Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is the third episode in the Final Fantasy XIII saga. It follows the story of Lightning who returns after a long period of time, having to fight her way through against various foes and even allies because of a prophecy predicting that the Savior will return to destroy the world.
The game must be completed within seven days, which can be extended to thirteen days. The NPCs are in constant movement, changing locations based on how much time has elapsed. The protagonist's skills improve as she completes quests, some of which are optional and can be obtained at the Canvas of Prayer or given by NPCs. Every day at 6, Lightning is taken back to the Ark, where she gives Eradia, an energy bestowed by NPC quests, to the Yggdrasil tree to extend her allotted time.
The battle system uses a Style-Change Active Time Battle System, an upgraded version of the Paradigm system. Enemies are visible on the World map, and whoever strikes first will deal damage to their opponent. The number of enemies increases during nighttime hours. Lightning has access to different outfits that give her various abilities, similar to the Garment system in Final Fantasy X-2 , which is inspired by other games such as Final Fantasy VII and a cross-over scenario with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn . Each outfit has its own set of skills mapped to the controller buttons rather than in a list of commands.
Xbox 360 is the platform for this game, which falls under the RPG genre. The game was released on 2014-02-14 .