Earlier today, June 30, Square Enix revealed that Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is getting some DLC in the form of the Trials of the Dragon King expansion. After heading straight to the official Strangers of Paradise website (opens in new tab) though, one games journalist noticed that there was a video embedded into the site, but it wasn’t the trailer they – or others (opens in new tab)– were expecting. 

Straight after this VG24/7 and RPGSite’s Alex Donaldson put out a tweet (opens in new tab) urging Final Fantasy fans to check the website. One person responded to Donaldson (opens in new tab) with a video of themselves accessing the website revealing that instead of a DLC trailer, Square Enix had actually just linked to Rick Astley’s iconic Never Gonna Give You Up music video. Meaning Square Enix literally just rickrolled a bunch of Final Fantasy fans. 

ain’t no way https://t.co/kKlKtEON1X pic.twitter.com/a0OtJfdTRIJune 30, 2022

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Whether this was intentional or simply just a placeholder is still up for debate but we’re sad to report that the website has since been updated, and now actually contains the proper Trials of the Dragon King DLC teaser trailer – which you can watch for yourself below. The first ever expansion for the game will add three new missions titled Trials of the Dragon King, Wanderer of the Rift, and Different Future and is due to release on July 20, 2022.

Stranger of Paradise and Rick Astley aside, It’s never been a better time to be a Final Fantasy fan. Not only is Square Enix still regularly rolling out updates for Final Fantasy 14 – including the soon-to-be revealed 6.2 patch – but the developer also recently announced that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2: Rebirth is due to launch in winter 2023.

But that wasn’t all that Square Enix wanted us to know about the Final Fantasy 7 Remake as it was also revealed that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is now in active development. If you don’t think you can wait that long to dive back into Midgar though, the good news is that we’re also getting a Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core remake this winter, as well as Final Fantasy 16 which is due next summer. Phew, that’s a lot of Final Fantasy news. 

Need something to play whilst you wait for the Stranger of Paradise DLC? Take a look at our list of games like Final Fantasy for inspiration. 

The post Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin fans thought they were getting a DLC trailer and instead got Rick Astley appeared first on Game News.

During yesterday’s Nintendo Direct Mini it was revealed that Square Enix’s action-RPG NieR: Automata is getting a full Nintendo Switch port. Although great news to those who want to take 2B’s post-apocalyptic adventure on the go, some Kingdom Hearts fans can’t help but feel a bit bitter after Square Enix only released Cloud versions of the Disney-themed RPG to the Nintendo console earlier this year. 

The biggest gripe fans have with the Kingdom Hearts ‘Integrum Masterpiece’ collection for Nintendo Switch is that – generally – the games don’t perform very well on the system. In fact, on the collection’s release day Square Enix had to put out a day one patch as some players couldn’t even access the titles due to a bug that prevented the games from launching upon start up.

Not only this, but the fact the Nintendo Switch has to be connected to the internet in order for players to even gain access to the Cloud versions of the games kind of defeats the purpose of having the Kingdom Hearts series on a handheld, and therefore transportable, console. 

Following yesterday’s announcement, the Kingdom Hearts subreddit (opens in new tab) is now populated with a variety of memes which, in one way or another, pokes fun at Square Enix’s preferential treatment of NieR: Automata. Of course, you could argue that it is a lot more work to port all 10 games in the ‘Integrum Masterpiece’ collection than the one NieR Automata game but, as many fans have pointed out (opens in new tab), a lot of the games in the collection were originally PS2 and Nintendo DS games. 

sorry_kh_fans_you_deserve_better from r/KingdomHearts

Twitter shows much of the same vibe with Twitter users such as @MomoPkmn95 (opens in new tab) saying: “I have every reason to be mad that Nier gets to be on the Switch physically and digitally with no cloud version while Kingdom Hearts Only gets the Cloud Version. Unacceptable.” 

Another Twitter user @SkywardWing (opens in new tab) also vented their frustration with the Cloud ports by saying: “Nier and Persona 5 are running on the Nintendo Switch. Natively. While Kingdom Hearts has been reduced to a cloud port.”

I have every reason to be mad that Nier gets to be on the Switch physically and digitally with no cloud version while Kingdom Hearts Only gets the Cloud Version. Unacceptable.June 29, 2022

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Nier and Persona 5 are running on the Nintendo Switch. Natively. While Kingdom Hearts has been reduced to a cloud port 😭 it’s a struggle lol pic.twitter.com/niAOH1bcNQJune 28, 2022

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Here’s hoping that Square Enix decides to fully port the entire Kingdom Hearts series onto Nintendo Switch eventually, hey maybe it’ll even be done before Kingdom Hearts 4 releases?

If you’re now considering trying out the whole series yourself (Cloud versions or not), find out how to get started with our how to play the Kingdom Hearts games in order guide. 

The post Kingdom Hearts fans decry Cloud versions – again – after NieR: Automata gets a full Switch port appeared first on Game News.

Footage of the swanky new remaster was shown off in a new trailer during Final Fantasy 7’s 25th anniversary stream. You’ll be able to get your hands on the Crisis Core remaster when it launches this Winter.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core was initially released on the PSP in 2007, expanding the classic JRPG’s universe through the eyes of Cloud’s Soldier comrade Zack Fair. Square Enix hasn’t released it on anything besides the PSP, so it’s not the most accessible game to get your hands on. 

While Zack is a significant background character in the original Final Fantasy 7, he plays a more prominent role in the remake thanks to some narrative rejigging in the game’s late stages. As such, it looks like he may even play a more prominent role in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2. 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part Two isn’t due to come out until next winter, so playing a Crisis Core remaster is a neat way to pass the time and learn more about a character who could be playing a big role.

Check out our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth guide to keep up to date with the upcoming game.

The post Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core remaster launching this Winter appeared first on Game News.

The first trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was shown off during today’s 25th anniversary stream, where we finally got to see glimpses of what Square Enix has described as “a different atmosphere” compared to the part one of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. We can see what appears to be a more open world outside of Midgar as well as big story teases via narration from Cloud and Aerith. Check out the thrilling first trailer right here:

Today’s reveal trailer’s focus on a bigger, more open world is in keeping with past comments we’ve heard from the developers. Last July, co-director Naoki Hamaguchi told IGN the “next installment will involve Cloud and company to leave Midgar and explore the world,” and that “our next challenge will be to create gameplay that leverages the vastness of the world.”

One of the few criticisms of the first Final Fantasy 7 Remake chapter is that it’s quite linear all the way through to the end, its setting confined to the bustling urban sprawl of Midgar. This time around, however, Cloud and co. are leaving Midgard in pursuit of Sephiroth, and it looks and sounds like there will be a little more space to move around.

Curiously, a chief developer on Rebirth is already distinguishing Rebirth as very much a standalone game that players can experience without having played the first game. Creative director Tetsuya Nomura even suggests Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth as an alternative starting point for the series.

“Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is being designed so that people can enjoy this game whether they know the original game or not,” Nomura said in a statement shared just after today’s announcement. “In fact, new players might even enjoy starting their Final Fantasy VII journey with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Cloud and his friends embark on a new journey in this game, and I believe that the scenes that they witness after leaving Midgar will give players a fresh, new experience.”

Producer Yoshinori Kitase shared his own statement, acknowledging the three years (and change, if we’re counting) wait between Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and promising “development is proceeding at an astonishingly fast pace for such a large-scale HD title.”

“Making the middle part of a trilogy has its own challenges, but there are plenty of classic second installments in the world of film that are defined by stunning story twists and deeper explorations of their characters,” Kitase said. “Often these second installments become a favorite amongst the fans.”

Additionally, Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade is launching on Steam tomorrow, June 17. 

The post Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 is called Rebirth, launching Winter 2023 appeared first on Game News.

Developer Hoyoverse confirmed (opens in new tab) the updated launch schedule earlier today. Despite rumors and speculation that the Genshin Impact 2.7 delay could push Hoyoverse into shortening the update in order to get the game back on its usual six-week cycle, the studio says “the duration of version 2.7 is expected to be six weeks.”

Update 2.8 is planned to launch on July 13, 2022. However, the ongoing Spices from the West event, which implied that update 2.7 could arrive as late as June, will continue through June 7 as planned. Per Hoyoverse’s previous statement, the weekly compensation given out for the update 2.7 delay will be adjusted, so expect 400 more Primogems to arrive on Wednesday, May 25, and a bit less for the final week. 

As usual, the time zone breakdown for the update’s launch means it will technically arrive one day earlier for much of the world. Maintenance will start around 3pm PT / 6pm ET / 11pm BST and should end within five hours. Genshin Impact updates usually go live 30 to 60 minutes before the scheduled maintenance resolution, but especially given 2.7’s launch hurdles, there are no guarantees there. 

Hoyoverse says that the long-disabled Serenitea Pot building function will also return once maintenance ends and update 2.7 launches, so you’ll get to update your characters and furniture soon. 

The 2.7 reveal stream will air at 5am PT / 8am ET / 1pm BST on the official Genshin Impact Twitch (opens in new tab) channel. It will be posted to the game’s YouTube (opens in new tab) roughly four hours later. 

The stream reveal art features new character Yelan as well as the lovable oni Itto. The new four-star character in the update, Kuki Shinobu, is a top member of Itto’s gang so players had suspected the Geo oni would be rerun for update 2.7, and that certainly seems to be the case. 

New Genshin Impact character Shikanoin Heizou has already been revealed and should arrive in update 2.8

The post Genshin Impact update 2.7 release date set for May 31 with a reveal coming tomorrow appeared first on Game News.

Almost unrecognisable from his previous appearances, Sora has taken on a new form for Kingdom Hearts 4. Of course, we are still currently in the early days of development and so it may all be subject to change, but fans are already preparing to say goodbye to some of Sora’s identifying features. 

Despite being an ongoing joke within the Kingdom Hearts community, it looks like Sora will no longer wear shoes that are several sizes too big for him in Kingdom Hearts 4. As spotted in the trailer, Sora now sports more normal looking and stylish shoes that compliment the rest of his outfit in Quadratum (the upcoming game’s setting). Pretty much a staple of all of Sora’s outfits in each of the Kingdom Hearts games before it, the clown shoes will be sorely missed by many players – as evidenced below. 

i just realized this is the first kingdom hearts game where sora wears normal size shoes pic.twitter.com/NpXF78twvzApril 10, 2022

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SORA HAS NORMAL SIZED SHOES IN KINGDOM HEARTS 4!!!!! #KH20th pic.twitter.com/JIgMsqpz0SApril 10, 2022

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The CRAZIEST part of the KH4 trailer reveal is…SORA IS FINALLY WEARING NORMAL SHOES!!!!!!! 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/yfMw4Hhl44April 10, 2022

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Another key part of Sora’s outfit currently missing in Kingdom Hearts 4 is his gloves. Every single iteration of Sora has seen the protagonist wearing some kind of hand accessory, from the smaller, more subtle gloves in Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 to the longer, more noticeable arm warmers he wears in Kingdom Hearts 3. Although the gloves were a minor part of Sora’s outfit that probably went unnoticed by many people, this transition from Sora’s cartoony clothes to a much more realistic style sort of feels like the end of an era, as some fans have expressed. (opens in new tab)

Finally, and perhaps most obviously, it looks like Sora has stopped using as much hair gel as in previous installments of the series as his hair falls slightly flatter than it did in both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2. One Reddit user has theorized that this could be due to a Kingdom Hearts 3 spoiler (opens in new tab),  but it’s more likely that Sora’s hair has lost some of its volume due to him now residing in Quadratum therefore having a more realistic look anyway. But knowing series creator Tetsuya Nomura, there’s probably so much more going on than we realize right now. 

In other Kingdom Hearts news, it turns out Goofy’s English voice actor didn’t even know Kingdom Hearts 4 had been announced until a fan told them weeks after the reveal. 

The post Kingdom Hearts 4 has got the community mourning Sora’s clown shoes appeared first on Game News.

Initially premiered to the attendees of the Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary celebration event in Japan, Square Enix has now publicly released the first Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer. 

In the seven minute long video, fans outside of the event can see what was shown during the presentation including news on Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road, a new mobile game, and our first look at Kingdom Hearts 4. 

Watch the first Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer below, starting at the four minute mark.

The trailer has a darker and more serious tone than previous instalments in the series. In the footage you can see a much older Sora teaming up with Strelitzia from Kingdom Hearts Union X, fighting in a boss battle against a giant enemy across a location Square Enix is calling Quadratum – a “expansive city set in a gorgeous, realistic world unlike anything ever seen before in the Kingdom Hearts series.”

From this first Kingdom Hearts 4 footage, it would appear that the series is taking a big leap forward over 2019’s Kingdom Hearts 3, with Square Enix pushing for a more photo-realistic visual aesthetic versus the more stylised look we’re used to from previous games. The publisher has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 is the start of an “epic new storyline” which is entitled the ‘Lost Master Arc’. 

Don’t worry though, it looks like Donald and Goofy are still tagging along for the adventure as they do make a brief appearance towards the end of the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, where they seem to be looking for someone before getting spooked by somebody off camera. 

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In a press release confirming the news, Square Enix adds: “Fans will be excited to see the return of Sora’s well-known companions Donald and Goofy, in addition to the first appearance of Strelitzia, a mysterious new character who appears before Sora in this strange new setting.”

The rest of the video from the 20th anniversary event announced that the mobile game Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road has been delayed until August 2022. Not only this but we also got our first glimpse at a brand new mobile game called Kingdom Hearts – Missing Link which will apparently receive a closed beta test later this year. 

Unfortunately, we don’t have a release date for Kingdom Hearts 4 just yet. However Nana Gadd, director of Walt Disney Games, says more information will be coming in the future: “This glimpse into Sora’s next adventure is just the beginning – we can’t wait to show more when the time is right.”

Kingdom Hearts at 20: Learn how a Mickey Mouse RPG pitch spiraled wildly out of control in our making of Kingdom Hearts feature. 

The post Kingdom Hearts 4 announced with new trailer at 20th anniversary event appeared first on Game News.

Bandai Namco announced the game earlier today and confirmed a 2022 release date for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Like many popular anime and manga, One Piece already has a massive roster of middling-to-bad tie-in games, but unlike most of them, One Piece Odyssey apparently isn’t a generic brawler or fighting game. Instead, it’s being pitched as a full-fat JRPG that’s been in the works for “many years,” which is already more promising than the usual anime fare. 

Producer Katsuaki Tsuzuki described the game as a “JRPG project offering a One Piece adventure experience like never before” in the announcement trailer. He says it’s “probably the first title that has been developed so meticulously over an extended period of time,” giving it a leg up on the annual tie-ins that many anime fans are likely accustomed to. 

The gameplay snippets woven into the reveal trailer show third-person exploration in an open world, complete with dungeons, environmental puzzles, climbable walls, and grappling hook anchors. The trailer is light on gameplay, to the point that we can’t even confidently determine whether it’s turn-based or action-driven, but we’d bet on the latter given Bandai’s pedigree. 

The world and characters look pretty dang good, almost like One Piece filtered through Square Enix’s Dragon Quest 11, and that’s partly thanks to the efforts of original manga creator Eiichiro Oda, who contributed character and monster designs for Odyssey. Bandai adds that the settings explored in the One Piece manga and anime served as the foundation for the game’s world, apparently centered around a mysterious island. It also notes that Dark Souls and Tales of composer Motoi Sakuraba worked on the music, which is exciting in its own right. 

Speaking of which, Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate will apparently change up the combat and aim for a darker tone. 

The post One Piece JRPG out this year looks like a pirates Dragon Quest appeared first on Game News.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were announced at the end of February, with a trailer and accompanying description promising a bright open-world approach. That seems to mean that creatures will be roaming free once again – much like they did in Sword and Shield’s Wild Area and the various zones of Pokemon Legends Arceus – but precisely which mons will be get to catch in this new region?

To answer that question, we’ve gone through the trailer and other marketing materials with a fine tooth comb, and documented what we’ve seen. Pokemon included in brackets don’t appear directly, but are evolutions/prevolutions of those that do, so it’s safe to assume at this point that they might show up.

• Starly (Staravia, Staraptor)
• Hoppip (Skiploom, Jumpluff)
• Bounsweet (Tseenee, Tsareena)
• Petilil (Liligant)
• Psyduck (Golduck)
• Drifloon (Drifbloom)
• Combee (Vespiquen)
• Meowth (Persian)
• Stonjourner
• Pelipper (Wingull)
• Clauncher (Clawitzer)
• Swablu (Altaria)
• Pikachu (Pichu, Raichu)
• Blissey (Happiny, Chansey)
• Seviper
• (Larviater (Pupitar, Tyranitar)
• Magnemite (Magneton, Magnezone)
• Lucario (Riolu)

Elsewhere, there’s a statue of dragon Pokemon Dratini outside one of the houses featured in the trailer, which implies the existence of Dragonair and Dragonite elsewhere in its line. Not included in the trailer, but appearing in a slideshow of images on a Pokemon Company blog (opens in new tab), is Hisuian Zoroark, suggesting the inclusion of Hisuian Zoroa, as well as other regional variants from Sun/Moon and Sword/Shield.

Finally, there are the Pokemon Scarlet Violet Starters from this region – a grass-type cat called Sprigatito, a fire-type crocodile called Fuecoco, and a water-type duck called Quaxley that’s likely to get a flying-type evolution.

That’s likely far from an exhaustive list, not least because of the relative lack of water-type Pokemon despite the azure seas that feature prominently throughout the trailer. More Pokemon are likely to be revealed over the coming months, so keep a close eye out.

Right now, you can head back to Hisui for the free Pokemon Legends Arceus daybreak update.

The post Here are all the Pokemon in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, including the starters appeared first on Game News.

In case you missed it, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was revealed in a stunning trailer during last week’s Nintendo Direct. The trailer shows off beautiful, diverse environments, a few key characters, and lots of pretty haunting flute tunes. Over the last few days, Nintendo has been sharing information about Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s heroes, including the dual protagonists Noah and Mio.

Noah is a Keves soldier who wields a bright red blade in combat, while Mio is a soldier of Agnus who uses her impressive speed to dodge attacks and fight back with her ring-shaped weapons. Tragically, Noah and Mio are what developer Monolith Soft calls “off-seers,” which are people who mourn for lives lost on the battlefield.

“‘Fighting to live…and living to fight’ is the harsh reality of Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s world,” reads a tweet from Nintendo. “As ‘off-seers’, both Noah and Mio have mourned for the loss of many lives, a burden that can be felt from the music played on their flutes.”

This is Noah, one of the protagonists from #XenobladeChronicles3. As a Keves soldier, he wields a bright red blade in combat. He is also an “off-seer”, someone who mourns for those who’ve lost their lives on the battlefield. pic.twitter.com/3i2Mkd34SoFebruary 14, 2022

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Meet Mio, the other protagonist of #XenobladeChronicles3 & a soldier of Agnus (who sports some rather distinctive ears!). Her speed on the battlefield allows her to easily evade attacks while dealing damage with her ring-shaped weapons. Much like Noah, Mio is also an “off-seer”. pic.twitter.com/g8gZxx6D21February 14, 2022

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Nintendo has also revealed descriptions for a pair of supporting characters as well. Lanz is a long-time pal of Noah’s who uses his immense strength to wield a huge sword that doubles as a shield. Meanwhile, Sena is a deceptively tiny soldier of Agnus whose weapon of choice is a giant hammer.

Lanz is a childhood friend of Noah’s and battles alongside him as a fellow Keves soldier. His strength allows Lanz to wield a large sword that doubles as a shield – handy for protecting his allies! #XenobladeChronicles3 pic.twitter.com/BVBBa5Z4DBFebruary 15, 2022

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Don’t underestimate Sena’s size! This pint-sized soldier of Agnus possesses ample strength to wallop foes with her giant hammer. Is it any surprise that her favorite hobby is muscle training? 💪#XenobladeChronicles3 pic.twitter.com/CInNKUvai2February 15, 2022

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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is due to launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch in September.

Here are the best Switch games you can play right now.

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