Final Fantasy XIII was three DVDs when it released on Xbox 360 last year. Its sequel will only be one. How is that possible?

Director Motomu Toriyama says that in spite of the game having the "same amount of volume" as the original, the upcoming sequel features less pre-rendered cutscenes, opting for more real-time cinematics.

According to Famitsu (via Andriasang), the bonus of switching to real-time cutscenes is that armor changes will appear during cinematics. Those cinematic sequences may feature some "extreme scenes" and QTEs according to the Japanese magazine--but don't expect anything akin to a God of War game. Final Fantasy XIII-2 has a CERO B rating, the equivalent of a Teen rating here in the States.

Expect Final Fantasy XIII-2 in all its sub-9GB glory on January 31.