It seems that Square Enix actually listened to complaints of overt linearity in Final Fantasy XIII. Speaking to VG247, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII design director Yuji Abe spoke about how you can complete things in your own order to reach the end. Of course, time is ticking on, so even if you choose to do nothing, the world could just collapse around you.
“Our main concept with the new game is that no matter what you do, time ticks on. As you march on, you decide what to do and every single action you take has a consequence and this changes your path through the major story. If you want you could just sit still and do nothing and just watch the world as it collapses and comes to an end, that’s fine. But there are lots of things you can do, and you can decide what you want to do to keep the story going.
“This is going to be quite a personal experience. The main story is obviously there, and there are some certain things you really have to do to get through to the ending. But, you can actually do it in your own order. You don’t have to do this and then go there or any set order. You can choose the order in which you play all these important paths.
“What that means is, depending on how you play it, and what order you play through the main progress, inevitably there will be some elements you will miss because the game encourages you to explore the world.”
We’ve already heard about how the game will be taking a more open-world approach much in line with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Will Lightning Returns end the series on a strong note when it releases on February 12th 2014 in North America and February 14th in Europe for Xbox 360 and PS3? Stay tuned.
