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Dragon Quest Heroes II Is Less Dynasty Warriors, More Dragon Quest
The first Dragon Quest Heroes was a a satisfying combination of Dragon Quest characters and creatures with Dynasty Warriors-style battles and structure. With an overworld to traverse filled with random encounters and hidden treasures, Dragon Quest Heroes II feels a lot more like . . . well, Dragon Quest Being more a fan of the…
By Mike Fahey Published April 25, 2017 -
Kotaku East
Man Believes His Divorce Was Caused By Dragon Quest
Recently on Japanese television, a 43 year-old systems engineer talked about his love of Dragon Quest and how it came between him and his family. TV show Ie, Tsuite Itte Ii Desuka? (“Is It Okay If We Follow You Home?”) stops random people on the street, asking to peek inside their abodes. On the most…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 21, 2017 -
Kotaku EastFight Square Enix’s CEO In Nier: Automata’s DLC
And not only does Nier: Automata’s upcoming DLC let you battle Square Enix exec Yosuke Matsuda, but also Platinum Games honcho Kenichi Sato. The downloadable content, dubbed “3C3C1D119440927,” comes with three different costumes as well as arena battles with rewards to the winners. According to Square Enix, those rewards include: Costumes from the previous Japanese…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 17, 2017 -
Dragon Quest XI Has Three Different Graphical Styles
After years of teasing, Square Enix announced last night that the next big Dragon Quest will be out in Japan on July 29. What’s fascinating about Dragon Quest XI isn’t just that it’s got a PS4/3DS special bundle. It’s that you can play the game in one of three different aesthetic styles. On PS4, Dragon…
By Jason Schreier Published April 11, 2017 -
Kotaku East
Perhaps The Most Unusual PlayStation 4 Controller Ever Made
As far as officially licensed DualShock 4s go, this might be the most unusual controller the PS4 has seen yet. However, it won’t be the first of its kind. According to 4Gamer (via Hachima), Japanese peripheral maker Hori is releasing the above PS4 Slime-shaped controller. You hold the controller upside down, revealing the face buttons,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 11, 2017 -
Kotaku East
PlayStation And Nintendo Versions Of Game Sold Together In Same Box
In Japan, Dragon Quest is a big deal. But you know what might be a bigger deal than the upcoming Dragon Quest XI? The fact that Square Enix made this happen. Square Enix is releasing a special DQXI bundle that comes with the game’s PS4 version and its Nintendo 3DS one. Or maybe, its the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 11, 2017 -
CultureRandom Encounters Are The Bane Of A Final Fantasy Speedrunner’s Existence
The Final Fantasy Series Relay Race III is going on right now, with three teams of seventeen people competing to see which can beat every game in the series first. Begun back in 2015, the annual event is streamed across several days with speedrunners on each team dedicating themselves to completing a specific Final Fantasy…
By Ethan Gach Published April 9, 2017 -
The Biggest Selling Games And Hardware Last Month In Japan
It’s April! March is over, but Famitsu has Japanese sales figures for the most successful games, hardware, and game companies of the past month. For the period of February 27 to March 26, here are the top five selling games in Japan: 5. 1-2-Switch (Switch) – 138,790 copies 4. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PS4)…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 3, 2017 -
Final Fantasy XV‘s First DLC Is Short And Pointless
Final Fantasy XV, a Cup Noodles commercial cosplaying as a video game, got its first piece of downloadable content this week, and you really don’t need to bother with it. It’s short, straightforward, and—unless you’re particularly attached to Gladio—really boring. Episode Gladiolus, which came out yesterday for $5, starts off with the Final Fantasy XV…
By Jason Schreier Published March 29, 2017 -
Final Fantasy XIV‘s Free Trial Isn’t Limited To 14 Days Anymore
Good news! Square Enix has announced that it is no longer limiting the MMORPG’s free trial to fourteen days. According to the FFXIV’s most recent patch notes, “The 14-day limit of the free trial has been removed.” Below are the full trial notes: The Japanese patch notes are a bit more specific, explicitly stating that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 28, 2017 -
Final Fantasy XV Now Has An Alternative Chapter 13
If you are one of the many people who hated Final Fantasy XV’s thirteenth chapter, you will be pleased to hear that you can now skip it entirely, thanks to a new route that’s full of beefy Gladiolus shots and even political humor (see above). The “alternative” Chapter 13, which you can access from the…
By Jason Schreier Published March 27, 2017 -
Zelda And Nier Are Great Despite–And Because Of–Their Technical Shortcomings
Nier: Automata and Breath of the Wild are amazing games with occasional technical problems. How do they manage to side step these issues and incorporate them into their structure? Heather takes a look in this critical video. Head’s Up: This video contains minor spoilers for Nier: Automata. Transcript: My current video game poisons of choice…
By Heather Alexandra Published March 24, 2017 -
Nier: Automata’s Most Human Character Is An Alien Machine
Nier: Automata is a game that explores the meaning and consequence of being human, despite not featuring a single actual human in its primary narrative. In a world populated by machines, one mechanical being, village leader Pascal, strides closest to humanity, and pays a steep price. Automata takes place on a future Earth where a…
By Mike Fahey Published March 24, 2017 -
Every Time Nier Automata Ends, It Gets Better
Nier Automata is a game that gains meaning through repetition. The ending to the game changes following multiple playthroughs. Players see events from new perspectives and learn new information that recontextualizes past actions. It’s given us a lot to think about. Mike and Heather dissect the story in this discussion. SPOILERS AHEAD Heather Alexandra: So.…
By Heather Alexandra Published March 22, 2017 -
Just Because A Game Is Old Doesn’t Mean It Must Be Cheap
I’m nuts for Secret of Mana. That blend of Final Fantasy RPG gameplay with Zelda-style action combat was the game that made me a fan of what we used to call “Squaresoft” back in the day. Today, all Square Enix has to do is put up a website that auto-plays one of the tunes off…
By Chris Kohler Published March 21, 2017 -
Nintendo Switch Is Getting Seiken Densetsu Collection in Japan
Following up on yesterday’s teaser, Square Enix has announced a Mana collection for the Switch. Slated for a June 1 release in Japan, it will feature Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, and Seiken Densetsu 3. You know, the first three Seiken Densetsu games. According to Famitsu, new to the Switch release is a quick…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 21, 2017 -
Final Fantasy XV‘s First DLC Pits Gladio Against Gilgamesh
If you, like many Final Fantasy XV players, have been wondering just what happened to Gladiolus when he mysteriously left your party in Chapter 6, here’s your answer: Episode Gladiolus, which comes out on March 28. Over the weekend, the developers at Square Enix released more info about the DLC as well as a new…
By Jason Schreier Published March 13, 2017