Tag: Square Enix - Page 5
News Final Fantasy 16's First Expansion Should Be Revealed This Month
A lock for The Game Awards?
Back in September, Square Enix confirmed that two paid DLC expansions for Final Fantasy 16 were in development — but we're still waiting on any concrete details. However, producer Naoki Yoshida did state that more information would be heading our way before the end of the year — and we're obviously now in December...
News Another Final Fantasy 16 Update Is on the Way, But Don't Get Your Hopes Up
It's just a new leaderboard
A new Final Fantasy XVI patch will be deployed at the end of next week, but you shouldn't be hoping it includes anything even remotely substantial: it's just going to make an adjustment to the way scores are calculated in Arcade Mode. The PS5 update will be available for download on 8th December 2023, adding a new...
News Hopes for Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster Mercilessly Crushed by Series Creator
What about a remake, then?
Final Fantasy Tactics remains, essentially, the benchmark for the tactical genre it popularised back in 1997 when it was first released on PS1. We did get War of the Lions on PSP back in 2007, but even that is well long in the tooth at this point. Players have been wishing, sometimes begging, for a properly modern remaster...
News Life is Strange Crosses Hella Impressive 20 Million Player Mark
"When a door closes, a window opens... Or something like that"
Developer DON'T NOD (formerly known as DONTNOD Entertainment) rose to prominence with 2015's angsty tale of teenage time travel, Life is Strange. Announced today, the title that would go on to spawn multiple sequels has crossed the hella good 20 million player mark. There's an important...
News Emotionally Prepare for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth with Red XIII-Narrated Story So Far Trailer
Is history truly doomed to repeat?
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth represents the second chapter in a trilogy, retelling the legendary story of Final Fantasy VII for a new generation. Square Enix has already proven very willing to play with players' expectations, with veterans and new fans alike in the dark on this one. We got a new trailer today,...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Reveals New Dynamic Difficulty Setting Where Enemy Levels Scale
Offers a "constant challenge"
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will ship with three difficulty options when it launches next year, on the 29th February. The first two, easy and normal, are exactly what you'd expect — but an all-new third setting, named 'Dynamic', sounds especially interesting. When selected, enemies will actually scale to your level. The...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is Pulling Inspiration from PS5, PS4 Greats
Final Fantasy 15 also massively beneficial to team
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has looked to two of PS5 and PS4’s greatest ever open world RPGs to help shape its sandbox: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the Horizon franchise – comprising, of course, of Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel Horizon Forbidden West. Co-director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed the...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ESRB Rating Teases Swearing, Alcohol, Impalement
"The words sh*t, a*shole, and pr*ck appear in the game"
As we inch ever closer to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's inevitable 29th February release on PS5, a clearer picture of what kind of game it will be begins to emerge. According to the title's newly published ESRB summary, a character will utter the line: "Just admit it. You're obviously captivated...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Star Ocean The Second Story R?
Star crossed
Considered by many to be one of, if not the best game in the series, PS1 and PSP classic Star Ocean The Second Story was revived last week in a very well received fashion. Star Ocean The Second Story R is a remake of the beloved RPG, bringing modern sensibilities to an old school adventure. We awarded it a 'great' 8/10 in our rather...
News Star Ocean The Second Story R Sells Reasonably Well at Japanese Retail
R-tfully done
Recently released remake Star Ocean The Second Story R is enjoying a decent physical debut in Japan, the latest Famitsu sales charts reveal. It's not remotely surprising, but the classic RPG revival sold best on Nintendo Switch, followed by PS5 and then PS4. In total, the title moved just over 50,000 copies — which obviously isn't...
News Decades Later, Tetsuya Nomura Still Wonders Why You Lot Find Sephiroth So Attractive
"What I want, Cloud, is to sail the cosmos with this planet as my vessel"
Sephiroth is an iconic villain, first debuting in Final Fantasy VII as its antagonist, but found a cult following and enduring fame amongst fans. Could it be the impeccable hair, the impossibly long Masamune katana he wields, those gorgeous Mako-tinged eyes, or all of the...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Writer Warns Against Weird Fan Requests to 'Kill' Certain Characters
"Every character is written with love"
Remaking a truly beloved Final Fantasy game can't be easy to begin with, so the last thing the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth development team needs is borderline harassment from obsessive fans. Veteran series writer Kazushige Nojima, who's a scenario writer on Rebirth, has taken to Twitter in order to highlight the...
Review Star Ocean The Second Story R (PS5) - A Near Perfect Example of a Remake Done Right
Integrity and faithfulness
Many would argue that Star Ocean: The Second Story — originally released for the PS1 all the way back in 1998 — is the pinnacle of the long-running RPG series, and we'd be tempted to agree. In some ways it does feel like it nails the core themes of the franchise, as sci-fi technology clashes with medieval fantasy —...
News This Mobile Game Will Probably Be Required for Kingdom Hearts 4 on PS5
Missing link
Kingdom Hearts is no stranger to shoving essential snippets of lore into spin-off mobile and browser games, and we doubt the upcoming Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link will be any different when it comes to the implications for Kingdom Hearts 4. In fact, just look at that name – it practically confirms it’s going to contain key plot...
News Star Ocean The Second Story R Really Is an Impressive Looking Remake
R you ready?
If you're a fan of the original Star Ocean: The Second Story, or its expanded PSP remaster, then you're probably keeping a very close eye on Star Ocean The Second Story R — a full remake of the classic RPG. Based on everything that we've seen of the PS5 and PS4 title so far, it's a faithful recreation of the original adventure, but...
Rumour There's a Chance Dragon Quest X Offline Could Be Coming West
Maybe, just maybe
Ah, Dragon Quest X. Originally an MMO for the Nintendo Wii (eye-opening, in hindsight), the game never made it west despite years and years of rumours and 'insider' whispers. However, in 2021, Square Enix announced Dragon Quest X Offline — a reimagined, entirely offline version of the game, as the name suggests. It released in...
News Final Fantasy Creator Makes Yoshi-P Cry Live on Stage with Heartfelt Praise
Final Fantasy's "even better"
Naoki Yoshida — commonly known by his nickname Yoshi-P — has been a key figure in getting Final Fantasy as a brand back on track over the last decade or so. He heads the team that rebuilt Final Fantasy 14 and eventually turned it into the juggernaut that it is today, and he's the producer on the very well received...
News Smooth Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Development Down to So Many Remake Devs Sticking Around
Better together
Square Enix has long been saddled with a reputation for taking far too long to develop its games — especially when those games are called Final Fantasy — but it does feel like the company's turned a bit of a corner over the last console generation or so. And while the third game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is probably...
News New Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Gameplay Clips Include Chocobo Racing, Motorbike Fights, and More
Golden oldies
New gameplay clips from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have emerged online (thanks to P4GTeam on YouTube), and although most of them deal with stuff we've already seen in various previews, we're also given a fresh glimpse of the all-important Gold Saucer minigames. This includes a better look at chocobo racing, which has received an...
News Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail Debuts Zidane-Like Viper Job in New Trailers
Time for some cosplay
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is the next expansion for the beloved MMO, and it whisks players away to a brave new world full of adventure, expected to make landfall in Summer 2024. FFXIV London Fan Festival 2023 was held over the weekend, and we got an extended teaser trailer showing off Square Enix's trademark cinematic flair,...
News Final Fantasy 14 Is Getting Final Fantasy 16 Crossover Content, Including a Torgal Mount
And a boss battle against Ifrit
In the ultimate Naoki Yoshida mash-up event, MMO Final Fantasy 14 is getting crossover content from Final Fantasy 16. Announced during the 2023 London Fan Festival, a trailer confirms there’ll be a boss battle against Ifrit, as well as a new Torgal mount and minion. Presumably there’ll also be fresh gear to...
Interview Star Ocean The Second Story R Devs on Remaking an Underrated PS1, PSP RPG
R time has come
We'd argue that the original Star Ocean The Second Story is a bit of a classic — but when people think of iconic PS1 RPGs, it's rarely the first title that springs to mind. Nevertheless, Square Enix is remaking the adventure all these years later as Star Ocean The Second Story R for PS5 and PS4. To get additional insight into the...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Team Attacks Could Push Combat Above and Beyond
Better together
Not everyone will agree, but we really, really like the combat system in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. A punchy mix of action and menu-based commands, we reckon it's a highlight of the experience — and it's starting to sound like Square Enix has put a lot of effort into making it even better in the sequel. As demonstrated in the first...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Vincent Valentine Finds His Voice
Matt Mercer lined up to play favourite
Final Fantasy 7 favourite Vincent Valentine will be played by Matt Mercer in the PS5’s upcoming remake sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The tidbit was announced to rapturous applause during a New York Comic Con panel over the weekend, and the moment was captured on camera below. While we have heard a...
News Square Enix Gets Creepy with PS5 Horror Adventure Little Goody Two Shoes on Halloween
Oh goody
Square Enix Collective, the publisher's indie-focused label, will be dropping Little Goody Two Shoes on PS5 this Halloween. The 'horror narrative adventure' title boasts an eye-catching 90s anime art style, although the game itself is filled with lovingly crafted sprites. Honestly, this one's got potential. "One day, Elise discovers a pair...
Strash and burn
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai is a game of two halves: a surprisingly simplistic action RPG and an endless barrage of static, visual novel-style cutscenes. It bears the name Dragon Quest and is published by Square Enix, yet it feels entirely barebones; with basic gameplay and a poorly presented story, we're left...
News Square Enix Answers Age-Old Question of How to Say Cait Sith in Final Fantasy 7
It's pronounced Cait Sith
Ever since RPGs began in 1997 with the launch of Final Fantasy VII, players have argued about the correct pronunciation of Cait Sith, the name of a potential party member in a game full of better options. As there was no audio dialogue, only text, players came up with creative fiction and dug their heels in, like our one...
News Clean Up in Foamstars PS5 Open Beta Available Now
Playable for the weekend
As previously announced during Sony's recent State of Play livestream, Square Enix's online battler Foamstars is getting an open beta, and it's available now on PS5. You can play the Happy Bath Survival and Smash the Star modes from now until 11:59pm PDT on Sunday, with eight characters up for selection. Your progress won't...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's World Is Starting to Sound Absolutely Massive
Midgar was just a glimpse
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is continuing Cloud and the gang's adventure outside the walls of Midgar, so it was always assumed that it would feature larger, more open environments than what you'll find in the typically cramped Final Fantasy 7 Remake. But we didn't realise just how big this sequel's world might actually be. In...
News Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.5 - Growing Light Signals the Beginning of the End
A decade in the telling
Final Fantasy XIV is a behemoth of a game at this point, as players who have stuck with it from launch can well attest. Now, more than a decade later, with four expansions under its belt (not to mention playable on three generations of PlayStation consoles), the end of the story that started back in 2013 is finally in sight...
News Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy Will 'Link Up' with Advent Children
Finally
Set two years after the climactic events of the original Final Fantasy VII, for gamers of a certain vintage, the 2006 CG film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children was really all we had in the way of closure, if you can call it that. Visually stunning, if narratively nonsensical, it contained insane action sequences that are still incredible...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Gets Over 30 Minutes of Open Area PS5 Gameplay
Plus a card minigame
Square Enix hosted a Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth stage presentation at Tokyo Game Show overnight, providing over 30 whole minutes of raw gameplay footage from the upcoming sequel. Most of said gameplay gives us a good look at a very open area called the Grasslands — the countryside beyond Midgar's borders. The footage starts...
News Final Fantasy 7's Coolest Companions Won't Be Playable in PS5's Rebirth
Vincent and Cid will be "accompanying characters"
In sad news for fans of legendary characters, Square Enix has confirmed to IGN what was likely always going to be the case: that everyone's favourite edgy gunslinger will be an AI companion in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and not fully playable, just like Red XIII in Final Fantasy VII Remake. The same...
News Forget Venom: Get 19 Inches of Sephiroth in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s PS5 Collector’s Edition
"I'm waiting, Cloud"
If PlayStation UK's provocative advertisement for Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Collector's Edition wasn't enough to entice, maybe Square Enix has the goods to loosen those purse strings. Now available for preorder,
Preview Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Has a Playable Sephiroth
Our PS5 impressions from a hands on event
After the love-it-or-loathe-it ending of Final Fantasy VII Remake subverted fan expectations for what Square Enix could be planning as it brings Cloud Strife and pals back into the modern era, it was anyone's guess what the publisher might have to show during a recent preview event. Case in point: Sephiroth...
News Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Still a No-Show Over Two Years Later, But Development Is Steady
The quest continues
Announced back in May 2021, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has been missing in action ever since. December 2022 was the last time it popped up in the news cycle, with series creator Yuji Horii saying news was potentially coming "soon". We're now closing in on the one-year anniversary of that comment, and obviously, the update never...
News Marvel's Avengers Is Dirt Cheap Ahead of Getting Thanos Snapped Later This Month
Deal or no deal
In case you missed the memo, Marvel's Avengers is leaving storefronts at the end of September. Square Enix's live service-centred superhero action game will be no more after about three years on the market, leaving PS Store on 30th September 2023 (though you can still play it after this date). However, as spotted by
News Final Fantasy 7 Remake PS5, PS4 Save Data Gets You Bonus Rebirth Items
Two bonus Summon Materia on offer
Square Enix has announced that those who played PS5, PS4 game Final Fantasy VII Remake will be treated to "special bonuses" when they boot up Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Tracked through your save data, this is being done because the publisher isn't carrying over levels or abilities. As such, the bonus items are just...
News Final Fantasy 7 Remake Crosses the 7 Million Copies Sold Mark
Lucky number VII
Final Fantasy VII Remake and its standalone expansion/upgrade, Integrade, have together crossed an impressive sales milestone, with Square Enix announcing that more than seven million copies have been sold worldwide. This figure compiles physical and digital editions of the game across both PlayStation and PC. Square Enix is...
News Square Enix Reveals Where Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Will End
"There is also the looming question of what fate awaits"
Final Fantasy fans are feasting today with the reveal of a new trailer and release date for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth during Sony's State of Play livestream. The follow-up to 2020's
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is a PS5 Exclusive for 'At Least' Three Months
Reborn again
As we already know, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a PS5 exclusive, and we had assumed that, like its predecessor, it would remain as such for a full 12 months — or thereabouts. But as it turns out, Rebirth could be finding its way to additional platforms much sooner. The game's latest trailer — which is pretty bloody good, by the way...
News Foamstars Cleans Up with an Open Beta on PS5 Later This Month
Foam party
Turns out we didn't dream it, and Square Enix really is making a multiplayer shooter about foam. Yes, Foamstars is happening, and all jokes aside, it was pretty fun when we went hands on earlier this year. Soon, a lot more people will get the chance to check it out, as an open beta test is heading our way very soon. While the game is...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Incredible PS5 Gameplay Trailer Gives 29th February Release Date
Nostalgia overload
Some trailers just blow you away, and that's exactly what we got from this latest look at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Utterly packed with nostalgia, this trailer's got the lot: our first glimpse of additional party members Cait Sith and Vincent, remade minigames plucked straight from the original, and, yes, a playable Sephiroth. The...
News Star Ocean: The Second Story R Demo Out on PS5, PS4 Now
Play for three hours
If the bevy of Star Ocean titles about to hit PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium aren't enough for you, a newly published PS5, PS4 demo for upcoming remake Sta
News Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Surpass a Combined 3 Million Sales
Pixel perfect
Square Enix has revealed that its Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series has surpassed a fairly impressive 3 million sales. Now, it's worth pointing out that this is a combined total of all six remasters, as each game can be bought separately. And just to recap, the original Final Fantasy through to Final Fantasy 6 were given the Pixel...
Final Fantastic
Square Enix has dropped an information bomb on the future of Final Fantasy 16. The immediate news is that patch 1.10 is available to download now on PS5, with the update adding alternate outfits for main characters, and the ability to change the look of Clive's sword (without changing its stats). The patch also makes some gameplay...
News New Final Fantasy 16 Patch Incoming, But Don't Get Too Excited
Out this week
A new patch for Final Fantasy 16 will be dropping this week, but try not to get too excited when the notification pops up on your PS5. Indeed, this seems to be a very minor update, with the game's official Japanese website mentioning adjustments to how Arcade Mode evaluates your combat performance — and that's pretty much it. A new...
News Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai Overview Has Everything You Need to Know
Action RPG reveals all
A new overview trailer for Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai (we still can't believe how bad that name is) may just be exactly what you need to watch if you're even the least bit interested in the upcoming action RPG. The video covers the title's characters, combat system, and gameplay structure — and it's...
News Final Fantasy 16 Sales Have Been 'Fine', Nothing More, Nothing Less
Fine, just... Fine
There's been a lot of debate over Final Fantasy 16 and its sales numbers. Whether it's because of tiresome fanboy wars on social media (Final Fantasy 16 is currently a PS5 exclusive, remember), Square Enix's long history of being disappointed in its products, expectations that have been set by previous Final Fantasy titles, or,...
News Final Fantasy 16 Producer Reckons One Gaming Platform Would Be Better for Everyone
Devs and players
In a recent appearance on a Taiwanese gaming channel (as translated by IGN), outspoken Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida lamented fact that there are multiple platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, etc.). Given Yoshida's penchant for making headline-worthy comments, we think the Square Enix veteran is being
