Blog Archives

Square Enix to Launch an Indie Game Funding & Publishing Platform

In case you thought that Steam Greenlight, The Humble Store, Desura, Kickstarter and IndieGoGo weren’t enough platforms for indie game developers to get their game to the masses, Square Enix is throwing their hat into the ring. The Japanese publisher has announced that they are launching their own platform to fund and distribute indie games called Square Enix Collective.

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Games

1 Comment

Tags: Collective, Crowdfunding, Indie, Square Enix

Square Enix’s Lightning Returns Redesign Doesn’t Help Gaming’s Sexist Reputation

Jul 29

Posted by Steve Murray

A pair of reports from Square Enix’s Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Premium Event say that the game’s design team were more than willing to talk about some of the redesign work on main character Lightning. Unfortunately, the work Square Enix has put into Lightning ahead of her big solo game wasn’t on character development but on her chest size.

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Games

2 Comments

Tags: FF13, Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Sexism in Gaming, Square Enix

Square Shows Off the HD Improvements in Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

You know, I was really excited for Square Enix’s upcoming re-release of Final Fantasy X and X-2. Shockingly, they stand as the only two FF games I’ve played to completion even though they aren’t my favourite FF games. (FFIX FTW!)

This week, SquEnix released a comparison video of the original SD version of FFX for the PS2 and the updated HD Remaster. I have to say, apart from some updated textures, smoothing and colour brightening, there doesn’t seem to be much remastered.

I wasn’t expecting the game to be completely rebuilt in FFXIII’s engine but a little work on those character models wouldn’t have hurt. Just look at the hair and outfits. That was good 12 years ago but I supposed quick cash-ins on classic games is what happens when console manufacturers kill backwards compatibility. Tidus still looks likes he’s pawing at thin air rather than touching Yuna. At least the environments look relatively okay. Maybe it gets better in action.

Anyway, here’s that comparison video.

Posted on July 12, 2013 | Video

Building (Critical) Consensus: Deus Ex: The Fall

Jul 12

Posted by Steve Murray

All the rumours swirling about a Deus Ex sequel got everyone excited… right until the moment that we found out that Deus Ex: The Fall wasn’t a big triple-A release or even the rumoured Deus Ex movie. No, Deus Ex: The Fall is the first move of the famed franchise into the mobile gaming space. Until XCOM: Enemy Unknown and KOTOR came out on iOS, I assumed that mobile was a wasteland for core gamers but it turns out that there’s hope.

While Deus Ex doesn’t live up to the standards for an iOS game set by XCOM, it’s not an epic failure like Square’s last major mobile release, Final Fantasy: All the ~~Money~~ Bravest. While the combat might have been a bit lost in translation, the multiple approaches to a level of the proper Deus Ex games are still there. Overall, the critics are well and truly mixed on this one.

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Games

Rumour: Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD is Getting a New Ending

Jul 8

Posted by Steve Murray

Were you unhappy with the original 100% completion ending of Final Fantasy X-2? Well, you’re in luck because the upcoming HD remastered version will have a brand new ending scene following the credits.

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Games

Building (Critical) Consensus: Tomb Raider

Mar 5

Posted by Steve Murray

Lara Croft is back and rebooted in the new Tomb Raider. While the title may not be original, it’s still better than that last reboot we saw called Devil May Cry: Devil May Cry. Also, it seems that Tomb Raider overall was better than DMC: DMC. Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix were so confident in their game that the review embargo for the game ended eight days before its release. It turns out that they gambled correctly on this one. Read the rest of this entry →