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'Final Fantasy XII' arrives on Switch and Xbox One
Final Fantasy fans have a new option with which to get their fix on the go as Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age has arrived on Nintendo Switch as well as Xbox One. The remastered edition of the expanded JRPG debuted on PS4 in 2017 and it came to Steam last year. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy X and X-2 landed on Switch earlier this month.
Massively's guide to Valentine's Day festivities
Ah spring! 'Tis the time when young men and women's thoughts turn to love -- or at least scoring some nifty holiday-themed loot! This year there's quite a bit going on. Some events are old familiar ones that have stood the test of time. Others offer new twists and things to do for those who have been there, done that. If you aren't feeling the love bug biting, there's even the odd anti-Valentine's-type event, perfect for those who would rather rain destruction down on the head of anyone foolish enough to approach him with anything heart-shaped or pink. Curious as to what's going on? Check out our listing below -- and feel free to chime in if you know of a fun event others should check out! Rip out your Fallen Earth character's heart for Valentine's Day (February 11th-13th) What's better than surviving a nuclear holocaust and wandering your way across a blasted brown landscape rife with societal collapse? Why, sharing said wanderings with someone you love, of course (or at least, someone you lust after in that we've-got-to-do-this-for-the-future-of-mankind sort of way). In a novel spin on the traditional mid-February holiday, Icarus Studios is presenting Fallen Earth's Valentine's Day Massacre event, and clones everywhere can literally offer their hearts as a sign of affection (and a +3 stamina buff). Vindictus spreads the love with new update and holiday (February 1st-15th) Quirky events have quickly become one of Vindictus' staples. Right now players can participate in V-Day events for special rewards. If fishing and chocolate hunting isn't your bag, you can simply purchase a Valentine's Package at the Supply Depot for "sexy Valentine's themed Inner Armor." Cute undies, in other words. Valentine's events will end after the 15th, so players are encouraged to partake sooner rather than regret it later. Time for love in Final Fantasy XI (February 1st-15th) Valentine's Day is almost here, that special time of year when you attempt to distill the essence of a romantic relationship into chocolate form. And if you were hoping to escape from the day within Vana'diel, your efforts are rather misdirected -- Valentione's Day coincides nicely with the holiday in the real world, with just as much saccharine summation of liaisons in Final Fantasy XI.
Rumor: Former GRIN/Square Enix title 'Fortress' tech demo leaked
It's been awhile since we've heard anything about GRIN's "unreleased masterpiece" -- a collaboration with Square Enix (and assumed Final Fantasy off-shoot) titled Fortress. An anonymous report released last September claimed the title was currently in the hands of another, unnamed developer. Yesterday, some tech demo footage purportedly displaying the fruits of said studio's labor landed on YouTube. We've posted said video after the jump. Without any inclination of who is responsible for developing Fortress -- if anyone is developing Fortress -- it's impossible for us to test the credibility of this video. The original poster, YouTube user DiipuSurotu, doesn't mention where the video came from, only stating that it's a tech demo for an "official, but currently unannounced sequel to Final Fantasy XII." We've contacted Square Enix to see what they think of the footage. It doesn't really look like your traditional Squeenix fare, but the character models certainly resemble those featured in the leaked concept art that surfaced last year. Oh, also? There's totally a Chocobo at the 1:15 mark. That's Final Fantasy-y enough for us. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
The Digital Continuum: Traversing the fantasy fantastic
This week I present you with something different. Over the weekend, I participated in an interesting New Year's gaming resolution thought up by the illustrious Phil Kollar. His reasons behind playing over the weekend were to finally finish Final Fantasy XII, but mine were wholly different. For me, it was an experiment to see if I could glean any useful information for what was to come in Final Fantasy XIV. Did I fail or succeed? Well, I'd like to say the latter was achieved, but I'll let you be the judge of that.
How MMOs infect other games
Games are rather viral in the way that their ideas spread around. You start off with perfectly self-contained genres, perhaps, but before long your characters are leveling up in a sports game and going through jumping puzzles in an action game (or a first-person shooter if you're unlucky). Next thing you know, you're shooting hoops before racing a car and shooting people and then solving a riddle... you get the idea. MMOs seem like they'd be largely immune to this -- after all, many of their conventions not ported from elsewhere, such as persistent online play, are fairly unique to them. However, Spinks has a fascinating essay regarding the way that, for better or for worse, MMOs are becoming closely entwined with other games. In short, while she notes that the mechanics haven't always made the jump from, for instance, World of Warcraft to Dragon Age, the design of the game's structure and the tactics available have. She notes the increasing prevalence of the "holy trinity" in non-MMO games (Final Fantasy XII being another excellent example), the ways in which our ideas about discussing both the game itself and the tactics it requires have expanded, and the ways that our attitudes toward our characters in a game have changed as MMOs have diversified, expanded, and improved. Insightful and astute, fans of gaming should find more than a little food for thought within the full article.
Alexander O. Smith on localizing games for Square
We've heard the horror stories about the conditions under which famous Square translator Ted Woolsey had to work -- strictly constrained time and space limits and no feedback from the games' creators, which led to sometimes odd translations. Alexander O. Smith, who localized games for Square including Vagrant Story, shared some anecdotes about his tenure (and subsequent freelance work on games like Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions) that revealed that it wasn't much better for a translator in the PlayStation era. "We would get a copy of the game," Smith told Gamasutra about working on Final Fantasy VIII, "and we would say, 'Well, what about files?' And they would say, 'Oh, I don't think you need those.' So we all bought Game Sharks." Smith called the situation "very sad." He compared it to Final Fantasy XII, for which the team got full gameplay footage. The interview covers not just work for Square, but Smith's subsequent move into freelance with Joseph Reeder, and a lot of inside information about the localization work (and surprise musical careers) of both.
Dissidia website updated with Gabranth images
The game may already be out in Japan, but that hasn't stopped Square Enix from updating the Dissidia website. A few images have been added showing Final Fantasy XII's Gabranth in action. Check them out on the official website or in our gallery below. Gabranth is one of two secret characters, along with Final Fantasy XI's Shantotto, who can be seen with Gabranth in one of the images. [Via PSPHyper]%Gallery-12134%
The Digital Continuum: Square Enix's next MMO
This recent interview with the Final Fantasy XI team by James "Milkman' Mielky of 1up.com internet fame got me thinking about the next MMO to come from the Square Enix camp. There isn't much meat on them bones as far as the next project goes, but the interview does get the team to talk just a little bit about it. It seems as though one thing is clear: Their newest MMO won't be too similar to Final Fantasy XI. While the developer says that they've learned through mistakes and player response with their original game, it seems that they really want to try something different.I'd be decidedly surprised if Square Enix didn't make a new MMO somehow based in the Final Fantasy universe considering the popularity of the franchise. It's very possible that when FFXI producer Hiromichi Tanaka said, "-we're not going to make something that'll be exactly like FFXI" He merely meant that mechanically speaking the new game would be very different. Which quite honestly should be a given considering the somewhat esoteric and now archaic control/menu system featured in their first game. Also, it would be nice to play a Final Fantasy MMO that wasn't so harsh on players who died -- losing experience is a deal-breaker for many players these days.
TGS07: Final Fantasy XIII trailer impressions
After adamantly insisting that you do not videotape or record the screening in any way or else, the Square Enix private theater showcased numerous titles from the ever-expanding Final Fantasy universe. The first trailer on display was the lead game in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, Final Fantasy XIII. In English, a narrator explains a corruption that seems to plaguing the land. "Those tainted by the outside were exiled," he explains.Earlier trailers highlighted Lightning, but the trailer at TGS showed off a number of new characters, environments and creatures. A gunman that seems to have specific mastery over water shoots a crystal, creating a massive water summon. Paths of ice form in the sky, as he rides along on a motorcycle. Certainly, a spectacle to behold. Then a massive African-inspired scene provides a stark contrast to the futuristic environments we've seen of the game so far. Fantastic Mammoth-like beasts walk across a river in a scene that could've been ripped out of a Afrika gone slightly astray. Debuting in this new trailer was a brand new female character that stands, staring at a frozen planet orbiting in the sky. The trailer ends with a proud proclamation "PS3 Only," to silence any doubters.Once again, we were stunned by the visuals of the trailer, which went beyond the quality of most Hollywood productions. The new dry landscape showcased provides reassurance that the game will not remain stagnant in its visual look. However, in spite of the incredible excitement generated by the trailer, we were surprised that a different game in the Square Enix theater stole the show.
Revenant Wings 2: Revenant Harder may be coming
We doubt that's going to be the real title, but we never could avoid sequel humor. Apparently, director Motomu Toriyama enjoyed making Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings so much that he'd like to develop a sequel.This is by no means a confirmation or an announcement or any of the other things it'll be labeled on message boards. It's just a casual statement. But a Revenant Wings sequel seems likely, since the sales have been pretty good, and, most importantly, we're talking about Square Enix, who has kind of a thing for sequels.
Sample some of Monster Kingdom's impressive soundtrack
Did you read my hands-on of Atlus' upcoming PSP-exclusive RPG, Monster kingdom: Jewel Summoner? The game has some serious talent behind it, especially in the music department. The RPG features works from celebrated composers, listed below: Shinji Hosoe (Ridge Racer series) Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII) Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Xenosaga) Kenji Ito (Sword of Mana) Yoko Shimomura (Street Fighter II) Masaharu Iwata (Final Fantasy Tactics) Tsukasa Masuko (Shin Megami Tensei series) Yasuyuki Suzuki (Doshin the Giant) Ayako Saso (Phantom Kingdom) Takahiro Ogata (Shin Megami Tensei NINE) The soundtrack to the game features 44 tracks from these famous composers, and samples can be heard on Atlus' newly opened official website for the game. The game hits stores on February 13th. Expect a full review closer to that date.
Final Fantasy XII hits Europe on Feb. 23
It's about bloody time news now, with Square Enix announcing the official release date for Final Fantasy XII in PAL territories. Arriving on February 23rd (that's 2007), role-playing fans in Europe are the last to receive a game rife with political intrigue, androgynous street urchins and bunny-eared vixens. We think that might actually be the description on the back of the box.There's no mention of a fancy collector's edition, but rumor has it that the game itself is well worth the asking price. Particularly impatient gamers would do well to pick up Okami in the meantime -- it's finally out in Europe on February 9th.
Molyneux, others join GDC lineup, Fable 'talk' imminent
Having the inside scoop, Gamasutra reports that Peter Molyneux, Killer 7's Goichi Suda, and a team of Final Fantasy XII developers led by Taku Murata are joining the GDC 2007 lineup. Molyneux, well known for his mastery of hype-building (and subsequent apologies), will by lecturing on Fable 2, musing aloud about the brilliant innovations that might or might not make the final cut -- Molyneux promises to reveal "a totally unexpected feature" (we've heard that before).Teasing aside, Molyneux is one of the most forward-thinking developers in the industry today. He might not always deliver, but he's earned his street cred for being a risk-taker. Molyneux's colorful presence is a key addition to GDC.Also making appearances during the conference will be Goichi Suda, who will illustrate the experience of working on a small development team (in this case, Grasshopper), along with Taku Murata and other core members of the FFXII team, who will reflect on the lessons learned during the game's development.
Best of the rest: Ludwig's picks
Sam & Max Episode 1 : Culture Shock (PC)I never thought I'd actually be grateful to LucasArts for assassinating their sequel to Sam & Max: Freelance Police. Now residing in the capable hands of Telltale Games, the series is setting the standard for episodic content and adventure gaming. Complete failure to laugh at Culture Shock's absolutely brilliant writing, memorable characters and off-the-wall puzzles indicates one of two things: either you're a robot, or you've recently discovered a dead kitten in your lap. (See also: My reviews of Culture Shock and Situation: Comedy.)
Square Enix establishes Ivalice Alliance
Easily mistaken for a vicious brand of shampoo and very often catapulted into turmoil by wars and magical beasts, the fictional kingdom of Ivalice has been the setting for a handful of Square Enix titles, almost all of them well-received by critics and fans alike. Just recently, Final Fantasy XII followed the adventures of some Ivaliceans Ivalicians free-spirited (and pointy-eared, in one case) residents of Ivalice. It follows then that Square Enix has announced an "Ivalice Alliance," a set of stories all taking place on the same stage. Though you're already familiar with Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (slated for the DS), you may not have heard of the other two games revealed in the latest issue of Japan's Shonen Jump. The pages first mention Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War, a PSP remake of the original PSOne Tactics game. Some new cutscenes and a slight graphical upgrade are likely to be included, though we certainly wouldn't mind a better localization as well -- that's assuming the game makes it stateside. Secondly, there's (deep breath) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: The Sealed Black Book. According to the translation note on Jeux France, it hasn't yet been specified whether it'll wind up on the DS or, as the horrific machine translation puts it, the "Game Servant Boy Advance." The latter choice, of course, will result in the game working on both platforms. Snap to it, servant boy! Another magazine, Gamelabo, reportedly mentions that Square Enix also has two more unannounced Xbox 360 games in the pipeline.
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings updates
Just in time for the US release of Final Fantasy XII, updates for the spin-off have surfaced. Co-producer Eisuke Yokoyama and scenario writer/director Motomu Toriyama talked a bit with Dengeki DS Style magazine about the battle system, characters, summons and the world of Ivalice. Here are a few snippets from the IGN article:
