As we near the release of Final Fantasy XIII-2, sequel to the mildly well-received Final Fantasy XIII, it appears that Square Enix has one goal, and one goal only: to bombard fans with as much video content as possible. Not only did they just recently release the final trailer in their 8-part gameplay series, they have now released a new gameplay trailer, which, it is presumed, is the first in a new series.

It's all quite confusing to us, but what isn't confusing is how varied the mechanics and gameplay options will be in Final Fantasy XIII-2. Though its predecessor was a very by-the-numbers RPG, XIII-2 presents players with some interesting puzzles and mini-games to test their wits.

The other trailer released, the one that contains some gameplay but is not part of the gameplay series, focuses, surprisingly on on the game's ability to blend cutscenes with combat. In it, fans will notice Final Fantasy staples like Moogles and Chocobos, amidst brief flashes of original FF XIII protagonist Lightning.

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Even though Lightning will not be the character through which players experience this new time-travelling story, that task has now passed on to her sister Serah, Square Enix has revealed that Lightning will be both playable and fightable in this new game.

Apparently there is a coliseum in the game, where the player will come face to face not just with Lightning but several unannounced characters from Final Fantasy's past. On top of that it is believed that eventually the player will unlock the ability to call Lightning into battle a la a summon.

But the Lightning connections don't stop there, as it is also rumored that some DLC side missions are on the way that will feature Lightning as the star. It was announced earlier that Final Fantasy XIII-2 would feature bi-monthly DLC, something we feared would be simply costume flourishes and new weapons, so perhaps this is the type of content fans can look forward to.

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With the game's release only a few days away, it's time to start thinking about not just watching some Final Fantasy gameplay, but actually experiencing it.

Do you like the new additions Square Enix has made to Final Fantasy XIII-2 to make its gameplay more varied? Would you be interested in purchasing DLC that featured Lightning as the main protagonist?

Final Fantasy XIII-2 releases January 31, 2012 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Source: VG24/7