Lightning Shows Some Leg in Final Fantasy XIII Box Art
- Thread starter John Funk
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I'm on a boat in the Bahamas. The boat is a small boat that is used for ferrying a few people at a time between smaller islands; it can't really go out in the "ocean". My wife took the photo. We had just started off from the shore, so you can see a little of the marina/resort in the background.JimmyBassatti said:Where are you in your avatar? Every time I look at your avatar, I imagine you riding a shuttle at Disney World, or something like that.Kuliani said:Nice, exactly what I was thinking!APPCRASH said:
Also, if you hadn't focused on the leg so much in speaking about it, I probably wouldn't have taken much notice of it (considering how much skin is shown in video games). To me, my eye is drawn to the sword.
OT: The cover is better than Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect 2 had a meh cover, but this is actually good. I don't get why the logo near the top is so surprising, though. Is it because the game was supposed to be a PS3 exclusive that everyone gets surprised?
Edit
That IS the Japanese cover, it just cropped the horse out, and changed the location of the logo.
What happened to the Logo on white background that all the other FFs have rocked since FF7? (at least in Europe, I know the US games usually had the main character on the front) Those are the best covers in my mind, Simple and Clean, ad at the same time mysterious.
Considering the box art for the all the previous Final Fantasies, I honestly see no issue here.
I think the real off-putting thing is we're more used to seeing JUST the logo on a whit background.
This I think is the only one I've ever seen (I never look for box art I'm never gonna have in my own country.) that has featured a character on it...
Which makes me wonder why they bothered to put her there when the previous method was successful.
I think the real off-putting thing is we're more used to seeing JUST the logo on a whit background.
This I think is the only one I've ever seen (I never look for box art I'm never gonna have in my own country.) that has featured a character on it...
Which makes me wonder why they bothered to put her there when the previous method was successful.
I myself as an outsider - who has never played a Final Fantasy game - I find it awesome!
This is something a coverart really needs to be - the main character + his or her symbolic weapon - or somekind of weapon from the game and the logo - just like this one - and perhaps somekind of background but only somekind of enviroment in the far away : like a castle or something
I never got interested in JRPG's, I am awaiting a few reviews and perhaps I'll give it a chance - and if I would like the game _ I would buy it - and certainly put it out on my shelf - I am also amazed from the graphic visuals of this game - which the box art represents perfectly with a gorgeus looking main character : Lightning and man does she have one damn sexy l.... sword that is also a gun
This is something a coverart really needs to be - the main character + his or her symbolic weapon - or somekind of weapon from the game and the logo - just like this one - and perhaps somekind of background but only somekind of enviroment in the far away : like a castle or something
I never got interested in JRPG's, I am awaiting a few reviews and perhaps I'll give it a chance - and if I would like the game _ I would buy it - and certainly put it out on my shelf
- I am also amazed from the graphic visuals of this game - which the box art represents perfectly with a gorgeus looking main character : Lightning and man does she have one damn sexy l.... sword that is also a gun 
Well technically most of them featured characters on them, just not in the in-game graphics and more concept artsy-fartsy style. The FFX-2 picture I linked on page 1 has Yuna, Rikku and Paine, FFX has Yuna, FFVIII has Squall and Rinoa as memory serves, FFXII has Judge Gabranth. Hell, this was the FFIX box art:Archemetis said:
Though they did have this as an alternative:
The top is the US version, the bottom is the EU afaik.
Then there's FFVII (again, I believe this to be the US version)
And the EU...
Yeah but that was still the logo, not the actual characters themselves standing on the box like lightning is on this one.Amnestic said:
I never consider the characters in the colourful parts behind the text to be pictures of the characters, that's all just the associated logo to let on to what the story is gonna be about.
[these are just the ones I can remember]
7 - Meteor.
8 - Squall and Rinoa's all-conquering love.
9 - The Crystal at the heart of everything.
10 - The summoner.
12 - I've not actually played enough of 12 know why Judge Gabranth is in the logo but I'm sure he's a key part of the story.
But yeah, I consider them logos, not characters.
[quick edit]: also, I never had that box art for IX because I live in the UK and we always get the plain white with logo art.
I think you're right one one thing, that people are too used to seeing just a white cover....despite that not being the case. Some people here seem to be overreacting and forget that this is hardly the first time a character has been featured on the cover, hell half the games in the core franchise have had characters on their covers.Archemetis said:
*clears throat* Lets see...Firion (and later the emporer in the remakes) is on the cover of FF2. Kain Highwind (Cecil & Kain on GBA, Golbez in DS remake) was featured on FF4's cover. Cloud was on FF7's cover. Squall, Rinoa, Seifer, and Eadea on 8's cover. Zidane and gang on 9's cover. Tidus on X's, the main cast on 12's...you see where things are going.
So....why are some people shocked, disgruntled, or disappointed by this? The plain white cover has only been used when showing each games logo's, nothing more. This artwork doesn't phase me at all seeing as it's the same trend as it has been for years. Grant it I was expecting something a little flashier but hey, an attractive protagonist is good enough.
It is nice to see a minimalist design (although I agree with Mr. Funk that it doesn't quite grab me), although the PAL covers do tend to be minimalist while the North America covers are busier. See: FFXII [http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/PS2/final_fantasy_xii/boxshots.html], FFX [http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/PS2/finalfantasyx/boxshots.html], FFX-2 [http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/PS2/finalfantasyx2/boxshots.html]
Aye, I'm a UK resident as well, I just thought it best to adequately display that's not all that's been out there. The Crisis Core [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/32/Crisis_Core.png/256px-Crisis_Core.png] box art had the character, same with Dirge of Cerberus [http://www.scubb.com/images/products/ps2%20Final%20Fantasy%20VII%20Dirge%20of%20Cerberus_box.jpg] (both EU boxes there). We see Dissidia [http://www.finalfantasyunion.com/newsimages/dissidia-limited-edition-box-art.jpg] returning to the loved standard of old though.Archemetis said:
As for why Gabranth is on the box art of FFXII, he doesn't play a super-major role. I would postulate that it is a leftover of when Basche was meant to be the main character of FFXII instead of Vaan.
[spoiler='Sleipnir' Box Art for FFXIII]
Can't say I think much of it. I'm not even sure that's Sleipnir. I only count 4 legs.
Well, I'm getting it either way. Square is one company that does not have to resort to "Sex Sells". It'd be funny if they did an Evony style ad, though.
Ah fair enough, Yeah I take the other box art into account (well I'm aware of it at least) and I've noe found out that some of the box art for the FF spin-offs seem to have more character driven art attached now, like you say, Dissidia had characters pasted all over it.Amnestic said:Aye, I'm a UK resident as well, I just thought it best to adequately display that's not all that's been out there. The Crisis Core [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/32/Crisis_Core.png/256px-Crisis_Core.png] box art had the character, same with Dirge of Cerberus [http://www.scubb.com/images/products/ps2%20Final%20Fantasy%20VII%20Dirge%20of%20Cerberus_box.jpg] (both EU boxes there). We see Dissidia [http://www.finalfantasyunion.com/newsimages/dissidia-limited-edition-box-art.jpg] returning to the loved standard of old though.Archemetis said:
As for why Gabranth is on the box art of FFXII, he doesn't play a super-major role. I would postulate that it is a leftover of when Basche was meant to be the main character of FFXII instead of Vaan.
[spoiler='Sleipnir' Box Art for FFXIII][/spoiler]
Can't say I think much of it. I'm not even sure that's Sleipnir. I only count 4 legs.
And while It's been mentioned...
Vaan was the main character of FFXII?
I was lead to believe that Balthier was the hero of the story, Vaan was just the lpayer character along for the ride.
(I got this information from a friend, like I said I never had the patience to play past the license tutorial.)
north american box art for final fantasy tends to be more flashy, take dissidia for a recent example, the japanese one was just the dissidia logo, and the american version added in ten characters from cosmos or chaos (depending which box art you got) but I am a fan of simple designs.
Who the 'hero' is of the story depends on your perspective. Arguably it could be Balthier, but most of the game is based around Ashe and her mission. Vaan is the main character in so much as he's the guy you meet first, he does the narrations as I recall (with the exception of the ones done by Ondore) and he's the model you control when you're running around cities.Archemetis said:Ah fair enough, Yeah I take the other box art into account (well I'm aware of it at least) and I've noe found out that some of the box art for the FF spin-offs seem to have more character driven art attached now, like you say, Dissidia had characters pasted all over it.Amnestic said:Aye, I'm a UK resident as well, I just thought it best to adequately display that's not all that's been out there. The Crisis Core [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/32/Crisis_Core.png/256px-Crisis_Core.png] box art had the character, same with Dirge of Cerberus [http://www.scubb.com/images/products/ps2%20Final%20Fantasy%20VII%20Dirge%20of%20Cerberus_box.jpg] (both EU boxes there). We see Dissidia [http://www.finalfantasyunion.com/newsimages/dissidia-limited-edition-box-art.jpg] returning to the loved standard of old though.Archemetis said:
As for why Gabranth is on the box art of FFXII, he doesn't play a super-major role. I would postulate that it is a leftover of when Basche was meant to be the main character of FFXII instead of Vaan.
[spoiler='Sleipnir' Box Art for FFXIII][/spoiler]
Can't say I think much of it. I'm not even sure that's Sleipnir. I only count 4 legs.
And while It's been mentioned...
Vaan was the main character of FFXII?
I was lead to believe that Balthier was the hero of the story, Vaan was just the lpayer character along for the ride.
(I got this information from a friend, like I said I never had the patience to play past the license tutorial.)
Basche was meant to be the original focus of FFXII, or at least the main character, but that changed during production to Vaan - supposedly to appeal to their target audience.
I've nothing against it, it's OK. But really, out of all the poses we have of Lightning, this was my least favourite.
Um, have you possibly watched any of the trailers? In particular the most recent one? She seems nothing like Cloud. And plenty of people that have played the game agree that Cloud wasn't whiny anyway, at least not until he gat derailed by Advent Children. Poor guy.Macksheath said: