Final Fantasy XIII and Versus scans have a clown dog in them

As Square Enix continues to develop its upcoming multi-release cash cow, some new images and not-so new details have surfaced of both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Secured from the denizens of NeoGAF, we now bring you the newest information to arise from Square's latest dabbling in androgynous mayhem.

The magazine from which the scans are taken have some translated plot details, but it's nothing that followers of the title won't know already, as it talks about the floating city of Cocoon that has already been discussed by Squeenix in the past:

Built by a great entity, it is a society floating in the sky, enclosed in a "shell" -- Cocoon. It flourishes, protected by the great machines and living creatures invented by the Crystal.

The inhabitants of Cocoon, in a long period of tranquility, fear infection from the outside. Outside the shell, an underworld -- Pulse's entity awakens. Fearing this faceless invader, people begin to suspect one another, and hatred takes root.

Cocoon's government, wishing for stability, takes emergency measures. They arrest large numbers of citizens who were suspected of being "infected from the outside", and announced that they would be compelled to migrate to the underworld "Pulse". In reality, it meant banishment, but the fate which awaited them was even more cruel than that...

The crystal, a symbol of harmony, chose a person to whom to entrust destiny and lead the world.

She was chosen.

As the enemy of mankind, which ruins the world.

That's all dramatic and interesting, I'm sure, but look at the CLOWN DOG! Since it's on a page with Ifrit and Shiva, I wonder if he's a new Carbuncle (the green around his face and the red jewel on his head makes me think of the cute healing summon). Either way, he's bloody adorable, that's for damn sure. On the strength of one picture of an animal wearing a ruff, I declare FFXIII and all its presumptuous spin-offs a success.

[Mini-update: Atheistium has stated that the text indeed calls the dog Carbuncle. Score one for Matlockery!]

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