Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and SQUARE ENIX last night unveiled Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, a fully CG animated movie slated to premiere this fall. The movie will be released worldwide as a cross-media collaboration with Final Fantasy XV, the upcoming Final Fantasy sequel.
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV features an all-star cast, including Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones) as King Regis, Lena Headey (300, Game of Thrones) as Princess Luna and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) as Kingsglaive soldier Nyx.
Two super popular MMORPG games will be coming together for a collaborative event later this summer. A small bit of the world of Eorezea from Square Enix’s popular Final Fantasy XIV will come to SEGA’s galactic sci-fi MMORPG Phantasy Star Online in the form of new equipable items based upon the FFXIV Miqote race and an Odin boss fight encounter.
FFXIV producer Naoki Yoshida (known within the FFXIV community as Yoshi-P) made a special guest appearance at today’s Phantasy Star Online 2 fan event in Tokyo alongside the surprise announcement. The crowd in attendance reportedly began chanting “Yoshi OH OH OH OH OH” as he took the stage at the end of the PSO2 celebration announcements held on the main stage.
Alongside the announcement Square Enix / SEGA released a collaborative trailer that showcases the Odin boss fight. In it we can see an entire raid party take on the iconic black armor clad Final Fantasy boss, doing their best to use PSO2’s energy based weapon against their imposing, horse riding opponent. Ultimately the entire party falls victim to Odin’s iconic zantetsuken attack, which wipes out the entire party in one swift hit.
No word if FFXIV will be getting PSO2 cross over items, however, that game’s fanfest isn’t until later this year. As of right now, PSO2 isn’t even available in the West. The PSO2 X FFXIV crossover items / encounter are expected to be released sometime in Summer 2016.
Square Enix announced their line-up of talks for the 2016 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco California. In total Square has 9 presentations set across the first four days of the conference. Topics range from the use of interactive story mechanics to handle tough issues like suicide, mental illness and loss in Life Is Strange, to the process of optimization that Just Cause 3 developer Avalanche Studios used in conjunction with Iris graphics to make the world of JC3 explode with such fidelity. In terms of franchises, this year’s session line-up from Square focuses on games that have already been released like the two mentioned above or titles that are on the horizon like the upcoming Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Final Fantasy fanatics looking for more information on FFXV will have to look elsewhere – that title will get its own huge event at the end of the month.
Staff from BrokenJoysticks.net will be in SF for a portion of GDC and will bring you every video, podcast and article that we can line-up! In the meantime here is a small selection of Square Enix’s GDC 2016 line-up:Read More
Square Enix’s closed beta for their upcoming next generation Hitman title went live over the weekend and I got the chance to play around with the game on PlayStation 4 over the last couple of nights. Fans are calling 2016’s version of Agent 47 a return to form combined with some worries that IO Interactive’s choice of episodic content for their latest game may leave them with little content to play between optional updates. If the closed beta is any indication than even the $15 intro pack will provide hours of shenanigans.
At its core, Hitman is an assassination simulator where players are rewarded for executing inventive kills with little room for error. Unlike other stealth titles, like say Metal Gear Solid, 47 isn’t able to down a ration to gain back his health. One bullet from an enemy is enough to send good old baldy to the ground in a pool of his own blood. The method of eliminating a target is just as important as the deposal of the evidence. If a player chooses to lace a target’s drink with rat poison be prepared to suit up as their personal waiter because often the key to a successful hit is being able to blend in with your surroundings and knowing who to impersonate.
Hitman’s closed beta featured two prologue missions set during Agent 47’s initiation into the ICA. The first training mission has 47 boarding a mock cruise-liner, creatively constructed out of planks of wood, in order to eliminate his target. The open-world nature of the game becomes readily apparent – sure Agent 47 could run headlong onto the cruiser but surely the party guests would I was out of my element within seconds. During my multiple trials at this mission I found two different ways to gain access to the boat: Pose as a member of the maintenance crew and slip in undetected through the engine bay or pretend I was a part of the security detail and walk right up through the entrance ramp.
After some trial and error I had a rough chain of individuals that I would direct 47 to knock out, pose as and blend to get to my target. This, is of course, easier said than done because it can mean either waiting for the mechanic or cook that I needed to become to enter a place on the map that wasn’t surrounded with NPCs or creating a distraction to lure them away from whatever activity they were currently doing. To make the stealth element of assassination even more prominent there are a number of NPCs marked on your HUD that can detect Agent 47 even through a disguise. Not only do potential contract killers need to plan out their disguises ahead of time but also need to be able to navigate through a sea of NPCs that is ever changing all without arousing suspicion.
Throughout my four hours with the Hitman Beta I completed maybe 10% of the feats & challenges on offer. Once you’ve successfully completed a mission once you unlock the option to replay the same mission but with a list of pre-defined ways to kill your target. One might have you cause a short in a projector – thus frying your target, another might have you modifying an ejection seat so that it appears your target died in apparent aircraft malfunction. The sheer variety of toys and methods of mayhem did provide a level of replayability I wasn’t expecting from what is essentially just the opening tutorial to an episodic game that hasn’t been released. I also had the games’ music completely disappear on me once and the entire application lock up my PlayStation 4 in another instance – clearly this was not final code that IO Interactive invited players to try. Hopefully, they’ll get some of these kinks ironed out before Agent 47 makes his first trip to Paris in the debut of Hitman on March 11th.
SALE! That’s the buzz word that everyone likes to hear. And for those of us who miss the launch of a game for one reason or another, that magic word can be the difference between missing out on a game or taking the plunge late.
Better late than never!
Square Enix is celebrating one year of their online store with a huge sale. A great many of their games are on sale, with some great deals to be had. Quite a few games are 50% off, with a ton of recent and older games included.
The sale runs until February 21st.
Take a look at some of the titles included. I’ve only included the Nintendo titles, which is what my main interest is. Check the link below for the full list of titles, which also includes PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PSP, PS Vita, and PC.Read More
Any game is invariably going to be compared to its predecessors, or in lack thereof at least to other games in same genre. The same way that a sports title will never be judged purely on it’s own without comparison to previous iterations of the series, it’s hard not to compare Final Fantasy Explorers to other Final Fantasy titles. Or Monster Hunter.
I got a late start into the world of Monster Hunter, diving into Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the Nintendo 3DS a full three years after its release. Coming into Final Fantasy Explorers I had no idea how similar the two games were, and also how dissimilar they are.
Final Fantasy Explorers feels very much like a simplified version of what Monster Hunter is. Explorers is mostly a game where you go out into the world, defeating monsters, collecting items, and ultimately crafting better items and armor. And while Monster Hunter is extremely in depth, detailed and intricate, Explorers is much lighter and shallower of a gameplay experience.
That’s not to say that this game isn’t fun. Far from it. In fact Final Fantasy Explorers is refreshing with how much lighter it is.
FINAL FANTASY IX, a fan-favorite in the franchise, has been released for compatible Apple and Android devices starting today. The game is now available on the App Store and Google Play.
First released in 2000, FINAL FANTASY IX tells the story of the bandit Zidane Tribal who plans to kidnap the princess of Alexandria, Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th, with the troupe of thieves known as Tantalus. An unlikely series of events set Zidane, Garnet, the shy yet powerful black mage Vivi Ornitier, the loyal knight Adelbert Steiner, and other memorable characters on an epic journey as they learn about themselves, the secrets of the Crystal, and a malevolent force that threatens to destroy their world.
New features to the game include High-definition movies and character models, a new cloud save feature allows players to back up save data to play across other compatible devices, and an auto-save function. There are also seven all-new optional booster features, including high speed mode and no encounter mode, which will allow players to automatically master equipped weapons and gear, as well as maximize character levels, magic stone counts and gil.
Square Enix has revealed more details about the upcoming beta for Hitman on PlayStation 4 and PC. The beta will contain the opening prologue mission that is included in all editions of Hitman and will allow players to experience just how Agent 47 joined the ICA.
Alongside the announcement of the beta’s content Square Enix also posted a Beta FAQ and a brand new trailer. The beta will be available on Feb 9th for PlayStation 4 pre-orders and February 12th for PC.
Here is a brief synopsis that Square Enix released:
Play the beginning. The HITMAN Beta is set at a top secret recruitment and training facility and revolves around how Agent 47 joined the ICA.
Pre-order the game to guarantee access to the PS4 Beta on Feb 12th or PC Beta on Feb 19th. http://buy.hitman.com
It looks like the planned DirectX 12 support for Square Enix’s recently released PC port of Rise of the Tomb Raider may still exist in the game’s files. By updating the game’s Steam version to the latest build and then replacing the main executable with the 1.0 found on the installation DVD an Enable DirectX 12 option will appear.
Reddit user -Olek found out how to enable these menu options and quickly posted them to the /r/PCGaming sub-reddit. Files referencing DirectX 12 can be found in the V1.0 files on the original installation DVD. Here are the exact steps that -Olek followed:
Wanted to post this asap.
Messed around with the Rise of the Tomb Raider files on the latest Steam version.
“Monitor” launches the game and it stops working after the developer startup screen.
“Exclusive Fullscreen” opens the setup menu.
“Display” opens the official website page for the game.
“Graphics” opens the official Tomb Raider facebook page.
“Options” opens the official Tomb Raider youtube page.
“Stereoscopic 3D” opens the Square Enix support page.
“Enable DirectX 12” closes the launcher.
Forgot to clarify that this was achieved by replacing ROTTR.exe with the original executable from the retail version.
Earlier last year there was some speculation that Rise of the Tomb Raider might be the first Xbox One title to use DX12 technology however it appears as if that was never formally confirmed. Could Square Enix unveil a DX12 patch for Rise of the Tomb Raider somewhere down the line? Or are these references to DirectX 12 simply left overs from the development process?
Do you realize that Square Enix’s episodic version of Hitman is only about a month and a half out from release? To remind us all that not only is the full game coming out on March 11th for Xbox One, PC and PlayStation but those who pre-purchase the game can gain access to a limited beta version on February 12th on PS4 and February 19th on Windows PC. Sorry Xbox One owners it looks like you won’t be getting a beta version of Hitman.
Hitman (2016) serves as a prequel to the existing entries in the franchise. Like other versions of Hitman this game will allow players to approach their missions in a variety of ways, although the series is well known for allowing Agent 47 disguise himself and carry out assassinations covertly without being detected. This version of Hitman will also feature open-world gameplay similar to 2006’s Hitman: Bloody Money instead of the linear mission structure of the older PS2 Hitman titles and 2012’s Hitman: Absolution.
When the game was announced at E3 2015 Square Enix promoted the game with an “intro pack” that would consist of three locations, six story missions and several sandbox missions. Last month it was revealed that the game would follow an episodic format instead – with the intro pack containing a prologue mission and the Paris open world map only. New locations like Thailand, The United States, Japan and Marrekesh will be released starting in April. Along with the new location these $10 episode packs will also include brand new story missions and assassination targets.
There will be six PlayStation exclusive contracts for Agent 47 to take. The PlayStation Blog summarized one of them as:
“The first PS4 exclusive contract will be available when the game launches on March 11th. We’re calling it “The Director.” Your target is Scott Sarno, Director of European Operations for the CICADA private military corporation. He is a thirty-year veteran of clandestine operations and has been linked to a number of questionable operations in Europe and the Middle East as far back as the mid-nineties. He is highly trained and incredibly observant, you should expect him to be accompanied by several CICADA agents at all times.”
All of this this means that the price for entry will be quite a lot lower than the initial $30 that was expected – you can pre order the Hitman: Intro Pack for $15 USD on PlayStation 4 or the full package for $60 USD and either way guarantee yourself access to the beta.
Check out the trailer in the embedded player below.
Hello Kitty’s Magic Apron ($19.99) – Get ready to cook up a storm, because Hello Kitty is back with an all-new rhythm action experience – one that’s really packed with flavour! Join Hello Kitty and her friends in the kitchen in this fun-packed cookery caper, jammed with mini games designed expressly with young players in mind. Learn the joys of cooking and the power of rhythm simultaneously, making new friends and coming up with tasty treats to the beat. Cute visuals, lots of unlockables and the option to create your own Hello Kitty-themed photos come together for hours of fun, all in the cute and lovable style that is Hello Kitty.
FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS ($39.99) – Master more than 20 jobs, each offering unique ways to defeat or even recruit the realm’s mightiest monsters. Players will have the ability to call upon the powers of eidolons like Ifrit and Bahamut, as well as transform into legendary characters from the FINAL FANTASY series via the Trance ability.
Just yesterday Square Enix released Final Fantasy Explorers for the Nintendo 3DS and now tomorrow their classic GBA game Final Fantasy Tactics Advance will arrive on the Nintendo Wii U Virtual Console.
The fate of the kingdom Ivalice is once again in your hands, only this time instead of the GameBoy Advance holding Ivalice it will be your Wii U gamepad.
When Marche and his friends open an ancient magical tome, their small town is transformed into a fantasy-filled kingdom known as Ivalice. Guide Marche and his clan against countless foes, and discover the wonders of Ivalice. Build up your party, master abilities and summons, and learn tactical combat to win in battle.
Square Enix and Ubisoft games headline the weekly sales available for all PSN members this week. In this latest weekly sale many games from the Final Fantasy and Far Cry series are available at a reduced price, and even more if you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. If you missed out on the Final Fantasy XIII sequels, both are available for $15.00 USD a piece. Also if you haven’t tried Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on PlayStation it is also available and includes 30 days game time with the software license! Other awesome deals include a whole pile of PS1 classic FF titles from the 90s including FFVIII and FFIX.
All prices in USD, not reflective of the PS Plus discount and sales are only available in North America as far as I am aware.
PS1 Classics On Sale
Final Fantasy 8 – $5.00 USD
Final Fantasy 9 – $5.00 USD
Final Fantasy V – $5.00 USD
Final Fantasy Origins – $5.00 USD
Legend of Manna – $3.00 USD
Parasite Eve II – $5.00 USD
Final Fantasy VII – $5.00 USD
Vagrant Story – $5.00 USD
PS4 Games On Sale
FFXIV: A Realm Reborn (Includes 30 Day Game Time)
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition – $10.00 USD
Tomb Raider Definitive Edition – $7.50 USD
Murdered Soul Suspect – $7.50 USD
Far Cry 4 – $19.80 USD
PS3 Games On Sale
Crystal Defenders – $5.00 USD
Space Invaders Infinity – $5.00 USD
Final Fantasy XIII Lightening Returns – $15.00 USD
When Bravely Second: End Layer launches exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS on April 15th, a Collector’s Edition will also launch alongside it at a suggested retail price of $69.99. The Collector’s Edition includes the massive game, a 10-song original soundtrack and gorgeous 250-page deluxe art book.
A demo version of the game, Bravely Second: End Layer – The Ballad of the Three Cavaliers, will launch in the Nintendo eShop prior to the full game’s launch. This demo includes a unique story different than the one found in Bravely Second: End Layer, as well as new jobs and areas to explore. StreetPass tags and bonuses from the demo will also carry over to the main game.
Next Tuesday, players will be able to transform into 11 classic FINAL FANTASY characters featured in the upcoming multiplayer action role-playing adventure FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS. During battle, while in Trance Mode, players can harness the incredible power of legendary FINAL FANTASY characters and utilize their ultimate attacks.
Clever use of the Trance system is one of the keys to defeating foes. The full infographic detailing the characters can be viewed below.
Fans will recognize the popular moves of their favorite characters, including Cloud’s Omnislash (FINAL FANTASY VII), Terra’s Riot Blade (FINAL FANTASY VI) and Tidus’ Blitz Ace (FINAL FANTASY X). Players can unlock the characters by speaking to the local town moogles for rare quests that reward special character magicites, which you can equip at the town’s central crystal.
