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Review: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete
Advent Children in its original form is far from a great film. However, it did serve its function as the most expensive fan-service created to date. Continuing the story of Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children treated fans to a gorgeous, albeit nonsensical, film filled with over-the-top action sequences. The upcoming Blu-ray release of Advent Children Complete goes a long way into bettering the film, however fans may be upset that a large majority of the new footage is dedicated towards characters not from the original PS1 RPG.For the uninitiated, Advent Children was an impossible-to-follow film that relied too much on the legacy of the Final Fantasy VII anthology. Advent Children Complete, surprisingly, pads the film to make it a far more accessible film than the original. Geostigma, the mysterious disease that plagues the citizens of this world, is humanized by newly added scenes surrounding Denzel, a child whose role becomes fleshed out in this director's cut. Through the eyes of Denzel, we can better understand the chilling effects of the disease, and the desperation of those that are infected with a seemingly incurable and lethal disease. The film's villains, Kadaj and company, stood out as two-dimensional leather-wearing freaks. The Complete cut makes their intentions, plans and outfits all the more obvious.
Advent Children Complete sells over 100k copies in Japan
Looks like bundling the Final Fantasy XIII demo with Advent Children Complete did the trick. Square Enix's Blu-ray exclusive extended edition of the Final Fantasy VII movie sold 100,000 copies in its first day of sales in Japan. According to Kotaku, this ranks the disc above any Blu-ray anime released in 2008. The top selling disc was Macross F, which managed to sell around 35,000 copies. Advent Children Complete easily topped that.If Sony Pictures is looking to recreate the sales success here in America, they better figure out a way to localize that demo. We're certain the upcoming US release of Advent Children Complete will look a lot more attractive if it had an English language demo of FFXIII -- wouldn't you agree?[Via Anime News]
Special Edition Advent Children PlayStation 3 unboxed in all its matte glory
There's a lot to love about the special edition 160GB Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete Cloud Black PlayStation 3 bundle that was unleashed this week in Japan -- a fancy Strife Wolf emblem, a copy of Advent Children Complete on Blu-ray, and a Final Fantasy XIII demo you can't play anywhere else -- but perhaps our favorite part is the console's matte finish. For us, a smudge-resistant PS3 is well worth the 49,980 yen (US $505) price of admission. 1UP has the unboxing, hit up the read link for more pics.[Via Joystiq]
Advent Children Complete 'Cloud Black' PS3 unboxed
Do you have an extra 49,980 yen ($505) to spare? Well, someone at 1UP does, as they've picked up the new Advent Children-themed, limited edition PS3 bundle from Japan. The package includes a 160GB PS3 system in a matte black color -- it's supposedly "fingerprint resistant." In addition to the hardware, which is emblazoned with Cloud's wolf emblem, the bundle includes the Advent Children Complete Blu-ray disc and (you guessed it) the special Final Fantasy XIII demo.Visit 1UP to see more pics.
Advent Children Complete gets June 2nd US release
Click to embiggen. Cloud and Sephiroth are ready to duke it out again -- this time in a Blu-ray exclusive extended version of Advent Children. The US release will be ready on June 2nd, and will feature full 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio in English, Japanese and French. Unlike the Japanese release, the US release will include a plethora of subtitle options: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Arabic and Dutch.In addition, the previously rumored extra features turned out to be real: "Legacy of Final Fantasy VII" Featurette "Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII" Original Story Digest "Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII Compilation" Story Digest On the Way to a Smile - Episode: Denzel Animated Film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete Trailers Exclusive Sneak Peek at Final Fantasy XIII We're hoping the "exclusive sneak peek" will be playable, as it is in Japan -- but we're not holding our breath.
Photos from the Advent Children Complete launch party
Advent Children Complete hits Japanese retailers next Thursday, April 16 and Square Enix is getting ready for it. The company recently held a launch party and early screening for the reworked and completed film. Celebrating in style, SE's party hosted many items fans could only dream of owning -- like a 1/1000 scale Midgar replica (pictured) or a life-sized Buster Sword (after the break). Three Advent Children Complete sets were also on display, and there were Final Fantasy XIII kiosks too -- most likely as a reminder of the demo that comes packed together with ACC. It seemed like a night to remember. We wished we were there. We'll just have to settle for the next best thing: photos. Luckily, UFFS has more of those, so head over there to see it all.
Advent Children may be done, but Final Fantasy VII isn't
The upcoming Blu-ray release of Advent Children Complete represents the end of the Advent Children saga. No more director's cuts, or extended director's cuts, super-special ultimate final director's cuts. This is it -- at least, according to Square Enix producer Tetsuya Nomura.While Advent Children may be done, the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" is far from over. Looks like a feature-length film, PS2 shooter and PSP prequel RPG haven't milked the original PS1 RPG enough. IGN reports that Nomura already has ideas for "the next product in the compilation." Final Fantasy VII remake, perhaps? Or more exciting: a Final Fantasy VII dating sim for the DS. You know you want to win Cloud's cold, broken, emo heart!There may be more FF7 in the works, but fans will have to wait quite a bit to see what's next. With multiple Kingdom Hearts games and two Final Fantasy XIII titles in the works, Nomura has plenty to focus his efforts on.
Rumor: Advent Children Complete gets US release in June
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete will be out in Japan later next month, and a North American release could be following closely. According to Blu-ray.com, the completed HD version of the film, with 30 minutes added to the running time, will be out June 7 and will contain dual English/Japanese audio (like the original release). It is said to feature six extra content features, including the new short, animated film called "On the way to a Smile - Episode: Denzel" and an exclusive Final Fantasy XIII sneak peek.Upon contacting Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, a company representative told us that Sony Pictures could not confirm the details yet and had not "properly announced details." Blu-ray.com's report could be leaked info that's come out a bit too early, but if it proves to be true, we're sure that everyone is wondering exactly what that FFXIII "sneak peek" entails. Is it the demo or just a trailer? The latter seems most likely.
Sony begins advertising Advent Children Complete in Japan
Sony has been gaining a lot of momentum in Japan, thanks to a number of high profile releases on the system: Resident Evil 5, Yakuza 3 and Street Fighter IV. However, no single brand will probably shift the Japanese market more than Final Fantasy. The upcoming director's mix of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a Blu-ray exclusive, and Sony is more than happy to present the upcoming movie as, essentially, a PS3 exclusive.Included with the film is a demo of the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII, the first numbered Final Fantasy game since 2006. The title is exclusive to PS3 in Japan, and you can be sure that SCEI will take out a number of ads highlighting that fact.
Advent Children Complete trailer is completely gorgeous
Like many of Square Enix' offerings, Advent Children Complete has been a long time coming. We first heard about it at Tokyo Game Show in 2007, where we found out that Complete would be more than just a quick re-render of the original in HD. 25 minutes of extra footage are included and the movie has been dirtied up a bit as clothes and vehicles get muddied and worn throughout the film. Now we look forward to its Japanese release on April 16 -- a year and a half after it was first announced. If you're finding it difficult to wait until then, there's a trailer above that you really must check out. It looks glorious -- as ever -- and we're very much looking forward to seeing it in all its 1080p splendor. The bundled Final Fantasy XIII demo had nothing to do with our decision to import the Japanese version. Honest ...
FFXIII demo, special edition 160GB PS3 coming April 16 to Japan
The Final Fantasy XIII demo is hitting Japan on April 16 packaged with the Blu-ray Final Fantasy flick, Advent Children Complete. According to Famitsu, Sony will commemorate the release with a new 160GB PlayStation 3 bundle for ¥49,980 (US$550) that includes the movie, demo and specially marked console seen above.Already got a PS3? ACC is also coming sans hardware for ¥5,900 (US$65) with the demo and ¥4,900 (US$54) without ... but let's be honest, is there really a market for people who want the movie but don't want to play and / or eBay the FFXIII trial? Square Enix recently said that there are no plans to release the demo overseas, so if you've been pining for a taste of the long-awaited RPG, we suggest you brush up on your Japanese.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Special edition FFVII PS3 revealed, FFXIII demo dated
So there are more PS3 units with special markings coming out. The release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete on April 16 will usher in this new 160GB bundle in Japan. The new unit will be bundled with the reworked and extended film from Square Enix, which will also include a demo for Final Fantasy XIII. Alongside the hardware bundle, Advent Children Complete will see release in two other packages: the movie with the FFXIII demo, and the movie without it. The film will include English voiceovers, so those looking to import won't miss a beat. There's still no word of a release date outside Japan and whether the bonus demo would appear in worldwide releases of the film. Here's a breakdown of the three packages and their prices: ¥49,980 [$550] - 160GB PS3 with Cloud wolf logo and copy of ACC ¥5,900 [$65] - Advent Children Complete with demo ¥4,900 [$54] - Advent Children Complete without demo
What's playable, and what's not, at Square Enix's TGS booth
2008 looks to be yet another excellent year for Tokyo Game Show. There's a lot of excitement over the potential surprises at the show. Square Enix has posted its lineup for this year's show, and we're a little saddened to see Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) still not playable. At the very least, we'll be getting some one-on-one time with Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP). Check out the full PlayStation list here:Playable Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP) Trailers-Only Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3) Final Fantasy Agito XIII (PSP) The 3rd Birthday (PSP) Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete (Blu-ray) We're expecting many of these trailers will be shown behind closed doors. Fear not, though. We'll provide detailed impressions of the trailers live from Tokyo next month.
Final Fantasy XIII demo could be two hours long
A recent issue of Famitsu revealed a startling fact about the upcoming demo for Final Fantasy XIII -- the playable preview will apparently last longer than the film that it is packaged with, Final Fantasy: Advent Children Complete. For those of you keeping score at home -- the original Advent had a runtime of 101 minutes. Assuming this length will only increase with the director's cut of the film means Square-Enix's eagerly anticipated demo could last longer than two hours.To put that in perspective, here are a few things that the demo (which the same Famitsu article revealed will cover the very beginning of XIII) will likely last longer than: an expeditious playthrough of Portal, the Anglo-Zanzibar War, an international soccer match (barring any lengthy penalties), and the celebrity status of Lou Bega. (Who? Exactly.)[Via PS3F]
Final Fantasy XIII demo to be over 90 minutes long
The latest issue of Famitsu PS3 is all about the recent Square Enix DKΣ3713 event, and FinalFantasyXIII.net has a few juicy scans from the magazine. One of the more interesting things to point about the upcoming FFXIII demo bundled with Advent Children Complete: the demo will be on a separate Blu-ray disc (meaning it will unlikely be region locked), and the amount of gameplay is promised to be longer than the length of Advent Children. That means the FFXIII demo should be at least 90 minutes long, if not longer. That's huge! The demo will supposedly come from the very beginning of the game, so players won't have to worry about spoiling the later parts of the game.[Thanks, Monkey!]
Japanese Advent Children directors cut includes FFXIII demo, will come in new PS3 bundle
Are you itching to get your hands on the much anticipated (and highly controversial) Final Fantasy XIII, yet you're not hip enough to get invited to Square Enix's exclusive soirees? If you live in Japan, your first chance to overcome your wicked triskaidekaphobia will come in the form of a FFXIII demo, packaged with the Blu-ray directors cut of the CGI feature film, Final Fantasy: Advent Children. You know, the Buscemi-less CGI Final Fantasy movie.Square Enix revealed both film (titled Advent Children Complete) and demo at their DKΣ3713 event, with a Japanese release date of March 2009. The demo will also include video previews of Final Fantasy Agito XIII and Versus XIII (which they took care to mention is still a PS3 exclusive). Squeenix also announced a new PS3 SKU that will include the Blu-ray directors cut. What they didn't announce, however, was the American release date of the film -- and whether the demo and bundle will even make it to American shores.
Shocking announcement at DKS3713 from Square Enix
In an interview with 1UP, co-producers Shinji Hashimoto and Yoshinori Kitase for Final Fantasy XIII spoke about the upcoming RPG. They reiterated that FFXIII will not be delayed in Japan due to the 360 version -- Square will complete the PS3 version first then port the game to the 360 during localization for America. The most cryptic statement though, is when Hashimoto is asked about Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, he replies "You can look forward to the upcoming invite-only fan event DKS3713, where we'll have a major announcement that will shock the fans in attendance." What do you guys think? What major announcement could possibly "shock" fans at this point? We'll find out more on August 2nd or 3rd during DKS3713!
Square Enix lawyers on guard against Final Fantasy replica swords
As we discovered during our trip to Japan's Square Enix store last year, the many worlds of Final Fantasy are pockmarked by some surprisingly deep merchandise mines. No matter what the item -- t-shirts, mugs, jewelery, clothing, action figures or spoons -- chances are a tenuous link can be established between it and your favorite spiky-haired moper. Replicas of the many extravagant and frequently weapons are fine too, just as long as they're approved by Square Enix. The company today announced a federal lawsuit filed in the Central District of California against "alleged infringers of Square Enix's intellectual property." Specifically, said infringers include "at least" four wholesalers of unlicensed sword replicas based on four video games and a CG movie (likely Advent Children) within the Final Fantasy franchise. "While Square Enix appreciates the enthusiasm of its fans, and values its relationship with them," said Square Enix General Counsel Yasuhiko Hasegawa, "it is also obligated to protect its intellectual property rights or risk weakening or losing the very rights that enable the company to continue to provide its fans with an exciting entertainment experience." The lawsuit has its swordid (OOF!) origins in the recent seizure of a crate full of "counterfeit" replica blades by the United States Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol. Following an investigation, Square Enix located the primary wholesalers and retailers of these "unauthorized products in the United States." We hope this turn of events will serve as a lesson to all of you looking to sell real things based on fake things.
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete trailer
Already bored with that CGI trailer for Resident Evil: Degeneration? Yeah, us too ... it's missing a certain something and, you know what? We think we know what that is. Dirt. Wait, hear us out. As announced at TGS this year, the newly redubbed Final Fantasy Advent Children Complete won't be arriving on Blu-ray undisturbed. Oh no, it's been smeared through the mud, and then scratched by a horde of feral kittens. It's dirty and bloody and, well, we sorta like it. Get a peek at the trailer embedded above and wrestle with the mysteries that keep Cloud's hair so erect, even in this new, dirty revision. [Via PS3F]
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete: first Blu-ray trailer
Please Square Enix, make the title for this movie longer. Thanks! But in all seriousness, we're excited to see the first footage of this upcoming Blu-ray re-envisioning of Square's ultimate piece of fan service. As you can see, character's clothes will get ripped, characters will get bloodied, and things are just generally dirtier in this "Ultimate" edition. You'll also see some new footage not found in the original cut. It's true that this yet another double dipped movie meant to squeeze every last dollar out of eager fans ... and it's working.
