Final Fantasy XIII Final Fantasy XIII is the thirteenth installment in the " Final Fantasy " main series , and is the first of the series to be released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 . Unveiled at E3 2006 , the game is the flagship of Square Enix ' s " " project . The game runs on Crystal Tools , a proprietary engine built for Square Enix ' s seventh generation games . The game was released in Japan on December 17 , 2009 , and March 9 , 2010 for North America and Europe . A traditional Chinese version for PlayStation 3 was released in May 27 , 2010 . " Final Fantasy XIII " is the first " Final Fantasy " game translated into traditional Chinese . A sequel titled " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " was released on December 15th , 2011 , and a second sequel , " " , was announced on September 1st , 2012 , and released in 2014 . Gameplay . The game ' s progression is chapter - based and in most chapters , the player will see the story through different characters ' view . Players can move around the field map while controlling the party leader , the other members moving independently , sometimes running ahead , engaging in dialogue , or stopping to look at objects on the field and pointing things of interest out to the party leader . Other party members being far away from the leader does not affect their participation in battles that take place in a separate module . Players can jump , but only at specific jump spots marked on the map . Enemies will appear on the map and battles initiate when coming into contact with them . Treasure chests cannot be opened in close proximity to a monster , and there are several instances enemies are " guarding " treasures and must be banished to collect the loot . Shroud s can be used to move about the field without triggering enemy encounters , and to bestow the party with buffs prior to the battle ' s start . Some enemies on the map may fight against each other and if the player contacts them it will start a three way battle . Players can ' t set the party or the party leader until later into the game , diversity being brought in via the Paradigm Shift system . If the party leader is incapacitated in battle , it will result in a Game Over , but if a battle ends in defeat , the player will simply appear in the point on the field right before the fight was initiated , and they may either re - attempt the battle or leave it . " Final Fantasy XIII " is the fourth main series " Final Fantasy " game in which the player does not routinely win gil from battles ; rather the player obtains the currency from treasure spheres , or from selling items . The first such game was " Final Fantasy VIII " , where gil was received as SeeD salary , and the second and third were " Final Fantasy XI " and " Final Fantasy XII " , where although it is possible for some defeated enemies to drop gil , it is not a universal reward for victory . Save Stations allow the player not only to save , but access the shops in Retail Network where items can be bought or sold . Command Synergy Battle . The battle system , called Command Synergy Battle in - game , has been described as " more tactical than " Final Fantasy X " , faster than " Final Fantasy X - 2 " , and almost as seamless as " Final Fantasy XII " " . The enemies are visible in the field . When the player runs into them , the screen lights up and the scene switches to a vast , blank battlefield , marking the start of a battle where the player can control one character out of a party of up to three . After a certain point in the game the lead character can be switched . The Active Time Battle gauge is divided into sections . Each command has a numeric value referred to as " ATB Cost " next to the name indicating how many of these sections it will take up . This allows the player to input several commands per turn . The next turn comes up sooner if the ATB bar is only partially used . Magic and summoning are only available to party members who are l ' Cie . A new element called the Chain Gauge is specific to each enemy , and fills as the player performs attack combos marked by a percentage . Upon filling the gauge the enemy enters " Stagger Mode " , where even more damage can be done . Staggered enemies can be launched in the air and juggled with attacks . Staggering is almost essential to winning many battles . Because of the ATB cost determining the moves a player can use , there is no MP in the game . Since magic cannot be used outside of battle , the party ' s HP is restored after every battle . Full ATB skill s work similar to Limit Breaks from previous games as being character - specific special moves and even if there is no Escape command , the player can leave battle with the Retry option . When a battle is won , a Battle Results screen pops up , giving the player a zero - to - five stars ranking on how they did , as well as showing how long the battle took . This information is linked to the Trophy and Achievement systems . Paradigm Shift . The player can only control one character at a time in battle . The other party members ' actions are governed by a system called the " Paradigm Shift " . Paradigms are described as " stances " or " classes " the characters temporarily take during battle to define the abilities they use . They are more strict than job classes ; for example , the party member with a Medic ' s role can do nothing but heal , while the Commando ' s role forces them to only attack with non - elemental attacks . The paradigms can be changed at any time to suit the situation at hand , but they cannot be changed individually , only for the whole party at a time . Thus , a paradigm is a combination of three roles . There are a total of 83 possible paradigm combinations ( 6 single , 21 double , and 56 triple member combinations ) . The roles used are shown as colored abbreviations next to the characters ' names in the battle screen . The roles within the paradigms are : Crystarium . Characters grow in power in a system similar to the Sphere Grid from " Final Fantasy X " called the Crystarium system . Characters win " Crystogen Points " ( CP ) in battle , and can use them to purchase stat boosts , spells and other abilities on a circular chart . The skills a character learns affects their ability to learn other skills and opens new paths on the chart — learning Fire , for example , opens a skill path that leads to Fira and other spells . The available abilities in the Crystaria vary between party members , but series staples such as Attack , Fire , Blizzard , and Cure make a return , along with new commands such as Blitz , which causes area - of - effect damage , and Ruin , a new non - elemental spell . The system opens up in stages , and party members cannot develop further after reaching the end of the current stage . The final stage of the Crystarium is only opened by defeating the final boss , meaning to fully develop the party players must take on the post - game content . Equipment . Each character has eight unique base weapons , most of which can be found in the game , and all of which can be purchased at Retail Network stores . The base weapons can be upgraded to a unique second stage , and eventually to its third and ultimate stage . The third stage of all the weapons of a particular character share a common name , but have different stats and abilities depending upon which weapon it was upgraded from . All characters can equip all accessories . Each character can initially equip one accessory at a time , but this capacity can be increased to up to four through upgrades obtained in the characters ' Crystaria . In addition to the basic enhancements provided by weapons and accessories , when a character equips weapons and accessories that belong to the same " synthesis " group ( a hidden property ) , the character can gain additional passive enhancements ( such as increased ATB gauge recharge rate ) . The basic enhancements weapons and accessories grant to characters can also increase as the items are upgraded through the application of various components to increase its Experience Points ( EXP ) . When the weapon or accessory reaches a certain number of EXP , it will be upgraded to a new " level " . Once it reaches a certain level ( usually 25 for weapons and 2 to 5 for equipment ) , the number will be replaced by a star ( ★ ) , at which point it can no longer be upgraded by standard components . It can however be transformed with a stone ore catalyst into a new stage of the same class of equipment , with a new name , that can then continue to be leveled up for higher bonuses , although there are some accessories that transform into an item of a completely different synthesis group . There are three types of components : biological , mechanical and monetary . Biological components are dropped by biological enemies and although they don ' t generally have a high EXP value , they do increase the EXP bonus of the weapon or accessory , meaning that subsequent components will give up to 300 % more EXP points compared to their base value . Mechanical components are dropped by mechanical enemies , and work in the opposite way to biological components , giving a high number of EXP points , at the expense of reducing the EXP bonus . Therefore , biological components should be used to build up the EXP bonus , before using mechanical components to add EXP . The final type is monetary components . These are dropped by human enemies , and although they have a nominal EXP value , they are intended to be sold for gil at shops to buy other , more effective components . Summoning . Summons return as Eidolons , linked with the powers of the l ' Cie . Playable Eidolons include the Shiva Sisters , Odin , Bahamut , Alexander , and two new summons , Brynhildr and Hecatoncheir . While Ifrit , Carbuncle , Valefor , Ramuh , and Siren make an appearance , they are not playable . The playable Eidolons have mechanical designs and the power to transform . The Eidolons are used both as a gameplay feature and as plot devices . Each character has one Eidolon , and Eidolons replace the other party members besides the summoner when called . Eidolons are summoned by the use of Technical Points ( TP ) , which are won after battles . Instead of HP , Eidolons use " Summon Points " ( SP ) to indicate their health , but SP also decreases over time . Once SP is depleted , the Eidolon will disappear , and the other party members will return . Each l ' Cie must win the " approval " of their respective Eidolon by defeating them in combat . In addition to summoning Eidolons to fight alongside them , each Eidolon can transform into a form the summoner can ride in a mode called " Gestalt Mode " ( " Driving Mode " in the Japanese version ) , where combat becomes more action - oriented , with the summon being able to perform various special attacks with certain button combinations . Each Eidolon ' s Gestalt Mode includes a powerful finisher move that will end the summoning . The duration of Gestalt Mode is determined by the Gestalt Gauge that appears once an Eidolon is summoned ; the gauge will fill as the summoner builds attack chains with their Eidolon . Missions . Gran Pulse has several points marked with Cie ' th Stone s where the party may acquire missions . These are similar in function to the Hunts in " Final Fantasy XII " , and involve battling one of the many monsters around Gran Pulse . They are not part of the main story , but players can experience Foci of past l ' Cie who failed to complete their assignments , and thus their targets are still alive . It is up to the player whether to defeat the specified enemy , some of which have been compared by the staff to mountains towering above the party e . g . : Adamantoises . By completing these tasks the party can gain materials and items to improve their equipment . The main difference between the hunts of " Final Fantasy XII " and the missions of " Final Fantasy XIII " is that while every hunt can only be completed once , the player may take up each mission multiple times , although the mission reward can be obtained only once ; subsequent missions will earn the player a different type of reward , usually of lesser quality ( e . g . : Bomb Ashes and Bomb Shells ) . Replaying these missions is a requirement for those seeking to attain all Achievements or Trophies for the game , as one requires a 5 - star battle rating earned for all missions . Synopsis . Setting . Cocoon is a hollow floating world created thirteen centuries ago by the deity Lindzei , and is ruled by fal ' Cie ; godlike beings of immense power and authority . Located in Gran Pulse ' s atmosphere , Cocoon is a futuristic utopian world isolated from the wilderness of the lowerworld . Cities exist on the inside of Cocoon ' s shell with barriers all around , and the people are forbidden to leave Cocoon . Machines and mechanized beasts are commissioned as the guardians of the citizens while the resident fal ' Cie provide them with whatever they need from food and water to protection and guidance and entertainment . The people of Cocoon are conditioned to believe that Pulsians are savages out to destroy them and their paradise , and that Pulse is a world full of unknown terrors , a hell for humans . Gran Pulse , known to the people of Cocoon simply as Pulse , is the expansive lowerworld beneath Cocoon , created by its namesake deity Pulse . As opposed to the Cocoon fal ' Cie , Pulse fal ' Cie only serve to cultivate the land , having little to do with human affairs . The plants and wildlife can evolve and grow to immense sizes , and the world is ruled by where only the strongest survive . Compared to Cocoon , Gran Pulse is primitive with ancient technology and monsters roaming everywhere . The people of Pulse were raised to believe that Cocoon was a source of evil , a ' floating nest of vipers ' posed to attack at any time . Six centuries ago , tensions between Cocoon and Gran Pulse rose to the point of war and the War of Transgression broke out . Two Pulsian girls were made l ' Cie and bestowed with the power to transform into the legendary beast called Ragnarok to destroy Cocoon . In the war ' s climax , only one of the girls became Ragnarok and cracked Cocoon ' s shell but failed to destroy the floating world . Cocoon was victorious and most of Gran Pulse ' s population had been wiped out . Cocoon ' s fal ' Cie raided Pulse for raw materials to repair the damage sustained , and the war served to strengthen the people ' s paranoia towards Pulse . Characters . There are six playable characters , and two guest characters . Although the game focuses on each of the playable characters equally , the majority of the story is told through the perspective of Lightning . The main playable characters are all l ' Cie . Story . Cocoon is plunged into chaos when a Pulse fal ' Cie is discovered in an old Pulsian landmark in the town of Bodhum . Fearing that anyone that has been in its vicinity might now be a l ' Cie servant of a hostile fal ' Cie from another world , Cocoon ' s governing body enacts a Purge to remove everyone who happened to be in Bodhum during the fal ' Cie ' s discovery . At the center of these events is Serah Farron , a local girl who had unwittingly wandered into the vestige and been made a l ' Cie and is now held captive by the fal ' Cie therein . Serah ' s sister Lightning sets out to save her amid the Purge , and ends up rendezvousing with various allies of circumstance before the abode of the fal ' Cie Anima : Serah ' s fiance Snow and two youths caught up in the Purge he ' s been protecting , Hope and Vanille , and a gun - wielding airship pilot Sazh . As they locate Serah she crystallizes after asking Lightning to save Cocoon . Believing Serah to be dead , Lightning leads an attack on the fal ' Cie Anima who briefly transports the group into another realm where they come face - to - face with the god Pulse that brands everyone a l ' Cie , showing them a vision of the mythical beast Ragnarok destroying Cocoon . Back in the real world , the group must come to terms with the fact they have unwittingly been made enemies of Cocoon , as if they don ' t follow the path set out for them by the fal ' Cie they will be turned into mindless monsters known as Cie ' th . The members of the group react to their predicament in various ways : Snow makes protecting Serah ' s crystal his priority , Lightning sets upon a path of revenge against the Sanctum and all fal ' Cie with Hope who views her as a role model following suit , while Sazh and Vanille choose to run from their fate . They learn Vanille is harboring a secret of having been a l ' Cie from Pulse all along , and she and her friend Fang — who joins their group — were involved in the war between the two worlds over six hundred years ago , sleeping through the centuries in crystal stasis . After settling their differences the party decides to work together to stop the fal ' Cie ' s plan , and gain the help of a rogue army regiment that posits their wish is to free Cocoon from fal ' Cie rule . The l ' Cie learn everything was a ruse set up by the fal ' Cie who have been manipulating their every action from the shadows . The fal ' Cie ' s ultimate purpose for Cocoon is revealed to be a " farm " for human souls , which the fal ' Cie wish to use to summon a god they call the Maker from another realm . Trying to protect Cocoon despite it going against their Focus , the l ' Cie gather in the fal ' Cie Orphan ' s resting place , the fal ' Cie said to power all the fal ' Cie in Cocoon . As the party learns Orphan shares the other fal ' Cie ' s goal to sacrifice the citizens of Cocoon , they conclude there is no way for mankind and fal ' Cie to co - exist . The party declares their true Focus is to save Cocoon and kill Orphan . As Cocoon falls from the sky Fang and Vanille summon the mythical beast Ragnarok to erect a crystal pillar to sustain Cocoon above Gran Pulse , and the world is saved . Themes . The main themes of " Final Fantasy XIII " are challenging fate and the concept of willpower . The main cast has an unjust fate ( Focus ) forced upon them and seek a way to escape it and do what they believe is right . Ultimately free will triumphs over fate , as the party rejects their Focus and follows their true desire , to save Cocoon . The themes are present with the characters of Serah and Cid Raines , who similarly defy their fate , and with the interactions of Hope and his father , who tells Hope he must find his own path in life . The fal ' Cie are on the other side of this coin , unable to follow their heart ' s desire as their fate is predetermined by their creator . Despite lacking magical powers and immortality like the fal ' Cie , humans are still implied to be stronger in the end due to possessing free will , and Orphan explains to the party that humans ' infinite potential is why fal ' Cie chose to make l ' Cie of men to carry out tasks they themselves are unable to do . Having a white l ' Cie brand may represent a human ' s free will triumphing over the bond of a fal ' Cie - given Focus , as in the end of the game , all of the party ' s l ' Cie brands burn out , which is known to halt the process of turning into a Cie ' th . Many characters in " Final Fantasy XIII " suffer great losses in losing their homelands and loved ones , and the different ways they deal with their losses are at the center of their character arcs . While their first reaction might be anger and vengeance , the party must come to terms with their losses and ultimately realize that revenge is futile , and the only way to cope is to move forward . Related themes are the themes of guilt and running from the past , the things the party are forced to face if they wish to move on . Other central themes in " Final Fantasy XIII " are theocracy , a system of government that rules under a single God recognized as the supreme ruler , and totalitarianism , a government system in which all aspects of life are controlled by the supreme ruler and any opposition is forbidden . Following theocracy , Cocoon ' s Sanctum is led by the fal ' Cie Eden that communicates through Primarch Dysley , who acts as Eden ' s messenger and makes its orders known to the rest of Cocoon . In accordance to totalitarianism , the military forces follow the Sanctum ' s policies without question and ensure the populace follows suit . They justify their actions by claiming them to be for the greater good of everyone and necessary to keep the peace , willing to go as far as fire upon unarmed civilians who try to escape or resist . The Sanctum uses propaganda and false pretenses to control the public and cover up its true intentions , the prime example being the Purge , a method to slaughter civilians supposedly tainted by Pulse by pretending to cast them out to the lowerworld , " execution masquerading as exile " as Lightning points out . The Cocoon society pushes their own fears away by Purging anyone connected to Pulse , and it is a personal revelation to Lightning when she realizes she is doing the same in having initially set out to destroy Eden . Another theme is the union of two worlds . For centuries , the people of Gran Pulse and Cocoon have despised and lived in fear of each other . Those from Cocoon are conditioned by the fal ' Cie acting through the Sanctum to believe Gran Pulse to be hell and to fear and hate anyone and anything having to do with Pulse , while the people of Pulse call Cocoon a " floating nest of vipers " and hate its people for luring Pulsians to their world and stealing their resources . During the course of their journey , the party realizes their two worlds and their people are more similar than they thought . It is when Gran Pulse and Cocoon are connected by the crystal pillar formed by Ragnarok that the hostility ends and the two worlds become one . Music . Masashi Hamauzu , one of the composers of " " and the composer of the " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - Original Soundtrack " , composed the music for " Final Fantasy XIII " . The game ' s vocal theme is called " Kimi ga Iru Kara " ( " Because You ' re Here " ) , performed by the J - pop artist Sayuri Sugawara . Nobuo Uematsu was originally announced as the composer of the game ' s vocal theme , but later decided to give the duties to Hamauzu after being hired to work on " Final Fantasy XIV " . The Japanese soundtrack was released on January 27 , 2010 with two versions available for purchase . The standard version contains four discs while the limited edition contains a bonus " drama CD " based off Jun Eishima ' s Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero - Promise - . In the game ' s western versions Leona Lewis sings the English theme song , titled " My Hands " . Yoshinori Kitase explained the decision to use a different song was made due to difficulties translating the lyrics of " Kimi ga Iru Kara " into English , and thus " My Hands " was chosen as the lyrics of the song still fit the game ' s theme . In the game ' s western versions the song " Eternal Love " was replaced with " Serah ' s Theme " . Development . " Final Fantasy XIII " was revealed to the world at E3 2006 as part of the " Fabula Nova Crystallis : Final Fantasy " series that it would be the flagship title of . It had a tricky development cycle , starting as a project for PlayStation 2 , and requiring a brand new engine . Its overarching concept was " a future world fantasy " and " people fighting against fate . " The concept for the battle system was to maintain the strategic nature of command - based battles , but to create battles similar to those seen in the film " " . The development was led by Yoshinori Kitase and as such , the development team resembled that of " Final Fantasy X " and " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . Releases . Original . " Final Fantasy XIII " was released on December 17th , 2009 in Japan exclusively for PlayStation 3 . Coinciding with the release a Japanese alcoholic beverage distributor Suntory released the energy drink " Final Fantasy XIII " Elixir to promote the game ' s release . A PlayStation 3 bundle called " Lightning Edition , " which includes a copy of " Final Fantasy XIII " , was released in Japan on the same day . 200 units were allocated to be sold in Taiwan . It contains a Ceramic White PlayStation 3 slim 250GB set with pink Lightning artwork . On November 13th , 2009 the game creators released a video with interviews and new footage that announced the game ' s international release date . One month prior to the game ' s release , Square Enix had begun promoting the game via a tour bus where gamers could preview and play the game , until March 9th , 2010 , " Final Fantasy XIII " was released worldwide on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 . A Limited Collector ' s Edition of the game was released exclusively in PAL territories . It contains the game packaged with the following exclusive content : A special Xbox 360 bundle was available for the North American , European , Australian , and New Zealand releases of the game . The bundle included a 250GB Xbox 360 , 2 wireless controllers and a copy of " Final Fantasy XIII " . " Final Fantasy XIII " is the first game in the series to receive an official release in Chinese . The localization uses the original Japanese audio with traditional Chinese subtitles , and was made by SEC Asia . Unofficial translations call " Final Fantasy " " Space Warrior " ( 太空戰士 ) , but Yoshinori Kitase kept the name " Final Fantasy " for consistency . The game was released as an Ultimate Hits International Edition on Xbox 360 in Japan on December 16 , 2010 . It includes a brand new Easy Mode and is packaged with the following content : The International release also includes " My Hands " as its theme song instead of " Kimi ga Iru Kara " . On July 21st , 2011 , the Japanese PlayStation 3 version of the game , got a free update , which introduced Easy Mode difficulty , to get on par with the Japanese Xbox360 version released a year earlier . The update also disables the use of preemptive attack to the Ochu enemies , and disables the menu when walking to access the Shroud menu . The official Japanese website revealed a web novelization titled " Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero - Promise - " that contains a series of short stories written by Jun Eishima leading up to the game events . The first story is called " Encounter , " and focuses on Serah becoming a Pulse l ' Cie . The second story is called " Stranger , " and is about the moment Vanille and Fang awoke from crystal stasis , and began adjusting to Cocoon life . The third story , " Family , " focuses on Sazh and his son , Dajh , detailing how Sazh came to own the Chocobo Chick and how Dajh fell into the Sanctum ' s clutches . The fourth story , " Search , " details Vanille and Fang ' s separation , Fang ' s encounter with Cid Raines , and joining him to locate Vanille . Part five of the novel is titled " Friends , " and focuses on Hope Estheim ' s life with his family and friends before his mother ' s death . The sixth story , titled " Present , " involves Snow buying engagement necklace s and Serah finding a birthday present for Lightning . The seventh and final story , called " Tomorrow , " is about Fang and Vanille preparing to become l ' Cie during the War of Transgression , and Vanille getting ready to be Purged to Gran Pulse . A multi - chaptered novella titled " " included in the " Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega " tells the stories of individuals in Cocoon that occur during the Purge and the Pulse l ' Cie ' s journey . Microsoft Windows and Steam . Square Enix announced at Tokyo Game Show 2014 that " Final Fantasy XIII " , " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " , and " " would be coming to PC and Steam . " Final Fantasy XIII " arrived first on October 9 , 2014 . The game features English and Japanese dubs , and subtitle in English , French , Italian , German , and Spanish . The Japanese and Asian version have Japanese audio only , with subtitle in English , Traditional Chinese , and Korean . The game runs capped at 60FPS . Both Xinput and DirectInput controllers are supported . A patch update was released on December 2014 , which included customizable rendering resolution options previously absent in the initial release of the game . Steam Trading Cards . The Steam version of " Final Fantasy XIII " comes with six Steam Trading Cards ; all of them feature Lightning . iOS and Android . " Final Fantasy XIII " became playable on iOS and Android systems April 10th 2015 via the App Store and Google Play in Japan . The game , distributed by Broadmedia Corporation , runs on smartphones thanks to G - cluster Global Cloud Technology , meaning players need to be connected to the internet to play . The application is free to download and try for the first 30 minutes , with a 2 , 000 yen in - app purchase allowing users full access . The game being played on a server and the footage is sent to the player ' s device that in return sends controller inputs back over the air . Square Enix recommends players play on a wi - fi network with a stable 3Mbps connection . Reception . Critical reception . " Final Fantasy XIII " received favorable reviews in Japanese game media and was voted as the second best game of 2009 in Dengeki Online ' s reader poll , and in January 2010 , was voted " the best game ever " in the " Famitsu " reader poll . The game ' s Metacritic score stands at 83 for the PlayStation 3 and 82 for the Xbox 360 , signifying " generally favorable " reviews . " Final Fantasy XIII " has been hailed as a technical milestone with the presentation of CGI cutscenes and the almost seamless transition of visual quality between the cutscenes and real - time gameplay . Many have appreciated the game ' s soundtrack though some feel the replacement of the game ' s original theme song with Leona Lewis ' s " My Hands " was unfortunate . The game ' s battle system has been generally liked , with the increased battle speed and the depth of the Paradigm Shift system . The story , characters and voice acting were mostly received well with reviewers stating the characters worked well together , and the interactions among them made up for shortcomings in the storyline . Many , however , reacted negatively to the game ' s linear nature especially in the first ten chapters on Cocoon compounded by the absence of traditional town s and little interaction with non - player character s . Many also noted that the slow pace the game opens up , with the Crystarium system only expanding at certain storyline points to allow the characters to learn more abilities , and the rather late point in the game the player is allowed to choose their battle party , contributed to the game ' s linear feeling , some citing it " boring " . The game director Motomu Toriyama has since stated the lower - than - expected review scores were a result of reviewers approaching the game with a Western point - of - view , and that reviewers were used to games in which the player was given an open world to explore ; he noted this expectation contrasted with the development team ' s vision in that it " becomes very difficult to tell a compelling story when you ' re given that much freedom " . " Final Fantasy XIII " was ultimately unexpectedly polarizing , and is the first " Final Fantasy " main title to elicit such strong reactions from the fans ; Square Enix CEO , Yoichi Wada , acknowledged the divided criticism , saying in a Gamasutra interview that " . . . when it comes to the customers ' reaction to the quality of the game , some value it highly and some are not very happy with it " . When the game was rereleased in October 2014 for PC , the game received a " mixed reception " and at its lowest favor rate from the players had 41 % of positive reception . Among many issues that made the players disappointed were locked 1280×720 resolution , lack of graphic settings , stuttering , and lag . The game later received " mostly positives " user reviews on Steam after Square Enix releases a patch update to fix most of the issues in December 2014 . Commercial performance . In Japan " Final Fantasy XIII " sold over a million units on its first day of sale and had sold over 1 , 600 , 000 copies in Japan at the end of 2009 . In March 2010 , Square Enix stated that " Final Fantasy XIII " is the fastest selling title in the series ' history . By April American game sales reached an estimated 800 , 000 units for PlayStation 3 and 500 , 000 units for Xbox 360 . As of June 9th , 2011 , " Final Fantasy XIII " has sold over 6 . 5 million copies worldwide . As of May 2016 , the Microsoft Windows version sold over 570 , 000 units on Steam . Legacy . A sequel titled " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " was announced on January 18th , 2011 . Square Enix registered a domain name for " Final Fantasy XIII - 3 " on September 7th , 2011 , but no development plans were announced . A representative of Square Enix noted that the filing is to protect the " Final Fantasy XIII " intellectual property and is not indicative of a new title . On September 1st , 2012 , " " was announced , which is said to be the last installment in the story of Lightning . Production credits . Voice cast . Alex Fernandez , Barbara Goodson , Cam Clarke , Catherine Cavadini , Cindy Robinson , Daisy Torme , Darren Norris , Dwight Schultz , Erin Fitzgerald , Gideon Emery , James Arnold Taylor , Jeannie Ellas , Jill Talley , Joe Cappellietti , John Mariano , Kate Higgins , Kim Mai Guest , Kyle Hebert , Maile Flannegan , Michael Lindsey , Megan Hollingshead , Mike Sorich , Nika Futterman , Pat Fraley Phil Procter , Robin Atkin Downs , Sam Riegal , Scott Menville , Steve Kramer , Tara Platt , Travis Willingham , Yuri Lowenthal April Stewart , Ben Diskin , Candi Milo , Chris Edgerly , Colleen O ' Shaughnessey , Dante Basco , Dave Rasner , Eden Riegal , Fred Tatasciore , Hynden Walch , JB Blanc , Jessica DiCicco , Jim Ward , John DiMaggio , Kari Wahlgren , Keith Silverstein , Kirk Thornton , Liam O ' Brien , Masasa Moyo , Michael Gough , Mickey Cheetham , Neil Kaplan , Nolan North , Patrick Seitz , Robbie Rist , Roger Craig Smith , Scott MacDonald , Sheri Lynn , Steve Van Wormer . Packaging artwork . " Final Fantasy XIII " is the first " Final Fantasy " title with European packaging artwork that does not only feature the game ' s logo , but the main protagonist as well . Allusions . " Final Fantasy XIII " contains numerous allusions to the number thirteen , as well as references to various world mythologies , among others .