaru Fantajī) is a series of games by Square Enix. Made in the same vein as the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII and the Ivalice Alliance, Fabula Nova Crystallis (lit. "the New Tale of the Crystal" in Latin) is based on various worlds and different characters, but each game will be "ultimately based on and expand upon a common mythos." According to Square Enix, the only connection is a "vague crystal theme".[1]
Originally named Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy XIII, the 'XIII' numeric has been dropped as Final Fantasy Agito XIII, now the renamed Final Fantasy Type-0, does not have much to do with the game Final Fantasy XIII, as stated by the director.[2]
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The series appears to revolve around "crystals that lead the world towards the future." Appearing as normal objects, the Crystals are an integral part of each world as represented in the games, although they will not be the central focus; instead, they will provide a background to other, more specific plots. However, the functionality of the Crystals has led the series' designers to pay special attention in creating the visual look of these worlds.
The universe of Fabula Nova Crystallis is divided in two: the Visible World (the land of the living) and the Invisible World (the afterlife). The Visible World, is controlled by fal'Cie ( /fælˈsiː/), crystal-based mechanical beings with godlike power that are created by two of the three original fal'Cie brought into existence by the god Buniberzei. The fal'Cie have the capability of marking humans, who were born from the blood of the fal'Cie Etro prior to her taking residence in the Invisible World. Those marked by the fal'Cie are called l'Cie ( /ləˈsiː/), and have in their brand a symbol representing their fal'Cie contractor. The l'Cie are given a "Focus", a task to complete so they are transformed to crystal and according to legend gain eternal life. However, failure to complete the focus result in the l'Cie becoming mindless monsters called Cie'th.
In the beginning, the god Buniberzei defeated his mother, the goddess Muin, to take control of the world for himself as Muin disappeared into the invisible world. But fearful of his eventual death due to what he believed was the curse Muin left on whatever lives within the Visible World, Buniberzei created the first three fal'Cie: Pulse, Etro, and Lindzei. Giving no power to Etro due to her unintended resemblance to Muin, Buniberzei gave Pulse the task of terraforming the world so the doorway to the Invisible World could be found, while Lindzei was serving as the god's protector as he enters a deep rest until the time comes for him to awaken once Pulse succeeds. However, fueled by their Focuses, Pulse created the fal'Cie of Gran Pulse, while Lindzei fashioned the fal'Cie that would create and rule Cocoon, a floating continent built to house humanity as a paradise.
As for Etro, motivated by her powerlessness, faded into the Invisible World after unknowingly creating humanity from her self-mutilation. By then, Etro finds Muin as she is consumed by an energy mass called Chaos that was caused by Buniberzei's actions in creating the fal'Cie. Though unaware of the meaning behind the goddess's final words to ensure the stability of the worlds, out of love for the humans destined to follow her in death, Etro installed humanity with pieces of Chaos that they would call "hearts". Soon after, as their Maker Buniberzei remains in deep sleep because of the balance restored by Etro's act of compassion, Pulse and Lindzei were worshiped by humans while Etro herself became known as the goddess of death.
The current games known to be in development within Fabula Nova Crystallis are:
The development for each title is being handled within Square Enix through separate teams. This is reflected in the approach to making each title independent from the others while sharing a common backdrop. However, the character designs for the three officially revealed games are by Tetsuya Nomura, who is also the director of Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Each title will have its own style of gameplay: Final Fantasy XIII is an RPG, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is more action-oriented (similar to Kingdom Hearts) and Final Fantasy Type-0 is an action-RPG (similar to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII) with multiplayer elements while Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a direct sequel to the first title in the series Final Fantasy XIII.
Square Enix president Yoichi Wada likened Fabula Nova Crystallis to that of the likes of Star Wars and has stated that it could span a decade.[3] Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama stated in the PlayStation Magazine Australia that the Fabula Nova Crystallis series is slated to be a multi-platform series, not exclusive only to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PSP.[4]
Final Fantasy XIII, the first title in the series, was released in Japan on December 17, 2009, as a PlayStation 3 exclusive within the territory. It was released in North America and Europe on March 9, 2010, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. On December 16, 2010, Final Fantasy XIII Ultimate Hits International was released in Japan as an Xbox 360 exclusive. It features English voice acting with Japanese subtitles, an "Easy" mode, and a short story book titled Final Fantasy XIII - Episode I.[5]
Final Fantasy Type-0 was released on October 27, 2011.[6][7]
Final Fantasy XIII-2 was released in Japan on December 15, 2011. The North American English version is expected to be released on January 31, 2012, while its European counterpart will be released on February 3, 2012.[8]
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