Tag: Square Enix - Page 8
News Final Fantasy 14 Patch 6.4 The Dark Throne Launches on PS5, PS4 Next Week
The story continues
The neverending forward march of Final Fantasy XIV continues (even if director Yoshi-P is currently obsessed with Zelda), with a trailer being released for the next chapter in the long-running MMO. The next patch, 6.4 - The Dark Throne, will set the stage for the next (as-yet-unannounced) major expansion and goes live next week,...
News Square Enix Wants to Release More Higher Quality Games, Starting with Final Fantasy 16
Japanese publisher has big ambitions
Square Enix tends to be unpredictable as a publisher. Take this year alone, for example: it released the highly promoted Forspoken to middling reviews, and then barely lifted a finger to advertise the critically acclaimed Octopath Traveler 2. Meanwhile, last year it dropped a ton of titles on Nintendo Switch,...
Random Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P Couldn't Stop Playing Zelda During PS5, PS4 MMO's Test Stream
Do not disturb
As we alluded to in our other article on the subject, the industry has been put on pause for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom. And not even Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida could put down his Nintendo Switch for a recent test stream, featuring the game’s v6.4 update. Any guesses for what he’s playing? Clearl
News Final Fantasy 16 Really Wants You to Know Its Action Combat Can Be Made Easy
Take it easy
The ongoing marketing campaign for Final Fantasy XVI has tried to make one particular point very clear: you don't have to be good at action games to enjoy the upcoming release. Despite going all-in on skill-based action combat, Square Enix is seemingly terrified of alienating potential players who may not like the idea of mastering...
News Final Fantasy 16 Refused Classification in Saudia Arabia
Square Enix "unwilling" to make necessary changes
Final Fantasy XVI will not be released in the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, with the nation's official rating board (the General Commission for Audiovisual Media) refusing the eagerly-anticipated title classification. Apparently, this was due to publisher Square Enix's refusal to modify content for the...
News Final Fantasy 16's PS5 Console Bundle Can Be Pre-Ordered Now
Costs £539/$559
If you're in the market for a PS5 and are looking to pick Final Fantasy XVI up next month, you may want to combine the two purchases for the special console bundle releasing alongside the Square Enix RPG. Available for pre-order now is the previously announced Final Fantasy XVI PS5 console bundle, which packs in a PS5 download code...
News Forspoken Wants to Remind You It's Getting a Big Prequel DLC This Month
Enter the Frey
Out later this month on PS5, Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust promises more magical adventures for Frey Holland. The expansion releases on the 26th May, and places a heavy emphasis on dual characters. The DLC's story actually whisks Frey back in time, to a war that shaped the action RPG's fantasy world. You can catch a glimpse of In...
Gallery Final Fantasy 16 Artwork Is a Feast for the Eyes
All character art, Eikons, and more
Typical of the long-running series, Final Fantasy XVI has some downright gorgeous artwork behind it. In fact, it's so good that we've decided to gather it all on a single page for your perusal. Below, you'll find all of the officially released Final Fantasy XVI artwork so far, most of which has been beautifully...
News PS4 Version Helps Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Sell Two Million Copies
Across all six games
The latest PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters have seen the six-game bundle push past two million copies sold overall. Originally released for PC and smartphones, the collection was updated with some new fonts and boost modes as it arrived on home consoles. Since this is total sales across the...
News Japan Is Keeping Final Fantasy 16 PS5 Controller, Console Covers for Itself
Releasing "only in Japan", says PS Blog
Sony is releasing an official Final Fantasy XVI themed PS5 DualSense controller and set of PS5 console covers, but you won't be able to buy either of them. That is unless you're willing to import them from Japan. A post on the Japanese PS Blog has revealed the two accessories — alongside the worldwide reveal...
News Official Final Fantasy 16 PS5 Console Bundle Revealed
No fancy artwork, though
Sony has announced it'll have an official PS5 console bundle to go alongside the release of Final Fantasy XVI on 22nd June 2023. A standard disc-based PS5 system will include a download code for the Square Enix RPG, but the console won't sport any special decals or artwork. This is simply a normal PS5 boxed up with a PS...
Review Live A Live (PS5) - 90s JRPG Is Still Amazingly Unique All These Years Later
Live life throughout time
Last year saw the remake of Live A Live launch on Nintendo Switch, some 27 years after its original 1994 launch on the Super Famicom. This marks the first time the title has been made available outside of Japan, and now that it's coming to PS5 and PS4, we're happy to report that Live A Live is still a unique and...
Mini Review Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster (PS4) - One of the Greatest 2D RPGs of All Time
Locke it in
Final Fantasy VI arguably perfected the 2D Final Fantasy formula. Ahead of the series' shift to 3D graphics in Final Fantasy VII, the sixth instalment delivered previously unparalleled drama through breakneck plot pacing and a diverse cast of interesting characters. The storytelling that's so often revered in titles like Final Fantasy IX...
Mini Review Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster (PS4) - Oft Forgotten RPG Deserves Another Chance
V has come to
Final Fantasy V is probably the most overlooked instalment in the mainline series. It didn't come West until years after its original release, and by the time that it finally got a PlayStation port, it had been left in the dust by its genre-defining successors. What's more, V never really received the retroactive attention that was...
News Final Fantasy 12 Director Quashes That Long-Standing Basch Rumour
Will the real fon Ronsenburg please stand up?
Final Fantasy XII, love it or hate it, is a fascinating beast, telling a steam-punk saga of political machinations and out-and-out war. It brings together a colourful cast of characters, some more beloved than others. Game director Yasumi Matsuno, apropos of absolutely nothing, just popped up on Twitter...
Mini Review Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster (PS4) - The Gripping RPG That Rocked Square's Series
Go ahead and jump
Final Fantasy IV is the game that put Square's series on a new path, one that prioritised dramatic, character-driven stories — something that would define the franchise going forward. It tells the twisting tale of Cecil, a skilled knight who starts to question his country's militaristic ambitions. Even 32 years after its initial...
Mini Review Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster (PS4) - Job System Stars in a Solid RPG
Job's a good 'un
Where Final Fantasy II felt like it was really trying to branch away from the original Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III almost feels like a retread of the very first game. In both its storytelling and its core gameplay systems, the third instalment in Square's series has much in common with its progenitor — although it does well...
Pushing the stunningly-detailed envelope
Longtime Final Fantasy fans, and gamers in general, know that the series brings the heat when it comes to cutting-edge visual fidelity, especially on new hardware. We all marvelled at the PS1 FMVs in Final Fantasy VII, and gaped open-mouthed at that metal AF opening cutscene in Final Fantasy X on PS2...
News Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster's New Exp, Money Boosts Don't Disable Trophies
Pixel perfect
Now that we've actually played the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters for ourselves, we can confirm that the all-new 'Boosts' do not disable Trophies. We always expected this would be the case, but we just wanted to make it clear in case any Push Square readers were wondering. For additional context, 'Boosts' are found in the options menu...
Mini Review Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster (PS4) - The Best Version of a Flawed Final Fantasy
The Empire strikes back
Final Fantasy II has long been considered one of the weaker mainline entries in Square Enix's series. While it did attempt to push the property forward in terms of storytelling, its intriguing but deeply flawed levelling system has left many a player unimpressed over the years. In Final Fantasy II, you play as a group of...
Mini Review Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster (PS4) - Series Originator Is Still Hard to Fault
It wasn't final after all
Ah, the game where it all began. The original Final Fantasy is an incredibly basic (and relatively short) RPG by today's standards, but there's still an inherent charm to its no-nonsense adventuring. It's light versus dark, good versus evil, four heroes standing against the end of the world — and that's just about all...
News Final Fantasy 16 Pre-Launch Livestream Announced
Demo drop?
Square Enix will be hosting a special Final Fantasy XVI event just ahead of its release date. This 'pre-launch celebration' will take place in Los Angeles on the 11th June, and it'll be livestreamed. Outside of this basic information, we don't really know what the event will offer. The publisher says there are "more details to come". Stay...
News Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Trophies Revealed, Including a Platinum Trophy for Each
Kefkaesque
Trophies for the eagerly anticipated Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters have begun to pop up on dedicated sites like Exophase. Each of the six lovingly remastered entries in the series will be bestowed with its own Platinum Trophy, avoiding any annoying cross-game unlock shenanigans (we are looking directly at you, Mass Effect Legendary...
News Final Fantasy 16's PS5 State of Play Was a Huge Hit for Square Enix
State of Play video racks up the views
The irony of the State of Play format is that generally it’s been better suited to single game showcases. Obviously, we know there have been some pretty good multigame broadcasts, but when Sony has used the structure to show off individual games like Horizon Forbidden West or Gran Turismo 7, the reception has...
News Final Fantasy 16's PS5 Collector's Edition Is Being Scalped to High Heaven
Price more than doubled by resellers
Final Fantasy 16’s Collector’s Edition is pretty cool – it’s also completely sold out. Including a statue of the giant titan-like Eikons Ifrit and Phoenix, as well as a set of pins, a steelbook case, and a cloth map, the entire bundle retails for £329.99/$349.99. While you can join a waiting list on...
Soapbox Final Fantasy 16 Is the Most Excited I've Been for the Series in Almost 20 Years
Finally, a Final Fantasy
I'm a massive fan of Final Fantasy. No doubt like many of you reading this, my gaming tastes were shaped by seminal PS1 titles like Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX. As a kid, those RPGs showed me that games could be more than Crash Bandicoot or Tekken 2 — that they could tell epic, 50-hour stories filled with unique...
News Final Fantasy 16 Is Flying Up Sales Charts After Stellar State of Play Show
And that's just pre-orders
Despite being over two months away from launch, Final Fantasy XVI has started to rocket up the best sellers charts on Amazon — and this is the case in both the US and Europe. These charts are based on sales of already released games as well as pre-orders, but generally speaking, you don't see pre-orders rise all that...
News Final Fantasy 16's Theme Song, Performed by Kenshi Yonezu, Is Kind of a Banger
Moongazing
Final Fantasy fans were spoiled today, getting a meaty State of Play Showcase in which 25 minutes of ridiculously awesome-looking Final Fantasy XVI gameplay footage dropped, with the promise of more to come.
News Watch 25 Minutes of Final Fantasy 16 PS5 Gameplay in Glorious 4K
Final fantastic
At the time of writing this article, many of you will have only just finished watching the Final Fantasy XVI State of Play broadcast live — but for those who haven't, and for those who simply want to watch it all again, PlayStation has uploaded the full video in glorious 4K resolution. The action RPG already looked ridiculous on...
News Even More Final Fantasy 16 Info on 'Battle, Side, and Endgame Content' Coming Soon
Square Enix going all-in
We're just over two months away from the launch of Final Fantasy XVI, and Square Enix seems hellbent on drowning us in information. At the end of tonight's State of Play broadcast, producer Naoki Yoshida confirmed that the 25-minute presentation was far from the last you'll see of the action RPG before its June release...
Poll How Was Final Fantasy 16's State of Play Showcase?
Share your reaction to the big livestream
You might already be sold on Final Fantasy XVI, but Sony and Square Enix still felt it necessary to put on a State of Play livestream all about the PS5 RPG. With a roughly half-an-hour deep dive into combat, exploration, and more the focus of the show, no other games were included in the event. Final...
Live Watch Final Fantasy 16's State of Play Livestream Right Here (13th April, 2023)
Live with Clive
Sony and Square Enix will combine for a State of Play broadcast featuring Final Fantasy XVI tonight. We've been promised over 20 minutes of footage from the upcoming PS5 exclusive, with a supposed focus on RPG elements and gameplay mechanics. If you're not quite sold on the latest instalment in Square Enix's beloved series, then you...
Soapbox Watch Another 20 Minutes of Final Fantasy 16? You Must Be Mad
Rob just wants to play it
Final Fantasy XVI is easily my most anticipated PlayStation game. Hell, it's probably the most excited I've been for a PS5 game to date. So when Sony confirmed a new State of Play broadcast featuring over 20 whole minutes of fresh Final Fantasy XVI gameplay, I turned away in disgust. Why? Because I feel like I've seen half...
News State of Play Showcase Set for Thursday, Final Fantasy 16 the Focus
No other games included
Sony has announced it'll be hosting a State of Play livestream this coming Thursday, 13th April 2023. Starting at 10pm BST / 2pm PT / 5pm ET, the show will be all about Final Fantasy XVI. No other PS5 games will feature during the event. The big show will provide a deep dive into the RPG's setting, battle system, and Eikons...
News Final Fantasy 7 Remake Battle Lead Wants to 'Surpass Final Fantasy 12's Gambit System'
Now we're talking
Final Fantasy VII Remake famously swapped out the original's turn-based combat system for a more modern action-based hybrid (with some characters' combat styles being more difficult to adapt than others). With the next instalment, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, lead battle programmer Satoru Koyama is shooting for the stars.
News Final Fantasy 16 on PS5 Will Have a World Map Like in Final Fantasy 10
Pick your destination
As has been pointed out multiple times – including in our preview – Final Fantasy 16 is not open world. The game instead consists of several large sandbox locations, each of which will be densely populated and can be fully explored. And speaking with Play Magazine, producer Naoki Yoshida has elaborated in a little more...
News Almost Every Mainline Final Fantasy Game Will Soon Be Playable on Current PlayStation Consoles
11 and 13 the only ones missing
With the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection launching for PS4 later this month, we'll soon be living in a world where (almost) every mainline Final Fantasy game will be playable on either PS4 or PS5 — or both. Once the Pixel Remaster's 19th April release date rolls around, only two titles from Square Enix's...
News Final Fantasy 16 Would Still Be in Development Without the PS5
More praise for Sony's system
Maybe it goes without saying, seeing as Sony itself has played an active part in developing Final Fantasy XVI, but the upcoming RPG would still be in the works if it wasn't for the PS5. As we all know, the game's a PS5 exclusive, and according to director Hiroshi Takai, the action-based adventures of Clive Rosfield...
News Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Add Exp Boosts, Random Encounter Toggle, and More on PS4
What more could you want?
In case you missed the announcement overnight, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games are launching on PS4 later this month. We've been waiting on confirmation of that 19th April release date for a while, but that's not the only headline-worthy news with regards to the collection. Indeed, Square Enix has also revealed that...
News Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Brings 1 Through 6 to PS4 on 19th April
Pixel perfect
Square Enix has announced its Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, which includes the first six mainline titles, will release for PS4 later this month on 19th April 2023. A new trailer viewable above has been posted to coincide with the news, which shows off just some of the improvements you can expect from these six remasters. The upgrades...
News Marvel's Avengers PS5, PS4 Upgraded to Definitive Edition, Most Content Now Free
One last hurrah
Marvel's Avengers is officially on its last legs, with support for the lethargic live-service game coming to an end in September, with one last big patch making almost all content in the game free and setting the state of the game in stone. The single-player segment of the game, the campaign and associated side missions will stil
Time to Dai
Dreadfully named action RPG spinoff Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai will release worldwide this autumn / fall, Square Enix has announced. We've been waiting on this one for a while; it was confirmed for a Western launch last September, but we've had no additional information until now. Anyway, if you don't know what...
News Final Fantasy 16 Goes Gold Well Ahead of June Release Date
Dev team continues to impress
Ladies and gentlemen, we now live in a world where mainline Final Fantasy games are ready to be shipped months ahead of their release date. How times have changed! Indeed, Final Fantasy XVI has gone gold, meaning that development is complete, and it's basically ready for public consumption. As alluded, this...
News Final Fantasy 16 Wouldn't Be Possible Without PS5
Director "blown away" by the console
It sounds like Final Fantasy XVI director Hiroshi Takai has been left thoroughly impressed by the PS5. In a new interview over on the PlayStation Blog, Takai talks about the advantages of developing for Sony's current-gen console, and although this isn't the first time we've seen such praise, his answers shed a...
News Classic RPG Remake Live A Live Coming to PS5, PS4 on 27th April
Demo out on the PS Store now
Square Enix has announced it's bringing the HD-2D remake of its classic SNES RPG Live A Live to PS5, PS4 on 27th April 2023. A demo is available on the PS Store now, and you'll be able to carry over your progress into the full game once it launches next month. PS Plus members can get a 20 per cent discount on digital...
News Square Enix Honours Final Fantasy 7's Legacy with Set of Tacky NFT Trading Cards
Read the room
Square Enix has announced Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum: Digital Card Plus, a collection of trading cards inspired by iconic characters and artwork from Final Fantasy VII commemorating the franchise's 25th anniversary. It will, of course, include NFTs. Each pack will contain six cards and one digita
News Forspoken Prequel Story DLC Is Unleashed in May
In Tanta We Trust
As promised by Square Enix, Forspoken will be getting post-launch support in the form of an expansion in the relatively near future. Titled 'In Tanta We Trust', this DLC is actually a prequel in terms of story. It's set 25 years before the events of the main game, with protagonist Frey travelling back in time to experience the...
News No Release Date for Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster PS4, But Square Enix Taking Payments Soon
"It's fast approaching"
Those handful of Final Fantasy fans lucky enough to lodge a pre-order for the limited edition physical version of Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster on PS4 will be charged on 31st March in Europe and 5th April in North America – despite the bundle not having an official release date yet. Officially, the publisher’s still...
News Final Fantasy 14 Is Becoming Almost Impossible to Resist on PS5, PS4
You're already dead
Final Fantasy 14 is one of the biggest games on the planet, but Square Enix isn’t satisfied. The juggernaut publisher is constantly trying to tempt new players to its titan MMO, and a new offer eligible through 8th May, 2023 is sure to convert a few remaining holdouts to the addictive and ever-expanding world of Eorzea...
News Final Fantasy 16 Super Fans Chronicle Series References in Latest Footage
Can't quite put my finger on it
Final Fantasy is a series full of nostalgia, it's part of the charm. It looks like Final Fantasy XVI is aiming to go all-in on pulling our hardened heartstrings, however, with a surprising number of references to earlier games in the series being collated by eagle-eyed super fans. In a thread on Twitter, user...