Square Enix has announced today that they're planning to release a Vinyl record featuring eight tracks from Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack. The 12 inch record will be released on the 26th February for the price of 2,800 yen. It will only be available to buy through Square's own E-store. Here is the list of tracks and a promotional picture of the album.



Side A:
Nautilus
Fang’s Theme
Sunleth Waterscape
Daddy’s Got the Blues

Side B:
Pulse de Chocobo
World Without Color
Flash
Ragnarok -Sans Pipe Organ-

W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII | Square Enix E-Store

Thanks to our staff member Cagalli and her site for finding this.

Source: NovaCrystallis

A Neogaf user has apparently received the latest issue of the Dutch Playstation Magazine which contains an 8 page Final Fantasy XIII feature including a 2 page interview with Kitase. In the interview, Kitase discusses the failed simultaneous release Square previously aimed for as well as future plans for DLC.

Is the European version identical to the Japanese version or will the western version get extra content for the long wait?

Kitase: At first we had plans to release the game simultaneously worldwide, so we had the intention to deliver identical version between the regions. When we noticed that we wouldn't make it, we decided to release the game as fast as possible in the west after its release in Japan. We initially had doubts to add extra content to the western version but then it would have taken the international version more months of delay. We did prepare a DLC but it will arrive a little later in the west.

Hopefully scans will appear soon confirming the downloadable content.

Source: Neogaf

The collector's edition of Final Fantasy XIII has finally been announced and detailed formally on the EU PlayStation Blog. So what's in it?

# FINAL FANTASY XIII Original Sound Selection: a soundtrack CD including a selection of tunes from the game, especially chosen for this Limited Collector’s Edition by composer Masashi Hamauzu. The CD is presented inside a slipcase featuring artwork from FINAL FANTASY XIII, with liner notes written by the composer himself.
# The World of FINAL FANTASY XIII: an exclusive hardback book featuring characters artwork, CG rendered images and environments from across the game production.
# Exclusive Art Prints: 3 highly collectable art prints showing artwork of the Eidolons, powerful summoned allies of the lead playable characters of FINAL FANTASY XIII.
# Unique 'Brand of the l'Cie' decal: Collectible decal featuring this most iconic symbol from the game storyline.

Oh well, they can't all be winners.



PlayStation Blog entry

The latest Play TM UK issue has gotten hold of a Japanese import of Final Fantasy XIII and given their own verdict, a very good 79%, but defiantly a change from all the glowing 9/10 reviews which we've been seeing recently.

I've scanned the pages below.
Enjoy!

Final Fantasy XIII 3 Page Play TM UK Review

The composer of Final Fantasy XIII, Masashi Hamauzu, is following in the footsteps of Nobuo Uematsu and, more recently, Junya Nakano and Kenichiro Fukui and leaving Square-Enix. Reports are that further members still of the composer team will also be leaving in the near future.

Hamauzu has been with Square-Enix for 15 years and worked on soundtracks for titles including Final Fantasy X, Dirge of Cerberus and Sigma Harmonics. His work for Final Fantasy XIII has been met with extremely enthusiastic acclaim and has significantly increased his fame in the industry.

It is not yet known where Hamauzu will be heading, or if he will continue in the gaming industry or devote more time to solo projects such as Vielen Dank.

Final Fantasy XIII's official soundtrack will be released on 27 January.

Source: Square-Enix Music.com

It was a matter of time before media outside of Japan where going to get hold of a full copy of Final Fantasy XIII. Official Playstation Magazine UK has been the first publication outside of Japan to review the game, with it only missing one mark, totalling the score to an impressive 9/10.

OPM UK also added a nicely detailed 8 Page Feature on Final Fantasy XIII's characters, Eidolons and much more.
Enjoy.

Final Fantasy XIII 4 Page First English Review



Final Fantasy XIII 8 Page Feature

We here at FinalFantasy-XIII.net have never been one to dodge the zeitgeist and so have set up a site Twitter page. It'll be updated automatically with any news posted here, as well as anything else we feel like such as minor but interesting news and site events or giveaways, etc., so make sure you follow us so you know what's happening when it happens.

We're still tweaking the design so bear with us on that front.

FinalFantasy-XIII.net Twitter Page

Dengeki has released the results of a readers poll in which people voted for what they thought was the best game of 2009. A list of the top 20 has been published on their website and Final Fantasy XIII has managed to secure second place. Although there has been a backlash of Japanese fans who have complaints ranging from Final Fantasy XIII's linearity to there being no levels, it still seems to have won people over. See the full list of top 20 games below.

1. Dragon Quest IX
2. Final Fantasy XIII
3. Tales of Vesperia
4. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
5. Steins;Gate
6. Phantasy Star Portable 2
7. Demon’s Souls
8. PERSONA3 PORTABLE
9. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
10. Tales of Graces
11. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next PLUS
12. Monster Hunter Tri
13. Love Plus
14. Bayonetta
15. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA
16. Shin Megami Tensei STRANGE JOURNEY
17. Layton-kyoju to Majin no Fue
18. THE IDOLM@STER SP
19. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
20. MACROSS ULTIMATE FRONTIER

Source: Dengeki

Motomu Toriyama, director of Final Fantasy XIII, has announced on the official European site that development of the English version of the game is now complete. He says that the English game was developed simultaneously with the Japanese version to ensure a smaller gap between Japanese and international releases. Apparently all they're waiting for is an approval of the master disc. It's a shame they can't bring the international release date forward.

Source: Official European Final Fantasy XIII Site

To follow Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII bus tour taking place in San Franciso today, a new English Final Fantasy XIII trailer has been released as part of Square's Lucky 13 Campaign. The trailer includes full English voice acting and for the first time, Leona Lewis' track "My Hands" backing it. The song gets a little too loud making it hard to hear the voices but other than that it's a pretty nice trailer. Watch it below.