Iron Maw: No. It's not being creative, it's making shit up without any thought to how things sound or whatever. Creativity without proper direction is basically like vomiting on your plate and calling it art. It works only as a statement at a specific time, and that time has long passed (re: Dadaism).

This game looks like balls. Big, wrinkly, BALLS.

"Creative" and "Square Enix." That's a good one. :P

<Squaresoft King> Guys. GUYS.
<Squaresoft Employees> Sup.
<SK> Atlus is making these things. They're called Shumi Ami Tassen or something.
<SE> Say wut?
<SK> Ya fa rizzle. AnyhwaaaaaaaAAAAdillally, theys got this new thing out called Persona 3, and it's better than us.
<SE> Zounds!
<SK> You like, summon demons. DIGITAL demons. With guns.
<SE> Zoundz times infinity!
<SK> HABEEB IT. So yes, mein Brethren. You know what we need to do.

The being able to sleep thing probably refers to some obscure holiday

That farushi and rushi stuff sounds like they're just making crap up.

Determination is pretty much the theme of every FF game when you get down to it, except for the first three, where the theme was pretty much just "kill the fuck out of shit" which is why I like them more).

That, or you're literally summoning binary for some reason.

You have to wonder though, digital summons? What sort of DRM laws apply to THAT? Maybe that'll be a major plot. Like, the main character is some sort of cracker warez pirate that's cracking warez by programming variables in her androgynous Linux distro.

btw, i seriously don't like this art direction much. Hyperrealistic is boring.

They remind me of the Turks.

'kay. I'm done. I'm out.

http://www.imageno.com/6upl58w7m66kpic.html

No. Fuck off, this isn't Final Fantasy anymore. This game looks like shit.

Guns are forbidden in the world of Versus (the guy with the shotgun is said to be a fugitive of some sort).

The location featuring the new female character is inspired by Tokyo's Shinjuku district, with the twin skyscrapers undoubtedly being based on the famed Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The other location is based on the Plaza San Marco of Venice, Italy.

There's further confirmation that the game will have a world map, and it'll probably be to a more realistic scale, sorta like FFVIII's.

The guys in the business suits having the meeting in the cathedral-like building are presumably in charge of the kingdom, and I believe were described in the trailer as the "organization which will lead the world to ruin", or something like that. They, along with the rest of the royal family, are supposed to be more like a crime family, and the story itself will have some emphasis on mob drama.

It's implied that the mafioso in the pinstripe suit is probably related to the hero. I'm betting there will probably have some dispute over the throne, if it's as Shakespearean as we're being lead to believe.

Anyway, there's not really much new information, unfortunately. Just generalizations made about the screenshots; the girl looks unhappy when she faces off with the hero, the guy in the white robe appears to be the antagonist, yadda yadda.


That said, they're basically saying that 2008 will be the year when they start to release information, and they plan on having a demo for FFXIII out some time this year.

The other game being developed exclusively for the PS3 under the Fabula Nova Crystallis project, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, is being headed up by Tetsuya Nomura (Kingdom Hearts fame). The game follows a prince: the last heir to a dynasty that ruled over one of the few remaining cities to still use crystals. Because of its rarity and power, the crystal has become the source for many's lust and passion. One such organization of marauders sought to claim the crystals for themselves. They invaded the Prince's kingdom. Now the Prince is tasked with defending the city.

I finished the game today.

It's an above average game. The game's short (around 10 to 15 hours) but that's okay because any longer and the battle system will grind at you with its monotony. Plotwise, the game is utter garbage, with one very important exception: the ending. Anyone who's played FFVII knows how Crisis Core will end, but the way in which it's presented is done so well and so powerfully that I almost want to say it was worth bombarding me with 10 hours of idiocy just to see that one scene.

I might elaborate more on the game if I get to review it.

How do they do such an awesome job with Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and fuck up one of the most talked about Final Fantasy games?!

Squeenix is going downhill.....

The Last Remnant

Spring 2008 - Next Generation Consoles - 1 Player RPG

One thousand years ago humanity came into contact with Remnants. These magical fragments of a bygone era were once used to promote peace across the world. Soon, as the rift grew between those who ruled and those who obeyed, the remnants ceased being instruments of balance, and instead became paths to immeasurable power. Where once there had been peace, only bloodshed remained.

- Released simultaneously in U.S. and Japan

-Two prominent characters each created to appeal to a specific territory. Rush Sykes will appeal to JP gamers, and “The Conqueror” for Western Audiences. Game won’t force you to choose which character you play.

- Remnants vary in size and can take the form of machines, beasts, and weapons.

- 4 races revealed: Mitra (humans), Yama (Large fish-like beings), Qsiti (small humanoid lizards), Sovanni (four armed cat like creatures)

- Battle System will not be passive and will include QTEs in certain instances. Fights still take place in a turn based frame work.

- This is the first UE3 game SE will be releasing. Graphics look great so no worries there.

- Directed by Hiroshi Takai

Square Enix knows role playing games. In the video game industry, rarely is a single company so closely tied to the identity of an entire genre. The company is responsible for two of the biggest RPG franchises in the world, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and people have been playing these series since the 8-Bit era. RPG fans know Square Enix as the name to turn to for grand adventures, unforgettable characters, and jaw-dropping moments remembered for years. Recently, Square Enix has devoted considerable energy to iterating on its past successes, but that doesn’t mean the company isn’t moving forward. Next year gamers will be treated to “The Last Remnant”, an all new title that incorporates all the rich locations and thrilling combat an RPG fan could hope for, along with a handful of unexpected details that will help define the direction of the genre this generation.

In addition to marking the beginning of a new franchise for SE, TLR represents a significant deviation from the way RPGs have traditionally been presented to a North American audience. Since most role playing titles are created by Japanese developers, they are released in Japan first, and then find their way to American gamers after a delay for localization (which took 7 months for FFXII for example). With TLR, this process will change; the game will be released simultaneously in the U.S. and Japan. “From the conceptual stage of this project, we kept a global market in mind, placing a special emphasis on the North American market” says director Hiroshi Takai.

One of the Results of this emphasis is the fact that the game has two prominent characters, each created to appeal to a specific territory. The Japanese audience is most likely to connect with Rush Sykes, an energetic and idealistic 18 year old swordsman. On the other hand, American gamers will probably be more drawn to the dark and mysterious figure only referred to as The Conqueror. Older and battle hardened, The Conqueror is unlike Rush in almost every way. Despite this clear distinction, TLR does not force players to choose one character or the other. While interesting in its attempt to reach out to American gamers with The Conqueror, the game will be exactly the same on both shores, with Rush set up as the primary protagonist.

“Rush is the main character of this game,” Takai clarifies. “He was designed with the traditional SE RPG style in mind, but the players’ impression of him will likely change once they advance in the game. You can expect a lot of plot twists involving him.” Even though Rush drives the tail at first, he has an unknown connection to The Conqueror that slowly draws that character into a more prominent position as the tale unfolds. “The Conqueror is a type of dark hero which is a first for a SE RPG,” Takai admits. “As you can see from his costume, tainted red by blood (it was originally white), the cruelty that he holds within will have a great effect on the overall story.

Though the tale eventually expands into these dark corners, players are introduced to the world of TLR in a familiar fasihon. The adventure begins on an isolated island called Eulam where Rush and his sister Irina lead carefree lives. That all changes early on when Irina is kidnapped by a mysterious organization and Rush finds himself in the middle of a world spanning conflict somehow tied to ancient and powerful relics called remnants.

As the game’s title would imply, Remnants are a key part of practically every element of the world. What exactly they are however, is difficult to define. Remnants vary in shape and size, and can take the form of machines, bests, and weapons. “Humans first came into contact with remnants about 1000 years ago.” For instance, one Remnant, the Valeria Heart, is a sword the size of a small mountain. It is surrounded by the town of Athlum, which was built up around the artifact because of its extraordinary qualities. The Valeria Heart bestows courage upon those around it, and it also is responsible for the plentiful water supply. Like this sword, remnants can have an array of unique powers - some of which are hidden or unknown.

In contrast to the monumental Valeria Heart, we witnessed another Remnant in action with more offensive capabilities. On a sprawling battle field, a group of soldiers set up an enormous cannon that was clearly controlled by a handheld analogue - wielded by an unnamed character. As the young man wearing a mechanical eye patch charged his gun ad pulled the trigger the nearby cannon gathered energy and fired a devastating blast into the fray.

Because of their power and rarity, Remnants are priceless treasures. Not everyone is able to carry one into battle, and must instead rely on more conventional (at least for fantasy RPGs) methods of attack. “Swords and magic are the basic common weapons in the world,” Takai states. “However, the remnants are considered as mysterious technology that no one can explain. We currently cannot even disclose if remnants are machines, structures, or living breathing things.

We may not know exactly how to classify Remnants, but we do know that people will go to great lengths to obtain them. The Conqueror for instance, has made it his mission to seize and collect as many as possible, though his intentions are unclear. The primary struggles in the game are fueled by the Remnants and the desire to control them, which often results in massive and bloody conflicts. these clashes are not limited to cutscenes and event sequences; the central combat system in TLR focuses on the player’s ability to direct the battles between opposing armies.

SIDEBARS

IT TAKES ALL KINDS

The world of TLR is populated by several kinds of creatures each with distinctive visual characteristics and innate skills. These are the four main races players can expect to encounter both in exploration and combat

MITRA: Not to be confused with the cat-like Mithra race in Final Fantasy XI, Mitra are basically humans as we know them. They are the most numerous of all the races in the world.

YAMA: Large fish-like beings, Yama are incredibly powerful. Because of their strength, special weapons exist for Yama that cannot be wielded by other races.

QSITI: These small humanoids resemble lizards, and are particularly adept with magic. They are energetic and can be found all over towns.

SOVNNI: With four arms and cat-like features, the Sovanni are able to wield multiple weapons and excel in battle. they are also the rarest of the four races.

IT BEGINS

A few months ago, Square Enix announced that it had licensed Unreal Engine 3 for use in its upcoming titles. It is now clear that The Last Remnant will be the first game we see from the company to utilize this technology. Square Enix RPGs usually excel in the visual department anyway, but according to Takai, there are other benefits to using Unreal. "I think it shows in the screenshots we just released," he laughs. "The time between starting the development and seeing the graphic resource onscreen was so fast, we were able to delve in illustrating and experimenting at a very early stage".

ENJOY THE SHOW

For a title focused on story and epic battles, it should be no surprise that SE is intent on portraying TLRs events in as cinematic as way as possible. Taking charge on this front is real-time movie director Kouzi Kobayashi, the man responsible for the opening, ending, and event movies of Final Fantasy VII and VIII. This experience along with Kobayashi's work on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Final Flight of the Osiris (from the Animatrix) ensures that these sequences will be memorable.

End of article

Props to Sallokin for the summary