Final Fantasy XVI Will Feature Chocobos + Moogles

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November 4, 2022

As Final Fantasy XVI gets closer and closer towards its intended launch date, the development team have started to share more information about what players might expect from the final product. In the latest blast of information, this saw numerous nuggets revealed, with one of the more intriguing (for long-term fans at least) was confirmation that both Moogles and Chocobos will appear.

The confirmation came via an interview IGN were conducting with Kazutoyo Maehiro, who serves as the Creative Director on Final Fantasy XVI, while also being responsible for the Original Screenplay.

In response to a question whether recurring Final Fantasy mascots would appear within Final Fantasy XVI, Maehiro share that “Chocobos and Moogles will appear in Final Fantasy XVI. They each have their own role, responsible for certain features and parts of the game.”

However, Maehiro was keen to stress that they may not appear in the same manner as in previous appearances, where they have been quite “cutesy” in nature. They will instead be adapted to match the more mature tone seen within Final Fantasy XVI.

Final Fantasy XVI is quite serious in tone, so we’ve not gone out of our way to include anything overly comical or things that don’t fit clearly into an ecosystem
Kazutoyo Maehiro, IGN 2022

In addition to the inclusion of Moogles, Chocobos and other mascots such as Bombs and Morbols, Maehiro also revealed that Final Fantasy XVI will share numerous homages back to previous games. Some will be more akin to Final Fantasy XVI Easter Eggs, but there will also be allusions that will be noticeable to players with a keen eye, with some relating to naming conventions.

Final Fantasy XVI recently had a brand new trailer called “Ambition” released to showcase more of the world in which the game will take place. It is still scheduled to release “Summer 2023” as a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

Ever Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 Could Be Delayed Until 2023

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Darryl

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November 1, 2022

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Having previously been assigned a 2022 release window, it now looks as though Ever Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, the latest mobile-exclusive offering relating to Final Fantasy 7, will be pushed back to 2023.

Ever Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 was announced alongside Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier towards the start of 2021 and at that time, there was a general sense of intrigue. In many ways, it was the type of Remake fans had wanted, as it would modernise Final Fantasy 7, retaining the turn-based format that was so popular back when the original game released. Beyond that, it was also said to include wider parts of the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7, allowing gamers in the West their first chance to experience Before Crisis, with Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus also said to be incorporated.

Back when it was announced, Square Enix had stated that Ever Crisis was set to release at some point during 2022.

Ever Crisis was also shown off as part of the Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary Broadcast, where the 2022 release date was resurfaced. It came after Square Enix used the opportunity to show off new glimpses of gameplay, new characters and hinted at the new backstory that will be included relating to Sephiroth. The 2022 date was then shown in reference to there being a Closed Beta.

The President of CyberAgent, the parent company of Applibot (developers of Ever Crisis), also shared in September that Ever Crisis was still planned to release in 2022.

According to the president of CyberAgent, Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is scheduled to be released by the end of September 2022! #FF7 https://t.co/IAg2j8EOiJ pic.twitter.com/3hybhTs7S6
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) May 10, 2022

These were all promising signs, but during Square Enix’s recent Annual Report they purposely removed the proposed release window for Ever Crisis, despite keeping all the other release windows associated with upcoming Final Fantasy games. And this suggests that even though they had planned for a long time to release Ever Crisis during 2022, it may now shift to 2023 – perhaps to give Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core Reunion some breathing room, as that’s due to release mid-December 2022.

As we’re now in November, it does not leave too much time to communicate any future activities, and with The First Soldier also being terminated, it also feels like a difficult time to be talking about the launch of another game, with that disappointment so fresh in the memory.

Still, time will tell. There are two months remaining and Square Enix could choose to shadow-drop the Closed Beta like they just shadow-dropped the latest Final Fantasy XVI trailer!

How To Unlock the Blue Mage in Stranger of Paradise

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Chris

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October 28, 2022

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How To Unlock the Blue Mage in Stranger of Paradise

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin adds an iconic class in its second DLC, “Wanderer of the Rift.” Here’s how you can use your enemies’ attacks against them.

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The Complete List of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Characters

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Darryl

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October 18, 2022

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Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII released over a decade ago, but it’s cast of characters one rather stellar, and with a new version on the way, what better place to also showcase Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion characters.

What made the roster of Crisis Core characters quite unique, was that Zack Fair was the only playable character, but there were plenty of supporting characters, some of which were inherited from Final Fantasy VII, and some of which were original to Crisis Core.

Crisis Core Main Character

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 was created as a single-player experience, with a sole focus around Zack Fair as the playable character. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of other important characters featured, with the likes of Sephiroth and Cloud Strife also appearing, but none of them were playable except Zack.

Zack Fair

Primary Crisis Core Antagonist

Although Crisis Core featured numerous villains, some of which saw their allegiances switch as the narrative progressed, Genesis Rhapsodos served as the main villain throughout the experience.

Genesis Rhapsodos

Supporting Cast

Within the support cast of Crisis Core characters, many, such as Aerith Gainsborough, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart and Sephiroth, were household names. But there were also some interesting original characters created, such as Angeal, Cissnei and Minerva.

Aerith Gainsborough
Cloud Strife
Lazard Deusericus
Tifa Lockhart

Angeal Hewley
Professor Hojo
Minerva (Superboss)
Tseng

Cissnei
Dr. Hollander
Sephiroth
Yuffie Kisaragi

Other Characters

Being a handheld game, Crisis Core featured a smaller array of “Other Characters” who have limited involvement with the story or have cameo appearances, but there was a good mix of original and existing characters present throughout.

Cait Sith
Gillian Hewley
Luxiere
Rude
Weiss the Immaculate

Don Corneo
Joe
Nero the Sable
Rufus Shinra

Dio
Kunsel
Reno
Vincent Valentine

Cissnei | Crisis Core (Reunion) Character Guide

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Darryl

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October 13, 2022

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When Crisis Core launched back in 2007, it was fantastic for exploring expanded the lore of existing characters, characters like Cissnei.

Even though Cissnei was an original character for Western audiences, she had already featured within the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 thanks to an appearance within Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7. At this point she was known as Shuriken (Female), a member of The Turks who appeared within Episode 18.

It’s unclear why the development team decided to elevate the role of Shuriken (Female) when working on Crisis Core, as none of the other playable characters were given the same treatment, but this decision would end up being a positive one.

Within Crisis Core, as a member of The Turks, Cissnei became part of the supporting cast. This would also see Cissnei form a strong friendship with Zack Fair that would carry through much of the game, with her being integrated into the Digital Mind Wave gameplay mechanic.

There are, however, plenty of questions that arose following the appearance of Cissnei, including…

What Is Cissnei’s Real Name?

One of the more curious elements about Cissnei, relates to her name. As mentioned, within Before Crisis, Cissnei was known as Shuriken (Female), and for long periods of Crisis Core it was believed that Cissnei was her real name, as it wasn’t too dissimilar to other names like Tseng, Reno or Rude. However, Cissnei revealed to Zack Fair that Cissnei was only a codename and towards the game’s conclusion, she vowed to try and find Zack so that she could tell him her real name. As that did not happen, fans were left wondering what Cissnei’s real name actually was.

To this date, that question has not been answered – Cissnei’s real name has never been revealed.

What Happens To Cissnei After Crisis Core?

As Crisis Core drew to its conclusion, Cissnei, along with the rest of The Turks was desperately trying to find Zack Fair before the Shinra Infantry. This was an endeavour that ultimately failed, with Cissnei watching on. But while Reno, Rude and Tseng would feature within Final Fantasy 7, within the original game Elena served as their new supporting ally and Cissnei was nowhere to be seen.

There is no official record of what happened to Cissnei after this event, but it can be assumed that she either went into hiding along with other members of The Turks, or that she was sent out on assignment to somewhere else in the world and her path did not cross with Cloud and the other playable members of the cast.

Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier To Terminate Service

By

Darryl

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October 12, 2022

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Square Enix has announced via Twitter and its official website that Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier will have its service terminated on the 11th of January, 2023 at 07:00 UTC.

The First Soldier was announced towards the start of 2021 and then launched on the 17th November, 2021 after a series of closed testing and although there were some initial hiccups with players being unable to access the server, reviews were strong. However, despite their best efforts, The First Soldier struggled to establish a solid player base.

[End of Service Notice]

We are regretful to announce that we will be ending service for FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER at 07:00 UTC on January 11, 2023.

We would like to thank you all for all your support over the past year.https://t.co/XvNOVv2EVs #FF7FS pic.twitter.com/aNVI4iHle4
— FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER_EN｜FF7FS (@FFVII_FS_EN) October 12, 2022

Ateam, the developers working on the project, attempted numerous promotions to try and encourage players to join and to incentivise existing players to continue playing; the game even managed to get to its fourth competitive season. But Square Enix has taken the decision to cancel the game regardless.

In their statement to players, Ateam noted that they “haven’t been able to deliver the experience that were were hoping to, and that you all deserve.” They will, however, continue to make updates until the service is terminated, for those who enjoyed the game and wanted to continue investing their time.

Is Crisis Core Reunion A Remake?

By

Darryl

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October 10, 2022

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Ever since Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion was announced in June 2022 during the Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary livestream, there has been much debate around whether it’s Crisis Core HDRemaster, or Crisis Core Remake.

The truth is that it’s somewhere in-between.

From what has been revealed so far, we know that Crisis Core Reunion, which is releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, will feature a whole host of assets that have either been remade or created fresh from scratch. These include character models, lightning, voice acting, the soundtrack and the gameplay. However, we also know that at its core, Crisis Core Reunion will be the same game, so this means that all cutscenes will have the same animations (albeit with the aforementioned new character models and voice acting) and the story will play out in the extra same fashion.

What Have The Creators Said… Remaster or Remake?

To further add to the confusion, senior figures working on Crisis Core Reunion have toed the line, saying the game sits somewhere between being a Remaster and a Remake.

When speaking with Italian publication Evereye, Tetsuya Nomura, who is serving as the Creative Producer on Crisis Core Reunion said: “We had mixed feelings on it, as we weren’t sure about the best way to describe the project. At one point there was also a discussion about calling it a ‘remake’ or a ‘remaster’. I think the product is more close to the definition of a remaster, as the story wasn’t changed at all and it’s always the same game.

Nomura continued, however, by saying that “On the technical side, however, the graphics have been completely renewed, the models have been remade from scratch, many scenes that in the original were only subtitled are now dubbed, and also the combat system has been updated. We are still uncertain on the term that better describes the game, which is the reason why we used ‘reunion’. It’s really complicated, as it’s much more than a remaster, but at the same time is not a complete remake.”

It’s much more than a remaster, but at the same time is not a complete remake.
Tetsuya Nomura, Aug 2022 (via Everyeye)

In short, there are parts of Crisis Core Reunion that can easily be used to classify it as a Crisis Core Remaster, whereas other parts (more on the technical side) can be used to classify it as a Crisis Core Remake.

Either way, when Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion releases in December 2022, we’ll be able to see for ourselves just how much each of these areas contribute to this new vision of the classic game that launched over a decade ago on the PlayStation Portable.

Final Fantasy Union 261: The State of Final Fantasy In 2022

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Darryl

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January 11, 2022

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It’s a new year and it promises to be a busy one for the Final Fantasy franchise!

Alongside discussing the various games that should either be released this year, or will have more information revealed (e.g. Final Fantasy XVI), Lauren and Darryl talk about the current state of Final Fantasy and Square Enix in general as they look forward to the year ahead.

There’s also a bittersweet announcement at the end of the show.

Final Fantasy Union 260: The Legacy of the Crystal Tell All

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Darryl

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December 13, 2021

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The Legacy of the Crystal has been a huge undertaking and in this episode, Darryl tells all!

That means there’s a huge apology and explanation about the recent podcast absences, a long history about how the book came to be and a discussion about how the campaign has gone so far!

Thank you all for your support

New Endwalker Trailer Parties Square Enix Up With Sia

By

Chris

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December 2, 2021

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Square Enix Parties Up With Sia for New Endwalker Trailer

It’s Endwalker eve and while Final Fantasy XIV‘s servers are down for maintenance, Square Enix has released a new trailer featuring a rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon” by Sia.

Continue

Final FantasyUnion

Final FantasyUnion

Final Fantasy XVI Will Feature Chocobos + Moogles

Ever Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 Could Be Delayed Until 2023

How To Unlock the Blue Mage in Stranger of Paradise

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin adds an iconic class in its second DLC, “Wanderer of the Rift.” Here’s how you can use your enemies’ attacks against them.

The Complete List of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Characters

Crisis Core Main Character

Primary Crisis Core Antagonist

Supporting Cast

Other Characters

Cissnei | Crisis Core (Reunion) Character Guide

What Is Cissnei’s Real Name?

What Happens To Cissnei After Crisis Core?

Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier To Terminate Service

Is Crisis Core Reunion A Remake?

What Have The Creators Said… Remaster or Remake?

Final Fantasy Union 261: The State of Final Fantasy In 2022

Final Fantasy Union 260: The Legacy of the Crystal Tell All

New Endwalker Trailer Parties Square Enix Up With Sia

It’s Endwalker eve and while Final Fantasy XIV‘s servers are down for maintenance, Square Enix has released a new trailer featuring a rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon” by Sia.

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