Final Fantasy XIII-2 For PC Pre-Orders Begin, Coming Dec. 11

As promised, Square Enix is bringing the thirteenth, at least by number only, installment of the venerable Final Fantasy Franchise to PC gamers. It has done so for Final Fantasy XIII and now it is announcing when its sequel, Final Fantasy XIII-2, will land. It's still a good few weeks before the December 11 date arrives, but those who will pre-order the game will be treated to a discount for being an early bird. Even those who bought the first game have something in store for them as well.

The FF XIII trilogy is the second time Square Enix broke from tradition and released a game that is a direct sequel to a previous title. The first time it did that was with Final Fantasy X-2 and, suffice to say, it didn't quite catch on. This time, however, it seems that the publisher hit a sweet spot, claiming the sub-series to be one of the more loved titles. Perhaps not as much as Final Fantasy VII, but enough to justify a PC port.

The PC version of the game won't just be a direct port of the console version but will have some new features added in. Primary among those is the new 60 fps version for those gaming rigs that can churn out that quality. There are also customizable rendering settings, starting from 720p, 1080p and more. Lastly, the PC version also features Japanese voiceovers with English subtitles.

Aside from those, FF XIII-2 for PC boasts of the same features as the original, including more interactive and time-based environments, a new battle system, monster taming, and more. Unfortunately, FF XIII-2 also reverts to the random monster encounter system of the older generation of Final Fantasy games, albeit with a slight twist.

Final Fantasy XIII will sell for $19.99 and is available on Steam and from Square Enix's online store. Steam buyers will be able to avail of a 10 percent discount when pre-ordering the game. Those who bought the first Final Fantasy XIII for PC will be updated with the new resolution settings feature once the sequel rolls out next month.

SOURCE: Square Enix