Cocoon is a metropolis that floats high above the clouds and is considered a utopia. It is cut off from the world below, which is referred to as Pulse. The mysterious aliens known as fal’Cie are known to inhabit the Pulse, and it was designed to protect humanity from them. However, the fal’Cie do discover ways to make touch with residents of Cocool on occasion, transforming them into “l’Cie” (also known as “fal’Cie slaves”), who are viewed by humans as being destined to carry out the will of the fal’Cie. The administration of Cocoon, known as Sanctum, has its specialized army known as PSICOM. This force is used by Sanctum to “Purge” residents who are suspected of becoming l’Cie and then expels them from Cocoon.
Lightning, a former member of the Cocoon military, is on the hunt for her sister Serah, who has been identified as a l’Cie. As Lightning and a few other friends sneak into a fal’Cie residence to rescue Serah, her fiance Snow, the leader of a rebel faction opposed to the Purge, comes across them. On the other hand, once Serah has finished her unspecified task given to her by the face, she transforms into a crystal. Her final words to Lightning and Snow were, “Save Cocoon.” She passed away shortly after. The heroes were so intent on discovering precisely what the fal’Cie wanted from Serah that they tried to contact a fal’Cie. As a result of their efforts, they were transformed into l’Cie, although they had no idea what their goal was supposed to be…
Final Fantasy XIII does away with the idea that battles can occur on the same screen as exploration as its predecessor did. Instead, it reverts to the previous separate fighting screens activated when an enemy is encountered on the field, similar to how Xenosaga games do. The Active Time Battle system from earlier Final Fantasy games returns with a few tweaks. In combat, the player only controls one of their characters; the other two should have behavioral patterns known as paradigms assigned to them. It is now possible to stack commands and attacks within the battle slots, which enables the usage of numerous commands during a single round to create devastating combos. These orders have their slots filled based on the amount of ATB they cost, which removes the requirement for MP. Because magic can’t be utilized outside of combat, the health of the entire group is automatically restored at the beginning of each skirmish. Summons that are well-known from the Final Fantasy series make a comeback under the moniker Eidolons, and each I’Cie possesses one. The player controls how their character develops through a system called Crystarium, which gives them options for which skills to master or which parameters to increase.
