This could be the news that fans of Final Fantasy have been waiting almost five years for... An insider source from Square-Enix has given us a potential release date for Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Hold onto your hats kids, it's coming pretty soon if this leak is anything to go by.
The source has spoken about the game to GameFAQs and has said that Versus XIII has been "plagued by internal politics strife but is on track for a late fourth quarter 2013 or early 2014."
The source then went on to comment about the financial situation of the game, pegging it as a "gutted project" which too much money and time has been put into.
“Regarding an official announcement, nothing is planned just yet but we are already ramping up partnerships with distributors/retailers.”
It has also been revealed that the action element from the combat system has been removed, and they will be reverting back to an Active Time Battle system most like the one used in Final Fantasy XII.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII was first unveiled in 2006 as part of the Fabula Nova Crystalis series. (Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy XIII Versus)
I remember first seeing the trailers (see below) and images from this game back when I was still at school. My friend and I were filled with excitement and we couldn't stop talking about it! I'm now about to graduate Univeristy and I'm still waiting... But patience is a virtue right?
The game focuses on a character named Noctis who is part of a dynasty ruling a vast city state that have part of the last remaining crystal in the world. The Director and artistic mastermind behind the game, Tetsuya Nomura has said that this game will be the most seamless Final Fantasy in the series.
The Versus XIII world is said to very bleak with a real world, global crisis happening. It is going to have a very serious and realistic tone about it, being more mature than any of the previous games.
Whilst this news is very good for the fans, it is unsurprising that many of them may be skeptical about it. The game has been in production for years, with nothing truly concrete ever being released. That said, the PlayStation 4 is just around the corner, and Square-Enix are going to need a big game to continue their recent success with Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs. You never know, it really could be coming soon...