As a hardcore RPG fan and a long-term follower of the series I was delighted with Final Fantasy XIII. Sure, it wasn’t perfect but after the dismal and out of character FFXI and the disappointing FFXII it felt like a return to what made the series great. Fantastic storylines, gorgeous graphics and characters that you ended up attached to… it really was a reminder that Final Fantasy had been, and could again be great. However, with announcements that there will be not one, but two follow up games under the bracket of FFXIII, are they putting too many eggs in one basket?

By now most of you would have heard of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, now confirmed as multi-platform on PS3 and 360. Although set in the same universe and with the same basic mythology the story takes place at a different time and setting to that of the original game. This means taking it along the lines of the FFVII spin-offs rather than the slated FFX-2. As it is a free standing game with neither sequel nor prequel status, this does lead to questions of what the similarities will be. Are SquareEnix simply planning to spurt out average games under the successful umbrella of the FFXIII name? With claims that this may be the darkest Final Fantasy game yet and a more action orientated demeanour I must say that this looks like a fabulous addition to the series but fingers crossed.

Unfortunately, the current area of debate surrounds the third title, Final Fantasy Agito XIII. With a vast story and a large array of characters rumoured, this game could be big… or could go nowhere. Since it’s announcement in 2006 it has been planned as a mobile phone game, a PSP, and now a PS3 exclusive. The problem with all of these options is the limited fan base. A lot of fans who have loyally followed Sony for the games have moved on to the 360. The third installment being on a different platform could cause major troubles, and I certainly can’t see 360 owners switching to PS3 for just the one game. It seems to me that anything related to FFXIII is now essentially stuck being multi-platform and if SquareEnix can’t produce this then there may be some very unhappy customers down the line. With the series finally looking like it’s back on track we can only hope that the right decisions are made to keep the fans wanting more.

The trilogy will be known collectively as Fabula Nova Crystallis – Final Fantasy XIII.