Gran Pulse

The much-feared world below Cocoon.

Gran Pulse is the much-feared world below the floating artificial sphere of Cocoon. While the Sanctum government orders purges against civilians who have supposedly come into contact with it, Pulse serves as a sprawling, natural environment distinct from the technology-dependent society above. It is home to the fal'Cie, mechanical beings with godlike power that control both worlds. The region represents a stark contrast to Cocoon's regulated order, featuring a landscape where magic exists in forms normally inaccessible to ordinary humans unless through Manadrives.

Quick Facts

Location type: Lower World; Surface
First appearance: Final Fantasy XIII

Lore & Background

Several hundred years before the game's events, a conflict known as the War of Transgression occurred between Pulse and Cocoon. During this battle, l'Cie from Pulse attacked and ripped a large hole in the floating sphere. The l'Cie eventually completed their focus and were turned to crystal, while the hole was patched with material lifted from Pulse itself. Since then, Cocoon's citizens have lived in fear of another invasion, a sentiment exploited by the Sanctum to maintain power. The fal'Cie on Pulse are capable of marking humans as servants called l'Cie, granting them visions of a Focus they must complete. Failure to finish this task turns them into mindless monsters known as Cie'th, while success transforms them into crystal for eternal life.

Reader's Guide

Players navigate Gran Pulse by foot or by chocobo, exploring areas rendered to scale relative to the characters rather than as miniature caricatures. The environment features open fields where enemies are integrated into the landscape, allowing players to approach or avoid them before triggering a separate battle screen. Combat relies on the Crystarium system for character development and the Paradigm system to control AI allies in roles like Commando, Ravager, Medic, Synergist, Saboteur, and Sentinel. The datalog provides a bestiary and incidental information about this world. Save stations allow players to purchase items from retail networks or upgrade weapons using hard disk drive storage.