The story takes place a few years after our heroes save Cocoon, and finds Serah searching for Lightning who is misssing in action. The first thing you will notice is that Cocoon is being rebuilt, and looks quite different from the original game. The world is much more colorful this time around, with many of the ruins already rebuilt since we last laid eyes on them.
We're introduced to a new character, Noel, who is a melee fighter. He assists Serah in her search for Lightning, and immediately begins after Serah is confronted by a giant arm from the monster, Atlas. The battle system in FFXIII-2 is similar to FFXIII and includes the pardigm shifts. There is, however, a major difference in how you approach enemy encounters.
Engaging in battle consists of a meter appearing on the screen which ranges from green to red, and includes a battle circle -- a ring that surrounds the field of battle. If you attack the monster while the meter is in the green you will receive preemptive attack bonuses, whereas if you attack in the red you will be penalized. Attacking or being attacked while in the yellow apparently has no effect. In order to avoid battle altogether you simply avoid the battle circle until the gauge runs out.
Some enemies will drop crystals which allow you to use the monsters you defeat in the empty party slot. This was by far my favorite feature, as the monsters not only assist you, but they will also change depending on the Paradigm that you have selected. Therefore you can utilize various monsters in a single battle to play various roles depending on your needs. To top it off, a new "Feral Link" ability fills up a meter that allows your monster party member to perform unique attacks when full.
Also along for the ride is a moogle companion. He has the ability to show hidden treasures and other various items to the player. As for a larger role, this was not discussed in great detail. The potential is obvious, though, assuming the developers have plans to take this feature further.
Another new feature is the inclusion of the "Temporal Rift". This is a dimension that includes puzzles consisting of collecting crystals from platforms which disappear as you walk across them. The goal is to collect all of the crystals without getting yourself stuck on a floating platform. As interesting as it was, the full purpose isn't completely understood. I have a feeling that Square may be holding back, perhaps planning to release further information at a later date.
While we were promised there would be a less linear story and much larger maps then found in FFXIII, the demo was a bit too short to reflect any of these grander changes. The map was a bit larger, and there were two options to battle Atlas, but overall, what little we saw still felt pretty confined. Still, given that what I saw was an E3 demo, it isn't too late to hope for more in the final product.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 definitely is shaping up to be a gorgeous game, but I couldn't help but wonder what happened to Final Fantasy Versus XIII and Final Fantasy XIV Online for the PS3. Unfortunately, Square Enix was extremely quiet on the subject. Hopefully more will be revealed concerning their fate later this year. Look for FFXIII-2 in early 2012 for Xbox 360 and the PS3.
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