Final Fantasy XIII is considered a great game by some and even a greater disappointment by many others. Square Enix has let it known that Final Fantasy XIII-2, while it may have the same name in its title, is a completely different experience from its predecessor.

Has the game changed enough to return trust to the faithful fans or should Square Enix have put its resources more towards the next iteration of the franchise?

We thought we’d take a break from time travelling and monster collecting, to share our unboxing of Final Fantasy XIII-2’s Crystal Edition. This edition is currently sold out in most retailers, and consequently is very difficult to track down, but PS3 Attitude managed to get hold of one by using our unparalleled powers of persuasion (well, actually we just pre-ordered it).

The sequel to the much criticised Final Fantasy XIII is trying to steer the series back towards its roots, but has Square Enix done enough to reclaim its lost fans, those who were left alienated by Final Fantasy XIII’s never-ending corridor?

Unbelievably, it’s been two whole years since the release of Final Fantasy XIII, and it’s now only a matter of days before gamers can finally get their hands on its sequel.

To celebrate its release, PS3 Attitude thought we’d take a look at what Final Fantasy XIII-2 has that its predecessor doesn’t, and why gamers and Final Fantasy fans everywhere should be excited.

The latest gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy XIII-2 showcases some of the other things you can do aside from the main storyline campaign.

Final Fantasy XIII was criticized for being too linear and having not a lot of variety in its gameplay. XIII-2 aims to drastically change that with a variety of rewarding side quests, puzzle sections, and Captain Cryptic’s “Confounding Quiz.” Will it be enough to keep players interested, though?

One of the most intriguing features in Final Fantasy XIII-2 is something called Historia Crux, which allows the player to travel through time. If you’ve been wondering what this actually involves then wonder no more, as Square Enix have revealed all in a brand new gameplay video.

We’ve moved on from 2011, but what a fine year it was. It was a year packed with many highlights: Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Portal 2, Skyrim, L.A. Noire, Uncharted 3 and Batman: Arkham City, to name just a few.

We now turn our collective eyes towards the gems 2012 will bestow on us, and it looks set to be another fantastic year.

Over two articles, PS3 Attitude’s writers are each selecting their three most anticipated games of 2012. Staff writers Stefhutch20 and Ryanmoto3 will put their votes forward in part 1 and editors DolphGB, Majiesto and Seanoc will follow up later with part 2.

So without further ado, here are the hottest PS3 games of 2012, selected by Team Attitude.

Another year over. A new one just begun.

2011 was a real corker for the PlayStation 3. And for PS3 Attitude too. We got up to all sorts of shenanigans over the last twelve months, and some of us still have the bruises to prove it.

But this isn’t going to be one of those lame retrospective list articles that counts down our favourite moments from the last year. Oh no. This is 2012. This is about what comes next.

So strap yourselves in and get ready for the ride.

One of the new gameplay elements of Final Fantasy XIII-2 is that you now have the ability to capture monsters and recruit them to your party for future battles. Like any other party member, monsters have special attacks and their abilities can be upgraded.

The latest gameplay trailer shows off the breadth of capturing monsters and customizing them to fit your party. With more than 150 different types to collect, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is looking to be the most expansive game in the series yet.

Square Enix has released a new batch of screenshots from Final Fantasy XIII-2 today, and boy do they look beautiful.

The 22 images showcase some of the new locales you’ll be visiting as well as a glimpse at the new Temporal Rift gameplay, for when you’ve grown tired of battle after battle and want something a little more puzzling. Also, what would a post about Final Fantasy be without Moogles and Chocobos?

As part of New York Comic Con, Square Enix has released an epic eight minute trailer for Final Fantasy XIII-2, entitled, ‘Change the Future’. This trailer is an extension of the footage shown at the Tokyo Game Show last month, and reveals some intriguing new information.

At this year’s E3, 46,800 industry professionals, journalists, retailers and analysts arrived in LA to experience the videogame industry’s biggest event of the year, and with over 200 exhibitors promoting their latest games and hardware, this year was arguably the biggest ever.

We cannot offer you a complete guide to E3 2011 (that would require writing a book), but we can give you this neat list featuring 10 thing that caught our attention during this year’s show. We had great games and impressive hardware on show and a lot of stuff happening in-between. Enjoy.

Square Enix have released a brand new Final Fantasy XIII-2 trailer for E3, which reveals possible plot and character details about the sequel to one of last year’s best-selling games.

Final Fantasy V is currently in development to be released on the PlayStation Network for the PS3 and PSP, Square Enix announced today.

The game, originally released in 1992 in Japan, follows a group of unlikely heroes as they embark on a journey to save the world after a fallen meteor and a shattered Wind Crystal sends the town of Tycoon into chaos.

The PSN is home to many of the great Final Fantasy games such as VII and VIII but soon European gamers will get the opportunity to purchase the two titles that started it all; Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II.

That is of course if you missed out on the original NES version, PSP version, or any of the many other versions out there.

We are now in the year of the rabbit; that means, if you’re into astrology this is going to be an exciting year for you and your PlayStation 3, what with rabbits being known for their artistic talents and good taste. However, those who consider astrology to be a lot of superstitious nonsense may require further persuasion.

We advise unbelievers to look at the games released in January – LittleBigPlanet 2, Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 2 – because these alone point to a good year. Each one is a blockbuster title and likely to be in contention when the awards are being handed out. What’s more, this selection is diverse and offers something for almost everyone. There are worse ways to start a year, that’s for sure.

Well then, dear PS3 lovers… it will soon be the Year of the Rabbit, the happiest of all the Chinese zodiac signs.

In Chinese astrology the Rabbit is considered to be happy and popular. Rabbits are known for their artistic talent and good taste. You might say there are certain attributes of the Rabbit that foretell of a great year for Sony’s flagship console.

So, is that the case? Or will 2011 be more a ‘dog of a year’ than a metaphorical ‘lucky rabbit’s foot’?

Following today’s announcement of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the question we kept hearing was: “What about Final Fantasy Versus XIII?” They had a point. Despite being announced in 2006, Square Enix has been very quiet about this game, and the news of another Final Fantasy XIII variation has made many people concerned over the health of the Versus XIII project.

Following on from today’s surprise announcement of a direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII being in the works, we can now show you a trailer for Final Fantasy XIII-2. Yes, that’s Final Fantasy XIII-2, not Final Fantasy IV or Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Oh Square… you do like to confuse your customers.