Most Final Fantasy fans can agree that Final Fantasy XIII didn’t have the best battle system. The turn-based/real-time ATB battle system lacked much of the depth seen in previous games, and it was at times a little unwieldy. That all changes with Lightning Returns as the battle system has received a complete makeover.

In the latest trailer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix spends a bit of time detailing the battle system in its latest title. Unlike the first two Final Fantasy XIII games, combat is no longer a series of menus. Instead, actions are assigned to the four face buttons with players being able to execute any of those actions as long as their ATB gauge isn’t empty.

While it doesn’t sound all that different, the new Schema system is what makes it stand out Throughout the game, Lightning will be able to equip up to three different outfits at any one time and switch between them at will during battles. These outfits give Lightning unique abilities that are mapped to the four face buttons. When the ATB gauge runs out for one outfit, you can switch to the next for a full gauge and four new abilities.

You can try out the battle system for yourself as the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo is now available on both Xbox 360 and PS3. If you plan on buying the game, you’ll want to check out the demo as you can unlock two additional outfits for the full game by playing it.

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