“I'm here to kill Chaos.” In the history of Final Fantasy’s numerous spin-off titles, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is certainly one of the strangest conceptually. Set before the events of the original Final Fantasy, Stranger of Paradise is a prequel nearly 35 years later with entirely different gameplay to boot. Helmed by the ever-ambitious Tetsuya Nomura and series veteran Kazushige Nojima along with a beautiful score by Naoshi Mizuta, Stranger of Paradise’s development by Team Ninja might’ve come as a surprise for many but after finishing the game, I’m glad to say their style is more than welcome. It only makes sense that Nomura’s “story of an angry man” has the gameplay intensity to match it and given Team Ninja’s work with the Ninja Gaiden series and more recently, the Nioh series, it feels like a perfect fit. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is experimental, unrelenting, and chaotic to say the least. But more than that, Stranger is ambitious in its attempts to connect itself to the world of Final Fantasy and while disjointed in the presentation of its story, somehow manages to wrap it all up in a way that’s unlike anything I’ve witnessed in the series

There's a moment early on when Leena, Serge's childhood friend with ample romantic undertones, ponders what their lives might be like in 10 years, or even 20 years. She wonders if they'll remember this conversation when their whole worlds have inevitably shifted to accommodate the rigors of full adulthood. Her queries help to set the tone of an ambitious, adventurous, and sometimes frustratingly ambiguous tale. I first played Chrono Cross, and thus encountered this scene, on August 15th, 2000. It was the day of the game's North American launch, and I had turned 13 exactly one day beforehand. Leena's thoughts held real weight for me. In a decade, I'd be 23. What would that be like? I could scarcely imagine. Tag in another ten years, and 33? Goodness gracious, isn't that how old Char Aznable was when he evaporated into magical green pixie dust in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack? It was unfathomable that I'd live that long, and that my body would take on a shape befitting the achievement. As it happens, it took longer than 10 years for Chrono Cross to make its triumphant return. It took a little over 20, in fact. Here I am, then, replaying this

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve replayed Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre through the years. The PSP versions alone very likely stole several hundred hours of my life. I try to keep my chin up about Tactics Ogre still being stuck on old hardware by reminding myself I don’t have time for it right now, anyway. It doesn’t help. I’m still upset. When Triangle Strategy was announced, the early bits of its reveal trailer had me excited for an Octopath Traveler sequel. That’s probably still coming eventually. But for a split second my heart sank as I slowly realized that, unless Octopath Traveler 2’s development path altered full-tilt in an unexpected direction, this was not that game.  But wait. An elemental spell can spread across tiles. Units stand kind of goofily around a grid-like battlefield until it’s time for them to march onward. The world beyond a predetermined combat or exploration space drops off sharply into virtually indistinguishable nonsense. This wasn’t Octopath Traveler 2, or as I insist Square Enix call it, Oc2path. This was something else. This was the potential renaissance of Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre. This was Triangle Strategy, and my heart skipped a beat. Two

Sometimes, you have to make the best out of a bad situation. Babylon’s Fall doesn’t feel like one of those times. As of this writing, Square Enix and Platinum Games, the publisher and developer of this game respectively, distributed a survey last week. This survey is one of several that will address the fundamental issues that the game has, starting with the graphics, and with that information the team will begin making improvements. Great! However, I’m positive both Square Enix and Platinum Games know the shortcomings quite well.. Currently, the game’s being run through the wringer in its critical and consumer consensus and it’s earned it. Babylon’s Fall was announced in 2018 as the latest joint between the two companies, high off their well-received NieR Automata collaboration. On paper, I think it’s a very attractive pitch: a four-player co-op game utilizing Platinum’s action game prowess married with a looter-style RPG, a unique art style, and an esoteric, mysterious, perhaps even silly story. I definitely think there’s a permutation of ths that works well, but what we got feels like it didn’t proceed well past the planning phase, as I’ll lay out. I can’t call myself a game development expert, so it’s

The Mana series has seen a boon as of late with a number of titles either being remade or remastered for various platforms through various means. There's even a new console game in development, which was announced during anniversary celebrations last year. Square Enix seems keen on continuing the series with further developments to come, the first of which has culminated in the upcoming mobile action RPG Echoes of Mana – a smartphone game that promises to be a love letter to the series for both existing fans and newcomers alike. We had a go with the pre-release version of the game ahead of the game’s pre-registration announcement. Echoes of Mana starts you off innocently enough. You’ll select between a male or female player character that will serve as your avatar, give them a name and into the tutorial you’ll go. It’s a short trip through some of the game’s basic mechanics – the likes of which encompass traditional RPG setups. Attack by selecting the appropriate action tapped on the screen including basic attacks and special abilities triggered after building enough Magic Gauge to do so. You can move your character along the screen in a side-scrolling fashion by swiping left

For as long as I can remember, Final Fantasy VI has been heralded as "the secret actual best entry" in the Final Fantasy canon. If so many people keep saying it, how secretive can it be? If a million fans whisper a certain sentiment, that whisper becomes a scream. At this point, in 2022, I think it's fair to start this review by saying that a lot of people think so highly of it, and there's no amount of quietness behind their proclamation. Do I think Final Fantasy VI is the reigning chocobo champion? Honestly, not really. It's a great game and a seminal moment in Square's history. It gets a lot of things right, but there are wrinkles in its battle and customization systems that don't really wow me. That said, it's likely my favorite of the 2D-era entries. So, while you won't necessarily see me heaping quite as much praise upon the original release as you will in other reviews, bear in mind that FFVI is still quite special to me and the ultimate case study in whether the Pixel Remaster series would get things "right" or leave me with a disappointing aftertaste. The last chapter in the return to

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Final Fantasy and despite all the potential spinoff revivals, the one I never expected to see was a brand new Chocobo Racing. That said, Chocobo GP is a strange title. Granted it’s been years since its predecessor released in 1999, and the constant attempts at its revival punctuated over the years with a sequel intended to come out in 2010 on the Nintendo 3DS. Nearly 23 years later, Chocobo GP has fixed most of the issues found in the original and introduced some great additions to the racing formula. Unlike its predecessor, Chocobo GP boasts a variety of modes and features such as the 64-player mode "Chocobo GP", multiplayer, time attack, custom mode, series mode, and most importantly a story mode along with split-screen support for most everything available. However, while I wasn’t able to try out multiplayer due to it not being available during the review period, most of my contention with this title lies with modern trappings that have wormed their way into a lot of recent multiplayer outings. Given the hot-button nature of that topic, I wanted to talk about that before diving into the rest of the review. Simply put, the game

With Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier's Season 2 content now available, it's time to dive into a slew of new features and content that players can get their hands on. We're giving the rundown on the Dragoon class, Bahamut boss and summon as well as teleport materia, abilities and more. Bahamut Boss Bahamut, also known as the King of Dragons, circles the battlefield and casts powerful aerial attacks such as MegaFlare. During a typical match, players can engage Bahamut in PvE battles once he descends after a time. To engage Bahamut sooner, simply shoot at him from specific locations on the map such as points outside Sector 5 Undercity, Corneo's Mansion, Support Pillar or the Sewer System. Because Bahamut is a strong opponent, it's recommended to face him as a team. Aerial Attacks Divebomb: Dive attack from midair.Megaflare: Powerful area-of-effect attack from midair. Ground Attacks Umbral Strikes: Fires two homing shots.Umbral Inferno: Fires multiple homing shots.Flare Breath: Short to mid-range fire attack.Spin Attack: Frontal charge attack. Tips:  Close range attacks other than Umbral Strikes and Umbral Inferno are difficult to evade. Avoid standing directly in front of Bahamut and keep your distance. Watch the timing of his attacks and dodge to the left and right. Umbral Strikes and

In the 69th Letter from the Producer Live broadcast, Final Fantasy XIV director/producer Naoki Yoshida and global community manager Toshio Murouchi revealed initial media and information on the game's upcoming Patch 6.1 titled "Newfound Adventure" and what fans can expect when it launches in mid-April. We’ve summarized the major information below — check it out! Patch 6.1 Currently scheduled to release in mid-April.New main scenario quests - a new chapter begins! Takes place a few months after the conclusion of Endwalker and a continuation of the story in a way.New sidequests - Tataru's Grand Endevour begins.New role quests - an additional story will be available after completing all Endwalker role quests. New Tribe Quests - Arkasodara tribe quests (for battle classes and jobs). Players must complete two questlines in Thavnair which begin with "Steppe Child" and "What's in a Parent". Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures (Patch 6.15).Omega: Beyond the Rift (Patch 6.1x). Created to bridge the Omega raid series with the 6.0 main scenario content.Improvements to A Realm Reborn Main Scenario Quests.New dungeon - it's a secret!New trial - The Endsinger's Aria.New Unreal trial - Ultima's Bane (Unreal).New Alliance Raid - Myths of the Realm #1. New Ultimate Duty (Patch 6.11) - Dragonsong's Reprise. Masaki Nakagawa or "Mr Ozma" designed

In November of last year, I reviewed Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, a smaller budget titled helmed by Yoko Taro alongside Drakengard and Nier veterans Kimihiko Fujisaka and Keiichi Okabe on art and music respectively. My consensus at the time was a largely positive one. It was a pleasant and comfy experience throughout, even if I had my fair share of criticisms. While I did mention that there were a lot of interesting ideas presented within Voice of Cards, I had anticipated these to be expanded on in potential sequels and that this was a promising start. Nearly three months later, that promising start has been fully realized. Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden is an exceptionally noteworthy experience and a culmination of the lessons learned from its predecessor. Despite its presentation, The Forsaken Maiden is so much more than a sequel, it's a beautifully realized expansion of its predecessor's ideas while also challenging them at the same time. The Forsaken Maiden begins on a small set of islands that have long since been protected by the titular "Maidens" who undergo a ritual to determine the fate of their respective islands. You, the hero of the story, happen to live