Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will feature four main continents, each with their own unique themes designed by their respective team of developers. Square Enix uploaded a series of videos that show us exactly how different these cities are from each other.
The first video of the series shows Hope greeting Lightning at the Ark, where he serves the role of navigator. This is the area you’ll be returning to every morning at 6 am. The Ark is also Lightning’s base, where you’ll get to prepare for the journey, and also use the transporter device to head back outside.
Unlike the rest of the world, the doomsday countdown doesn’t apply in the Ark, so you won’t have to worry about the time spent in there.
The Wildlands
Lightning steps into the Wildlands saying, “So this is the last remaining reparation?” As the name of the continent implies (along with the wild Chocobo running around,) the area is full of nature. Unlike the other parts of the world, the people of the Wildlands continue living their self-sufficient as they’ve been doing for years.
Yusnaan
According to Hope, the reason Yusnaan, the City of Revelry, has become the gorgeous banquet city it has, is because of the orders issued by Snow, who currently rules the area. In Yusnaan, Lightning will serve the role of a spy, and the game will be all about infiltrating the palace. According to Hope, it appears that Snow has recently been shutting himself within the palace.
At the 1:00 mark, we get a look at the arena, where man goes up against beast. Lately, the fights have escalated and people have lost their lives during the fights. The next scene shows a popular dating spot that is characterized by beautiful fountains… and Cactuars. Hope tells Lightning that she might stand out a little too much if she’s seen alone.
Finally, the last part shows an area of Yusnaan that is mainly for the rich, where normal people can’t easily enter.
Luxerion
As we all know, Luxerion, the Divine City of Light is the gothic religious center of Nova Chrysalia, and also the largest city of the world. The metropolis is ruled by the Order, an organization devout to their god, Bhunivelze. The citizens of Luxerion are very conscious of the world’s end, and spend their time praying for its salvation. The clocks that can be seen throughout the city are there to remind people of the time they have remaining.
The main theme is mystery-suspense, where Lightning will be doing some detective work to solve a certain series of murders.
The Dead Dunes
The Dead Dunes is a lifeless desert continent in Nova Chrysalia that will focus on exploring ancient ruins. According to Hope, most of the people who dwell in the Dead Dunes are bandits who seek treasure, as no one in their right mind would live there otherwise.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is slated for release in February 2014 in the U.S. and Europe for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
