How Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Makes Players Manage Time

Lighting Returns, the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII title, uses a time mechanic. In the game, the world has only 13 days left before it ends. In a recent interview with 4Gamer, game designer Motomu Toriyama went into slightly more detail about the game's time mechanic.

[Snookies12]

Oh it'll make me manage time... By not buying it. Lol, okay I might when it's super cheap, but not at full retail.

[BanBrother]

Agreed. After playing Lost Odyssey for the first time this last few days, I can't see myself looking forward to any other JRPG's other than Ni No Kuni at the moment.

[cleft5]

Lost Odyssey is an amazing game. I recently beat that and it really does surpass most of the jrpgs out. Even so I will at least rent the new ff game. Maybe they will redeem themselves and I didn't hate the other 2 games so we will see.

[richierich]

No more FF13 games PLEASE! Just get around to finishing FFVersus 13

[hintonmj]

RPGs with restrictions are the worst. Why would I buy an RPG for hectic limited play? The whole point of the genre is to go at your own pace, explore, and do whatever you want.

[Irishguy95]

Hmmmm...not all RPG's have to be like that. I would actually like time to become a part of RPG's in general. Events being activated by it etc...why should the world follow my progress? The Deidra just wait for me to be ready before the take over the world etc? If you get my point. You are ight but I would at least like some games to explore this element. **** must go down whether I want it to or not in some games....I hope this comes up in next gen alot really.

But eh, yeah..FFXIII naw -

S-E are turd suckers lately.

[-Gespenst-]

Well you don't really know how they've implemented it. It could be really good.

Plus I don't think you should be considering this game as a conventional RPG. Seems like more of an action-RPG.

[GenoZStriker]

I do not like this at all and would have much rater prefer they made a FXIII-3 or nothing at all. This sort of mechanic does not belong in an RPG, where you are bound to such strict time limitation. Unless this turns into some sort of action adventure game, I don't see how it's going to do well if they use the same combat for FFXIII/-2. It seems more of an excuse to not be able to tell a good story about a world ending than forcing it upon the player.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

mmm idk how I feel about this. Then again majoras mask was pretty good about time because you could keep resetting it. Then again Lightning returns and majoras mask are kinda different in how time work. It dosent matter tho ill still buy this game.

[Lovable]

Interesting.

[DarkBlood]

so kind of like Devil Survivor Overclocked for 3DS?

[TacoTaru]

I think you could play Devil Survivor Overclocked at your own pace. You just needed to get certain things done before it triggered to the next day. Probably more like the Ruin Factory game that I couldn't play because the day would change before I got done with all I wanted to do.

[IronFistChinMi]

I think it's an interesting game mechanic. For a genre that is regularly criticized for not innovating, it's good to see someone take risks. Plus it's probably better for them to try it in this title, as opposed to Versus.

[Griffin4871]

So Dead Rising and Majora's Mask together?

[torchic]

not sure if you guys have seen this but it's hilarious lmfao

http://24.media.tumblr.com/...

[BigDollarZoe954]

Noctis is sitting in that chair like WTF LOL

[kopicha]

Playing P4G let me know how to managing time with real day and night cycle and all decisions made matters is not a new thing in this FF13. And for that alone I understand why there are some people that say how good is P4G and how that game have deliver so much things that FF games have not been able to deliver for years.