Japanese magazine Shonen Jump has detailed Final Fantasy XIII’s “Crystalium” system, which is used to level up characters. Using “Crystal Points” and a chart with diverging paths, the system sounds like an advancement of the sphere grid used in Final Fantasy X. The good peeps at Andriasang have translated and analyzed the info:
As you defeat enemies in battle, you earn Crystal Points (CP). These can be exchanged for new skills and abilities, shown on a circular chart in the Crystalium management screen. As you learn certain skills, new paths on the chart open up.
In addition to earning new skills like “Fire,” you can also use this system to increase your characters’ parameters. The screenshots in Jump show options for increasing character HP.
Character growth appears to be done on a per role basis. This is my speculation based off the screenshots, but it appears that each character can be raised individually in the various battle roles (Blaster, Defender, Attacker, and so-forth).
This system sounds great on paper. I loved the sphere grid in FFX. Crystalium sounds like the sphere grid taken to the next level. Even though FFXIII’s gestalt mode continues to vex me, I’m thinking (wishing?) that Crystalium will help me forget it’s there.
Yeah it does sound a lot like Sphere Grid 2.0. I loved the Sphere Grid, but I lost 200+ hours of my life, maxing it out with each character only to then completely wiping it clean. Countless hours spent in the monsters arena fighting the same dudes, just to earn the special spheres that grant you +4 for each stat. NOT EASY.
But alas, I loved every hour of it :)
@SkullOne360 Think of it as gaining 200+ hours of enjoyment instead of losing something. Ha!
lol. did you ever max out the sphere grid? I ended up with all my characters having 80K+ HP and 255 for all stats. Yes, I'm sorta bragging :P
@SkullOne360 You should be proud! It's a great achievement. I did not come close to maxing it out.
My Pokemon best friend I were actually talking about FFX recently. We'd love a God of War collection remake of it. Playing a remastered version of FFX with trophies would rule!
That would rule. The only thing that could top that…Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions…with Trophies. I'd die, that by far is my favorite RPG, no other storyline can compete with the genius that game was. Just my personal opinion.
@SkullOne360 Ha! I share that opinion. FFT is my all-time favorite.
@raymond
The ONLY game that can come close to that FFT is Xenogears or Xenosaga series. I LOVE Machiavellian storylines.
Xenosaga was great. I remember playing it for the first time and I was shocked at the length and breadth of the cinematics. Great game.
I think Grandia 2 should be remastered.
yeah, I'm one of those sick puppies that actually managed to max out the sphere grid in FFX. It makes the endgame ridiculously easy unfortunately. But it does bring a certain amount of geek-bragging rights I suppose.