A MYTH BASED IN FANTASY -- The Legacy of Final Fantasy Versus XIII

Final Fantasy Versus XIII was a game that never saw the light of day... or are we seeing that notion unravel?
In this video I go over the history of the project, the goals it was trying to achieve, and how it was reborn in the most unlikely of places.
Writing, Narration, Graphics, Editing, and mixing by HiMyNameIsZipp
A HUGE thank you to these people who helped me with feedback, provided personal footage, and/or encouraged me to make this video:
.Trash-It-Trevor
.Draper
.Zeal
.Vulkoi
.Nyx
.Solar
.Luna
The videos that were used came from the following channels -- Please support them!
.13th Vessel:
/ 13thvessel
.Sylvarion Ryulong:
/ @sylvarionryulong2922
.Stephie Rocks:
/ stephiemichelle45
#KingdomHearts #FinalFantasy #FFXIV #Yozora #VerumRex #KingdomHearts4 #KH4

[@kermitwithamustache3885]

It's amazing how people still talk about the concepts of a cancelled game even after 15 years. Versus truly was something special

[@himynameiszipp]

It truly was! The concepts that we were shown left a big impression on me when I was a kid. Even though I ultimately enjoyed my time with FFXV I can’t help but feel like we missed out on something truly special. That being said, I can’t wait to see what develops from this! Thank you so much for watching!

[@Marzellus1991]

Nomura's concept was about to be game changing for FF games. Over the years waiting it didn't get brought to fruition as he hoped. So I agree truly something we missed out on

[@BlueShadow74_]

I saw you on the other ffvxiii video

[@ninianstorm6494]

@@himynameiszipp the real fascists' are globalists that are blaming russia like a cult = Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 obama and Smith-Mundt Act in 2012/2013 which legalized propaganda by US government to be used ON the US people jan 6 is false flag to frame trump for break glass similar to ukraine coup 2014 to oust current president by cia shoot at both guards/protesters or hide among protesters to shoot at guards kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGrVn6KbZp2kadU 1. wesley clark reveal 2000 to 2012 all rig for kill iraq to syria kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo dnc kill 50 in vegas/portland, thugs attack with stand down cops san jose/charlotte, burn loot several months, sabotage afgan withdraw using russia bounty smear to give taliban equip kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nSfWuqfbiUbck there is selective outrage from cia/media similar to ukraine 8 years bombing cuban missile crisis 2.0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/laGqnHmDndRpedE kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2aZZ6Ofm8mhi5Y kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4rQdKePgapsoZI usa lied about sending troops to fight isis enter syria, then it change to assad must go, they had turkey kill kurds so pelosi can stay in syria everyone remember nbc threaten follow jury with later to use thought police thugs? they gave protest t- shirts to san quan mayor puerto rico to lie about never receive hurricane maria aid destroy cali prop187 and create daca=south america stay cheaper than normal for outsource by throw away portion of their population for usa to take care of. arrest all that hate withdraw from syria because they rig 2000 to 2012 kill iraq-syria but shameless blame russia! then we can give everyone medicare, reduce inflation so wages regain value

[@Alpenmilch]

Amazing how many are pulling these theories out of knowhere, the japanese media tried to clear up a lot of the fan whishing the english "community" is pushing out as "the untold story". What's the point of all this. Keep inventing stories how Nomura got his opportunity taken by executives. Even tho 0 proof of this ever came up, quite the opposite team members from XIII versus that stayed with Tabata for XV are not pleased from this creative freedom the community is taken on their work.

[@RICOBTB28]

I know it probably hurts Nomura knowing he can’t use Noctis to make his original vision but instead has to use yozora

[@FlareVolt0]

why cant he ? its his game and story

[@RICOBTB28]

@@FlareVolt0 because of square

[@himynameiszipp]

I’ve heard that he’s not a big fan at all of FFXV’s Noctis - as if that iteration of him is an estranged child. I’m glad that he’s found a place to once again explore those concepts again though!

[@OrganizationXIII]

@@himynameiszipp I’m not a fan of FF15 either! I felt Nomura when he said this!

[@retroman5432]

@@RICOBTB28 So? Kingdom Hearts is technically a Disney and Square Enix crossover, yet at least in the mainline games, Final Fantasy characters have appeared. If Kingdom Hearts is also gonna be more going into Quadratum instead of looking at other Disney Worlds, and considering Yozora said that its not his real form, then that means Nomura is gonna be using Noctis for KH4. Saying its because of Square isn't enough proof on why Noctis won't be there, when really its also the same company working on Kingdom Hearts. And Nomura LITERALLY works at Square Enix too!!!! So Noctis will be in Kingdom Hearts 4 1,000%.

[@gio9255]

Anyone else find this in your recommends after Kingdom Hearts IV announcement? Why in the world doesn't this video have more views? This is the most concrete explanation behind the troubled development of Versus XIII I've seen so far. FFXIII and Crystal Tools delaying the development of Versus XIII and ultimately leading to it's cancellation makes so much sense. The main lesson from this video. Don't start developing a game until it's engine is complete. If the engine is still not good enough, switch to a better one. Nomura switching to Unreal 4 for his future projects ensured a steady stream of games since 2019.

[@himynameiszipp]

By using a heavily supported 3rd party engine that is seen as an industry standard, I believe that future titles will have a much faster turnaround. Thank you so much for the kind words and for watching!

[@OrganizationXIII]

If only they started developing Versus 13 now with the technology we have available today. Things could of been different! Imagine VS13 on unreal engine 5 playing it on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X!

[@danielramsey6141]

@@OrganizationXIII True, but you also have to remember the Time in which this series was announced! The fact it took them till 2016! Showed that Versus 13 had diminishing investment due to how lagging their Engine development was going! All the while they could only come up with a mere fraction of the original Scope of VS13’s gameplay and storyline! The Game was meant to start in the city with the characters escaping, but due to the fact that there was really only time placed into the Concept phase and no actual work just shows how badly mismanaged the In-game engine development was going! It was a Bad idea from the very start, which only made FF13 series and number as a whole the Black sheep because of this mess!

[@leviandhisbae7375]

Same, for 10 years I've been searching for videos that can explain to me what happened and what went wrong. This is the first video that truly got me to understand what was going on.

[@kujafreak]

I grew up waiting for Versus XIII all those years. This video explains PERFECT how i feel about the whole thing. Sub+1

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so much and thank you for subbing!

[@Yilue]

Man the vibe of the orignal versus xiii trailer is literally like something I would make if I was a game director. Its literally a dream game in terms of tone and artsytle. Also the music is just amazing. We got the music in 15 atleast. I liked 15 but damn what we could've of really got. Also amazing video, your really underated and deserve more recognition

[@himynameiszipp]

I liked XV too despite the fact it wasn’t what we originally wanted. A fun game for sure but man imagine what that original game could’ve been. I really appreciate you taking the time to watch!

[@ZeranZeran]

I can't believe that entire trailer was made by 2 PEOPLE. Just TWO! I would've thought something like that would take years and require a team. Square-Enix made one of the biggest mistakes by ignoring the hype for this game. Nobody likes FF15, because it's not what was promised. We want FFVXIII! I would pay a ridiculous amount of money for even a beta build of this game. If they won't do it, the fans will.

[@leviandhisbae7375]

@@ZeranZeran Sooner or later there will come a program that everyone can use to make their own games, imagine that. We hardcore fans would just make a bunch of alternate XVs and versusXIIIs even by the time we're too old to hold a controller anymore. HAHA

[@barsabe]

@@leviandhisbae7375 well, under this shinra rule such technologies would not be developed for collective use. we can end in a cyberpunk setting or perish in heat.

[@OmegaKatanaXIII]

Versus xiii is one of those games that will never be forgotten let alone be talked about due to first impression alone and how Nomura wishes no desires for his vision of final fantasy becomes real he hints it at every game he's involved in that's dedication right there as much as fans who wished to see it come to life.

[@OrganizationXIII]

Dude Nomura is getting old he will retire soon! He is in his 50’s now and games take like 20 years to take so you do the math!

[@OmegaKatanaXIII]

@@OrganizationXIII bro a game does four to five years at least and he does three if planed right 12 years of by a couple

[@honestkyn718]

A ghost that haunts everything he toiches. Hot take but honestly sometimes things are better left to rest

[@gabrisbrasileiro]

What was done to Nomura was a crime open to see. Time and time again he was left with no way to go forward with his work only to be cut off when he finally got the resources to finally actually work.

[@sagewaterdragon]

I think I've watched literally every video about Versus XIII on this platform (God help me), and this is by far the best. The tight editing, concise explanations of complex topics, and reliance on facts over speculation will help this age like a fine wine, I'm going to be recommending this to my friends when I want a reference point for the history of Versus moving forward. Thank you, and I'm excited to see you make more on this platform moving forward.

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so so much for the kind words and encouragement. I’ve a few ideas for future videos and I can’t wait to explore them in future! Thank you again for watching.

[@OrganizationXIII]

@@himynameiszipp thank you so freaking much for the video dude!!!!!!!!!

[@atnak200]

This video is the most coherent and complete Versus XIII development history I have ever seen, and I have been watching a bunch just now. Honestly what impress me the most is how professional your presentation is. Voice Over? Perfect. Content, language and objectivity? Feels like National Geographic, and I am nerdy enough to like documentaries. Really this feel like something that could be shown on TV

[@himynameiszipp]

I deeply appreciate all of the kind words 😭 this was my first video essay and I hope to improve the quality of others in the future!

[@atnak200]

@@himynameiszippDefinitely looking forward to your next videos! 😄

[@LettaLeeJoy]

Deeply fascinating. Tetsuya Nomura is an absolute legend. And I have a deep respect for any creator who loves their story enough to stay this loyal to it despite everything. Truly inspiring.

[@himynameiszipp]

He’s definitely an artist through and through. Finding a way to fit elements from Versus into KH without alienating the fanbase was an undertaking I’m sure, and I also deeply respect him for that.

[@Jim-pq9pm]

Too bad he has no love for FF7's story

[@tsukopara2054]

@@Jim-pq9pm It's very common knowledge that Nomura wanted to do a 1:1 remake of VII, but Yoshinori Kitase wanted to do something different with the story. If anything, Nomura held back some of the more extreme changes Kitase admitted to wanting. Also, fun fact, Nomura did not write Advent Children or Crisis Core.

[@Jim-pq9pm]

@@tsukopara2054 Show me that he wanted a 1:1 remake. Should be easy if it's as common as you say it is.

[@nathanael9159]

@@Jim-pq9pm 🤡

[@serenityssolace]

I'm a Versus maximalist. I never played XV because it hurt me so much to see my most anticipated video game of all time die like that. But thankfully it seems that I share the same love for Versus as Nomura. I'll wait for this game, no matter how many decades it takes. I want Noctis and Stella's story to be told

[@sagewaterdragon]

That seems a bit extreme, I think XV is a pretty great game, you're really missing out on something special. That said, it absolutely isn't the game that Nomura originally wanted to make, so I think treating it as its own separate thing with the same high-level plot outline and character designs is about as far as you can take it.

[@kenneth27205]

Nomura revenge

[@PROPHETBLXDE]

If I had a time machine, I'd stop myself from wasting my time on that forever not so finished abomination. I'd warn myself Tabata wasn't at all decent like I optimistically thought he would be. He got his karma in the end in my opinion lol. You are awesome! I commend you and really respect you! Saying so is worth the risk of which ever individuals I end up triggering. 😂

[@serenityssolace]

@@PROPHETBLXDE Thank you my friend! Tabata did a bad job, but I don't blame him either. It's the higher ups that don't understand anything and just care for their money. They don't even know how to run the company. (For example Yoichi Wada, former CEO). Don't worry bro, nobody should get offended over your comment! Cheers!

[@PROPHETBLXDE]

@@serenityssolace No problem mate! I forgot to add my annoyance at them as well overall! It did not surprise me recently when Sonic The Hedgehog's creator, who used to work for them, said that they did not care about games or game fans. I've thought that for years now. Hopefully not! You're welcome!

[@RAS556]

If Square Enix wants to keep FF alive, they need to go back and make this game.

[@straenverkehrgeheimpolizei3083]

agree

[@lovesgibson]

But that’s what you’re supposed to be getting from Kingdom Hearts 4 lol

[@moondoor9031]

I remember when Nomura said that Stella would be different from any female character that ever appeared in the franchise. Her potential could be amazing if she actually had a time to shine, she was a warrior like Noctis and I'm pretty sure she would be a strong warrior that Noctis would be forced to battle with. Ah, I wish she would appear in the game instead of Luna. i will never forget her.

[@himynameiszipp]

Maybe the Nameless Star will give us a glimpse of who Stella could’ve been if she re-emerges from the Final World? That would be exciting to see!

[@phoeben9764]

I was so excited to see the Noctis-Stella story, but instead they gave us a generic female sidekick character.

[@XanderVJ]

I can't get over the fact that Nomura managed to bring his visioned world back to life UNDER DISNEY'S NOSE. You know Disney? The company that now has a such grip on their properties that you have to cater to every single of their brand management whims? Say what you will about Nomura. That deserves some respect.

[@himynameiszipp]

The man is an absolute legend!

[@xMysticxbutterfly]

if he just throws away Disney's characters and stick to kingdom hearts and do his own thing would be much better you know going in to worlds in KH does nothing but passing a hubs

[@shepherdstar14]

@@xMysticxbutterflybut remember Kingdom Hearts having Disney worlds is a tradition of the franchise. As long as he adds Disney worlds Disney will allow him to do what he wants, most of the time. But he should add fewer Disney Worlds and I think he’s gonna only stick to a few popular films and franchises while fukly integrating Final Fantasy characters and original Kingdom Hearts characters

[@BlueserCB]

Man there probably isn't a year going by where I won't think of this game. I still mourn that we will never get Versus 13 even if Verum Rex becomes a real thing or if it appears in KH. I don't think we will ever get the real Versus 13 that we all been mourning...

[@rockmacher]

There is a fan theory that Yozora is Noctis’s nobody

[@GantzGeo]

Everytime I watch the ffv13 trailer, it brings me back to simpler times. Man what could of been.

[@mylesobrien7477]

Same man the energy and vibe enraptured me as a kid something about it wormed it's way into my psyche. For year afterwards I would go back and watch that first trailer, then when FF15 came out I was so excited, but it felt hollow compared to what I had imagined. I couldn't enjoy it cause it just lacked the soul I remembered feeling. Those were the best of times not cause it was necessarily better and admittedly I have access to much more than I did then, but I had such genuine hope for the future and the Fate of versus xiii mirrored my own. I hope it comes back in some way just so I could have some closure.

[@MichealSteven-uj8rj]

I love the old footage of early Final Fantasy Versus... I wish we got this game!

[@grey5178]

I have played final fantasy 15 and it was fun but versus 13 seems like something truly special. I want to play final fantasy versus 13, it looks like a game I would not only like but love.

[@TREVORVADER]

It’s a shame that Noctis and company have so much room for more stories to be told yet it got the short end of the stick. So many elements got scrapped that the final version of FFXV is missing so much stuff from the trailers and it didn’t even get to finish releasing its DLC. Not to mention they went the multimedia route so everything that happened in the crown city at the beginning wasn’t even playable or done by Noctis in the end despite it being so prominently shown as the primary aspect of the trailers for years. If only every FF game got the treatment FF7 gets where they keep adding to it even years after release. I know I’d like to see some more alternate timeline shenanigans in the XV universe. If one was inspired by versus XIII then that’s all the better.

[@richardtv9859]

I prefer having a FFXV remake rather than FFVII, its so overrated, i played both FFVII original and remake and its just so-so for me, idk what people saw through it but it doesnt have much impact to me except maybe the gameplay is at least entertaining and also ill add the graphics on remake yah its superb but other than that yah yah lol, FFXV on the other hand made me drool for many years since i first saw the trailer eay back 2013, its like im obsessed with it looking for trailer every now and then, until now im still watching the trailer, thats how superb FFXV it but tabata wrecked it, i wish they should just finished FFXV rather than FFVII remake

[@guywithnohouse.6808]

The tragedy of XIII and what became of it with verum rex is honestly the real life equal of what an anime comeback is, not really what you expected, but honestly as beautiful as it could be, the pride nomura must've felt in the re mind dlc like and the energy that is being generated through all of it is the equivalent of "Serves you right!" to the people that he had to mutilate his vision towards. Honestly will forever shed a tear unironically for what nomura wants/wanted to acomplish with XIII, and the fact that he calls sora and noctis the sons that he cares so much about is what makes this feel so much more geniune, nomura is a modern age warrior, I hope he'll keep fighting for his vision from now on and until he passes.

[@RaykuDarc]

Loved the video man. It's crazy, here I am a 29 year old man. Manager of a Starbucks. Just a nerd who was so inspired by Final Fantasy Versus XIII as a kid that I started writing my own stories. Fast forward to now and I'm 700 pages deep in my own world. Even now I still search for the trailer just to feel that special feeling of awe. Your video is truely amazing and exploring the actaully history is so cathartic that I had to leave you my life story. Peace and love my dude and I hope to see more from you in the future.

[@himynameiszipp]

I’m very glad that my video was able to bring back some of those memories for you man! Best of luck in your writing, and never stop creating❤️

[@johnnada6855]

Yozora/Noctis says "i´m having these weird thoughts" thinking is the opposite of dreaming., Zora used to say "i´m having these weird dreams" , Nomura is taking the next level of opposite, Noctis was suppose to be a dark and sad and violent person in a realistic world the opposite of Zora which was cartoony, naive and friendly., now Noctis is not only the opposite of Zora but he is also the opposite of himself, he is not a real person anymore he was turned into a "videogame" version of himself, "yozora", the truth of Noctis will only be solved when this new arch is finished, maybe again as a secret movie

[@spark9189]

"i've been having these weird thoughts lately" is the direct line from kingdom hearts 1

[@spiralkingxiii9496]

This is what ive been needing since kh3 remind and ff15 you sir have gained your 30th sub! Keep doin you! Also shibuya hikarie is the building the master of master was standing on in the secret movie of kh3 and the building next to him was in the verum rex trailer it was the one with "stella" surrounded by gigas and pink light in real life the building is called shibuya scramble square with the roof "stella" was on is called shibuya sky

[@himynameiszipp]

The real-world references and locations are so intriguing with all of this. The fact that we’re seeing KH, TWEWY, and Versus converge is extremely exciting and I can’t wait to see what they do! I’m so glad you liked the video - thank you so much for watching and subscribing!

[@Truekingr6]

WE WERE FINALLY GOING TO HAVE AN ACTUAL FANTASY CITY TO EXPLORE BUT NOOOOOOOOOO

[@Phantom-T]

As someone who entered the Final Fantasy fandom proper with XV, I absolutely love that game to death and it has brought me much joy, but this video has educated me much more on Versus XIII and what the game meant to people. An exciting game with an intriguing premise and idea seemingly left forever unexplored until now. Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do with Kingdom Hearts...

[@delsingray5923]

I really wish they just make a remake/versus 15 that tells his story. I really don't want it as KH.

[@RICOBTB28]

They didn’t care about Nomuras project little did they know it would be something that would grow

[@leviandhisbae7375]

I do love FFXV despite all its flaws, and there are many. But I truly wish and hope that we might get a remake some day in the future, a remake of an alternate XV or even versus XIII, as an alternate universe, but keeping the four main characters of XV as they are, cuz they are pretty much the fuel XV ran on and the best part about the game. If we're real lucky and Nomura or Tabata are feeling ambitious, they could team up and give us a full length game that would be the combo of all the cancelled DLCs, with more altnerate takes. Like Episode Ignis. I really wanted more of an explanation as to how they managed to change Noct's fate so that he did not have to die. We deserve a happy ending Q-Q

[@TREVORVADER]

Unfortunately those DLCs got canceled after Tabata left Square. Their story is present in a novel though

[@orangejjay]

It's funny to me how Square keeps the trailer for the game up on their KZbin channel but has disabled comments AND voting. 😂😂 Square has never really been good about supporting fans outside of peddling crappy "remakes" and milking the hell out of FF7.

[@maxlvl912]

This video is stellar! The editing and script quality for a channel with less than one hundred subs is insane. I’m sure you have much more to add after the KH4 reveal. The whole Yozora and Versus XIII story really highlights the nutty, slightly ridiculous brilliance of Tetsuya Nomura. I mean what other director would take his cancelled project and revive it inside his most popular franchise? And yet, somehow make it work. Will be interesting to see how deep the Versus XIII veins go into KH 4 but just the sheer audacity of what Nomura is doing is worth sticking with.

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you very much for your kind words! I’ve considered making a short follow up seeing as how much of Versus has already shown itself in that trailer. I’m incredibly interested and excited to see how Nomura will converge these two worlds even further in the future when we get more updates!

[@OrganizationXIII]

Bro I just hope I’m alive to see it! Games take FOREVER to create unfortunately! They are just now starting production on KH4 and Verum Rex will come after that! We are going to be waiting a long time! I’ll probably be done college and will have a family by the time it comes out!

[@The_13th_Voyager]

Nomura is an absolute legend and one of my insperations for becoming a game dev. I'm already directing my own project with a lot of things from Versus XIII in mind. #VersusXIII #FinalFantasy #TetsuyaNomura #gamedev #ReClaimVersusXIII

[@squaredenex6206]

I’ve been waiting for a versus xiii video like this. Thank you!

[@himynameiszipp]

I’m so glad that you liked it! And thank YOU for watching!

[@Sensaki_CariagaZt]

You think what Sora was actually fighting was Noctis, I mean maybe Sora just sees him who he wants to see. And for Yozora it's the same thing?

[@davesinsanestudio8072]

Great video. You summarized what happened to ff13 mythos pretty well in a short ammount of time.

[@himynameiszipp]

I deeply appreciate that! Was a little worried about getting too in the weeds of it, so I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to watch!

[@ultimamage3]

Manifesting KH4 by talking about Versus XIII and what it became is absolutely goated.

[@himynameiszipp]

I had to put all my energy into summoning that trailer

[@ThatBeingCed]

@@himynameiszipp The energy was received !

[@silverssprincess]

Manifesting the original versus XIII to be rebooted and to see the light of day!!

[@BooksfromaBiGuy]

I had been following the development of Versus XIII ever since I was a wee child on the internet when it was announced, and everything that has happened since then has been a rollercoaster. It’s nice to see you show off a lot of that journey here in this video, and it has me hope that Nomura may one day get to make the game he intended to, but I fear Verum Rex may be all he ever gets (and that, I imagine, will never be what the full intended experience was). Hope you continue to create more retrospective/essay videos like this!

[@himynameiszipp]

I’m glad that my video was able to take you down memory lane! I also hope that Nomura can bring back as much as he can. Thank you so much for watching! I’ve been planning for the next video and hope to have it made soon!

[@spritefroggy]

This video brought me to tears near the end. Thank you for the great video.

[@CampingforCool41]

We’ll never know what versus 13 would have been, even if Nomura makes Verum Rex the vibe still seems different than Versus, it’s a different story.

[@TempestRyuno]

The shared mythology idea is actually pretty cool, it's a shame XIII got shit on the way it did because it's a great game and I would've loved to see how other games handled the L'cie/Fal'cie/Focus stuff.

[@lloron6]

Square Enix betrayal againts Versus XIII and Nomura was a huge piece of BS.

[@wreday720]

What the actual fuck?! 38 subscribers and your video quality is that high? Good stuff, lets give that algorithm a nudge in the right direction

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so much!! I put a lot of work into this video and I hope to tackle similar content in the future. Thank you for watching!

[@mont6411]

Amazing video. Great research, thoughtful content and presentation and smooth editing. All around well prepared and presented. I loved it!

[@himynameiszipp]

Thanks man!

[@Terribly_Grimm]

I really sympathize with Nomura and the Versus team, having your creative vision distorted into something barely related is a demoralizing and frustrating thought

[@himynameiszipp]

Agreed - I can’t imagine how low the morale of the team was throughout the whole process. Truly heartbreaking, and something I hope none of them have to deal with in the future.

[@LukeBerserker]

Thank you for helping me go down memory lane! Versus XIII will always be my favorite FF that never happened😭😭

[@flygonkerel781]

I’m still waiting for the return of vs 13

[@KingKabisi]

Really wish fabula nova crystalis gets some sort of.. remake or redo. I really enjoyed 13 and to know that it could've been better is crazy

[@noavsnow7134]

Wow amazing video I would love to see versus 13 rebooted with noctis and crew

[@himynameiszipp]

I would love to see it too one day! Maybe eventually we’ll get another taste of it. Thank you so much for watching!

[@Treasure-bl3cn]

in my heart it will always be stella x noctis and sasuke x karin. idc about anything else. this romances will never die

[@HeroSosh]

Nomura going to slowly turn the KH franchise and add in the elements of versus 13.. unless the Yozora Easter eggs were all there would be.. either way.. I think KH series waaayy too convoluted for it to be popular again.. def peaked in KH2 and since KH3 conclusion.. like someone threw a grenade at the script/timeline/plot Don’t think Nomura very good at directing.. character design sure.. but not lead director.. there was a point in FF15’s development (well into the 3-4 years alrdy) and they had a interview and both Nomura and Tabata were like, “wait, IM the one directing this?” Thus, why it was a shit show.. then Nomura taken off to destroy KH plot.. and Tabata left with the trash can-fire that was FF15 launch .. then Tabata canned for its poor performance due to lack of direction and management.. 🤦‍♂️

[@benvids]

I’m really enjoying FFXV and I think people will appreciate it more as time goes on. Hopefully versus-13 will get it’s due in Kingdom Hearts 4.

[@gothtaku6666]

Absolutely amazing 🤩 video dude. And this Was Timed So well With Kingdom Hearts IV. Being as it was just Reviealed maybe if you get a chance you can do it as a part 2. Of sorts

[@himynameiszipp]

Thanks so much homie! I’ve been exploring different ideas for my next video and I may do a short follow up in the coming weeks!

[@richardtv9859]

I prefer having a FFXV remake rather than FFVII, its so overrated, i played both FFVII original and remake and its just so-so for me, idk what people saw through it but it doesnt have much impact to me except maybe the gameplay is at least entertaining and also ill add the graphics on remake yah its superb but other than that yah yah lol, FFXV on the other hand made me drool for many years since i first saw the trailer eay back 2013, its like im obsessed with it looking for trailer every now and then, until now im still watching the trailer, thats how superb FFXV it but tabata wrecked it, i wish they should just finished FFXV rather than FFVII remake

[@linklegend7536]

Bro I swear its always the smaller channels with the best content on the platform LOL. Sick video man

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so much homie 🙏🏻

[@jkbobful]

This is a very well made video

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@a_peridox]

The story starts off sad, and then becomes hopeful. Versus XIII, as well as the Fabula Nova Crystalis series, deserved a lot better

[@himynameiszipp]

It truly did deserve more than the botched treatment it received for sure. The good thing is that FF veterans can hopefully look at how it was handled and know what NOT to do with the franchise. Yoshida is definitely a testament to that - especially considering how openly critical he is in how it’s been handled before.

[@a_peridox]

@@himynameiszipp They should probably just stick to one engine as to avoid stuff like this ever happening again. In another world, the entire series gets remastered to the glory it should've had

[@evacody1249]

​@@himynameiszipp FF13 series was bad because it was not Final Fantasy. It was Final Sci Fi. FF14 ARR saved not just FF but Square.

[@MBEG89]

We all know this was gonna be the greatest ff game ever made. It was about to take the series to another level, but instead we got 15.

[@evacody1249]

Yes, it was so going to take it to the relay of Edge lords. 🙄

[@MBEG89]

@@evacody1249 what was the point of you writing that to me? Do you have a problem with me liking this game?

[@glutton7sin672]

i know its probably a coincidence. but when you look back at it the kh franchise since 2 in a way kinda hinted towards something like this with organization "XIII" or how the x-blade is made 7 light and "13" dark instead of 10 light 10 dark. probably more of kh lore reasons but this is nomura we are talking about so a coincidence could be the biggest plot thread we have seen so far

[@roguescorner9042]

Versus XIII refuses to die. It's like you said, one way or another, this story will be told.

[@albertoedoni9953]

#ReleaseVsXiii

[@adammalik5397]

not a fan of nomura-style storytelling (KH, Advent children & twewy), but he deserve to get his vision realized

[@cyclone4273]

I hope we get a separate game for Verum Rex after KH4

[@Fourtune1]

They changed it because people complained about FF13. A game so allegedly bad that they made 3 that each sold very well…

[@richardtv9859]

No they change it bec. of deadline issues, the game still just on 70% when the deadline is almost near

[@TrashItTrev]

Very much enjoyed helping you on this, turned out to be an excellent video (as expected) :)

[@himynameiszipp]

I sincerely appreciate your feedback and help man. Your suggestions helped ensure my vision for this was clear and concise! 😃

[@A23Channel1]

I wanna be in the timeline where this released.

[@ZombieChimps]

I still want Versus XIII

[@frostbitepup87]

Yozora feels like the soul of noctis, literally ripped from his likeness, the "Noctis" in XV felt so blah and didn't have much of a personality that it felt like something heavy was missing from him.

[@rockmacher]

Square cancels Vs 13. Nomura “Fine. I’ll do it myself”

[@vulkoi1032]

Amazing video. Time for me to finish my playthrough of Kingdom Hearts lol

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so much man! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts when you finish the other games!

[@PunkieDudie]

It was 2017. Following some little 14-year-old brainless play of the demo FF14 Online, FF15 was the second game that introduce me to the world of Final Fantasy. Though, it did not capture me. The introduction of the 15's world had left me with little interest from the rest of the franchise. I remember every time I try to play, properly, from the start, the characters, and the world had not captured my interest. 3 years later, during the 2020 Pandemic, I saw the announcement trailer of FF16. It had interestingly hit me with unplanned fascination. I was heavily invested to know what of this. Sometime later, in 2023, a 20-year-old playing the FF16 demo was beyond anything that I had expected or experienced. That introduction was stunning and heartbreaking, leaving me wanting more till the release day. Though FF16 had properly brought me to this world of fantasy, I had stopped my play due to personal conflicts around the time of playing it. It had been almost a month since I played it. But because of this, wanting to play FF16 but doesn't have the right emotional stance to play it, a week ago I found that I own FF7Remake through my PsPlus Sub. Since then, FF7 had brought me head first to the proper world of Final Fantasy. Watching Easter eggs, FF7 Original/Remake comparisons, etc, I can say it had properly earned a fan. Then days later, learning about 15 was originally going to be a blockbuster game, Versus 13, my interest in what could've been, the course of my Final Fantasy journey would've been different. But now, sitting here, watching this video, literally 20 mins after finishing FF7 Remake, this video had brought me full circle back to 15. Especially with Verum Rex, my excitement had skyrocketed! Will I play 15 again? Maybe. But for now, as I sit here, I'll be waiting for FF7Rebirth, and possibly, for Verum Rex to arrive.

[@HeroicZ31]

21:06 So, I just looked up what Verum Rex means. If both are translated, it becomes "True King" or "Genuine King". If Yozora is a parallel to Noctis, and Noctis was a prince, and his father didn't want to give up title of king, then maybe this title is in reference to Versus XIII original story? Maybe Noctis was going to take the title of King from his father in the game? Who knows

[@randomgamer625]

Translated in what language?

[@HeroicZ31]

@@randomgamer625 I meant to say the meaning of the words, Verum means true, Rex means king. Didn't mean to say translate lol

[@randomgamer625]

@@HeroicZ31 It says Latin -_-

[@HeroicZ31]

@@randomgamer625 I see. I'm ngl I made that reply in haste because I was at work, so I didn't really have the time to go through fact check, so my bad

[@noavsnow7134]

@@HeroicZ31I think that Regis staying in the versus xiii 2011 trailer “I will go down in history as the last king”and the quote “act of love by the last king”shows that he did’t want Noctis to be king maybe he made some sort of pact with Etro or some fabula nova crystallis god to not let Noctis bear the burden of being king also the one he’s speaking to in the 2011 trailer is the man who appears in the images in the 2013 trailer Regis’s brother who I think betrays Lucis and helps Nifilheim attain the crystal being similar to the story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare with Noctis going out for revenge against his uncle

[@PROPHETBLXDE]

I'll wait for Versus XIII for the rest of my life. Not interested in Verum Rex as anything more than a spinoff to add additional Versus XIII characters.

[@TurquoiseFilms]

breaks my heart we didnt get all of this

[@tobiesoftstudio823]

Superb editing and voice over. Your voice is very soothing. You've earned a sub =]

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you very much for watching!

[@NemesisSP]

A game I'll be waiting for even though I doubt anything will come of it, though I will still be looking to see what's going to happen with Verum Rex and Kingdom Hearts. It won't be the same, but that's fine. A very well put together video. It should have more views than it has. Though, there was some choppy pixellation going on in parts.

[@himynameiszipp]

There’s always going to be this part of me that hopes Versus will suddenly be announced again, but you’re right - at least we’ll be getting glimpses of it in KH4. Thank you for the feedback! I was definitely frustrated by the pixelation issues in some of the clips, but I think I’ll just have to be more careful in quality control next time!

[@collpolp]

Versus could have been the best game ever sad it didn’t come out loved the KH 2 combat it sounded like it was gonna be everything I loved from KH2 in a final fantasy which I also love

[@CGcarmineCG]

I'm still waiting for Final Fantasy Versus XIII after all these years. Hope one day we all will have the chance to play it. Great video. I'll share on Twitter in the hope more people will see it.

[@kenneth27205]

Verum rex

[@himynameiszipp]

Versus making a full comeback is a pipe dream but I’d love if they’d release something of it one day. Thank you for watching and sharing!

[@silverssprincess]

Let's manifest for it to come back

[@tritboiz6182]

this deserves way more views.

[@himynameiszipp]

thank you very much!

[@venforya]

This video was absolutely stellar. Fantastic job on it!!

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you very much for watching! ❤️

[@gatst7680]

Absolutely goated video, keep it up!

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you for watching!

[@sonicdcm3493]

amazing video u earned a sub

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so much!!

[@Verkill97]

nice video nice channel i subscribe to you n.n greetings from Chile !!!

[@LostSoulSilver]

🎉🇨🇱🤝🇨🇱

[@johnnada6855]

VERSUS 13 was SUPER EASY to make, i mean, if you look at the actual gameplay footage they had, was all super easy to do, the videogame itself was like Crisis core, KH or Type 0, i mean, hack and slash wth touches of rpg, and was small, exactly like those games, the rest was filled with CGI for the story bits, just like those games, but then Square-Enix had to mess all around, had to complicate everything by trying to make the most expensive and useless engine ever, the Luminous Engine, of course FFXV looks good but the game itself suffered, so what do you prefer ?., a complete but simple game that could be interesting like Type 0 was? or a graphically impressive but unfinished game like FFXV., Versus is a sad story of bad luck and missed opportunities and the story of people bitting more than what they could chew.... They could still make Versus 13 without a problem in a world full of reboots and spin-offs, i hope they do

[@OrganizationXIII]

Imagine VS 13 on unreal engine 5 on the PlayStation 5 at 4K 120FPS

[@Hoopladoopa]

I’m only 5min in, but I have to say the quality of this documentary is superb. This is only at 30k views, but this will blow up for sure. Great job!

[@8bitmagic]

Incredible video, very underrated. I only became familiar with the real life more of vs 13 after finishing kh3, and I'm convinced this would've been my favorite game of all time and I seriously can't wait for verem rex. (And kh4 of course)

[@himynameiszipp]

Y’all - Thank you so much for the outpour of kind words and for taking the time to watch my video. I spent 2 months researching, writing, and editing this with the intent of providing a streamlined education on the history of the game. I never thought I would see myself reach past 50 subscribers - let alone 100 - in such a short amount of time. From the bottom of my heart - thank you, and may your heart be your guiding key. ❤️

[@RaykuDarc]

You deserve it my man! Awesome video. As someone who is trying to get there own stuff off the ground, I'm always going to give small creators there due and this is an amazing video. 👏

[@Alpenmilch]

How far did you try to research the japanese media about versus XIII? Sorry to say it but key details are missing from all English speaking videos covering this project development. I respect the work put into but what's the point when it's based on incomplete information that the net keeps sharing for years?

[@yungsteven8636]

that “Key” line made me pop off lets GOOOO KINGDOM FUCKIN HEARTS

[@herobrine0fights]

This is a ridicoulusully well done video summarizing Versus' legacy and probably one of the best on the site. Really good job dude and it seems like your channel is based around KH and FF so consider me a new sub! Looking forward to your next vid!

[@himynameiszipp]

That’s very humbling. Thank you so much for watching and subbing homie!

[@amb-yz9ee]

Over promising and under delivering. This is where cynicism about the gaming industry comes from. Even going back to the FF15 reveal, Square were obviously lying about the content of the game, almost nothing from that trailer was in the game.

[@ddames]

Great, great video!

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you!!

[@NoctLightCloud]

highly underrated and -viewed video!

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you very much, friend!

[@RTheStoryteller7]

Final Fantasy XV (Versus XIII) had the most fascinating development history in the entire series, and the story isn't even finished yet (Verum Rex) which it says a lot.

[@musicbydru]

YESS!!!! 🙌

[@himynameiszipp]

LETS GOOO

[@VerumLeonhart]

Nice video dude I hope you drop similiar content in the future

[@himynameiszipp]

Thank you so much! I'm definitely planning on future content in the same vein!

[@GR33Zy28]

If only FF 13 didnt flop Versus13 could have been soo much more and SE wouldn't have pushed or rushed Versus13 to be FF XV

[@himynameiszipp]

There were so many mistakes the company made under Wada - especially in how they mishandled the Fabula Nova Crystallis. The company became too reliant on pretty visuals and not making quality games, and it certainly showed. With Naoki Yoshida having a bigger say in how FF is handled though, it’s my belief that the quality control of FFXIV bleed into newer games - and that makes me hopeful.

[@LindaKruegel]

While I don’t believe versus 13 would’ve trumped 9 or 10. It definitely seemed better than whatever the hell 15 was. A game laden with a lackluster story, insurmountable dlcs, with an impressive combat system.

[@joshuacaelum4461]

You what’s also crazy, for the canceled Dawn of the future dlcs, in the novel wheres it’s noctis episode, the chapter describes the very first trailer of versus XIII we ever got! The chapter literally describes what’s going on and it’s sooooo familiar to the First trailer. Dude if they dlcs came just imagine playing as noctis and reliving the first trailer of versus XIII

[@lexaed7680]

Great video! I knew it already but seeing more people care about versus xiii is always a great thing, thank you!

[@himynameiszipp]

And thank YOU for watching! I’m glad that too so many people are still intrigued by a game that never came out.

[@SebiBubble]

Your cinematic editing really hyped me up to give my PS4 another whirl and complete my critical mode lvl 1 playthrough

[@himynameiszipp]

I love to hear that! Thank you so much for the kind words. Hope your playthrough has gone well since then!

[@TheOriginal_Unaleska]

I also want to point out that in FF15 (as I am playing it now, cause I haven't played since launch). The Ragnarok Sword is very similar to the sword Yozora uses, too.

[@thequinnchavez]

A masterfully penned deep dive. Thank you. I distinctly recall being so excited for Versus 13 and then feeling as equally betrayed when everything I thought I knew about the game was erased. Glad to see there's still plenty of love out there for what could have been.