Final Fantasy

This Week’s Final Fantasy XIV Patch Is Pretty Exciting

Final Fantasy XIV gets its biggest update since the Stormblood expansion tomorrow, with the launch of patch 4.1, “The Legend Returns.” Not only are players getting new player housing, NPC dungeons and a continuation of the main storyline, they’re also taking a trip to Final Fantasy XII’s Rabenastre, courtesy of guest creator Yasumi Matsuno. When…

I Wrote A Book About Final Fantasy And It’s Available Now

Is Final Fantasy V the best of the series? Whether you agree or disagree, if you love old-school Final Fantasy games you might want to read my new book Final Fantasy V, which is available now from Boss Fight Books. Each book in the Boss Fight series examines a single game that’s particularly important in…

The Littlest Cloud Strife Cosplayer Needs A Small Chocobo

This just might be the best cosplay at this year’s Tokyo Game Show: A little Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children riding a small Chocobo. It even stands out among all the terrific Final Fantasy cosplay at this year’s TGS.

Final Fantasy Creator’s Latest Mobile RPG Is Pretty Complex

Available now foriOS andAndroiddevices, Terra Battle 2 is the follow-up to the mobile RPG from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s studio, Mistwalker. It’s a bit dense, but very pretty. The original Terra Battle, released in 2014, introduced players to a unique battle system in which characters positioned on a gridded playfield must flank their enemies…

The Worst Strategy Guide Ever Made

Pop quiz: does the name “PlayOnline” make your blood boil, or at least cause one of your eyes to start twitching? No? Lucky you. If it does, you might be familiar with the worst strategy guide in video game history. This article was originally published in May 2015. We’ve bumped it and edited it for…

As you get off the train for Tokyo Game Show, you’re greeted by the main characters of every Final Fantasy. It’s an ad for a 30th anniversary art exhibition starting in January here in Tokyo. I went up and down stairs until I found Terra and Bartz. (Well, Tina and Butz.)

Final Fantasy IX Is Out Now For PlayStation 4

The latest Final Fantasy heading to the PlayStation 4 is fan favorite Final Fantasy IX. Update: It’s out now, and mildly enhanced. Originally released on the PlayStation in 2000, the game has since been re-released as a PSone Classic in 2010 and was ported to Windows, Android and iOS last year. No word if this…

Final Fantasy XV‘s Director Clears Up A Major Ending Plot Point

There’s one big plot point left ambiguous at the end of Final Fantasy XV, so I thought I’d ask director Hajime Tabata about it. In an interview earlier this month, he offered some helpful clarification, also acknowledging that the game’s story was a bit… messy. Spoilers follow, obviously. I mean, did you really see a…

The Future Of Final Fantasy Is All About Player Feedback

When Yoshinori Kitase talks about the future of Final Fantasy, you probably want to listen. The veteran producer, widely considered the successor to former Square Enix honcho Hironobu Sakaguchi, is one of the shepherds of the iconic role-playing game series. And he’s looking to take some lessons from the world of mobile gaming—namely, player feedback.…

Final Fantasy XV‘s Director Wants You To Know He Can’t Find A Switch

Last month, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata teased a version of his game for the Nintendo Switch. But when I asked him about that port to Nintendo’s hot new console, he wanted me to share a different message: He can’t actually find one. “I want you to make the headline, ‘Tabata has not been…

In case Final Fantasy Brave Exvius wasn’t enough of a side-story for you, Square Enix just launched Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Tap, a Facebook Instant idle-clicker featuring characters from the mobile game. Square Enix is weird.

Final Fantasy XV‘s Wild Secret Dungeon Was Designed By One Man

If, like me, your favorite part of Final Fantasy XV was the mind-boggling Pitioss Ruins, here is a fun fact: It was designed by one person, according to director Hajime Tabata. Speaking with me in Seattle at PAX West last weekend, Tabata said he was surprised when I told him that I loved the Pitioss…

Is Squall Really Dead? Final Fantasy Producer Addresses The Series’ Biggest Fan Theories

Was Aeris ever going to come back to life? Are Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy VII set in the same world? Is Gogo actually Daryl? Thanks to Yoshinori Kitase, we now have the answers to all of these questions. And they’re mostly “No.” Kitase, whose résumé is far too long to list in one…

Final Fantasy Fighting Game’s Beta Is So Laggy

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a fast-paced three-on-three arcade combat game featuring characters from Square Enix’s beloved role-playing franchise, coming to the PlayStation 4 early next year. It’s currently in closed beta, where players are enjoying some spectacular lag. First, take a look at this early practice match against AI competitors. I’m still getting the…

Japan Comes Up With Polite Slang For Twitter Replies

When people in Japan see “FF,” they immediately think Final Fantasy. And for good reason! For decades, “FF” has been shorthand for the iconic role-playing game series. But recently, Twitter users have been using “FF” as a polite way to reply to others. As GetNews reports recently, “FF” refers to “Follow” and “Follower.” It is…

An Assassin’s Creed logo has been hiding in a Final Fantasy XV trailer since last October, hinting at the collaboration that Ubisoft and Square Enix announced yesterday. Ubisoft says there are also Final Fantasy easter eggs in the AC Origins announcement trailer and in this week’s Gamescom CGI trailer. Well done, video game publishers.

Final Fantasy XV Gets DLC From, Uh, Assassin’s Creed 

In what’s as natural a combination as chocolate and french fries, Final Fantasy XV and Assassin’s Creed Origins will have a crossover that Ubisoft says “will result in the two franchises paying homage to each other’s gaming universes.” It’ll start next week with a festival inside FFXV Here’s Ubisoft: The collaboration kicks off on August…

For The First Time, Final Fantasy VIII‘s ‘Eyes On Me’ Will Be Sold On Vinyl 

Final Fantasy VIII ballad “Eyes on Me” was originally released in 1999 as a CD single. It’s not only one of Final Fantasy’s most iconic songs, but also one of gaming’s best-selling. This fall, the tune will be released as a 7-inch vinyl. Composer Nobuo Uematsu wrote the track’s music, and iconic singer Faye Wong,…

A recommended specs list for the upcoming PC version of Final Fantasy XV had indicated that the game would be 170GB, but Square Enix says that’s an error. “The specs listed were not final as the game is still in development,” the company told Kotaku. “We will officially publish both minimum and recommended specs for…

Square Enix Teases Final Fantasy XV On Switch

Alright, well, as near as I can figure, Square Enix said something about Final Fantasy XV and Nintendo Switch today at Gamescom. It was less than an announcement but more substantial than a routine “we’re thinking about it.” Here’s what happened. During a livestream from the Twitch booth at Gamescom in which FFXV producer Hajime…