-
Final Fantasy XIV‘s Latest Relic Hunt Is A Compelling Story Quest
If there’s one thing a good MMO needs, it’s fancy loot. That can mean World of Warcraft’s various class artifacts or Final Fantasy XIV’s relics, some of the best weapons in the game. The latter come with each new expansion, and it’s finally Shadowbringers’ turn. There’s a twist: What used to be a painful and…
By Heather Alexandra Published April 8, 2020 -
CultureThe Moment I Fell In Love With Aerith In The Final Fantasy VII Remake
In the original Final Fantasy VII, Aerith and Cloud’s escape from Shinra across the rooftops of the Sector 5 slums is a minute-long sequence with a few lines of dialogue and a bit of hopping. The Final Fantasy VII Remake turns that fleeting moment into so much more. As Jason Schreier says in his excellent…
By Mike Fahey Published April 6, 2020 -
ReviewsFinal Fantasy VII Remake: The Kotaku Review
A remake is, by nature, an egotistical exercise. Choosing to revise and re-release an old work of art is looking back at it and saying, “You know what? I could do this better.” Sometimes that turns out to be true. Sometimes it turns out to be horribly false. And sometimes, a release comes out that…
By Jason Schreier Published April 6, 2020 -
CulturePeople Are Already Playing Final Fantasy VII Remake In Australia
When Square Enix announced physical copies of Final Fantasy VII Remake would ship to Europe and Australia earlier than its April 10 release date due to the covid-19 pandemic, we didn’t think they meant this early. The eagerly anticipated game is already in the hands of many Australians, as evidenced by a growing number of…
By Mike Fahey Published April 1, 2020 -
Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be shipped early to Europe and Australia due to covid-19. An official statement reads: “Our highest priority is that all of you, including those who live in countries facing the biggest disruption, can play the game at launch, so we made the decision to ship…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 30, 2020 -
CultureNier Replicant Is Being “Upgraded” For PS4, Xbox One And PC
Square Enix announced earlier today that an upgraded version of Nier Replicant is heading to Xbox One, PS4, and PC. This year marks the 10 year anniversary of the action RPG and during a live stream celebrating this milestone,it was announced that developer Toylogic will help bring the game to modern systems and PC. Platinum…
By Zack Zwiezen Published March 29, 2020 -
CultureSony And Microsoft Put Out Vague Statements About How Covid-19 Will Affect Their Games
In a press release on its website, Sony announced that it doesn’t expect the game and network services part of its business to be impacted during the current fiscal year, which ends March 31. At the same time, the company didn’t rule out that things could change in the future. Sony and Microsoft both put…
By Ethan Gach Published March 27, 2020 -
CultureThere’s A New Final Fantasy Tactics Game Out Today, Sort Of
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Square Enix’s new tactics RPG, is now available on iOS and Android. It combines the beloved turn-based battles of Final Fantasy Tactics with a whole bunch of free-to-play, collectible character RPG nonsense. Though positioned as an offshoot of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the mobile RPG where players…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2020 -
CultureNier Creator’s Mobile RPG SINoALICE Goes Global July 1
SINoALICE is a role-playing game for iOS and Android which stars twisted versions of fairytale characters like Pinocchio, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood. It’s directed by Yoko Taro, who directed Nier, with music by Nier composer Keiichi Okabe. It’s been out in Japan since 2017. Everyone else can play it on July 1. The…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2020 -
CultureSpeedrunners Can’t Stop Playing The Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo
The Final Fantasy VII Remake demo has only been out for a week, but already speedrunners have played through it dozens of times trying to master it as if it were a standalone game. The demo, which went live last Monday, runs barely an hour, only showing off the first mission of what promises to…
By Ethan Gach Published March 12, 2020 -
CultureMicrosoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft Respond To The News Of E3’s Cancellation
Earlier today, the Entertainment Software Association said it will cancel the video game trade show E3 this year amid growing concerns over the spread of COVID-19, aka coronavirus. Since the announcement, major game publishers have said they still plan to share news about upcoming games, but in a different format. Despite Sony pulling out of…
By Ethan Gach Published March 11, 2020 -
CultureWhat’s Going On With GeForce Now
Ever since it officially launched last month, game publishers have been abandoning Nvidia’s GeForce Now streaming platform in droves. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, meanwhile, has defended the service, arguing it’s the most developer-friendly option out there right now. “Epic is wholeheartedly supporting NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW service with Fortnite and with Epic Games Store titles…
By Ethan Gach Published March 9, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsCloud And Sephiroth Face Off Again In The Final Fantasy VII Remake Card Game Set
With only the first installment of the Final Fantasy VII Remake coming in April, who knows when the video game will get to the final confrontation between Cloud and Sephiroth. The Final Fantasy Trading Card Game wastes no time getting to the good bits, with a special two-player starter set that allows players to relive…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2020 -
CultureOutriders Is Like Destiny Mixed With Heart Of Darkness
Outriders’ art makes it seem like a grittier rip-off of Destiny, but having played the game for a couple hours, it feels more like Gears of War mixed with Mass Effect. It occasionally reminded me of a James Cameron sizzle reel: the bucolic paradise of Avatar giving way to the bloody horror of Aliens occasionally…
By Ethan Gach Published March 2, 2020 -
OpinionImpressions3 Hours With Final Fantasy VII Remake: Thrilling, But Jarring
If you’ve played Final Fantasy VII, you’re probably familiar with the Air Buster, a floating robot who resembles a vacuum cleaner. Air Buster, the game’s second boss, takes roughly two minutes to kill. He’s more of a tutorial on enemy weak points than a genuine threat (hint: use the Bolt spell). So it’s more than…
By Jason Schreier Published March 2, 2020 -
These Commemorative Final Fantasy VII Remake Figures Don’t Look So Good
Square Enix has revealed a whole host of official merchandise to commemorate the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake in Japan. Some of it looks excellent. These, however, do not. The figurines of Cloud, Sephiroth and Aerith look passable from far away. But when you get up close, the quality is like, as a commenter on…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2020 -
Mobile Dragon Quest game Dragon Quest For The Stars is finally out in North America today after releasing first in Japan back in 2015. The free-to-play spin-off revolves around turn-based battles against slimes and the like just like the main series but with the addition of stamina meters and microtransactions.
By Ethan Gach Published February 25, 2020 -
Pre-registration is now open for the game Square Enix isn’t calling Final Fantasy Tactics Mobile but is pretty much that. They’re calling it War of the Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius for some reason, and it’s launching on iOS and Android in North America this spring. Thoughtful and strategic bathroom times lie ahead.
By Mike Fahey Published February 20, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsShadowbringers‘ Latest Expansion Ups The Stakes (And Robot Teeth)
Final Fantasy XIV’s current expansion Shadowbringers landed with a bang last July, and it’s been expanding since then with more battles and intrigue. Those additions have come in pieces: a string of raid monsters here, a cross-over collaboration with Nier Automata there. The early additions were enjoyable, but the story took time to move its…
By Heather Alexandra Published February 18, 2020 -
CultureFinal Fantasy XIV‘s Wedding Attire Will No Longer Be Tied To Character Gender
There’s a saying among some Final Fantasy XIV players: “glamour is the true endgame.” While there are plenty of high tier raids and continuing story quests, fashion is a key component of the game, and today brings some good news for players who put fashion first. In the lead-up to the next round of fresh…
By Heather Alexandra Published February 14, 2020