Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Demo Out Today on PS3

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Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Demo Out Today on PS3

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

If you haven’t been lucky enough to attend E3, San Diego Comic Con, Penny Arcade Expo, or the other shows that have hosted Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, we have good news. We’re excited to announce that you can get hands-on with it in a playable demo that’s dropping TODAY.

From now on, you don’t have to take our word for it that this game is unlike anything Final Fantasy has ever done before, because it’s finally time for you to see for yourself.

First off, downloading the demo scores you an exclusive piece of DLC that we’re giving to you PlayStation fans — the Utsusemi Samurai garb — that you can use in the main game (it’s not in the demo itself, so don’t panic if you don’t see it). Again, this offer is exclusive to PlayStation owners too, so right off the bat you’re getting something not everybody’s going to get, JUST for downloading it. You can’t tell, but I’m winking at you, especially at all you Final Fantasy XI Ninjas.

So what’s in the demo itself? Of course, you’re playing as Lightning, but you’re now mysteriously tracking down her old friend Snow Villiers in the city of Yusnaan. As Lightning, it’s going to be up to you to fight through the chaos to see what happened.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIIILightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

And the battle mechanics? No Final Fantasy is without battles, and this demo gives you just a taste of the real-time elements incorporated into both the field and the battle system, and it includes but a fraction of the ways you can customize Lightning.

Your default equipment sets (or Schemas, as they’re called in-game) are The Savior, Dark Muse, and Black Mage, but three battles into the demo you’ll unlock some Final Fantasy series favorites — Dragoon, Red Mage, and Heart Stealer, which may remind you of a certain thei–treasure hunter.

Once in battle, you’ll notice how the battle system has evolved from the traditional paradigm shift party system into strategically using Schema. Each Schema has its own ATB gauge, allowing you to attack relentlessly with commands mapped to corresponding buttons. Then you’ll switch to a new Schema, and all of your attacks change too, allowing you to pummel the enemy with different elements and attacks. Lightning is a one-woman army.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIIILightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Finally, one of the features that the demo shows off is called the “Outerworld,” a way for other players to communicate their progress via social networks like Facebook and Twitter to post their battle scores. While in the demo, this is all you can do with Outerworld. The full game offers much more Outerworld functionality, including buying and selling items your friends may have.

While sharing your game scores with 9,999 of your closest Facebook friends may not appeal to everyone, we’re excited to give you even MORE free stuff. If you can beat the Zaltys monster at the end of the demo and you post your score via Outerworld, you unlock the Siegfried Garb in the full game. Who is Siegfried, you ask? Play Final Fantasy VI, and all will be revealed.

Okay, so we’ve thrown a lot of information at you, so let’s recap, shall we?

  • The demo is available. For free, of course.
  • Just for playing, you get the PS3 exclusive DLC — Utsusemi Samurai garb. Again, for free.
  • Just for posting your score after the final battle, you’ll get more free DLC. As a note, this DLC will never be available aside from doing this.
  • If you’ve forgotten, just for pre-ordering, you unlock Final Fantasy history with Cloud Strife’s SOLDIER 1st Class Uniform.

Another awesome tidbit we wanted to share with you guys is that if you have save data from Final Fantasy XIII and/or Final Fantasy XIII-2, you get up to two more garbs based on Lightning’s outfits from each of those games — both Guardian Corps and Etro’s Guardian garbs.

We’re so excited over here to have you check out the demo and tell us what you think about the new battle system and gameplay. So what are you waiting for? You can pre-order Lightning Returns here to get free stuff, and of course download the demo later today.

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143 Comments

14 Author Replies

  • @ Hellion83: The demo is not up yet… not until the PS Store updates, in about 5-8 hours.

  • Will there be a PS4 version? No, I will probably never use Playstation now.

  • @omega_alpha-619 Ah ok thank you for letting me know

  • SIEGFRIED?!?! That got me very excited.

  • Cool, it’s a third Samurai outfit then.

    Glad to hear they have their own different visuals and bonus traits.

    Thank you for the response.

    Got my pre order paid off last month.

  • Cool was hoping for a demo…always wanted to try these FF games because I really like Lightning as a character.Free stuff is always good…good one guys.

  • Omg, I cant wait for the demo to appear on PSstore. Im hitting refresh every five minutes!! Haha. Does anyone have any idea what time the demo is gonna be up for download?

  • This is a nice perk for downloading a demo.I wish more devlopers would incorporate this when you download a demo.

  • Praise to you champions for FFVI love. Sitting out on a FF13-3 purchase…don’t agree with the “3rd times a charm” mentality. But looking forward to borrowing it from a friend down the road. If your 330, 000 in sales in Japan says anything to you except “fans hate ff 13 sequels.” You’re not paying attention. Love FF14 A Realm Awoken, but seriously no more sequels to 13 please. Nobody loves Claire that much.
    Be more Square LLC and less Enix.

  • Mat, I tried about 6 times to order the CE from the Square online store but it was impossible because the site kept rejecting my password, even when I created a new account and password. I also tried to contact customer service but have not received any reply and it’s been a couple weeks now.

    I really wanted that pocketwatch :-(

    • Hi lisatsunami,

      I personally reached out on your behalf. Unfortunately, I don’t have better news. They are aware of your issue and are working to get it resolved as quickly as possible.

  • @54
    Agreed, Siegfried is an awesome surprise, glad it is a different demo from Japan too.

  • Demo is up now! Downloading now!! (Had to find on the website store, couldnt find it on the console store.

  • @62 is right. The demo IS up. It is in the SEN/PSN store online, not on the console store. Link is here: http://sqex.to/lrffxiii_ps3demo

    This was posted via the Final Fantasy XIII Official Facebook page.

  • Just looked on website PS Store.. looked through all demos A-Z and also did a search for Lightning Returns… no demo.

  • Nevermind just found it in a different section.

  • I’m about to start playing XIII-2 for the first time, in preparation for the release of Lightning Returns. I’m really interested to try the demo, but I don’t think I’ll touch it until I’m done with the previous game.

  • It’s bigger than the JP Demo… is something different? Guess I’ll have to wait till it finishes downloading to find out.. lol *kupo* ^__^

  • So the demo gives you 2 new exclusive outfits in LR:FF13? 1 for posting your score and 1 for playing. Do you get anything for having FF13-1 FF13-2 saves?

    So pumped about this game

  • Im from mexico, this demo is in spanish??????

  • @ KrisButtar: You didn’t read the article above did you? ^_~ Here is what was posted up above…

    “Another awesome tidbit we wanted to share with you guys is that if you have save data from Final Fantasy XIII and/or Final Fantasy XIII-2, you get up to two more garbs based on Lightning’s outfits from each of those games — both Guardian Corps and Etro’s Guardian garbs.”

  • Can’t find where to put the Authentication Code on the official site. :/

  • Very pleased to hear about the DLC. Awesome!

    So with these, the 3 costumes I got from EBGames (Cloud, two samurai) and my XIII/XIII-2 saves, I’ll have seven extra garbs to start the game off with. Colour me psyched!

  • give us some Kingdom Hearts avatars PLEASE PLEASE!!

  • I’m trying to hurry up and finish FFXIII-2!! Can’t wait for the demo! Best FF series to date!

  • Please put XIII-2 on sale so I can get caught up on the series.

  • ooo boyyy Final fantasy 13-3 demo :D :D :D AMAZING
    yo ppl add me if your alway online :) i need more REAL PS3 FAN FRIEND

  • Hey Mat, just wondering the MSRP for the game is 59.99 in Canada right? For some weird reason the are charging 64.99. Is this the new price of games now?

  • Hey Mat, just wondering the MSRP for the game is 59.99 in Canada right? For some weird reason Eb games are charging 64.99. Is this the new price of games now?

  • Will the online section for buying/selling items with ‘friends’ be limited to people we’re friends with on social media?

    Will it include or only be the PSN friends?

    Or will we be able to buy/sell items online from some central hub (which should be the case if you’re doing this)

    I don’t know anyone who is going to get this game, all my RPG loving friends hated FF13 so I’m the only one I know who plays the series.

    So please don’t give us some limited social media buy/sell with your real friends only situation.

    Things like that are ruining gaming. If I buy a game I should be able to experience the entirety of the game without having to rely on Social Media that I never use.

  • Hi Mat Kishimoto

    Is there PSN digital download for ffxiii-lightning returns??
    or only disc?

  • Is there any confirmation that you get the extra outfit after posting your score? If so, I didn’t receive one and I’m not entirely sure if, or how I will get the extra costume.

  • FFXI ninja, winking right back.

  • To get the extra DLC do I need to put it up on my facebook or is just my Twitter good enough?

  • Hmm no responses about how this odd social media online buy/selling works.

    Maybe I’ll cancel my pre order after all.

    Ignoring the question, while answering many others, makes this look bad.

  • Like 82, I never got any sort of confirmation number or anything after posting the picture and i’m not seeing the dlc for doing so on that boss fight in my account either(the one for downloading the demo though is there) I can easily prove the picture’s existence as well if need be, i just would like to know how i was supposed to get the 2nd DLC if putting the picture up wasn’t enough for the final fight.

  • I would like to know how to get the Siegfried costume. I’ve posted my score but I never got the costume…Please answer.

  • You get the Siegfried garb that you unlock in the demo in the full version game. You won’t get a notification until then.
    IN THE FULL GAME ~> Load your save or start a new game, you should get a notification.
    Press Triangle to go to your menu, you can buy the new costume at 0 gil.

  • Does anyone know when or if this DLC expires? I’m trying to figure out how soon I’m going to need to sell my 360 for a ps3.

  • Oh I just got home and downloading the demo. Can’t wait to play it. This will be the first game of the year that I will be getting.

    Okay just finished downloading, now I play!

  • Was Tri-Ace involved with the development of this game?

  • Here’s an Utsusemi: Ni wink from a former FFXI player.

    You guys are definitely making me psyched for this. In the previous video you released for the special edition, I saw the Locke-like Heart Stealer class next to a Setzer-like costume and I was instantly in love. Now you’re also offering a Siegfried get-up? You’re seriously playing with my heartstrings here!

    You’ve got yourselves a day-one buy. Looking forward to release day. That said, I hope I’ll be able to pull myself away from FFXIV, which has been taking up all of my other time…

  • Thank you, omega_alpha-619. ^_^

  • Played the demo a few times and shared with Facebook and Twitter. How do we know if the DLC was unlocked for using the Outerworld feature after the boss fight?

  • Descargando! <3

  • How do I know if I got the Siegfried Garb? I posted on outworld after beating the boss but no special message saying I got anything?

  • First, played the demo and I absolutely love it! I just have quick question. For the Guardian Corps and Etro’s Guardian costumes, you said that if we have save data, we get those costumes. Is the save data based on the PSN account or if it’s on the same PS3? I changed my PSN account for personal reasons and my FFXIII save data is on my old account.

  • lol.. a lot of these questions have already been asked and answered… mouse wheel = scroll up

    haha ~_^

  • @Matt

    i’ve completed the Demo submitted my score when will i get that costume? will it just be a message in the actual game stating that i have it now since i’ve completed it

  • I did not get the Siegfried Garb after posting my score. Will I get it later or is there something wrong with the demo?

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