Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII (series)

is the collective name of a series of games made under the Final Fantasy XIII label by Square Enix. Made in the same vein as the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII and the Ivalice Alliance, Fabula Nova Crystallis (which means "the New Tale of the Crystal" in Latin) is based on various worlds and different characters, but each game will be "ultimately based on and expand upon a common mythos." According to Square Enix, they all take place in the same world but in different time periods and there is no cooperation between the teams of the various titles, the only connection being a "vague crystal theme".

Plot and setting
The compilation appears to revolve around "crystals that lead the world towards the future." Appearing as normal objects, the Crystals are an integral part of each world as represented in the games, although they will not be the central focus; instead, they will provide a background to other, more specific plots. However, the functionality of the Crystals has led the series' designers to pay special attention in creating the visual look of these worlds.

Co-producer Shinji Hashimoto says "Consider that development is simultaneously ongoing for three FFXIII's—each not only on different platforms, but [featuring] different worlds and stories that are bound by a common mythology [of the crystal]. By gaining inspiration from the mythology, these independent FFXIIIs evolve uniquely. The Fabula Nova Crystallis project is not a collection of sequels or ports but several original titles that exist alongside each other".

Development
The current games that were in development within Fabula Nova Crystallis are:


 * Final Fantasy Agito XIII (PSP)
 * Final Fantasy Versus XIII (cancelled)
 * Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)

The development for each title was handled within Square Enix through separate teams. This is reflected in the approach to making each title independent from the others while sharing a common backdrop. However, the character designs for the three officially revealed games are by Tetsuya Nomura, who is also the director of Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Each title will have its own style of gameplay: Final Fantasy XIII is an RPG, Final Fantasy Versus XIII would have been action-oriented (similar to Kingdom Hearts) and Final Fantasy Agito XIII would have been an Action RPG (similar to Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-) with multi-player elements.

Square Enix president Yōichi Wada likened the Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation to that of the likes of Star Wars and has stated that it could span a decade. Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama stated in the PlayStation Magazine Australia that the Fabula Nova Crystallis series is slated to be a multi-platform series, not exclusive only to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PSP.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII would end up becoming Final Fantasy XV.

Released games
Final Fantasy XIII, the first title in the series, was released in Japan on December 17, 2009, as a PlayStation 3 exclusive within the territory. It was released in North America and Europe on March 9, 2010, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.