Claiming to remedy complaints about Final Fantasy XIII’s linearity (overblown, by my measure), this direct sequel picks up five years later, adds towns, tweaks the realtime battle system and for yet-to-be-disclosed reasons, allows you to make characters jump. Don’t forget the “Mog Clock,” a new mini-game approach to random creature battles, including the option to tame and fight beside monsters. The Final Fantasy games hinge on two things: elegant combat and glorious world design, both of which the sequel looks to have in spades, so expect grand things from this one.
For: PS3, Xbox 360
ETA: January 31
