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In case you've forgotten just how gorgeous Just Cause 2's Panau Islands look, YouTuber ultrabrilliant is back with an amazing clip in which he revisits all the memorable locations of this amazing open world.Read more...

“When we are older, you’ll understand what I meant when I said, ‘No, I don’t think life is quite that simple.’ “

So sang Hikaru Utada in her beloved single that opened the original Kingdom Hearts in September of 2002. And so she sings again in this upcoming HD update that famously twisted together the fates of Square Enix characters with Disney icons. And the lyrics offer a pointed commentary on the re-release, as the narrative of Kingdom Hearts was never quite that simple. And perhaps that’s why we love it so much.

Kingdom Hearts begins innocently enough, with a young boy named Sora spending time with his friends, Riku and Kairi. But soon their world, and perhaps all worlds, are threatened by a malignant darkness. Sora, as our intrepid hero, is promptly pulled into the intrigue.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix is an incredible collection for fans of the series, and a perfect entrypoint for those that missed the original. It includes the “Final Mix” version of the first Kingdom Hearts, which was never launched in the United States. This version includes new enemies, items, and other assorted goodies. But now, of course, the visuals have enjoyed a tremendous overhaul. Kingdom Hearts HD practically bursts off the screen, proving once again that simple but effective art styles age brilliantly.

We popped in the original Kingdom Hearts for a back-and-forth comparison, and the difference is incredible. The HD version not only looks better, but feels smoother — and the colors sizzle. This isn’t a hastily-put-together kind of upgrade, but one that offers a significant improvement.

The collection doesn’t stop with the original, however. It also includes the 3D remake of Chain of Memories, aptly titled Re: Chain of Memories, which takes place between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. This game replaces the menu-based action battles of the original with an addictive, collectible card system.

As a bonus, Kingdom Hearts HD also comes equipped with HD remastered versions of the cinematics from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Please note that this is not the full game — just the story. But it’s a fantastic way to catch up on a touching part of the series that never made it to a PlayStation platform before.

Even if you played the original Kingdom Hearts when it launched, the HD Remix is very much worth looking into. Not only are the visual updates a dramatic improvement, but the play itself has aged just as well as the art style. Kingdom Hearts Final Mix is still every bit as charming and fun after all these years, with a wealth of weapons to find, worlds to explore, and a lovable hero to develop. Seriously, how adorable is Sora?

Similarly, the battle system in Re: Chain of Memories remains addictive, with card collecting and deck building mechanics that play to our love of CCGs. It also allows us to “build” the worlds we visit, selecting where to drop save points and battle rooms as we go. A lot of time can be spent playing with these systems, as they provide a remarkable amount of customization and control to how Sora behaves in combat.

And for those of you that have yet to experience Kingdom Hearts, this is likely your best doorway into the adventure. Perfect timing, too, as Kingdom Hearts III was announced at E3 earlier this year. And with two games and one cinematic collection bundled together onto a single disc, the long-running narrative of the series might be a little simpler to follow this time around.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix launches on September 10th for PS3. Pre-orders include an exclusive art book with concept sketches and more.

It’s very rare to see a game get a second chance at greatness. Publishers don’t react well to perceived failure so the ongoing saga of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is more than a little heart-warming. After a, to put it nicely, not so good original release the rebooted version of the game has been barn-storming its way through my friends list since early access began. By all accounts it’s made some significant improvements. Now Square bring news they’ve been so immensely popular that they’ve had to temporarily cancel digital sales of the game to keep their servers functioning. This amidst desperate attempts to keep things under control by limiting character creation and increasing numbers of servers available. Thoughts on these moves and a launch trailer under the cut.

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If you're looking to buy a downloadable copy of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, your gil isn't going to get you anywhere for the time being. Square Enix announced it's temporarily halted download sales of the resurrected MMO because the game servers are overloaded, causing excessive wait times for those trying to get in. In a Facebook statement, Square Enix once more apologized for the inconvenience and said it's working to get more servers online in "the coming days."

Whether you look at it as an "overwhelmingly positive response," to the PS3 and PC MMO, as Square Enix does, or grimly predictable given the struggles endured in the early access weekend - or both - the bottom line is A Realm Reborn is a really busy place right now. Think Gamescom, but cuter and less sweaty. For whatever reason, it seems Square Enix wasn't ready for the numbers it's dealing with.

Ahead of A Realm Reborn hopefully becoming readily available to all soon, be sure to check out the launch impressions of our sister site Massively, who said the revamped game "scoops up the MMO genre's good elements and splices them together into one cohesive whole, and it does so while looking gorgeous and playing smoothly. When your MMO's biggest issue is server-related rather than game-related, you're doing fairly well overall."

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn's launch is experiencing crowded servers. So what is Square Enix's temporary workaround? Stop digital download sales.Read more...

Square Enix plans to provide Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn with major updates every three months, "continuously adding large-scale content." So said director Naoki Yoshida, who confirmed FF14's second coming will also receive "full" expansion packs in the future.

"We've already begun work on the first update that is currently called patch 2.1 and will introduce a large-scale housing system, as well as "The Wolves' Den" - the first ever PvP content in the series," said Yoshida on the PlayStation Blog. "Furthermore, the update will include new dungeons, a new daily quest system, new Primal battles, extensions to the main story, and loads of other new content to enjoy."

The news follows a shaky early access weekend for the reborn MMO, in which servers brimmed to full and fundamental tools like character creation(!) were inaccessible. Realm Reborn is being released worldwide on PS3 and Windows PC today - best of luck to all the adventurers out there - and will come to PS4 sometime next year.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launches today, and this trailer punctuates one of the biggest improvements to come from several years of vigorous retooling: it feels more like a numbered FF game. Read more...

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launches tomorrow on PS3. To celebrate the launch, PlayStation.Blog sat down with Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida to talk over A Realm Reborn’s long gestation and epic ambitions.

PlayStation.Blog: Which element of A Realm Reborn is most going to surprise PlayStation players?

Naoki Yoshida: I think one of the big things will be the amazing graphics, which really push the limits of PS3’s technical capabilities, as well as the fact that this is an MMORPG experience. Also, MMORPGs are most usually controlled using a keyboard and mouse, but our Cross Hot Bar system we’ve developed specifically for the DualShock allows for smooth and exciting play, so that’s another area of interest for PS3 players.

PSB: What improvements have you made since the original PC release of Final Fantasy XIV?

Yoshida: I think that improvements can be roughly split into three areas: to regain the trust of the players, to fundamentally rebuild the game experience from the ground up, and — most importantly — to complete the PS3 version while maintaining the high levels of graphical quality and play.

To put it simply, every single aspect of A Realm Reborn has been redeveloped, improved, and upgraded since the original Final Fantasy XIV launched, so I’m fine with it if people want to think of A Realm Reborn as a completely new title in its own right!

PSB: You announced at the Japan Expo in Paris that Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII will appear in the game. Why Lightning?

Yoshida: With Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, we’ve actively taken efforts to cleverly incorporate elements from across the whole series to date into Eorzea — the setting that forms the game world. I think there will also be many more elements included as the game develops in order to make players from all across the world feel like they’re a part of the Final Fantasy experience. There’s a solid backstory for why Lightning is visiting Eorzea, and it will certainly form a chapter in the Lightning Saga that I hope everyone can enjoy!

PSB: How regularly do you plan to update A Realm Reborn, and what sort of content can we expect?

Yoshida: We’re planning on doing a major update every three months once the game has been released, and continuously adding large-scale content. Ongoing support for the game will be included in the monthly subscription.

We’ve already begun work on the first update that is currently called patch 2.1 and will introduce a large-scale housing system, as well as “The Wolves’ Den” — the first ever PvP content in the series. Furthermore, the update will include new dungeons, a new daily quest system, new Primal battles, extensions to the main story, and loads of other new content to enjoy.

There will be a significant update every three months, so everyone will be able to continue enjoying the game for a very long time! Of course we also have long-term plans to release full expansion packs, so watch out for future updates on those, too.

PSB: Some players like to customize their interface menu, like various meters and displays. How is this handled?

Yoshida: We’re trying to attract a large number of new players who are trying out the MMORPG genre for the first time, and an overwhelming amount of customizable features like aggro meters and DPS meters can put pressure on those kinds of players. We’ll of course have these included in A Real Reborn, but will not be making them generally available for a while.

By the time everyone has grown accustomed to the game and the interface customization options available at launch, we’ll introduce more customizable options with updates on official patches and as Add On tools to open up options for a more dedicated MMORPG interface.

PSB: Will it be possible in the final version of the game to switch a player character from one server to another?

Yoshida: Yes, we’ll be providing an optional world transfer service!

PSB: Voice chat wasn’t enabled in the recent beta. Will it be integrated in the full version of the game?

Yoshida: We do not plan on offering official support for voice chat. To explain that decision, the idea of talking directly to other players with your own voice and making it a requirement to do so will not necessarily be a good thing for beginners, and many will see it as imposing pressure or causing them unnecessary stress.

I am personally a veteran online gamer, so I completely understand the importance of voice chat, but if we were to make it an officially supported feature then there is a chance that some players would start to demand that others use it just because it is an “official feature”.

Of course, we will not be prohibiting external voice chat via Skype etc., so individual player communities can still sort out their own preferred means of communication!

PSB: The game currently supports four languages: English, French, German, and Japanese. Are there any plans to include more European languages?

Yoshida: There is indeed scope to expand the number of supported languages if player numbers and customer demand reaches a sufficient level. We await word from various communities as to what people want to see.

PSB: What are your thoughts on PS4 as a developer?

Yoshida: I have an extremely great appreciation of the PS4’s hardware architecture and memory capacity. Production of the PS4 version of A Realm Reborn is well underway, and going according to plan. I hope to be able to unveil this awesome PS4 version as soon as possible!

PSB: What will the PS4 system allow you to bring to the development and production of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn that hasn’t been possible so far?

Yoshida: The PS3 version supports an interface specifically designed for controllers, but PS4 offers a huge variety of different interface options and also has the capacity to render an unbelievable number of player characters simultaneously. Both of these are really great features for the future development of the game!

PSB: Was it your requirement that PS3, PS4, and PC gamers play on the same servers?

Yoshida: Yes, of course. I think it would be very sad indeed if say a player with the PS3 version invited a friend to play with them but they could not do so because that friend happened to have the PS4 version. So I really do believe that whatever hardware is being used, all players should be able to play together across platforms.

I think that splitting the community down into different segments is something that we should avoid, even if it may look like it makes for a temporary business success. I am incredibly grateful to Sony for making this kind of cross-platform play possible.

PSB: Will the PS4 version of the game contain exclusive content compared to the PS3 version?

Yoshida: That’s not my intention. As I said already, if different platforms give their players a different game experience, then it will inevitably lead to the splintering and division of the community, and that’s really not a good idea for an MMORPG. So I want all players to have a stable and fun experience, regardless of which platform they choose to play the game on, and without worrying about which version is the best.

Certainly more covered than my level 14 Miqo'te archer, who spent the weekend looking for pants while everyone else was having trouble playing. Read more...

Final Fantasy 14 just can't catch a break. Quality issues upon initial release had then-Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada claiming that the game "greatly damaged" the Final Fantasy brand, and the game was shut down near the close of 2012 to make way for the reworked Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn. Now, with A Realm Reborn's August 27th release date imminent, the game is struggling with full servers during early access weekend.

This is pretty common in MMOs, especially ones that have as dedicated a following as Final Fantasy 14; what's not so common is the shutdown of other features, such as character creation, which is preventing players from so much as creating a new avatar, let alone playing as it.

A Realm Reborn's director, Naoki Yoshida, apologized to fans on the game's official forums, stating that, unless the simultaneous connection rate decreases, the maintenance crew will be unable to allow the creation of additional characters. Yoshida also asked for players' patience and cooperation as Square Enix works to restore server stability.

Square Enix will keep Drakengard 3's dragons grounded until December 19, according to Polygon's translation of a Square Enix announcement.

Drakengard 3 is being developed by Access Games, a studio partially comprised of several core developers of the original Drakengard and Nier. The staff's Drakengard experience stems from Series Producer Takamasa Shiba and Character Designer Kimihiko Fujisaka. Nier Director and Writer Taro Yokoo and Composer Keiichi Okabe have also joined Access Games.

There are currently no announced plans to launch Drakengard 3 outside of Japan.

Darrell Gallagher, head of product development and studios at Square Enix, says Tomb Raider has sold over four million copies worldwide since its debut earlier this year. "We now sit in a great position where the decisions we made and the willingness to embrace a new direction resulted in the fastest selling game in the history of the franchise and the most critically acclaimed title ever produced from the studio," Gallagher writes in a blog post on Gamasutra.

Outside of Tomb Raider, Gallagher calls out Sleeping Dogs and Just Cause 2 as successes for the company. Sleeping Dogs has become "profitable" for Square Enix and both games enjoy a monthly active community of over half a million players each.

Tomb Raider is a game we thought catered well to both series diehards and new fans alike, in a story arc depicting Lara's ascent from amateur globetrotter to toughened adventurer. A sequel is currently "well into development" for next-gen consoles.

Yep, that’s right, it’s finally here. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has been rebuilt from the ground up, and adventurers the world over will be able to begin their journey throughout Eorzea tomorrow with the start of Early Access, ahead of Tuesday’s official launch.

It’s a massively exciting time for the whole team, and we’d like to thank everybody that’s been involved in the beta phases until now. We really appreciate the enormous feedback and support sent along the way.

And for those of you who haven’t yet pre-ordered, it’s not too late. Order now (or any time before August 27th) and you’ll still be able to get in Early Access — a headstart on your new adventure into Eorzea.

Plus, you’ll get your hands on some exclusive in-game items:

• Cait Sith Doll Minion: On sabbatical from Shinra Inc., Cait Sith will join your party as a non-combat pet.
• Mog Cap: Show your love of Final Fantasy and strut around the world of Eorzea in this Moogle themed hat. Kupo!

We’d also like to share some of the amazing artwork prepared by the team for the new class, Arcanist, and the two new jobs, Summoner and Scholar!

Click above to view more art from A Realm Reborn.

Join us, and adventurers around the world, in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn!

Scheduled from August 30 – September 1, the event will feature opening remarks from the game’s development team, including Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida, Sound Director Masayoshi Soken and Localization Lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox. Following the presentation, members of the development team will host a special autograph session for fans. Attendees are also invited to hands-on gameplay sessions where they can experience the game’s battle components and compete for prizes. Upon entrance to the event, attendees will be entered into a swag raffle drawing; winners will be announced via Twitter (@FF_XIV_EN).

WHEN
Friday August 30
3:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
(Developer remarks begin at 4 p.m.*)

Saturday August 31 and
Sunday September 1
11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
(Developer remarks begin at noon*)

*Schedule subject to change

WHERE
Red Lion Hotel, Seattle Ballroom
1415 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101

At the main convention hall, the SQUARE ENIXwill also host a booth (#3625) that features playable kiosks for LIGHTNING RETURNS ™ : FINAL FANTASY XIII, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX , FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD Remaster , Deus Ex: Human Revolution® – Director’s Cut and BLOODMASQUE™, as well as theater presentations and photo booths for Thief ™ and Murdered: Soul Suspect™.

Link

Here's a new trailer for Murdered: Soul Suspect, which looks like the unlikely-yet-kind-of-amazing combination of Ghost Trick and L.A. Noire.Read more...

Being a Scotch person, I suffer a daily indignity of idiots asking me to say words that that have the letter ‘r’ in them. ‘Murder’ is a particular favourite. I honestly don’t know what’s so funny about hearing the word ‘murder’ coming from someone with a Glaswegian accent. When you hear it up there, it means you’re either watching Taggart, you’re about to take a broken bottle to a vital organ, or you’ve met my dad. You don’t want to do any of those, frankly. I was reminded of this as I watching the Murrrrderrrredrrr: Soul Suspect trailer, a game about the ghost of a detective solving his own murrrderrrrerrererrrering.(more…)

The latest trailer for Final Fantasy 13's third chapter is short, but it teases a fair bit of story as well as some brief glimpses of gameplay. Also, check after the break for an 'extended' look at the Final Fantasy 7 pre-order bonuses available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 game.

Lightning Returns storms into North America on February 11 and Europe on February 14.

Well, I don't think he did. This new trailer for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a little over two minutes. But the last several seconds are what might raise eyebrows. Skip to around 1:50 to see, er, hear what I'm talking about.Read more...

Square Enix consistently protects its trademarks and copyrights. And still people consistently use them without permission. So it's perhaps not a surprise that an artist selling a Final Fantasy action figure series was shut down when Square's lawyers told his 3D printer to cease and, yes, desist.Read more...

Where's Final Fantasy Type-0? For whatever reason, Square Enix's medieval PSP game has never made it to the United States, and it's hard not to be bummed about that, because people who have played the Japanese version report that it's pretty great.Read more...

Thief is a slippery game. When it finally revealed itself, the results were impressive, although I found cause for concern in the City’s lack of character and the potentially staged nature of several encounters. Then there was news of disturbances during development, not altogether surprising considering the length of the job and the size of the team. It was when Nathan played the game and reported back that hope sputtered like the torches in Bafford’s mansion. Today, I’m as surprised as could be that a trailer, with no in-game footage, has restored some confidence and interest. The depiction of class warfare is far from subtle, but there are images reminiscent of the earlier games’ cutscenes, and the City looks recognisably magnificent. Also, release may not be as far off as I’d suspected.

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Thief is snatching a spot on retailer shelves for a proposed launch date of February 25, 2014 in North America, and February 28 in Europe and other PAL regions. Eidos Montreal's reboot recasts the cynical protagonist, Garrett, as a lone liberator of valuables in a city swelling into civil unrest.

First announced as a sequel in 2009, Thief has endured claims of troubled development (when is that not the case for major games?) and questioned leadership. It has been a dark project by public accounts, but it wouldn't quite be the first one in the franchise's long history.

Thief will distribute its pilferage across several platforms next year, including PC (download), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind Tomb Raider and its upcoming sequel, has laid off a small team of staff, Kotaku has learned. These staff were not working on a Tomb Raider game, but a new IP.Read more...

Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn's PS3 and PC betas will be open from August 17 to August 19 before launching on August 24 for those who pre-order the game, Square-Enix announced last week.

PC users that registered Final Fantasy 14 version 1.0 in 2010 (before the original world was decimated) can also play A Realm Reborn for free until September 9, the game's Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida revealed. Rewards will be given based on whether users subscribe for 30, 60 or 90 days at a time, but players splurging for the 90-day subscription will get all of them. A free companion app, Final Fantasy 14: Libra Eorzea, will also launch for iOS a week after the game's retail release.

For non-subscribers, A Realm Reborn will launch on August 27 for $40 on the PS3 and $30 on the PC. New accounts will be granted a 30-day trial with paid subscriptions starting at $13 per month after that.

We're just a few short weeks away from the grand re-launch of Final Fantasy XIV on August 27, but some folks are going to get to play even earlier than that. Break out your Lalafell swimsuit calendars as we mark down the final beta, early start, and welcome back campaigns for FFXIV. Read more...

Post-mortal whodunnit Murdered: Soul Suspect has drifted into a release window beyond March 2014, publisher Square Enix has confirmed.

Speaking separately with GameSpot and Game Informer, Square Enix said the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC third-person mystery is set to arrive in 2014. However, after it wasn't included in the company's release list for the fiscal year, the publisher confirmed the game wasn't coming before March. Murdered was previously pinned for an early 2014 arrival.

Developed by Dark Void and Quantum Conundrum studio Airtight Games, Murdered places players in the ethereal role of Ronan O'Connor, a detective tasked with unearthing his own killer. O'Connor may be as DOA as Duke Nukem Forever, but he does have a repertoire of ghostly powers, like the ability to possess people so he can see through their eyes and read their minds. As Airtight's E3 walkthrough shows, the people O'Connor possesses don't seem to notice him doing so - maybe that's what it's like in real life, too. Maybe there are hundreds of spirits, watching silently through our eyes as we type these words this very moment ...

And now we've creeped ourselves out. Great.

Square Enix has issued a new update for Deus Ex: The Fall, the iOS action-RPG set after the events of the Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect novel. This latest patch adds support for iPad 2, fixes a few crash bugs and enhances AI, guaranteeing "enemies do not lose sight of the player" any longer.

Deus Ex: The Fall was initially expected to be a sequel to Deus Ex: Human Revolution when trademarks were discovered back in March. It's an experience our review says presents moments of joy but is ultimately "hollow."

Is Final Fantasy dead? Should we stop getting excited about the series? Is it time to abandon all hope?Read more...

As a JRPG fan, I've always had a hard time accepting that what Japan wants is often drastically different than what I want.Read more...

Good news: that Tomb Raider sequel—outed by Kotaku during Comic-Con—is already in the works. In a post on the company's corporate blog, Square Enix CEO Phil Rogers says that they're "well into development" on a "next-generation" sequel. Read more...