PixlBit

The weathered gunslinger isn't in the main story.

It’s difficult to believe that we’re less than two months away from the U.S. release of Final Fantasy XIII-2, especially when you consider that it isn’t part of the infamous Fabula Nova Crystalis initiative that was announced long before XIII came out. We’re still waiting on Final Fantasy Versus XIII to be in playable form, but this direct sequel to the divisive entry in the long-running series is almost here. Expect a full preview from PixlBit soon, but for now, we have some interesting information about this anticipated release.

We already know that DLC is going to play a part in XIII-2. This is new territory for Square Enix, as well as the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole. As of now, we don’t know what form the DLC will take, but an interview in Japanese magazine Denkgeki PlayStation let slip a bit of info that we’ll mark as rumor for now. When asked if the popular character Sazh would be appearing in the game, the answer came back as “Final Fantasy XIII-2 will continue after release, so look forward to later.”

If FF XIII-2 is continuing after release, that means DLC, obviously. Since Dengeki PlayStation has a review of the game in this upcoming issue (giving the title their top rank of “S”), it follows that Sazh may be appearing in the game for a DLC mission. It’s hard to say if he would be a party member or simply make a cameo. It should be noted that in Final Fantasy X-2, the game centered on the three main characters, with the cast of Final Fantasy X only appearing in short story bits.

In addition to the possible Sazh DLC talk, the magazine, reported on through andriasang, gives some more tidbits on the actual game. You’ll get some perks if you have a save file from the original Final Fantasy XIII. Note that it’s not required that you have clear data; any save file will do. Having one will get you some bonuses, including better results in a casino-type mini-game, special monster decorations, and some sort of change to the title screen. The missions in the game are said to be around 3 hours long, to benefit busy gamers. This also gives some insight into what amount of content we can expect in DLC missions.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes out in America January 31. We will have a full preview, and please look forward to our review.