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The Daily Grind: Which Final Fantasy would you prefer in MMO form?
Square-Enix is known for making each of their Final Fantasy games in a brand new world or at least mostly new. While that's fine and dandy, let us suppose that the next MMO to come out of Square-Enix is in fact a recreation of one of their previous Final Fantasy games in MMO form. Which game would you like to see get the treatment? Midgar and it's band of rebel miscreants from Final Fantasy VII or perhaps Final Fantasy XII with its dashing sureshot Balthier? Or something else entirely? We're curious to know which of these many, many worlds and famous characters you'd most love to experience.It's a tough call for us, but we're somewhere in-between the two aforementioned games for both their worlds and characters. On one hand you've got an interesting game mechanic where classes could utilize materia, but on the other hand you've got a world where some kind of magical mist can drive its denizens to crazed outbursts of rage. Although we may have to go with the twelfth game due to its bunny girls. Then again, if they were to make the sixth game into an MMO we could probably create Moogle characters for a change.
Joystiq at NYC's Final Fantasy Day festivities
New York City's Times Square was overwhelmed by Final Fantasy fans as Square-Enix premiered the English language version of the upcoming Final Fantasy XII, which will be playable at this week's DigitalLife conference, which starts tomorrow. The trailer, shown to great excitement amongst fans, featured great visuals (as expected) and some truly impressive voice acting. For those of you that have HDTVs, you'll be glad to know that the US version has been enhanced with new anamorphic widescreen (16:9) functionality.Check out a shaky-cam version of the trailer, and some pics from the event after the break.
New Square Enix games revealed for DS and PS2
And quite unbelievably, one of them happens to be a Final Fantasy game. Confirmed by IGN and triumphantly splashed across the pages of Famitsu Shonen Jump, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings will bring the world of Ivalice to the DS. In case you've spent the last year traipsing about a disturbing parallel universe devoid of oxymoronic names, you'd note that the PS2 version is due for a release this Halloween. Judging by the more youthful appearance of the protagonists -- that's Vaan and sandwich soundalike, Penelo -- it would appear that Revenant Wings is a prequel of sorts. It makes sense, since they all die at the end of the PS2 adventure anyway. No word yet on what the gameplay entails, but given the Ivalice setting, a direct continuation of Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced wouldn't be out of place at all. If it's a more original experience you're after, the second DS game to be announced by Square Enix may do some naughty and unmentionable things to your fancy. It's a Wonderful World looks to be the end result of Kingdom Hearts and Jet Set Radio colliding violently on the freeway. Incidentally, that's exactly what happens at the end of Kingdom Hearts II. That brings us to the final game shown on the scanned page, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. The PS2 screenshot reveals a new card-based battle system, possibly indicating some connection to Chain of Memories on the GBA. Square Enix will no doubt clarify once the Tokyo Game Show begins later this month, but until then, feel free to scrutinize every last bit of the full scan. [Note: This post contains fake spoilers! Thanks, Phantom42!]
Chicago signing for Uematsu, Aki, & Roth tonight
Are you in Chicago tonight for the big PLAY! concert tomorrow, but weren't willing to shell out $125 for the VIP meet-and-greet at the event? Well, you might be in luck (even if you're not attending), as a few famous folks from the concert will be on hand to sign autographs in Chicago proper for free tonight.From 7 to 9 PM (presumably Central time) at the Tower Records store on 2301 N. Clark St., Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, bilingual songstress Angela Aki (who wrote and sang the theme song for FFXII), and Principal Conductor and Music Director of PLAY! Arnie Roth will be signing autographs to promote the world-tour premiere of 'PLAY! A Video Game Symphony' and the CD for More Friends - Music from FINAL FANTASY.While this blogger is sadly occupied with prior engagements tonight, gamers in the area are more than welcome to mob that Tower Records and cause the store's employees much consternation and bewilderment. If you don't have any imported CDs to sign, however, don't fret: the store's web site claims to have "some awesome Japanese imports available for you to purchase and have autographed at the event." Not only that, Angela Aki will be performing live as well. Score! Anybody wanna tell us how this evening turns out when it's all sung and done?[Via The Daily Northwestern; image culled from Angela Aki's blog, Nobuo Uematsu's Squenix profile, and Arnie Roth's 2005 interview with IGN]See also: Official page for Tower Clark Street (with details on the signing) Ticketmaster site for the PLAY! concert debut tomorrow Sonic and Chrono composers to join PLAY! in Chicago
3 Final Fantasy XIII games; 2 just for PS3
Final Fantasy XII won't be out for the PS2 in the States until October, but we now have a glimpse of Final Fantasy XIII thanks to Square Enix's pre-E3 press event -- and this installment in the series won't be coming alone.Like the different titles in the Compilation of FFVII collection of games and movies, the initially announced installments in the FFXIII universe will span multiple platforms which, in this case, include both the PS3 and sufficiently advanced mobile handsets. Not much is known about the mobile-bound Final Fantasy Agito XIII, but the subtitle-less version of FFXIII will concern a gun-and-sword-toting heroine in a futuristic world, while Final Fantasy Versus XIII will focus on "a spiky-haired character," "extreme action elements," and a primary theme of "bonding" (whatever that means). Anybody ready to "resist the world"?The multiple titles might explain the earlier rumor reported in March that FFXIII was "practically close to being finished" (maybe only one of these games was nearing completion). Whatever the case may be, we're just happy that more than one not-so-Final-Fantasy will be hitting the next PlayStation in relatively rapid succession. RPG feasting: on the way.[Via Joystiq]
Final Fantasy XII under attack
Despite Final Fantasy XII's critical and commercial success, haters have been flooding Internet forums with a variety of complaints. Next Generation's Tim Rogers decided to take on these criticisms, defending Square Enix's blockbuster RPG. Rogers addresses the following issues in his ambitious defense: Criticism 1: "Difficulty is too high" Criticism 2: "The game rips off of Star Wars" Criticism 3: "The music stinks" Criticism 4: "This isn't Final Fantasy... it's just a brand now" Care to rebut?
Final Fantasy XII Potion drink offers a "mysterious taste"
The Final Fantasy XII Potion drink announced back in December has finally been unveiled to the public in Japan, and samplers are willing to allow that the clear blue beverage offers a "mysterious taste." Of course, the event was a limited one as Suntory Limited sought a ready-made audience of FF fans to test the Potion soft drink out on first (they were attending a concert of Nobuo Uematsu's work for the RPG franchise after all). You gotta love free drinks at a pricey concert, even if they were a luminous shade of blue. Whatever the circumstances, it was ascertained from Japanese press accounts that the Potion "tasted like a nutritional supplement drink with a fresh aftertaste." Until more informed Japanese translators prove otherwise, we hope that means it tastes good (in a non-medicinal way), so we can all intone together: "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time." [Thanks, Tim Tong; auto-translated links can be found here & here]
