Nomura: Forget FF Versus XIII for now

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 25 January, 2011

PS3 exclusive for 2012?

Square Enix developer Tetsuya Nomura has told Final Fantasy fans anxiously awaiting news on the release of mysterious PlayStation 3 exclusive Versus XIII to forget about it for now.

The game will take more time than Type-0 and XIII-2, he explained to Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation (translated by Andriasang), because Square Enix is trying to do "a number of incredible things".

This is something he hopes players understood from the Japanese-exclusive trailer, released last week as part of a Square Enix Tokyo press conference.

Given Type-O and XIII-2 are slated for release this year, Nomura's comments suggest Versus XIII will launch during 2012 at the earliest. Our next update on the game will come at the earliest at E3, Nomura told Dengeki.

Little is known about the action-RPG, despite the fact it was first announced in 2006 alongside sister title Final Fantasy XIII.

The main character is a chap called Noctis Lucis Caelum. He's a prince, and is quoted as saying, "Fools set the rules in this world. Just take a look around. It's Undeniable." Cheer up, mate.

Noctis is said to have great physical ability and a secret power that only the royal family possesses. During combat commands for Magic, Item, Summon and EX-ARTS are available.

Combat is party based, granting players control over a maximum of three characters at a time. During early parts of the story the game will swap party members in and out for you. However, as you advance in the story, you'll be able to freely switch out members.

Interestingly, the game has a realtime event system that seamlessly transitions attacks and other gubbins into the flow of gameplay. Examples given include a plane crashing into the road and a beast attacking when Noctis reaches a bridge.

Development of this aspect of the game takes a long time, said Nomura.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JoeGBallad #1 1 year ago

    Never saw that one coming.

  • Peter_LIAR_Molyneux #2 1 year ago

    I don't have a problem with games taking several years to come out but for the love of God, why can't these publishers refrain from announcing their games 4 years before they are ready to come out? Is it mismanagement or a terrible marketing campaign? Whatever it is don't announce your game any more than one year in advance of it's final release date. That should be more than enough time to get your hype train rolling.

  • StolenGlory #3 1 year ago

    2012lol.

  • OnlyMe #4 1 year ago

    "HYPE HYPE LOOK AT OUR NEW TRAILER IT'S GOT GAMEPLAY IN IT NOW LOOK LOOK HYPE HYPE!!!!

    Oh, and btw, forget about the game for now."

    *sigh*

    I'd love to forget about the game, but you keep shoving it in my face YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES!
    Edited by OnlyMe at 25/01/11 @ 14:40

  • JohnnyWashnGo #5 1 year ago

    It'll never get released... I wish they would stop talking about it and get on with something else to be honest.

  • menage #6 1 year ago

    I already forgot, thanks for reminding me.

  • captain_Carl #7 1 year ago

    Well that's a surprise.

  • AnsemsApprentice #8 1 year ago

    If they take their time and the final product shows that they have, then I don't really mind. If it's for the game's benefit, take another two years if you like, but I agree it's pretty ridiculous how early some companies announce games. I hope it becomes more like what Bethesda have done with Skyrim, just getting on with developing the game instead of dicking around, and giving gamers a lovely little surprise at a gaming event, just a meager year before release. That's how it should be.

    Either way, game sounds awesome. Look forward to playing, whenever it may be.

  • retr0gamer #9 1 year ago

    Final Fantasy XIII Forever.

  • Haerger #10 1 year ago

    2012 makes sense - there is so many PS3 exclusives coming out this year.

  • inutaihanyou #11 1 year ago

    Its official; Final Fantasy Versus Thirteen has outlasted Starcraft 2, Duke Nukem Forever, and even its own alternate universe game will have a sequel out before it ever comes out. Fabulas Novalis will have been over for 4 years by the time this game is released x_x

    Its sad but, the more i have to wait for this game the more i'll be disappointed when it doesn't blow my face off from sheer awesome
    Edited by inutaihanyou at 25/01/11 @ 14:54

  • Ignatius_Cheese #12 1 year ago

    "Final Fantasy Versus XIII is due to be released 2011 on PlayStation 3. Got a news tip? Email news@eurogamer.net." LOL

  • gamerBOB #13 1 year ago

    maybe they believe that's when the world will end and no longer need to worry about stalling the game any further :p

    seriously though, this is beyond a joke. i used to love final fantasy but after XIII and other games such as Mindjack I can't take this publisher seriously any longer.

    Goodbye Square enix, you will be missed.

  • rock27gr #14 1 year ago

    "Interestingly, the game has a realtime event system that seamlessly transitions attacks and other gubbins into the flow of gameplay. Examples given include a plane crashing into the road and a beast attacking when Noctis reaches a bridge."

    That doesn't sound like real time to me. More like prescribed events.

  • Lord_Gremlin #15 1 year ago

    Duke Nukem syndrome detected.

  • Futaba #16 1 year ago

    @gamerBOB

    I won't miss them: they've ruined Final Fantasy for me.

    I do miss Squaresoft though.

  • Makeem95 #17 1 year ago

    Announced the game far too early. It's called "managing expectations".

  • Scimarad #18 1 year ago

    Yep, this is definitely by the Kingdom Hearts team alright. KH2 took roughly FOREVER!

    By the way, I like that you are quoting actual game characters now:)
    Edited by Scimarad at 25/01/11 @ 20:19

  • TwitchyMcTwitch #19 1 year ago

    So this is going to be Square-enix's Duke Nukem forever? lol

  • goatjugsoup #20 1 year ago

    Regardless what people think of Square-Enixs current work, I think it'd be hard to deny Nomura makes awesome games and since he's helming this one I say let him take as long as he needs.
    One of the worst things that happens in the gaming industry as far as games being made goes is that developers get given a deadline and rush the game to meet the deadline rather than being able to spend the time to make it actually worth playing (many movie based games are culprits of this).

  • orangpelupa #21 1 year ago

    atleast FFvsXIII still have deadline.
    Not like VALVE that often didn't have deadline for their game, example : Half life episode 3? O_o

    but there difference,Valve often use ther "Valve Time" to "Alter" deadline as valve see fit and resulting good games.
    In SQEX, the game took long dev time, but the result is just a mixed experience. Example : FF XIII, its both great game and bad game (from my opinion ofcourse)

  • mushroomyakuza #22 1 year ago

    6 years. 6 FUCKING YEARS. The entire Mass Effect Trilogy will have been released in that time. Square, you are amazing. Pull tour finger out and stop announcing non-news! One can't also but help think that, you know, announcing FFXIII-2 has just maybe contributed to this, especially seeing as that will apparently be out by the end of THIS year, meanwhile Versus, announced in 2006, won't be out until 2012...get your shit together Square.

  • Scimarad #23 1 year ago

    I really don't care how long it takes as long as it's decent when it gets here...