Final Fantasy

Who shall claim their fading light?
From a single spark, will the land ignite
A new shadow rises to fall upon the Dominants,
painting their destinies black as night.

The beloved rhythm spinoff series for Final Fantasy soundtrack aficionados and fans returns on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4! Among the surprise new Nintendo Direct announcements is Theatrhythm - Final Bar Line for the Switch, which releases on the 16th February next year. Like its earlier 3DS entries, this new Theatrhythm will once again be the chance to jam along to tracks throughout the series

The shiny remaster of a PSP classic, Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII Reunion launches 13 December 2022 for all major platforms (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam). Please form an orderly queue if you too are pursuing the fabled Gift of the Goddess.

Square Enix was hardly going to conclude their Final Fantasy VII 25th anniversary celebration stream without disclosing a teaser for the next highly anticipated game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series! Fortunately, newly appointed Final Fantasy series producer, Yoshinori Kitase, was more than happy to announce the second game in the trilogy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It will be available "next winter" (meaning anywhere between very late 2023 to early 2024) for PlayStation 5.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII has been bestowed a Phoenix Down and a new lease on life with a new shiny remastered version. Formerly exclusive to the PlayStation Portable, this action RPG starring Zack Fair will now initiate its Digital Mind Wave on your PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch 'this winter'.

The time has come for Game of Thrones to collide with Devil May Cry and a classic Godzilla-style Kaiju showdown. For the first time since September 2020, a brand new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI was shown at Sony's latest State of Play digital event, with the news that the game will come only to PlayStation 5 in the summer of 2023.

For those not in the know, the Japanese clothing company Uniqlo has been collaborating with Square Enix on a Final Fantasy 35th anniversary clothing line. The latest issue of the in-store UT magazine includes a short interview excerpt by Final Fantasy XVI producer, Naoki Yoshida. There, he states that development of the game is currently in "the final stretch".

We've a couple of months to go before we're graced with the undoubtedly timeless masterpiece that is Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. So to whet our appetite, the final trailer for the game is already out and...wait, why is a Frank Sinatra song in this trailer? Did they just show off a whole arc for the Dark Elf king Astos in a single trailer? And why is everyone concerned about Jack possibly being forgotten when he is already one of the most memorable protagonists in the franchise?

A memorable aspect of Final Fantasy XIV’s Shadowbringers expansion is the surprisingly prominent role played by the Talos. In the world of The First (a planet devastated by an endless barrage of Light), the Talos are a class of strong golem-like automaton that were once used for an assortment of strenuous labour. Over the course of the game, the protagonists convince the native inhabitants of the First to reactivate their Talos and, with such aid, restore the night sky.

In Greek mythology, Talos is a roving, bronze sentinel who runs the circuit around Crete’s coastline to defend it from outsiders. Let’s gear up as we explore the fascinating ways in which the Talos of Final Fantasy XIV relate to their mythical namesake.

You've seen the memes. You've bashed your head against some fairly tough enemies in both demos. You've seen Jack cut off a party member's speech to march out of a castle while listening to Limp Bizkit through his Apple Earpods. But what, you no doubt must be asking right now, is the story of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin all about? Who are the inhabitants of this bleak world whom we fight for?

Jack is back and he's still here to kill Chaos. I think. He doesn't utter the name once in this new Tokyo Game Show trailer, so how am I supposed to know what his motivation is? Nevertheless, this collaboration between Square Enix and Tecmo Koei's Team Ninja comes out on the 18th March 2022 for all major platforms except the Switch.

The entity labelled as ‘Titan’ is one of the founding members of the Final Fantasy franchise’s repertoire of summonable beings. Representing the Earth element, this muscular male figure is often presented as a prehistoric entity, much like the race of ancient gods in Greek mythology after whom he is named. In modern usage the adjective ‘titanic’ describes anything enormous in scale or strength, and the Final Fantasy figure’s bulk and raw power serve this association fully.

Let’s crack on with an investigation into the Final Fantasy franchise’s reception of the ‘Titan’ concept.

If you like Final Fantasy VI and have even a passing appreciation for its music, this book should beckon to you like a Siren. But there is no risk of being led astray here, for a competent writer instead offers to guide you through the melodic sea that forms one of the most beloved games in the franchise.

Written by Sebastian Deken, Boss Fight Books’ latest publication is devoted to Final Fantasy VI, specifically Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack and how it contributes to telling the story we adore, but also the history of its appreciation.

Square Enix and Team Ninja of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT and Nioh fame have teamed up to let us re-experience what video games were tonally like back in the late-2000s. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, evidently named by someone who doesn't comprehend the concept of a total mouthful, is said to be a new kind of Final Fantasy title. Instead of a whimsical fantasy adventure, you can reminisce your edgy teenage days with some grim dark action.

Good news! Fans of classic Final Fantasy games can soon look forward to remastered versions of the original six mainline installments in all their wonderful pixel glory. Titled Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, this will be a series of individually sold upscaled versions of Final Fantasies I through VI, including Final Fantasy III, whose 2D version has never received an official western release.

The May Fanfest is upon us, and so is the latest major keynote for this climactic conclusion to the over decade-long saga of Hydaelyn and Zodiark. With Yoshi-P on stage in his best cosplay yet flanked by localisation head Christopher Koji-Fox, they reveal that Endwalker, the MMO's fourth expansion, will launch on 23 November 2021 for Windows PC, Mac, Steam, PS5 and PS4.

Clearly one remake project for Final Fantasy VII isn't enough, said Square Enix. How about a second one - this time for iOS and Android platforms?

Ever Crisis (because there is never a time without a crisis!) is slated to be a single-player chapter-structured narrative RPG that is technically also a remake of the beloved 1997 original but with a few twists.

She's here and she's ready to steal your hard-earned Materia come 10 June.

Announced at Sony's digital State of Play stream, a PlayStation 5 version of last year's Final Fantasy VII will bring to the table a myriad of visual and lighting upgrades, reduced loading times, an expanded photo mode and - of course - playable Yuffie in her own episode.

Here comes the endgame for a saga that started back in late 2010. Endwalker: Final Fantasy XIV is the MMO's fourth expansion and will be the ultimate climactic culmination of over a decade's worth of story covering the struggle between Hydaelyn and Zodiark. Also, we seem to be heading to the Moon, so get in the Lunar Whale and strap in.

Not many mythology-based metaphors possess an impact quite as powerful as the Phoenix rising from the ashes. The imagery of a rebirth following hardship is attractively therapeutic, encapsulated perfectly by the self-engendering mythical bird which upon death is reborn anew.

Final Fantasy’s uses of the Phoenix have typically focused on these qualities of revival. In a way the spirit of the creature has been present with the player throughout the whole franchise. Even when the Phoenix itself does not appear, the common inventory items 'Phoenix Downs' (undercoat feathers) are a permanent staple, literal lifesaver in the franchise and revive fallen characters. The Phoenix entity itself first appears in Final Fantasy V as a summon and has recurred frequently since. It is often depicted as a beautiful fire-bird, usually with peacock-style tail feathers, which can cause fire damage and/or...