Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is pretty good. More importantly, it might be the least obnoxious gacha game I’ve ever played. Emphasis on might. At first glance - that is, via my time with last month’s closed beta - it feels like a full-fledged RPG first, mobile gacha second. Until the game’s been released, and folks have been given the requisite time with the optional real-world currency system, it’s impossible to say just how rough that stuff will be. What I can tell you is as follows. First, the gacha mechanics are tied entirely to weaponry. Second, Ever Crisis offers compelling content for those who, like me, don’t care much about having the best in-game trinkets at any given point, and just want to enjoy the story. Asterisk on that bit; I’ll explain later. When it was announced, Square Enix’s master plan to retell the full original Final Fantasy VII in a fresh form, alongside everything from the old Compilation of FFVII, felt like one of those monkey’s paw situations. On the one hand, it’s cool that we’ll have modern takes on games that are otherwise unavailable in modern ways - Dirge of Cerberus isn’t a good video game, but it’s

Following the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV's next big expansion with "Dawntrail", various press and media outlets had the opportunity to sit down with producer and director Naoki Yoshida for a bit of a chat following the first day's events. Whilst the topics did cover a few notes on the expansion, the session was largely keyed in on the game's 10th anniversary and general FFXIV discussion. We at Nova Crystallis had a chance to be there and did have one of our questions pertaining to the 10th anniversary developments and retrospectives selected for an answer. The basis of the question we asked was largely centered on recent discussions with fan feedback. There had been a bit of a revelation that Yoshida often looks at fan comments on social media and the like and how that affects him. With that in mind, we crafted a broader question that looks more at what goes through his and the team's mind when they get so much of that feedback and requests, and how as a developer do they balance that out after ten years of doing just that while still keeping in mind their philosophies of what FFXIV should be. This sort of thing

Back in April 2023, Square Enix released a two-part conversation with Final Fantasy series creators Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kazuko Shibuya, and Yoshinori Kitase. Today, an English language version is available to watch, and we've transcribed the interview below. In this second part (read/watch the first part here) part, we get a behind the scenes look at development on the 16-bit era of Final Fantasy games as well as a peek at the different locations the Square office inhabited in the early days of the series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B-iw8qhZbQ Everything started in 1987, when the first FINAL FANTASY was released. Over 35 years, FINAL FANTASY has grown into a world-renowned RPG series. The Creators talk about the history of FINAL FANTASY from the beginning up to FFVI, the pinnacle of the 2D era. They are: Hironobu Sakaguchithe father of FINAL FANTASY One of Japan's pixel game creators. Founded Mistwalker in 2004 and brought numerous RPGs to the world. In recent years he is also a well known as a player of FFXIV. Currently resides in Hawaii. Yoshinori KitaseFINAL FANTASY Brand Manager First worked on the FINAL FANTASY series as a planner on FINAL FANTASY Adventure (known as "Mystic Quest" in Europe) and went on to direct various titles starting with

An interstitial patch following the release of The Dark Throne arrives in Final Fantasy XIV today. Patch 6.45 includes a new Variant Dungeon Mount Rokkon, as well as a Criterion version that comes with a Savage level difficulty. In the base Variant mode, it can be attempted solo up to and including a group of four players regardless of role. Harder difficulty versions introduce tougher restrictions, such as enemies respawning, harder bosses, and limits on resurrection options. We also get a long-awaited update for Blue Mage, wherein the limited job's level cap has been raised to 80 and Shadowbringers expansion content has been incorporated, including new blue magic spells and duties in the Blue Mage log. Additionally, a new chapter of the side story Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures has been added, as well as a new step in enhancing Manderville Weapons and Splendorous Tools. Stay tuned to the site and our socials for more as we approach the first of three Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festivals, where we are expected to see an unveiling of the fifth expansion for the game and a celebration of ten years since A Realm Reborn's launch. Content:Quest Name:NPC:Quest/Role Requirements:Variant DungeonMount RokkonMononoke Aware👤 Shallow Moor🗺 Old Sharlayan🧭 X:

On June 11, 2023, hundreds of Final Fantasy fans from around the world gathered on a small studio sound stage in Los Angeles to commemorate the coming release of Final Fantasy XVI on PlayStation 5. The event was filled with fun events including photo opportunities with a giant Ifrit sculpture, demo stations to try out the Eikonic Challenge, autograph sessions with the voice cast and developers, and live panels highlighting the music, story, and combat of the game.  In between all of the fun opportunities during the event, we were lucky enough to get the chance to interview Ben Starr and Ralph Ineson, the voices of Clive Rosfield and Cidolfus Telamon, and learn more about their experience while working on Final Fantasy XVI. When I asked Ben and Ralph what their inspirations were when they were performing their roles as Clive and Cid respectively, Ralph said it was the script and the character backgrounds that allowed him to find the voice for Cid. “The fact that Cid’s been a soldier all his life, he’s kind of a toughened man–that informs his humor.”  For Ben, he drew on the more personal tragedies that Clive experiences throughout the story of Final Fantasy XVI to breathe

One of the first news stories I ever covered as a gaming journalist was Square Enix’s September 2020 announcement of Final Fantasy XVI. I still remember typing so quickly that I had to go back and edit every other sentence. This was it - Final Fantasy XVI. It was the first mainline single-player entry not tied to E3 2006’s Fabula Nova Crystallis unveiling since PS2 swansong FFXII. Naoki Yoshida was producing, alongside a talented team at Creative Business Unit III, the same studio who had brought FFXIV to life, and kept making it better by the year. Pinch me, you know? I must be dreaming. With each passing trailer, the dream continued. It wasn’t until the press previews began to roll in early this year that the world of Valisthea began to feel real to me. A flurry of late-stage marketing, including a fantastic demo, solidified that realness. I was ready to play this landmark entry in what is far and away my favorite franchise. Almost from the start, it was obvious to me how much effort has been poured into this game. The creators had a vision for Final Fantasy XVI, and they stuck to it. They wanted the story front-and-center.

Back in April 2023, Square Enix released a two-part conversation with Final Fantasy series creators Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kazuko Shibuya, and Yoshinori Kitase. Today, an English language version is available to watch, and we've transcribed the interview below. In this first part, (read/watch the second part here) we get a behind the scenes look at development on the first three Final Fantasy games as well as a peek at the different locations the Square office inhabited in the early days of the series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgngEQOFcWs Everything started in 1987, when the first FINAL FANTASY was released. Over 35 years, FINAL FANTASY has grown into a world-renowned RPG series. The Creators talk about the history of FINAL FANTASY from the beginning up to FFVI, the pinnacle of the 2D era. They are: Hironobu Sakaguchithe father of FINAL FANTASY One of Japan's pixel game creators. Founded Mistwalker in 2004 and brought numerous RPGs to the world. In recent years he is also a well known as a player of FFXIV. Currently resides in Hawaii. Yoshinori KitaseFINAL FANTASY Brand Manager First worked on the FINAL FANTASY series as a planner on FINAL FANTASY Adventure (known as "Mystic Quest" in Europe) and went on to direct various titles starting with FFV. Kitase graduated

The fourth major patch to follow Final Fantasy XIV‘s Endwalker expansion update goes live Tuesday, May 23rd. Patch 6.4 features new content and features that we’ve summarized below — including where to unlock them. This includes the continuation of the main scenario in The Dark Throne chapter where you will journey to The Aetherfront and The Voidcast Dais for a trial against Golbez. It also includes the third and final chapter of the Pandaemonium raid series, and the return of Zurvan from the The Warring Triad series as the latest Unreal Trial. Several side stories are also available including the latest in Tataru's Grand Endeavor and updates to existing systems like Island Sanctuary, Ocean Fishing, and Duty Support are inbound. Below that, we've got details on some of the feature updates, job adjustments, and Patch 6.4 media collected. While you're here, we've got further details from the latest Letter from the Producer Live broadcast that goes over some of the newest additions including gameplay footage and what's to come in Patch 6.45. UNLOCK GUIDE Content:Quest Name:NPC:Requirements:Main Scenario QuestThe Dark ThroneCurrying Flavor👤 Varshahn🗺 Radz-at-Han🧭 X: 4.4 — Y: 9.8❗ Main Scenario Quest — Gods Revel, Lands Tremble (6.3)⚙ Lv. 90 Disciple of War or MagicExpert DungeonThe Aetherfont(6.4 Main Scenario Quest)(6.4

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 -

An interstitial patch to follow Final Fantasy XIV‘s ‘Gods Revel, Lands Tremble update goes live Tuesday, March 7th. Patch 6.35 features new content and features that we’ve summarized below — including where to unlock them. While you're here, we've got details on the return of Little Ladies' Day seasonal event ending on March 15th or page through the notes from the latest Letter from the Producer Live broadcast. Content Content:NPC:Requirements:Deep DungeonEureka Orthos👤 Koh Rabntah🗺 Mor Dhona🧭 X: 21.8 — Y: 8.1❗ Quest: "Endwalker" (6.0 MSQ)❗ Palace of the Dead (clear Floor 50)⚙ Lv. 81 Combat JobSide Story QuestSomehow Further Hildibrand Adventures👤 Delion🗺 Radz-at-Han🧭 X: 11.9 — Y: 11.1❗ Quest: "The Imperfect Gentleman" (6.3 SSQ)⚙ Lv. 90 Combat JobManderville WeaponsNew Upgrade Phase👤 Gerolt🗺 Radz-at-Han🧭 X: 12.0 — Y: 7.1❗ Quest: "Make it a Manderville" (6.3 SSQ)❗ Quest: "Generational Bonding" (6.35 SSQ)⚙ Lv. 90 Combat JobSplendorous ToolsInitial Upgrade Phase👤 Chora-Zoi🗺 Crystarium🧭 X: 7.8 — Y: 11.4❗ Quest: "Endwalker" (6.0 MSQ)❗ Quest: "The Crystalline Mean" (5.0 SSQ)❗ Unlock the Boutique of Splendours(Speak to Mowen in Eulmore X:11.4 — Y:10.7)⚙ Lv. 90 Crafting/Gathering JobTribal QuestsThe Lopporits👤 Dreamingway🗺 Old Sharlayan🧭 X: 11.7 — Y: 10.9❗ Quest: "Endwalker" (6.0 MSQ)❗ Quest: "Dream a Little Dream" (6.0 SQ)*Side quest begins with "Name That Way"⚙