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The Mog Log: Lightning fizzles in FFXIV
There's something a bit odd about playing what amounts to a promotional event for a game you won't be seeing for several months. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII promises to conclude the two-part trilogy that its predecessor created, but it's not coming out in the US until February of next year, leading to a minor disconnect. Still, it matters only in the broadest sense; after all, most of the references packed in hearken back to the first game in the set, and I didn't need a pre-order to know that I wanted a gunblade. So I've been following along with Final Fantasy XIV's event and dutifully progressing along the quest chain for the week. But I wasn't terribly impressed all around. I think there were some very nice touches coupled with some really baffling decisions here and there, and the overall effect was rather lackluster. It isn't really the fault of the event so much as a problem with popularity.
E3 2013: Final Fantasy XIV shows off the vicissitudes of FATE and the new jobs
As Final Fantasy XIV dazzles onlookers at E3, those not at the convention have been getting a closer look at the title in anticipation of its relaunch. The latest official video keeps up that pattern, giving potential players a look at one of the relaunched version's major new features -- Full Active Time Events, abbreviated as FATEs. Which is a long way to say "dynamic events," admittedly, but that's just the way you roll in Eorzea. FATEs appear all over the world, with some triggered randomly and others coming in at reliable intervals or via talking to an NPC. Once within range of a FATE, you are automatically added to the event and given a rundown of objectives and progress, with rewards being distributed based on overall participation and involvement. Sounds kind of routine? Then perhaps rather than watching that video, you'd like to see a first look at Summoner, Arcanist, and Scholar. Because there's a new video just past the break that also gives a first peek at these as-yet-unseen classes. So even if you know all about FATEs, you'll want to take a look here.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV beta phase 1 and 2 - FATEs and dungeons
Do you smell that on the wind, my friends? It smells like June is fast approaching, and more importantly it smells like soon we'll be able to welcome the third phase of testing with open arms. Which is good, since I am currently going through withdrawal. I wake up in cold sweats, try to change my class in other games, start up the Final Fantasy XIV beta client in the hopes that someone "accidentally" turned the servers back on... you get the general idea. To help alleviate this, I'm going to talk about the two pieces of the game from the first two beta phases that are in need of the most polish. While there are places to improve elsewhere, FATEs and dungeons have issues that might need a bit more hammering to fix. Or they might be fine and we just haven't yet seen enough of the game to know everything. Either way, let's get started with the big addition to the game, the system that had no predecessor in Final Fantasy XIV's first version: the FATE system.
True Games Interactive interview discusses Mytheon MMO
The fantasy genre reigns supreme in the MMO industry, but even die-hard fantasy enthusiasts have to admit though... there's a lot of it out there in the MMO space. A new twist on fantasy, in the form of myth, could be a breath of fresh air for gamers looking for a different type of setting. At least, Petroglyph and True Games Interactive are banking on this with Mytheon, their in-development MMO title. Rather than conjuring up a brand new setting, Mytheon looks back to real world mythology and crafts a game around it. The game's introduction makes reference to the Greek Pantheon and Norse mythology, highlighting the core struggle in the game: the time of the Gods is ending, as decreed by the Fates, and it's time for humankind to live on its own terms. Mytheon will be be a game that will have solo, group, and PvP gameplay modes, with elements of 'real-time combat and extensive customization features', according to John Callaham at Massively's sister site, Big Download. The game will center around Power Stones which fuel or unlock powers and abilities in Mytheon; the title's three character classes will be attuned with certain types of Power Stones, allowing for abilities such as summoning and healing. Callaham recently had a chance to interview the Director of Product Development at True Games Interactive, Peter Cesario, about what we can expect from Mytheon. Cesario discusses the decision to go with the micro-transaction business model, and how combining the elements of action, strategy, and roleplaying in Mytheon creates "a whole new genre unto itself."
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates DS Lite
Another Square Enix game, another special-edition DS Lite. SE seems to have set up a template for these: logo on the left, line art on the right, money in the bank. This time, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates gets the special-edition treatment on a Crystal White DS Lite. For Japan, obviously. We like the pseudo-stained-glass look, which can be found in full color on the box. This new DS variant is great news for people who were holding out on a DS purchase until the Japanese Ring of Fates came out. It's probably a little irritating for Square Enix fans who already have a plain DS.
Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates screenshot love
And it's all for you, dear reader. Resident blogger Alisha has officially declared today, April 25th, "Super JRPG Screenshot Day," in commemoration of not only these great screens but also these, from an equally desirable title.The vote is pretty much unanimous that Final Fantasy III is the best-looking DS title to date, but it looks like Square-Enix whipped their programmers into making their games even prettier. Which means those men have whip marks everywhere. The problem with the original Crystal Chronicles was the amazingly intense hardware requirement, but if the new multiplayer cooperative system is easy to use, we might have yet another Squeenix bajillion-seller on our hands.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: new fun-size screens
The name (Final Fantasy Crystal Chroncles: Ring of Fates) may be long, but the characters are all lil'. The party of adventurers looks like it's composed entirely of three-year-olds. Maybe it's a modern interpretation of the kind of character art found in the NES Final Fantasy games, but whatever the reason, we definitely appreciate toddling in our world-ending crises.Like the Gamecube version, you'll have to have friends nearby to play in multiplayer. However, unlike the Gamecube, pretty much everyone has a DS these days. Check out some screens after the break-- you'll want to e-pinch the characters' little virtual cheeks.
Final Fantasy: Ring of Fates trailer
And rounding up the recent deluge of Square-Enix trailers from their annual Jump Festa event, this Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates trailer certainly impresses. There's some shiny text, and then a long, confusing sequence in which one tries to focus on five different scenes in the picture at once. Leave it to SE to try and simply overwhelm your senses ... they're rather good at that.The original Crystal Chronicles was a bit of a let-down, but this title can hopefully bring FF:CC out of the "crappy Final Fantasy spin-offs" category. Oh, and for a slightly higher quality version of the trailer, click here for the official movie from Square-Enix's website.(And did anyone check out what appeared to be a stylus-based fire spell around 1:41? Awesome.)[via Penny Arcade]
