PROLOGUE

“Cocoon—a utopia in the sky.Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise. Under the Sanctum’s rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity.

Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal’Cie, and believed that tranquil days would continue forever.

Their tranquility was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal’Cie. The moment that fal’Cie from Pulse—the feared and detested lowerworld—awoke from its slumber, peace on Cocoon came to an end.

Fal’Cie curse humans, turning them into magic-wielding servants. They become l’Cie—chosen of the fal’Cie. Those branded with the mark of a l’Cie carry the burden of either fulfilling their Focus or facing a fate harsher than death itself.

A prayer for redemption. A wish to protect the world. A promise to challenge destiny. After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins.”

—Official Prologue

final fantasy xiii

Final Fantasy XIII is the thirteenth installment in the Final Fantasy main series, and is the first of the series to be released on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Unveiled at E3 2006, the game is the flagship of Square Enix’s Fabula Nova Crystallis project. The game runs on Crystal Tools (formerly known as White Engine), a proprietary engine built for Square Enix’s next-generation games. The game was released in Japan on December 17, 2009, and March 9, 2010 for North America and Europe. A Traditional Chinese version for the PS3 was released in May 2010. This is the first time a game in the series has been translated into Traditional Chinese. A sequel titled Final Fantasy XIII-2 was announced on January 18,2011.