Producer Yoshinori Kitase explains in a translated interview with the Dutch Official PlayStation Magazine that the version of XIII uses a completely different graphics engine than that used on PS3.

Kitase describes how an additional year of was required to tailor the 360 version so it would like on par with the game. Noting challenges on both system, he says the work resulted in both versions delivering the same visual quality, despite the graphics engines differing.

"We had to build a different engine for both versions. We needed a year of tinkering on each engine in order to get the same level of graphics."

Final Fantasy XIII will be available on both PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 9.

By Tracy Erickson