Final Fantasy XIII-2 is one of the games in the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy series, which is situated in the same universe and based on the same mythos. It takes place three years after the last event of last Fantasy XIII, the demise of Cocoon.
The protagonists are Serah, Lightning’s sister, and Noel, a newcomer claiming to be a time traveler from 700 years in the future. To resolve timeline paradoxes, they journey through time and space via Valhalla, a region at the end of time.
The battle system is similar to Final Fantasy XIII’s: an ATB system called Command Synergy Battle, in which the player changes strategy by using Paradigm Shift, which shifts through custom combinations of roles (Commando, Medic, Ravager, Synergist, Saboteur, and Sentinel) assigned to Serah, Noel, and a third character, a monster captured after the battle.
Monster battles are encounters that arise randomly on the map and must be triggered to enter combat. They are avoidable. When they are attacked, the adversaries’ chain counter gauge fills up. The enemy is stunned when the indicator reaches a particular threshold, allowing enormous damage. The party monsters can be customized by equipping specific items and leveling up to a certain point, which varies depending on the beast acquired.
