Square Enix has been fairly candid about Final Fantasy XIV's shortcomings. As it prepares to relaunch as A Realm Reborn, the game's producer is remaining humble about the game, saying that gaining back the trust of fans will be "very hard."
Final Fantasy VII has finally hit the PC, after a brief false start a week ago. The company has released a launch trailer to mark the event, and it can be purchased on Square Enix's online store for $9.99.
Final Fantasy XIV has had its share of pitfalls -- it's not every day that Square Enix flat-out apologizes for a game, after all. But after months of rejiggering, the game has relaunched itself as A Realm Reborn, and Square has released a new cinematic trailer for the rebranded title.
It's safe to say that for many fans, the Final Fantasy series has lost something special. A crucial bit of its DNA is missing, and the magic of the series has faded away. I'm among the fans -- it once easily ranked among my favorite video game series. The possible future of the franchise has been detailed in a stunning bit of sample footage, and it gave stark contrast to one vital element the series has been missing in the last few years. Final Fantasy needs to, quite literally, bring back the magic.
Final Fantasy fans got a short-lived surprise over the weekend, as Final Fantasy VII was briefly released on the Square Enix Web site. However, the downloaded copies wouldn't work, so even those who grabbed it early are in the same boat with other players who are still waiting.
The Android-powered OUYA console has just gotten another notable company in line with its launch plans. Square Enix, the Japanese company responsible for the Final Fantasy series, has committed to launching Final Fantasy III alongside the console next year. The company also promised continued support for the platform in the future.
The Final Fantasy franchise is no stranger to oddly-numbered games. (Look no further than Final Fantasy XIII-2, for example.) However, it appears the company didn't want to call its upcoming MMO reboot "Final Fantasy XIV version 2.0." Instead, it's given the revamped online game a new subtitle.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is not only "a symbol of a completely new Final Fantasy XIV, but also marks the beginning of a new stage as the latest title in the Final Fantasy series," director Naoki Yoshida said in the announcement.
Last week, an unconfirmed rumour was swirling that Square Enix had quietly cancelled Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which we've barely seen since it was announced in 2006. Untrue, Square Enix said today, this is a load of poppycock, and development is coming along swimmingly.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII was announced way back in 2006, and since then Square Enix has barely spoken about the game. So it's not altogether unbelievable that the game has finally been outright cancelled, closing the book on its long string of delays.
The Final Fantasy series has fallen out of favor recently. After a long string of missteps (some of which I've documented), the series has lost its luster. What was once one of the most revered names in video games has become a symbol of the bygone era of Japanese dominance. Whatever mistakes the series has made in upholding its legacy, however, that legacy is still known for some truly stirring music. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy is mostly a tribute to that legacy, and functions as a musical museum with a few clever rhythm game ideas of its own.
Hey, remember Final Fantasy Versus XIII? The long-in-development action title has been eagerly awaited by fans since its unveiling in 2006. Although little progress appears to have been made on the game, that isn't stopping Square Enix from releasing DLC from the game.
Wait, what? "Somnus," the theme song heard in all the trailers so far, will be available for purchase in Theatrhythm. It's pretty much the closest thing to a playable version of Versus XIII fans will get for a long time.
It seems likely that another story in the Final Fantasy XIII universe is on its way. Motomu Toriyama, director of Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2, recently made pointed statements about the open plot threads left at the end of the latest downloadable content, and promised that more answers are coming soon.
Square Enix recently commented that it wouldn't dare remake Final Fantasy VII until it had surpassed it with a new FF. If you, like me, are a PC gamer with no real connection to the series and have no idea why it's so beloved, you'll seen get to see for yourself, as Squeenix today confirmed the leak that the JRPG's been revamped for a PC re-release.
Nintendo fans have long missed out on the opportunity to pay for DLC. Thankfully, Square Enix is finally giving 3DS players a chance at joining the for-pay add-on craze that's sweeping the industry. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy launches in stores today, and it already includes a number of additional songs for purchase.
Square Enix has openly admitted to the numerous struggles it had when developing Final Fantasy XIII. The project had taken four years, the result of a large, mismanaged team. "With a large-scale development team, we didn't use our time well," Motomu Toriyama, director of FF13, admitted. While the company was able to turn around a direct sequel relatively quickly, it appears Square Enix is looking to change its development structure quite significantly.
"We are also thinking that we will not do large-scale internal development any longer." he said. "We have a lot of great creators in Square Enix, but for larger-scale development we will be doing more distributed and outsourced development to reach our targets on time."
""It's kind of a crazy idea" Yeah, not making a shitty game is right up there with "craziest ..."
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