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The director of 'Final Fantasy XV' isn't finished yet
Final Fantasy XV was a long time coming. After a decade of delays, it's not surprising that both Square Enix and the game's director, Hajime Tabata, are saying they aren't finished with Noctis and his bro squad. With not even a whisper of Final Fantasy XVI, the rest of this year (and part of 2018) is focused on the Final Fantasy XV universe: PC versions, more chapter expansions, more mobile iterations and a multiplayer mode. I talked to Tabata, the man who steered the 15th iteration to the finish line, here at Gamescom and he explained what worked, what didn't and somehow tricked me into evangelizing about that mobile game. (Unfortunately, he didn't say a thing about that bizarre Assassin's Creed collaboration, mere hours before it was announced.)
Wait, 'Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition' is actually fun?
A part of the Final Fantasy XV universe (it's a thing), I wrinkled my nose at the news of Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition for smartphones. I've completed the game on PS4, have played through the episode content and will be playing the multiplayer add-on once I'm back from Gamescom, but this left me cold. This was a corporate mobile cash-in that vaguely tied into the original game, one that would relentlessly nudge players to either buy in-app items or the full console version. Nothing was appealing about this, whatsoever. That was, until I played an early beta on FFXV Director Hajime Tabata's phone. I was rude, it was in the middle of an interview but, hey, it was actually a lot of fun. Wait, what just happened?
'Dissidia NT' tries to add MMORPG dynamics to a fighting game
Fighting in Dissidia NT, coming to the PlayStation 4, is mayhem. Six characters from the Final Fantasy universe, of varying levels of popularity, are rushing one another, launching giant magical projectiles, charging up summons attacks and watching their backs as they do it. While the first two Dissidia games on PSP were one-on-one affairs, this time you're part of a trio. And similar to Overwatch and other competitive team games, characters are meant to work together in unison. Each is assigned to one of four classes, and that decides their play style, weaknesses and strengths. You can also choose your attacks, buff skills and summons on top of that. In short, the demo I played was a complicated introduction -- even for someone who had played the last two Dissidia games to death. Director Takeo Kujiraoka told me that the UI has been simplified from the arcade version, with Koei's Team Ninja helping to ensure the battle system is a balanced one. But with three times as many players on screen, Dissidia NT is a now a competitive team fighter, and there's an awful lot to take in all at once.
'Final Fantasy XV' comes to your phone this fall
Square Enix is bent on bringing Final Fantasy XV to every platform imaginable, and that includes the phone in your pocket. It just unveiled a Pocket Edition of the road trip role-playing game that will hit Android, iOS and Windows 10 (yes, despite its dwindling influence) this fall. Its first episode will be free to play, while you'll have to fork out an unspecified amount to continue the tale of Noctis and crew. The title includes the "main story" and characters, but don't expect a carbon copy of the game you can buy on your console.
The next 'Final Fantasy' brawler 'Dissidia NT' heads to PS4 in January
We knew that the next entry in Final Fantasy's all-star brawler Dissidia series would be coming to PS4, and a possible Amazon mishap clued us in to an end-of-2017 release. Square Enix has announced that Dissidia Final Fantasy NT will arrive a little later on January 30th, 2018 -- and there are a couple collector's editions to choose from, if that's your thing.
What we're playing: 'Tacoma,' 'Final Fantasy' and 'A Dark Room'
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. This month, we've enjoyed (to varying degrees) two flavors of Final Fantasy, explored Fullbright's new game, Tacoma, and lost ourselves in a "button-tapping mash-up between an idle-clicker and a text adventure." To open proceedings, UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith talks about how, when it comes to Final Fantasy XII, third time's a charm.
The 'Final Fantasy XV' bromobile invades 'Forza Horizon 3' next week
Final Fantasy XV's Regalia hot rod is coming to Forza Horizon 3 next week. So yup, you can continue that game's epic road trip across Horizon's digital Australia come August 1st. Assuming you've played either game on Xbox, next week you'll get an Xbox Live message containing a download code.
‘Final Fantasy’ characters are now selling Nissans
Final Fantasy character Lightning has landed herself another ad campaign. She's already hawked Prada and Louis Vuitton and now she's moved from the fashion world to the auto industry. Lightning appears with Snow Villiers -- who was also in the Prada campaign -- in an ad for Nissan.
The 'Final Fantasy XV' mobile game is a mess, but at least it's free
Mobile games can make a ton of money, with titles like Clash of Clans making billions of dollars for their respective developers. Square Enix has been active in mobile gaming with titles based on its own popular role-playing games, with original free-to-play titles like Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius and premium ports of older titles like Final Fantasy IX. Now, the veteran publisher has just released another free-to-play game to Android and iOS, titled Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire. Square Enix may hope to bring new fans to the series it's based on while also encouraging fans of the console game to give it a go. It's just too bad the game is (so far) kind of an inscrutable mess.
Log off now before today’s Steam’s summer sale leaves you broke
Your wallet is about to get a bit lighter. Or, if you lack self-control, a lot lighter. That's because over the next 13 days games on Steam will be marked down dramatically during this year's summer sale. The first crop includes up to half off the Final Fantasy franchise and 70 percent off underwater indie charmer Abzu. Hyper Light Drifter has been discounted by half as well, and if you wanted to explore Mafia III's version of the Luisiana bayou, now it'll only cost you around $15.
'Dissidia NT' brings ridiculous 'Final Fantasy' brawls to PS4
After making its transition from Sony's PSP to arcades, Square Enix's Dissidia series is coming back to PlayStation. While it's on the PS4 and not handheld this time around, it should ensure that that the battlers will look their best. Dissidia pits over 30 years of Final Fantasy heroes and villains against each other in a something more resembling a fighting title than an RPG. That said, you'll see all your damage shown in numbers, there are spells, summons, equipment, items and the rest. It's all still very Final Fantasy-esque.
'Final Fantasy XIV' live action drama heads to Netflix
Japan's unique Final Fantasy XIV-based drama is making its way to the rest of the world thanks to Netflix. Daddy of Light isn't really an adaptation of the hit MMO -- it's a live-action show that focuses on a father and son who play the game together. The series will start airing on Netflix in Japan starting on April 20th, Polygon reports, and it'll head to other countries in the fall.
'Final Fantasy XV' is actually a cookbook
Food is plays a central role in Final Fantasy XV -- and it's not just obvious Cup Noodle product placement, either. Meals add to your vitality and strength, increase magical resistances and even offer the chance of more experience points to grow your team. They're integral to your near-daily camp-outs, when you recover from battles and thumb through all the photos your bros took. Each dish has different benefits, and there are a lot of ways to learn new meals, from eating your way around the restaurants of the world of Eos to buying cookbooks and even just being "inspired" by poetry and random ingredients (often monster body parts) you pick up along the way. FFXV also attempts to offer some sort of regional differentiation in cuisine as you road-trip across states and towns. Some dishes are more elaborate twists on meals you've already eaten, but they're nonetheless different, with different local fish or delicacies. But is it actually possible to cook such varied cuisine, from rice balls to delicate sweet pastries, on (Coleman-sponsored!) cooking equipment? I took my high-school home-economics skills to my kitchen to see how I stacked up against Ignis, the game's designated cook. He's a glasses-wearing, English-accented, car-driving butler type. And now, my eternal rival.
'Final Fantasy XII' remaster comes to PS4 on July 11th
Final Fantasy XII, the last in the franchise to grace the PlayStation 2, is getting the remaster treatment on PlayStation 4. Today, at a special event in Tokyo celebrating the series' 30th anniversary, Square Enix announced two release dates for the game: July 11th for Europe and North America, and July 13th for Japan and other parts of Asia. Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age comes with updated environments, characters and cutscenes, running at a smooth 1080p, a newly recorded soundtrack in 7.1 surround, and a trial mode where you can battle monsters in up to 100 successive rounds.
'Final Fantasy XV' kicks off a limited-time carnival event
It's not just multiplayer games that can host limited-time events. Square Enix is launching the Moogle Chocobo Carnival, a time-sensitive Final Fantasy XV feature, today (January 23rd) at 8PM Eastern. So long as you have the Holiday Pack add-on (free or paid), you can visit Altissia to participate in carnival games and chocobo races, play new side quests and indulge in themed treats. The gig runs until February 20th, so you'll want to act quickly if you want to give it a look.
'Final Fantasy XV' tricked me into buying Cup Noodles
I should have been turned off by the commercial advertising casually strewn throughout Final Fantasy XV. Coleman logos are plainly visible when the game's heroes set up camp for the night. Billboards for Nissin Cup Noodles line the highways of Eos. It's product placement so obvious it's almost laughable -- and yet, I now have an eight-pack of instant ramen on my kitchen counter. What happened? A beautiful, devious combination of empathy and nostalgia.
'Final Fantasy XV' out-of-bounds glitch reveals an unused open world
The world of Final Fantasy XV feels enormous, stretching out for miles across freeways, plains, lakes and mountains -- but in the game's closing act, that open world becomes incredibly linear. Instead of taking a road trip across a fantastic land, players in the third act can merely look out upon one. A newly discovered out-of-bounds glitch changes that, revealing a surprisingly fleshed out landscape with a frozen tundra, beaches, towns and a vast savannah. There's not much to do in the area, but fans are now wondering if its a hint at what's coming for the game's DLC.
Ariana Grande is coming to the 'Final Fantasy' universe
The Final Fantasy franchise is so big that maker Square Enix can pick and choose the people and brands it wants to work with. Audi Japan already has a $469k Final Fantasy XV themed R8 on sale, for instance, and now one of the smaller titles in the company's line-up will soon benefit from the power of female megastar Ariana Grande. Her character DW -- short for Dangerous Woman (the title of her most recent album) -- will appear in a new update coming to the free turn-based iOS and Android RPG Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius.
Someone Google Translated 'Final Fantasy'
As much as we love them, Japanese role-playing games can be baffling at the best of times. Yet thanks to some clever localization, teams of writers and translators around the globe have managed to make sense of these intriguing adventures. But what if these localization teams didn't exist? That's the question translation enthusiast Clyde Mandelin asked, resulting in him rigging up a program to Google Translate Final Fantasy IV.
Audi Japan is selling one 'Final Fantasy XV' themed R8
Square Enix's long-awaited next entry in the 30-year-old Final Fantasy franchise arrives November 29th on PS4 and Xbox One, but first up is this promotional tie-in from Audi. In the run up to Final Fantasy XV , Sony Pictures released the all-CG rendered Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV movie back in July, and it featured a special version of the 2017 Audi R8 called the Star of Lucis.
