Tag: Square Enix
News Final Fantasy 6 Remake Mentioned Again, A Dream Project for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Producer
Return of the Returners
Widely regarded as one of the greatest Final Fantasy games, talk of a Final Fantasy 6 remake has been floating around for years. In particular, the epic RPG is an obvious candidate for Square Enix's trademark 'HD-2D' overhaul, given its 16-bit origins. And guess what? Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake producer Masaaki Hayasaka...
News Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake's Brutal Difficulty Spikes Are Shocking New Players
Feel the burn
We're now a few days removed from the release of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, and so players have had time to formulate some initial thoughts on the RPG. And perhaps surprisingly, the title's difficulty seems to be the biggest talking point at this early stage. Generally speaking, a lot of new players are quickly discovering that...
News Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Third Entry 'Won't Cheat' with the Airship
"We will take on the challenge"
While Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – the second entry in Square Enix’s remake trilogy – offered a vast open world, fans of the original PS1 title will know the Highwind airship forms a crucial part of traversal in the closing act of the game. Speaking at G-Star 2024 in Busan this week, director Naoki Hamaguchi...
Review Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (PS5) - A Timeless RPG, and a Gorgeous Nostalgia Trip
Golden oldies
You always know what you're getting with a mainline Dragon Quest game. The series is pretty much the epitome of consistent, having stuck to its timeless Japanese RPG formula for decades. But that comfy feeling of familiarity somehow hits even harder with Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake — a powerfully nostalgic rebuild of a true classic...
News Square Enix's New AAA Games Are Being Trounced by Final Fantasy 14
Profitable MMO segment still winning
The venerable MMO Final Fantasy XIV, once considered an abject failure, is now pointed to as an example of a video game redemption arc. Over the years, Square Enix has come to rely on the regular, predictable profits it draws from the title's vast player base, and the massively multiplayer game has become one of...
Hands On Serious Pop-In the Only Problem with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Massive PS5 Pro Boost
Cloud nine
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was plagued by an astoundingly blurry performance mode when it first released on PS5 in February of this year. Obvious graphical limitations were put in place so that the RPG could run at 60 frames-per-second; it played just fine, but it could look rough outside of cutscenes. With the PS5 Pro, Rebirth has gained...
News PS5 Pro Makes Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Look Like a Whole New Game
Footage of new PS5 Pro Versatility Mode found
An unlisted YouTube video from the Japanese Square Enix channel has been discovered that shares a short glimpse of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth running in its new PS5 Pro-exclusive Versatility Mode. Delivering "optimized gameplay" that is "tailored" for PS5 Pro, the Versatility Mode is aiming to deliver a...
The sins of our fathers
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a remake of the influential, Japan-only, 1993 original JRPG of the same name. Square Enix has modernised the experience, which holds its own even in a year which has proven extremely strong for the genre. With a classic design, exciting twists on well-worn systems, deep combat, and...
News Don't Nod Dev Pushes Back on 'Hateful' Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Comments
But admits that he wouldn't have "written things the same way"
Don't Nod creative director Michel Koch has reacted to some of the "hateful" comments directed at Deck Nine employees for their take on the Life is Strange franchise in Double Exposure. Dontnod Entertainment, the publisher's development studio, made the mainline games in the franchise,...
Review Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (PS5) - Hallmark Series Loses Its Charm
Hella disappointing
After taking over development duties from Don’t Nod, Deck Nine really made the Life Is Strange series its own with 2021’s True Colours. Now heading up Double Exposure, the developer is reaching into Don’t Nod territory by bringing back everybody’s favourite hella awkward teen, Max Caulfield, now as an adult. With a...
News Life is Strange: Double Exposure Spoiled by Square Enix's Early Access and Hubris
$30 upgrade has gone awry
When Square Enix boldly proclaimed it would charge fans $30 for the privilege of playing Life is Strange: Double Exposure's first two episodes a full fortnight early, we knew the pioneering publisher was plumbing uncharted depths of monetization. However, we did not consider data miners, who took less than 48 hours to rip...
News Unwind with Almost 10 Minutes of PS5's Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
Quest fallen
Sony’s got dibs on almost 10 minutes of PS5 footage from the upcoming Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. To be fair, for those of you who’ve been following the game, there’ll be few surprises here: it’s the NES original, presented in the Japanese publisher’s stunning new engine. You get a tasty mix of high-resolution sprites and...
News Get Back to JRPG Basics with Physical Final Fantasy 1-6 Collection Anniversary Edition on PS4
Finally together
Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition, which bundles together all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters in one convenient, physical location, is now available. You can pick it up from participating retailers in Europe and North America, or get your JRPG fix directly from Square Enix. <products id="28324"> For the...
News By the Way, Foamstars Is Now Free-to-Play on PS5, PS4
And it's pretty good fun
The gaming world seems to have forgotten, but Square Enix released Foamstars earlier this year on PS5 and PS4. This multiplayer shooter sadly didn't set the world on fire, but the upshot is that it's now completely free-to-play. As of 3rd October 2024, Foamstars costs nothing, and as with all free-to-play games, you don't...
News Final Fantasy 16 Receives Permanent Price Cut on PS5 as Complete Edition Launches
Eikonic
This sort of flew under the radar over the weekend, but one of 2023's biggest PS5 titles has now been permanently lowered in price. Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy 16, the latest entry in the long-running series, has had its PS Store price tag cut. It's gone from $69.99/£69.99 to $49.99/£49.99. This news comes alongside the...
News Dragon Quest Veterans on Dealing with 'Ridiculous Country' USA Amid Censorship Row
"Who's even complaining about this?"
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii and former Shonen Jump editor Kazuhiko Torishima – who played a pivotal role in the franchise’s inception with the late Akira Toriyama – have spoken candidly at the Tokyo Game Show about censorship to the upcoming Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Earlier
News Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Looks Absolutely Stunning in Latest Gameplay Trailer
Wrangling monsters
Square Enix's Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake might be a bit of a mouthful, but it just looks better and better each time we see it. A brand new trailer has been released, providing an overview of how the game plays as we approach its 14th November launch date. The PS5 title looks beautiful, combining old with new to achieve that...
News Fantasian Neo Dimension Starts a New JRPG Adventure on PS5, PS4 in December
Into another dimension
Having previously been pencilled in for a late 2024 launch, we've now got confirmation that Fantasian Neo Dimension is adventuring to PS5 and PS4 on the 5th December. The RPG — spearheaded by Hironobu Sakaguchi himself — first released through Apple Arcade a few years back, but this console debut enhances the experience...
News Final Fantasy 16's Outstanding Soundtrack Finally Available on Music Streaming Services
Fire
Following on from the game's recent PC release, Square Enix has unleashed the Final Fantasy 16 soundtrack on music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The score's arrival has been a long time coming, with the action RPG having first launched for PS5 in June of last year. In our Final Fantasy 16 PS5 review, we...
News Tetsuya Nomura Considers Retirement, and How to End Kingdom Hearts
You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
Famous for his love of belts and buckles, legendary video game director Tetsuya Nomura says he's considering retirement after an influential career spanning decades. Nomura started as a debugger on Final Fantasy IV in 1991 and, most recently, was the creative director of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Love...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Huge PS5 Pro Enhancements Are a 'Vast Improvement'
A meaningful upgrade at 60fps
Here come the early tech evaluations, then: according to the experts at Digital Foundry, based on several minutes of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth footage running on the PS5 Pro, the upgrade is a “night and day” difference. We’ve already heard murmurs about the improvements to this game in particular, which will run at...
News Final Fantasy 16 Is F**cked and PS5's New Firmware Is to Blame
Square Enix investigating
Final Fantasy 16 has been suffering from some unexpected bugs on the PS5 this past week, and it’s beginning to look like the system’s recent firmware update is to blame. Players have reported everything from graphical glitches to crashes in the console exclusive – none of which occurred prior to last week’s system...
News Yoshi-P Pleads for Modder Restraint Ahead of Final Fantasy 16 PC Launch
"Please don't make or install anything like that"
With its lengthy period of PS5 exclusivity now at a close, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida is concerned about the inevitable debauchery that will follow once the PC modding community gets its grasping paws on the game (available today, 17th September). Yoshida doesn't want to see...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 'Hugely Improved' on PS5 Pro, a 'Night and Day' Difference
Superior to fidelity mode at 60fps
We’ve already heard from CNET about how much better Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth looks on the PS5 Pro, but don’t just take their word for it: Digital Foundry’s John Linneman has chipped in on X (or
A neo dawn
Fantasian Neo Dimension is an updated version of the original Fantasian — an Apple Arcade release from a few years back. It's produced and written by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who's often referred to as the father of Final Fantasy — and so when we were handed an opportunity to interview the man himself, we couldn't possibly say no. Ahead of...
News Romancing SaGa 2 Remake's Overview Video Is How All RPG Revivals Should Be Marketed
What's the SaGa
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is set to release on the 24th October for both PS5 and PS4, and if you're not quite sure about this completely remade RPG, we'd highly recommend giving this 'Primer' video a watch. As far as we're concerned, this five-minute overview is a perfect example of how to market an old-school revival...
News Visions of Mana Dev Basically Shut Down Just as the RPG Releases
Chinese companies having doubts over Japan
Ouka Studios, the Tokyo-based team that just brought us Visions of Mana, is reportedly on the brink of being closed down. To be clear, the new Mana title is published by Square Enix, but Ouka Studios — the game's primary developer — is a subsidiary of Chinese colossus NetEase. The outfit was first...
News Final Fantasy 16 Was Temporarily Free on PS Plus Extra, Premium
Reports of downloads from PS Plus members
Update (30th August, 9am): The glitch in question has now been fixed overnight, returning a price point to Final Fantasy XVI on Sony’s digital marketplace. Original article: PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium subscribers have in the pa
Poll Are You Playing Visions of Mana?
Eyes open
Visions of Mana has arrived on PS5 and PS4. A brand new instalment in the long, long running RPG series, Visions looks to breathe some additional life into the beloved property, providing a sizable adventure across an incredibly pretty fantasy world. We awarded the game a 'good' 7/10 in our Visions of Mana PS5 review, concluding that,...
News PowerWash Simulator Tackles Shrek's Disgusting Swamp in Next PS5, PS4 DLC
Absolutely putrid
Square Enix has revealed the next PowerWash Simulator mess in need of tidying, and it's probably the most vile-smelling of all: the fairytale swamp of the antisocial and highly territorial ogre Shrek. This one has no firm release date but expect it sometime in autumn. PowerWash's Shrek Special Pack promises five fantastical maps...
News Coveted, One-of-a-Kind Final Fantasy 7 LEGO Set Sold for a Ridiculous Sum
Heist time
In January, Square Enix asked fans to vote on a scene from the legendary Final Fantasy VII to be transformed into LEGO form, and the iconic Sector 5 Slums Church, where Cloud fatefully encounters Aerith for the first time, won in a landslide. As far as we are aware, only two sets have ever been made: One is kept in a sealed vault inside...
News Forgotten PS Plus Shooter Foamstars Goes Free-to-Play in October
There's a Legacy Gift Pack for current owners
Square Enix has confirmed Foamstars, its online multiplayer game all about shooting foam, will be free-to-play from 4th October 2024. The title first launched as a PS Plus Essential offering in February, but it failed to generate and hold on to an audience that could support it in the long term. Now,...
Review Visions of Mana (PS5) - Classic RPG Series Returns with Good But Flawed Intentions
Branching out
There's always a degree of trepidation when a classic franchise returns with a brand new release. Down the years, we've seen countless properties attempt to reinvent themselves, either in a bid to reclaim a faded legacy, or to establish a fresh audience. Visions of Mana, however, feels like it's gunning for neither of these goals...
Preview Double Exposure Stretches Life Is Strange Across Two Gripping PS5 Timelines
Max returns in 30-minute Gamescom demo
The Life Is Strange franchise is at its best whenever Max Caulfield is around, so Double Exposure already has a leg up on its predecessors. The latest narrative entry on PS5 marks only the second time the popular protagonist has played the lead role, and Deck Nine Games isn't purely leaning on her welcome...
News Expect New, Stronger Tifa in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Sequel, Says Director
Improving on perfection
Almost universally acknowledged as the best party member, it seems Final Fantasy VII's actual star, Tifa Lockhart, will get even more of the spotlight in the as-yet-unnamed sequel to Rebirth and the conclusion of the Remake trilogy (we still tear our hair thinking about how Square Enix squandered the opportunity to call it...
News Okay, Max's Powers in the New PS5 Life Is Strange Game Look Awesome
Exposed
Personally, we’ve always felt Life Is Strange is at its best when it’s being grounded, but we appreciate a big part of the franchise is how its characters’ powers intertwine with the storyline. And we reckon heroine Max Caulfield’s evolved dimension hopping abilities could be the best conceit the series has come up with yet, as it...
News Final Fantasy 16's PS5 Exclusivity Ends in September as PC Launch Is Locked Down
Feeling hot hot hot
We've known for a while that Final Fantasy 16 would eventually launch on PC, and now we have a confirmed release date. It drops next month, on the 17th September, ending the game's spell of total PS5 exclusivity, which has been in place since the action RPG first launched on the 22nd June, 2023. What's more, there's a demo...
News Square Enix Has Got Fans Talking About a Final Fantasy 13 Remake, Not a Remaster
Lightning strikes
Whether you're a lover or a hater of the incredibly divisive Final Fantasy 13 trilogy, you've got to wonder why Square Enix has never remastered the whole thing and bundled the games together for modern consoles. Fans have been asking after a trilogy collection for years, but the three titles remain trapped on the PS3 to this day...
News Final Fantasy Pixel Collection Getting Physical Anniversary Reprint on PS4
Save it for a rainy day
There is something undeniably comforting about Square Enix's Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection, which preserves the first six entries in the legendary series on PS4. You can take further comfort in the upcoming physical Anniversary Edition; tangible copies were quite limited initially and are getting a reprint, ensuring...
News Life Is Strange: Double Exposure's Caledon University Looks Like a Hotspot for Hipsters on PS5
Hip hip hooray
It’s really rare we get grounded settings in games. No seriously, think about – most games are set in fantasy worlds or space. There are exceptions, of course: Hitman is one of this author’s favourites for its virtual tourism, and series like GTA offer relatively familiar sandboxes – even if they are cartoonish and...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PS5 Sales Still a Secret as Square Enix Reports Year-on-Year Decline
Final Fantasy 14 is still a monster, though
Square Enix has released its latest earnings report, and unfortunately, those still wating on official sales numbers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be left disappointed. The sequel's commercial success remains shrouded in mystery while the publisher reveals a year-on-year decline for game sales over the...
News Queen's Blood Confirmed for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Sequel, CCG to Be Expanded
Draw
The fiendishly addictive collectable card game Queen's Blood, largely responsible for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's incredible runtime (probably), will return in expanded form in the as-yet-unnamed sequel and conclusion to the Remake trilogy. That confirmation comes from the producer, Naoki Hamaguchi, who revealed the happy news at Otakon 2024,...
New screenshots reveal all the designs
Square Enix has shared a fresh set of screenshots that showcases the Final Fantasy VII-themed clothing you can dress Max Caulfied up in if you buy the Ultimate Edition of Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. Including turtlenecks, hats, and jumpers, they feature chocobos, moogles, and an assortment of enemies from...
Hands On Visions of Mana Is Far From Revolutionary, But It Should Still Be a Rock Solid Action RPG
That's class
2020's Trials of Mana remake showed us that the series' classic formula can be adapted into a full 3D adventure — and Visions of Mana clearly intends to push things forward. A brand new instalment in Square Enix's longstanding franchise, Visions seems to retain the fantastical charm of its predecessors, while also expanding the...
News Visions of Mana Playable Demo Available Now on PS5, PS4
Play to get three weapons in full game
Square Enix's colourful RPG Visions of Mana is just a month away at this stage, releasing on both PS5 and PS4 on 29th August. If you caught the recent deep dive gameplay trailer, you may be willing that date to come faster so you can play the darn thing. Well, you're in luck — you can play a demo version of...
News Visions of Mana Looks Like Fantastic Action RPG Fun Ahead of August Release on PS5, PS4
Elementary
Square Enix has dropped a deep dive trailer for Visions of Mana, as we creep closer to its 29th August release date on PS5 and PS4. This might just be our best look at the RPG's gameplay mechanics to date, as the video breaks down the various elemental powers that Val and his party are able to wield. Basically, Elemental Vessels give you...
News Dragon Quest Creator Says Silent Protagonists Look Like Idiots
The silent treatment
We don't see silent protagonists very often these days, and that's probably because, in this age of excellent voice acting and high-fidelity graphics, they look a little bit silly in comparison. That's according to a guy extremely familiar with the subject. Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was speaking to Persona series director...
News Celebrate PowerWash Simulator's Second Washer-Versary with Free, Filthy Content
The Muckingham Files continue
Somehow, the soothing washer-sim PowerWash Simulator is now two years old, and as a part of what is being called its Washer-Versary, it has some filthy free content for all you clean freaks. Publisher Square Enix and developer FuturLab have revealed The Muckingham Files Part 3, with the free update already live on PS5...
Review Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail (PS5) - Another Superb Expansion for an Excellent MMO
Dawn but not forgotten
Final Fantasy 14 is in a transitional period. The 2021 expansion Endwalker was effectively the finale to a story that began with 2013's A Realm Reborn way back on PlayStation 3. It was a sort of Final Fantasy meets Avengers Endgame; a story that capped off eight years, four expansions, and over 200 hours of story content in a...
News Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Sure Is Pretty in Extended 4K Gameplay
Famitsu has all the fun
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake arrives on PS5 in November, providing players who missed this classic JRPG with the perfect excuse to check it out. Storied Japanese outlet Famitsu got to take an extensive look at the game and was even kind enough to upload 30 minutes of 4K gameplay for the rest of us to gawk at. Writing...
