Square Enix Message Board older than one year ago

Kain might be off raising, um, someone else in the distant reaches of who-knows-where, but that doesn’t mean his legacy can’t live on. Kinda. Nosgoth is a solid-looking free-to-play multiplayer shooter set in the Legacy of Kain universe, and it offers asymmetrical vampire battling galore. But is it actually coming along well, or is Square Enix just trying to shove a square peg into a Kain-shaped hole? If you’re starved for both souls and information, Nosgoth’s closed beta is about to get up and running. The best news of all? You can join in! Maybe.

… [visit site to read more]

Square Enix announced the latest Mana game yesterday with a trailer for Rise of Mana . So what's the game about? I mean, aside from a tree.Read more...

Here's the Japanese trailer of Rise of Mana, the newest entry in Square Enix's Mana series. It's a free to play action-RPG, coming to mobile devices. The iOS version will be out in the coming days in Japan, followed by an Android port sometime this year. There is currently no word on an international release.Read more...

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 received a few new pieces of downloadable content today, one of which is the previously-revealed Japanese voice pack. Announced in November 2013, the voice pack costs $3.99 (£3.19/3.99 euros) and adds lip-syncing adjustments to match the game's Japanese voice overs.

Additionally, players can pick up three new sets of costumes and equipment, each set available for $3.99 (£3.19/3.99 euros). The three pieces of DLC - dubbed Ultimate Savior, Moogle Lover and Divine Wear - include a weapon, shield, adornment and garb. Players can buy all three in the premium collection pack for $9.99 (£7.99/9.99 euros), and can also pick up five new Lightning Returns themes on PS3 for $1.99 (£1.19/1.49 euros) and avatar items on Xbox 360 for $3.99 (£3.19/3.99 euros). [Image: Square Enix]

To celebrate the milestone of free-to-play mobile game Deadman's Cross being downloaded more than one million times, Square Enix is giving away extra in-game currency through February 28 to all players who download and register the game.

Deadman's Cross, which launched earlier this month, is a first-person shooter with card-based RPG elements set in the year 2030. Zombies have arisen and are doing what zombies do: snacking on us tasty humans. Players must navigate the abandoned streets of New Livingston (puns!) with only a high-powered rifle and a deck of cards in search of the apocalypse's cause.

Killing zombies (or "deadmen," as they're called in the game) adds them to your deck of cards, though the game is also supported by micro-transactions if your earned cards just aren't getting the job done. Deadman's Cross is the spiritual successor to Guardian Cross, a similar free-to-play card game where players capture and battle wild beasts. [Image: Square Enix]

As I played Thief non-stop for three days, as well as only dreaming Thief-based dreams, and perhaps losing my mind somewhere along the way, I began to notice that the loading screen tips were providing me the sort of advice I could take away from the game. Thief may not directly cause me to turn to a life of crime, but there’s wisdom in those briefly appearing words that will stay with me forever.

… [visit site to read more]

It’s been a very long time coming, first confirmed in 2009, but the new Thief is out this week. Tomorrow in the States, Thursday in Australia, and Friday in Europe. Having just managed to get a copy of the game in time, I’ve done nothing but play Thief for three days in order to be able to tell you wot I think:

… [visit site to read more]

Against all common sense and reason (though not necessarily potential quality when taken on its own merits), Nosgoth is a free-to-play online shooter. Previous Legacy of Kain games, rather pertinently, were not that or anything resembling it. It’s uncharted territory for the vampire-ridden universe of noses and goths, but not so much for the gaming industry these days. So you know what’s coming next: microtransactions. And, as ever, they’re a smidgen bit(e) questionable.

… [visit site to read more]

Square Enix's online store in Europe has launched a catalog-spanning sale, dropping the prices of most Western-developed digital PC releases by 75 percent and bringing additional discounts for boxed games and licensed merchandise.

Sale highlights include price drops for the PC versions of Final Fantasy 7, Hitman Contracts and the Game of the Year Edition of Tomb Raider. Final Fantasy series fans can also pick up Final Fantasy 13-2's soundtrack and a selection of Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children Play Arts figures at a 25 percent discount.

Registered Square Enix Store members get an additional 10 percent off at checkout by using the coupon codes SQEXD005 for digital games and SQEXM006 for merchandise. The sale runs through the end of the month.

[Image: Square Enix]

This post contains spoilers for Bravely Default.Read more...

HD visuals, new dress-spheres, a crazy new tower dungeon in which every action is turn-based... these are the new features in the upcoming remakes of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, which are out on March 18 for PS3 and Vita.Read more...

Square Enix seems to be under the impression that people love Lightning, the main character of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy.Read more...

Just before the weekend, Square Enix popped 17-minutes of unedited footage from the new Thief online. It’s the game’s opening mission, and being on YouTube for that time means I no longer need to offer any opinions of my own. I can just defer to what the commenters underneath the video are saying. Come, watch the video. It’s either “so good this new rebote”, or “looks solid but closer than shit rather than good.”

… [visit site to read more]

Hideo Kojima admires the PS4's power, Xbox One's controller gets an update for Titanfall, and Square-Enix talks about Final Fantasy XV.

The Hitman series will see its first entry on tablets and smartphones in Hitman Go, Square Enix Montreal announced today. The turn-based strategy game will have players navigating "fixed spaces on a grid" while using familiar tools from the stealth series, such as sniper rifles, Agent 47's Silverballers, disguises and distractions. Though it's not clear if the image accompanying the announcement is just concept art, the developer said Hitman Go will use "beautifully rendered diorama-style set pieces."

While Square Enix Montreal did not hand out a release date or price for the game, it did note that Hitman Go is "almost ready for launch." Additionally, the developer is currently working on "something else" in addition to the mobile game, which seemingly "fits perfectly within the Hitman fantasy." [Image: Square Enix Montreal]

A Hitman... turn-based strategy game? That's the tablet/smartphone game that Square Enix just announced. It's called Hitman GO and you can read more about it right here.Read more...

Lightning's last two outings were far from universally acclaimed, so while a lot of things are surprising about her goodbye game, a mixed critical reaction isn't one of them. Managing Editor Susan Arendt's four-star analysis says Lightning Returns is "a fitting farewell for the final chapter of XIII's saga," but for some reviewers, it's more a case of good riddance.

Check past the break for a selection of the game's reviews.

Last month Square Enix announced an April 14 release date for the PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy XIV, but that's not the date players were waiting for. It's almost beta time, kids, and the game is looking fantastic on PS4. Read more...

In this Thief trailer, someone has stolen Daniel Day-Lewis from the movie There Will Be Blood. Check your DVDS and you’ll see all that’s left is a mess of dangling pixels and a top hat. But in a surprising twist, another thief has stolen his acting ability and also made off with his voice, so what you get in this little slice of life from The City is, well, it’s not well-acted. I’m actually okay with the words and the animation, even if makes it look like someone has stolen the in-game, but the Thief Taker General has all the authority and presence of a fluffed-up kitten. … [visit site to read more]

I might not have recommended Lightning Returns, but I'm not going to let those grabbing the game anyway enter the fray unarmed. Though it goes against the hardcore role-playing game fan's pride, I'd highly recommend playing the game on Easy Mode first. Read more...

I've never been less emotionally invested in a character than I am in Final Fantasy XIII's pink-haired powerhouse, so when Square Enix tells me Lightning Returns, my response is "That's great. What else you got?" Read more...

The journey through Final Fantasy XIII's trilogy of games has been a dizzying one, with each game hopping between gameplay styles, lead characters and narrative arcs, seemingly on a whim. Lightning Returns manages to bring the entire messy saga to a satisfying conclusion, breaking off in a totally new direction, chucking a lot of the series' extraneous pontification and getting down to the core simplicities. Whether or not it's a "real" Final Fantasy game is up for debate, but it's a consistently entertaining, beautiful adventure that places as much importance on the mundane as it does the ostentatious: a fitting farewell for the final chapter of XIII's saga.

Lightning Returns picks up 500 years after the events of XIII-2, with the end of the world - the literal end of everything - a mere 13 days away. Lightning has been sent by the God of Light, Bhunivelze, to save as many souls as possible so that they can be reborn when he creates a brand new world on day 14. You only have a handful of days to work with when the game begins, but collect enough Etria - the energy of souls - and God will do you a solid and give you another day. A soul is saved by providing its owner with what they need most - hope, closure, a last grasp at happiness, whatever. There are five souls in particular that Lightning needs to bring to salvation, and she'll run into plenty of familiar faces as she strives to complete her mission from God.

Four years ago, we were introduced to an unlikely heroine by the name of Claire, and a band of six unsuspecting allies. Today, you all have the chance to find out how her story ends in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is available to pick up now, and we hope you all enjoy playing through this title to witness the journey, evolution, and now conclusion of the Final Fantasy XIII cast.

If you need a quick refresher course, we’ve put together a retro-spective video of Lightning’s journey here to summarize the stories and highlights from Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2.

On top of that, if you didn’t already know, the world in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is all new, the battle system has been completely overhauled, customization is available at an all new depth, monsters and boss battles reimagined, and the 13 day gameplay mechanic is unlike anything ever done before in any Final Fantasy title.

Click here to see the full gallery

On a personal note as a lifelong fan of the Final Fantasy series, it’s a bit bittersweet to see Lightning’s journey come to a close, but at the same time exciting to see what’s next. I’m curious to hear what your fondest memories of the Final Fantasy XIII franchise have been, so feel free to leave a comment in the field below!

For me, I remember that cinematic Purge Train scene in the original Final Fantasy XIII like it was yesterday. I also remember lots of running away from Adamantoise on Gran Pulse, as well as the sheer joy when I got a chocobo. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, when Serah and Noel bumped into Lightning in New Bodhum I remember physically dropping my PS3 controller in utter fandom. However, I still have nightmares about having to jump from platform to platform towards the end.

Sigh… good times with this series, and I could go on and on. But like we’ve been saying since we announced this game back in August 2012, it all ends here.

You know how in Final Fantasy Tactics—the wonderful strategy-RPG released for the PlayStation in 1998—your wizards and summoners all had to deal with charging times? And how if you wanted to cast a spell, you'd have to wait X number of turns before it went through?Read more...

For those of you who forgot to jack into the “What the hell is Nosgoth?” assimilation pod, here’s a text-based recap: it’s an upcoming free-to-play online shooter set in the Legacy of Kain universe, which suddenly seems like a terrifying look into gaming’s future. It’s currently in closed alpha, but they’ve peeled back the curtains just enough to allow others a glimpse into what I can only describe as a third-person online action game between people and vampires. If you’re keen, there is a whole hour of developer hosted footage to the south. … [visit site to read more]

Bravely Default is out in North America today, and if you've just picked it up, we've got a whole bunch of tips to make your experience better.Read more...

Psyonix Studios dished out three videos for Nosgoth, the team-based human vs. vampire multiplayer PC game set in the same world as the Legacy of Kain series. Published by Square Enix, the free-to-play action game was first announced in September 2013, at which point the publisher kicked off its closed beta.

The videos take viewers through the Nosgoth's team deathmatch and siege modes, and add up to an hour of action. Okay, it's actually 56 minutes and 50 seconds of video for the game, but that doesn't include the time it takes to pop your popcorn and cozy up in a blanket on the couch. You'll find the first of the three videos embedded above, while the other two can be viewed after the break.

Following yesterday's appearance on New Zealand's app store, Final Fantasy 6 has hopped the Pacific and is now available to classic RPG fans in the United States.

Priced at $16, this most recent remake of the fan-favorite epic features modern graphics, a redesigned user interface, and the ability to save your game directly to the cloud. This version of Final Fantasy 6 boasts all of the additional content found in the 2006 Game Boy Advance remake, including four new Espers, two new areas, three new spells and a handy bestiary. Missing from this release are the full-motion video segments that bookend the 1999 PlayStation incarnation of Final Fantasy 6.

There are two caveats to keep in mind before you hand your cash to publisher Square Enix: First, Final Fantasy 6 is compatible only with more recent iOS devices. If you own a model older than the iPhone 4S or iPad 2 you're out of luck. Further, Square Enix notes that "[c]ertain in-game conditions may cause the app to close unexpectedly on iPhone 4," and warns users to save their games frequently. [Image: Square Enix]

One of the greatest RPGs ever made is out on iOS today. It'll cost you $15.99, and it's got touchscreen-adapted controls and a brand new coat of paint.Read more...

Good morning. Here is a rock band covering Final Fantasy IV music as a crowd nerds out at Magfest in Maryland. It is awesome. Enjoy.Read more...