Final Fantasy XIII 'Linearity' Beneficial To Old And New Gamers

Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama has commented on the game's 'linearity' being beneficial to both existing and new players of the franchise:

“In order to allow the player to become absorbed in the drama of the storytelling and the new and exciting world of Cocoon and be drawn to the characters without getting distracted or lost we have deliberately used a linear game design for the introduction sections so they can be enjoyed in the same manner as watching a film."

“We are aiming for a vibe while playing that is similar to the experience of an FPS style game, where the player rapidly progresses through a series of dramatic events and experiences one after the other on an imposing and atmospheric battlefield."

“This kind of design is also very beneficial for the player in allowing them to gradually and systematically learn the brand new battle system that this instalment brings to the series. It is set up such that the player will experience and try out each character’s possible roles in battle and naturally internalise the intensely tactical nature of the paradigm shift system.”

Final Fantasy XIII releases on Xbox 360 and PS3 on March 9th in the West.