Stephano and NaNiWa have both been invited to the team, but we still have 5 spots to fill for the World All Stars!
Vote for your favorite European and American players in the polls below. They will be played into a 16 person bracket (1 for EU, 1 for NA) to compete for the last 5 spots!
Stay tuned to follow the GSL World Championship all the way to IPL5!
A very dedicated Final Fantasy VII fan has spent the last six months of his life recreating the game's entire storyline in LittleBigPlanet 2.
Jamie Colliver - known on YouTube as TheJamster1992 - has made six videos spanning the opening, Sector 5 and Aeris' Church, Nibelheim and more. There's more than three hours' worth. He's even done the music.
Check out the first video below. Seriously. Watch it right now. You're allowed to make a cup of tea first.
Head over to Jamie's Youtube playlist for the whole set. Bravo, sir!
Thanks, PSU.
New details have surfaced about the design mantras behind Square Enix's recently announced Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns.
An interview in the latest issue of Famitsu, translated by Andriasang, reveals that the game will come with just one ending and that it'll be a happy one.
Despite this, the game is apparently being designed to encourage players to go through and complete it multiple times, and the length of the game will reflect this (i.e. it's not going to take hundreds or even, apparently, tens of hours to complete).
Depending on your actions, the remaining life of the world can also increase and decrease, meaning the world could end before the previously mentioned 13 days. It also appears that each of these in-game days will last between one and two real-world hours.
So it looks like Lightning's adventure is going to be a very different experience to the ones that have come before. Also in the interview it's mentioned that Hope will make an appearance, guiding Lightning by wireless com, and that this entry in the Final Fantasy XIII series will be "World Driven", asking players to consider how they interact with the changing world.
There's no reference to a potential release window, but the game is apparently about 30% complete. Seeing as we heard at the start of August that the game had only recently entered production, it seems the game is making good progress, regardless.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will be the final game to feature Lightning and is due out on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant and long-time Final Fantasy lover. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.
Square Enix has announced Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Set to arrive in 2013, Lightning Returns will incorporate “a brand-new story, world, characters and an enhanced gameplay system,” according to Square Enix. The game will feature Lightning as a solo playable character and allow her to freely roam a new world.
Other details regarding Lightning Returns are limited. We do know that the main story takes place hundreds of years after Final Fantasy XIII-2, set in a world called Novus Partus -- which is composed of four islands connected by monorail. The development team told IGN that three of the guiding pillars for the art direction in Lightning Returns are "gothic, mechanical and fantasy."
The most startling change to Lightning Returns comes in the form of the doomsday countdown. According to Square-Enix, the world will end after 13 days, and a massive clock will count down constantly in the corner of the screen to indicate this looming deadline. Any action players take, even taking the monorail from place to place, will spend time and hasten the end of days.
With Lightning as the only playable character, players will have unparalleled control over customizing her looks and combat style. The battle system itself, a greatly modified version of the previous two, will feature real-time elements including direct control of Lightning's movement and her attacks, as well as time-based moves that drain the doomsday counter. Lightning Returns will also include a real-time block system, designed to make battles much more active and time-based. Even dying mid-battle will activate a prompt to give players the choice to rewind their mistakes at the expense of the timer.
Lightning Returns was announced at today’s Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Event, which Square Enix has been teasing since last month. In early July, Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 director Motomu Toriyama hinted at the project, which entered production at the beginning of August, followed shortly by a teaser site.
Square Enix confirmed that Lightning Returns will be the final chapter of Lightning’s saga, which began in Final Fantasy XIII back in 2010. Lightning’s sister Serah was the focus of Final Fantasy XIII-2, which hit stores earlier this year and received downloadable content that continued Lightning’s story.
No other details have been announced, but be sure to check out Square Enix’s official Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII site for more updates as they’re revealed.
Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. He spent 100 hours playing Final Fantasy XIII-2. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.
Hot on the heels of its release date announcement, a post on the Square-Enix blog has finally revealed how much RPG fans will have to pony up for Final Fantasy Dimensions when it launches next Friday on iOS and Android. The episodic RPG will be available for $2.99-$3.99 per episode, or $28.99 for the entire collection.
Square-Enix has always adhered to more traditional pricing on iOS, selling titles like Chaos Rings II at $18 and Final Fantasy III at $16. But Dimensions’ $28.99 asking price will make it the company’s most expensive iOS release yet.
Several new screenshots have also been released, showing off combat and some of the RPG's story details.
IGN will have more on Final Fantasy Dimensions next week. In the meantime gamers should catch up on our E3 impressions and videos.
Justin is Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing mobile games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.
Square Enix has finally revealed a release date for its hotly anticipated iOS Final Fantasy spin-off. According to the game’s official website, gamers will be able to get their hands on Final Fantasy Dimensions next Friday, August 31.
Final Fantasy Dimensions on iOS is actually an updated and modernized version of Final Fantasy Legends, an episodic RPG series that hit Japanese flip-phones throughout 2010. Individually each episode can be completed in around three hours, but the 13 episodes put together offer up a full-fledged 35-40 hour adventure.
The iOS port will be the first time the episodic title has been available in English. In addition to the new translation, the port also features improved graphics, touch-powered menus and a new “sliding control pad.”
We went hands-on with the title at E3. In that earlier build character movement felt a little awkward via the virtual D-pad. But selecting combat options via a simple touch screen makes a lot of sense and instantly felt intuitive.
Square Enix has not confirmed to IGN whether Final Fantasy Dimensions will be released as a single title or in individual episodic chunks. A final price point has also not been announced.
IGN will have more on Final Fantasy Dimensions as it nears launch. In the meantime gamers should catch up on our E3 impressions, videos and screenshots.
Justin is Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing mobile games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.
Naoki Yoshida is keen to stress one thing above all else about Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: that it is neither an expansion nor a patch update, but is instead a brand new game.
Certainly, there are a whole host of new features to add credibility to this claim, even if its numerical denomination remains the same as its previous iteration. From the team working on its creation, to the engine used to power it, through to the user interface, combat system and around 90 percent of the in-game assets; a great deal about this MMORPG has changed. Yoshida also highlights that all of the field maps have been scrapped and recreated from the ground up, giving even existing Final Fantasy XIV players a whole new world to explore.
Of course, after the disappointment of the first attempt at Final Fantasy XIV, a great deal of change was necessary.
That doesn’t mean that we’re not looking to the future though, we realise that [new consoles] will be coming and making the game compatible with these systems is something that we’re currently thinking about.
The combat system, for example, borrows from Final Fantasy VII’s Limit Break mechanic, where actions during combat fill a gauge that can be used to unleash devastating attacks. Instead of being confined to the individual, this is an adapted party-based Limit Break system, which each party member contributes to and that can be activated by any one of them, with effects varying depending on the role of the person that triggers it.
However, the most immediately obvious change is the new engine, which does a very good job of providing an alluring reason to spend time in the world of A Realm Reborn and the forest setting shown during an in-game demo provides the perfect opportunity to highlight the real-time shadows as light filters through the tree canopy. The initially intrusive-looking HUD, which stacks three lines of spell and ability slots atop vital stat readouts, can be reordered, moved around the screen and then either locked in place or left floating to be adjusted on the fly.
Despite the increased graphical prowess of Final Fantasy: A Realm Reborn and members of its development also having worked on Square Enix’s impressive Luminous Studio engine, Yoshida dismisses the notion that that technology could be used in an MMO. In fact, the producer jokes that a MMO run on Luminous would probably require the power of a PlayStation 5.
Talk of the future generation of consoles does raise an interesting question concerning A Realm Reborn’s development for PS3: why release a MMO, that Yoshida acknowledges is built to run for anywhere between five to ten years, so late in the life of the current gen, especially when it is widely anticipated that the PS4 will arrive at some point in the next 18 months.
We talked about losing the trust of the player base with the original release of Final Fantasy XIV and so one of the steps to rebuilding that trust is to fulfil our promises.
“The biggest reason for doing so is because we promised that we would release Final Fantasy XIV on PS3 and there are still a lot of players that are waiting for us to do that,” Yoshida answers. “Before, we talked about losing the trust of the player base with the original release of Final Fantasy XIV and so one of the steps to rebuilding that trust is to fulfil our promises.
“That doesn’t mean that we’re not looking to the future though, we realise that [new consoles] will be coming and making the game compatible with these systems is something that we’re currently thinking about, but until Sony and Microsoft actually make an announcement, we can’t make an announcement.
“The biggest thing though is that our new engine is very scalable and so when new technology comes out we can easily scale to meet its capabilities.”
Yoshida proceeds to show us just how scalable the engine is by showing A Realm Reborn running in HD on high settings, followed by demoing the game on a laptop running on an Intel i5 processor. The game is optimised to around 70 percent and while the shadows suffer a noticeable downgrade in quality it still runs smoothly, albeit without the strains of being online.
The switchover to A Realm Reborn will be worked into the narrative.
Those currently playing Final Fantasy XIV needn’t abandon their characters, as the switchover to A Realm Reborn will be worked into the narrative, with an in-game event facilitating the switch-off of the servers running the original game as player data will be migrated across to A Real Reborn at some point during the beta testing.
As with any MMO, significant in-game time will be required to ascertain how well the implemented changes function and whether A Realm Reborn fixes the myriad issues of its predecessor. The upcoming beta testing will provide that necessary time to do that but the features highlighted so far suggest a game much improved.
The biggest test that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn faces is whether it can justify Square’s decision to charge a premium monthly subscription to enjoy its world remade. It’s something that Star Wars: The Old Republic hasn’t been able to sustain and, like Final Fantasy, that title entered the MMO market with a massive, well recognised and well loved brand behind it. Both the fans and beta testers will provide the answer to that question in the coming months and provide the biggest indicator of whether A Realm Reborn will outlive its doomed predecessor. Keep an eye on this one as it takes its first tentative steps in the world, it has the potential to grow-up strong.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta is expected to launch on PC later this year, with the PS3 version coming in 2013.
Work on the new title in the Final Fantasy XIII series that will be announced in September has apparently only recently started.
In this week's Famitsu (via Andriasang), producer Yoshinori Kitase said that the new project only recently entered production and that we'd find out the game's title on September 1.
While it's not much, the news that the game hasn't been worked on for long lends credence to the idea that we could be about to see Final Fantasy XIII-3. When it was first revealed that new series details were incoming, many fans were hoping they may in some way relate to the long-absent Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but unless you count 2006 as "recent", it appears we can now rule this out.
The Final Fantasy 25th anniversary event in Shibuya kicks off later this month, with the new game scheduled to be revealed at 11.30 on September 1 through the "Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Saga: New Developments Presentation".
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant, and would personally prefer Final Fantasy X-3. Let him know your thoughts and feelings on IGN and on Twitter.
Square Enix has announced it will release Final Fantasy III as a launch title for the Ouyaconsole in March 2013.
In a statement translated by Square Portal, the company promised that they will also be providing more content in the future.
Final Fantasy III originally released on the NES back in 1990 and became the first Final Fantasy title to sell over a million copies, but has since had a 2006 remake for the DS. It seems this is the version Ouya owners will be getting as this was ported for Android devices last month, which is the operating system that the upcoming console will use.
We recently reported how Ouya signed a deal with cloud gaming service OnLive, meaning hundreds of games from over 80 publishers will be available when the console is eventually released next March.
Ouya's Kickstarter campaign hasn't ended yet either; with 8 days still to go, the project has currently amassed $5.8 million, completely shattering its original $950,000 target.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.
Square Enix has revealed that Final Fantasy XIV’s sweeping version 2.0 update finally has an official name: A Realm Reborn. Originally announced in October 2011, version 2.0 re-launches Final Fantasy XIV, adding a new map system, new client software and more.
During E3, Square Enix detailed Final Fantasy XIV version 2.0, describing that only one Ifrit summon will be available per server. The update will also add a new graphics engine, tweak XIV’s battle regimen system and expand the role of Chocobos.
Producer Naoki Yoshida commented that “Since announcing our plans for the future of the title last October, we have been working tirelessly to include all of the elements that we have promised in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. This new title not only becomes 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.”
Square Enix previously said that an alpha test of A Realm Reborn would begin in September, with the final release to follow in late 2012 or early 2013. For more details, including Square Enix's eventual plans to bring the game to PlayStation 3, be sure to read our interview with producer Naoki Yoshida from E3 and check out Final Fantasy XIV’s official site for information on the realm of Eorza and details on the full world of Hydaelyn.
Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.
Despite rumours to the contrary last week, Square Enix's CEO has revealed that Final Fantasy Versus XIII has not been cancelled.
According to Andriasang, Yoichi Wada confirmed via Twitter today that the game is alive and well.
Just a minute ago, the regular Versus meeting ended. If you saw the presentation of the city, it'd knock you off your feet.
"There's someone making a false rumour that Versus was cancelled," he said. "Haha... just a minute ago, the regular Versus meeting ended. If you saw the presentation of the city, it'd knock you off your feet - lol."
Many were convinced the game had been canned after a suspicious absence at E3 this year. When reports of the title's cancellation surfaced on Kotaku last week, Square Enix refused to comment on rumours or speculation, further fuelling our fears.
The fact that the game lives on, however, means the reported Final Fantasy XIII announcement expected in September could very well relate to it in some way. Considering the title has been in development since 2006, we're long overdue for some news.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII was originally announced in 2006 as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series of games. The other games two games in the series announced at the same time, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0 have both been released, and Final Fantasy XIII-2 has also been announced and launched since.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant, and is overjoyed upon hearing that he'll one day get his grubby mitts on Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Share in his glee on IGN and on Twitter.
Square Enix will share more details about its next Final Fantasy XIII project on September 1.
We told you previously that the company was set to make an announcement at the Final Fantasy 25th anniversary event in Shibuya, but now we know slightly more.
According to Andriasang the Final Fantasy XIII stage will take place at 11.30 on September 1 and will be titled "Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Saga: New Developments Presentation". The game's producer, director, art director and other members of staff will attend.
We've talked before about the possibility of Final Fantasy XIII-3 being revealed, and the fact the news is about the "Lightning Saga" still makes this the likeliest option. Despite this, we doubt we're alone in hoping something is said about Final Fantasy Versus XIII and whether it's been cancelled or not.
The Final Fantasy 25th anniversary event will take place from August 31 to September 2, with other panels set to include a Final Fantasy XI music presentation and new details about Final Fantasy XIV version 2.0.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant, and has been in the foetal position softly weeping since this morning's Final Fantasy Versus XIII news. Cheer him up on IGN and on Twitter.
Reports are surfacing that Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which has been in development since 2006, has been cancelled.
Kotaku is claiming that the planned PS3 exclusive has been canned quietly by Square Enix after it hasn't been seen in some time.
The company has allegedly made the decision to let the game fade away rather than officially announce its cancellation due to concerns over stock prices.
The company has allegedly made the decision to let the game fade away rather than officially announce its cancellation due to concerns over stock prices. There has been much speculation over the past year that the writing was on the wall after the title was conspicuously absent from conventions.
In fact, the last time the game was mentioned was back in May when designer Tetsuya Nomura told Game Informer that "We would like to ask for your patience on an official announcement for this title. It always takes time when tackling the challenge of doing something completely new, but we are doing our best to bring information to the fans as quickly as we can. Your patience is greatly appreciated."
Kotaku also reports that resources used to make the game were folded into working on what will become Final Fantasy XV a few months back.
We've reached out to Square Enix for comment. Whether true or not, an official cancellation would be better than simply letting the game become "vaporware", where it's existence is never referenced again.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII was originally announced in 2006 as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series of games. The other games two games in the series announced at the same time, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0 have both been released, and Final Fantasy XIII-2 has also been announced and launched in that time.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant, and was really looking to Final Fantasy Versus XIII. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.
