To refresh your memory, Square-Enix president Yoichi Wada said in 2010 that they were actively ‘exploring’ the possibility of developing a remake and also exploring the possibility of what platforms to bring the game to.

Since then, we have continued to hear small whispers on the game becoming a reality, but still no official details from the mouths of Square-Enix. Now though, one of the original designers for the game who is now a director, Tetsuya Nomura, has revealed that the company are putting new games first as a priority for the future, rather than thinking of a remake anytime soon.

Interestingly, in a translated interview with Famitsu, he revealed that another priority for the company is to develop new games which can match or even surpass Final Fantasy VII. Obviously, they are a long way off from doing that and Final Fantasy XIII or its sequel certainly hasn’t come close.

It also looks like a Final Fantasy remake will miss a release on current generation consoles and if they take as long as they have done with Final Fantasy Versus XIII than a remake, if there is to be one, will surely end up on the next-generation Sony PS4 and maybe even the next Xbox if Microsoft manage to strike a deal.

There seemed to be a great demand for the game last year, but that has well and truly fizzled out now as the company have enough trouble answering impatient fans on the status of Versus XIII. It’s still the dream that many fans want to believe will happen eventually though, so give us your thoughts on the fact that the FF7 remake is no longer a ‘priority’ for Square-Enix.

Do you agree that we’re more likely to see the game on next-generation consoles now?

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More About: Final Fantasy VII-2, Square-Enix

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We haven’t heard too many details on the game since its unveiling at E3 2011 and now we know why. The game simply isn’t ready and just like we have recently seen for Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider will now skip its intended Fall 2012 release for the first quarter of 2013 instead.

As you probably expected to hear, it’s once again the usual reasons behind the delay as well. Crystal Dynamics are aiming to deliver the ‘highest quality game’ and develop something which is going to be the best they have ever created and something they can be proud of.

While the release date delay is obviously a major downer for those hoping to play it later on this year, there is one bit of positive news to bring you. Square-Enix has released a brand new screenshot of the game and it looks fantastic. There’s a lot of divided opinion on whether this reboot is a good idea or not, but seeing this image in particular should be an indication on how high the bar has been set by Crystal Dynamics.

Gone are the memorable PS1 days of Lara Croft and now we look forward to seeing a new style of gameplay – similar in a way in how the Devil May Cry reboot by Ninja Theory has progressed as well. Take a look at the new image above and give us your thoughts on the delay.

Is it a big blow to you, or are you happy to pick up the game in 2013 instead? Don’t forget that there will be so many other games to keep you busy during the Fall period, you’ll just have to make do without the new look Lara until next year.

More About: Square-Enix, Tomb Raider

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We recently told you how an upcoming Versus XIII reveal was cancelled by Square-Enix without reasonable explanation, and there’s still no indication on what current stage the game is at, or if we can expect the game to release within the new few years.

Thanks to some details picked up by Andria Sang though, Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to get a taste of the upcoming game. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy is due to be released this Summer and it has been confirmed that the game will include the official theme to Final Fantasy Versus XIII called ‘Somnus’.

If you’re not already aware, Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy is a rhythm game in which players will be able to deal damage to enemies, by hitting notes from familiar Final Fantasy games at a precise moment. The beautiful music featured in the franchise is obviously one of the standout highlights for many fans, so from our point of view it is bitterly disappointing to see that this is a Nintendo 3DS title only. A Final Fantasy rhythm game needs to come to the PS Vita as well.

A new demo is currently available for 3DS users and features the tracks Sunleth Waterscape from Final Fantasy XIII and the popular Man with the Machine Gun from one of our favorites – Final Fantasy VIII. We would love to see some Black Mages tracks in there at release, as songs such as Force your way and Those who Fight Further would be a big hit with fans in our opinion.

So there we have it. What an unlikely scenario where the first official taste of Final Fantasy Versus XIII may actually end up coming via a 3DS game. If you have been keeping your eye on this adventurous rhythm game, let us know your initial impressions so far.

More About: final fantasy, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Square-Enix

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Not for the first time, Japanese magazine Famitsu has provided some inside information on the latest Final Fantasy whispers coming out of Japan, and their latest issue contains some rather odd comments from Versus director Tetsusya Nomura.

He has told the magazine that him and the team were ‘almost’ ready to show of the latest build of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, i.e a playable demo of the game, but for reasons unknown which he wasn’t willing to discuss – it appears that even this has been delayed from happening soon. Only until ‘further discussions’ are made is when we will see the situation remedied.

Andria Sang has translated the information from Japanese and they are as confused as we are by the information as well. For a game has almost received as many delays as Duke Nukem Forever, embarrassing as that is, this is not the kind of whispers that Square-Enix want to make public with fans who have been waiting for the game for years. We hope that this is just down to mistranslation and that the game will be shown off soon, but it doesn’t look promising at the moment and it could be a final nail in the coffin for some fans who have given up hope on this after another E3 2011 no show.

What do you make this this folks? As a huge Final Fantasy fan myself, this is definitely not what I wanted to hear for the first tidbit of info surrounding the game in months. Let’s hope Square-Enix has some answers soon.

Where art thou Squaresoft?: The saga surrounding Final Fantasy Versus XIII has become a sorry mistake, further dragging Square-Enix that could once do no wrong as Squaresoft, into the mud. For so little content to be shown for a game that has been in development for six years, there really is no excusing that, especially when you see the company focusing on games like Final Fantasy XIII-2 instead.

Square-Enix know that they are in a bad place at the moment, especially when their CEO openly admits that the initial launch of Final Fantasy XIV was one of the reasons why many consider the company to be a ‘damaged brand‘ right now. With that said and done, we’re optimistic that Final Fantasy Versus XIII is going to be one hell of a game, but come on Square-Enix – get your act together and give us something to get excited about at least.

More About: Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Square-Enix

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When you buy the Sazh: Heads or Tails DLC you will gain access to a fresh new episode of story-mode content. You will play as Sazh Katzroy and battle your way through a quest which runs parallel to the standard campaign. No further details have been divulged yet, but if you’re not clued-up in regards to Sazh you should check out his profile on the Final Fantasy Wikia. He is 43 years old, he stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and he has a distinctive afro. When playing as Sazh you’ll have access to two pistols (known as Vega 42s) and his cold blood skill, hopefully you’ll get your hands on his ultimate weapon – two pistols which are known as the Total Eclipses.

Not only will this DLC ad a new quest to the game but it will also add two new card games to the FFXIII-2 Serendipity casino, these are called Chronobind and Serendipity Poker – we don’t know the rules of these card games yet, therefore we will have to keep you posted.

The Sazh: Heads or Tails DLC costs just 400 Microsoft points when it hits Xbox Live on February 28th, it will cost £2.99/€3.59/$5 when it becomes available on the PlayStation Network on the 29th. As you can see it does come to the Xbox 360 a little earlier, we’re sue PS3 gamers will be pleased to hear that the exclusivity only lasts 24 hours compared to the months of exclusivity we’ve seen with other game DLC.

With less than two-weeks to wait for the Sazh DLC you don’t have long to wait, but we can also reveal that on February 21st new costumes will be available on Xbox Live and a day later for the PS3. There will be a Spacetime Guardian outfit for Noel and Beachwear for Serah, each will cost 240 Microsoft points on Xbox Live or £1.59/€1.99/$3 on the PSN. If you head over to EuroGamer you can see some screens etc, we’ve added an image showing the new costumes below:

Will you buy any of this DLC?

More About: final fantasy, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Square-Enix

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Square-Enix has kept fans guessing on the actual quality of the game ever since a PlayStation 3 and PS Vita version was announced, although producer Yoshinori Kitase had us all fooled into thinking the game would be a remake after recent comments in a German interview.

Now though, Shinji Hashimoto from Square spoke in a recent interview with Taiwanese website GNN Gamer during a Final Fantasy XIII-2 event in the country. When specifically asked if the game would be a full remake or HD upgrade such as the Metal Gear Solid HD Collections, here is what he had to say, as reported from Siliconera:

“It’s being developed as an HD Remaster, but the visuals will be much more beautiful than before. Please look forward to it!”

We hope that his quote is the victim of a bad Japanese translation, but if not it looks likely that the remake idea will never happen. Just how good will the game end up looking though? We were hoping for completely remade visuals from the ground up, but we may be treated to just updated visuals to 720p instead.

The answer will come as soon as we see the first gameplay footage, so it’s too early to overlook the game already. So on the basis that it is just an HD remaster, should gamers have to pay the full price of a PS3 and Vita game for it, or will Square-Enix discount it straight away to make the game more appealing? Then there’s the little matter on if the game will include the International Version as well which featured more content, and if Final Fantasy X-2 will be bundled as well.

If you were really looking forward to this game being a full remake, let us know your thoughts now that it may just turn out to be a remaster. Still buying or not?

More About: final fantasy x, Square-Enix

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We told in a previous report how Final Fantasy XIII-2 contains multiple endings, one of which suggests that the story does not come to an complete ending. At the time, we also mentioned about how the story could be expanded via paid-for DLC content, and now it looks like this could well turn out to be a possibility, albeit a controversial one.

Motomu Toriyama, the director for the game was asked to clarify what the ‘to be continued’ message means, at a recent event in Taipei, and according to a report from Andria Sang, the message refers to the multiple endings featured in the games, but also and more crucially – that Square-Enix has plans to continue the story via DLC.

While we’re a fan of seeing multiple endings in video game, ever since Silent Hill on the PS1, we’re not sure if making gamers pay for this content would be such a good idea. The idea of DLC for a Final Fantasy game is bad enough for some fans, but making gamers spend more cash just to see the core storyline come to a conclusion could push some over the edge.

Don’t forget though, comments can often be misunderstood when taken from Japan, so don’t get too disheartened just yet. DLC is definitely coming though, so that’s one aspect that you’ll have to contend with. Coliseum battles for Lightning will be arriving this week, so let us know if you intend to pick this up straight away, or if you are totally against the idea of having DLC for the game.

More About: final fantasy xiii-3, Square-Enix

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Both games are brand new on the market these week and obviously both are at opposite ends of the genre spectrum. We have Final Fantasy XIII-2, the follow-up sequel to the infamous FFXIII and Soul Calibur V, the latest offering from Namco Bandai before they start work on Tekken X Street Fighter.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 has received some decent reviews since going on sale and according to critics, the game definitely makes up for the failures seen in FFXIII. If you are interested in picking up a copy for either the Xbox 360 or PS3, then you’ll probably want to choose Amazon since the online retailer is currently offering a few goodies upon purchase.

If you head to their online listing here, you’ll see that a $60 order will grant you a $20 gift card for your next purchase, while they are also throwing in a digital mini-strategy guide as well, free delivery comes as standard. Alternatively, you may want to browse upon Neweggs’ offer for the game as they are selling FFXIII-2 with an instant discounted price of $49.99 which definitely isn’t bad either. Similarly, Newegg are also offering the exact same deal for Soul Calibur V as well, so if instant cash discount is what you’re after and don’t want to have to buy a second item at Amazon, then Newegg may be more appealing to you – you’ll find the promo codes for the discounts here.

As you have probably guessed, this deal is for US consumers only. If you have spotted any similar deals in the UK or other regions, be sure to leave us a comment below with your best finds. For those hardcore gamers out there who already own both – would you recommend both titles to others or would you rather send out a stark warning to save their cash?

More About: Final Fantasy XIII-2, Square-Enix

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We have told you about this DLC landing for the game in a previous article here, but now we know that the DLC will be officially titled ‘Lightning & Amodar’. It will be available to download on the Xbox 360 on February 7th, while PlayStation 3 users will find the content on the PS Store a day later on February 8th, as reported from Eurogamer.

For those of you wondering how much this content will cost, there’s no PS3 price for the US yet, but Square-Enix has confirmed that the content will be 240 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 and ¥300 for Japanese gamers. As we mentioned last week, this content will bring colliseum battles to FFXIII-2 and defeating the likes of Lightning and other opponents will allow you to recruit them in your party for future battles.

It looks like DLC is going to be frequent for the game, as when confirming details for the Lightning & Amodar pack, the developer also revealed that story-based DLC for Lightning will become available later on in the year, but specific details haven’t been released yet – definitely something to look forward to. This also seems to tie in with another report we wrote suggesting that the Final Fantasy XIII-2 main storyline isn’t finished after players are greeted with a ‘to be continued’ sign. Perhaps this story-based Lightning DLC will prolong the story even further, but at what cost remains to be seen.

We’re still getting our heads around the fact that a Final Fantasy game will feature so much post-release DLC. We prefer having everything on the disc, but then again if the content is deemed good value, then why shouldn’t fans welcome it with open arms? Give us your thoughts on the ongoing DLC debate for FFXIII-2.

More About: Final Fantasy XIII-2, Square-Enix

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There is a word of warning for all of you intending to pick up Final Fantasy XIII-2 as the following information we’re about to share with you can probably be deemed as spoilers.

An article published by GameInformer reveals that towards the end of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the game contains multiple endings but there doesn’t appear to be a definitive conclusion to the game, regardless of what ending you choose. According to them, players will be met with a ‘to be continued’ sign at the end of the game, which is obviously a strong indication that Square-Enix are planning another sequel.

Here’s a portion of text from GameInformer’s article: ”After the credits, I sat in disbelief, wondering if I had done something wrong or somehow missed the true ending. I didn’t. Square Enix intentionally left the story incomplete. The announcement of Final Fantasy XIII-3 is inevitable.”

Now there is one particularly interesting outcome that could arise from this new cliffhanger. Last week we told you how Square-Enix were planning to add much more DLC to the game, some of which could even be story-based. Could we see a possibility that the main-storyline of the game is prolonged by purchasing DLC – surely Square-Enix wouldn’t do that to their fans right?

That will be a bold move if that does happen, but we predict that another game is a lot more likely. Will we see a Final Fantasy XIII-3 on current consoles though, or will Square-Enix save it for next generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft? Give us your thoughts on FFXIII-2 being cut short and whether it affects your decision on purchasing the game or not.

More About: Final Fantasy XIII-2, Square-Enix

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