Tag: Square Enix - Page 5
News Very Promising Action RPG Visions of Mana Adventures to PS5, PS4 In August
The legend continues
Having touted a rather vague 'summer 2024' release window since its announcement in December of last year, we're glad to see that Visions of Mana now has a confirmed date. It launches on the 29th August for both PS5 and PS4, and obviously hits that promised summer window after all. What's more, the above trailer gives us yet...
News Square Enix Offers $30 Upgrade to Play Life is Strange: Double Exposure Two Weeks Early
"Hella f*** off!"
A few days of early access for anticipated games, single-player and multiplayer, is something we're seeing publishers increasingly try, and we've been guilty of coughing up extra for the privilege ourselves in certain select cases. Square Enix, always a trailblazer, has taken this concept the furthest we've yet seen, offering a $30...
News Classic Action RPG Revival Visions of Mana Will Finally Get a Release Date Reveal This Week
A vision of the future
Visions of Mana has had a vague 'summer 2024' release window for months, and now that summer is actually here, fans have been wondering when we'll finally get that all-important date. Honestly, we fully expected a reveal during yesterday's Xbox showcase, but to our surprise, it never happened. Fortunately, an announcement is...
News Max Caulfield Returns in Life Is Strange: Double Exposure on PS5
Out in October
Well-loved Life Is Strange protagonist Max Caulfield is back, in an all-new murder mystery adventure, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, due out on 29th October for PS5. Developed once again by Deck Nine, the team behind the equally excellent Life Is Strange: True Colors, the release will cast an older Max at university, when her world...
Rumour Kingdom Hearts 4 May Be Trapped in the Darkness Until 2026
Hello darkness
One recurring sentiment that’s been shared by RPG fans this year is that, with Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth already released, there’s hope Kingdom Hearts 4 is the next title on the docket from publisher Square Enix. However, according to a well-connected rumourmonger who appears to have inside information on...
News Yoshi-P Tempts Fate, Says 'Almost No Chance' of Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail Server Woes
"We should be good in terms of preparation"
Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida is so confident in the MMO's stability that he's tempted fate by stating there's "almost no chance" of server congestion on Dawntrail's launch day, 2nd July. That's some tough talk, considering the
News Final Fantasy 16 Patch 1.33 Makes Us Think the Frame Rate Will Never Be Fixed on PS5
One for PS5 Pro
A new update for Final Fantasy 16 has landed, and to say it's minor would probably be an understatement. Patch 1.33 adds colour-coding to custom controller layouts in order to "improve visibility", and it fixes some very specific issues that most players won't even know exist. While it's nice that the action RPG is still being...
News Square Enix Drops OG Octopath Traveler, Available Now on PS5, PS4
Who needs marketing anyway
Like a bolt out of the blue, Square Enix has released the original Octopath Traveler on PS5 and PS4, and it's available now. The critically acclaimed JRPG was originally exclusive to Switch, released some six years ago, and just yesterday, we learned it was rated for release in Taiwan. Now, it seems Square Enix has decided...
News Octopath Traveler 1 Receives PS5, PS4 Age Ratings Ahead of SGF Show
Only took you six years
The original Octopath Traveler, first released as a Nintendo Switch exclusive in 2018 and then later ported to Xbox One and PC, has received PS5, PS4 age ratings in Taiwan. They've been given ratings alongside already confirmed ports of its sequel Octopath Traveler II for Xbox Series X|S, suggesting the late versions of the...
News Newest Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Patch 1.040 Applies Some Quick Fixes
Get all the patch notes here
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has taken a simple update on PS5 today to fix some bugs and clear up game stability. It's now available to download, and applies the following changes: Fixes to bugs that would very occasionally prevent game progress under specific conditions. Fixes that allow the player to acquire photo...
News Multiple Square Enix Rumours Spread Like Wildfire Ahead of Summer Game Fest
Final Fantasy! Dragon Quest! Kingdom Hearts X Fortnite?
A random assortment of Square Enix rumours have started to circulate on social media, stemming from the enigmatic Midori account. For those not up to date on their insider intel, Midori successfully leaked a number of Atlus and SEGA projects, before temporarily hanging up their rumourmonger...
News Keighley Sticks a Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts 4 at Summer Game Fest Speculation
Sorry, Sora
Unless he’s sneakily trying to throw fans off the scent, there’ll be no Kingdom Hearts 4 at this year’s Summer Game Fest event. Host and organiser Geoff Keighley said during a Twitch Q&A that “people are setting themselves up for failure” by expecting the next entry in the Square Enix and Disney crossover series, but he...
News Three Years Later, Dragon Quest 12 Is Still Nowhere to Be Seen on Dragon Quest Day
Yuji Horii provides a tiny update
We're now three years on from the announcement of Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, and we still haven't seen anything of the game beyond its logo. There were whispers that the anticipated RPG would finally surface for this year's Dragon Quest Day — the 27th May — but it ain't happening. Instead, all we've...
News Dragon Quest 3's HD-2D Remake Re-Emerges for PS5
Could it be a trilogy?
After eons in the wilderness, Square Enix appears ready to re-acknowledge the existence of Dragon Quest 3’s anticipated HD-2D remake – and could there be more to it? A new trailer to celebrate Dragon Quest Day says that “the legacy begins”, but there’s no mention of Dragon Quest 3 specifically, leading some to...
News Square Enix Bestows New Name on Creative Business Unit 3
Please be excited
Square Enix is undergoing a restructuring process, and layoffs are already underway in the US and Europe as the firm "aggressively" prepares for a multiplatform push. Perhaps in response to feedback, the Japanese publisher has taken the opportunity to rename one of its premier development studios, the Naoki Yoshida-led division...
News Square Enix Layoffs Underway in US and Europe as Restructure Begins
The hits just keep on coming
With the industry in a crisis and Square Enix's marquee titles Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth failing to meet sales expectations, the storied publisher/developer is restructuring to " aggressively" pursue a multiplatform strategy. Sadly, this will necessitat
News Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Fail to Meet Expectations on PS5
Foamstars also not setting the world alight
Square Enix announced earlier this week that it will aggressively pursue a more multiformat-focused strategy, after its big PS5 console exclusives failed to meet expectations. According to Bloomberg journalist Takashi Mochizuki, sales of Final Fantasy 16 did open in line with the company’s targets –...
News Square Enix to 'Aggressively' Pursue Multiplatform Strategy from Now On
Say goodbye to those PS5 exclusives
Square Enix has confirmed in a new medium-term business plan that it intends to "aggressively" pursue a multiplatform strategy across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC platforms. Instead of allowing select AAA games from its biggest series to be locked onto one system, the company will look to "build an...
News Visions of Mana Release Date Likely Incoming as Action RPG Gets Age Rated
A clearer vision
First announced in December of last year, Visions of Mana has been stuck with a vague 'summer' release window for months — but now, it seems highly likely that a confirmed date is heading our way in the near future. The action RPG has just been age rated by the ESRB in North America, which is usually a surefire sign that news is...
News Future Funk Season Adds New Maps and Events to Foamstars Later This Month on PS5, PS4
Yes, it's still alive
Square Enix's colourful multiplayer game, Foamstars, is reportedly quite a flop, but the show isn't over yet. The publisher has just announced the next themed season, this time named Future Funk, and it adds some more content to the sudsy shooter. The headline attraction this time around is the addition of three new maps...
News Final Fantasy 14 Servers Suffer Sustained DDoS Attacks, Square Enix Investigating
Login, connection issues persist
Square Enix's ever-popular MMO, Final Fantasy XIV, is currently experiencing a sustained DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) assault. The publisher/developer has warned its millions of invested players to expect login and connection issues until they are successfully repelled. In a blog post, Squeenix revealed that...
Poll What Do You Think of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Ending?
Materia desires
Spoiler Warning: Naturally, this article contains major story spoilers for both the original Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It's been over two months since the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and so we think it's about time to try and discuss the game's ending. With Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Square Enix made it clear...
Feature Final Fantasy 16 Expansion Pass Review: Is It Worth Buying?
Final Fantasy 16's DLC offering reviewed
Final Fantasy 16 released on the 22nd June 2023, offering up an action-heavy RPG that greatly deviates from the more traditional blueprints of past Final Fantasy titles. Initially, Square Enix had no plans to expand the game with DLC, but several months after its launch, in September 2023, the publisher...
News Final Fantasy 16 New Game+ Glitch to Be Fixed in PS5 Patch Next Week
Trophy fixes included too
Square Enix has revealed the bugs stopping Final Fantasy XVI players from starting New Game+ and unlocking specific Trophies will be fixed in a PS5 patch slated to arrive at the end of next week. When beginning a second playthrough and deciding to skip the prologue, some users are not seeing essential party members spawn,...
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Sales Remain Muted in the USA, Compared to Past Games
Reportedly well behind Remake
There's been a lot of discussion surrounding the commercial success of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The PS5 exclusive launched on the 29th February, but despite garnering near universal acclaim from critics, questions were quickly raised regarding sales numbers, with Square Enix yet to provide any official statistics (which...
Revised approach to HD game development formed
Square Enix appears to have cancelled or at least rescoped the size of multiple unannounced games as a result of an internal review into its development process, with a "content disposal" loss totalling 22.1 billion yen, or $141 million. As a result of the investigation, the publisher shall "revise the...
Rumour Kingdom Hearts 4 Slated for 2025 Release
So says DanielRPK
Kingdom Hearts IV will grace PS5 boxes next year, according to the increasingly reliable online tipster Daniel Richtman (DanielRPK). The TV and film leaker posted to his Patreon that he's heard about a 2025 release date for Kingdom Hearts IV, just days after his claim Sonic Frontiers 2 is in development was backed up by another...
News Final Fantasy 16 New Game+ Bug Preventing Progress, Square Enix Offers Temporary Fix
Just when you thought it was safe to start over
Square Enix has warned Final Fantasy XVI players that it's aware of a potentially progress-impeding bug, specifically affecting players trying to boot up a New Game+ run. The good news is that the developer is prioritising a fix and will push out a patch once a resolution is found. On
News Naoki Yoshida Says Final Fantasy 14 Update Will Fix Dawntrail's Dead, 'Lifeless Eyes'
Like mirrors to the soul
Last week, Square Enix unveiled the official PC benchmark and accompanying trailer for the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Dawntrail. The trailer gave fans glimpses of new in-game areas, enemies, and combat upgrades. While that all went over rather well, the game's decade-old character creation engine is drawing ire...
Review Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide (PS5) - A Fantastic Sendoff for Square's Action RPG
Gonna need a bigger boat
The Rising Tide is the second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, adding another worthwhile chapter to the tale of Clive Rosfield. Only accessible near the very end of the base game, this DLC is designed to be something of a sendoff for the action RPG, providing a new storyline that brings additional weight to the...
Poll Are You Playing Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide?
Making waves
The second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, titled The Rising Tide, is out now on PS5 — and if you can believe it, we're fast approaching the base game's first anniversary. But such a realisation has made us wonder... Are you returning to Final Fantasy 16 in order to play through this new DLC? Or could it be that the...
Patch notes are huge
Update: Final Fantasy 16 update 1.31 is available to download now on PS5, ahead of The Rising Tide's release on the 18th April. It weighs in at 2.8GB, and you can read the full patch notes below, in the original article. Original Story: Square Enix has published the patch notes for Final Fantasy 16's next update, which is set...
News Stellar Blade Is a Better Game Than NieR: Automata, Yoko Taro Reckons
Praise from both game directors
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up quite clearly took a lot of inspiration from PS4 great NieR: Automata during the making of its soon-to-be-released PS5 exclusive, but in the case of Automata director Yoko Taro, he thinks that the student has already become the master. In an interview with IGN Japan (via Eurogamer),...
High tide
Final Fantasy 16 was one of our favourite games of 2023, and so we wanted to find out more about The Rising Tide — the title's second and final expansion — ahead of its release on the 18th April. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to land an interview with Takeo Kujiraoka — the veteran Square Enix dev who's actually the director of...
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...
