The finale event for the current version of Final Fantasy XIV will officially commence this weekend: from Saturday, November 10 at 10:00 PM to midnight (PST) / Sunday, November 11 at 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM (GMT). The in-game location is Brittlebark, Mor Dhona. As part of the buildup, it has been announced that the game is now open to all Final Fantasy XIV account holders, regardless of subscription status.
The Lodestone has issued the following “clarion call” to all ready and available warriors to join in at Mor Dhona:
Adventurers of all races, origins, and creeds. Let it be known that the forces of the Eorzean Alliance, formed of the combined might of Limsa Lominsa, Ul’dah, and Gridania, have presently left the wilds of Thanalan en route to the Carteneau Flats, there to engage in a decisive confrontation with the VIIth Imperial Legion of the Garlean Empire.
Yet this battle is but the means to an end, for the preservation of the realm from Dalamud is our true objective. Joining our host in the capacity of military tactician
Square Enix just released a new video featuring the city-state of Gridania in the alpha version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Check it out!
The video features characters in the alpha version of ARR running through Gridania. According to a community rep on the official forums:
The city-state has taken on an all-new look that features everything from a refurbished aetheryte plaza to cuddly delivery moogles! We really wanted to liven up the mood of the entire metropolis, so we focused on bringing the surrounding environment to life by adding babbling brooks, lush foliage, and a dynamic populace. You'll also notice that the names of unique landmarks appear on screen as you explore.
Were they were successful? Gridania was my starting city, so I have a soft spot for it, and I think it looks great. The revamped look really captures the atmosphere of a wooded town. And a moogle even had a cameo!
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EoFF had previously covered news of Operation Suzaku. This operation is a fan-made petition to get Final Fantasy Type-0 localized outside of Japan. Following up on the story, I got in touch with Khalia Chival the creator of the petition to find out more about the brains behind Operation Suzaku in an Eyes on Exclusive!
"This is your story. It all begins now." Powerful and enigmatic words from a powerful and enigmatic character. Number 5 on our list of themes is of course the theme of none other than Auron from Final Fantasy X. Take a listen:
Slow, steady and methodical, you can listen to this song and suddenly notice you've been tapping your foot along to the beat. I simply can't get enough of the piano in this song, and I think it would be impossible not to feel like a badass striding into a room with this playing.
The main melody is engaging too, and it has an almost otherworldly feel to it. The electronic beats complete the trio, and although they are my least favourite part of the song, it is difficult to say they don't add an extra something to it.
Normally with these articles, I like to take old songs and show how they progress. This time I'm going to do it in reverse! YouTuber CakeJarey has recreated the song using the FFVI sound engine.
The song, of course, reflects Auron well. Strong and silent, patient and calm, the man is definitely a leading contender for coolest
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The gaming industry has no shortage of WWII themed first-person shooters. There are more of them than you can shake a stick at. But Heroes & Generals, the love-child of a partnership between Danish studio Reto-Moto and Square Enix, promises just a little bit more.
[IMG]http://www.heroesandgenerals.com/community/wp-content/gallery/action/handg_action_screenshot_gdc_wip_01.jpg[/IMG]
An in-game shot showing warplanes attacking enemy troops.
It's not a simple FPS in the vein of Call of Duty or a grand scale strategy game along the lines of Hearts of Iron. It's both. Heroes & Generals is named because of this interesting function: players can choose to be a Hero, fighting on the frontline on-foot and in a variety of vehicles, or they can be a General, to ensure troops and combat resources are effectively placed.
[IMG]http://www.heroesandgenerals.com/community/wp-content/gallery/campaign/handg_screenshot_campaign_us_wip_001.jpg[/IMG]
A work-in-progress shot of the command screen.
One of the Alpha testers broke the Non-Disclosure-Agreement and has linked some screenshots of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Please excuse or ignore the upskirts they did of their mi'qote about halfway through the album; some people just have no taste! The gallery does include a number of shots of new environments though, which are a significant improvement over the 1.x version.
Despite none of this being saved and carried over to A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy XIV 1.x, with less than a week left to its final days, underwent a quick maintenance today to tweak the current festivities. The following changes were made:
- The prayers of the adventurers have been heard by the twelve deities.
* Adventurers will now have a chance to receive a gift from the twelve deities upon resting at the inn.
* Adventurers will now receive a boon from the twelve deities when they pray for the safety of themselves or a fellow adventurer. Please be advised that the adventurers will experience the wrath of the twelve if they pray for the safety of an enemy.
- The strength of certain monsters that have unleashed their true potential has been toned down.
- As relief for adventurers facing enormous odds stacked against them, all items can now be repaired for 1 gil by the repair NPC.
- To assist the adventurers that are fatigued from the recent battles, adventurers will now be able to ride their mounts within the cities.
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Final Fantasy Type-0 has been a big talking point lately, especially with Operation Suzaku attempting to petition for its release in the West. With that in mind, Gamespot Asia has interviewed Hajime Tabata, scenario director and the man behind titles like Before Crisis, Crisis Core and Type-0.
[IMG]http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110118120041/finalfantasy/images/1/14/Type-0_Gameplay.jpg[/IMG] A screenshot of a battle from Type-0.
Despite having commercial success, Tabata notes a number of things he would have liked to improve in Type-0 with more time: "I would have added ad-hoc capabilities and a co-op mode where players could help each other at any time," he said.
"I would have also been more thorough with the storytelling and making it easier to comprehend. Lastly, I would have also liked to adjust the levelling curve and balance of the magic."
He also hinted at wanting a sequel set in the far-future. "At the end of Type-0, the loop structure of the world ended, so there is a direction of history the world took after that.
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The London 25th Anniversary Event held a little bit of a surprise for those looking forward to the upcomingLightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. This sketch was one of many pieces of artwork showcased at the event, and could depict Lightning's new outfit. Keep in mind though: it has already been revealed that Lightning's outfits will be customisable!
We'll keep an eye out for any more news about this upcoming Square Enix title!
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For a game whose initial Western release wasn't until 16 years after it debuted in Japan, Final Fantasy III seems intent on making up for lost time. Square Enix has announced that the title will be making an appearance on the Kindle Fire.
[IMG]http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121008125815/finalfantasy/images/8/8f/FFIII_Cerberus_PSP.jpg[/IMG] A battle scene from the recent PSP release of the game.
With the Kindle Fire release, Final Fantasy III will be available in 8 different formats, with another planned release for the OUYA. This version will cost $15.99, but considering the quality of game we have on our hands, it seems far less exorbitant.
Will any other titles see a Kindle Fire release? We'll let you know!
Hey everyone! Boko here with this week's community update! EoFF is giving away another 10 posters! Just check out our Twitter or Facebook page! Sharing of either of the Facebook post or retweeting Twitter tweet will enter you to win! The poster you could possibly be winning is below!
Final Fantasy Type-0 was originally born as Final Fantasy Agito in 2006 at E3, a game designed for mobile phone gaming. Eventually the name and platform were scrapped, with the game being reborn as Final Fantasy Type-0 for the PSP.
It has been 6 years since the game was announced and last year it finally found a Japanese release. It has been a commercial smash hit, but SE still has no release date for any other regions! The people at Operation Suzaku hope to change that. They've created several petitions in various languages, all with the express purpose of making Yoichi Wada realise the gem he's holding onto. They already have 2,000 signatures, an impressive feat considering the petitions have only been live for a week (with some downtime due to Hurricane Sandy). Eyes on Final Fantasy has decided to support this cause, and hopefully together we can all bring another great Final Fantasy game to the West!
To keep up with their progress, try following their twitter or liking
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I know what you’re thinking: didn’t we just have one of these? Yes, we did, but Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida just loves us too much to stay away for long. But actually this is a special occasion: FFXIV has undergone its final save maintenance, and nothing new from 1.x will now carry over into A Realm Reborn. He also included a couple of new alpha screenshots!
A new alpha test screenshot courtesy of Yoshi-P
His words are brief and heartfelt , so I’ll just copy them here:
More than two years have come and gone since service for FFXIV commenced on September 30, 2010. With the final character save maintenance on November 1, 2012, a chapter in the realm of Eorzea has come to a close.
With all the changes that have come to pass, I realize that it must have been difficult for you, the players. It’s been a very turbulent two years for me as well, and the game has come to hold a very special place in my heart. Work to transfer data over to A Realm Reborn will soon commence. Rest assured that your character will be carried over to a new beginning, bearing all your cherished memories of friendships and adventure.
A little bit of a delay on this one, as your humble author has been taking a break before the long-awaited Distant Worlds concert tomorrow. Continuing with the theme of female characters, number 6 on our list of themes is going to be that of Final Fantasy IV's Rydia.
Here's the original. It's a very soothing and gentle piece of music that instantly relaxes and calms the listener. This version of it is very simplistic and basic with just two instruments playing throughout. A phrase I seem to keep calling back to in this series is that the music reflects the personality of the character it belongs to, and once again it's relevant for this song.
Rydia remains an innocent and pure character with a very sweet nature. This makes her perhaps something more of a stereotypical RPG heroine than the likes of Hilda and Beatrix mentioned previously, but that shouldn't be mistaken for poor writing, as she is an engaging and likeable character.
As with all classic FF character themes, Rydia's has been remixed and rearranged also. I think it is even softer and calmer than the
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The final box art for the next addition to the popular Tomb Raider series has been released after a long and patient wait from fans.
The cover shows the younger Lara Croft in a gritty setting, holding her wounded arm. This takes a drastic manoeuvre away from the artwork of the earlier games of the series which show the popular heroine in less dangerous situations, sporting a more seductive appearance.
The series is being completely revamped after Square-Enix took over Eidos Interactive in April 2009.
The game itself is also taking a new direction, being based around the early years of Lara’s life, in which she is not the strong and independent heroine that her fans are used to. The new turn has caused some controversy, and has received a mixed reception from the fans and critics alike.
The trailer released in 2011 shows the game in very dark, dangerous and at times frightening settings. It reveals that Lara will be taking quite a beating and be unable to protect herself. This is a far cry from the iconic Lara Croft
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