After adamantly insisting that you do not videotape or record the screening in any way or else, the Square Enix private theater showcased numerous titles from the ever-expanding Final Fantasy universe. The first trailer on display was the lead game in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, Final Fantasy XIII. In English, a narrator explains a corruption that seems to plaguing the land. "Those tainted by the outside were exiled," he explains.

Earlier trailers highlighted Lightning, but the trailer at TGS showed off a number of new characters, environments and creatures. A gunman that seems to have specific mastery over water shoots a crystal, creating a massive water summon. Paths of ice form in the sky, as he rides along on a motorcycle. Certainly, a spectacle to behold. Then a massive African-inspired scene provides a stark contrast to the futuristic environments we've seen of the game so far. Fantastic Mammoth-like beasts walk across a river in a scene that could've been ripped out of a Afrika gone slightly astray. Debuting in this new trailer was a brand new female character that stands, staring at a frozen planet orbiting in the sky. The trailer ends with a proud proclamation "PS3 Only," to silence any doubters.

Once again, we were stunned by the visuals of the trailer, which went beyond the quality of most Hollywood productions. The new dry landscape showcased provides reassurance that the game will not remain stagnant in its visual look. However, in spite of the incredible excitement generated by the trailer, we were surprised that a different game in the Square Enix theater stole the show.

Know of the old adage: save the best for last? Square Enix did just that with its incredible Final Fantasy Versus XIII presentation. In spite of being comprised of completely non-interactive and most likely pre-rendered footage, the Versus trailer absolutely stunned the audience due to its incredible sense of style. The trailer begins, telling viewers that "this is a fantasy based in reality." What could that mean?

The footage begins with a car driving by, segueing to a familiar scene of the mysterious male protagonist deflecting bullets from an opposing military force. Quickly, the trailer flashes to a girl in a school outfit that seems to be awaiting someone. Latin text is interspersed throughout, fitting to the beat of both the visuals and music. Already, there's a strong sense of style and intrigue.

A meticulously designed cathedral is the next scene in the trailer, and we see a mysterious hooded individual eerily similar to a character in Advent Children. All the while, snippets of the lead killing the opposing soldiers in a surprisingly gory way. We were shocked to see blood spurt out of the villains -- could this be the first M-rated Final Fantasy game?

Other scenes show a friend to our mysterious unnamed lead character traveling through a desert highway, only to find the highway covered in what looks to be a newly created river. Here, we get to see the duality of fantasy and reality at play: there's a clear sense of emotion conveyed through the facial animation system, and the characters do feel quite human, in spite of the clearly fantastic events that surround them. At the end of the trailer, we finally see the male and female characters meet, glad at first. But then, as red and blue auras surround them both, a sad look of despair creeps in. We'd have to guess that these two, friends at first, are destined to be mortal enemies. A familiar, but nonetheless intriguing concept.

With its stylish character designs, fantastic environmental art, a strong sense of dramatic direction, and incredibly visceral action makes Versus a game rich with potential. To evoke such a powerful response from the audience from a completely non-playable presentation means that Square Enix can have a winner on its hands: let's hope that, unlike Dirge of Cerberus, the game can deliver on such an ambitious promise.

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i love how half of this thread is about racism in america and the other half is pictures of kittens