The ideal crossover draws fans from opposite ends of a two-game aisle toward a single experience that honors each individual title whilst serving as a free sample for the one folks aren't familiar with. I've got a friend, she knows who she is, who is obsessed with PowerWash Simulator. Lives and breathes it. Not so much Final Fantasy. Meanwhile, I'm the opposite. Naturally, this makes the free Midgar Special Pack DLC perfect for us both; my friend gets her first taste of FF7 Remake, and I get to clean a bar. When I put it that way, I can't help but feel like my friend has the better part of this deal. Honestly, though? I get it. There's a certain zen-like experience to be found in PowerWash Simulator. I can't speak to the core game, as I'm only giving this all a shake via the DLC, but I can see through this Midgar-centric perspective why millions of people enjoy cleaning up filthy environments at their leisure with a washing apparatus that can blast watery payloads into grime-caked surfaces with ample might. The gameplay loop is rhythmic. It's nice to see a pretty thing slowly emerge from its cocoon of filth. It's nifty

Following its release on PlayStation 5 and PC via Epic Game Store, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will finally be available for Steam users starting tomorrow, June 17. The game's Steam page has gone up with wishlisting now available. The Steam version will also be fully compatible with the newly released Steam Deck. The enhanced and expanded version of the game includes an additional episode starring Yuffie, enhanced visuals capture mode, Classic Mode difficulty and more. To celebrate the launch, players can purchase the game at a 29% off discount from tomorrow through June 23 at 10AM PT.

Square Enix announced on the Final Fantasy VII Twitter account that they will be holding a special 25th Anniversary Celebration Broadcast on June 16th at 3 PM PT, 6 PM ET, 11 PM BST. The show itself is going to be "short and sweet, but packed with lots of information," according to a follow-up message made by character designer and creative director Tetsuya Nomura. Fans are being told to "look forward to the unveiling." This news comes following promises made during a recent First Soldier broadcast where Nomura mentioned on stream that, “Next month we’re planning to publish information related to VII’s 25th anniversary. I wonder how far I’m allowed to share,” he teased before continuing, “Next month we will publish various things.” Based on the hashtags used, we are likely to expect to see more information on Final Fantasy VII Remake as well as Final Fantasy VII First Soldier. The broadcast will take place over on the company's official YouTube account. We've included the placeholder link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wohQiEysqIA

Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts is a novel penned by Kazushige Nojima told in two parts that explores the pasts of two of its protagonists: Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough. Previously released in Japan, the novel will release on November 8, 2022 in English, according to an announcement from Square Enix today. The 384-page hardcover has the following synopsis:"Although having met only days before, during the earth-shattering sequence of events that led to their escape from Midgar, Aerith and Tifa have already formed a tentative friendship based on mutual trust and respect. As they continue on their journey with Cloud, Barret, and Red XIII, the two women open up to each other further, exchanging stories from their pasts." The book will be available to pre-order and purchase on the North American and European Square Enix Store, as well as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Indigo retailers.

Square Enix would like to share more on Final Fantasy VII Remake this year. Maybe, hopefully. At least according to producer Yoshinori Kitase, as he spoke during today's Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier live stream. To quote him directly, he says "As for the Final Fantasy VII Remake news you've been waiting for, I think I'll be able to share more this year... maybe..." Of course, Tetsuya Nomura had to interject and tell him he should probably be more clear about that so to continue, Kitase says he'd like to get the FFVII excitement going with everyone this year and so he hopes to share more news this year. Look forward to it, perhaps. With the second part of Final Fantasy VII Remake currently underway and development progressing nicely, we'll hopefully see it sooner, rather than later. Via: Games Talk, Gematsu.

Square Enix has shared the official 25th anniversary logo for Final Fantasy VII following its original Japanese launch on January 31, 1997. The design features artwork from character designer Tetsuya Nomura and features Cloud, Zack and Sephiroth once again. The company plans to announce more anniversary plans in the future, so fans are being asked to stay tuned. Over on the official Twitter account, series creatives Yoshinori Kitase and Tetsuya Nomura have shared brief messages covering their wishes for the anniversary and a small tease for the future.

Square Enix on Twitter have announced that starting this Wednesday on December 22nd that PS Plus subscribers who have already redeemed Final Fantasy VII Remake will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version of the game. They also announced that the DLC Episode Intermission which introduces Yuffie Kisaragi into the game will be 25% off for a limited time. https://twitter.com/finalfantasyvii/status/1472688441389314048 Final Fantasy VII Remake has also recently been released on Epic Games Store. You can check out our review on Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade here.

Following a year and some months of PlayStation exclusivity, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will finally be available for PC players exclusively through Epic Games Store on December 16. As shown in the trailer, the PC version will include the base game as well as the INTERmission downloadable content along with 4K and HDR support, improved framerates (up to 120 FPS), a photo mode, additional content and more. For those needing a reminder, INTERmission follows Wutai’s very own materia hunter and elite special forces operative Yuffie Kisaragi as she and her companion, Sonon Kusakabe, infiltrate the city of Midgar to steal powerful Materia. This episode progresses alongside the main story campaign, and acts as a separate point-of-view from the AVALANCHE group. We also see the return of the Deepground Soldiers and Weiss from Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-. Catch the announcement trailer below and our full review of the expanded version of the game here. For more on the PC version including minimum requirements, check out the Square Enix blog post here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fn4iN-TQeI

I envy those who get to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake for the first time, I really do. This thought has been at the back of my head over the past few days as I've revisited the world of Midgar - the familiar faces of Cloud and friends a welcome sight after a year of absence, shined up and repackaged for the new generation under the Intergrade branding. This dangerous blend of nostalgia for Final Fantasy VII mixed with the call for new and improved content... it's overwhelming - in a good way. The PlayStation 5 isn't entertaining some basic port. No, Square Enix has pulled out all the stops to not only update the game's visuals, but craft some additional content as well. You've got the base game, of course, but also a lengthy bit of downloadable content featuring the young ninja and materia hunter Yuffie Kisaragi. Along with a new summon and VR content, there's plenty here for both returning fans and newcomers alike. So first let's take a look at the base game. Content wise it's unchanged from the PlayStation 4 version - to the point I slipped in my old save (after transferring it from the PS4 version)

In preparation for the upcoming release of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on PlayStation 5, Square Enix has issued an update for the original PS4 release that lets players set up their data for save transfer. Available for transfer directly from a PS4 or PS5 console, simply select 'Upload Save Data' from the main menu and follow the instructions therein. You'll be able to upload as many saves as you want, but each one must be uploaded on its own. While settings won't transfer over, trophies will and you might receive multiple notifications from having obtained them in quick succession. Once the save data has been successfully uploaded, you can then grab the files from 'Download Save Data' in the PS5 version of the game. As a reminder, those who downloaded and played the PS+ version do not qualify for the free PS5 upgrade. You'll have to buy a digital or physical copy of the game on PS4 to enjoy that bonus. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is due out on June 10 for PS5. FF7R Episode INTERmission will be available as a separate purchase for those upgrading from the PS4 version for $19.99.