LOS ANGELES – February 22, 2024 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, has launched a new game update for its blockbuster mobile RPGMARVEL Future Fight. Agents can experience a variety of content that is based on the Annihilators, a powerful team of cosmic superheroes, featuring new characters, uniforms, character-tier upgrades, Tier-4 Upgrade Support Missions updates and more.
Two new characters are now available: Quasar (Wendell Vaughn) and Ikon as well as new uniforms for Beta Ray Bill and Gladiator. Character tier upgrades have been added for Beta Ray Bill (Tier-4 with new Striker Skill) and Gladiator (Tier-4 with new Ultimate and Striker Skills). Additionally, Awakened Skills have been added to heroes Quasar (Wendell Vaughn) and Ikon.
As part of this new update, agents can enter the Progressive Missions to obtain bonus effects, such as an increase in acquiring growth materials, by completing certain missions. The bonus effect will be activated by checking in the game on the next day. Tier-4 Upgrade Support Missions has been updated that enables agents to quickly upgrade their heroes to Tier-4. Guardians of the Galaxy is now available in the Team-Up Collection as well.
New agents can participate in a Check-In Event that offers the opportunity to obtain a maximum of four heroes (Tier-3 or Potential Transcended heroes) and two Comics Cards with increased Pierce Damage effect. These items can be obtained by checking in the game every day.
MARVEL Future Fight has over 150 million players across the world with the game currently available worldwide in theApp Store® and Google Play™.
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found athttp://company.netmarble.com.
About Marvel
Marvel is one of the world’s most prominent entertainment brands, built on an unparalleled library of iconic characters and stories that have shaped pop culture for 85 years. The Marvel brand spans entertainment, including film, television, publishing, licensing, games, live events, digital media, and more.
App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.
Feb 23, 2024: Dead Island 2 is now out on Xbox Game Pass!
Developed by Dambuster Studios – and published by PLAION on the Deep Silver label – this visceral action RPG will see you battling zombies in a hellish rendition of Los Angeles (or HELL-A, as we like to call it).
The city’s in quarantine – thanks to a deadly virus – and it’s down to the somehow immune slayers to embark on an epic pulp journey across a plethora of well-known locations such as Beverly Hills, Venice Beach and Santa Monica to uncover the truth behind the outbreak and who or what they are turned into, meeting a crazy cast of characters in the process.
Prepare to slay a multitude of distinct zombie types, each with their own mutations, attacks and LA-themed variations.
Thanks to Dambuster’s F.L.E.S.H. (Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids) system – which makes dismemberment gloriously gory – killing zombies has never been so spectacular.
And armed with a wide range of weapons, mods and skills to craft and equip, players can personalise their characters in the style they see fit.
If that’s not enough, you can share the fun with your mates with up to three player coop mode and see which of them makes the cut.
About PLAION
PLAION is a dynamic and diversified business in the global entertainment sector, masterfully crafting franchises that captivate audiences worldwide. Boasting a vast network of eight game development studios, sixteen regional publishing offices, three game publishing labels including Deep Silver, and PLAION PICTURES as an independent film publisher and distributor, the company extends its influence with merchandise production and expansive distribution capabilities across the globe.
Founded nearly three decades ago, PLAION has firmly established itself within the entertainment arena. With a diverse range of services and solutions, PLAION stands as the premier publishing partner for console and PC games across both physical and digital channels. Moreover, its strong foothold in the Virtual Reality (VR) domain highlights the company’s commitment to varied gaming experiences.
PLAION is an Embracer Group company.
About Deep Silver
Deep Silver is PLAION’s flagship publishing label, and the home of captivating gaming worlds from the gripping post-apocalypse of Metro, to the twisted paradises of Dead Island to the authentic Medieval landscapes of Kingdom Come Deliverance.
Manufacturer metal monsters on Nintendo Switch and the Epic Game Store
SHANGHAI, China – Feb. 22, 2024 –Metal Mind, the roguelike dungeon crawling mech shooter from developer WHIRLLAXY LIMITED and publisher 2P Games, scavenges for new parts on March 7, 2024, on Nintendo Switch and PC via the Epic Games Store.
Fight for freedom as a self-aware mech droid and liberate fellow imprisoned robotic companions. Foil the plans of the dastardly AWC, an organization of politicians, scientists, engineers, and secret agents, all aiming to rid robots of sentience and enslave them. Traverse the massive AWC Labs across four dystopian maps and bring down the corrupt corporation.
Build powerful mecha with a highly customizable transformation system. Choose from over 100 weapons from flaming chainsaws to 130mm naval artillery, and select core component mods to tweak firing rate, heat dissipation, armor, and more. Manufacture an unstoppable metal beast to crush opposing mechanical foes and eight distinct bosses with unparalleled power.
Combine a catalog of diverse equipment to fit each mech user’s preferred playstyle. Charge through enemies with high-energy blades for close combat, fire cannons in devastating turret form for ranged attacks, or swiftly dodge around the map while wielding laser cannons with splash damage. Experience hours of replayability with a dynamic modification system and discover synergistic builds, making each playthrough fresh.
“Metal Mind merges randomization and customization together into a distinct roguelite mecha experience,” said Joash Zhou, Founder of WHIRLLAXY LIMITED. “Mecha lovers across the Nintendo Switch and Epic Games Store platforms will find a lot to love in our game!”
Metal Mind will be available Thursday, March 7, 2024, on Nintendo Switch and PC via Epic Games for $17.99 USD with a 15% launch discount. The game is currently available in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese and German. To learn more, follow 2P Games on Twitter and Discord.
About 2P Games
2P Games was founded in China by a small team of experts from the Asian games industry with a decade of professional experience. They are behind the release of successful indie gems like Immortal Life, Return from Core, and Time Walker: Dark World.
About WHIRLLAXY LIMITED
WHIRLLAXY LIMITED is a game developer based in Shanghai, China. The small team has invested efforts into their flagship title Metal Mind, finally releasing on Nintendo Switch and Epic Games with plans for continued support.
Demo available now; Nintendo Switch version planned with full release in 2025
SEATTLE – Feb. 22, 2024 –Azoove, the co-op roguelite card game about surviving a journey through cursed desert dunes from developer Timeless Toucan, cooperatively shuffles cards and consequential conversations on Windows, Mac, and Linux (compatible with Steam Deck) via Steam Early Access Thursday, March 14, 2024.
Play a demo now on Steam with a Nintendo Switch launch set to arrive alongside version 1.0 on Steam in 2025.
Return the book to the library together, or face damnation. Collaborate with a partner in online co-op on a trek to end a calamitous curse, managing health, resources and mental composure. Face new disasters each day, and luck of the draw may not be in the pair’s favor, but new Opportunities and intelligent collaboration will save the day.
Start each day with a hand of numbered cards that grant Action Points. Choose which Opportunity cards to share and play, but beware, as the adventurers cannot communicate with each other – and like the tabletop games that inspired Azoove, this rule should be followed. Make insightful deductions and intuit which Opportunities to share.
Each of the four heroes boasts unique Hero Powers converting leftover Action Points into helpful boons. Call upon Sage’s ability to conjure rations, Oriana’s powerful meditation that can add crucial action points, Rin’s group healing, and Auri’s ability to reduce despair. Use Action Points wisely, as they do not carry over to the next day.
Play through multiple difficulties with a friend, or practice with an AI partner. Earn points from each playthrough, building up a deck to help with future runs, with multiple difficulty levels available for replay value.
“Each run players face different challenges, especially as the difficulty ramps up. It is fascinating to see how plays and moments emerge when two players are vying for survival” said Daniel Milo, founder of Timeless Toucan. “We’re eagerly awaiting the chance to observe how people respond to social situations where hard calls must be made with imperfect information – it really leads to some interesting storylines.”
Azoove launches on Thursday, March 14, 2024 for Windows, Mac, and Linux (with Steam Deck compatibility) via Steam, with a demo available now, and Nintendo Switch version planned with full release. For more information, join Azoove’s Discord, follow Timeless Toucan on Twitter and visit the game’s official website.
About Timeless Toucan
Timeless Toucan is a Seattle-based game developer that prioritizes the togetherness games can bring to players. Comprised of industry veterans, they aspire to build timelessness into their games with a focus on collaborative and accessible complexity to highlight the educational and relationship-building aspects of games in a positive light.
TOKYO – Feb 22, 2024 –Nyaaaanvy, the physics-based 3D catplatform fighter starring kitten combatants from publisher Phoenixx and developer Team DigitalMind, launches on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch today.
Fight as cute catlike creatures called “Nyanvy” as they wiggle and smack each other off ludicrous stages in physics-based combat. Engage in paw-to-paw battles to wear opponents down – the more damage they take, the farther they fly – then fling these fiendish furballs offstage. Remain the last cat standing across a variety of absurd arenas.
Pounce at enemies on top of a moving bus, across moving conveyor belts, or bouncing around in an old-school jungle gym. Deftly maneuver around obstacles while scooping up items, including randomly-appearing tuna cans for health and power boosts.
String together the perfect combo with directional attacks, knocking foes into obstacles to whisk them away. Unleash side-to-side attacks, launch enemies upward, or jump then strike for a powerful downward pounce. Practice combos before the catfight by warming up in the pre-game training area to hone movement and offensive skills ahead of time.
Create a ferocious fighter and climb the ranks of arcade mode, or fight endless waves of kitties in survival mode. Face off against a clutter of friends in 4-player local multiplayer, and up the ante in both six-playter skirmishes and one-on-one rating matches in online mode.
Curate the coolest cat on the block with a plethora of appearance options including fur color choices, body patterns, eye colors, and whisker types. Then, add the purr-fect touch of pizzazz with accessories like bows, mustaches, top hats, eye patches and more.
“Today is National Cat Day in Japan, and we wanted to celebrate it by releasing Nyaaaanvy!” said RRR, member of Team DigitalMind. “Just like cats, physics-based fighters are known for their unpredictability, so we look forward to both surprising and delighting players with Nyaaaanvy.”
Nyaaaanvy is out now on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch with language options in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese. For more information, follow Phoenixx on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Phoenixx
Established in 2019 by industry veterans, Phoenixx aims to support innovative and creative developers from Japan and around the world. Its mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one creator, one game, and one community at a time.
As announced yesterday, Obsidian Entertainment’s critically acclaimed narrative adventure Pentiment is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Available as a digital download for $19.99 USD, Pentiment is a truly unique title featuring a striking visual style inspired by history itself. Its initial release earned multiple perfect review scores and accolades including Best Narrative award at the GDC Awards 2023 among several other industry nominations in areas such as art, innovation, writing, and game of the year.
In Pentiment, players step into a living illustrated world inspired by illuminated manuscripts and printed woodcuts in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the 16th Century Bavarian Alps. Choices and consequences will play out over a generation, spanning a 25-year period in the small community.
If you’re interested in learning more about Pentiment and the works that inspired it – from the conflict between states and religious beliefs in the early modern period to the life of medieval peasants – check out this list of list of supplemental reading materials personally recommended by Game Director Josh Sawyer on Xbox Wire. While Pentiment is a work of historical fiction, these books can give curious players insight into the tumultuous time of transition that inspired it.
Additionally, Obsidian is partnering with Limited Run Games on a limited edition physical print run of the game. Pre-orders for physical copies are available for a limited time for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch starting today, February 23 (AEDT), through March 24 (PT) with more information at https://limitedrungames.com/collections/pentiment.
For more information on Pentiment, head to https://www.obsidian.net/games/pentiment.Pentiment is available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC, Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 for $19.99 USD. It is also available with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
Techland refreshes its flagship game with a massive Firearms Update, including free Bloody Ties DLC for the ultimate zombie experience
Wrocław, Poland – 22 Feb. 2024 – It has been two years since Techland’s zombie extravaganza welcomed the first players in the post-apocalyptic city of Villedor. The game is constantly getting improved and refined, in line with the studio’s promise of 5 years of post-release support. With a dozen updates released that significantly upgrade the gameplay experience, the latest one brings the long-awaited firearms feature. Techland invites players to dive into the refreshed gameplay to see what’s changed – and what’s terrifyingly familiar.
The new Reloaded Edition offers the ultimate zombie experience to those who dabbled with Dying Light in the past and newcomers alike. It includes all previous updates, including the most recent Firearms Update, plus Bloody Ties DLC. The current owners of the Standard Edition will get upgraded for free.
The Firearms Update is the biggest content update the game has seen so far. The possibility of being able to shoot enemies has been much-requested by the community, and adds a brand new dimension to the beloved zombie game. It is important to note that firearms are an enhancement rather than a complete change of genre – they open new possibilities without altering the game’s DNA.
There are also many other excellent additions included in the update, such as co-op survivor missions, board quests, and various notable visual enhancements. The narrative itself gets enriched with the return of some scene-stealing characters from the first Dying Light game.
PC players will have the great opportunity to experience Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition in all its glory during theFree Weekend on Steam, between today, 22 Feb. and Monday, 26 Feb. The game’s progression will carry over for those who choose to purchase the game at a later date. Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition will also be available for 50% off on PC and consoles.
On top of all that, the community will be able to celebrate the Dying Light 2 Stay Human Second Anniversary event. Lasting from today, 22 Feb. at 3 am PT / 6 am ET / 11 am GMT, until Thursday, 7 March at 3 am PT / 6 am ET / 11 am GMT, the festivities will be marked by a series of special Bounties available via the Pilgrim Outpost as well as other in-game surprises. Watch the trailer to see the full scope of what’s in store.
To help us create unforgettable experiences for all Dying Light 2 Stay Human players, we invite them to join the conversation on Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube – we’ll be waiting!
For more information about Dying Light 2 Stay Human and Techland, head to www.dyinglight2.com
About Techland
Techland is one of the biggest and best-known Polish game developers with studios in Wroclaw and Warsaw. For over 30 years, we’ve carried a tradition of providing gamers with unforgettable experiences. We’re an international team of over 400 highly-skilled professionals driven by a passion for gaming, always striving for the best quality.
We’re fueled by the support of our global community built on the foundation of successful AAA franchises such as Call of Juarez, Dead Island, or Dying Light. The gamers’ trust in our games has resulted in our newest project, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, selling more than 5 million copies across all platforms within the first month after release.
On top of continuously growing the world of Dying Light through a robust post- launch support plan for Dying Light 2 Stay Human, we’re also working on an unannounced AAA Open World Action RPG set in a brand new fantasy universe; our biggest project to date.
Techland’s mission strictly determines every aspect of our work: we want to create unforgettable experiences.
LOS ANGELES, CA – February 22, 2024 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, has launched a new update for SEVEN KNIGHTS IDLE ADVENTURE, introducing the Pet Ranch, as well as welcoming new Legendary Hero Four Lords of Old Yeonhee, among other content updates.
The Four Lords of Old Yeonhee is a Ranged hero who brings her team’s overall firepower to the next level. Her active skill Eternal Slumber of Doom deals massive damage over a wide area, with a chance to grant two different special status effects – Eternal Slumber, and a debuff, Half Asleep. Eternal Slumber, a powered up version of the sleep debuff, cannot be removed even if the unit is damaged. Meanwhile, Half Asleep increases final damage taken on critical hits.
The new Pet Ranch mode is now available. Players are able to leave their pets in the ranch’s care to earn Star Shards as rewards over time. Star Shards can be used to power up a player’s Blessing level.
Additional new content includes the Legendary hero Kwonho, the introduction of stages 10,401 to 11,200, and Elke’s Cauldron where players can combine items such as dishes or potions to obtain rewards. Upon completing the Special Dungeon Ifrit, players can obtain Legendary Hero Summon Tickets and Legendary Pet Summon Tickets. This update also adds May’s Postal Service, a newbie-friendly service allowing them to clear stages in a quick manner.
To celebrating the arrival of Yeonhee, the following events are now available through March 6:
Rate-Up Summon Event: Offers an increased chance to summon Yeonhee and Ingrid.
Spring Picnic Carnival Event: Players will have the opportunity to obtain Legendary hero Diaochan as well as various in-game currencies.
Based on their flagship franchise and the successor to the original Seven Knights game, SEVEN KNIGHTS IDLE ADVENTUREhas been reimagined as an idle RPG. Developed with low capacity and low specification devices in mind with a guiding principle of easy playability, players will experience an expanded storyline with previously untold episodes of the original Seven Knights heroes. Collect and nurture returning fan-favorites who have been reborn as cute SD characters.
As an official continuation of Seven Knights, a game enjoyed by 60 million players globally, SEVEN KNIGHTS IDLE ADVENTURE will be an exciting addition for fans looking to learn more and interact with their favorite heroes with a low time investment.
For more information on SEVEN KNIGHTS IDLE ADVENTURE, please be sure to stay tuned to the officialbrand website for future updates. The game will introduce many more heroes and modes in the coming months.
About Netmarble Corporation
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found athttp://company.netmarble.com.
New Main Storyline Chapter, Two Playable Arcanists, Three Gameplay Modes, Special Musical Performance, And Plenty Of Rewards Make Version 1.4 The Biggest Yet
HONG KONG – FEBRUARY 23, 2024 – Bluepoch Games announced that its time-travel strategic RPG Reverse: 1999 will release its free, highly anticipated Ancient Greece-themed update and Mystery Box Carnival on February 29th. Titled “The Prisoner in the Cave,” the update will appear on the App Store, Google Play, and PC. With 19.99 million downloads since launching last October, Reverse: 1999 has topped the App Store and Google Play charts in more than 160 countries, including the United States, Canada, Korea, and Japan.
Version 1.4 introduces a major storyline that sees Timekeeper Vertin and arcanist companions Sonetto, Regulus, and Liliya traveling to a mysterious island unaffected by the “Storm.” It also includes three new powerful arcanists, three original game modes, epic rewards that enable players to gain 20 free pulls and a free 5-star character, and various in-game activities, making this the most content-heavy update released so far. New players can gain up to 80 free pulls in this new version.
Click to view Reverse: 1999’s Version 1.4 livestream featuring Live 2D models of Regulus and new character 37:
In Reverse: 1999, become the Timekeeper in an alternate history where the flow of time rewinds itself due to the mysterious “Storm.” Recruit a team of arcanists – those born with eccentric, powerful abilities – from different countries and eras. Players carefully arrange incantations and confront Manus Vindictae, a group of rebellion arcanists, to restore the natural order of the universe. Reverse: 1999 elevates anime-stylized games with breathtaking cinematics, jaw-dropping Ultimates, and full English voice acting comprising a unique array of dialects and accents.
Download and play Reverse: 1999 for free to experience the new main storylines Chapter 5 and Chapter 5 Special when they launch later this month.
Reverse: 1999 Version 1.4’s features also include:
Two New Characters:
In Phase 1, players will be able to summon the clever but absent-minded 37, a 6-star Star-type arcanist, with the banner “Beyond the World of Matters.”
In Phase 2, players will be able to summon the scholarly hermit 6, a 6-star Intelligence-type arcanist, with the banner “Seeker in the Cave.”
Character story events will be available for each new arcanist.
Three New Gameplay Modes:
Take down one big bad after another in the boss rush gameplay challenge “Mane’s Bulletin.”
Explore and solve the Reverse: 1999’s first 3D puzzles in “The Three Doors.”
Dive deeper into character stories with “Anecdote” featuring the never-before-seen backstories of arcanists Charlie and Oliver Fog.
Tons of New Rewards:
Players can claim 240 Clear Drops and plenty of resources with the three codes “THEPRISONERINTHECAVE,” “37APRIMENUMBER,” “6THEPERFECTNUMBER” shared during today’s livestream
However, the rewards don’t stop there.
Version 1.4 will introduce two sign-in events, “Treasure in the Suitcase” and “Treasure on the Beach,” where players will be able to claim up to 20 Unilogs and growth materials.
Players will also be able to select a free 5-Star character of their choice from the general summoning pool in the “Carnival Invitation” event and a new limited portrait through the “Roaming in Geometry” event.
Fan-Created Online Musical Performance, Figures, and Nendorids:
The launch of Reverse: 1999’s record label “The 1999 Records.”
The label’s first OST “Journey in the Rain” and the game’s character EPs will be available on Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora soon.
In collaboration with GSAS, Sonetto figurines are now available for pre-order online.
In collaboration with APEX, the Vertin 3D Frame is also available for pre-order online. Figure collaboration merch with APEX for Tooth Fairy and Druvis III will enter production soon.
A special fan-created online musical performance featuring renditions of the game’s music from artists all around the world will take place on March 16.
New In-Game Activities:
In the time-limited summon event ”Abundance of the Water – The First Milestone,” players will be able to claim up to seven free daily single summons of 6-star characters like An-an Lee, A Knight, Melania, and Voyager.
The garment series “Between Lines and Numbers” will introduce new looks and skill effects for arcanists Lilya, Diggers, Sweetheart, and La Source.
“UTTU Flash Gathering – Wandering on the Shore” will add new FAME cards.
The “Set Sail Again” and “Sealed Records” events will allow players to collect materials to help Vertin’s companion Regulus rebuild her beloved ship and learn more about arcanists Matilda and Sotheby.
Throughout Version 1.4, players can claim “Badges of Wonder” by completing various tasks. Once a set is complete, the badges will trigger unique effects and backgrounds that can be displayed on players’ profiles.
Wilderness gameplay will be updated to include four plan-saving slots, making it easier for players to save multiple sets of plans. Additionally, the Wilderness Island Capacity will increase from 120 to 150.
Download Reverse: 1999 today on the App Store, Google Play, and PC to experience the game’s much-anticipated new main story chapter on February 29. Ponder ancient philosophy and share numerological theories with a group of aspiring stoics via Discord and follow on X / Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and the game’s official website.
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ABOUT BLUEPOCH GAMES CO. LTD
Established in 2020, Bluepoch is an ambitious, passionate and globally-focused company. Our team has committed itself to exploring the vast potential of anime through the creation of dreamlike, immersive, and heartfelt games. Our imagination is as infinite as the starry universe.
Looking back, it can be a bit hard to believe that it has only been four years since Square Enix took their signature RPG and built it from the ground up to the surprise of all of their fans with Final Fantasy VII Remake nearly twenty five years after the original release. This might be helped a bit by the fact that a year later the company went on to release a brand new story focusing on entirely on Yuffie in the form of Intergrade but nonetheless this classic RPG saw itself given a number of brand new changes that many fans welcomed with open arms despite the many small but significant changes the company made to its plot. Now here we are again, continuing Cloud and the party’s adventure four years later in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in what is likely the most expansive Final Fantasy game yet, featuring an open world packed with content and a storyline that is both familiar and new, written in such a manner that longtime fans will be eager to see it through its lengthy runtime even with some convolution along the way.
Story
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth picks up after the events of Intergrade with Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, and Red XIII recuperating in the town of Kalm and telling the story of their past to the group. Cloud explains that his past as a SOLDIER saw him working alongside Sephiroth and that during a mission to his and Tifa’s hometown of Nibelheim, Sephiroth made a terrible discovery that warped him and set him on a path of destruction. Shortly after taking some more time to rest Cloud and the gang are forced to evacuate from Kalm as Shinra soldiers begin to search for any fleeing Avalanche terrorists. This is the kickstarter to their adventure to pursue Sephiroth through the Grasslands and five other massive open world regions and a few smaller others to try and prevent him from putting whatever his evil plans are into motion, even if it means having to deal with the mysterious Whispers along the way as they continue to manipulate and twist events in certain ways, almost as if trying to force destiny to follow a specific path.
To avoid spoilers, we won’t discuss any of the finer details about the twisting events that take place, especially past the halfway point in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but it must be said that Square Enix’s writers are not afraid to take risks when it comes to taking this narrative down a different path. For every few elements and plot points that will feel familiar to longtime fans of the original game there will be a new twist or event that will throw a wrench into their memories, making this a wholly unique story that is almost always for the better as a result of these chance changes. Throughout their journey, which still follows the same general story beats as thee original, players will always feel like there is a chance that something might be amiss, or something could go wrong at any time and catch them off-guard entirely. Part of this is thanks to the way that the characters are written and their new interactions as well as the fact that certain characters like Yuffie and a certain vampire aren’t optional this time around and the grander storyline has been expanded to bring in various prequel game elements to help tie things together.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth may drop players into an open world most of the time when they aren’t exploring some of the game’s lengthy dungeons but that doesn’t mean that the numerous activities players can partake in are just busy work. Sure, some of it is, but a lot of it provides new and unique bits of lore and extra context to the journey that the players are on. Defeating certain creatures that are mutated versions of normal ones all while MAI speaks through the controller, scanning Lifesprings for historical information, scanning Summon Materia temples to learn more about them and obtain extra abilities during their fights, searching for Protorelics that reveal the history of the world, and far more. Sure, a lot of these start by literally going to a tower and activating it like any generic open world game but it is these activities called “World Intel” that make them feel actually worthwhile.
It also helps that compared to usual RPGs where players will only be out in the field with their current battle party, the entire party is traveling together out in the field at once, even riding on Chocobos of their very own should Cloud be riding one. This means that the entire party has the chance to comment on any landmark players might stumble across or choices that the player has made or interaction with a potential threat. Sure, during combat players are still unfortunately limited to only three active fighters, but having everyone in the field at once makes the journey feel a bit more personal and there is good reason for that as well. There are tons of new and unique moments throughout the game between the characters that have never existed before, this can include scenes with Aerith and Tifa confiding in one another, Barrett teasing Red XIII, and other types of bantering back and forth that makes this cast even more endearing on this lengthy adventure. It is also interesting to note that Square Enix’s writers have even included something of a “friendship” gauge in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth where Cloud can raise or lower his favorability with team mates depending on his answers to questions they might ask him during various interactions, whether or not he fights alongside them and utilizes their Synergy Abilities, and even take on various side-quests that almost every character can be involved with in some way.
The side quests in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are highly enjoyable thanks to the wide range of activities that players will usually find themselves doing and, as just mentioned, how nearly every time at least one party member will chime in or partake in some way. In fact, one of the earliest side-quests can involve Red XIII trying to hide his jealousy of the group’s new Chocobo and the fact it is capable of sniffing out a target better than he can and completing said quest can raise his favorability with Cloud. Obviously we won’t spoil how these friendship levels play out but it is worth noting that they act an extra wrinkle of interaction to nearly every aspect of the side-content that makes it worth doing. That and the fact that a lot of the side-quests, especially in the latter half of the game, reveal important plot elements and developments that players might miss out on if they simply skip them, making the side-content feel highly important more often than not.
Thanks to some incredibly strong character writing, numerous brand new interactions for the cast, and an intriguing driving narrative keeping Cloud and the group moving forward, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth delivers an incredible new take on a familiar narrative as interesting as it can sometimes feel confusing thanks to the numerous twists and turns it takes and how it plays with player expectations while also factoring in potential timeline interferences. This remains a story that has incredible emotional highs with bright and exciting events like the ever memorable Golden Saucer being one obvious highlight only to leave players both emotionally and mentally drained as they experience the trials and tribulations that the group goes through during the many darker moments that permeate the story, and given how well developed the cast is throughout Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s new take on the story, these events hit all the harder in what remains a signature storyline that fans will be talking about for years to come, especially with more to come.
Gameplay
The most notable change that players will experience when it comes to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the impressive scale on offer once players leave the city of Kalm. While the previous entry was massive too, it was mostly linear and now players will find themselves in an open world as soon as they step into the Grasslands and capable of exploring nearly anywhere they want to. As mentioned before, a lot of this exploration will be available through the use of a Chocobo that, with different colors of Chocobo for each region, have different traversal abilities. Players can of course simply choose to head straight towards plot relevant areas and continue the story but will be missing out on the quality content that scatters the open world. This includes the aforementioned side-quests that populate many smaller settlements and job boards in larger towns, exploring ruins, and of course completing various small tasks for Chadley to help expand on his aforementioned “World Intel.” Many of these tasks are very familiar to anyone who has played an open world game before, with most of them even being revealed by literally activating towers scattered across the wilderness, but thanks to impressive world design, the fact that the characters are almost always commenting on things, and how entertaining and quickly paced combat feels, these small tasks feel delightful even if they are familiar.
Of course, not all of the content is the most exciting and a few of them have simple mini-games (more on that later) involved but they are almost always rewarding as they can often reveal improvements to Summon Materia, reward Research Points that can be redeemed for Materia, or even provide recipes for the game’s simple and straightforward crafting mechanic that allows players to take the numerous random ingredients they find out in the field and obtain from monsters and use it to craft everything from potions to pieces of equipment. Some traversal is a bit… obvious at times as the environment will often signify points where players can climb or shimmy through which can look a little out of place at times and even though the game marks exact locations for some places on the map directly, there are even owls that can fly to guide player’s to Lifesprings to make things easier. Of course, hunting down all of the treasures in a ruined location is still a challenge and often a worthwhile one as many contain decent equipment for the team.
Whenever players encounter enemies they will immediately enter combat right then and there and, despite having a larger roster of characters to choose from than ever, players are still limited to only three active fighters at a time. It is nice to note that non-participating fighters do appear to take pot-shots at enemies from a distance and, later, can even trigger a Synergy Ability should the need arise, but players will only be actively fighting with three characters at a time using a system that remains mostly the same as before. Players can select a Leader that they will always control at the start of the fight, swap between characters in their party at will during battle, and of course pause to use skills, spells, and items with the ATB gauge. The Pressure and Stagger system returns with players being able to Assess enemies to find the best ways to target an enemies weakness or a certain attack/defense that can send them on their back foot and give players the advantage in a fight.
New to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are a few other attacking methods and these come in the form of Synergy Abilities as well as the way to obtain and upgrade them, Folios. Synergy Abilities are powerful attacks that include two characters fighting alongside one another that require used ATB gauges to trigger. These Synergy Abilities are powerful attacks that not only deal plenty of damage but also provide a useful bonus such as healing, lowering the cost of magic, or even giving an immediate Limit Break gauge. There are even Synergy Skills that can be used more readily and allow for things such as Barret tanking damage for Aerith or Red XIII launching off of Cloud to get into range of an enemy. These new options help give players more fighting abilities without worrying about only managing the ATB gauge and makes combat feel faster than ever. The aforementioned Folios work like a Sphere Grid where players spend SP to unlock perks and abilities for every character. These points can range from simply boosting a character’s stats to unlocking the Synergy Abilties which can then play a role in how players build their party as both characters must be in the party to trigger these skills.
It must be said that Square Enix has given a lot of love to the combat in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and while it may not be that different from before, it is fun to see that literally every character in the game has a distinct fighting style that is unique to them. Sure, players can equip Materia of different spells to every character but their unlocked skills and attack styles are all different, with characters like Red XIII being a faster fighter that can turn a defensive stance into a blitzing offense with his Vengeance ability or Yuffi’s special abilities and being probably the most mobile in the entire party. Players can have up to three party set-ups assigned at any given time, meaning they can swap between any three party set-ups while in the field but it is unfortunate that players cannot save equipment loadouts to match. For example, Yuffie paired with Aerith and Cloud shouldn’t be equipped the same as if she was fighting alongside Barret and Tifa instead.
When not fighting or exploring, players will find that they will be taking part in plenty of mini-games as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is absolutely packed to the gills with mini-games. This ranges from simple ones that players will only do once, the many that are inside Gold Saucer, and of course tons of others scattered throughout the world. There are mini-games for countless events, be it Chocobo taming, moving equipment or boxes around, Chocobo racing, Moogle wrangling, and more. There is even a little 3D Brawler with low-poly versions of the characters to take advantage of and an arcade game stylized like the previous release’s motorcycle chase. Not all of these are winners and unfortunately some are actually quite terrible, though thankfully some of the worst are ones players only need to do once and can forget about forever. Perhaps the biggest minigame though is a full blown card game by the name of Queen’s Blood. Queen’s Blood is designed around territorial capture and features an entire side-story where players can purchase extra cards and beat other players to win cards from them, building a deck filled with powerful cards and unique skills meant to dominate the playboard. Queen’s Blood feels right at home with some of the other highly detailed card games that have been included in past Final Fantasy games and it is easy to see players sinking plenty of time into building the best cards possible to take down each player they come across, giving this minigame plenty of longevity outside of the main game.
Audio & Visuals
Back when Final Fantasy VII Remake released, the PlayStation 5 had yet to even be released and while it eventually released on the console with the Intergrade DLC, it was still held back a bit by being a late generation game and that is quite evident when compared to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Nearly every aspect of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is impressive looking, players will venture outside into the open world for the first time only for Aerith herself to celebrate her first steps into a new open world and it must be said that the open world is impressive looking and features a wide amount of variety across the six large regions players explore through including the numerous dungeons Cloud and the group will fight through. Even enemy variety is nicely diverse while the boss battles remain both impressive in design and cinematic transformations in many cases. The signature locations like the Golden Saucer are as over-the-top as one would hope and make great use of what the console can handle. It must also be said that the character designs for the core party are drop-dead gorgeous looking with high levels of detail and flashy performances for their special moves, including the more cinematic Synergy Attacks and watching Red XIII navigate various open world obstacles and ride a Chocobo will never not be fun to see. It is worth noting that the camera can be a bit unwieldy at times unfortunately and some of the faster enemies, especially bosses, cause the lock-on mechanic to struggle as the camera will fail miserably during some of these encounters, leaving players better opting to manually tracking these enemies to the best of their ability.
The voice cast throughout Final Fantasy VII Rebirth does an amazing job handling their characters here, with characters like Red XIII being given far more personality and interaction than ever before in the original while Aerith, Tifa, and Yuffie are truly delightful to hear them bantering. Even Cait Sith’s addition to the cast is handled impressively well, making the English voice cast an emotionally fitting group for even the most heart-wrenching scenes in the game alongside the funnier interactions found throughout the countless substories and even bits of humming here and there from the cast during the player’s travels and fights. Mitsuto Suzuki and Masashi Hamauzu’s handling of the soundtrack is an impressive one as they have lovingly recreated and put their own spin on many of the classic songs and background pieces that fans have come to know and love while also offering plenty of original music as well to make sure that this game sounds as impressive as possible. In fact, there are even some pieces of music that appear to only ever play once or twice throughout the game and are still given the same loving attention to detail as some of the most poignant tracks, showing just how far the staff was willing to go here.
Overall
Creating a game like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth had to place an immense amount of pressure on the developers. Not only must they live up to the reputation of the original release back in 1997 but also the numerous twists and turns that were implemented a little over four years ago in Final Fantasy VII Remake but it must be said that not only has the team managed to succeed, they have surpassed expectations here. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a remarkable follow up to an already incredible game and delivers an emotional rollercoaster of a story that isn’t afraid to be humorous at times and give every character a chance to shine while also preparing to tear away at the player’s emotions. With combat that is as fluid and fast-paced as ever and the impressive graphical improvements capable on the PlayStation 5, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth expands upon a world and story in ways that fans could never have imagined and is truly a standout RPG as a result.
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