This has been quite a milestone moment for me. Not only is this the first thing I’ve successfully been able to order and subsequently receive from the Square Enix online store, but it’s also the first item I’ve obtained through the use of their distributor, Digital River. My previous attempts have all resulted in cancelled shipments long after the initial orders had been placed and I thought for sure this would be the same story. Which is why when the collector’s edition for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was first announced, I thought for sure that it would never come into my possession without the use of some eBay middleman reseller. How fortunate I am.
At any rate, this package did in fact arrive at my doorstep, so now it’s time to see what’s inside. If you’d like to get one for yourself for either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, the MSRP is $89.99 plus whatever shipping and taxes you may incur. My advice? Throw on a plushie or something on top of the order so you can get free shipping; you’ll end up paying the same amount anyway and you’ll get a cute little extra to go with it.
Here it is:
That’s a big ol’ box, isn’t it? The outside of the package that you see here is merely a slipcover. Once you slide it off you’ll see a picture of Lightning, like so.
Here are the backs of both of them too.
The front part of the inner box (the part with Lightning showing on it) lifts off like a lid, giving access to the other contents. Here’s what it looks like when you first open it.
The first thing you spot when you expose the insides is the artbook. Laying across the artbook is what I like to call the “pull ribbon.” Tugging on this lifts up the artbook so you can grab it without jamming your fingers into the sides and damaging the box. Once you do get the book out of there, you’ll see the actual game and the box for the watch.
Here’s a closer shot of the artbook.
As you can see, it is a hardcover book and covers the various characters, enemies, and weaponry found within the game. I also spotted some summaries of the various games and characters.
This is what the back looks like in case you were curious.
Here’s a little closeup shot of that small box that was tucked away earlier. I didn’t notice this before until I got a closer look, but the cover of the box has the Lightning Returns logo on there. A small piece of plastic wraps around the box holding it shut.
When you lift the lid of the box, there will be a piece of paper that folds out into your basic instructions (telling you how to set the time, etc). Underneath is a thin foam layer that can be removed to expose the watch housed below.
A closer view reveals what is actually a nice bit of swag. The logo graces the front and a chain extends out the top to function like a traditional pocket watch.
As I opened it up I was surprised to find that it was already equipped with a battery and was ticking away at me as I gazed at it (the time shown was not accurate, but how cool would that have been?) Lifting the knob on the top and then twisting allows you to adjust to the correct hour and minute. Pushing down on it is what actually pops the watch open.
Here’s a shot of the back. Nothing too exciting other than it was made in China.
Now for something a little more familiar to those who may already have the regular edition of the game, both the front and back.
I put it up against the big box so you can see just how large it is by comparison.
And the side view. Don’t mind my hand. It doesn’t bite.
Wasn’t that fun? If you haven’t already, go ahead and scope out my impressions of the game from E3 2013. There will be a review on the way as soon as I fight my way out from underneath the pile of February releases. Thanks for looking!
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