Square Enix

Here’s What (Some) Japanese Developers Are Looking Forward To In 2013

And so this is 2013, and what have we done? Another year over, and a new one’s just begun… Holiday songs aside, 2013 is upon us, and that means reflecting on the past year and looking forward to things to come. This week, Weekly Famitsu asked several Japanese game developers about their plans for 2013.…

Man, Final Fantasy Tactics Sure Had A Steep Learning Curve

Earlier this week, I talked to some game developers about why they love Final Fantasy Tactics. But beloved or not, man, does this game have a steep learning curve. A little background: I never had a PS1, so I didn’t have a chance to play Final Fantasy Tactics. I became terrifyingly hooked on Tactics A2…

The New Final Fantasy XIV Opening Is a Ball of Fire and Pretty Pictures

Gotta give Final Fantasy studio Square Enix this: man, they can sure make dazzling cutscenes. Here is the new prologue for the revamped Final Fantasy XIV. Square Enix is massively overhauling its massive online FF game. Previously, Square Enix showed off a dungeon in the new Final Fantasy XIV. If you missed that, watch that…

Let’s Go Back To Final Fantasy Tactics. Oh, What An Intro This Game Had

The time has come. The time when I will finally play Final Fantasy Tactics. It’s been a blind spot for years, a game that I have wanted to play ever since I became terribly addicted to Final Fantasy Tactics A2 on the Nintendo DS. And now, at the start of 2013, I am going to…

Tomb Raider Will Have Multiplayer, Studio Confirms

A recent retail listing in the UK indicated that Tomb Raider‘s 2013 reboot will have a multiplayer mode, with playable characters including “Lara’s Shipmates or Yamatai’s Scavengers.” In a Tweet today, an executive for Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics confirmed that the game would have multiplayer, and that details are forthcoming in the next Official…

A Glimpse At One Of The Dungeons In The New Final Fantasy XIV

This one is called the Tam-Tara Deepcroft, an instanced dungeon from Final Fantasy XIV. The above video footage shows what this dungeon will look like in version 2.0 of the game, A Realm Reborn, which will launch next year for PC and PS3. Cool music. Reminds me of Final Fantasy Tactics Square plans to start…

Here’s What Solo Gameplay Is Like in Lightning Returns: FFXIII

By now, most fans have seen the trailer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and are at least partly aware of the new game system that will involve a limited time of 13 days in which Lightning must save the world. Video from the trailer shows Lightning in her new outfit running, fighting, climbing and…

It May Be Expensive, But It’s Still Final Fantasy IV

While not the best Final Fantasy game of all-time (in my reality that’s IX), Final Fantasy IV was one of the first role-playing games to feature a deep, character-driven plot and introduced the world to the Active Time Battle system, adding an element of urgency to pressing one button over and over again. That’s at…

The 3DS Remake Of Dragon Quest VII Looks Pretty Solid So Far

While at Jump Festa 2013 this weekend, I had the chance to check out the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII. This is a remake of the seventh Dragon Quest game—which was originally released for the PlayStation back in 2000—seems to fit the console’s format very naturally. The graphical upgrade is very pretty and allows…

Here’s The *Official* First Trailer For Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

aka Final Fantasy XIII-3 You might have seen this a couple of days ago, if you were lucky enough to see the leaked footage before Square Enix pulled it down, but if you weren’t, here it is! Enjoy.

Square Enix Will Bring Final Fantasy V ‘And More’ Games To iOS

At the end of this trailer for Final Fantasy IV—which is out today on iOS for the Square Enix-ish price of $16—there’s a Very Special Teaser. Final Fantasy V! And more! This is very cool, especially if they keep going through the years. While the first four Final Fantasy games have already been re-released seven…

Heads up! Final Fantasy IV is now out on iOS. Yours for US$16 at the Apple Store

A Look Inside the Brand New Square Enix Cafe

Famed Japanese game maker Square Enix recently launched a new establishment called Artnia. Inside, there are figurines on display, plush toys and accessories to buy, as well as CDs, t-shirts, pricey souvenir chocolate and cookies. This isn’t just a gift shop. There’s also a cafe that serves parfait, pancakes, sandwiches, coffee, and original non-alcoholic “potions”…

All the Final Fantasy You Can Eat

Yesterday, Kotaku showed off the special (and totally bonkers) Metal Gear bento Sony created to mark the series’ anniversary. That wasn’t the only special bento. There was a Final Fantasy bento, too. Looks good, huh? Literally. Ham was used for the characters’ skin, while eggs were used for the blond hair. And those blue pupils?…

Hey Square Enix, Where The Hell Is Bravely Default?

Dear Square Enix, This is getting ridiculous. It’s been two months since Bravely Default: Flying Fairy came out in Japan—where it flew off store shelves—and we have yet to hear a peep about a U.S. release. No hints, no promises, no nothing. Your PR representatives won’t say a word, no matter how many times I…

This Looks Like New Final Fantasy Versus XIII Character Art [Update: No, It’s Not]

Don’t get too excited just yet! It’s only one Versus character (Noctis). And it’s only one drawing. What’s more, it looks vaguely like character art we saw earlier this year. But, it is apparently new, and it does feature other FF characters. Keep the dream alive! This art comes via a Kotaku reader, who says…

Happy 25th Birthday, Final Fantasy. It’s Time To Get Your Act Together.

Happy birthday, Final Fantasy! You were first released in Japan on December 18, 1987. You’re 25. Good times. Now listen. We need to talk. There used to be a day when seeing the name “Final Fantasy” meant we were about to play something fantastic, when your “brand”—as the kids like to call it these days—was…

Square Enix’s Next-Gen Engine Sure Makes Eyeballs Look Pretty

We may know nothing official about the next generation of consoles, but we do know what Final Fantasy overseers Square Enix hope their games will look like on them, courtesy of its 2012 debut of the Luminous engine These two videos give us a closer look at the tech demo first shown at E3, zooming…

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade is Live and Pretty Disappointing

Sneaking past me onto iTunes this morning, DeNA’s Asian import Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade is now available for free download. Just don’t expect much in the ways of bells or whistles. In fact, there’s no sound at all. Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade is one of those collectible card games I love so much, only instead…

And Here’s the Dragon Quest VII 3DS Trailer

Yes, right here! Watch it! Originally released in 2000 on the PlayStation, Dragon Quest VII is headed to the 3DS in Japan next February. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.