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'Final Fantasy 7 Remake' is a gamble that paid off
Decades later, Square Enix has remade Final Fantasy VII for 2020. But is it any good?
‘War of the Visions’ is a mobile spin on ‘Final Fantasy Tactics’
It's been a while since we've gotten a proper Final Fantasy Tactics game, but the latest release from Square Enix may just scratch that itch -- as long as you're okay with it taking the form of a free-to-play mobile game. After first launching in Japan last year, War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is now available globally on iOS and Android.
Square Enix slashes prices on its ‘Final Fantasy’ Switch games
RPG fans who are stuck at home and need some bang for their buck might want to check out Square Enix's sale on the Nintendo Switch eShop. All of the main Final Fantasy games available on the Switch are on sale for 40 to 50 percent off, and titles from Square Enix's other RPG series like Romancing Saga and Star Ocean have been discounted as well. Gamers may want to revisit Final Fantasy VII in particular -- down from $15.99 to $7.99 -- since the game's highly anticipated remake will finally be out on April 10th.
Eight ‘Kingdom Hearts’ games make their debut on Xbox One
Kingdom Hearts III coming to Xbox One was a big deal -- it was the first time a game from the series was published on one of Microsoft's platforms, and it was the first time a mainline Kingdom Hearts game wasn't exclusive to a PlayStation console. Xbox gamers can play even more of the series starting today -- Square Enix has published Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue on Xbox One. The two compilations comprise eight games and one movie, meaning fans can play almost every entry in the Kingdom Hearts saga.
Square Enix delays 'Final Fantasy VII Remake' until April 10th
Final Fantasy fans who've been eagerly anticipating Final Fantasy VII Remake will have to bide their time a tad more. The game had been scheduled to arrive on March 3rd, but Square Enix has pushed back the release date by over a month to April 10th.
Square Enix delays ‘Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles’ remaster (again)
If you've been patiently waiting to play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition, you'll have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on the remake. Publisher Square Enix has delayed the launch of the game to summer 2020.
Microsoft is adding 10 'Final Fantasy' games to Xbox Game Pass
Earlier today, Microsoft announced that it's adding more than 50 new games to Xbox Game Pass -- as well as giving three sweet freebies if you sign up for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. By any measure, that's a lot of games, but it's an especially exciting crop if you're a fan of Japanese role-playing series Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts.
'Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles' remaster arrives January 23rd, 2020
Square Enix's recent bout of Final Fantasy nostalgia isn't ending any time soon. The publisher has announced that the remastered Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles will reach Android, iOS, PS4 and Switch on January 23rd, 2020. The previously GameCube-only action RPG receives the requisite graphics and audio upgrades to drag it into the modern era (including new voiceovers for combat), but also promises its share of functional improvements over the original.
Square Enix’s ‘Back Stage’ tech demo is all about ray-tracing
Square Enix, the JRPG behemoth behind Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, has released a tech demo titled Back Stage, which is rendered almost entirely with a technique called path tracing. This is an offshoot of ray tracing that specializes in processing realistic lighting, shadows and reflections in real time. While ray tracing has become a bit of a buzzword, the render quality in the video below serves as proof that the technology will be a highlight of the next generation of consoles and PC graphics cards.
‘Brave Father Online’ is a ‘Final Fantasy’ movie with heart
Brave Father Online is a gem of a movie. It's charming, funny and has plenty to say about empathy, the value of community and why you should forge deeper connections with loved ones. And even though much of the action takes place inside a video game, the film's giant beating heart speaks volumes about the careful craft involved its creation.
A 'Final Fantasy XIV' live-action TV show is in the works
Final Fantasy might be making its way to a screen near you, albeit without the need for you to have a controller in hand. Square Enix and Sony Pictures Television are developing a live-action Final Fantasy TV series with Hivemind, the production company behind The Expanse. It's also working on Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher.
How many times do I have to buy 'Final Fantasy VII'?
Ahead of whatever Square Enix shows at E3 this year, lots of questions remain regarding its remake of Final Fantasy VII. Since being announced at E3 2015, details and updates have been scant. For a while, it was all a little worrying -- until Square Enix snuck out a slightly longer trailer last month. It was proof of the game's continued existence and came with the promise of more details in June. Hopefully, it meant today. It's already taken four years to get this far, and the original game launched on the first PlayStation 18 years before that.
Final Fantasy soundtracks come to Spotify and Apple Music
Square Enix might have just convinced a ton of Final Fantasy fans to spend their hard-earned Gil on music streaming services. The game developer, with no prior announcement, has just made the soundtracks of almost every Final Fantasy game available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. If you don't mind not having a physical disc to collect, you can just fire up the services' apps to enjoy music -- by Nobuo Uematsu and the series' other composers, including Masashi Hamauzu, Hitoshi Sakimoto and Yoko Shimomura -- from the first entry of the franchise to the latest.
'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.
'Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster' lands on Switch and Xbox One
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is blitzballing its way onto new consoles. Four years after its initial release for the PS4, the high-definition take on two classic games in the Final Fantasy series is now available for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. The title is available only digitally for the Xbox One, while Switch owners will be able to choose between a digital download or a physical copy that comes with a reversible sleeve decorated with game art. Both versions of the game retail for $49.99.
Everything we learned at the 'Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV' event
We have a release date , this is not a drill. Square Enix put on an entire soiree last night to preview the heck out of what we'll be getting come September 30th. It wasn't enough to merely say when it's launching, but also reveal a companion anime, full-length movie and two limited edition versions of the game. There's also a new platinum demo, available now. But before you play that, here's all the important bits, if you just had to sleep.
Toyota wishes the Prius was a 'Final Fantasy' chocobo
In Japan, Toyota has a history of tapping classic Japanese role-playing games to sell its latest vehicles. The company has previously used the music from Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter in its TV ads, and now it's leveraging Final Fantasy to promote the petite Aqua Urban-X (known as the Prius C in the US). As Kotaku reports, the unique commercial shows three yellow cars tearing around the countryside, while the Chocobo Theme plays jubilantly in the background. For fans of the franchise, it's a clever nod to the beloved flightless bird, which often feature in the games as mythical modes of transport. But how many Final Fantasy fans are in the market to buy a new car? Probably not many -- Toyota is presumably banking on the idea that such an iconic Japanese franchise will be recognisable to even the most casual of video game enthusiasts. It's certainly more effective than this terrifying Mercedes-Benz ad featuring Nintendo's popular plumber.
Seven times Kanye West dressed like a 'Final Fantasy' character
Apparently the Kanye West role-playing game, Kanye Quest 3030, contains an eerie hidden area involving a butterfly and a New Age cult called Ascensionism. We know, it's hard to believe that Kanye has a video game. Anyway, this secret game-within-a-game is weird, but it's certainly not surprising considering that, for years now, Kanye has been dressing like characters from one of the most nonsensical video game franchises of all time, Final Fantasy. We've collected a few of Kanye's standout cosplay attempts in the gallery below. Happy Friday, folks.
'Final Fantasy' composer on the pleasures of prog and Abbey Road
Nobuo Uematsu is distinguished amongst game soundtrack composers not just because of his work for Squaresoft in the '80s and '90s or his lustrous mustache. He's one of the few songwriters responsible for the way video games sound across the board, influencing other creators over 30 years. Square's Final Fantasy series, on which Uematsu was sole or primary composer for the first 10 games, molded how storytelling in games should sound. The synthesized minor key melody of series theme "Prelude," the ambient wash of Final Fantasy VII's "Opening/Bombing Mission," and hundreds of other songs are landmarks in gaming's aural landscape.
The Mog Log Extra: End of an era
By now you know. I wrote my first column of The Mog Log almost exactly five years ago. I've been writing it for the entirety of Final Fantasy XIV's run now. I've been talking about the online Final Fantasy games since before I was married, and it's been a wonderful experience. I had every intention of continuing to do so for another decade. As long as there was a place to talk about it here, I was going to make use of it. This isn't just a farewell for the column; it's a farewell for something that's made up a huge portion of my life and changed my life in huge ways. As the fall comes to Eorzea, it also comes to us, and I wanted -- insisted -- that I would at least get to have one final chance to say goodbye. So let's take one last look together before we say farewell.
