New Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Screenshots Show The Mysterious Lumina

Lumina is one of the new characters in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. She appears to be a playful girl and at times Lumina guides Lightning. Other times, Lumina distracts her. What is Lumina thinking and why does she have that sly smile when giving Lightning advice?

Lightning’s role in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is to save the world and find her sister Serah.

Square Enix gave Lightning different outfits like Shadow Dust (left) and Dark Muse (right). Wearing garb does more than alter Lightning’s appearance. Lightning’s parameters, magic spells, and abilities change depending on what weapon and garb Lightning has equipped. 

Players can switch between three sets of garb during battle. Lightning’s default set of garb is called Equilibrium and has a balanced set of parameters.

Here’s Lightning using the Dark Muse garb.

Lightning’s Shadow Dust garb gives her new abilities like a spell that can banish multiple foes at once.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is set in Luxerion. The downtown area near the south station is lined with shops like restaurants and inns. The south station plaza is packed with people visiting the divine city of Luxerion if you visit during the day. After sunset, the graveyard becomes vacant. Square Enix added a clock to Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII which changes events depending on the time of day you visit a location.

Players can take on quests like monster hunting missions by talking to NPCs or reading message boards.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is slated for release this fall on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.