Tag: Square Enix

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The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series is damn near perfect

More than a year after debuting on mobile and PC, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series is finally available on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch (Yes, this is yet another Square Enix release that is, for some unknown reason, skipping Xbox consoles).

It’s quite a significant release, too, as it includes Square Enix’s first six Final Fantasy games alongside crisp, updated 2D pixel art and a bevy of other additions. Although these games are instrumental in the growth of the RPG genre, there hasn’t been an ideal way to play them on modern consoles. Considering pretty much every subsequent Final Fantasy game is available on contemporary hardware has made the omission of the NES’ FFI-III and SNES’ FFIV–VI feel especially glaring. If nothing else, the inability to play Final Fantasy VI — one of the greatest games of all time — on modern PlayStation and Nintendo hardware has been nothing short of a travesty.

As a lifelong Final Fantasy fan, I’ve been especially eager to revisit these titles, which I originally played on Game Boy Advance. Even then, Final Fantasy III was never released on the GBA; a 3D remake of the NES title later came to the likes of the DS and Vita (which is how I played it), but the OG version remained Japan-exclusive until the Pixel Remaster series. Clearly, then, keeping up with the iconic series has been a bit tricky. Thankfully, though, this collection proves to be a labour of love, making small changes where welcome while otherwise leaving everything about creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and co.’s original classics.

What’s old is new again

Let’s start with the visuals. Sprite-based artwork is always in vogue, but it just feels particularly at home for these NES and SNES titles. Opting to preserve that timeless visual style instead of doing an admirable-but-blander 3D remake in the vein of the DS versions of III and IV was the smartest choice for this collection. At the same time, Square Enix has commendably tapped Kazuko Shibuya, one of the key artists for the original games, to oversee the redrawn pixel art.

Some diehards may take issue with specific scenes looking a little “off,” but on the whole, the end result is something that lovingly retains the look and feel of the NES and SNES titles but also throws in an impressive coat of paint. On a deeper level, though, Shibuya’s involvement serves as a touching tribute to the artist herself. For many years, her contributions to the series went unrecognized (a sad reflection on the industry’s mistreatment of women), so the last two years of Pixel Remaster promotion have been a wonderful — if long overdue — way to help celebrate her legendary work.

Final Fantasy 1 Pixel Remaster

Final Fantasy I.

Simply remastering the games would have been sufficient, but the Pixel Remaster series also includes other improvements. The biggest of these is an updated font. The original mobile and PC release featured a truly ugly and cheap-looking text style, but now, you have the option to swap to a more pixellated and retro alternative. While the games annoyingly still default to the inferior garish version, there’s now at least an official way to remove them.

Elsewhere, Square Enix has tapped legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu — who produced the entire scores for the first nine games in the series — to oversee new arrangements. Now, I should confess that I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to Final Fantasy music; outside of the sensational arrangements in FFVII Remake, I often feel like modern remixes change too much of Uematsu’s phenomenal original masterpieces. But to my surprise, the updated tracks are an absolute delight. Whether it’s leaning into an absolutely badass guitar riff for FFIII‘s final boss theme or implementing a clever mix of violins in VI‘s boss theme, I was constantly enamoured with how Square Enix had reimagined these beloved tunes. Best of all, the console versions add the option to swap to the OG soundtracks if you decide you prefer those.

The last major addition, which might just low-key be the Pixel Remaster series’ best, is its assortment of cheats. Across all six titles, you can choose to turn off random encounters and increase the amount of XP and Gil (money) you receive. Whether you’re someone who’s just looking to experience the stories or even just wants the ability to rush through a section that may be frustrating you, these options are absolutely brilliant. Square Enix has even added additional cheats for specific games, such as the respective ability points for V and VI‘s Job and Magicite systems (more on those later). While I lament the lack of the ‘x3 speed’ option we saw in the modern ports of PS1 classics like Final Fantasy VII, what the Pixel Remaster collection does have is still most welcome.

If there’s one major gripe I have, it’s that these don’t include any of the bonus content that was added to the GBA versions. For instance, the handheld’s Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls collection of FFI and II included new dungeons and, for the latter game, a fascinating new campaign called “Soul of Rebirth” that focused on the side characters. Likewise, the VI GBA port added several new super bosses — including those from other numbered FF titles — that drop ultimate weapons. While the Pixel Remaster series at least includes everything from the original versions of the games, the lack of this extra content makes them feel like definitive releases.

But what about the games themselves?

Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster

Final Fantasy II is definitely the weakest game of the bunch.

All told, the individual quality of the original six Final Fantasy titles is a bit mixed. The first three are very much a product of their time. For example, the original game has a decidedly rough dungeon design and almost non-existent story, while FFII sports a questionably grind-heavy progression system that ditches XP and only lets you (slowly) level up by using abilities and taking damage. III, for its part, improves on a lot of these issues but is generally still pretty light on story. Truth be told, these games are mostly just nice to have for ardent fans like me with a sense of completionism; I’d be hard-pressed to recommend them to all but the most hardcore of JRPG players.

The latter three entries in the Pixel Remaster series, though? *chef’s kiss* Sakaguchi has been open about the fact that he deliberately shied away from adding much narrative to the NES titles due to a lack of faith in his own writing abilities. However, the death of his mother led him to want to tell more emotional stories, and we really start to see that in Final Fantasy IV. That’s a game that starts off with our hero, Cecil, being part of an evil empire and undergoing a path of redemption while meeting a well-rounded cast of other compelling characters. V‘s story, while a marked step-down, still entertains through a more lighthearted, swashbuckling vibe that also features one of the series’ best side characters, the bumbling henchman Gilgamesh.

Final Fantasy VI opera scene

The emotionally-charged opera scene in Final Fantasy VI is one of many iconic scenes from the game.

Then there’s Final Fantasy VI, a game that not only has a quality narrative for something released in 1994, but one that still holds up among the medium’s best nearly 30 years later. It takes the tried-and-true backdrop of the “rebels vs. the evil empire” and uses it to tell a heartwrenching tale about complicated, three-dimensional people struggling to find meaning in a dark and depressing world. Add in Kefka, the game’s gleefully psychotic Joker-esque clown villain, and you have an all-time classic gaming story.

That’s to say nothing of what each of these SNES games brings to the table on the gameplay front. IV introduced the series’ classic Active Time Battle system, an ingenious way to liven up traditional turn-based combat. V has a staggeringly intricate Job system, affording you a vast number of customization options for your party. VI‘s Magicite — a precursor to FFVII‘s Materia system — likewise gives you a litany of new spells and Espers (summons) through which you can mix-and-match party configurations.

An irresistible package

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster seriesFinal Fantasy is one of gaming’s best and most storied franchises, and at long last, it’s gotten an all-in-one collection of its original entries. While the trio of NES titles may be a bit dated for modern fans, the three SNES games are classics, with VI, in particular, holding up as one of the best games ever made. And while opinions on the quality of those games may vary, what’s indisputable is the value of the remasters. From the sharp new visuals to the winning remixes and handy cheats, these games have never looked or played better.

The entire six-game Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series can be purchased for $99 on the Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store. Alternatively, the first three games are available for $15.99 each, while the latter three can be bought for $23.99.

Image credit: Square Enix

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Pokémon gets the ‘HD-2D’ treatment in fan art demo

With the release of Octopath Traveler in 2018, Square Enix introduced with it a unique art style that it dubbed “HD-2D.”

The aesthetic has proven popular, with its mix of retro sprite art and polygonal environment+s. Ever since, many gamers have been clamouring for older pixel-based games to be remade in the new style. Square Enix has since used its now-infamous aesthetic on a remake of its own – 1994’s Live A Live.

3D Pixel Artist Dott has done exactly this – by creating a demo of the original Pokémon Red and Blue remade in the style of HD-2D.

The concept was created in Unreal Engine 5, according to Dott. The protagonist, named Red, can be seen strolling through his home town of Pallet. For many gamers, this was their first location experienced within the world of Pokémon.

The original Pokémon Red and Blue Versions were released on the Game Boy in 1998, and are responsible for launching the franchise into the North American public eye.

I first experienced the Kanto region on the Game Boy Advance, in 2004’s FireRed Version. It wasn’t long before I would go on to experience the original releases in all their charming glory.

For their part, Pokémon remakes are not uncommon, and so it is possible that Dott’s vision might one day become a reality.

The video can be found on YouTube.

Source: Kotaku via Dott

Image Credit: Dott

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PlayStation to hold State of Play focused entirely on Final Fantasy XVI

PlayStation has announced a new State of Play dedicated entirely to Final Fantasy XVI.

The presentation will take place on Thursday, April 13th at 2pm PT/5pm ET and feature “more than 20 minutes” of new gameplay from the highly-anticipated Square Enix RPG. Those interested in tuning in can do so via PlayStation’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

It makes sense that PlayStation and Square Enix have partnered on this special State of Play. For one, it marks the first single-player Final Fantasy effort from Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III, the celebrated studio behind the beloved Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and its expansions. It’s also one of the only games that have been developed exclusively for PS5, whereas many others, like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West, have also come to PS4.

Set in the divided world of Valisthea, Final Fantasy XVI follows a young man named Clive who sets out of a revenge quest after his kingdom is destroyed. Notably, the story hails from Kazutoyo Maehiro, the writer of FFXIV‘s acclaimed Heavensward campaign. On top of that, Devil May Cry designer Ryota Suzuki serves as battle designer, giving the game an added level of action credibility.

Final Fantasy XVI will release exclusively on PS5 on June 22nd.

The last State of Play was held in February and featured a variety of games, including Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter VI and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. 

Image credit: Square Enix

Source: PlayStation

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Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series launches on PS4 and Nintendo Switch later this month

Square Enix has announced that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection will launch on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on April 19th.

As the name suggests, the series offers updated 2D pixel graphics for the first six Final Fantasy games. The enhanced visuals were supervised by Kazuko Shibuya, who created the original sprite work for the games on NES and SNES. As well, the Pixel Remaster series features a rearranged soundtrack overseen by original composer Nobuo Uematsu.

The Pixel Remaster series first debuted on Steam, Android and iOS in 2021, so fans have been waiting for a while for a console port. Thankfully, the console versions actually have some new features, including, most notably, a new font option. The PC and mobile versions of the game sported a garish, cheap-looking text style, while the console counterparts now offer a more retro-inspired alternative.

What’s more, the console versions offer a number of toggles, including the ability to switch between the OG and rearranged soundtracks, turn off random encounters and increase the experience you gain by up to four times.

The Pixel Remaster games will be sold individually on the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop or as a $99.99 CAD bundle. The first three games (which were released on the NES) will cost $15.99 each, while the latter trio (which hail from the SNES) will be priced at $23.99 a pop.

Image credit: Square Enix

Source: Square Enix

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Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is exactly the game I needed right now

Last year, I wrote about how the glut of (otherwise quality) game releases early in the year was a bit overwhelming, leading me to take a much-needed break from gaming.

This year, I’ve started to feel that again after a really busy January and February consisting of the likes of Forspoken, Season and the PlayStation VR2, as well as features on The Last of Us, Black History Month, International Women’s Day and more. As always, I’m beyond grateful to have these opportunities and am constantly inspired by the creators I cover, but sometimes, it’s good to step away for a bit. As a result, I’ve primarily been spending my entertainment time watching movies and TV as of late.

That said, there’s one game that I’ve been enjoying on the side, and it couldn’t have come at a better time: February’s Theatrythm Final Bar Line. Now, I’m not necessarily surprised that I enjoy it; a crossover game featuring music and characters from Final Fantasy, my all-time favourite series, was up my alley. However, I generally can’t get into rhythm games (including previous Theatrythm titles) due to their inherently repetitive nature, so I didn’t know how much of Final Bar Line I’d actually play.

As it turns out — quite a few hours. A big part of that has to do with the fact that this game marks the series’ console debut; I far prefer using a controller to a device like a 3DS with smaller buttons. Beyond that, though, Final Bar Line is just a fundamentally easy game to pick up and play. For uncoordinated people like me who don’t often play these kinds of games, developer ‘indieszero’ has graciously included a ‘Simple’ mode that relegates all inputs to a single button. That, alongside four difficulty options for each song, ensures that players of all levels of experience can jump in.

Theatrythm Final Bar Line FFVI fight

Because really, the highlight here is the music — some of the greatest in the history of gaming. With 385 songs from across 29 different Final Fantasy games, Final Bar Line is full of nothing but straight bangers. That includes the god-tier work of original FF composer Nobuo Uematsu (the first nine numbered entries and contributions to many others), Masashi Hamauzu (XIII), Masayoshi Soken (XIV) and Yoko Shimomura (XV). It’s almost a cliché to use the term “love letter” at this point, but Final Bar Line absolutely earns it thanks to its far-reaching celebration of 35 years’ worth of incredible music.

In terms of fan favourites, there’s everything from the sensational operatic grandeur of VII‘s “One-Winged Angel” and tear-jerking X ballad “Suteki Da Ne” to the beautiful Celtic woodwinds of XIII‘s “The Archylte Steppe” and majestic XV violin piece, “Valse di Fantastica.” But indieszero and Square Enix have commendably picked deeper cuts, too, like the menacing “Jack’s Theme” from the meme-worthy Strangers of Paradise, a slew of songs from mobile titles like Mobius Final Fantasy and tracks from lesser-known spin-offs like Chocobo’s Dungeon and Crystal Chronicles. Hell, my favourite game of all time, FFVII, has multiple sets of tracks from the OG VII, its stellar Remake, Crisis Core prequel and other ‘Compilation’ spin-offs.

Theatrythm Final Bar Line Cloud vs. Sephiroth

Final Bar Line also sports an extensive lineup of DLC tracks from other Square Enix titles with their own stellar music, like Live A Live, Nier Automata and Chrono Trigger. Admittedly, I wish some of these included remixes; of the four Live A Live songs, only one is an updated version from last year’s amazing remake, and it isn’t the absolute bop that is “Megalomania.” Nitpick aside, though, the music catalogue is so magnificent and vast — in the base game alone, and only more so with DLC — that there really will be something here for everyone, even if you don’t have a history with some of these games.

That’s to say nothing of the plethora of characters. There’s an undeniable highlight in having parties consisting of, say, VII‘s Cloud and Sephiroth, XIV‘s Alphinaud and Tactics‘ Ramza — characters who would pretty much never meet otherwise. Bringing them together in recreations of iconic FF scenes, like VI’‘s Opera House misadventure, the death of Aerith in VII or XV‘s gargantuan Leviathan encounter only sweetens the deal. While I wish we got an actual narrative to unify them all, there’s enough of a mix here between traditional rhythm stages and FMV-filled ones to serve as a satisfying FF ‘Greatest Hits’ collection.

Theatrythm Final Bar Line characters

At the same time, the focus on songs means you’ll generally only be playing for a few minutes at a time. This makes it the perfect game to dabble in here and there, especially if you’ve found yourself a bit burnt out on games like me. The fact that I can just boot up my PS5, run through a few songs at my desired difficulty setting for 20 or 30 minutes and then go on with my day is brilliant. Thankfully, it’s not a time-sink like so many games nowadays. On the flip side, there’s a lot of content here if you want to dig into it, which means it’s worth coming back to over and over. Between Series Quests (an arcade-style campaign that takes you through highlights of each game), Music Stages (free play), co-op (where you and a friend split the notes) and Multi Battle (a surprisingly frenetic four-player competitive match), Final Bar Line is chock full of gameplay modes.

There’s also an RPG-lite element that hearkens back to the FF series’ roots. As you play, you’ll unlock new characters, abilities and summons that can be customized to your party of choice. Each character has their own class (Physical, Magic, Defence, Healing, etc.) to distinguish the types of moves they’ll automatically use as you hit notes. For example, the powerful Ulima Blade can only be used by blade-wielders like Cloud and Sephiroth. On the other hand, V‘s Lenna has a character-specific ‘Arise’ spell that can revive your team when your HP hits zero. Overall, this system feels finely tuned enough that mixing-and-matching configurations will provide benefits in stages but can still largely be ignored — especially on lower difficulties — if you just want to use your favourite characters and focus on the music.

Theatrythm Final Bar Line theater

Final Bar Line is easily one of my favourite games of the year so far. With some of the best music in the entire medium, a variety of difficulty options and modes and a structure that makes it easy to pick up and drop, indieszero has created an absolutely delightful experience that I keep coming back to even as I’ve put down other games.

Theatrythm Final Bar Line is now available on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

Image credit: Square Enix

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Square Enix RPG Various Daylife launches on Android and iOS

Square Enix RPG Various Daylife is now available on Android and iOS.

As a settler in the newly-discovered continent of Antoecia, players will have to embark on expeditions to uncover secrets and lucrative rewards. The game features a streamlined turn-based battle system and over 20 unique jobs for party members to take on.

Unlike most mobile games, Various Daylife is actually as a premium title for $28.99 CAD. Until February 28th, Square Enix is also offering a bonus digital artbook (which includes over 180 pages of behind-the-scenes artwork) alongside the purchase of the game.

Notably, Various Daylife was an Apple Arcade launch title in 2019, meaning it’s one of the few games that has left the service’s normally mobile-exclusive catalogue to date. The game, which was developed by staff who worked on acclaimed Square Enix RPGs Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler, also came to Nintendo Switch and PS4 last year.

Meanwhile, Octopath Traveler II is set to launch on PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC on February 23rd.

Image credit: Square Enix

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Give Forspoken a chance — it’s actually pretty solid

Forspoken is a fascinating game.

It’s developed by Luminous Productions, the Japanese team comprised of many former Final Fantasy XV creators. But the actual story of the game hails from Todd Stashwick (12 Monkeys) and Allison Rymer (Shadowhunters), based on concepts by Gary Whitta (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Amy Hennig (Uncharted series). While this mixture of East and West doesn’t always mesh well, the end result is a uniquely compelling experience with exceptional gameplay and some decent narrative moments.

A diamond in the rough

In Forspoken, you play as Frey Holland (Ella Balinska), a 21-year-old New Yorker who’s struggling to get by. Upon discovering a magical vambrace she calls “Cuff” (Jonathan Cake), she’s whisked away to the mysterious world of Athia, where she must survive the threat of the tyrannical rulers known as the Tantas. Now, much has been made about this Alice in Wonderland-style premise and its awkward juxtaposition of Frey’s quippy ‘Whedonesque’ dialogue and this fantastical setting. It’s at the centre of why this game has basically been the internet’s punching bag.

But I think that’s largely undeserved. Beneath some admittedly clunky and edgy dialogue lies a game with more heart than you’d expect, and that all starts with Frey. Previously hidden from marketing and media previews, the entire first chapter of the game takes some time to explore Frey at rock bottom, revealing her to be a sympathetic character whose abrasiveness in the trailers feels a lot more justified in context. This sets the reluctant hero up on a compelling — and, at times, even emotional — journey to discover her own self-worth. Meanwhile, Cuff’s dulcet English tones and dry humour make for an engaging foil to the rambunctious and insolent Frey, all brought to life through solid performances from Balinska and Cake. Admittedly, some have found this banter grating, so Luminous has thankfully added an option to turn down the frequency of it. I actually mostly enjoyed these snarky exchanges, as they were reminiscent of an early 2000s buddy cop movie and a fun departure from the endearing “road trip between bros” vibes of Final Fantasy XV. My issues instead was that they simply lack variety; after just a few hours, I grew tired of hearing the same lines ad nauseum.

Forspoken Frey

Frey’s attitude makes a lot more sense once you learn more about her tragic backstory.

What only grew on me more over time, however, was Athia itself. When Frey arrives, she finds it in a state of disarray due to a mystical corruption known as the Break. It’s decimated most of the world’s population, turned the wildlife into zombified beasts and forced humanity’s sole survivors to shack up in the bustling city of Cipal. Finding out the cause of the Break and what corrupted the once benevolent Tanta matriarchs proved to be a real highlight, especially towards the latter hours of the game when several revelations are made. I didn’t much care for the supporting cast beyond Frey and Cuff (the game even repeatedly tries and fails to make the death of a girl that Frey meets early on feel impactful), but the actual lore behind everything is rather interesting. You’d be hard-pressed to say any of this is great writing, but it’s definitely a lot better than people might have thought.

Enough spells to make Dr. Strange jealous

But even if the story and characters don’t grab you, Forspoken is absolutely worth playing for its gameplay. At its core, Forspoken is basically a superhero game, and a really engaging one, at that. Through a constantly growing set of powers, controlling Frey becomes a genuine power fantasy.

First, there’s her magical parkour, known as ‘Flow.’ Simply holding down the circle button will cause her to quickly zip forward, maintaining momentum with confident, rhythmic strides as she vaults over low-reaching obstacles like ledges and tree stumps. Over the course of the story, you’ll automatically develop powers that expand her mobility, including the ability to kick off walls for extra verticality, a zipline to quickly reach ledges or launch yourself upward and an ephemeral surfboard to glide across water. There’s also a handful of unlockable moves that further enhance your parkour — my favourite being Shimmy, which lets you stylishly spring off the ground with a well-timed tap of the jump button to maintain momentum.

Forspoken Flow

Running and jumping around Athia makes for some stylish entertainment.

All of these abilities work in tandem to create a remarkably fluid traversal system. It’s downright euphoric to bound towards the side of a canyon using Shimmy, parkour up the side of it, swing around a branch with my zipline to launch forward and land and glide over a body of water — all quite seamlessly, no less. The layout of the world is open enough to give you the freedom to reach pretty much anywhere once you have the necessary abilities, but also curated in places — such as through carefully placed floating platforms — to require you to be a bit precise so as to not overshoot your jumps. Through and through, it’s some of the most enjoyment I’ve had on a mechanical level of navigating an open-world since Insomniac’s two Marvel’s Spider-Man games.

The other half of the gameplay equation, combat, is equally rousing. In the lead-up to the game, Luminous has (for)spoken about there being 100 spells for Frey to use. I’ll confess that a part of me was skeptical; surely this is just marketing speak and many of these are palette swaps of one another. But much to my pleasant surprise is the fact that Frey’s magical arsenal is staggeringly diverse. On a base level, she has four different magic types — Purple (rock), Red (fire), Blue (water) and Green (electricity). But the utility of each can vary drastically when you get into all of the underlying abilities.

Forspoken water

Frey’s powers offer quite the spectacle.

To start, each power has a few different base Attack Magic spells that can be charged into even more moves. Purple Magic’s standard Burst Shot has her blasting enemies with clump of dirt as you mash the shoot button, but you can unlock alternative firing methods that unleash a steady stream of pebbles (Scatter Shot) or a sturdy rock shield to protect you then explode to push enemies back (Shield Shot). Charging Burst Shot, meanwhile, will conjure up a large boulder that can be hurled at enemies to send them flying. Naturally, the use case for each can vary drastically, like carefully aiming your giant rocks to get around enemy shields. That’s to say nothing of the other powers’ base attacks, like Red Magic’s fiery sword for speedy melee attacks, Blue’s exploding balls of aquatic energy or Green’s jolts or electricity.

But it’s her Support abilities that really liven up combat by deviating from being purely elemental-based attacks. For instance, Purple’s powerset includes a Piranha Plant-esque sprout that fires projectiles at an enemy while Green’s Compulsion and Displacement summon floating exploding mines and create an illusory decoy of Frey to distract enemies, respectively. There are also moves that provide Frey with direct buffs, such as Blue’s Inundation to increase the critical hit rate of spells. Each Support ability has its own cooldown timer that can be sped up by using Attack Magic, an effective way to push you to alternate between offensive and defensive magic. To that point, using a mixture of both will charge your a devastating power-specific supermove called Surge Magic. My favourite of these was the Genesis Purple Magic, which calls forth barbed branches to come piercing through the earth to slam crowds of enemies.

Forspoken Surge

Genesis never gets old.

What I most appreciated, though, is that using Mana (acquired by levelling up or finding collectibles on the map) to upgrade Surge Magic doesn’t simply improve their usefulness; you actually see the scope expand. Take Genesis; Level 1 only summons a moderately sized coil of branches, but Level 2’s range dramatically increases and Level 3 is so big that it’s like a giant Poison Ivy-esque outgrowth, venomous bulbs and all. In this way, Frey’s progression actually feels tangible and satisfying besides simply raising behind-the-scenes damage calculators. Upgrading Attack and Support Magic, meanwhile, is handled a bit differently. Here, you’re required to actually use the abilities to increase their usefulness, which I appreciated as a means to get me to experiment more and even play a little differently, like leaping over enemies to attack them from behind to upgrade my flaming sword. A particularly joyful move to discover was Green Magic’s Pulse Dart, which has you puncturing enemies with electric needles in quick succession that effectively paints targets for far more damaging piercing lightning bolts.

In other words, Forspoken‘s combat often has a satisfying brutality to it, enhanced by the spell-specific haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the PS5’s DualSense controller. What’s more, each spell type is rendered with a dazzling display of particle effects that really sell the raw intensity of Frey’s powers. While the visual splendour definitely takes a hit in Performance Mode, it’s worth the resolution hit to get that consistent 60fps smoothness. An engrossing score from composers Bear McCreary (God of War Ragnarök) and Garry Schyman (BioShock) only further enhances the vibe.

Athia looks pretty, but it’s unfortunately pretty empty.

What holds Forspoken‘s gameplay back from true greatness, though, is its open-world. My biggest concern even after playing a three-hour preview in December was that it would be too empty, and that remains true even now. Unfortunately, there just isn’t much to do in Athia’s largely barren outdoor environments beyond the exhilarating parkour. Sure, there’s a bunch of activities littered throughout, but they’re mostly just variations on “defeat these enemies” to unlock rewards. There’s even a spin on the tired map-revealing ‘Ubisoft Towers,’ known here as Belfries, which only further makes Athia’s open-world design feel painfully dated.

Oddly, you’ll exclusively get actual sidequests — referred to as ‘Detours’ — from NPCs in Cipal, and the bulk of these take place within the city. These are at least more interesting and character-driven than the almost purely combat-focused fare in the open-world, but Forspoken still would have benefited from not relegating them all to a single setting. As it stands, though, Forspoken has a lot content for content’s sake, and little of it feels legitimately rewarding to complete. Thankfully, the game only includes two types of gear (cloaks and nail paintings) and you can unlock new equipment and craftable upgrades through these sidequests. With so many games featuring convoluted gear systems nowadays, I appreciated that it was streamlined so you can focus your time on magical parkour and combat — the real highlight of the game — instead of navigating through menus.

A mostly magical experience

Forspoken fire

Burn baby burn.

Forspoken is a prime example of why it’s important to go into a game with an open mind. Regardless of how you felt based on admittedly spotty marketing material, there is much to like about the actual experience as a whole. Yes, Forspoken‘s uneven writing and unfortunately lifeless open-world will be off-putting to some, but at the game’s core lies a fundamentally joyful and even euphoric gameplay experience that mixes thrilling traversal with fulfilling, empowering combat. Ultimately, a game should be enjoyable to play, and on that level, Forspoken is certainly worth your time.

Forspoken will launch exclusively on PlayStation 5 and PC on January 24th, 2023.

Image credit: Square Enix

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Square Enix’s titles are up to 90 percent off at Humble

Final Fantasy developer Square Enix is holding a late New Year sale at Humble Bundle, with some titles up to 90 percent off.

Check out some of the titles on sale below:

Note, all the games mentioned above are for PC only. Check out all Square Enix games on sale at Humble Bundle here.

Image credit: Square Enix

Via: @GameDealsCanada

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Pre-registration now open for Avatar Generations mobile game ahead of early 2023 launch

Square Enix has confirmed that pre-registration is now open for its Avatar: Generations mobile game ahead of a planned “early 2023” launch window.

This comes after a soft launch of the game in select markets, including Canada, last August.

Developed by the company’s London mobile team in partnership with Vancouver’s Navigator Games (Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast), Avatar Generations is a free-to-play RPG set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. 

At launch, the game will retell Aang’s story from the Nickelodeon’s beloved animated series, with additional content updates adding chapters centred around The Legend of Korra and other characters.

You’ll be able to assemble a team of familiar faces, including Aang, Katara and Sokka, and face off in turn-based combat. Each character will have their own unique skills and progression paths.

You can pre-register for the game via the official website (iOS) and Play Store (Android).

Image credit: Square Enix

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Happy 35th anniversary to Final Fantasy, my all-time favourite series

My introduction to Final Fantasy is a bit funny.

When I was 10, my best friend got a new game for the GBA: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. He hadn’t actually played the original Kingdom Hearts on the PS2; instead, he picked up this handheld sequel because his brother’s friend had erroneously told them it featured Inuyasha, the main character of his favourite anime.

Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories cover art

I wonder if that kid thought that Riku, Kingdom Hearts’ silver-haired hero, was Inuyasha.

No, I’m not kidding — I guess kids really do say the darndest things.

Thankfully, we ended up falling in love with Chain of Memories, and one character quickly caught our eye: Cloud. His perfectly coiffed hair, badass bandaged sword, enigmatic black wing and face-covering scarf… he was the epitome of cool (everything I most certainly wasn’t). Imagine our surprise, then, when we found out he actually had his own game, Final Fantasy VII! My friend’s mum quickly bought it for him, and he devoured it. I didn’t get to see him too often since he lived far away, so I was anxious to hang out again and hear what he thought in person.

Eventually, he loaned the game to me, gushing praise, and my mind was blown as soon as booted up my PS1 and I began the thrilling opening bombing mission. I’d never experienced anything like it, and it would eventually, quite literally, change my life. But another reason that I love FFVII is that it introduced me to the broader Final Fantasy series, which has since become my all-time favourite in gaming. So today, December 18th — exactly 35 years after the original Final Fantasy debuted on the Famicom (NES) in Japan — I want to celebrate that. Here’s to the legendary RPG series from the little Square team, led by the big-dreaming Hironobu Sakaguchi, that dared to shake up the game.

A new adventure, every time

After VII, I wanted to play as many of the other Final Fantasy games as I could. That wasn’t exactly easy, given the gaming industry’s spotty-at-best track record when it comes to preservation. To its credit, though, Square Enix did release ports of FFI, II, IV, V and VI on the GBA, and that’s where I was able to first play all of those titles. And my god, did I fall in love. (I’ve since finished every numbered single-player entry in the series.)

As someone who was painfully introverted growing up and often cities or even countries removed from many of the friends and family I did hold dear, I regularly found myself drawn to games. After all, they are, in many ways, the perfect form of escapism. They whisk you away to worlds you could never have imagined and let you inhabit them in ways that no other art form can. Final Fantasy, for me, has been my biggest provider of such experiences.

Unlike most series, Final Fantasy takes an anthology approach, so every numbered entry is its own standalone experience. As such, it feels consistently fresh. The original five games are different spins on traditional medieval fantasy featuring mix-ups like interdimensional travel (V‘s Rift) and even moon landings (IV). From there, it gets even more interesting: VI is all about steampunk, VII has a refreshing cyberpunk flavour, VIII sports a distinct “anime schoolboy” vibe and X is more Southeast Asia-inspired. Discovering where each new FF takes place, and all of the ways in which each world feels unique, has proven to be delightful highlight of the series.

Of course, it’s the individual stories that help further distinguish these settings, and Final Fantasy has always done that magnificently. VI used the familiar backdrop of an evil empire to tell a heartwrenching tale about people struggling to find meaning in a dark, often depressing, world. Feeling more timely than ever in 2022, VII explored themes of life and identity and how a ruthlessly greedy megacorporation’s planet-killing business threatens to upend it all. While paying homage to the medieval FFs of old, IX also focused on the importance of love and friendship, especially in the face of mortality. X‘s world of Spira, meanwhile, warned about the potential dangers of organized religion. Taking cues from Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII was rife with political intrigue. Then there’s XIV, which has become a massive and beloved series in its own right thanks to an engrossing, sprawling and ever-evolving MMO story. Hell, XV, at its core, was literally a charming road trip between four bros. Pretty much every Final Fantasy game, even the weaker ones, has brought something new to the table, and I love them all for that.

Literal game-changers

Final Fantasy IV

The Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy IV.

That ethos has also extended to the gameplay. Indeed, what I most admire about Final Fantasy is its unwillingness to follow the same playbook. Over the past 35 years, the franchise has experimented with so many different kinds of gameplay, and many of them have been resounding successes.

The most impactful of these has been the Active Time Battle system, originally designed by legendary developer Hiroyuki Ito for IV in 1991. In a feat of utter brilliance, Ito took classic turn-based RPG combat and injected speed and energy into it. Essentially, party members and enemies alike would have to wait for a bar to fill up before they could attack, adding a level of urgency and real-time action to the fray. Later games would add further layers to combat in their own compelling ways, like V‘s remarkably deep Job system allowing for rich party configurations, the intricate and highly customizable Materia of VII, X‘s open-ended and addictive Sphere Grid character progression method or XII‘s more MMO-inspired Gambit system to oh-so precisely fine-tune companions’ AI behaviour.

At the same time, we’d still occasionally get returns to traditional turn-based mechanics, like X, which cleverly used this format to encourage strategy by making you decide when to swap in teammates and attack based on a bar that displayed who’s up next. And that doesn’t even take all of the spin-offs and other offshoots into consideration. Final Fantasy VII Remake, for example, is a masterful blend of ATB and real-time combat, delivering utterly thrilling battles that feel fast, fluid and strategic. Or take Strangers of Paradise, a smart, brutal Nioh-esque spin on Final Fantasy that also doubles as a fascinating villainous origin-prequel story to the original Final Fantasy. The fact that Square Enix is finding ways to breathe new life into decades-old tropes and systems never ceases to impress me.

People to root for

Final Fantasy VI opera

The famous opera scene in the Pixel Remaster version of Final Fantasy VI.

Would any of this matter, though, if you didn’t care about the characters themselves? Thankfully, Final Fantasy has truly succeeded in crafting well-realized, nuanced and memorable figures for many years now. In fact, it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that so many of this series’ casts rank among my favourites in any medium. That all boils down to the unique interactive elements of games that you make you truly engrossed in your characters’ plights since you actually get to live through them yourself. Over the course of dozens of hours of well-written narratives, you come to truly relate to them.

Maybe that was in VI, where Celes’ struggles with allegiance led to a profoundly moving opera performance or devastating struggles with depression. Perhaps you’re like me and most closely identified with VII — specifically, Cloud’s deep-rooted issues of self-worth and longing for acceptance, and also found inspiration from Zack’s story in Crisis Core. Many have also gravitated towards Vivi’s arc in IX, a surprisingly existential quest that serves as that game’s emotional centre. Others, meanwhile, might resonate with X‘s Yuna, a strong-willed young woman burdened with an unfair responsibility that she nonetheless compassionately shoulders.

In many of my loneliest and darkest moments, I found so much solace in these characters; I connected with them in ways that most other games couldn’t speak to me. In a sense, the series grew over time in terms of maturity and complexity, much in the way that Harry Potter‘s coming-of-age story becoming darker over time made it click so much with my generation. For Final Fantasy, that growth was no accident, either. Sakaguchi has been open about how his earlier creative failures led him to keep the stories of the earlier Final Fantasy titles relatively light, but the untimely death of his mother inspired him to draw from his emotions to pen deeper, more impactful narratives in future projects. One of the biggest examples of this was the Lifestream in VII, a beautifully spiritual exploration of the afterlife and what binds us all together. Both Sakaguchi and Final Fantasy as a whole have gone on their own personal journeys, and through them, so have I.

World-class scores

But the beating heart of Final Fantasy, for me — what unifies everything I’ve mentioned and makes it all work — is the music. I’ve long said that Final Fantasy has some of the best scores in any medium, and the key reason for that is Nobuo Uematsu. It’s not hyperbole to say that he is to Final Fantasy what John Williams is to Star Wars, especially since both have been so inextricably involved with their respective series since their inception. Indeed, so much of Final Fantasy‘s emotional resonance stems from Uematsu’s music. Honestly, this whole piece could have been solely about Uematsu, whose music is genuinely unparalleled. Even from the very beginning, we had the rousing victory fanfare that truly makes you feel like you triumphed over evil, or the stirring, majestic main theme.

And since that original 1987 title, Uematsu has gone on to compose some of the greatest soundtracks in all of gaming. “The Rebel Army” in II was an inspirational ode to the bravery and spirit of those who push on. Cecil’s redemptive arc in IV rings true thanks to the enchanting “Theme of Love” that punctuates his romance with Rosa. The fights in V against the endearingly goofy Gilgamesh have become classic in no small part due to Uematsu’s banger “Battle on the Big Bridge” theme. Despite SNES technical limitations, Uematsu managed to compose VI‘s “Dancing Mad,” a nearly 20-minute long, multipart piece that perfectly captures the stunning grandiosity and haunting lunacy of the now-deified Kefka. (To say nothing of how impressive VII‘s final boss theme, “One-Winged Angel,” would also prove to be.) And speaking of VII, would Aerith’s death, one of gaming’s most iconic scenes, have been so powerful without her heartbreakingly solemn and innocent melody? What about “To Zanarkand,” which uses understated-yet-sorrowful piano keys to define the star-crossed romance of Tidus and Yuna? I could go on. When you consider that the bulk of his Final Fantasy compositions were for I to IX — released between the NES and PS1, retro consoles that lacks the sound toolsets afforded by modern hardware — then Uematsu’s work feels even more magical.

The old and new guard of Final Fantasy. From left to right: Masayoshi Soken, Naoki Yoshida, Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu (Image credit: Hironobu Sakaguchi)

And the best part? Uematsu has only inspired other wonderful musical talents to join Final Fantasy. Hitoshi Sakimoto (XII), Masashi Hamauzu (XIII), Masayoshi Soken (XIV) and Yoko Shimomura (XV)… all brilliant in their own right, and all carrying on Uematsu’s legacy. Whether it was feeling isolated during school, taking the bus home or slaving away at homework assignments, to more recently writing for work, going to the gym or just sitting alone with my thoughts, the music of Final Fantasy from all of these composers has always been a significant part of my life, like a warm, beautiful blanket.

A living legacy

While looking back for the anniversary, I also have to acknowledge that the future of Final Fantasy is also looking so bright. On one side of Square Enix, we have Creative Business Unit III, led Naoki Yoshida, who continues to push forward on incredible expansions to Final Fantasy XIV. This division is also working on XVI, which looks to create a wonderful marriage between the medieval settings of old with a darker fantasy narrative from Kazutoyo Maehiro, writer of XIV‘s stellar Heavensward expansion, and frenetic action-RPG combat from Devil May Cry veteran Ryota Suzuki. And on the other side, we have Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase and several other Final Fantasy mainstays — who most famously spearheaded VII with Sakaguchi — overseeing an outstanding and bold reimagining of the PS1 classic, starting with 2020’s Remake and continuing with Rebirth and an untitled trilogy capper. All of these projects look to remain true to the spirit of Final Fantasy — unforgettable stories and characters, gripping gameplay systems and god-tier music — while continuing to push the series forward in exciting ways.

Final Fantasy has had its ups and downs, like just about everything, but it’s that consistent drive to deliver fresh, engaging and emotional experiences that makes it win out for me. It’s been a constant in my life even when so many unexpected events — like becoming estranged from my father — have happened. The prospect of a new game, with new adventures and characters and music to discover, always proves to be a source of joy for me. After all, the amount of memories I’ve formed and the friends I’ve made from this series is staggering. The adoration and gratitude I have for Final Fantasy is pretty much unmatched.

So, here’s to 35 years of something truly extraordinary, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Image credit: Square Enix