Tag: Square Enix - Page 3
News Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide DLC Is Designed to Be More Challenging
Forged in flames
The Rising Tide, the second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, is set to feature some of the game's most challenging combat scenarios. That's according to DLC director (and a lead combat designer for the base game) Takeo Kujiraoka, who, in an interview with
News Final Fantasy 16 Successfully Expanded the Series to New, Younger Players, Says Square Enix
Hot topic
Final Fantasy is a long running series at this point — it's easily one of the most storied franchises in gaming. But when you're up to the sixteenth mainline entry, you must start wondering whether fresh installments still have the power to pull new players in. Indeed, audience growth will be an important metric for the suits upstairs at...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Rage-Inducing Retry Wording Has Been Quietly Re-Worked
It's at least slightly clearer now
For all the positive things players have to say about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, one aspect of the game which we've seen nothing but ire directed towards is its confusingly worded retry screen, which players will be hit with in the event of a Game Over. Thankfully, this issue has been quietly addressed in the game's...
News Despite Hype, Analyst Says Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 'Underperforming'
"It's selling about half of what Remake sold in the same timeframe"
Square Enix is a famously hard master to please, and eagle-eyed fans interested in industry analytics will have noted that despite launching over a month ago on 29th February, exclusively on PS5, hard sales figures for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are yet to be released. Considering it...
News PS5, PS4 RPG Visions of Mana Aims Straight for Your Nostalgia in Touching Japanese Trailer
The adventure continues
Square Enix has released a new Japan-only trailer for upcoming action RPG Visions of Mana — and it's specifically designed to play on the nostalgia of longtime Mana fans. The video depicts the life of a man who's grown up with the franchise, from grabbing his first Mana title as a kid, to watching the games evolve over the...
News Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Expected to Release Around 2027, Says Square Enix
Reunion
It's fairly common knowledge that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth enjoyed a relatively smooth development cycle, owing to the fact that Final Fantasy 7 Remake's team was largely kept intact, and the first game had obviously laid the foundations in terms of visuals and gameplay systems. It took Square Enix around three years to craft Rebirth, and it...
News Stellar Blade's Demo Had Way More Daily Active Players Than Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's
Nearly double at its peak
A recent analysis has revealed an interesting statistic about a pair of playable demos on PS5. According to Ampere, Stellar Blade's demo, at its peak, had almost twice the number of daily active players compared to the peak for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's demo. Apparently, the Korean action RPG's best day saw the demo accrue...
News £850 Final Fantasy Music Box Might Be the Most Extravagant Gaming Merch Ever
Rebirth soundtrack also out now
Square Enix recently announced the excellent soundtrack for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now available on digital platforms. A physical CD set is also up for pre-order on the publisher's web store, including all 175 tracks from the recent RPG. That's all good, but it's the other musical merch Square Enix is pushing...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Has Sold Around 2 Million Copies, PS5 Player Data Suggests
Supposedly behind Remake and 16
Unless a game is breaking records, it's quite rare that we get direct sales data from publishers — and Square Enix in particular is somewhat notorious for this. As such, interested parties usually have little choice but to try and determine commercial success through other means. One way to do this is to look at...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Patch 1.030 Is the Platinum Trophy Fixer, Plus More
4.919GB download available now
Delivering on its promise to fix the glitch blocking the Platinum Trophy in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth from being unlocked, Square Enix has issued a PS5 update that fixes the Can't Stop Won't Stop side quest. Reports from users confirm the fix has been correctly applied, making the Platinum Trophy available once more...
News PSN Data Says Foamstars' Future Is Bleak, Just Two Months After Release
Wish upon a Foamstar
Released on the 6th February — and available day one through PS Plus Essential — Foamstars has, reportedly, seen its player numbers completely fall off a cliff over the last couple of months. As researched by TrueTrophies, using PSN gameplay data, the stylised PS5 and PS4 shooter has now lost around 95% of its player count...
News It's 'Probably About Time' for a New Final Fantasy Tactics, Says Yoshi-P
We agree
It's fair to say fans of Final Fantasy Tactics are keen to see a new entry in the series. Demand for the strategic spin-off to return has only become louder with time, especially after the infamous Nvidia leak, which has named many games long before their official announcement — including a Tactics remaster. While hopes of a new game were...
Random Kingdom Hearts XIII Cheers for Sweet Revenge Emo Cover Album Will Have You in Tears
Hel-ena of a concept
Kingdom Hearts fans who want to prove to their now-elderly parents that the emo movement of the late 90s and early 2000s wasn't just a phase can now do just that. XIII Cheers for Sweet Revenge: Kingdom Hearts Goes Emo, a remix album of 15 songs from across the series blended with "sounds reminiscent of My Chemical Romance”, is...
News Dragon Quest 12 Still MIA as Series Producer Is Reassigned at Square Enix
The clock strikes 12
So, what's happening with Dragon Quest 12? The next, long-awaited instalment in the classic RPG franchise was announced back in 2021, but we've seen absolutely nothing of the title since (and even back then, all we got was a logo). With that in mind, it's a little concerning that Square Enix is now replacing series producer Yu...
News Foamstars Introduces Chloe Noir in Upcoming Season 3 Update on PS5, PS4
Mysterious Swing
Foamstars! Remember that? Well, it's still going, and Square Enix is gearing up for the game's third seasonal update. Titled Mysterious Swing, the new season debuts on 12th April, and you can see some of the new additions in the above trailer. Top billing goes to the latest new playable character, Chloe Noir. She's all about...
News FF7 Rebirth's Platinum Trophy Bug to Be Fixed in Next PS5 Patch
Can't Stop, Won't Stop players for much longer
Square Enix has confirmed a glitch in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth blocking players from unlocking the Platinum Trophy will be addressed in the RPG's next update. Currently, a side quest called Can't Stop Won't Stop isn't registering high scores in the G-Bike arcade minigame, which is required to unlock...
News Digital Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Owners Unable to Unlock Platinum Trophy
Kweh?
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth players who picked up the game digitally and are currently working towards unlocking the game's Platinum Trophy might want to rein in their chocobos, as the game's most recent patch introduced an issue preventing it from popping. According to Kotaku, an issue introduced in the recent 1.020 patch broke one of the...
News Nobuo Uematsu Tentatively Commits to Scoring Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy's Next Theme
"It'd be my honour"
Legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu will compose the central theme for the as-yet-unnamed third game in Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, tentatively committing to the job after being put on the spot by Rebirth director Tetsuya Nomura. In a conversation posted to the Square Enix Music Channel (thanks, VGC),
News PS5, PS4 Action RPG Visions of Mana Still Looks Great in New Gameplay Trailer
Combat and character classes
We're still waiting on a release date, but Visions of Mana still looks really promising in its latest gameplay trailer. It's a pretty short video — clocking in at just over a minute — but there's quite a lot of stuff on show. It's got a bit of traversal, some combo-based combat, and confirms that your party members...
News Documentary Details the Creation of PS5's Critically Acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
The making of a modern classic
Square Enix has started a documentary series which delves into the creation of the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This first episode, Shaping the World, discusses how the developer reimagined the original game’s sprawling PS1 map into an enormous PS5 sandbox. It features anecdotes from directors Naoki...
News Huge Star Ocean: The Second Story R Update Makes This Fantastic Remake Even Better
Reach for the stars
Square Enix has dropped a substantial new update for Star Ocean: The Second Story R, which released for PS5 and PS4 last year. Already an incredibly well-made remake of a classic RPG, this patch adds some welcome features, such as a new difficulty level, new endgame bosses, new options for starting New Game+, and more. Here are...
News Nothing Stops the Final Fantasy Train! FF14: Dawntrail Deploys 2nd July on PS5, PS4
Dusk till dawn
It’s been a huge 12 months for Final Fantasy, and Square Enix is seemingly just getting warmed up. Following on from the reveal of Final Fantasy 16 add-on The Rising Tide earlier this weekend, the publisher has now confirmed MMO expansion Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail will deploy on 2nd July. This all follows the release of Final...
News Next Final Fantasy 16 Patch Makes Side Quests Quicker, Adds Ability Loadouts, and More
Some nice improvements
Ahead of (or maybe alongside, we're not sure) the release of its second expansion, Final Fantasy 16 will be getting a free update that includes some rather positive-sounding changes. Patch 1.30 was detailed during the developer's PAX East panel, so we've gone ahead and sorted the additions and improvements as bullet points:...
News Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide Expansion Releases on PS5 in April
High tide
The second expansion for Final Fantasy 16, titled The Rising Tide, now has an official launch date. It arrives on the 18th April, and costs $19.99 if you're buying it by itself. The Expansion Pass, priced at $24.99, gets you this second DLC and the previously released Echoes of the Fallen. Expectations for The Rising Tide are fairly high...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's PS5 Graphics Enhanced, Here Are the Patch Notes
Materia girl
A new PS5 patch is available now for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth which makes further improvements to the title’s presentation. Despite being critically acclaimed, many have been disappointed with the quality of the sequel’s visuals – especially in Performance Mode, which targets 60 frames-per-second. In addition to improving the...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Acclaimed CCG Queen's Blood Could Get Expanded
Considering further expansions as a possibility
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that no great RPG can be complete without a quality collectible card game, and Square Enix brought the heat with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and its exceptional Queen’s Blood. The mode has proven a welcome distraction for adventurers working their way through the...
News Timed PS5 Exclusive Final Fantasy 16 Is Almost Ready for Primetime on PC
"The PC specifications are looking to be high"
Square Enix is putting the PC version of Final Fantasy 16 through its paces, as it completes the final stages of optimisation for the platform. Obviously, the game launched last year as a timed PS5 exclusive to much critical acclaim, but a port to PC was always on the cards, and it sounds like the team...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Buster groove
The second game in Square Enix's new Final Fantasy 7 trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been out for just over a week on PS5 — and we want to know what you make of this highly praised sequel. At the time of writing, Rebirth is one of the highest rated Final Fantasy titles ever released (according to critics), so we're super...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's 'Creepy' Moogles Are Giving Players the Ick
Square Enix wades into the discourse
A series constant, Final Fantasy's Moogle is a familiar sight to many, and along with the Chocobo, serves as a mascot of sorts for the franchise. But the busted-looking Moogle we got in the recently released Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been rejected by a particular segment of the community, who are convinced...
Clouding over
Update: The author of the original article from The Washington Post has clarified that the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is not confirmed to be completely exclusive to PlayStation. Said article was amended after we had reported on it. So, er... That's the end of that, we suppose. Original Story: The Final Fantasy 7 Remake...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director Already Teasing What Comes Next
Gaga for Gongaga
Despite only just getting the eagerly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Rebirth out the door, Square Enix is already hard at work on the conclusion of the Remake trilogy. And while we wouldn't expect to hear anything substantial for a few years yet, we're already anticipating what comes next, and it seems we aren't alone in these. In...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Falls Short of Remake's Launch Sales in UK
But digital data isn't in yet
Early signs suggest that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will struggle to match Final Fantasy 7 Remake in terms of commercial success. Although admittedly, we don't have much data to work with right now. According to Games Industry's Christopher Dring, who often outlines key sales info, the recently released sequel is down 30%...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is Getting Another Patch to Improve Performance Mode
Second time's the charm
Square Enix is lining up another patch for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, reports One More Game. As was the case with the previous update, the goal is to improve Rebirth's Performance mode, which has been heavily scrutinised since the game's demo launched last month. While the previous patch did make some positive adjustments, the...
News EA, Square Enix Stumble into Leap Year Snafus
Party like its 1999
For those too young to remember, the Year 2000 Problem, also known as the Y2K scare, was a brief, glorious bit of chaos enjoyed in the late 90s when fears of a catastrophic computing apocalypse were rampant, a total collapse predicted because of differences in dating systems. We got to relive some of that magic today, as...
News Kingdom Hearts Surfaces to Celebrate Launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
There are many worlds, but they share the same sky
Sora, the spiky-haired protagonist of Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series, has briefly surfaced to congratulate fellow spiky-haired protagonist, Cloud Strife, on the (largely) successful launch of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. This is a cute thing that Twitter accounts will occasionally do, especially...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Graphical Problems Are Clear in Digital Foundry Report
Lighting, textures, and resolution struggle
Much like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the freshly released Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has its fair share of frankly jarring graphical issues. As noted in our review, the game as a whole can be very pretty — especially when you're looking out across the countryside or watching one of the title's many amazing...
Poll Are You Playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
In for Cloudy weather
Well, it's finally here. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out now on PS5, and the highly anticipated sequel seems to be crashing in on a tidal wave of hype. This is easily the biggest PlayStation release of the year so far, and we want to know if you're joining Cloud and company on this remade adventure. We gave the game a 'great'...
Random Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Hype Hits Google with Fun Chocobo Easter Egg
To the races
It's 29th February, 2024, and for many people, that only means one thing: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The PS5 RPG is out now on PS5, and hype is understandably through the roof. It's so big, in fact, that even Google is getting in on the action. If you go to the site and search "Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth", or even just "Final Fantasy", a...
PSA Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Spoilers are Already Out in Force, YouTube Thumbnails are a Nightmare
Of course
If you're the least bit interested in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it's likely that you're already doing your best to avoid spoilers — but we just wanted to point out that key plot points are already being banded about the internet in pretty much plain sight. Naturally, there will be plenty of people who want to know what happens in Rebirth...
Review Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) - Strong Sequel Seeks a New Direction
Cloudy with a chance of pain
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels like a natural progression. Free from the steel skies of Midgar and its corridor-style design, this direct sequel to 2020's Final Fantasy 7 Remake fully embraces that sense of adventure found in the original Final Fantasy 7, as Cloud Strife and his ragtag group took their first few steps out...
News You've Made It This Far, You Don't Need to Watch Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's PS5 Launch Trailer
Unless you really want to
Square Enix has released the launch trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which is out worldwide right now. But you don’t necessarily need to watch it – you’re good. After all, you’ve made it this close to launch without spoiling yourself, right? <related ids="161799"> To be fair, clocking it at a little over...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's PS5 Disc Labels Are Wrong in Japan, Asia
Whoops
Between them, Square Enix and Sony have managed to mess up one of the biggest PS5 releases of the year. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as you’re no doubt already aware, ships on two discs. As with its predecessor, you’ll use the Data Disc to install the requisite data required to run the game, and the Play Disc to, well, actually play it...
News Surprise Final Fantasy 7 Remake Patch Changes the Ending
Aerith's final line has been edited
Square Enix issued an unexpected PS5, PS4 patch for Final Fantasy VII Remake yesterday, which upon close inspection by fans, reveals the final voiceline spoken by Aerith has been changed. Rather than looking up to the sky and explaining "I miss it. The steel sky.", she now remarks: "This sky... I don't like it."...
News Final Fantasy Composer Nobuo Uematsu Unlikely to Score Another Full Game
"I don't think I have the physical and mental strength to do it anymore"
Legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu says he probably won't compose the score for another complete game; instead, he prefers to spend his time on compositions or his band Uematsu Nobuo conTIKI. Amongst his long list of notable achievements, in addition to being the...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Remake PS5 Pre-Order Pack Is the Perfect Way to Play Both Games
Great offers expires on Wednesday night
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches for PS5 this coming Thursday, which means a wonderful pre-order offer Square Enix has put on is about to expire: the twin pack containing both Rebirth and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. Until the release of Rebirth, this double pack costs the exact same as Rebirth at...
News Foamstars Season 2 Groovy Disco Adds New Playable Character, Extra Missions, More
Murder on the dance floor
Foamstars, the not-as-bad-as-everyone-would-have-you-believe multiplayer shooter from Square Enix, is soon to enter its second season. Starting on 8th March, season two is titled Groovy Disco, and it brings with it a bunch of treats, most notably a brand new playable character. Coiff Guy is his name, and you can see some...
News Second Final Fantasy 16 DLC Set to Be Revealed Next Month
A panel at PAX East will have new details
Square Enix has revealed a PAX East panel will be the place to be to learn more about the second piece of Final Fantasy 16 DLC, titled The Rising Tide. Set to take place on 22nd March 2024, lead developers Naoki Yoshida, Takeo Kujiraoka, and Michael-Christopher Koji Fox will be in attendance, and the event...
News Yoko Taro Puts Square Enix President on Blast, Potentially Teases NieR 3
REP3NT
The always-exciting Yoko Taro, the auteur creator of the NieR series, has reportedly put the president of publisher Square Enix, Takashi Kiryu, on blast during a London concert. Both men were apparently in attendance at a performance of the NieR: Orchestra Concert earlier this month when Taro invited audience goers to clap and cheer as loudly...
Random Our Twitter Timeline Is All Tifa from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on PS5 Right Now
X rated
We’ve already established Sony’s marketing for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is on fire right now, and those stellar reviews are playing a part. But respectfully, early footage of the remake’s Costa del Sol cutscenes may be doing most of the heavy l
News Sony's Marketing Is on Fire with PS5's Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Right Now
Standard
Give the top brass at PlayStation’s marketing team a tentpole title to promote, and they’ll generally deliver. Marketing is well underway for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth right now, the next major PS5 console exclusive from Square Enix. And already we’re seeing some pretty impressive promotional efforts right around the world, with the UK...