Leona Lewis gives verdict on FFXIII

By Ellie Gibson Published 18 February, 2010

Graphics are "insane", says X-Factor star.

X-Factor winner Leona Lewis is appearing in a new TV advert for Final Fantasy XIII.

In the ad, Lewis gets to have a go on the game and declares that the "graphics are insane".

She continues, "I never would have imagined my hands as such a perfect fit for Final Fantasy XIII. But the strong female protagonist struck a chord with me, and I can't wait to see Lightning do her thing." Lewis sings the English theme song for FFXIII, which is titled My Hands. Do you see?

Final Fantasy XIII is out here on 9th March for PS3 and Xbox 360. Leona Lewis's latest album, Echo, is out now. Highlights include Stone Hearts & Hand Grenades and her cover of Oasis's Stop Crying Your Heart Out.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (76) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • Widge #1 2 years ago

    in the membrane?

  • The-Bodybuilder #2 2 years ago

    erm..........ok. :/

  • dr_faulk #3 2 years ago

    Thank's for the pop update there, EG.

  • the_sas_man #4 2 years ago

    Screw you all - she has the X Factor

  • munki83 #5 2 years ago

    Great another celebrity endorsing a video game. At least it’s slightly better than Nintendo’s effort with ant and dec (I refuse to capitalise their names).

  • KillerMonkey #6 2 years ago

    If I had a PS3 and were somewhat interested in FFXIII, this would be more a turnoff than anything. Who are they trying to appeal to? 12 year old girls?

  • reality_cheque #7 2 years ago

    This makes me glad I don't watch TV.

  • Br0ken_Engli5h #8 2 years ago

    First the pitiful Nintendo ads with Ant & Dec, now Leona Lewis. This is just the beginning of wanky, unrelated celebrities advertising games.

    Hot news on the grapevine is that Germaine Greer has signed up to advertise Dead or Alive:paradise.

  • the_dudefather #9 2 years ago

    'The graphics are insane, one minute I was running around a dungeon, the next minite thousands of tiny spiders started tearing their way out of the cahracters eyes and out of the tv and all over my house
    Edited by the_dudefather at 18/02/10 @ 09:06

  • DanWhitehead #10 2 years ago

    Who are they trying to appeal to? 12 year old girls?

    They don't really need to. Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts are both massive with the young manga crowd.

  • CaptainQuint #11 2 years ago

    Apparantly she was blown away by the Mode 7 and parralax scrolling.

  • Pughie #12 2 years ago

    Heres my fantasy version of said ad, mine comes complete with interviewer:
    Int: Right so Leona i know your song is in the game and everything but what do you actually think of the product?
    Leo: The graphics are INSANE, and my hands are such a great fit for FFXIII.
    Int: Your....hands?
    Leo:Yeah the song
    Int: Oh right, yeah, sorry i thought....anyway, what do u think of the battle system?
    Leo: The what now?
    Int: The battle system its an integral part of the game, will probably be what anybody watching this wants to know about....
    Leo: Nooooo, sorry you've lost me
    Int: Ok moving on, how about the character development? Story?
    Leo: Well Lightning is such a strong protagonist, and i think thats great for women, and like my songs, you know, it kind of strikes a chord i think.
    Int: Yeah well i mean thats obvious from any trailer, and cheap music puns aside was there anything else about the character, her relationship development etc.
    Leo: No, well you see i've never actually played the game, or any final fantasy for that matter, they're just paying me to ride on the crest of my succes, by trying to sell it to the casual gamer with my shit songs.
    Int:Riiight, um can we get anyone here who's actually played the game to talk about it?
    Leo: Nope sorry just me.......i could sing "stop crying your heart out"
    Int: No its fine...um, I'm just gunna go shoot myself

  • munki83 #13 2 years ago

    Hmmm I was just thinking that if I was to buy a game endorsed by a celebrity who would it be. My first thought was Patrick Stewart but then I remembered the awful brain training adverts. I’m going to go with Charlie Brooker. If I saw him on an advert playing a game and enjoying it I’d go and buy it...well at least think about buying it

  • Gearskin #14 2 years ago

    Leona Lewis is well fit.

  • AnsemsApprentice #15 2 years ago

    X-Factor winner and RnB superstar Leona Lewis says the graphics are insane?! Sign me the fuck up, it must be good! Looks are everything of course, it doesn't matter wether it actually means anything to us... Wait a minute...

  • X3Entente #16 2 years ago

    You forgot to put "my hands" in italics. Better sort it out
    Edited by X3Entente at 18/02/10 @ 09:29

  • menage #17 2 years ago

    One reason for me not wanting to play the damn thing is that freaking terrible mushy pop ballad. Makes my toes curl.

  • TheJackKetch #18 2 years ago

    /scrapes bottom of news barrel

  • The-Bodybuilder #19 2 years ago

    Leona doesn't care what they say, she's in love with FF...

  • Goodfella #20 2 years ago

    LOL @ Pughie.

  • Carlo #21 2 years ago

    I'm starting to get why that guy punched her in the chops, he was on the dev team for this game and heard she's going to be promoting it.

  • mychuma #22 2 years ago

    LOL @The Bodybuilder.
    Edited by mychuma at 18/02/10 @ 09:42

  • locus2k1 #23 2 years ago

    /facepalm

    eurgh, thank god someone invented a mute button...
    Edited by locus2k1 at 18/02/10 @ 09:47

  • ignatiusjreilly #24 2 years ago

    Leona Lewis's latest album, Echo, is out now. Highlights include Stone Hearts & Hand Grenades and her cover of Oasis's Stop Crying Your Heart Out.

    This is the type of paragraph that should never close out a Eurogamer story.

  • Spanky #25 2 years ago

    Don't make me punch you about the face again Leona! Just don't.

  • Restart #26 2 years ago

    Thanks for the endorsement Leona, your highly valued opinion has made this an insta-buy for me!
    Edited by Restart at 18/02/10 @ 09:50

  • spekkeh #27 2 years ago

    Hmmm I was just thinking that if I was to buy a game endorsed by a celebrity who would it be.

    If Vinnie Jones says 'e gonna smash me 'ead if I don't buy game [x], I might think about that too.

  • laruso #28 2 years ago

    In the words or Noel fielding she looks "like a skateboard in a wig" and has about as much relevance to my game buying decisions as busta rhymes does to synchronised swimming. I'm actually surprised that whoever operates her managed to get so many words out.

  • schnide #29 2 years ago

    I don't know what's worse, the fact that a gaming nobody Lewis has been put up to this, or that it will actually work and sell copies of the game.

  • gallow #30 2 years ago

    I downloaded the euro trailer the other week. As soon as I saw the words "Leona Lewis" appeared at the being of the trailer I turned it off as fast as humanly possible. Much like my interest in this game. Which is a shame as I have loved all FF games except XI and invested a serious amount of time in each game I have played.
    Edited by gallow at 18/02/10 @ 10:08

  • Zombie-Hamster #31 2 years ago

    Hmm, I love the Final Fantasy series but this has done nothing to make me want this game! :-| Mind you, I read a review of FFXIII a couple of days ago that only gave it 70% (not terrible but low for an FF game...) so it seems a dodgy Leona Lewis theme song (plus accompanying painful advert) may be the least of its worries... For the first time ever I'm questioning whether to buy an FF game.

  • Sunyavadin #32 2 years ago

    Who?

  • CygnusReactor #33 2 years ago

    Fuck SE! and fuck Leona Lewis! This stuff just boils my piss. I've played FFI->XII (excluding III- i refused to buy a DS for 1 game)... and I can honestly say this game just is just insipid, and the fact they have to use some X-factor winner to generate some hype for what should be SE flag-ship brand.

  • seanthejackal #34 2 years ago

    there has been so much damage done to this game im afraid of even renting it.

  • geeza2020 #35 2 years ago

    thanks for that Leona, now, back in your box please. You too SquareEnix......

  • iamian #36 2 years ago

    Yes, it's was a bad idea to have Leona Lewis endorse the game but really how does this affect anything? Didn't Vernon Kay 'host' the launch for MW2? I think he's a knob but I still went and bought the game...

  • Redeye #37 2 years ago

    Y'know, I'm all up for greater perception of videogames amongst the wider masses, but this 'news' really made me want to facepalm so hard, I was concerned I'd end up smashing my face into the backside of my skull.

  • kingcrude #38 2 years ago

    Rather have Reona Rewis over Rirry Arren.

  • Pac #39 2 years ago

    @kingcrude

    Me too. F**king misandrist gets right on my tits.

  • Shrike #40 2 years ago

    Oh brave new world, where Japanese design can finally be married with glorious western marketing and PR.

    Fnnnnhhhhhgm.

  • BritishBlue1 #41 2 years ago

    Mmmm, she is a sexy lady, I'll give her that. Imagine what she could do with those sensual lips of hers. Mmmm, I've got a joystick right here for you, baby!
    Edited by BritishBlue1 at 18/02/10 @ 10:49

  • Ryboy #42 2 years ago

    Rirry Arren!

  • ckyman2 #43 2 years ago

    WOW get the dark lord Ozzy Osborne, The Chronicles of Riddick gets Vin Diesel, Fallout 3 gets Liam Neeson............ We get Leona Lewis, wft

  • killyourtv #44 2 years ago

    I think she just beat the record for 'Most cliches in a single paragraph'

  • Steroyd #45 2 years ago

    I'm still depressed that X-Factor has invaded gaming as well.

  • youhavenomail #46 2 years ago

    "But the strong female protagonist struck a chord with me"

    Cowell's puppet must see a lot of herself in that character.

  • kinky_mong #47 2 years ago

    "Hey Reona, Why the rong face?"

  • JahB #48 2 years ago

    i have never heard of either leona lewis or x-factor. is that good or bad?

  • ignatiusjreilly #49 2 years ago

    You've never heard of the X-Factor? Are you English? I'm not sure I believe you, unless you shun all media expect video games and rarely talk to people.

  • Unclebenny #50 2 years ago

    Am i the only one who deosn't care about this? I hate the X- factor and its ilk as much as the next person (who isn't a teenage over excitable girl) but does this actually affect the "core gamer" at al?

    We all need to accept that gaming has become a much bigger buisness in the past few years, this is going to lead to irrelevant celebrity endorsements. There quite obviously not aimed at "us" though, Squarenix is trying to break into a new market. They're a buisness, its what they do (if I may indulge in some nonsense business sepak)- expand their market, break out of their box, visualise the impossible and so on.

    Maybe we should just ignore out, stop being so insular as a community and focus on how good the game is?

  • The-Bodybuilder #51 2 years ago

    @JahB
    If you are in the UK, then you're a liar.

    >"Didn't Vernon Kay 'host' the launch for MW2? I think he's a knob but I still went and bought the game..."

    Do you think he's a knob because he tweeted descriptions of his knob to you too? :p

  • patchbox360 #52 2 years ago

    this game is starting to worry me especially after the psm3:7/10 review score

  • Apostle #53 2 years ago

    Seriously puts me off the game if I have to listen to this shit.

  • swisstony #54 2 years ago

    "First the pitiful Nintendo ads with Ant & Dec, now Leona Lewis. This is just the beginning of wanky, unrelated celebrities advertising games. "

    Yeh, games are ours, keep them out of the mainstream. Don't use celebrities people connect with to get those same people who aren't hardcore gamers into games.

    Games are ours, we're cool, it should be how we want it to be, fuck the sales.....

  • darleysam #55 2 years ago

    Someone needs to put together a 'punch in the face/phoenix down' image that I'm far too lazy and at work to do.

  • superdelphinus #56 2 years ago

    did she get her tits out

  • Bigglesworth #57 2 years ago

    This is just the beginning of wanky, unrelated celebrities advertising games.

    Yeah, unrelated. It's not like she's singing the game's theme song or anything.

  • geeza2020 #58 2 years ago

    they probably should have put the money they paid Miss Lewis into an actual world map for the game...

  • Dr.Frappers #59 2 years ago

    She can get her hands on my joystick anytime.

  • Sunyavadin #60 2 years ago

    i have never heard of either leona lewis or x-factor. is that good or bad?

    X-Factor is an awesome comic starring Jamie Madrox and a bunch of B-list Marvel superheroes who set up a detective agency.

    Buggered if I know who Leona Lewis is though. I'm guessing she's some sort of plastic, shrink-wrapped pop star they've pumped out of the giant mecha-womb of one of the big recording giants.

  • Gearskin #61 2 years ago

    ... Are you guys gay or something?

  • FortysixterUK #62 2 years ago

    Regards the OST, having listened to the entire thing, there appears to be no signature theme.
    No nods to old FF music. It is simply uneventful and a tad soulless. And is 4 cds long, with the fourth disc appearing to be a bunch of vocals from cutscenes in the game, of course, in japanese !
    No uniqueness to any of the music at all in fact, if they were going for generic and bland orchestral score they have
    hit the nail right on the head.

  • onyxbox #63 2 years ago

    it could have been worse...

    we could have had Fern Cotton interviewed

  • ant72 #64 2 years ago

    And so the critical thinking gaming press lets out a huge sigh of relief.

  • Mr.DNA #65 2 years ago

    @Gearskin: "... Are you guys gay or something?"

    I assume you're referring to the negative-repping of the mind-numbingly vacuous comments from various posters, yourself included, which talk about how much you want to have it off with Leona Lewis? Whilst I am sure that some of the posters in this thread are indeed homosexual, the reason that your post has been negatively repped has more to do with the fact that it is a lazy and juvenile comment which adds nothing of interest to the otherwise humorous posts ripping on the ridiculousness of Leona Lewis actually having something meaningful to say about a video game.

  • LazyNinjaUk #66 2 years ago

    Just watched the add, no offence to ms Lewis, but she didn't strike me as having the faintest idea of what was going on in the game.

    I bet someone from Square-Enix marketing was sitting off camera with a controller playing it himself to make it look like she was.

  • layleeloo #67 2 years ago

    Well, I was wanting this game but now its been ruined by the non personality, no sex appeal, cant dance or do anything but belt out a note, face like a fucking camel Leona Bloody Lewis!

  • trip919 #68 2 years ago

    Cheers for the deep insight Leona.

  • TRUTH #69 2 years ago

    This game has scored 86/100 on Metric (scores seem to be dropping the more they come in) - the game doesn't seem to be the best of FF franchise, very liner and not very interactive environment.

  • George-Roper #70 2 years ago

    lmfao, "protagonist" from LL...

    Thats mental :D

  • Wyrm #71 2 years ago

    wut

  • balflear_pkt #72 2 years ago

    She doesn't even play in that ad

  • comedian #73 2 years ago

    wat

  • Shikasama #74 2 years ago

    Wow, everyone taking pot shots at Leona Lewis in these comments are sooooo cool. I wish they would be my friend.

  • VMerken #75 2 years ago

    I'm not a fan of this type of product placement. Still, everyone is free to turn off the music in FFXIII when the Leona Lewis song starts, and listen to something else.

    And it's not like we'll hear variations of the tune in-game for 90% of the time. I hope :).

  • xeonhort #76 2 years ago

    I have loved the final fantasy series since they began, each and every one has a characteristic u can enjoy. You can look forward to characters with interesting back stories (none are totally clean cut they all have some kind of grief) and side quests involving them. The music always taps into ur inner child especially wen Nobuo Eumatsu sprinklies a touch of spiritual greatness into it. He didn't do it in this one but I look forward to the next 3-5 years or watever wen he does FFXiv. My whole point to this is that Leona Lewis is not only a shitty realiity telievision winner a.k.a the crap factor where amazingly horrible acts such as those little twits with the cameron diaz "something about mary" cum hairstyles were made famous. I always liked the fact that the words were foreign to me