One of the biggest problems with the original Final Fantasy XIII is that it was pretty static in its gameplay presentation. In other words, there wasn't a whole lot to do outside of running along linear paths, watching cut-scenes and fighting enemies along preset routes.

Square Enix has heard the cries of its faithful elite and decided that with Final Fantasy XIII-2 they would toss in a lot of different mini-games and gameplay elements to broaden the playability of the sequel. To show off some of these features Square released a gameplay variety trailer. You can check it out below.



I really like what they had to show off for the game. The trailer was definitely better than any of the promotional videos for Final Fantasy XIII, which was mostly composed of CG or quick-cuts of the battle sequences. The gambling, the combat, the explore-friendly maps and the puzzles really seem to aim to give gamers depth to the gameplay as opposed to depth to the cinematic art. In other words, you're paying $60 to play a game not $60 to look at some pretty geometry and fancy textures for 50 hours.

The game, so far, has been receiving praise among most top-tier gaming publications since its release in Japan. But then again, aside from Duke Nukem Forever is there a AAA game that doesn't receive critical praise from top-tier gaming publications?

Anyway, you can look for Final Fantasy XIII-2 to land on store shelves for the Xbox 360 and PS3 starting January 31st. For more info on the game or the option to pre-order feel free to visit the Official Website.