Ok there are 3 new pieces of info, so ill separate them with ---- , for convenience:
Recently, Dengeki posted an interview on their website with some of the developers for Lightning Returns. The subject? What it was like to develop the different areas in Lightning Returns, how exactly they went about the process, how much the teams communicated, and (of course) the unique features of each of the four continents of Nova Chrysalia.
Dengeki: What sort of responsibilities did you take on during development?
Kazuyuki Shindo: I was in charge of the level design, placement of the citizens and more. Also, things such as where the battles will occur. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy has the four continents of Luxerion, Yusnaan, Dead Dunes, and The Wildlands. At first, director Toriyama had told us that as long as we made Luxerion into a religious city with a gothic base as its main element, the rest was up to us. After advancing through a certain degree of production, we would talk to Toriyama, then with design director Yuji Abe about how to shape up the world-driven elements.
Dengeki: How was your experience working with director Toriyama and Mr. Abe?Kazuyuki Shindo: Around May of last year, the unit leaders including Masahiro Ishihara and I, gathered and spoke with Abe about the general world-driven concept, and with Toriyama about the image of all the continents,” says Shindo. “Then about a month ago, we gathered various types of staff members, not limited to the planning staff, and discussed various ideas and concepts. From there, each unit talked about what they’d like to do for their own cities, and then it was like a competition of content for all four continents.
Masahira Ishihara: Basically, we were all in individually in charge and were able to make our own continents. However, Shindo needed to be thorough at all times, otherwise the the material could have overlapped. That’s where the unit leaders spoke amongst themselves, so if Yusnaan focused more on the night, they would think about making another continent focus more on the daytime, and they were able to put in the energy to split things up and continue progressing. Each continent’s introductions and endings were already decided, but the process and development in between weren’t, so it was up to each unit to decide on how to beef it up. The continent’s competition stage is the part that decided on those details.
Dengeki: Can you share some details about the areas you worked on?Kazuyuki Shindo (Luxerion): The citizens of this city somehow know that there isn’t much time left. However, they still don’t know when the end will arrive. In order to remind themselves about that there’s not much time remaining, there are various clocks placed everywhere. Of course, the time indicated on the top-right part of the screen is properly linked with what’s on those clocks. Compared to other continents, Luxerion was made to be relatively basic. As for where we started with Luxerion, the standard evaluation included ideas such as ‘let’s add more trees,’ or ‘let’s take these elements out so we can bring out those characteristics better in the other cities’. It’s considered a religious city but it is also a business city, so you’ll see people walking around in suits.Masahira Ishihara (Yusnaan): Lightning will be a spy in Yusnaan, and the story will be about infiltrating Snow’s palace. There are guardrooms around the city, with guards anticipating Lightning’s infiltration and they will attack her if she’s found. The time limit will be pretty tough here, and there will be various actions that are required; so in a way, this continent could be the most severe to play of all continents.
There appears to be more information contained in the interview, which we will put up as translation becomes available. The above translation of the interview was provided by a community member.
The official Japanese twitter account for Lightning Returns made a post earlier today saying that tomorrow (the 3rd day of Gamescom) there would be some sort of stage event for the game. Not much else was revealed about it, but we’ll post the contents of that event as soon as it becomes available to us. There is some speculation that the stage event has to do with the “brand new” mechanics information hinted at by the developers earlier this month.
A few new screenshots have popped up on Square Enix’s press circuit, one of which shows a timed quest. The other depicts Lightning being surrounded by some kind of crystalline glow that appears to be affecting the Doomsday Clock on the upper-right corner of the screen. Both shots were labeled “chronostasis”. We’ll update this post with more information and images if and when they become available. (Ill attach the new 2 screenshots to this post)
Ok there are 3 new pieces of info, so ill separate them with ---- , for convenience:
Masahira Ishihara: Basically, we were all in individually in charge and were able to make our own continents. However, Shindo needed to be thorough at all times, otherwise the the material could have overlapped. That’s where the unit leaders spoke amongst themselves, so if Yusnaan focused more on the night, they would think about making another continent focus more on the daytime, and they were able to put in the energy to split things up and continue progressing. Each continent’s introductions and endings were already decided, but the process and development in between weren’t, so it was up to each unit to decide on how to beef it up. The continent’s competition stage is the part that decided on those details.
Dengeki: Can you share some details about the areas you worked on?Kazuyuki Shindo (Luxerion): The citizens of this city somehow know that there isn’t much time left. However, they still don’t know when the end will arrive. In order to remind themselves about that there’s not much time remaining, there are various clocks placed everywhere. Of course, the time indicated on the top-right part of the screen is properly linked with what’s on those clocks. Compared to other continents, Luxerion was made to be relatively basic. As for where we started with Luxerion, the standard evaluation included ideas such as ‘let’s add more trees,’ or ‘let’s take these elements out so we can bring out those characteristics better in the other cities’. It’s considered a religious city but it is also a business city, so you’ll see people walking around in suits.Masahira Ishihara (Yusnaan): Lightning will be a spy in Yusnaan, and the story will be about infiltrating Snow’s palace. There are guardrooms around the city, with guards anticipating Lightning’s infiltration and they will attack her if she’s found. The time limit will be pretty tough here, and there will be various actions that are required; so in a way, this continent could be the most severe to play of all continents.
There appears to be more information contained in the interview, which we will put up as translation becomes available. The above translation of the interview was provided by a community member.
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The official Japanese twitter account for Lightning Returns made a post earlier today saying that tomorrow (the 3rd day of Gamescom) there would be some sort of stage event for the game. Not much else was revealed about it, but we’ll post the contents of that event as soon as it becomes available to us. There is some speculation that the stage event has to do with the “brand new” mechanics information hinted at by the developers earlier this month.
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A few new screenshots have popped up on Square Enix’s press circuit, one of which shows a timed quest. The other depicts Lightning being surrounded by some kind of crystalline glow that appears to be affecting the Doomsday Clock on the upper-right corner of the screen. Both shots were labeled “chronostasis”. We’ll update this post with more information and images if and when they become available. (Ill attach the new 2 screenshots to this post)
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That Medicine quest sure sounds like that one Mushroom quest in Ocarina of Time when you;re trying to get the Biggoron Sword. I like it.
Also, that Chrono Stasis thing, that has to be when you can stop time on the overworld. That'll be useful.
Edited by spiderfreak1011