Tag: Square Enix - Page 9
News Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion's Launch Trailer Is Packed with Nostalgia
Those wings...
With the remaster just over a couple of weeks away, Square Enix has released a launch trailer for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. It's got a bit of everything: CG scenes, in-game cutscenes, combat footage — a lot has been squeezed into this relatively short three-minute video. But the deciding ingredient here is undoubtedly...
Preview Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Is a Great Remaster of an Awkward 2007 Spinoff
Zack in action
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a really good remaster. We've played through the game's first three chapters on PS5 for the purposes of this preview, and we're confident in saying that Square Enix has done a fantastic job of bringing the PSP title up to speed. Character models and environmental assets are a massive step up,...
News Square and Enix Joined Forces 20 Years Ago Today
To create Square Enix, obviously
Square Enix, the juggernaut Japanese publisher that we all know today, was pretty much birthed on this date 20 whole years ago. As the name suggests, it was a merger between Square and Enix — two prominent gaming companies who, as our friends over at Time Extension point out, were actually rival businesses before...
News NieR 'Tease' Amounts to Absolutely Nothing
Well, there it is
Update: In hindsight, we really should have just waited a few minutes before posting about the NieR: Automata Fan Festival. The event is now live in Japan, and the NieR 'tease' posted to Twitter by Square Enix director and producer Yosuke Saito was not related to a new project. No, the black card was actually covering a slice of...
Rumour Final Fantasy 16 Release Date to Be Announced at The Game Awards in December
Geoff with the big one
A release date for Final Fantasy XVI could be announced at The Game Awards, according to a new report from Insider Gaming. Geoff Keighley's annual event takes place on the 8th December, and is set to play host to a range of announcements. The aforementioned report says that pre-orders for the action RPG will go live around the...
News Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Is Native 4K, 60fps on PS5, 30fps Only on PS4
Remaster's specs revealed
Square Enix has published the performance specs for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, and you couldn't really ask for more — at least on PS5. The upcoming, impressively overhauled remaster will boast a native 4K resolution on Sony's current-gen system, while running at (a hopefully smooth) 60 frames-per-second. Very...
News Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reveals How It's More Than a Remaster
Visuals, features, battle system all covered
Square Enix has posted a new Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion trailer that compares many of the game's updated features and visuals to the PSP classic, revealing how it's "more than a remaster", according to the trailer's name. Catch it above ahead of the 13th December 2022 release date for PS5,...
News The Winter Soldier Joins Marvel's Avengers This Month
Plus Cloning Lab mission
The Winter Soldier will be added to Marvel's Avengers for free on 29th November 2022 as part of a big update for the game. Voiced by Scott Porter, he'll be given a new heroic mission chain "that sees the Avengers help him regain his confidence in his capacity for good and deal with the trauma inflicted on him by his...
News Gods Revel, Lands Tremble as Final Fantasy 14's Mammoth Patch 6.3 Is Revealed
Plenty of work to be done
Final Fantasy XIV continues to be one of the deepest rabbit holes a console player can lose themselves down, with the onslaught of content continuing in the next upcoming major patch, 6.3, entitled Gods Revel, Lands Tremble. Launching in early January 2023, Gods Revel, Lands Tremble will continue the MSQ and follow the...
News Forspoken Is a Modern PS5 Open World Game, Alright
With added magic cat petting
As the launch of Square Enix’s long-awaited Forspoken nears, the Japanese publisher is beginning to peel back the curtain on the PS5 console exclusive. This latest in its ongoing Deep Dive trailer series centres on the open world of Athia, and the various activities that it contains. TL;DW: it’s a modern open world...
Review Tactics Ogre: Reborn (PS5) - A Tale That Grew in the Telling
Sing to me of a time long past
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a return to the golden age of isometric strategy RPGs, which, paradoxically, it helped to create. Building upon the rock solid foundations of 1995 Super Nintendo release Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, and the 2011 PSP remake of the same name, Reborn, in turn, makes everything old new...
News New Valkyrie Elysium Update Adds More Modes, Difficulty Levels
Plus new Trophies
As announced at the end of September, Valkyrie Elysium has been updated on PS5, PS4 with new modes, Trophies, and an extra difficulty level. The patch is now live on both systems and weighs in at just under 1GB. Hilde's Vengeance is the biggest addition the update makes, which is a new mode where Hilde is the playable character...
News Final Fantasy 16 Is Exclusive to PS5 for Six Months, Sony Confirms
Finality fantasy
We've known since its reveal that Final Fantasy XVI will be a PS5 console exclusive when it first launches in summer 2023. However, we haven't been told how long that exclusivity period will actually be — until now. A new marketing montage from PlayStation features a glimpse of the upcoming action RPG, and as long as you don't...
News Final Fantasy 16 Has a Full New Game+ Mode, Story and Hardcore Difficulty Settings
Something for everyone
A new wave of Final Fantasy XVI interviews are doing the rounds, and some new details are well worth pointing out. In particular, Japanese publication 4Gamer has a lengthy article that confirms the existence of what sounds like an extensive New Game+ mode. Director Hiroshi Takai spills the beans, stating that after completing...
News Final Fantasy 16 Release Date Reveal Planned for This Year
Game is "about 95%" complete
Square Enix plans to announce the PS5 release date for Final Fantasy XVI at some point this year, game producer Naoki Yoshida has said. In an interview with Famitsu, Yoshida is asked whether a concrete date will be confirmed beyond the "Summer 2023" window, to which he says: "We plan to release the information again...
News Forspoken's Glitzy Magic Combat Has Untold Depth on PS5
Frey you're a firework
In some ways, Forspoken looks like the successor to inFAMOUS we’ll probably never get. That’s particularly apparent in this all-new trailer, which offers a deep-dive into the Square Enix console exclusive’s magic abilities. It’s deeper than you may expect: in addition different coloured powers, Frey can also initiate a...
News Symbiogenesis Isn't the Return of Parasite Eve, It's Just Square Enix Making NFTs
Oh, FFS
You know, we probably should have seen this coming. A couple of weeks ago, Square Enix registered a trademark for 'Symbiogenesis', and the eyes of Parasite Eve fans immediately lit up. Symbiogenesis is a scientific term that plays an important role in the series' story — it's basically when two organisms combine to create a new organism...
News Shakespearean Remake Tactics Ogre: Reborn Sets the Stage for a Strategy Epic
Sing to me of a time long past
The release of verbose strategy RPG Tactics Ogre: Reborn is right around the corner, with the remastered classic set to storm onto PS5, PS4 on 11th November. Square Enix set the scene for a narrative epic in a trailer showing off the game's expansive story. Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a remastered version of Tactics Ogre:...
News Gorgeous JRPG Octopath Traveler 2 Looks Stunning in New Trailer
Meet The Merchant & The Scholar
Octopath Traveler 2 is shaping up to be a real treat for JRPG fans in the new year, with its launch set for 24th February 2023. We got a new trailer today showing off two of the game's eight playable characters, Partitio the Merchant and Osvald the Scholar, along with the new Latent Powers battle mechanic. Continuing...
Review Star Ocean: The Divine Force (PS5) - Space Age JRPG Barely Takes Flight
One small step for man. One smaller step for JRPGs
After forty-five hours, a few smiles, and one or two frowns, we walked away from Star Ocean: The Divine Force with a shrug. It’s a middle-tier Japanese role playing game that at no point, ever, threatens to get promoted to top-tier status nor sink so low that it ends up sandwiched between...
News Japan Simply Isn't Enough Anymore as Square Enix Calls Global Market a 'Critical' Priority
Times have changed
This industry really has changed, hasn't it? It's no secret that the big Japanese publishers — Capcom, SEGA, Square Enix, etc. — are largely looking to the West these days, as their home nation seems to distance itself more and more from traditional console gaming (well, outside of Nintendo, at least). Whether it's enforcing...
News New Forspoken Trailer Is All About Magical Parkour
Ride the waves
Square Enix has released a new trailer for its upcoming PS5 console exclusive Forspoken that focuses entirely on how you'll navigate the open world of Athia using Frey's magical abilities. Governed by a stamina meter, you can dash through the air, ride a magical skateboard, and glide safely down to the ground. The game will be out for...
Round Up Star Ocean: The Divine Force Reviews Say It's Pretty Good
Perhaps better than we thought
The Star Ocean: The Divine Force review embargo lifted earlier today, and we do not have our own PS5 verdict to share with you. That's because we received access two days ago, which is quite clearly nowhere near long enough to finish a JRPG and then finalise some thoughts for a review. As such, we will share our...
News Stranger of Paradise's Gilgamesh Difficulty Will Test Your Skills and Reward You Appropriately
Chaos 2.0
Stranger of Paradise's Wanderer of the Rift DLC is now available, and it introduces a swathe of new content, most of which revolves around the titular wanderer himself, the interdimensional swordsman known as Gilgamesh. Along with new story content, enemies, gear, and the Blue Mage job class, Wanderer of the Rift will also introduce the...
News Star Ocean: The Divine Force Embraces the Cheese with Rocking Opening Movie
Shine on
This opening movie for Star Ocean: The Divine Force feels like it's from another era entirely, but we're actually enjoying how unashamedly cheesy it is. Featuring a song from long-time Japanese rocker HYDE, the video splices scenes from the game together in an attempt to get you hyped. Honestly, we're still not sure what to think of this...
News Final Fantasy 16 Development Now in the 'Home Stretch', on Schedule for Summer 2023
Finally fantasy
Final Fantasy XVI's development cycle has entered its final stages, Square Enix has confirmed. In a couple of newly released statements from producer Naoki Yoshida and director Hiroshi Takai, it's revealed that the team is now fully focused on final optimisations; polishing things up, debugging, and all that kind of stuff. It's...
News New Final Fantasy 16 Trailer Is Over 4 Minutes of World Building Goodness
Still on track for summer 2023
Yep, it's here! Final Fantasy XVI has an atmospheric new trailer, which places a heavy focus on the game's setting. It's largely made up of gameplay footage, and it goes without saying that the title continues to look fantastic in terms of presentation. There's also some particularly explosive combat shots near the...
News Final Fantasy 16's New Trailer Is Probably Dropping Today
It's a-Clive
So, we're supposed to be getting a new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI this month — producer Naoki Yoshida teased as much back in September. And now, it looks like said trailer could be dropping today — or at least, in the very near future. A full article based on this yet-to-be-seen video has been (we assume, mistakenly) published...
News NieR: Automata's Producer Threatened to Leave Square Enix in Order to Get the Game Made
Whatever it takes
NieR: Automata is a unique game, and while its combination of katana combat, philosophical musings on the nature of existence, and scantily-clad androids might not be to every taste, it certainly stands out amidst a sea of service games and multiplayer shooters. Getting the project greenlit couldn't have been easy, especially so...
News Gilgamesh Is Unleashed in Stranger of Paradise's Wanderer of the Rift DLC
Not all those who wander are lost
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin has an expansion coming, it's called Wanderer of the Rift, and it looks like it's going to be as bizarre as the base game. It's due on 26th October, and we got a new trailer showing off the new content coming to the game. Wanderer of the Rift primarily concerns Gilgamesh,...
News Final Fantasy VII's Battle Royale Mobile Game Shuts Down Just Over a Year After Launch
Wow, who saw that coming?
Well that was a bit of a blunder, wasn't it? In its renewed efforts to milk everything Final Fantasy VII following the success of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix went full-on parody with the launch of Final Fantasy VII: The First Solider in November 2021 — a battle royale title exclusive to mobile devices. Surprise...
News Tactics Ogre: Reborn Lists Loads of Gameplay Updates and Improvements on PS5, PS4
Not just a remaster
Being a remaster of a classic strategy RPG, Tactics Ogre: Reborn could have easily just left everything as it once was. But Square Enix seems eager to improve on the original version, and has listed loads of adjustments that it's made to Reborn's gameplay systems. A lot of it is quality of life stuff — the kind of things that...
Review Valkyrie Elysium (PS5) - Quality Combat Elevates Drab Action RPG
Par for the Norse
There's something distinctly old school about Valkyrie Elysium, and we don't mean because it's part of a long-running franchise; a series that started with the turn-based JRPG Valkyrie Profile way back in 1999. This is a game with an almost PlayStation 2 style design philosophy, for better and worse, and what you're here for will...
News HD-2D Art Style on PS5, PS4 Must Wait as Tactics Ogre Reborn Team Turns It Down
Original style retained instead
The Square Enix team remastering Tactics Ogre for PS5, PS4 has revealed it had the chance to use the HD-2D art style made popular by titles like Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy. However, the developer decided not to change the visual style since it believes "really high-quality, awesome looking 2D
News Valkyrie Elysium Has Multiple Endings, Roughly 20 Hours Long, with More Content Coming
Odin be praised!
Valkyrie Elysium launches in just a few days, on 29th September, and we have gleaned some new information from the upcoming action RPG from the Famitsu review of the game via Noisy Pixel. Firstly, the title will take roughly 20 hours to complete, and secondly, the game will feature multiple endings, providing an incentive to double...
Mini Review The DioField Chronicle (PS5) - Dull Characters in an Intriguing Strategy RPG
Fleeting foxes
Its disjointed reveal trailer didn't exactly heighten our expectations, but we're happy to report that The DioField Chronicle has turned out reasonably well. It's a real-time strategy RPG topped off with some very pretty artwork and some effective gameplay design — but it's not without its (often obvious) flaws. Set against a...
News NieR: Automata Anime Release Date Revealed, Set to Blow YoRHa Minds in January 2023
Games are silly little things, after all
An anime series based on the excellent NieR: Automata will launch in January, 2023. Titled NieR: Automata Ver 1.1a, the series is being developed by A-1 Studios, an animation house of high repute, responsible for the virtually immaculate Persona 4: Golden adaptation. We got several minutes of footage to mull...
News Valkyrie Elysium's Free November Update to Add New Game Mode, Difficulty Options
Something worth fighting for
Valkyrie Elysium marks the return of the cult-classic Valkyrie series of action RPGs and is set to launch on PS5 and PS4 on 29th September. A demo for the game is available now on the PlayStation Store, and we went hands-on with the title, and think it's shaping up to be a pleasant surprise. Another pleasant surprise,...
News PS5, PS4 Port of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth Delayed to December
Pushed back for quality reasons
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth was originally a PS1 (and later PSP) title that's being ported to PS5 and PS4. It's also included as part of Valkyrie Elysium's Deluxe Edition, and was set to release on the same day. Unfortunately, with the action RPG just a week or so away from launch, the Lenneth port has been hit with a...
News PS5, PS4 Flop Babylon's Fall Being Given Away for Free at GameStop
How low can you go?
With the impending closure of Babylon’s Fall’s servers, pre-owned copies of the PS5 and PS4 online action game have officially reached “junk” status at GameStop. That means the US retailer will chuck out any excess inventory that doesn’t get claimed. Of course, there are already multiple reports of people online...
News Star Ocean: The Divine Force Demo Out Now on PS5, PS4
Don't force it
Update: The playable demo for Star Ocean: The Divine Force is available to download now on both PS5 and PS4. It's just over 15GB in size. Original Story: If you're eager to take upcoming action RPG Star Ocean: The Divine Force for a spin, then you may be interested in knowing that a playable demo will arrive on the PlayStation Store...
News Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest Eschews Traditional Turn-Based Combat in Favor of Action
Sharpen your reflexes
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai is an upcoming Dragon Quest spinoff that, aside from having one of the most awkward names ever, looks pretty great. We got a peak at some gameplay during Tokyo Game Show 2022, which debuted at the Dragon Quest stage event. Infinity Strash is actually an action RPG, breaking...
News Square Enix Showcases 20 Full Minutes of Octopath Traveler 2 Gameplay
The path you've chosen
Nintendo Switch fans will already know good Octopath Traveler can look, but with its sequel, Octopath Traveler II, coming to PS5 and PS4 next year, we've been watching this new gameplay footage with wide eyes. This title really is a beauty. You can watch said gameplay for yourself above. It's roughly 20 minutes of footage,...
News Final Fantasy 16 Set to Return in October with a New Trailer
Fantastic
Final Fantasy XVI has been missing in action at Tokyo Game Show 2022 — outside of some lovely new artwork — but don't let that get you down, because it sounds like we'll see more of the game very soon. That's according to producer Naoki Yoshida, who, during Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV presentation, said that the team has plans to...
News Lovely New Artwork Might Be All You're Getting From Final Fantasy 16 at TGS 2022
Reiterates summer 2023 release
We're all waiting on our next glimpse of Final Fantasy XVI, and many thought that the highly anticipated action RPG would show up at Tokyo Game Show 2022 — but it's unfortunately looking less and less likely. The Tokyo-based event isn't over yet — it carries through the whole weekend — but blockbuster trailers...
Hands On Star Ocean: The Divine Force Needs Work, Serious Work
Charge my AP Gauge
You've always been able to tell when Square Enix has decided not to give one of its upcoming RPGs a suitable budget, but the Star Ocean series feels like an IP devoted entirely to the lower echelons of its monetary commitments. Not since the PS2 generation has the franchise had a quality instalment, and The Divine Force looks set...
News Here's 13 Whole Minutes of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion PS5 Gameplay
The Reunion is real
We've said it before, but the Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion glow-up is remarkable. It's a bit of a disservice to call this a remaster, because on a visual level, this looks like an entirely new game. That's more evident than ever in this new PS5 gameplay video straight out of Tokyo Game Show 2022, courtesy of Famitsu...
Hands On Valkyrie Elysium May Well Be a Pleasant Surprise
Goddess of war
Announced in the same State of Play showcase as Star Ocean: The Divine Force, the return of the Valkyrie series with Valkyrie Elysium isn't getting quite as much fanfare as it perhaps deserves. With a PS5, PS4 release just weeks away, a demo quietly released on the PS Store
Hands On Crisis Core Is a Welcome Reunion with Final Fantasy VII
We're on a Digital Mind Wave
It's already been almost two and a half years since Square Enix reinvented the story of its 1997 JRPG classic Final Fantasy VII, and we're itching to see what the Japanese publisher has in store next. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will provide those answers next winter, but to tide us over until then, Crisis Core: Final...
News Awkwardly Named Action RPG Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest Travels West on PS5, PS4
Getting a global release
Infinity Strash — not Infinity's Trash — is getting a global release. Full (and very awkward) title Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai is a Dragon Quest spinoff, based on The Adventure of Dai manga, which was first published in 1989. It was later revived as an anime series in 2020. One of the first...