It’s been one year since Final Fantasy XIV celebrated the successful launch of its third expansion, Shadowbringers. With the finale in the form of Patch 5.3: Reflections in Crystal only a day away from emotionally crushing the community while simultaneously providing us adorable stickers for our screenshots in Group Pose, I had taken this time to fondly look back and reflect on what made Shadowbringers such a fantastic expansion compared to those that came before. I found myself asking: Why was it so good? What was done differently this time around? What made Shadowbringers rival previous Final Fantasy games, matching them in greatness and nostalgia? As I thought about these questions, I realized it was because the development team hit five major story-crafting elements that ultimately led to the game’s success. In this piece, I will be going over those five subjects in hopes that it not only puts my thoughts about the expansion into words, but also help others see what I believe made the story so incredible, and why Shadowbringers was, and is, an incredible work of art that will be remembered for years to come. A warning for those still new to the game: There are going to be some

Final Fantasy VII Remake shipments and digital sales have surpassed 5 million units worldwide, Square Enix announced in a press release today. This milestone is joined by the game marking its spot as the highest-selling digital PlayStation release in Square Enix's history. To celebrate, the game has now been discounted for the first time, on sale for 34% off until August 19 at select retailers and on the PlayStation Store. Final Fantasy VII Remake is currently available for PlayStation 4. For our own thoughts on the game, you can check out our review in full here.

As the release of Patch 5.3 "Reflections in Crystal" draws closer, Square Enix has been sharing more information on the third major update to follow Final Fantasy XIV's Shadowbringers expansion. This time we get a glimpse at the new tribe quests in Lakeland that feature Norvrandt's dwarves, updates to New Game+, Trial Synthesis, and Sundry Splendors. Before we begin, you can also check out additional information on the A Realm Reborn revamp and Unreal Trials here. You can also check our rundown of the latest Letter from the Producer Live broadcast which details more of the content to come. Crafting-based tribe quests arrive with the dwarves. While you may have previously encountered them in Kholusia, it seems there's a specific reason why they've set up a camp in Lakeland. Rewards will include exclusive minions and mounts, one of which may be pictured below... "The people of Tomra aspire to follow in the footsteps of their hero, the Warrior of Darkness, by contributing to the prosperity of Norvrandt. Their ambitious plans will lead them far from home─and perhaps the doorstep of that very hero─as they labor to bring a design sketched by legendary dwarven smith Watts to life." -- Patch 5.3 Website Crafting won't

The Voracious Resurgence, a brand-new storyline update coming to Final Fantasy XI, is a mere few days away from release. Beginning August 6th, players will be able to embark on a brand new storyline to uncover the mystery behind the sudden appearance of strange eggs throughout Vana’diel--eggs whispered in the oldest of Beastmen legends. “It falls to Vana’diel’s finest adventurers to uncover the truth behind this enigmatic phenomenon. Peer beyond the veil of death and unravel the tangled threads of a conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of the world.” The August 6th update will see the beginning of the story unfold, with Beastmen clad in blackened garb infiltrating the streets of Bastok in search of the Galkan child Raebrimm. According to Producer Akihiko Matsui, the story is planned to be released gradually over the span of multiple version updates. In preparation for this content update, a brand-new website has been launched, which reveals small snippets of the story alongside some character screenshots. There are also several greyed out icons, likely placed to house more storyline information in future releases. Additionally, lovely new artwork by Akihiro Yamada was also released and can be seen below. Final Fantasy XI is available now on Windows PC.

Marvel's Avengers adds a PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 bonus character with the announcement of playable Spider-Man downloadable content post launch. Available as a free update in early 2021, this content will only be available on PlayStation platforms according to a new post on the PlayStation Blog. Spider-Man will make his debut with an in-game event that'll introduce him to the wider world of the game. This event will include a series of unique challenges, and Spider-Man himself will come stocked with various outfits and gameplay options. Marvel's Avengers is due out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia on September 4. The game will also launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X this holiday.

Final Fantasy XI, now in it's 18th year of service, continues to receive regular small-scale updates to its content and features, but it's been a minute since new story content's been added -- specifically 2015's Rhapsodies of Vana'diel -- in what seemed to be a book-end to the game's tale. Producer Akihiko Matsui, in a post introducing the August update, shares that you'll need to complete the Rhapsodies of Vana'diel to experience the new stuff: "The most exciting news I have to share is that a brand-new storyline will be coming to Vana’diel! This story, which will play out over the course of many version updates rather than just a few, explores a side of Vana’diel that’s never before seen the light. Be aware that full completion of Rhapsodies of Vana’diel is required to experience this wonderful new content, so I hope that those of you who haven’t set experienced Iroha’s tale in full will take this opportunity to do so." In addition to story content, the August update will include new and updated monthly objectives to the Records of Eminence, changes to Beastmaster with the philosophy that the Job should have more synergy with their pet, new Normal and Intense Ambuscade enemies,

More details on Final Fantasy XIV's third major patch following the Shadowbringers expansion went online today, including more information on Ishgard Restoration, the A Realm Reborn Revamp, as well as new mounts and minions. Titled "Reflections in Crystal," Patch 5.3 will continue the main scenario through the conclusion of the Shadowbringers story, including a new dungeon and mystery trial. The YorHa Dark Apocalypse alliance raid series collaboration with NieR Automata will also continue with The Puppets' Bunker, and a new map will be added for the Resistance Weapon series, in which you'll take part in a campaign against the Garlean Empire. You can read more on the patch's contents (and watch a trailer) here. It's important to mention that, before you can start Patch 5.3's main scenario, the team is now requiring that you complete the Crystal Tower alliance raid series and the My Little Chocobo quest obtainable from your Grand Company. Faux Hollows will be a mini-game built around a new difficulty mode for trials: "Unreal." While it's not necessarily harder than Extreme or Ultimate trials, the concept behind this mode is to tune classic trials to players' current level and item level rather than using level sync. The first trial will

During today's War Table broadcast over on Youtube, the team behind Marvel’s Avengers offered an in-depth look at the game’s upcoming beta as well as providing a glimpse at a brand new character coming to the game after launch. Starting August 7 until August 9, 2020 players who pre-ordered Marvel’s Avengers for PlayStation 4 will be able to participate in an exclusive beta event that will allow you to play through quite a bit of the game. According to the stream, several single-player missions will be available, including fighting on Golden Gate Bridge, infiltrating an AIM base and exploring a hidden SHIELD bunker. After finishing the single player campaign, players will be able to explore the co-op multiplayer feature of Marvel’s Avengers and take part in three different mission types, with up to three other players, as four selected Avengers: Khamala Khan, Iron Man, Black Widow and The Hulk. Following the exclusive weekend for PlayStation 4 players, the beta will be made available for all PS4 users on August 14 through August 16, and will be available for players who pre-ordered for XBox One and PC for those same dates. On August 21 through August 23, the beta will be made available

The Moonfire Faire limited-time seasonal event returns to Final Fantasy XIV on August 12th and concludes August 26th. The summertime festivities will reward exclusive items, such as the dye-able Summer's Flame set (head, body, arms, legs, and feet pieces specifically), a Flame Dance emote, and a Water Bomb Stand outdoor furnishing. In order to participate, you'll need to be at least Level 30. The quest to participate is "A Fish Too Far," which can be found with Mayaru Moyaru in Limsa Lominsa's Upper Decks. (X:11.5, Y:13.8) "Mayaru Moyaru is grinning from ear to ear, and yet something in his eyes suggests this year's celebration is not all smiles and sunshine. Whatever dangers lurk beneath the surface of this year's faire, event chaperones are not like to turn away a helping hand." -- via The Lodestone Via: The Lodestone You can check out events from the previous years on our YouTube channel – specifically from 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEJj_Ta6J9Y

Balan Wonderworld, a new 3D action platformer from creators Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima has been revealed by Square Enix today. The game will release for a number of platforms in Spring 2021 including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch and PC via Steam. Square Enix describes the game as, "Twelve different tales await players in the bizarre and imaginary land of Wonderworld. As the star of the show you can use powers from 80 different costumes while exploring labyrinth stages, filled with a myriad of tricks and traps to get to the heart of each story. As you journey through this land between fantasy and reality, you must find a way to bring balance to others and yourself." Catch the announcement trailer below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kldZVxarIkc&feature=emb_title