Following yesterday's addition of the new section on Final Fantasy Insight that I promised, now I swing back into news updates. I'm doing what I pretty much promised myself I would do, and thats not try and catch up on news I've forgotten, but start from where we are, mentioning anything relevant as it comes up. So here goes.

Square Enix have today updated the official Final Fantasy XIII website, updating the Characters section with a profile on Oerba Yun Fang, a young l'Cie woman presented in the latest game trailer (available on all the official Final Fantasy XIII websites in various languages), originally seeming to work against the playable party, but who evidently eventually seems to join it. She's a double-ended spear user, and who can summon Final Fantasy staple summon Bahamut. As well as this update, the Summons section has updated with profiles on the previously-mentioned Bahamut, as well as Brynhildr, Sazh's summon, who in myth is a valkyrie-daughter of Odin (who is Lightning's summon). Small world no? As always there are screenshots and artwork as a result of this update, so here they are.


As well as this, the official series of pre-Final Fantasy XIII novellas, titled Final Fantasy XIII ~Episode Zero~ have now been moved to their own section on the website. When Final Fantasy XIII comes to its English release, it is likely that SENA will publish an official translation of these on the Square Enix Members website, and so I won't be asking the eternally brilliant Pazuzu to take a stab at translating them. That said, I know there are already projects translating them into English (and various other languages), and I will be formally asking whether I can use their translation on Final Fantasy Insight until such a time as an official translation comes along.

Finally, all the music on the Final Fantasy XIII website has been modified. There are now 4 tracks on there (selected randomly), from which you may hear one of 2 different march-style pieces, one of which is an arrangement of part of the music that plays during Snow's part of the playable demo. There's also a very nice arrangement of the battle theme, arranged for soft and slow performance on the piano and strings, which works surprisingly well. The big addition, however, is Masashi Hamauzu's version of the Chocobo Theme, which has been given a big up-tempo party feel, with jazz overtones and some percussion solos.

Speaking of music, the Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack has been announced, and it will be released on January 27th. The soundtrack will be made up of 4 discs of music, which has now pretty much been the standard for several years. The soundtrack will also be available in both a standard and limited edition, with the limited edition adding a 5th disc, a radio drama based on Final Fantasy XIII ~Episode Zero~, and will come with an illustrated 32 page booklet, and a limited edition boxset to hold the whole thing. No images are available yet of the standard edition, but the limited edition is available below.


Finally, a Los Angeles-based firm has sent out a casting call for someone who will get to provide intermittent advertising for a special video to be released which will feature developer interviews, a history of the Final Fantasy series (again), but will include some brand new footage, and (prepare to gasp) the unveiling of the North American release date for Final Fantasy XIII! More news on that as we get it.

As part of my promise re-edit of this, I'm posting something that I'd forgotten to mention earlier (and which allows me to add some extra shop links at the bottom of this post). The game's official vocal single "Kimi ga Iru Kara" ("Because you are Here") will be available to buy from December 2nd, in time for a few weeks of promotion before the game's release. The single will be available in both a regular edition, and a limited edition that comes with a DVD that so far is only confirmed to have a promotional Final Fantasy XIII video (usually these DVDs have the single's official music video, and another one set to scenes from the game). As well as the Kimi ga Iru Kara song, the single will feature another track used as an "insert" in Final Fantasy XIII called Eternal Love.

Tracklisting:
1 - Kimi ga Iru Kara
2 - Eternal Love
3 - To be announced
4 - Kimi ga Iru Kara (instrumental)
5 - Eternal Love (instrumental)

Final Fantasy XIII is due for a Japanese release date of December 17th, with the rest of the world planned for Spring 2010.

You can buy products advertised in this post via Final Fantasy Insight:

Final Fantasy XIII Game

Final Fantasy XIII (Japanese, via Play-Asia)
Final Fantasy XIII & PS3 Slim "Lightning Edition" Bundle (Japanese, via Play-Asia)
Please note that all PlayStation 3 goods are unavailable for European import at Play-Asia

Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack

Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack [Regular Edition] (via Play-Asia)
Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack [Regular Edition] (via CD Japan)
Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack [Limited Edition] (via Play-Asia)
Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack [Limited Edition] (via CD Japan)

Final Fantasy XIII "Kimi ga Iru Kara" Vocal Single by Sayuri Sugawara

Kimi ga Iru Kara [regular CD edition] (via Play-Asia)
Kimi ga Iru Kara [regular CD edition] (via CD Japan)
Kimi ga Iru Kara [CD and DVD edition] (via Play-Asia)
Kimi ga Iru Kara [CD and DVD edition] (via CD Japan)

Source: Square Enix, Final Fantasy World