Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Cid Raines

I guess because unlike Team NORA who were normal humans, Cid's existence was more special because he was a Lindzei l'Cie. Not to mention he was able to control himself in cieth form..

Characters

Lightning: As the Savior, Lightning is tasked with guiding all souls to the new world prepared by Bhunivelze. However, with growing suspicion over her master and his divine plan, Lightning soon finds herself wanting to save the dying world instead. But this desire goes against the will of Bhunivelze. Is Lightning prepared to go up against a god…
Bhunivelze: The mythological god who defeated his mother to gain control over the world. He calls upon Lightning and guides her fate. However, he will also be the one to deceive and sever her.
Cid Raines: The dead have chosen Cid Raines to be their advocate, and through their strong will, he appears once again before Lightning with a request.
Lumina: Lumina appears throughout the story, helping and hindering Lightning. But what is this mysterious girl’s true wish? Why does she resemble Serah so much? With tears streaming down her face, Lumina cries, “Please don’t leave me alone…”
Snow: After 500 hundred years of despair, Snow seems to be showing a glimpse of his former self. Has he finally returned to the heated Snow we know and love!?
Hope: Similar to Lightning, Hope has also been robbed of emotion. In this scene, a bit of that stolen emotion has returned. But is he expressing relief or sorrow?
Sazh, Vanille, and Fang have conflicts of their own that only Lightning can solve. Yeul’s wish may have something to do with Noel and Caius.

Developer Interviews

Director, Toriyama Motomu: The story of Lightning, which began with “FFXIII”, is finally coming to a close. With this being the first trilogy in the Final Fantasy Series, we have indeed walked a long road with her. Personally, I kind of feel like a father walking his beloved daughter down the flowery aisle – it’s both happy but also lonely to see her go. In this final game, players will have the opportunity to create their very own Lightning. Outfits have a wide variety of options, ranging from a beautiful wedding-like dress to a sharp suit. We hope you will enjoy the many different sides of Lightning. Let us celebrate the grand finale of Lightning and the “FFXIII” trilogy together.
Producer, Kitase Yoshinori: As Lightning’s journey reaches an end, we hope all the fans will enjoy it together with the new social applications we have developed. Please use them to share battling hints, thoughts on the story, and such. Of course, these can be posted through popular networks like Twitter and Facebook, as well as within the game exclusively. It’s the last big festival before the new generation consoles! Let us all purchase the game on its release day and raise the excitement!
Game Design Director, Abe Yuuji: In this installment, players are free to enjoy whatever they please without much worry over the main plot. Lately, games have been strictly divided into the “JRPG” and “Western RPG” categories. However, I believe this installment is a well-balanced mix between the two. Also, I personally recommend taking the game nice and slow. And after completing it once, please replay the game a second and even a third time because there will still be many things to find and do. I would be especially happy if players went through EASY mode first and just enjoyed the world before them.
Art Director, Kamikokuryou Isamu: The long journey with Lightning and her friends will end with this final installment. The world has many new cities and locations, and I highly recommend all players to use the map while exploring. Even in reality, a person who is merely scrambling around for the correct path and a person who has predetermined their destination on a map can have very different views of the same scenery. In this game, time is essential and players must learn how to use it well. The map will prevent you from becoming terribly lost and wasting precious time. It really feels like you are on an actual quest! I believe the map will be a strong help on your journey. But of course, it’s sometimes fun to get lost and run around too!
Character Design, Nomura Tetsuya: I remember feeling a strong reaction within myself when I first sketched Lightning. I really felt like a great character had just been born. I hardly feel such powerful impressions. I desired for her to be carefully developed and loved for a long time, like Cloud. And look at her now after eight years! But I want people to remember and love her for five, even ten more years. I believe she has what it takes to stay in people’s hearts. With this game, Lightning’s long fight will finally come to a close. To me, it kind of feels like my daughter is finally coming home after many years away. I would like to thank everyone for enjoying this series and I hope Lightning will continue to be remembered.

Sauce: novacrystallis.com