Nomura: Final Fantasy Versus XIII has Airships!!

Source:
http://au.ps3.ign.com/articles/107/1078207p1.html

For those who have played FFXIII, or is currently playing FFXIII, you'll notice the storyline is very, very linear.

What that means is you get movie CG -> go through mini-map -> have a few battles -> fight the boss -> movie CG -> go through mini-map....and it keeps on looping. Not alot of freedom to explore at all.

Not until Chapter 11 (out of 13) where you finally get some freedom to do whatever you like, but to be honest there isn't that many things to do apart from sidequests, sidequests and sidequests.

I mean, Chapter 11 map is big - bigger than any of those in previous chapters.

And after all, the method of transportation from A to B is just...teleport.

That's right, teleport. Or alternatively, you can....run/walk from A to B.

Plus there are a limited number of teleport points (they are acquired by completing certain number of sidequests), so for alot of places you still need to get the characters to do some jogging. In the event of sidequests you actually need to do ALOT of jogging, and that's can easily clock up the playtime.

And we are now craving for the freedom of airship, world map like that in the goold old FFVI, FFVII etc. i.e. OLD FFs

So about two days ago, Toriyama (producer of FFXIII) has made the comment on GDC about FFVXIII is designed in the similar fashion to FFXIII, and there won't be any open maps. (i.e. like that in FFXIII, you only get to visit places when you are supposed to be in that chapter)

Yet today, Nomura (producer of FFVXIII) has claimed that there will be airship in FFVXIII.

This seems as if Nomura is eagerly trying to clarify the misconception Toriyama has fed to the wide range of FF fanatics at an earlier stage, by making the promise there will be an airship.

Well I'm hoping it's a controllable airship, not like the one where it only appears when you have to move from A to B...as that simply defeats the purpose. But hey, it's a possibility. Coz Nomura promised that there will be airship, but he didn't promise there will be controllable airship, correct?

At this stage I can only say: let's be optimistic about this and wait for the E3 news.