Also there are sand dragon things, which are not soft and smooth. The latest batch of screenshots for Final Fantasy XIII Sequel Two: I Guess You Guys Wanted to Play as Lightning shows off the Dead Dunes, a land of dunes and deadness in the world of Nova Chrysalia.
Sand is pretty great. It's easy to color, easy to render (unless you want to get all fancy), and it makes for screenshots that look like every other screenshot ever taken of a desert area with ruins and palm trees. Square Enix has been wandering the desert for decades. One of these days I'll have to compile a list of my favorites. Unlimited Saga would be right up there at the top.
The screens also show off the various shopping Lightning will be able to do while she's not busy posing dramatically in front of emerging sand beasts. Screenshots of shop interfaces are not as exciting as sand, but what is, really?
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is coming this fall to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Sand, sand, sand.