Cover Art Chronicles: Final Fantasy XIII

By this time, you're already well aware that Final Fantasy XIII has an official release date for America and Europe, and that the game is due for release outside of Japan two weeks from tomorrow. It's been a long time in coming, sure, and we won't have to wait too much longer. To help us be a little more patient, and to naturally hype the game, Square Enix has been keeping gamers generally interested in it, and the latest attempt at this the official unveiling of the box art outside of Japan. And it's...well, uh...

It's times like this where I wish I was a cover art designer, because I'd love to be able to slap something together in, oh, three or so minutes in Photoshop; and that's sure what this thing comes of as! This cover also breaks tradition; usually, the European covers were always the same as the Japanese covers, but that won't be the case this time. Ouch. Though I'm sure some people will be thankful for the panty shot. And that's just wonderful.

The main problem here that's bothering fans isn't specifically that the cover reeks of a lazy effort -- even though it is -- but that it just doesn't look all that nice. The Japanese covers, admittedly, don't look that complicated either, but it's the result of it that matters. What that cover has is elegant simplicity, something that will catch a person's eye through nostalgia of the name itself and with it keeping in line with previous covers, along with something aesthetically pleasing. The cover above is simple, but hardly elegant. At the same time, it's not bad, but merely acceptable. And for a game that's the next main installment for the biggest Japanese RPG franchise worldwide, we expect a little more than something that qualifies as the bare minimum.

But it's not too late! March 9th is quite a long way away, and though Square Enix doesn't listen to its fans as much as a company like Capcom -- who changed the cover to Street Fighter IV for the American and European versions to the same as the Japanese cover -- but that's not to say it's not possible. Just don't be surprised if it stays the same. And in that case, there's still hope for a limited edition with a different cover.