When I played through Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin on console last year, all I could keep thinking was that the script felt like someone found my seventh-grade fan fiction, tidied up the grammar, and embarrassed me personally by sending it out into the modern world.  The gameplay, while fun, struck me as overly repetitive. The dated visuals didn’t help matters. I’m not saying I disliked my time with the game, because all things considered, I was glad to have played it, but I would not go so far as to say I was thrilled. As the DLCs dropped, and discourse slowly but surely shifted from focusing on Jack’s cheesy lines to the game as a whole, I started to feel like maybe I had missed the forest for the trees. Perhaps there’s more to like about Stranger of Paradise than I had realized. It warranted a second chance. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to give it another test drive on Steam. This time, it clicked, but my newfound appreciation has nothing to do with the reason I presume you’re reading this, which is to ascertain the technical state of the port. Not helpful, I know, but hear me out -

Following the launch of Forspoken last year, Square Enix has shared a trailer and release date for In Tanta We Trust, a DLC package set to release on May 26th for PC and PlayStation 5. Those who purchased the Digital Deluxe version of the game will get it for free and with a three day head start on May 23rd during an 'early access' period. Those who do not will be able to purchase the DLC standalone on May 26th. The DLC will feature protagonist Frey Holland after the conclusion of the main story in Forspoken. She has restored a tenative peace to Athia, but is searching to rid the land of the disastrous Break, a destructive magical force wielded by powerful sorceresses called the Tantas, who were once Athia's rulers before falling to madness. The story of the main game pits Frey against the Tantas in a struggle to save the slim remnants of humanity clinging to Athia's lands. When she hears a mysterious voice, Frey is led to a place that transports her 25 years back in time to a key event in Athia's history called the 'Purge of the Rheddig' — an event that set in motion the events

Following its release on both PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series has enjoyed over two million worldwide shipments and digital sales, Square Enix announced today. The games were originally released on Steam and smartphone devices back in 2021 and 2022 respectively, and have recently seen a number of quality of life upgrades through the launch on console platforms. All six titles (Final Fantasy I through VI) are now available for purchase either individually or in a complete bundle from the PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam, the App Store, Google Play and the Amazon App Store. Square Enix notes that these worldwide sales figures are based on reporting received from digital and retail partners, as well as internal reporting. For more on the Pixel Remaster series, check out all our coverage here.

The fourth major content patch following the Endwalker expansion is set to release later this month, and today, Square Enix updates us with more details about its content and features. Titled The Dark Throne, Patch 6.4 will continue the main scenario quest, conclude the Pandaemonium raid series, and include major updates for Island Sanctuary and Ocean Fishing. Of course, for the latest live letter information, you can check out our summary here. Note that a new Letter from the Producer live broadcast will air on May 12 and continue looking at content and features in Patch 6.4 Patch 6.4 — Late May 2023 Main Scenario — The Dark Throne"In Shadow Looms the Usurper's Seat — With a gambit that would cost them their very lives, the archfiends Cagnazzo and Rubicante succeeded in destroying the voidgate hidden within the depths of Alzadaal's Legacy, thus barring the path to the Thirteenth. Yet where there is a will, there is a way─and so the Warrior of Light and allies continue the search for a new means to reach the void." Continuing off from As Gods Revel, Lands Tremble in Patch 6.3, we see Krile and Erenville gathered in Sharlayan, Zero in what may be the expert dungeon,

Today, we have a brand new smattering of short new Final Fantasy XVI along with official Eikon artwork designed by character designer Kazuya Takahashi. In the, we see some new bits of previously revealed systems, such as titanic eikon battles, flashy eikonic abilities, and how Torgal and party members fight alongside Clive. Check out the following footage, and also the original soundtrack details that dropped today. Eikon Battles The showiest piece of Final Fantasy XVI's combat are the Eikon battles, which see Dominants transform into large summoned beasts and do battle. Each of these battles will have a different theme associate with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndjFu3cqEaI Eikonic Abilities Protagonist Clive Rosfield can learn and deploy powerful Eikonic abilities in battle. Pressing the left trigger button will cycle between a set of three Eikons, which change what abilities he can use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wtZdOKBYFA Story Focus Mode You can select this mode at the start to gain early access to various accessories that automate certain battle actions like evasion and using abilities. These are intended for players unused to action games and want to experience easier operation of the controller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117DUIhmTu8 Learning Abilities By accruing ability points, you can spend them in the abilities section of the menu to learn new skills and increase their effectiveness. Clive

Square Enix has revealed the soundtrack set and release date for Final Fantasy XVI's score. Available starting July 19, this seven CD set will come in two flavors - standard and an Ultimate Edition. The differences between both versions aren't massive but the Ultimate Edition bonuses are enough to give it the edge. More precisely, it'll feature golden box art and an art case, along with an additional CD featuring cutscene tracks and notes by composer Masayoshi Soken and staff. The Square Enix first press edition also comes housed with a special mini clear file and sticky notes with Torgal embossed on them. The standard version of the soundtrack will be priced at 6,000 yen or $64.99 with the Ultimate Edition going up a little to 7,800 yen or $82.99. Do note that the game's theme song "Tsuki wo Miteita - Moongazing" by Kenshi Yonezu, will not be included in either set. North American fans can pre-order now on the Square Enix Store. Here's a closer look at the packaging between both versions: Standard Edition Ultimate Edition Final Fantasy XVI will launch for PlayStation 5 on June 22.

The next installment of the ever popular Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer Live is now set for May 12. Producer Naoki Yoshida will be on hand to talk up the latest information on what to expect in Patch 6.4, which is also scheduled to release later in May. The broadcast will start at 7AM Eastern and likely run for several hours as these things usually do. In addition to this being the second broadcast covering Patch 6.4, fans can expect more information on miscellaneous updates. Do note that the presentation and slides will contain both Japanese and English text, but the audio itself will be in Japanese only. As always we'll have a full summary after the show, so stay tuned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i8PijfPKIs

On April 24th, you'll be able to download Square Enix's new "AI tech preview" for free on Steam. A revival of The Portopia Serial Murder Case after its original debut on the NEC PC-6001 in 1983. The game is one of the first developed by Dragon Quest series luminary Yuji Horii, inspired by rising popularity of text adventure games and a dearth of them in the Japanese market at the time. The original concept was to expand the possibilities of the genre by having the story play out through entering commands and receiving answers to those commands. While Horii's original plan was to create a robust enough dialogue system via an AI language algorithm, the limitations of technology at the time could only be coaxed through entering key terms from which the computer would respond. The game would progress in a non-linear fashion, with as little as 20% of the game's writing involving the main story. It sold well after its release in Japan and several ports were produced, but its legacy remains as one of the earliest definition of what we now know as the visual novel genre. Now, using AI, Square Enix hopes to renew the project along the lines

Square Enix is prepping a big launch event for Final Fantasy XVI, the company announced today. Scheduled for June 11, a pre-launch celebration is set to be held in Los Angeles. Whilst further details on time and location have yet to be penciled in, those unable to attend in person will be able to watch the event through a live stream. Fans are asked to save the date and follow the official Twitter account for more information. Recently, FFXVI has had a number of media drops with new information and footage detailing the game. Last week, PlayStation kicked off a series of marketing with its State of Play showcase which delved deep into the ins and outs of the main character Clive and the world of Valisthea. For the full rundown on that video, as well as 25 minutes of FFXVI footage, check out our original coverage here. Final Fantasy XVI will launch on June 22 for PlayStation 5.

Final Fantasy XIV's limited-time event Moogle Treasure Trove is set to return on Monday, April 24th through the launch of Patch 6.4 The Dark Throne in late May. During this period, completing certain duties will reward you Irregular Tomestones of Mendacity, which can be exchanged with the Itinerant Moogle station in each starting city-state. Of particular note: the Porxie Earring is an exclusive item, along with the rare Megalotragus mount and Gyr Abanian Plait hairstyle. "In recent years, demand from collectors and historians has led to a surge of adventurers seeking tomestones, those mysterious relics of the Allagan Empire made to record and keep its secrets. Some small number of the artifacts, unique for the peculiar sort of knowledge contained within, have piqued the interest of the eccentric─in particular, itinerant moogles, who come bearing rare goods of their own to exchange for these "irregular" tomestones." Duties Complete duties to earn Irregular Tomestones of Mendacity: Alliance Raids:(x7) The Tower at Paradigm's Breach(x6) The Puppets' Bunker(x5) The Copied Factory Normal Raids:(x2) Alexander 12 - The Soul of the Creator(x2) Alexander 11 - The Heart of the Creator(x2) Alexander 10 - The Breath of the Creator(x2) Alexander 9 - The Eyes of the Creator(x2) Alexander 8 - The Burden