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#bravelydefault Upcoming 3DS role-playing game Bravely Default: Flying Fairy has a goofy title. The game, however, looks just fine. More »

Demons' Score, Square Enix's iOS rhythm-combat game, charges North American and European players far more than Japanese players for its total content. Pocket Gamer reports nearly all the Western versions' purchasable unlocks are included upfront in the Japanese version, minus consumable potions. When added together, these in-app purchases come to around $40, bringing the total cost of the iNiS-developed game up to $47. That's more than double the Japanese version, which costs around $19 (¥1500) with those IAPs already included.

The IAPs are tied to boss fights; each defeated boss unlocks a costume, voice, and song - the first boss unlock costs $2.99. As songs are tied to in-app purchases, those paying only the initial $6.99 have far less music to hand compared to those willing to spend - kind of important with a rhythm action game. The IAPs also upscale quickly, with the unlock for the 'SATAN' difficulty mode priced at $9.99, nearly 50% more than the game itself costs.

What this means is that many players are being priced out of content provided by many renowned Japanese composers. Not only is the pricing structure so hostile, but it compares very unfavorably to the all-inclusive, far cheaper Japanese model. Either way, reviewers on the App Store are clearly unimpressed with Square Enix's approach, as Demons' Score is currently sitting on a rating of 2 and half stars.

#demonsscore Last week iNiS' rhythm-shooter Demons' Score hit the North American app store, disappointing many fans by padding the $6.99 game with nearly $40 of additional content. Meanwhile, in Japan, the entire game costs just $20. More »

#kingdomhearts Square Enix was really weird about Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix at the Tokyo Game Show. Kept saying it was a "video work". We're sure there's going to be game in there somewhere, probably a lot going by the footage here, but just how much, we won't know until Square stops being so weird. More »

Final Fantasy 3 will be available to download on PSP on September 25, as revealed in a recent PlayStation blog.

While both the price of the game and Vita compatibility weren't noted, the PSP version will see a few subtle changes. Namely, players will be able to switch to Final Fantasy 3's original background music, graphics will be optimized to suit the system's 16:9 screen, and it will include an auto-battle system to speed up combat.

#finalfantasy At this year's Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix is showcasing how various illustrators and manga artists envision Final Fantasy. The result is a different spin on the Final Fantasy games and characters you know and love. More »

#finalfantasy I spent $31.42 on an iPad game two weeks ago. $31.42. On an iPad game. More »

#finalfantasy Bombastic cinematic sequences mixed with a few too many shots of characters running awkwardly through empty fields...this can only be a trailer for the once-fundamentally-broken Final Fantasy XIV. More »

#demonsscore Released today for the iPhone and iPad, Demons' Score is a rhythm action game from iNiS, the creators of DS classic Elite Beat agents, so the decision to spend $6.99 for a chance to play it was a no-brainer. I'm just not sure I want to fork over the additional $37 I'd need to purchase the rest of the game. More »

Demons' Score, the Square Enix rhythm game littered with all-star Japanese composers, is now available on the App Store for $6.99. Developed by iNiS, the game combines Ouendan-style rhythm action with on-rails combat. Also, it features a talking teddy bear and an array of outlandish costumes that would make Final Fantasy X-2 proud.

Square Enix also trevealed the other composers who contributed to Demons' Score. They are Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana), Kenji Ito (SaGA series), Takamichi Yashiki (The Black Eyed Peas Experience), Hidenori Iwasaki (Front Mission 4 & 5), and Kenichi Maeyamada (Momokurotei Ichimon). The composers previously announced include Keiichi Okabe (Nier and Tekken series), Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts), and Zuntata (Groove Coaster).

You can purchase and download the iOS version here. Android users eager for some rhythmic costumed carnage must hold steady until sometime this Autumn.

The latest trailer for Hitman: Absolution features an emotionally disconnected narrator taking us through Agent 47's weaponry options. The 'sitting ducks' metaphor at the start is almost poetic, but soon enough we're down and dirty with guns, more guns, guns with silencers, some swords, some explosives, and a lot more guns. While he does like his shooters, in this trailer we see 47 is still a fan of improvising his kills. And you can't get much more poetic than lopping someone's cranium off with George Washington's head - if that is indeed George Washington. And if we do understand poetry correctly. Also, just how does a plunger-based assassination go down?

Hitman: Absolution is set to wax lyrical on November 20 on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Until then, you can check out how 47 kills using a fish in this preview.

#finalfantasy Japanese game studios, Square Enix included, generally don't like cameras poking around where they make games. There are obvious reasons for that, such as designs or game info leaking out. Another reason is that, you know, people are trying to work! More »

#hacking Tokyo-based game company Square Enix announced that it believes the third-party server, which hosts its online shop, was breached. More »

#demonsscore Here's some gameplay footage from Demons' Score, a rhythm-action-combat-music game for mobile platforms published by Square Enix and developed by iNiS, the Japanese studio that made Elite Beat Agents. More »

Square Enix is showing off Demons' Score, from Ouendan developer iNiS, on a brand new site. We now know the rhythm action game, coming to iOS and Android, features music from an illustrious group of Japanese game composers. Those confirmed so far include Naoshi Mizuta (Final Fantasy XI), Keiichi Okabe (Nier), Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts series), and two members of Taito's 'house band' Zuntata.

There's also more background on Demons' Score's story and mechanics. The protagonist, Serenity, is "your average college girl" who suddenly finds herself attacked by demons after meeting a talking bear. As your average college girl often does. Luckily, Serenity is able to let demons possess her and then control them to her advantage, all thanks to the Demon's Score smartphone app given to her by her missing father (we're not making this up).

All that nonsense aside, the story explains what we saw at E3. Not only does each demon transform Serenity's look, but each one also has its own rocking music track from one of the composers. Astaroth, for example, transforms Serenity into a blue-haired knight, and comes with music composed by Kohei Tanaka (Sakura Wars series). The other demons apparently don't come with as much outerwear.

While the action is on-rails, the game plays like iNiS' Ouendan and Elite Beat Agents (as the above video shows). In short, players must tap, hold, and slide to the song's beat. Mistakes make Serenity take some damage, while tap well enough and she'll 'level up.' If you're a bit lost at this point, think of Elite Beat Agents mixed with a demonic version of Final Fantasy X-2's 'dresspheres', and you're there.

As the English dialogue in the above video suggests, the game is coming to our shores at some point. Square's Japanese site proclaims an Autumn window for Android and a 'coming soon' for iOS. In the meantime, you can hop over there to check out some of the game's upcoming music.

Square Enix is showing off Demon's Score, from Ouendan developer iNiS, on a brand new site. We now know the rhythm action game, coming to iOS and Android, features music from an illustrious group of Japanese game composers. Those confirmed so far include Naoshi Mizuta (Final Fantasy XI), Keiichi Okabe (Nier), Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts series), and two members of Taito's 'house band' Zuntata.

There's also more background on Demon's Score's story and mechanics. The protagonist, Serenity, is "your average college girl" who suddenly finds herself attacked by demons after meeting a talking bear. As your average college girl often does. Luckily, Serenity is able to let demons possess her and then control them to her advantage, all thanks to the Demon's Score smartphone app given to her by her missing father (we're not making this up).

All that nonsense aside, the story explains what we saw at E3. Not only does each demon transform Serenity's look, but each one also has its own rocking music track from one of the composers. Astaroth, for example, transforms Serenity into a blue-haired knight, and comes with music composed by Kohei Tanaka (Sakura Wars series). The other demons apparently don't come with as much outerwear.

While the action is on-rails, the game plays like iNiS' Ouendan and Elite Beat Agents (as the above video shows). In short, players must tap, hold, and slide to the song's beat. Mistakes make Serenity take some damage, while tap well enough and she'll 'level up.' If you're a bit lost at this point, think of Elite Beat Agents mixed with a demonic version of Final Fantasy X-2's 'dresspheres', and you're there.

As the English dialogue in the above video suggests, the game is coming to our shores at some point. Square's Japanese site proclaims an Autumn window for Android and a 'coming soon' for iOS. In the meantime, you can hop over there to check out some of the game's upcoming music.

#watchthis Here's a behind-the-scenes look at Square Enix art director Isamu Kamikokuryo creating an oil painting for the upcoming game Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, complete with elevator music and Final Fantasy fanfare. Cool, don't you think? Dude is really talented. More »

Obviously, Square-Enix is keeping a lot quiet with their booth this year. There's more to be revealed, but this is what they feel like revealing at this time.

Square Enix announced another member of the Hitman: Absolution cast in Keith Carradine, known for his roles in Dexter, Deadwood, and last year's Cowboys and Aliens. Carradine stars in Absolution as unscrupulous weapons manufacturer Blade Dexter, as opposed to his role in Dexter as good guy FBI agent Frank Lundy.

The news follows the rather more scrutinized return of David Bateson, who was officially confirmed as Agent 47 last month. However complicated or simple their castings were, Hitman: Absolution's actors and actresses come to TV screens near you on November 20.

#finalfantasy Seen at Square Enix's Final Fantasy party at PAX last week: these posters, complete with game names, dates, and monikers describing each era of the iconic RPG series. More »

#finalfantasy While Square Enix recently confirmed that it is still making Final Fantasy Versus XIII and that it'll be out when it's good and ready, some fans are having a hard time waiting. It's only been six years. What's the rush? More »

You know that trademark for "Drakerider" that surfaced earlier this year? Turns out it's not the sequel to PS2 game Drakengard we hoped for, but instead a new iOS RPG. Drakerider focuses on Aron and his dragon pal Eckhardt who race to save the land of Igraine from the evil spirit Dread.

Like every Square Enix iOS game, Drakerider will cost you more than the usual App Store download. The first chapter of the five-chapter game is free, but each subsequent chapter will set you back $6.99 - or $20.99 if you want the full game.

#drakerider Just in case you were worried that Square Enix hasn't released enough pricey mobile games over the past few weeks, here's another! More »

#sleepingdogs When players enter the world of Sleeping Dogs, one of the first characters they meet is Wei Shen's childhood friend, Jackie Ma. The voice actor who plays Ma was one of Hong Kong's biggest stars—that is, until his private sex photos were leaked online. More »

This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer.
It's been a long, strange ride for Final Fantasy XIII. From long delays and substantial disappointment, it has lately seen its stock fluctuate wildly between the improved reception afforded Final Fantasy XIII-2 and the rumors of Final Fantasy Versus XIII's demise. Now Square Enix has a chance to make its definitive statement on the series with Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - an ambitious sequel that defies the accusations that Square is only out to squeeze a few more dollars out of its expensive engine.

As 1UP's extensive preview points out, this is pretty much Lightning's show now. The battle system has been completely rebuilt to showcase her specific talents. The rest of the cast is out, and so are the battle menus. Lightning Returns isn't quite a full-on action RPG, but it looks pretty close. The only real holdovers are the omnipresent Active Time Battle gauges that moderate the use of each of Lightning's moves, which are mapped to the face buttons on the controller.

It's a move that will prove divisive as always, but I can't hate the reasoning behind it. The pressure's off. Final Fantasy XIII is very much a known quantity. If this is truly to be the grand finale for an already-controversial set of games, why not be as experimental as possible?

#lightningreturns Square Enix has a very bad habit of showing games way too early. Its latest reveal, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, is only thirty percent finished. Meaning? It's 70 percent unfinished. So unless Square Enix works faster than it has in the past, it could be a while before, wait for it, Lightning strikes again. More »

#finalfantasy At Final Fantasy's 25th Anniversary event yesterday in Japan, Square Enix thought it'd pull a fast one on the audience, putting Final Fantasy Type-0 director Hajime Tabata up to revealing the concept for something called "Tokimeki Final Fantasy: Suzaku Magic Institution Peristylium: Oh no! I'm in Love With the Crystal's Divine Guardian." Aka a dating sim. More »

#finalfantasy If thought yesterday's news of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was all you were going to hear out of this series as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend, well, you're wrong. Square Enix this morning uncrated another 17 images—nine of them screenshots, the rest concept art—plus that new trailer showing gameplay, for its rebooted MMO Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn More »

Itching to know more about the third entry in the Final Fantasy XIII series, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII? So are we, but unfortunately all Square Enix is giving out for now is this video from producer Yoshinori Kitase introducing the new game.