After years of fans clamoring for the original Japanese voices to be included in their games, Square-Enix announces Lighting Returns will offer it as a DLC. The DLC will be made available for free during the first 2 weeks of the game release starting on February 22. No word on a pricing point afterwards.
The Final Fantasy XIII franchise features an all star casts of Japanese voice actors with Lightning herself voiced by veteran Maaya Sakamoto. Previously, fans who wanted to play Final Fantasy XIII or XIII-2 undubbed with subtitles and menus in English would need to purchase the Chinese edition of the game.
Full press release inside.
JAPANESE VOICE-OVERS ANNOUNCED FOR
LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII
Japanese Voice-Overs Available for the First Time in the Franchise
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 21, 2013) – SQUARE ENIX, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, announced today that LIGHTNING RETURNS™: FINAL FANTASY® XIII will feature the original Japanese Voice-Overs available as free downloadable content (DLC) during the first two weeks of the game being on-sale. After this limited period, the Japanese Voice-Over Pack will be available as paid DLC.
The Japanese Voice-Over Pack also includes lip-synching that differs from the English-language voice track already included with the game, to ensure a more natural and localized game experience.
Related Links
Official Homepage: www.LightningReturns.com
Official Facebook® Page: http://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIII
Official North American Members YouTube® Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/SQEXMembersNA
Official Twitter®: @OfficialFFXIII
LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII will be available for the Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 systems and for digital download on the PlayStation®Network for $59.99 on February 11, 2014. LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII is rated T (Teen). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.
About the FINAL FANTASY XIII Project
The FINAL FANTASY XIII project began in March 2010 with the release of FINAL FANTASY XIII and continued with its sequel, FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, released in January 2012. The series has been widely successful, shipping over 10 million units worldwide.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 62 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.na.square-enix.com/.