After 11 years, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon left its Nintendo 3DS graveyard and is coming to the Nintendo Switch via a new remaster. I went through the first couple of hours of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD to discover whether it’s worth diving into in 2024 or whether it should have stayed in the past.

Back in the Nintendo GameCube era, Luigi’s Mansion was one of my favorite games. Fast forward to 2013, and I was so excited to play the sequel Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, on the Nintendo 3DS. I put hours and hours into it, collecting every single Gem. I think I even preferred it to the original title! After getting to experience the remaster on the Nintendo Switch, it brought back all those nostalgic memories. I wasn’t sure if I’d remember much of it, given that it’d been so long since I last played the game, but from the second I dived into the first mission in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, everything came flooding back. It was amazing seeing the game I’d once sunk long hours into in a new light.

In Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, you play as Luigi as you gather pieces of the Dark Moon to restore peace to Evershade Valley. These pieces are skewed throughout various mansions, and it is Luigi’s job to best the ghosts inside and collect them using what’s ultimately a modded vacuum cleaner called the Poltergust 5000.

Immediately, what stood out to me was how the game looked on the Switch. Gone are the restraints of the Nintendo 3DS 5:3, 800x240 pixel screen, with Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD now looking vibrant and beautiful. This seemed especially true on my Nintendo Switch OLED screen, where the colors really popped off the screen. In each mission, you’ll need to solve various puzzles in order to progress. Some of them require new tools for the Poltergust 5000, which are unlocked through the story.

I found myself racing through the first handful of missions so that I could unlock new tools to find hidden secrets or Gems. There are several of these Gems scattered throughout the game, each hidden behind a puzzle. For example, in an early mission, you get a Gem by revealing a statue with the Dark-Light Device, an attachment for the Poltergust that allows Luigi to dispel illusions. It’s secrets like this that make you want to explore every corner of the mansion to see what you’ll discover next - it’s great.

As you explore, you’ll encounter different types of ghosts, which you must stun and suck up into the Poltergust 5000 so that Professor E. Gadd can study them. Some ghosts are easy to conquer, while others take some work due to blocking your flashlight with sunglasses or other objects. You’ll even come across boss ghosts from time to time who have a gimmick you must pull off to defeat them. In the first mansion alone, I saw multiple ghost types and was curious about which one I’d meet next each time I entered a new room.

The one negative that stands out to me in the first couple of hours I played, which has carried over from the Nintendo 3DS original, is the frequency that Professor E. Gadd bothers you via the Dual Scream, a Nintendo 3DS-like device that allows him to call Luigi. Each time there’s a new puzzle to solve in the story, he calls you to essentially tell you what you do next rather than letting you figure it out yourself. The first couple of times are fine, given that it’s tutorial stuff, but I was still getting these calls a couple of hours in, to the point where I’d physically eye-roll because it was so annoying. I can only hope this happens less as I progress further.

Overall, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD seems like its going to hold up really well on the Nintendo Switch. From what I played so far, the graphics are beautiful, and the gameplay is still as charming as ever. Whether this continues deeper into the game, we’ll have to wait and see. But I’m excited to dive back into this classic sequel!

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD will be released on the Nintendo Switch on June 27, 2024.

The post Preview: Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD Seems Scarily Good appeared first on Siliconera.

A month before the release of Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida. During our conversation, the developer discussed the painstaking work that went into implementing the upcoming graphics update, as well as the challenges of creating the new Viper and Pictomancer job classes for the expansion. This also meant hearing about the passion the creator has for the FFXIV community.

Brent Koepp: Viper and Pictomancer seem like they could be among Final Fantasy XIV's most ambitious job classes in the game to date. What was the greatest challenge with implementing both of them in the MMORPG?

Naoki Yoshida: With every Final Fantasy XIV expansion, the battle and combat team and I always have to come up with introducing a new job. So we are always wracking our brains like, "Oh, no! What are we going to do!? What are we going to do!? There's just way too many jobs now!" [Laughs].

The team is always wracking our brains around like, "How long do we have to continue doing this? And that fear of "Oh, we are adding new jobs again?" is definitely a challenge during the development of new expansions. And with a lot of MMORPGs out there, whenever they introduce a new class, they tend to be OP (overpowered), and they end up being nerfed. But we don't ever want to do that with Final Fantasy XIV. And so the team is very diligent in making sure that the balance of new job classes is always well-managed.

So sometimes, this results in a new job class that may be slightly weaker than existing jobs initially. But with Final Fantasy XIV, we make sure that with any job combination, you will be able to clear dungeon content and raid content. And we really make sure that we are always looking at the new job's balance and making sure that, overall, we are able to keep the balance we've maintained with the other classes already in the game. So, while creating Viper and Pictomancer was tough and challenging, we know that the players are looking forward to both new jobs being introduced. So we work really hard. And in the end, we really just take to heart how much the players are anticipating Dawntrail's new jobs.

And on a side note, in about three months, the team will need to start considering what new jobs we'll have to add for the NEXT TIME! [laughs]. So yeah, that fear is going to come back up all over again [laughs].

Final Fantasy XIV is a game players have been playing for over a decade now. As a team, what was it like seeing FFXIV for the first time with the upcoming graphics update applied to it?

Yoshida: I, and specifically the artists on our team, are very happy with this graphical update. With Final Fantasy XIV historically, we had to always accommodate for the different specs of different machines, including the PlayStation 3. So, at the time, we made the pipeline so that the build would accommodate the PS3.

But now that we are applying this graphics update and updating our systems so that they are more modern, our team has been able to utilize new technology. As a result, our pipeline has now improved for the artists. So they are definitely happy with that change. For the elements the artists will be creating for Final Fantasy XIV 7.0 and beyond, they are very happy with the pipeline that has now been set up.

How much work went into the FFXIV graphics update, and were there any challenges bringing it into a game that launched in 2013?

Yoshida: We have to apply this graphics update to previous content as well, and it's [laughs] a very significant amount of content! We don't even want to count how many things we now need to change. And so, some things in older expansions will need to be remade, while other things will just be a matter of updating textures. But just thinking about it [laughs], it just makes the artists kind of like, "Hold their brain and be like ahhh!" They are not looking forward to adjusting those.

With the amount of hard work that was put in by the artists, I don't think I can do it justice to try to explain all of the elements they worked on in the graphics update. We would run out of time. I wish I had more time to explain everything just to honor their hard work. It would have been nice. But I guess the challenges of making the graphics update can be summarized in one example I want to give you.

If you can imagine the character's face in Final Fantasy XIV, let's say we focus on their dimples or the surface of their cheeks. This is not created with just polygons, but it's also a matter of the normal map that is placed over the character's head. And so, with the graphics update, the resolution of the texture that is placed on top of the normal map with the polygons will have increased in resolution as well.

So the textures have been made into high-resolution, but we've also had to adjust the lighting to be of higher quality. Now, we have high-quality density, high-quality resolution, and high-quality processing of all the different elements that are on the surface texture of the character's face. But because the original normal map underneath the surface texture has not been updated, there are these weird lines or shadows that will show up on a character's face with the way the lighting hits the skin. And because that kind of weird line shows up, we received feedback from players when initially previewing the new graphics update.

Players were like, "Oh, no! My character looks completely different from what I'm used to seeing!" All of the assets were the same. It's just how the new lighting hits. It made it seem like the characters now had laugh lines [laughs]. So, the artists on our team went in to fix the normal map so it doesn't have the weird lines showing up when a shadow is cast across a character's face. Sometimes, they even had to adjust the projection of the shadow itself to fudge it so it didn't cast a weird shadow on a character. That's the kind of painstaking detail our artists had to do.

I was actually present with the character team, making sure that okay we fixed this specific issue. We've pointed and checked the problem and found a solution. With this example I've given, I think you can grasp or get an idea of just how much effort and work was put into the upcoming graphics update for Final Fantasy XIV.

Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail will be available in early access on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mac, and PC starting June 28, 2024. The new expansion will launch worldwide on July 02, 2024.

The post Interview: Naoki Yoshida on Making Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail appeared first on Siliconera.

Following the launch of Endwalker nearly three years ago in 2021, Final Fantasy XIV is finally getting a massive update with the release of Dawntrail on June 28, 2024. After spending over eight hours previewing the new expansion, I feel confident that Square Enix is taking the right steps to keep the popular MMORPG from feeling outdated.

Editor's Note: This article is based on play of an in-development build of Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, and content in the final version is subject to change.

The first thing that jumped out to me during my preview was the new FFXIV graphical update that was in effect for during my play session. While I know some debated how "big of a change" this actually is, I can say that trailers and images definitely haven't done it justice. During the eight hours I played, the new graphics were a fairly substantial upgrade. While exploring the various sections of the Yok Tural region, I noticed an abundance of long blades of grass and beautiful wild plants spread across the map. This might seem like a small detail, but going from what would usually be flat hills to the new map, the world definitely felt more alive.

The other thing that really stood out to me in the graphics update involved the character models, particularly the clothes and armor. Square Enix went to great lengths to really make the details of the characters pop, from what I saw. From individual stitching on clothes to the shimmer of metal plates on armor, FFXIV seems to look much better. Considering how much time users spend unlocking new attire to create a unique look for their Warrior of Light, I think this could be actually a massive change that will please most players.

Finally, the new lighting in the game also seems to make a huge difference. One of my biggest complaints about the original FFXIV is that my character would sometimes look good in one scene, only to look completely different in another moment depending on the time of day. At least in my play session, this issue seemed to be largely fixed. Although I didn't get a chance to play my specific character during my preview, so I'm excited to see what my Reaper Azula will look like when Dawntrail finally launches. However, within the context of an MMORPG, I was impressed, and I think this is a giant step Square Enix is taking to keep the game from feeling dated.

One of the first places I explored in Dawntrail was Tuliyollal. The new hub city is an ocean-side seaport village. Tuliyollal is a vibrant, bustling town that feels like something out of the Caribbean. Most major NPCs and story quests were disabled for our preview, so I didn't get to spend too much time here. Despite that, the new locale felt full of life. Dawntrail's hub city is also incredibly gorgeous, and I can definitely see fans of Final Fantasy X feeling right at home in this one. The backdrop of the blue ocean is stunning, and the beautiful music already makes this a place I can't wait to spend time in. While it looks medium-sized at a glance, Tuliyollal's full size is deceptive as the town is built upwards, away from the sea, in multiple layers.

Speaking of new areas, I was surprised at the overall diversity of locations that make up the Yok Tural region in Dawntrail. For example, there was a desert region called Wachupelo, which was the home of a small tribe village, and Worlar's Echo, which featured giant Aztec-like temples. However, my favorite was Kozama'uka in South Yok Tural which is a valley surrounded by lush green mountains and stunning waterfalls. The new graphical update really shined here, as the entire map was filled to the brim with multicolored flowers and exotic flora scattered across the region. From tropical jungles to vibrant deserts, FFXIV Dawntrail seems to be offering players a lot of new locations that feel fresh. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to explore North Yok Tural, so I missed out on seeing the second hub city, Solution 9.

I spent most of my time in the FFXIV Dawntrail preview testing out the new classes Viper and Pictomancer. Both job classes seem like they could feature some of the most interesting gameplay mechanics in the entire game. Viper and Pictomancer are so good that I would probably purchase the expansion just for them. I've recently been replaying FFXIV's previous expansions with my wife, and all I could think about the entire time was how much I miss the new Dawntrail roles. So, what makes the new combat classes so good?

Let's first tackle Viper. To quickly sum it up, the new FFXIV Melee-DPS class seems powerful and ridiculously broken, but in a good way. If you ever wanted to feel like a badass hero, this is the job class for you! At its core, Viper features two modes of attack. When you first launch into battle, you have two swords, one in each hand. However, you are able to trigger a second mode where the two swords are instantly combined into a two-sided staff that you can twirl around for quick combos. The breakneck-speed combat flows seamlessly as you transition from brutal two-handed hack-and-slash attacks to a flurry of powerful moves that almost feel like an acrobatic dance.

The way Viper works is you have a "Serpent's Ire" gauge, which fills up after you pull off three-step combos into a weapon skill. once your gauge is full, you can then enter the "Reawaken" state, which allows you to trigger powerful moves to deal devastating damage to foes. On the whole, Viper is an incredibly accessible job class that anyone can jump into. And while the class is generally a selfish Melee-DPS role, it does feature quite a few interesting mechanics. For instance, one ability allows you to jump directly to an enemy or teammate. So, if used strategically, you can dive straight into the middle of an enemy to unload combos on it and then quickly escape after dealing your damage. The class also features debuffs, which lower your enemy's defenses, as well as buffs to increase your own damage.

However, what really impressed me was the new FFXIV Dawntrail Pictomancer class. Square Enix seems like it may have managed to pull off one of the game's most ambitious job classes to date. Initially, I feared that Pictomancer would either be too complex mechanically or would be all style and no substance. Instead, Pictomancer finds that perfect balance of incorporating unique gameplay with devastating ranged-spell attacks. The way the class works is you have three painting canvases. Your spells are then broken into a variety of different painting "motifs," and to cast them at enemies, you need to draw a picture first.

For instance, there is an attack called "Hammer Motif." Once you click it, your character will automatically draw a hammer on the canvas. You will then get access to a "hammer" attack on your hotbar. Clicking it will then bring your drawing to life, as a giant mallet soaked in colored paint will come crashing down on enemies. It's as awesome as it sounds, trust me! There are also different types of drawings as well, such as "Landscape Motifs," which can buff you and your teammates instead. For example, drawing a star results in a flurry of shooting stars raining down on the battlefield, which increases your damage. Without getting into major spoilers, my favorite was the "Pom Motif," which lets you paint and summon a powerful Moogle attack.

Pictomancer also has a really neat "Smudge" ability, which has your character turning into paint that travels across the floor. Think of the Splatoon mechanics, and you get the general idea of how this works. This defensive maneuver allows you to travel through enemies so you can escape or get enough distance to set up your casting spells. Pictomancer is also gorgeous to look at, as each move you set up is soaked in vibrant paint and beautiful visuals. Where the new job class really works for me, though, is it's just fun trying to think out your attacks in advance using visual images. And the cherry on top of all this? The spells you cast as Pictomancer seemed incredibly powerful. Square Enix definitely made sure that this class wasn't just style over substance from my experience, and I really think a lot of players are going to love this one.

It's hard to say how Dawntrail will ultimately rank as an expansion, given a large part of that is the game's story, which I haven't experienced. But purely from a gameplay and regional perspective, what I played of FFXIV Dawntrail left me really excited. The new update features two new incredible job classes, adventurous gameplay, improved graphics, and one of the game's most diverse maps to date. From my time previewing it, Dawntrail feels almost like a semi-sequel that is trying to improve the long-running MMORPG in big ways while also bringing it up to modern gaming standards. And I can't wait to dive into the New World again to experience the rest of the expansion's content. But at least from my initial experience, Dawntrail is shaping up to have a lot of promise.

Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail will be available in early access starting on June 28, 2024, and will be launching worldwide on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC starting July 2, 2024.

The post Preview: Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Feels Like a New Beginning appeared first on Siliconera.

In 2017, Ninja Theory surprised everyone after following up their work on DmC: Devil May Cry with the masterful Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. The action-adventure title set a new bar for independent releases with its cinematic graphics and thought-provoking portrayal of mental health. After being acquired by Microsoft Studios, Ninja Theory spent nearly seven years working on a sequel to the project. Thankfully, it was worth the wait, as Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a cinematic masterpiece. However, the game's short length and heavy focus on narrative might not be for everyone.

I want to get two things out of the way. Like the first title, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a very short game. It took me around ten hours to beat it, and I'm an extremely slow player. In comparison, I know a few colleagues who were able to complete the game in between 7-8 hours, which is around the same length as Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. So, if you were hoping for the sequel to have a larger campaign, you will not find that here. Secondly, this is very much a narrative-driven adventure. So, if you are expecting things like skill trees or leveling up, you will not get that here either. Basically, if you enjoyed the original game, then you are likely going to love Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.

With that out of the way, I'm going to be honest and say I initially forgot the plot of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. (I played it way back in 2017!) Although the game's opening offers a quick summary of previous events, I felt a bit lost when it came to lore and references to her journey during the first hour of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. The sequel fortunately works well as a standalone narrative once you get two hours into the story. Without getting into major spoilers, the game opens up with Senua setting out to rescue her people who have become enslaved. However, she soon finds herself stranded on a mysterious island locked in a powder keg conflict about to explode.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II's story is both thrilling and horrifying. There were times that it reminded me of Attack on Titan, as this sequel touches on similar themes about humanity and what people are willing to do to survive in the face of a devastating threat. Just like the first game, Ninja Theory uses audio exceptionally. It's so important that I think wearing headphones while playing Senua's Saga: Hellblade II should be mandatory. As key plot moments unravel, you are given instant insight into what Senua is thinking and feeling. It really enhances the narrative in a big way. For example, there was a moment when I was clawing through a dark cave, and the voices inside Senua's head observed how panic-inducing the situation was. I actually felt my own anxiety rising, as it felt like my trek through the claustrophobic environment was getting tighter and tighter and would never end.

However, the audio isn't just for character-building in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, as Ninja Theory actually finds some pretty groundbreaking ways to use during gameplay. Unlike most modern AAA projects that have waypoints or visual cues, I felt Ninja Theory wanted me to feel every moment as if I was living the story. So instead of a marker on the ground showing me where to go, I heard the sound of a person screaming from a distance out of one side of my speaker. The game's 3D binaural audio is incredible, and there were numerous occasions where I was able to figure out where I needed to go and how to progress just by listening to my environment.

Another thing I really loved about Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is that the voices inside Senua's head will sometimes make a comment about a puzzle. However, they won't outright tell you what to do. They'll instead make an observation or criticize Senua in a way that makes sense within the game's story, which can then push you in the right direction. It all comes together in a really seamless and natural way and truly made this one of the most immersive gaming experiences I've had in years.

Speaking of puzzles, Ninja Theory really expanded on gameplay in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II by including tasking sections. Some of these challenges involve pretty mind-bending stuff. It actually reminded me a lot of Alan Wake 2's "flashlight" mechanic, which let you rearrange the game's world in real time with the click of a button. Similarly, there are puzzles in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II that let you play with perception to warp and twist your environment. I not only found these challenging brain teasers, but they were also a visual spectacle that further expanded on the game's themes about mental health.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II does involve some combat, but I imagine the sections might leave some divided depending on their expectations. If you want quick hack-and-slash action like Ninja Theory is known for in previous works like DmC: Devil May Cry, you will be let down. Instead, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II features heavy combat that can feel sluggish at times. This didn't bother me personally because I thought the game's battle mechanics had a lot of weight to them. What I mean is that you truly feel every blade slash that hits Senua. Combat is violent and brutal. And from a cinematic point of view, I think this combat style works effectively. Just don't go into the game expecting to throw out flashy combos and counters. The game does have the standard block, parry, and dodge. And you also unlock new mechanics as the story progresses that can aid you in battle.

But overall, combat is more of a slowed-down visceral experience that is there to serve the narrative. As far as the rest of the gameplay goes, most of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II largely centers around you exploring the island. While this isn't an open-world map, I still found the game to be constantly engaging. Even though most of the chapters are broken up into linear sections, you often have to figure out how to navigate through these multi-layered areas. For example, instead of just walking through the middle of an abandoned village, you will have to crawl under huts, climb ladders, and find hidden passageways to make it to the other side. Overall, I think Ninja Theory did a really good job balancing the game's exploration sections with puzzles and narrative moments, where Senua is fighting with her internal voices, so that every segment of the story feels engaging.

Truly, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II's cinematic presentation stands out. I know there have been many games with the so-called "best graphics." But I really do think there is an argument here that Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is one of the best-looking games ever made. The level of effort Ninja Theory went through to bring the sweeping lands of Iceland to life in this game is just breathtaking. Senua's Saga also manages to avoid the mistakes that other narrative-driven games, such as The Order: 1886, make in that it doesn't feel like a movie that you are just passively watching. Whether it's the 3D Audio that had me interacting with the environment and story in unique ways or the incredible motion-capture performance of Senua actor Melina Juergens - I truly felt connected to every moment of this story.

Ninja Theory does not shy away from this being a movie-like experience. With the game clocking in at around ten hours, the campaign is unabashedly narrative-focused. With all that said, I can't help but be blown away by the passion that went into telling Senua's story or the fact that Hellblade II was developed by a team of 80 people. What really makes this game stand out is how much detail Ninja Theory put into the project. From working with a Cambridge Professor to explore the game's themes about mental health to spending 69 days doing extensive motion capture - Senua's Saga is truly one of the most narratively engrossing games I've experienced in years. Fans of the first game will also be pleased with Hellblade 2's story, as it further dives into the harrowing struggles of Senua with a really unique plot. The sequel also expands beyond the beloved protagonist and features a cast of interesting side characters with their own emotional stories.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is a cinematic masterpiece that raises the bar of narrative games. From its groundbreaking use of 3D Audio to its incredible graphics that bring sweeping Icelandic vistas to life, Ninja Theory's sequel is a must-play narrative. More importantly, Senua's Saga continues to tackle mental health in a deeply meaningful way, with an emotional story that will have you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is now available on Xbox Series X / S and PC.

The post Review: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Is a Cinematic Masterpiece appeared first on Siliconera.

Although Hades II is largely the same game as its predecessor, Supergiant Games delivered some interesting mechanical changes that make the sequel a much stronger experience. After spending over 50 hours with the rogue-lite, I feel it's already better than the first title.

The first thing I noticed when diving into Hades II is its emotional story, which pulls you in right away. In Hades, you spent most of the game's first 20 hours trying to unravel the mystery of Tartarus. While likable, Zagreus at first feels like a spoiled child rebelling against his family without a real cause. Of course, the game's excellent storytelling eventually reveals a lot more about his family and his yearning to discover what happened to his mother Persephone. In fact, what set Hades apart from other games in its genre was its extensive lore and how Supergiant Games cleverly used the rogue-lite formula to slowly reveal the larger narrative.

This incredible narrative style returns in Hades II, except you immediately connect with the series' new protagonist Melinoe. From the very start, you feel her desperation to rescue her family, which consists of Zagreus, Hades, and Persephone. The emotional plot had me instantly hooked as I tore through every enemy and level to desperately try to reunite her with her brother and parents. Just like the first game, Supergiant Games does a great job of teasing out new lore and information every time you die and start a new run.

Another improvement is the way Hades II implements magick in the game. Whenever you use a charged "Special" attack or "Cast" ability, you use up energy in this second meter. Although the bar refills after entering a new room, it really forces you to be strategic with every attack. You can find a perfect run completely going up in flames if you spam your abilities too quickly and find your Magick drained. While this may seem like an unnecessary hurdle on the surface, it also forces you to pick and choose wisely with the game's other mechanics.

One of Hades II's best features is Arcana cards. Unlocking each one allows you to add unique buffs to Melinoe. For example, "The Unseen" cards allow you to recover 2 Magick energy every second. As you can imagine, this is a game changer. With it, you don't have to worry about running out of energy and the bar will slowly fill back up. However, when you pair that with certain Keepsakes, you can actually triple the speed at which your Magick recovers. So, Hades II gives you a lot of room to mix and match to customize your gameplay experience. There is also not a single power that feels broken, and everything has a trade-off, so the game constantly challenges you to change your build, even in the middle of a run.

Weapon evolutions also make their return and are just as interesting as they were in Hades. A weapon that was once a slash attack can be completely transformed with different properties as you progress through the game. If I had any gripe about Hades II, it is that I didn't entirely connect to the weapons as much as I did in Hades. At least with Zagreus, I was constantly struggling to decide which weapon to pick up. But with Melinoe, I found myself mostly sticking with a single weapon, and it felt a lot better than the rest.

But I also want to put it out there that I'm by no means a pro at rogue-lites. So, it could just be a skill-level issue. I know that, at least with Hades, I felt the overall weapon selection to be a bit better. However, it should be pointed out the game is still in early access, and there are going to be updates on the weapons. I also haven't unlocked all the evolutions yet, so my favorite weapon might actually be waiting to be discovered.

Unlike the first title, though, I think Hades II offers up a more complex gameplay system that doesn't rely solely on weapons. As I mentioned earlier, Magick plays a big part in combat. As you progress through the story, you also unlock "Hex" spells, which drastically change the way you tackle battle. From a supercharged beam of light that dishes out thousands of damage to healing, the Hexy system adds another layer to the game's battle system, which makes it a lot more interesting.

Lastly, I found the side characters in Hades II to be a lot more interesting. One of my favorite relationships out of the gate is between Melinoe and Nemesis. Their competitive relationship had my blood boiling at first, which is what any good rivalry should do. But like anything in the Hades universe, there is a lot more to the characters and lore than meets the eye.

Fans who loved Hades will essentially get more of the same with the sequel. However, I really do think Supergiant Games has added enough changes to the game's core mechanics to make it an overall improved experience. And that's with the game still in Early Access, which has me excited to see where the game goes from here.

Most importantly, though, the story of Hades II is already excellent. So, if you are someone who fell in love with the game's first lore, there is a lot to love here. The game already does an amazing job connecting the two titles and revealing how the two stories are connected. So, if you were worried about the sequel taking on a new protagonist, don't. It's very much a story about Zagerus, and it takes an even deeper dive into the lore behind Tartarus and the family of Hades. Hades II is already off to a great start and is already an improvement over the original.

Hades II Early Access is available now on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The post Preview: Hades II Is Already An Improvement Over the Original appeared first on Siliconera.

During my teenage years, the Endless Ocean franchise was my go-to when unwinding after long college days. The announcement the new installment Endless Ocean Luminous, for the Nintendo Switch, filled me with nostalgia and anticipation. Unfortunately, this new chapter falls short when it comes to several aspects, leaving me yearning for the charm of its predecessors.

The original Endless Ocean and its sequel Endless Ocean: Blue World weren’t just games involving diving into the sea and looking for creatures. I mean, they were, but they had such charm and a cute storyline to each of them. You could feed said creatures and interact with them, and sometimes they’d interact with you too. Immediately within my first 15 minutes of playing Endless Ocean Luminous, it was clear that it lacked the personality and depth that were so entrenched in the previous titles.

In Endless Ocean Luminous, you’re a faceless diver tasked with exploring the Veiled Sea, a vast ocean with over 500 species to discover. As you encounter marine life, you scan it and discover information about it. Some creatures are so tiny that you wouldn’t even know they were there without scanning. Finding new life is the best part of the game, and almost every inch of the Veiled Sea has some sort of creature living in it, so you’re rarely swimming along with nothing to see. Yet sometimes, I could go a long time without finding anything new.

Like in the real ocean, the deeper you go in Endless Ocean Luminous, the creepier the discoveries you may come across. Swim close to the surface, and you’ll encounter dolphins. Dive deeper to the point where the only light source is your flashlight, and you’ll find the stuff of nightmares. On my first dive into the depths, I was actually scared because I had no idea what awaited me there. Would there be sharks? A giant octopus who would wrap me up in one of its huge tentacles and crush me? The latter didn’t happen, but there were sharks and other disturbing creatures, such as anglerfish and coelacanth.

The fact that something like that didn’t happen is just it, though. Not that I’m expecting to be swallowed whole by a whale, as this isn’t that type of game, but there’s very little interaction between the player and the marine life. It’s unsatisfying! The gameplay loop consists of diving, scanning, and picking up salvage from the seafloor, which is nothing new to the franchise, but it does little to make the process enjoyable. It lacks the soul that was so evident throughout the Nintendo Wii titles. The ocean does nothing to acknowledge your presence.

I hoped that would change in Endless Ocean Luminous’ story mode, but it didn’t. Many of the missions, which revolved around going on research expeditions to save the World Coral, were shallow and ended after a couple of minutes. It felt jarring because I’d get into the experience, then dive would end and lock me out of jumping into the next mission because I hadn’t scanned a certain number of creatures yet. I understand capping players from being able to complete the story in one go by encouraging them to go on more dives and explore, but when almost every story mission locked me out, it felt frustrating.

Marketing materials heavily emphasized the Endless Ocean Luminous dives for up to 30 players, so I was excited to see if multiplayer was a more enriching experience than solo play. I was given an hour time slot to experience a multiplayer dive, and I spent it doing exactly the same thing I’d spent hours doing alone. There were group missions, during which we had to work together to scan certain marine life, which was fun at first. However, the same mission looped twice in a row, instantly tarnishing the experience. I looked forward to running into (or swimming into) another player so we could emote and wave to each other more than anything else, which isn’t an experience I’d pay $49.99 to have.

Overall, Endless Ocean Luminous lacks heart. It’s a shallow take on a franchise with a lot of potential to be special, especially on a handheld console like the Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking for a chill way to pass the time or if you have a child who is interested in learning about marine life, I’d recommend trying it out. But you may be disappointed if you’re looking for anything more than that.

Endless Ocean Luminous will be released on May 2, 2024, on the Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Endless Ocean Luminous Is a Shallow Dive Into a Disappointing Sea appeared first on Siliconera.

Originally announced in 2019 as Project Eve, Stellar Blade has had an interesting development cycle. Initially a multi-platform release, the project eventually landed as a PlayStation 5 exclusive with a new title. As a result, it has become one of the console's most anticipated games. Thankfully, Stellar Blade was worth the wait, as it's one of the best action-RPGs released since NieR: Automata.

Before we dive in, I want to address the elephant in the room. In the lead-up to the launch of Stellar Blade, there has been a lot of discourse around EVE's design. If you are uncomfortable with the character's portrayal, there is a good chance you won't enjoy this game. It features a lot of (optional) revealing outfits and suggestive camera angles. Shift Up tells a good story in Stellar Blade with thought-provoking themes, and EVE is a great protagonist who I ended up really liking after spending 50 hours with her story. The game also offers a wide variety of fashionable outfits you can equip that lets you customize how you want EVE to look, so there are options other than sexy. That said, I just wanted to give everyone an idea of what to expect before jumping into this.

The best way I can describe Stellar Blade is that it's like if NieR: Automata and Bayonetta had a baby. If that sounds awesome to you, then you will likely love the game. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Stellar Blade's story centers on an earth that has been invaded by monsters called Naytiba. As a last stand, EVE is sent down to defend humanity from the brink of extinction. Like entries in the NieR series, the game plays with many familiar sci-fi themes, such as when we consider androids to be "alive" and what it means to be "human." However, the game wastes no time throwing you into the action the second EVE lands on earth, as you are slashing down enemies with swagger the second the story begins.

One of the best things about Stellar Blade is its fast-paced combat, which strikes a perfect balance between risk and reward. At its core, gameplay consists of a mix of close-quarters action with EVE's blade and ranged attacks with her drone gun. As you land combos, you build up energy, which allows you to unleash devastating Beta attacks. However, you can also fill up your Beta meter each time you successfully pull off a Perfect Parry or Perfect Dodge. These are timed defensive moves that counter an enemy's attack back at them, which leaves them temporarily stunned. As a result, you will need to know when to be defensive or go on the offensive, as it can literally turn the tides of battle.

However, where combat really comes together in Stellar Blade is when the Blink and Repulse systems come into play. During combat exchanges, enemies will eventually launch into powerful attacks that can't be blocked. If you press the right button prompt, EVE will Blink through the enemy, allowing you to unleash a barrage of attacks at their back. Conversely, if you Repulse, you will kick the enemy in the face and send EVE flying backward away from danger. This also gives you a small time window to whip your drone gun out and attack their weak spot (which is highlighted with a glowing yellow aura).

All of this blends together in a seamless flow of attacks, which at times feels more like a "dance" than a fight. Think of the epic sequences in a John Wick movie, and you will get an idea of how it looks. Stellar Blade succeeds in making combat stylish while also making sure gameplay is deep and challenging. But I won't lie; it does feel badass to see EVE kickflip off an enemy, then drive her sword down their throat. For all the chaotic energy that combat brings in Stellar Blade though, it's also really smooth and gives you a lot of room to chain attacks together in unique ways once you get the hang of it.

Stellar Blade is also a really difficult game. You can't just hack and slash enemies while standing still, or you will get destroyed. Naytiba are aggressive! Like a Darks Souls game, you will get punished if you don't move around. I even briefly tested out the game's easier "story mode" difficulty, and you can get torn to shreds in seconds if you fall out of step in combat. Stellar Blade is so challenging that I almost thought I wasn't going to be able to beat it after dying for the 30th time to the story's final boss. But like a puzzle, I was eventually able to overcome the final showdown after swapping out my Gear. Stellar Blade has an interesting character loadout feature that lets you install gear such as chips and exospine parts into EVE's Nano Suit, which in turn alters her stats or performance.

For example, you might equip a gear chip that adds 300 points to your shield or a chip that makes it easier to pull off a Perfect Dodge or Perfect Parry. But to give you an example of how this feature can be used strategically, let's talk about my one boss fight loadout. (There will be no story spoilers, I promise). Initially, I had a gear chip equipped on EVE that sped up my Beta energy's charge time. However, I had a second chip in my inventory that refilled my Beta Energy based on the total amount of damage I received after being hit. Since one boss boss was dishing out an eye-popping amount of damage with each attack, this essentially allowed me to keep my Beta bar filled at all times. This one little change to my loadout made a massive difference in a battle that initially seemed impossible. So, if you are looking for fast-paced combat with strategic depth, Stellar Blade has that in spades.

Speaking of combat, Stellar Blade handles EVE's level progression with its Skill system. There are a total of five skill trees, which you can max out if you complete side quests. The Blink and Repulse moves I mentioned earlier are a part of this skill tree, so leveling up EVE has a major impact on gameplay and makes progression feel worth it. You even get access to new Beta Powers, as well as basic combat moves such as Rush. The skill allows EVE to instantly teleport across the level and slam into enemies with her sword. If you aren't happy with how you've invested your Skill Points, the game has an item that lets you reset each skill tree branch.

Combat isn't the only thing that is stylish in Stellar Blade, as the game features many outfits for players to collect and unlock throughout the campaign. While some might not be a fan of all the designs, there are some really cool Nano Suits for EVE to track down. Outfits can be as silly as a stuffed animal costume to a fashionable jeans and a leather jacket combo. There is even an outfit that pays homage to Bruce Lee's iconic yellow jumpsuit (or the one the Bride in Kill Bill wore, for those younger readers). At least for me, turning EVE into a fashionista gave me an incentive to complete side quests and explore every inch of the map. The game even has earrings and glasses you can equip! I just wish that Shift Up had also put this effort into your weapons, as you are stuck with the same blade and gun for the entirety of the game.

As far as length goes, Stellar Blade can be beaten in 25 to 30 hours if you rush through the game and only tackle main story missions. This could vary depending on which difficulty you are playing on and, of course, the player's skill level. I completed most of the game's side quests, and my final playthrough clocked in at around 50 hours. But I'm also not a pro at action-RPGs by any means, and I would even consider myself more on the "novice" side in terms of my skill level. So take that into consideration when considering my estimates. The main campaign largely takes place across six regions (plus a few extra areas). Two of these locations are open-world maps. From a post-apocalyptic city overgrown with wildlife to a sprawling desert with sand dunes stretching across the horizon, every section of the game is varied in its design.

With regards to traversal, each level map is broken up by fast travel points and campsites that can be used to refill your health and potions. Shift Up doesn't make it easy for us, as enemies will also reset whenever you rest. Fast travel points are accessed with phone booths, and campsites are unlocked with vending machines. One of the things I absolutely love about Stellar Blade is all the little details Shift Up put into the game, such as EVE flipping a coin in the air before inserting it into a vending machine to unlock a camp. Even saving in the game is relegated to EVE kicking her feet back and sitting down on a picnic chair, and it just oozes charm.

Now, let's get to the game's plot. While not groundbreaking by any means, the story of Stellar Blade touches on some interesting themes about humanity and what people are willing to do to survive in the face of an existential threat. If I had any complaint about the tale Shift Up is telling, it's that some of those themes aren't explored enough in side quests and early chapters. Stellar Blade characters aren't as fleshed out as ones in similar games such as NieR: Automata.

If you are reading this and are like this guy keeps mentioning NieR: Automata in a Stellar Blade critique too often, hear me out. It's hard not to compare the two games. There are so many similarities that Stellar Blade, at times, almost feels like a direct homage to the Square Enix action-RPG. Like 2B, EVE is part of a space colony organization with a mission to save humanity. Both protagonists are sent down to a ravaged earth to fight off invading creatures. EVE has a floating turret companion that acts as a gun for ranged combat, while her sword is her main means to attack. Both games start in a similar overgrown post-apocalyptic city, and the next big level after it is an open-world desert section. Both touch on themes about androids having feelings and memories and whether they should be considered human. Sound familiar? Heck, even the music in Stellar Blade is so similar to NieR: Automata that I had to take a double-take.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as NieR: Automata is one of my favorite games of all time, but the similarities between it and Stellar Blade are so great that it's hard not to compare the two. For me, the world that Yoko Taro created is so weird and interesting that it can sometimes make Stellar Blade feel a bit more vanilla in comparison. This is especially true when it comes to the side quests. Some of them involve interesting stories that give us a brief insight into a side character. However, the vast majority of them can be boiled down to simple fetch quests. Don't get me wrong! I still had a blast completing them because combat is so much fun and I wanted the EXP to unlock more Skills. But in this regard, I just feel like NieR and NieR: Automata had much more thought-provoking side quests and more fleshed-out world-building than Stellar Blade.

Another thing I should mention is Stellar Blade has a few mandatory dungeon sections in the main story campaign. For some reason, the game takes away EVE's blade, and you are forced to use your gun for the entirety of these hour-long sections. In place of the fast-action combat are platforming challenges, which can sometimes become a bit frustrating considering the most enjoyable thing is the breakneck gameplay. While overall traversal is fun and snappy, trying to land on a tiny platform that moves in the sky can be difficult when the game adds forward momentum to your landing.

I can't count how many times EVE fell to her death in my game after I successfully landed on a platform, only to slide off while in motion. This is especially a problem when double jumping, as the game will sometimes pull her to the side for some reason, completely botching your attempt to reach a long-ranged section with a dash. But I will also say that these sections make up a very small portion of the game's story, so it's not enough to really hurt the overall experience. Interestingly, I never had a problem with platforming when in the open-world levels. So, it might be an issue with the dungeons being more closed-off.

While I wish some of the elements mentioned above were fleshed out more, Stellar Blade really makes up for this with the second half of its campaign. The story really takes off in the final chapters and allows its thought-provoking themes to develop. In particular, it has one of the most epic endings I've experienced in an RPG in some time. Specifically, this is a multi-ending story, which works really well considering the game's narrative. I don't want to get into any spoilers, but let's just say the ending is one of the most "anime" things I've seen and left me desperately wanting a sequel.

Finally, let's talk about performance. Stellar Blade is an absolutely gorgeous game with beautiful graphics. I constantly wanted to pause my game to take screenshots, as every frame could be a wallpaper. Whether it is glowing neon lights from futuristic city advertisements or the glittering sequins on EVE's unique outfits, the game's art style is stunning. Thankfully, Stellar Blade's performance also delivers as it has a consistent frame rate that never drops, despite how chaotic combat gets. The game also features a Graphics, Framerate, and Balanced mode. Whichever mode you pick, the graphics are beautiful. However, Shift Up has definitely made sure to give players the option to hit 60 FPS without any compromise.

When I look back at my time with Stellar Blade, I see a new franchise that is full of promise. While it might not have the best side quests or side characters, it's grounded by excellent gameplay that is challenging and fun. EVE and Lily are interesting main characters that I really connected with, and the game's story sticks its landing in the final act. If Shift Up can build on everything they did well with Stellar Blade and make a sequel that fleshes out its lore and world even more, we could have something really special here. Still, Stellar Blade is a great first step that action RPG fans won't want to miss.

Stellar Blade is a thrilling action RPG with stylish combat and nail-biting encounters that offer players a real challenge. While the game tackles familiar sci-fi themes, it's anchored by lovable protagonist EVE and her sidekick Lily. While it doesn't surpass NieR: Automata and Bayonetta, fans of those beloved games should check out Stellar Blade as it's a good companion title that will scratch the same itch.

Stellar Blade will be available on April 26, 2024 on the PlayStation 5.

The post Review: Stellar Blade Channels NieR: Automata’s Stylish Combat appeared first on Siliconera.

Princess Peach: Showtime is a fun, action-packed Super Mario spin-off that makes you realize you don’t always need Mario to save the day or have a good time. With beautiful level design and a whole bunch of transformations and combat mechanics, the 2024 Nintendo Switch title will likely be loved by Super Mario World fans looking for something to fill the void while they wait for a new installment. It’s my favorite Super Mario spin-off to date. While some may be skeptical of a Princess Peach-led game, especially with it being 19 years since Super Princess Peach on the Nintendo DS, you definitely shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The Mushroom Kingdom princess stands on her own here.

In Princess Peach: Showtime, your aim is to save Sparkle Theatre from an evil masked villain known as Grape and her annoying crew, the Sour Bunch. They’ve kidnapped the Theets, a troupe of actors who reside in the theatre, and it’s up to Peach and Stella -- the Sparkle Theatre’s ribbon guardian -- to rescue them and restore order by jumping into various plays and acting them out. Each play has its own storyline and theme, which made me want to clear them to find out what happens. As you do, you’ll unlock a variety of costumes for Peach, who uses Stella to attack, each with its own power and play style, such as Ninja Peach, where you take out enemies with a kunai and scale walls with lightning speed and Dashing Thief Peach, which gives her a grappling hook with a cool costume to boot.

Not every costume has combat mechanics, though. One play dresses the princess as Patissiere Peach, who must bake and decorate cookies against the clock, Cooking Mama style. This was my favorite, even though the levels can get tough due to the speed at which you must help out the Theets with their desserts. But that only made it more fun! You get to use each costume multiple times in different stages, too, so it’s not just a one-and-done deal.

Some plays have boss fights, which have various mechanics, largely involving dodging at the right time by pressing A. This was very common and appeared in many battles, which made them too easy after a while because it was just a case of figuring out when to dodge and jump on their head three times to kill them off. I would have liked to see more mechanics here, as I began to get bored whenever I found myself in a challenge against a boss. Though, luckily, they didn’t happen too often, especially after the opening hour.

As you play through Sparkle Theatre’s various plays, you collect Sparkla Gems, reminiscent of Super Mario 3D World’s Green Stars. Some are easy to miss, concealed behind a dull spotlight or off the beaten path. At times, I was convinced I’d collected all of them in a play, only to reach the end and realize I’d missed a couple, even though I was certain I’d combed through every nook and cranny. You don’t need to collect every Sparkle Gem to progress, but if you’re someone who strives to reach 100% completion on every stage, you’ll love the challenge like I did. There’s also a hidden NPC in each stage named the Ribboner, who, when found, will unlock a new Ribbon style for Peach or Stella, so it’s worth going out of your way to hunt him down.

There are many Peach and Stella Ribbons to unlock in Princess Peach: Showtime, whether it’s through the aforementioned Ribboner, defeating Action Rehearsals after clearing a floor, or buying them in the Sparkle Theatre first-floor lobby using the coins you collect throughout the plays. I swapped Peach’s outfit often because she has many cute ones, and I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to wear. Every time I liked one, I unlocked something better! This made me go out of my way to collect as many as possible, adding to the replayability of each stage. There are also other things to unlock in the lobby, especially if you collect every Sparkla Gem in a stage, but I’ll leave that surprise for you to uncover.

Princess Peach: Showtime is a fantastic action-adventure title with many transformations that make the game fun and replayable. While some may find the boss battles tedious and repetitive, it is offset by enjoyable combat and a plethora of collectibles, making it fun for those who love the grind. Overall, Princess Peach: Showtime manages to hold its own as a Super Mario spin-off and proves that Mario doesn’t need to be in every game in its universe in order for it to be great.

Princess Peach: Showtime will be available on March 22, 2024, on the Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Princess Peach: Showtime Proves Peach Doesn’t Always Need Mario appeared first on Siliconera.

While Final Fantasy VII Rebirth largely stays faithful to the 1997 original, it takes some major risks with Aerith in its ending that will likely be divisive with some fans. However, I believe that Rebirth's final act not only lived up to FFVII's most infamously tragic moment, but it was a major improvement in a few key ways.

Editor's Note: This piece contains spoilers for FFVII Rebirth Chapters 12 through 14 and the original game.

Like millions of players around the world, I was left traumatized by Aerith's death for decades after playing Final Fantasy VII back in 1997. For many of us growing up in the 1990s, it was our first experience of a major protagonist dying in fictional media. Whether the moment is technically classified as a "twist," it certainly felt like one to me at the time, because I just didn't see it coming and it completely blindsided me. I think Aerith is also one of the purest characters ever to be put into modern fiction, which made her death all the more shattering. It just felt wrong on a visceral level.

Over 25 years later with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Square Enix had the challenge of Aerith's death looming over it at every step of the game's development cycle. It is this watershed pop-culture moment that everyone now knows about and expects. This left many wondering, would developers play it safe and just deliver the scene faithfully line by line? Or would the team do the opposite and save Aerith, as many theorized after Final Fantasy VII Remake revealed that Zack was still alive due to the introduction of a new timeline? Instead, Square Enix did something completely different and managed to subvert our expectations and surprise us all over again.

At the end of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it's revealed that there are not only multiple timelines that exist alongside each other, but an actual multiverse of infinite worlds. This plot device is demonstrated in a key moment when Zack has to decide between saving Aerith, Biggs, or Cloud. After choosing to save Cloud, we are given a visual cue that this pivotal decision resulted in the creation of another timeline. Or as Sephiroth puts it: “When the boundaries of Fate are breached, new worlds are born.”

This major revelation has a profound impact on the story of Aerith, as it alters Final Fantasy VII's most traumatic scene in a major way. Like the 1997 original, we see Sephiroth soaring down from the sky as his katana is slowly aiming for Aerith's back. Square Enix understands that the audience knows what is about to go down, but in an interesting twist, it's revealed that Aerith also knows what is about to happen and purposely accepts her fate.

In another shocking moment, we then learn that Cloud sees a timeline where he stops Sephiroth from killing Aerith. Now, I am not going to pretend to fully understand the ending of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, as the multiverse plotline is pretty complex and there are still a lot of unknown factors. Is Aerith actually still alive in other timelines, and is she reaching out and communicating with Cloud in the world where she died? Can Cloud see into other timelines? Or has he just lost his sanity and is instead talking to the "spirit" of Aerith to cope with her death?

Regardless of what the truth is, none of that matters to the point I'm trying to make. In my opinion, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth improved on the death of Aerith because it gave the character more agency in her own story. Instead of Sephiroth just killing her for the shock factor, Aerith chooses to sacrifice herself because of her love for Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Cait Sith, Cid, Yuffie, Red XIII, and all her friends and family. While it could be argued that Aerith always knew of her fate in the 1997 original, FFVII Rebirth actually makes that more clear this time around and gives us one of the franchise's most emotionally powerful moments.

In the lead-up to the game's final chapter, Aerith convinces Cloud to go on a date with her in another world. Again, the technical explanation for this scene is not really important. What matters is that Aerith knows what is about to happen. All she wants to do is spend one last day with Cloud, getting to know him better on a date before facing her own fate. The FFVII Rebirth chapter felt like a scene out of the finale from the hit TV show Lost, which ended in 2010. In the final Lost episode "The End," protagonist Jack Shephard is denying reality, as he wants to hang on to one final moment with his friends as they gather in a church.

Similarly, Cloud's date with Aerith ends with them returning to the Sector 5 slums church, where she often tended flowers and prayed. Like Shephard, Cloud knows something is wrong and that the world he's in isn't what it seems. Aerith then confesses that she "really likes him" and then throws herself into Cloud to hug him. While holding him tightly, she whispers, "I'm sorry. Whatever happens, don't blame yourself. This isn't about me, though. It's about saving the world... and you." She then releases Cloud and pushes him out of the timeline so he can exit the church safely. As Cloud is falling, he sees Sephiroth open the church doors as he slowly moves toward Aerith.

Like Lost, the Sector 5 Slums church is a symbol of the passage between life and death. At this moment, Aerith is literally saving Cloud by sacrificing herself. This scene alone had me in tears. However, it also made the inevitable "tragic scene" with Sephiroth and Aerith all the more powerful. Because as Sephiroth is driving his sword into her, Aerith is defiantly praying and confronting her fate head-on. When she is finally slain, there is actually a beautiful moment where she is the one comforting Cloud as he holds her body in his arms.

I know there are colleagues of mine and fellow players who aren't in love with the ending of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Most of the criticism I see centers around the multiverse and multiple timelines. Or because Cloud still sees Aerith alive, they feel the impact of the tragic moment is lessened. However, I strongly believe that FFVII Rebirth improved this moment by giving control back to Aerith. By the writers allowing her to sacrifice herself to protect the ones she loves, Aerith is changed from a helpless character who was tragically killed for the sake of moving Cloud's emotional growth forward to her becoming her own hero.

Again, I know some fans of Final Fantasy VII will argue that the original game heavily implied that Aerith knew what her fate was always going to be. But I think the remake does a much better job of fleshing that concept out and allowing her to have a say in the way her story ends. I'll admit I don't know where the trilogy is going with the whole multiverse plot line. However, I still believe the actual death was handled much better in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth because of that incredible scene with Cloud and Aerith in that church.

Circling back to Lost, I also find the comparison fitting since the finale of that show was also incredibly divisive. In the case of Lost, I will not deny the fact that the show had a lot of problems. In particular, the showrunners committed the ultimate writing sin of having too many plot holes, unfinished story threads, and not wrapping up the mysteries they set up. But I also always believed that the finale of Lost absolutely nailed the "character" portion of the show.

I've always argued that the actual conclusion of each character's arc in Lost was beautifully done. So, in that same vein, I would argue that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also nailed the character aspect of the original game's story. While people may get hung up on the lore, multiple timelines, and the multiverse, they are missing how beautifully the game handled the game's character moments. Aerith not only went from being one of the best characters of all time but is now one of gaming's best heroes.

Part of the credit for this goes to Briana White, who voiced Aerith, and Cloud's voice actor Cody Christian. Both artists delivered stunning performances in the English adaptation of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which truly humanized these characters in a way we've never seen before. The actor's gut-wrenching portrayal of these iconic characters was a big reason Square Enix was able to improve on what has become one of gaming's most devastating scenes of all time.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is now available on PlayStation 5.

The post Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Improves the Most Tragic Scene appeared first on Siliconera.

A week after the launch of FFVII Rebirth, I got to sit down with actor Cody Christian, who performed the voice of Cloud Strife in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy. In our interview, the actor talked about the impact Advent Children had on his performance, what it was like to be turned into a Moogle, and how he used his acting career to bring a beloved video game character to life. Here is my interview with Cody Christian:

Brent Koepp: How much did the original FFVII inform your performance as Cloud in Rebirth?

Cody Christian: I think the key thing in what you just said was "informed." I had to do a lot of prep work and, honestly, just seek the right information, especially going into my performance in Final Fantasy VII Remake. But for me, at least the first iteration of the game in 1997, I didn't grow up playing Final Fantasy. I knew of it. I have an older brother who is very, very heavily involved in JRPGs in general and a lot of what Japanese culture has to offer. So he kind of pointed me in the right direction. The very first thing that I did - because I didn't have access to play it myself - is I watched an entire playthrough of the original Final Fantasy 7.

And then that led me down just a path of getting informed. I read all the information provided in text about the game. And then this obviously led me to watch Final Fantasy Advent Children, which I watched multiple times. So, all of that to say, I acquired as much information as I could about Cloud, knowing that there still had to be a part of me that added Cody to it. And the main goal with that was to get informed and know who this guy is inside and out or at least how he's been depicted because the benefit is the character isn't brand new.

We've seen Cloud. We know Cloud and the fan base attached to it. There's history, and there's lore to the character. So it's just about doing the work and then feeling comfortable enough that I knew what I needed to know so I can add the little drops of what I wanted to the character, which was just humanizing Cloud. I mean, yeah, in moments, he's an undefeatable Soldier who can tackle the world, but at the end of the day, he's still a human being. So that was kind of my priority in regards to portraying him.

Compared to FFVII Remake, Cloud has a lot of really emotional moments in Rebirth. I was wondering what kind of challenges you faced portraying this side of the character, who is normally more tough and emotionless at times.

Cody Christian: It actually wasn't a challenge at all. The bigger challenge was to identify and build on this character that is usually erring on stoicism. A character that is guarding his heart and emotions by choice because that's not who he is to the core. So, for Final Fantasy VII Remake, I think that it was more of a challenge to feel everything that was going on in the story, but to not externalize it with the character.

With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, having the incredible material written by those in charge of the project was the most important. Those in charge of crafting the story and writing the scripts paved the way for my performance. Like listen, at the end of the day, I like to take a lot of ownership of how I portray Cloud. But I'd still just show up like many other people. So I have to tip my hat to the writers for providing a landscape for us to just really flesh these characters out and give this story what it deserves cinematically in 2024.

I have always been an actor first, that I know. And I've been acting for over two decades. I'm 28 years old. So, to have an opportunity in FFVII Rebirth and the support from the writers within the project to say yes, let's "perform," and let's tell a story that we want people playing to be so engaged that they feel what we want them to feel. That's everything to me, man. So I'm so happy to see our performance being received well from fans and critics.

Rebirth has many emotional moments, for sure. As someone who played the original game back in 1997, I got choked up in a few places due to the acting performances in the game. I love the original and consider it a masterpiece. But the cutscenes were limited to text to a degree. So to see how far you've guys taken the story in FFVII Rebirth is amazing.

Cody Christian: So many people have such a beautiful attachment to Final Fantasy VII. And yeah, the original from 1997 is perfect. But looking at the stunning cutscenes and the animations in Rebirth, you can appreciate it. We live in a time now where we have access to technology, and anything short of what we delivered in the Remake trilogy would have been selling this beautiful game short. It would have been robbing it of what it deserved. So I'm happy that things have been executed the way they have been with Rebirth, where the story kind of shifts.

In FFVII Rebirth, there is more of a focus on Cloud's relationships with the other characters in the story. What was the process behind working with the other cast members?

Cody Christian: I can't speak on all video games, as I have limited experience in the games industry. So I will say this with regards to Rebirth: we didn't get to work with each other in the studio. At least for me, I never got to record with anybody in the flesh. The only time that really happened was if an actor recorded sessions prior and they had the lines from another session, and they would pull them into my recording. And during those times you got to play off of the other actors.

But we've been doing this since 2019, which is like, five years? So the entire cast has known each other enough, and we've grown close enough that we have that connection. So if I'm reading a scene, say, for example, with Barret, I know the actor John Bentley so well that I can almost imagine and create that story in my head of how John is going to play it. And that sort of thing only comes with time and actors becoming comfortable with each other.

But man, I wish! I would love to act with the other cast members in a room. Listen, if there's ever the chance for this, if there is ever like a new Final Fantasy VII animated series of these characters where we could all be in the same room and be bantering back and forth, I would jump at the opportunity to do that! But for Rebirth, the process is a bit more precise and methodical during the recording process. So we didn't really get a chance.

What was your favorite Cloud moment in FFVII Rebirth? Or do you have any favorite acting moments in the game?

Cody Christian: Oh man [laughs]. Okay, so I have a couple. There is this moment where Cloud goes and gets transformed into a cute Moogle. He's flying around, and he can only say "Kupo." I absolutely lost it in that recording session. Because recording that scene was a good two hours or so. So, for those two hours, imagine me in this scenario having to play Cloud, looking like a tiny cute Moogle but trying to communicate with one word over and over again.

I remember this moment because we had to record about 10 lines of "Kupo" back to back to back to back, but each "Kupo" had a different intention behind it. It was just a crazy experience [laughs]. So, that was definitely a highlight for me. The other highlight that I thoroughly enjoyed as an actor was the part of the story where there's a shift in Cloud's behavior after Sephiroth gets his hands on him a little bit too much, and he starts to become a bit more unhinged.

These scenes become a game of cat and mouse, and there are interesting exchanges between Cloud and Tifa or Cloud and Aerith. During these moments, these characters get to see the side of Cloud, which is almost scary. Because it's like, is Cloud there, or is he not there? There's, like, this underlying tone of sinisterness which is something I never thought I would get to play when portraying this character. So, to dabble in that was a blast for me as an actor. I hope it looks cool in the final performance.

How much do you feel Cloud has changed from Remake to FFVII Rebirth?

Cody Christian: When Remake first came out, the concept of 'we are going to take one game and let it exist among three titles' kind of showed the landscape and how massive this project was going to be. Now, we are talking about 300 hours or more of a character's story being told across multiple arcs. The scope of that is crazy. So, understanding that this story was going to take some time to unfold and that we're going to have a different Cloud in 1, 2, and 3 - that was communicated to me before I jumped into this game.

So I kind of knew that this guarded, cold, and stoic Cloud was going to be shifting. And we're going to get to tackle a little bit more vulnerability. We're going to get to tackle a little bit more of the intimate side of Cloud's relationships. A true humanizing of "who is this" person behind the Buster Sword, if you will. So, in regards to prepping for this role, it was more of a mindset. It was an attitude shift. There was a comfortability I brought into FFVII Rebirth that I didn't have in Remake simply because of experience, pressure, and expectations.

Look, you try to silence all the chit-chat surrounding this role. But inevitably, this kind of thing is going to creep up on you. So, the first game was what it was. But with Rebirth, I finally got out of my head about the fact that I'm not like a fraud with regards to the voice acting thing. I dropped the whole voice aspect, and I'm like, I'm just acting in a different medium now. And that helped me tremendously. And this type of storytelling, like, let's see this tough badass man that will slice through six people, who will then also break down and cry - that's my bread and butter as an actor. I absolutely loved to do this role. I was even more excited that I actually had the support from the people making the choices for this game.

I can only do much. So the fact that I had the support from the creators of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth of "yes, let's make these characters feel real," let's make this story feel powerful, let's flesh out these iconic moments from the original game, and let's treat it in a cinematic way. This is a cinematic universe. It doesn't matter that you are playing and have a controller in your hand. When I look at this game, I can imagine it on a 100-foot IMAX screen. Because it justifiably exists there. So I just think having that approach with myself and everybody involved really meant everything. I always tip my hat to my director, Kirk. That's my man. I feel very safe in his hands and I felt guided in the right ways and able to perform. Without him and everyone else, we wouldn't have been able to do this. I'm just grateful his second game allowed us to do all that.

You said you had watched Advent Children and other FFVII Compilation titles in the lead-up to Rebirth. How much did those versions of Cloud influence your take on the character? Or did you treat Cloud in the Remake trilogy as a new version of him?

Cody Christian: I think inevitably, just because the character has already been established and I'm not the first person to have my hands on the role - Cloud is Cloud. Cloud exists outside of me and anybody that were to breathe life into him. So, with that said, there is due diligence to remove yourself enough to play the authenticity of the character first. And whether that be something I agree with or not, I'm not important in that conversation because the character and his authenticity take precedence over what I feel. So, with that being said, inevitably, there are going to be things that shine through in whatever iteration where Cloud shows up because that's Cloud.

But my goal is to play Cloud as truthfully as possible, but then add my own little interpretation. I've said this before, but my little interpretation is, "Make this guy feel like a human." Because at the end of the day, when he takes all of his armor off and puts the sword down, and if he was sitting in this living room right now across from a Tifa or across from an Aerith, and they are talking about whatever - that's what I imagine. I really put my head in this place where I go: "Cloud's existing here and now. What would that feel like?"

In a way, it's kind of crazy because I took my experience in the acting world, and I kind of just looked at it when I went to record like, "What if I was going into a big-budget action film?". That's kind of what I thought, in a way. What if I went into the trailer, put Cloud's shoulder pads on, and had a prop sword over my back? Like, really, I just kind of imagined what that would look like. But more importantly, what would that feel like? And I tried to emulate that and put it into a microphone and crossed my fingers. I hope it works! [Laughs]

Did you get to hear the original Japanese voice actor's performance for FFVII Rebirth before recording your take on Cloud for the English version of the game?

Cody Christian: Most of the recording process is done first in Japan. Everything is animated, rendered, recorded, and written in Japan. They have their hands on the game first, and they set the entire tone and precedence for the project. Then it comes to us. And basically, I have to match my performance after that line is translated to make sense in the Western world. And we have to match whatever kind of time slot, generally, that they've carved out and they've created. And it gets very very precise in regards to recording the line in over and under two milliseconds.

Maybe they will stretch this time slot for you, and you will get five milliseconds. So you have to exist in this window that has already been created. So with that, almost every line I get to hear the Japanese interpretation. And even though I don't fully know what's going on all the time, I can hear the emotion. And then I have my script lead with me, and I can ask questions if I have any. But I get to hear the tonality and the emotional life behind what's being said in Japanese first, which, more times than not, dictates how we do it on our end. It's been a cool experience, and I've been heavily influenced by what they are creating in Japan. I feel really attached to the world they've created in a way. I don't know if that sounds stupid, but I want to be out there. I want to be immersed in that environment and what they are doing.

FFVII Rebirth is now available on the PlayStation 5.

The post Interview: How Cody Christian ‘Humanized’ Cloud in FFVII Rebirth appeared first on Siliconera.

On the day the reviews for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth came out, I was lucky enough to sit down with the game's director, Naoki Hamaguchi. During our hour-long discussion, the passionate developer touched on the challenges of remaking a beloved classic JRPG, how side characters like Cissnei were added to the game, and his feelings about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's bold ending.

However, what stood out to me the most in this conversation was that Hamaguchi, above all else, is a massive fan of the original Final Fantasy VII. Like millions of players worldwide, the Japanese developer fell in love with the PlayStation classic when he first played it in high school. Decades later, the fan has now been given the opportunity to lead the modern retelling of Final Fantasy 7, and he truly understands the weight of the project and what it means to so many players. Here is my discussion with Hamaguchi-san.

Brent Koepp: How challenging was it staying faithful to the original Final Fantasy VII story while also using Rebirth to make changes to tell a new story?

Naoki Hamaguchi: So, seeing that this is a trilogy - and of course, in Final Fantasy VII Remake, we were able to tell this story and express this in great detail - I think this was a very satisfying experience for players. But if we were just to have a sort of continuation, the same way along the second and third title, I think it would be difficult to sustain interest in the players.

We believed that it was important to enact some changes and differences within the remake series that are quite different from the original Final Fantasy 7. This is depicted by the Whispers and their presence within Remake, and for Rebirth, Zack becomes a key figure in this position of sort of symbolizing change. In that way, keeping this kind of excitement and anticipation as we move forward toward the following title in the trilogy, I believe, was quite important for us.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has a diverse amount of different gameplay sections. Such as Barret using his gun to clear blocked paths or Yuffie using her grappling hook for traversal. How important was it to give each character their own section of the game?

Naoki Hamaguchi: So, when we kind of think about the Final Fantasy VII story in general, of course, it kind of centers around Cloud. Within the original, he was the central character, and there are no moments where you can remove Cloud from the party. He's somewhat always there. FF7 has a feast of wonderful characters, each with so many fans around them, and we took into consideration that some of the fans of the other team members may not always wish to play as Cloud, and they may want to play with their favorite character. So we kind of took this into mind while still keeping Cloud as a protagonist within the story of Rebirth.

We wanted to find a way where we could let the unique characteristics of each team member shine in ways in which they can use their unique skills. Whether that's finding their way out of a dungeon or in combat. So, in thinking about this, I worked together with Nojima-san to discuss the overall game structure. From there, I had my own requests, like I would like to do "this area, this certain way with these specific characters," and I had these sorts of suggestions. And so we went from there, and that's how the different character sections in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth came to be.

Many supporting characters didn’t originally appear in Final Fantasy VII, such as Cissnei, who show up in Rebirth. How did you choose which characters from other games would appear?

Naoki Hamaguchi: So, in terms of Cissnei in particular, speaking on the Remake series as a whole, so Rebirth and Remake, we definitely wanted to incorporate characters from Final Fantasy VII Compilation titles. But we also wanted to have them be introduced in a way that isn't abrupt to players who are experiencing the game. We wanted the supporting characters to align with the storyline of the Remake series. And that was definitely intentional on our end.

As far as Cissnei's character, when we received Nojima-san's initial script for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, you know she was already written within the plot. And I think this was also to do with Zack and Cissnei's explosive popularity among the community, too. So, their presence in the game was confirmed early on in marketing. And I, too, was excited when I found out that she appears in Rebirth, and I read her in the script. I was pretty surprised. I was like, "Wow, she's really in here!"

Overall, I think Cissnei being added was a great result, and we had positive feedback about that. And within the game's quests as well, we wanted to have it not only be quests for the sake of it being a quest. But through these, we wanted to show more of the characters' backgrounds. We wanted to explore "How do people live in this world of FF7?" That was something we really wanted to dig into for this title. Having characters from Remake that people wanted to see again, such as Kyrie, was also important. We wanted to be able to show more of these characters and touch more on their backstory.

As a side note, right up to when we showed the final trailer for Rebirth and were doing other press interviews, we had so many comments and questions from the media and fans asking, "Is Cissenei going to be in Rebirth?". [Laughs] And, of course, I couldn't say anything until the final trailer came out! This is the first time actually getting to talk about it. I'm so happy I finally get to talk about her.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has many emotional moments. There were certain story moments that got me choked up. How did working with voice actors allow you to expand on key pivotal scenes from the original game?

Naoki Hamaguchi: The Japanese voice recording is quite essential in that we have a director who specifically directs the voice actors. Since this deals with the game's characters, Nomura-san and Toriyama-san are also involved in making sure that the characteristics and essence of each character are captured faithfully by the voice actors. So we will look into even the finer details, such as how long a character speaks, each utterance, or the tones of their voices.

And we will make sure the performance is fitting of the character. We will all kind of work on this. Once this is complete and we have the Japanese voices, we then pass this on to other regions for them to record in their own languages. And so, the Japanese voice is always the foundation with which we would like other languages and voices to align. So, other recordings in different languages are kind of done with the original Japanese voices in mind. In that way, the original Japanese recording was a key part.

One of Rebirth's most exciting features is the Affinity system and how characters feel towards Cloud. Will decisions players make in Rebirth carry over to the next game? Or are these relationships and choices more specific to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth?

Naoki Hamaguchi: So in terms of whether Affinity will carry on from Rebirth to the following title, while I am unable to speak or divulge further or answer clearly on this topic, of course, we want to continue to explore the relationship between Cloud and himself, and his relationship with other characters. So, of course, whether that will be done in the form of another Affinity system or something else, that is something to be looked forward to. But that is something we are not exploring at this time.

At the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake, there is a massive surprise when Zack is revealed to be still alive. Without getting into story spoilers, are you excited to see how fans will react to the ending of Rebirth? Nervous?

Naoki Hamaguchi: [Laughs] To answer your question, I would say half-excited, half-nervous. I'm almost 50/50 really! [Laughs] You know, there will be just a ton of varied conjecture and individual interpretation on the ending of Rebirth, so I'm really excited to see what people feel and what kind of emotion players that experience this game will have.

But at the same time, I'm nervous about what they could possibly be thinking. From a creator's perspective, I do think, along with my team, we're very much confident about putting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth out. And so, in that way, I'm very excited and can not wait for the release! So until then, I'm very excited and anticipating to see how the players will take it and what their response will be.

Following the interview, I also had the privilege of attending a special movie screening of Advent Children. Hundreds of fans excitedly packed into the theater to watch the beloved 2005 movie. Those in attendance were stunned when Naoki Hamaguchi himself showed up to the screening to thank them for their support of the franchise.

However, the screening of Advent Children had a much deeper meaning as the Square Enix developer revealed the film's impact on both Remake and Rebirth. According to Hamaguchi and original Final Fantasy VII director Yoshinori Kitase, it was Advent Children that made the team dream of one day bringing Cloud Strife’s story to life with beautiful graphics and a more expanded story.

I walked away from my interview confident that Naoki Hamaguchi and his team are the right people to lead this beloved franchise. Like all of us, he is not only a lifelong fan of Final Fantasy VII, but he also understands what made the original so special. Above all else, Square Enix seems deeply passionate about the remake trilogy, as everyone in the office, from PR to marketing, was on pins and needles, excitedly anticipating Rebirth's launch. As someone who has already beaten Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I can say that the reimagining is not only just as magical as the original, but it somehow manages to surpass it in many ways.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on PlayStation 5 on February 29th, 2024.

The post Interview: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Tells a New Story With a Classic JRPG appeared first on Siliconera.

When One Punch Man: World was first announced, I was a bit apprehensive as I've always had a slight bias against mobile games with heavy action at the center of their gameplay. While I know projects such as Genshin Impact have long proven that intense combat can be incredible on mobile platforms, I've mainly found myself opting out for console versions of these titles. I was surprised when I discovered that One Punch Man: World is one of the best fighting games with adventure elements I've played in some time.

Full disclosure: I am a casual fighting game player at best. So, this review will be from the perspective of someone who is familiar with the genre, but isn't a master at it by any means. That said, I had a blast with my time playing One Punch Man: World. At its core, the game is anchored by a campaign that is currently divided into seven "arcs." Each one centers around a specific hero's story and is broken into "episodes" with heavy cutscenes.

However, what surprised me was the depth of the game's world outside of these episodes. While most of the Main Story is anchored at the Hero Association headquarters hub, players travel to various locations outside, such as "City A." It's here that you can really get lost for hours. Towards the beginning of the game, you get to experience the city from the perspective of Smile Man and Lightning Max as they patrol the town. Throughout City A, there are NPCs with side quests that have a wide range of objectives, from fetch quests to puzzles to even full-out boss battles.

In One Punch Man: World, most of the missions are broken into Biography and Side quests. With Biography, the missions are centered on a specific hero. Playing these gives you a deeper insight into the protagonists as you get to experience a self-contained story connected to the hero. In contrast, Side quests are picked up from random NPCs throughout the overworld. While these aren't as in-depth plot-wise, they are worth taking on as the stories tied to them are often interesting, and they give you rewards such as Team XP and in-game currency.

One of the more clever quest types in the game is NPCs talking about their past experiences with villains. As you listen to their story, the game has you jump into the flashback and take on the villain in an epic boss battle. The idea is that the heroes are learning new intel on villains by listening to the citizens' experiences of the city. I really liked this combat integration, as it gives players a good pace of action between side content.

As I explored the city, I couldn't help but be reminded of the cozy vibes of the Yakuza series, particularly how it handles its side quests with bizarre and humorous situations. For example, one of the early quests in One Punch Man: World has Smile Man trying to figure out the mystery of why the city thinks he dined and dashed a local udon restaurant. After interviewing various citizens, you eventually discover there is an imposter on the loose. Even small quests like his ooze with personality and do a good job of fleshing out the world. These were fun enough that I always went out of my way to clear any Biography or Side quests I saw on my overworld map.

What impressed me the most about One Punch Man: World is the mobile title's gameplay. While I'm not usually fond of touchscreen controls, I think Crunchyroll Games did a fantastic job implementing its action-heavy combat with its digital joysticks. Holding the screen horizontally, you can use your left thumb to move your character forward while using your right thumb to control the camera. While this isn't revolutionary by any means, the game is really responsive and fluid. I also appreciate the developer including a sprint button, which locks your character into a running animation with a single tap.

Another design choice I really liked is how One Punch Man: World keeps track of quests. As you complete Main Story missions and side stories, your Team Level ranks up, which gives you access to more content. To make all of this accessible, a Team Rank page lists all the content you've unlocked so far. So, in one single place, you can select your current or previous ranks and jump to side quests and challenges you haven't completed yet. This makes navigating the overworld to side content incredibly easy, which is perfect for mobile gaming on the go.

Where the game really shines, though, is its action combat. Out of everything that surprised me the most about One Punch Man: World, it was its boss battles. When I say they are epic, I mean it in the best way possible. I'm talking break-neck speed action with non-stop movement. While this could have easily become clunky with the touch-screen controls, it actually works really smoothly due to how combat is implemented in the game's UI. During a battle, your hero has 3 to 4 Arm Skills and a normal attack on the screen's right side, represented by digital buttons. Because of this, you can quickly use your right thumb to tap each ability button as their cooldown resets to easily chain combos.

One of the game's best decisions is them giving you a dedicated dodge button under your Arm Skills. Again, this might sound simple on paper. But this allows you to quickly zip away from an enemy's attacks if timed correctly. With all of this combined, you can constantly keep your character running in and out of battle while outmaneuvering incoming attacks. And again, I initially thought this would become overwhelming and clunky. But even as a casual fighting game fan, combat really flows together smoothly despite all the hectic action around you.

With combat out of the way, it's time to address the elephant in the room. I know with most mobile titles, one of the things most players want to know about is the "gacha" element. Yes, One Punch Man: World has a gacha system. However, it's surprisingly fair. For starters, I do not believe this game has a pay-to-win system like other titles in the genre. Let me explain. As someone who acquired a handful of the game's best characters (SSR heroes), I still got absolutely demolished in certain boss fights despite using my most powerful units. That is because each villain has its weaknesses, and certain characters and their movesets are better suited against them.

To give you an example. In the first half of the game, there was a boss fight that I could not beat with my SSR Hero. But I was able to finally take him down using free-to-play characters because they were better suited for this specific encounter. Most boss fights also can't be won by simply spamming powerful attacks, which is another reason relying on the gacha system will only get you so far. A big component of this game is skill and understanding the flow of combat. And while I'm not one of the most skilled players out there, this is actually one of my favorite things about One Punch Man: World - it's challenging but fair.

While each Boss Fight could have been the same formula across all enemies, every villain has its own set of attack patterns. And you have to figure out how to maneuver around those attacks, or you won't last long. In one of the game's early fights, you have a few seconds to sprint and roll into a tiny section to avoid the enemy's massive AOE slam attack. As the fight continues, the villain will adapt and start using stronger moves. So, if you think you are about to win, you might get caught off guard and destroyed by a powerful ability you need to figure out how to dodge.

A big part of succeeding in combat also centers around your management of Arm Skills and keeping on top of their cooldowns. For instance, you may have a healing ability, but you might want to hold off on using it until a later phase in the battle. Or, if you are skilled enough, you can figure out the right time to use it to negate an upcoming attack against you altogether. Point being, One Punch Man: World requires you to use different heroes for different situations. A big part of the game's combat is skill-based, as you must figure out how to implement your offense and defense. Because of this, you can't simply purchase your way to success without putting in the work.

And I think this is a really great design choice. Of course, SSR Heroes are extremely powerful and can make the game a lot easier if you use them in the right situations. I just think the game is designed fairly, where players aren't punished if they don't have them. And, of course, sometimes it just comes down to grinding out your team until they are at a high enough level. Speaking of SSR Heroes and the gacha system, One Punch Man: World is also pretty fair regarding in-game currency. The game is absolutely filled to the brim with opportunities for players to earn pulls.

Similar to games like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, One Punch Man: World has a 7-Day Sign-In bonus where players can earn Silver, Credit, and even a chance to unlock an SR-level character for free. There is also the "Serious Training" menu, where you can get rewards for completing in-game objectives such as "upgrade your character 4 times" or complete "City A Side quest." There is even an achievement page that generously gives you World Silver, which is used for the game's gacha system called "Character Draw."

But it doesn't stop there. In One Punch Man: World's Main Story Episodes, each mission has its own challenges. This means that as you play a major arc in the story, you have little mini-objectives, such as "Use your Ultimate 6 times in battle," which further gives you rewards. If you missed any of these objectives, no problem. The game lets you replay these story battles as many times as you want until you collect all of these bonuses. So, no matter which way you look at it, One Punch Man: World gives you a lot of opportunities to earn in-game currency and characters without breaking your wallet.

For those who want to spend their hard-earned cash, the gacha system is pretty straightforward. In One Punch Man: World, you spend "World Silver" currency on banners called "Character Draw." For every 10 draws, you are guaranteed an SR or higher quality item. For every 60 draws, you are guaranteed an SSR or higher quality item. So there is at least some kind of cushion if you don't get the character or item you initially wanted. For those who want to earn their character draws by just playing the game, it also means a user can save up their Silver over time and have a high chance of getting the character they are looking for.

My main takeaway from playing One Punch Man: World is that this is an incredible action fighting mobile game with a lot of side content for players to dive into. However, what impressed me were the epic action battles that worked well even with touch-screen controls. But even beyond that, One Punch Man: World has a decently fleshed-out world with side quests and characters to get lost in. With its addicting gameplay and deep progression system, this is definitely a game that fans of the One Punch Man anime and manga will not want to miss out on.

One Punch Man: World is now available on the PC and iOS and Android devices.

The post Review: One Punch Man World Offers a Surprising Amount of Depth appeared first on Siliconera.

When I first sat down to play the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth TGS demo in September 2023, the first thing that stood out to me was how much work Square Enix put into fleshing out the game's characters. The Synergy ability, in particular, was a highlight, as it really added a lot of depth to the character's personalities. Cloud using Aerith's magic to create a spectacular fireworks display of damage was both an epic cinematic attack in combat and a neat narrative device that says much about their bond.

In January 2024, I played the first five hours of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in the lead-up to its launch in February. I can say that the game goes even further than I expected to breathe new life into these beloved characters of the 1997 classic. This is evident from the game's opening hours, which is oozing with personality. In Chapter 1, we get to play a flashback of a pivotal moment between Cloud and Sephiroth from five years ago. However, as we progress through the story, Cloud, in real-time, narrates the events while the rest of the group occasionally chimes in with their own commentary.

What is really neat about this narrative decision is that players are given choices in the campaign, which then reflect on the campfire story Cloud is telling. For example, there is a hilarious moment where Cloud reveals that he went into Tifa's room, and you can choose to have him say that he looked into her closet. Based on the decisions you make, the group will either scold Cloud or praise him. This design choice not only allows players to experience the story how they want to but it also creates these dynamic moments between the group that add a lot to their relationships. And I mean, it will never not be funny when Barret chews out Cloud for making the wrong decisions.

There are a surprising amount of these moments where players are given multiple-choice decisions. I won't go into detail about all of them, as I want to leave that as a surprise to players. However, since Cloud is retelling a story from his point of view, there is a lot of room for players to improvise the story with their decisions. The flashback narrative also allows Square Enix to really world-build by creating these little details that say a lot about the characters, especially with how they react to Cloud's perspective.

Perhaps the most surprising addition to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that I encountered is a new relationship system that is, in a lot of ways, similar to the Social Link mechanic in the Persona series. Each character in the game now has an emotional status that I could view at any time. The feature allows the player to change how a character feels towards Cloud, which can become positive or negative based on your choices. An example is that while I was in the city of Kalm, I found Barret sitting in a bar alone and asked him if he wanted to drink with me. After initially saying no, a timed dialogue tree event was triggered, and I was given three choices. Because I chose to have Cloud offer to buy him a drink, my relationship with Barrett increased, and his feelings toward the protagonist became positive.

As I progressed through the story, there were many moments where I could interact with the characters and improve my relationship with them. If you like your Cloud to be a jerk, it is possible to be cold towards everyone and make decisions that upset them. However, the game has a relationship rank system that impacts the story in a few different ways. If you have a good relationship with certain characters, you can unlock side quests later in the story with them. Having a good bond with everyone also increases your overall party rank, which gives you access to new abilities and skills. I'm not sure if every character moment is optional, but how you react during them at least impacts how they feel about Cloud, which has larger ramifications on the overall game.

This new relationship system was probably my favorite part of the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth preview, as it fleshed out the characters in a really big way. Most importantly, it makes the world feel a lot less static as you can discover these dynamic moments through exploration. In Chapter 2, the game sets you free to explore the Kalm, which is a massive bustling town. Yes, I could have rushed to the main campaign mission marker and progressed the story. But the game's side quests and social system had me wanting to explore every inch of the map to see what I could find. Because of this, the city truly felt alive, and like I could stumble upon something new with every corner I walked down.

Witcher 3 fans that love Gwent will rejoice, as another major feature added to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a new card game called Queen's Blood. The game is designed around a board with three lanes moving from left to right. In my play session, I had a deck of cards with various characters in. The way the game works is you have to place a card down that matches the rank level of the open spaces on your board. To start the match, you need to place a level 1 card down, as all the spaces start out at level 1. However, based on each card's unique pattern, you can change the level of the other open spaces on your board. So, for example, a level 1 card might turn the space diagonal to it to rank 2, which then lets you put down a more powerful card. With each card you set down in your lane, its overall power ranking is higher.

The goal of Queen's Blood is to have a higher total than your opponent. When every space on the board is filled up, the game will tally up each lane's overall points and declare a winner. The game has a lot of depth and strategy, as certain characters in your deck can increase the ranking of your other cards already on the board. Like Gwent, you also unlock new cards by defeating opponents. What I really like about Queen's Blood, though, is how it's integrated into the game's world. You can find NPCs who play the card game, and the more characters you beat, the higher your Queen's Blood rank goes up, and the more opponents you gain access to.

Queen's Blood could have just been another side activity, but Square Enix went the extra mile to really give the game personality. For instance, one of my first opponents was a guy named "Crybaby Ned." The NPC literally bursts into tears and claims that the more he cries, the better he plays. The moment gave me flashbacks of being challenged by a trainer in a Pokemon game, which, I'm not gonna lie, is ridiculously awesome. Overall, Queen's Blood is a lot of fun, and I could get lost for hours just playing the TCG. It's easy enough to understand that anyone can jump in while being complex enough that veteran players who know a lot about card games will have much to sink their teeth into.

My preview of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was the game's first five hours, so my experience was split down the middle between two sections, which gives us an idea of what we can expect in the overall game. As I mentioned earlier, Chapter 1 is a flashback section with Cloud and Sephiroth. While the section is more similar to the linear sections in Final Fantasy VII Remake, the cinematic portions of the game feel a lot bigger. For example, before you take the trek up to the Mako reactor, Cloud can explore his hometown.

Nibelheim is big and incredibly detailed. Cloud can walk into homes, explore different sections of the town, and interact with various characters. But the environments are wide and gorgeously detailed even when the game funnels you into the more linear sections of climbing up the Mako reactor. The improved levels work much better with the game's action-oriented combat, which feels less claustrophobic to Remake. For example, in the Operator Mode fighting stance, you can dodge and then launch into an aerial attack. Doing this sends Cloud hurling through the air, and you can zip around with sword slashes against enemies to juggle them. If you want to deliver more powerful attacks, you can use Punisher Mode to unleash slower sword slashes with a counterattack while blocking.

Again, anyone who played Remake will already know what I'm talking about. However, I can't stress enough how much more fluid combat feels in Rebirth because of the little improvements. And while Intergrade technically already featured Synergy abilities, they are bursting with much more personality this go around. I won't go on too much about the game's opening section, as I already covered most of it in the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth TGS preview. However, what surprised me is how much of an emotional rollercoaster Chapter 1 is. While seeing the breakdown of Cloud's relationship with Sephiroth was always expected to be heartbreaking, Square Enix uses the game's opening section and the beginning of Chapter 2 to set up various plot points that are gearing up to be real tear-jerkers.

Without giving away too much, a scene between Cloud and Tifa was really intense emotionally and had me choking back tears. There are also a lot of character moments, such as Tifa giving Aerith a back rub and hilariously striking the wrong nerve, to Barret hanging on the edge of his seat like a little kid listening to a bedtime story as Cloud retells the origins of Sephiroth's downfall. The character-building is a major step up in Rebirth, and the emotional stakes have never been higher. While Chapter 1 has more in common with the linear sections of Remake, its story feels much more cinematic.

It is Chapter 2, though, where I got to experience many of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's new features, as it's where we first get access to the game's open world. Even before stepping foot in the Grasslands, I explored the Kalm for an hour. The massive town is filled to the brim with life. From random musicians having a musical jam session to a romantic couple confessing their love on a bridge. While not every corner of the city leads to an activity or side quest, I really appreciated the detail they put into making Kalm feel like a living, breathing city.

My preview eventually transitioned to the Grasslands, which is the first major open-world section of the game. And it's huge! My initial fear when Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was first announced is that it would suffer the empty-map problem that many modern open-world games suffer from. After all, it doesn't matter how big and detailed your open world is if there isn't actually anything to do in them. From what I played, at least, I can confirm this is not a problem in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, as the game is packed with side content and quests.

For starters, Chadley from Final Fantasy VII Remake returns, this time with an interesting twist. While the lovable NPC brings back the VR mechanic from Remake, he now has a new system called "Remnawave Towers," spread across the map. Before you panic and think this sounds like the Ubisoft climb-a-tower mechanic, I think it's handled better here. For starters, you don't actually have to find these towers to unlock your map. It's not mandatory. However, powering up these towers allows Chadley to learn more about enemies and the land, further unlocking new Materia and training. They also act as fast travel points, which is nifty.

Another quest Chadley now offers is Fiend Intel, reminiscent of the Bounty Hunts from Final Fantasy 15. As you explore the map, you will encounter special enemy bosses who have a countdown timer. Your goal is to defeat them within the limit while completing side objectives such as "Blocking" or "Staggering" an enemy. If you fail, you can revisit these spots and try as many times as you want. Finally, the most interesting thing Chadley offers is Phenomeon Intel, a multi-tiered encounter quest.

During my playthrough, I accidentally discovered a locked lighthouse that I had to break into. After finding my way into the area, I stumbled upon a group of pirates trying to hide a treasure. After a cutscene and defeating them in battle, they took off with the item, triggering a "Part 2" to the quest. I love the idea of having side quests with multiple parts and stories to them, as it gives you an incentive to zip around the map to uncover the next piece of the puzzle. While this isn't revolutionary, it's another example of how Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is going to great lengths to flesh out what could have been more simplified in other RPGs.

Even traversal is fleshed out in a fun way. Instead of unlocking your mount from a few dialogue prompts, you earn it through an interesting side story. After finding Bill's Chocobo Ranch that is on the ropes financially (a major corporation is trying to bury this family-owned business), the farmhand asked me to track down a chocobo that had escaped. This led me to an adorable stealth mini-game, where I had to dive into bushes and crouch through a pack of chocobo without them seeing me. Finally, after throwing a rock in the distance to distract it, I could hop on the chocobo to make it my mount. From a mechanical point of view, it's also really accessible that I can click a single button and immediately have Cloud and the gang riding their chocobo in seconds.

Speaking of adorable, chocobo have a lot more personality in this game compared to past releases. While riding on chocobo your mount will sometimes pick up on a smell. If you allow your pet to sniff around the area, it will trigger a treasure hunt. It's up to you to read your chocobo's body language, which can eventually lead you to a buried treasure if you figure out the right direction to run in. There are even little baby chocobo hidden throughout the map, and if you find them, they lead you to chocobo rest stops, which become fast travel points if Cloud fixes the broken signs.

One of my favorite features I experienced in the preview is the Transmuter device. After receiving it from Broden in Kalm, you can convert raw materials into items. While traversing the open-world section, I encountered a lot of raw material on the ground. Thankfully, Square Enix has made this fairly accessible, as you can automatically pick them up with a button press. You can even grab the items while riding your chocobo, so you can farm material as you sprint throughout the map. As you make more items like potions, your crafting rank levels up, giving you access to new crafting recipes. Again, you could just buy items from shops. But it's nice having the option to craft since you will be spending a lot of time in these open-world sections anyway.

So overall, what do I take away from my preview of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? I had to think a lot about this, as the first five hours of the game were seriously packed with content and features that were almost overwhelming (in a good way). As someone who picked up Final Fantasy VII in 1998, I am truly blown away by how much Square Enix has fleshed out these beloved characters. I think what has stayed with me the most since I played the first five hours is how much I already care about Cloud's relationships with the rest of the cast. More than anything else, I want to jump back into the game to see how these relationships change over the course of the story.

From a purely mechanical point of view, however, I also think Final Fantasy VII Rebirth nails the open-world design. I think most fans will be really pleased with the balance they found with this game in terms of the RPG features, combat mechanics, and item crafting. Even more than Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth truly captures the magic and the spirit of the classic PlayStation One title. I can't wait to dive back into the title and see if the level of detail and scope that I saw in the first five hours is consistent throughout the entire campaign. And I'm also interested to see how they balance the more cinematic chapters which are more linear. If the Nibelheim section is anything to go by, I think we are looking at what could be one of Square Enix's best games in years.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be released on PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024.

The post Preview: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Breathes New Life Into Old Characters appeared first on Siliconera.

When Bulletstorm debuted in 2011, the explosive first-person shooter impressed players with its no-holds-barred action gameplay. The FPS was also a product of its time, as it was both unabashedly crass and bombastic. So when I first heard about Bulletstorm VR, I was excited to see how the game's over-the-top campaign would translate to virtual reality.

Upon diving into the game for the first time, Bullestorm VR gives players many customization options to shape their in-game experience. For instance, those worried about motion sickness can use the "snap" camera, which allows you to turn your vision in small increments. Though I personally preferred the "smooth" camera as it's, in my opinion, more immersive. It feels like you are really standing in the game's world.

One of the first things that really stood out to me in Bulletstorm VR was the controls. Instead of mapping everything to buttons, the game really goes out of its way to break apart every single action so that it becomes a physical experience. For example, when I wanted to use my gun, I had to reach down to the holster on my right hip and lift it up to use it. Similarly, when I needed to reload my weapon, I had to take my left Meta Quest 3 controller and reach down to my left hip to grab my ammo. And I literally mean grab it.

The game makes you squeeze your controller so you wrap your fingers around the ammo, and then you have to shove it into the bottom of your gun (which you hold with your right controller). If you let go of squeezing your controller, your character will actually drop your gun on the ground as well. So this is a very tactile experience, and the game goes a long way to make you constantly feel like you are physically present in the game.

Unfortunately, VR mapping hasn't advanced enough that it can easily track your legs fully, so Bulletstorm's infamous kicking mechanic is relegated to a button press instead. Similarly, the game's iconic sliding mechanic is also mapped to a button hold in the opposite direction of your kick. However, with everything you already have to juggle in VR physically, this was probably for the best. While the Meta Quest 3 is wireless, I can't imagine how hectic things would have gotten had I actually slid or crouched on the ground, not to mention the damage I would have done to my room!

One of the biggest things I struggled with in Bulletstorm VR is the game's combat. Specifically, how weightless guns feel in the game. This could just be my experience, but I felt that the game didn't have enough feedback or punch to the shooting. This results in gun battles feeling disconnected. The best way I can describe it is you are pointing a floating gun and then shooting in a general direction. But it never feels like you are hitting anything, as enemies don't react as expected. Or, to put it another way, I didn't know half the time if I was even hitting my enemies and only found out when they would fall over incapacitated.

Thankfully, combat expands in a massive way fairly early into the campaign when you unlock the Energy Leash mechanic. The weapon is set to your left hand, allowing you to send an electric whip. This is where the game really shines in VR. Although the game offers two modes, I suggest people try the motion controls instead of the aim setting. Within seconds, I was whipping my hand down in the air and slapping enemies across the map. What makes this really fun is that you snatch enemies out of the air and immediately bring them to you.

Anytime you use your leash on an enemy, they will freeze in the air in slow-motion for a few seconds, letting you use your gun in your right hand to load into them. The game's kicking mechanic also sends your foes flying in slow motion. So, if you time all this right, you can whip and kick enemies all over the level. It's a lot of fun when it all gels together. Although I will say I think combat will be a bit of a learning curve for some players. If you struggle to use both your left and right hand simultaneously, combat can take a bit to get used to, as you are responsible for physically combining every action. I can't tell you how often I would set up an epic combo by whipping an enemy into the air, only to fumble it when I struggled to grab the ammo clip off my left hip and shove it into my gun fast enough. But when combat works, it's a lot of chaotic fun.

The gameplay improves even further when you unlock the trickshot feature. In Bulletstorm VR, your moves and kills can earn you points based on how stylish your combo is. This is another feature that I think works really well in VR. For instance, it's incredibly satisfying to whip an enemy across the level and slam them into a cactus or fence. Sure, you could do that in the original game, but there is something much more satisfying here when you look at the enemy in the face as they are slammed into a gate a few feet away from you. I also think the immersive nature of VR allows you to use this feature more strategically as you get a better sense of the environment and where you can throw your foes.

While I appreciate all of the efforts that went into making combat a physical experience, I do think that, ultimately, it feels a little clunky. This could just be my own experience level in VR. Maybe a more veteran player who is better at juggling multiple tasks would pull it off a bit more with ease. But at least for me, combat always felt like a handful of moving parts that never would quite gel together smoothly. And in all fairness, the hectic nature of Bulletstorm's combat was always going to be tough to translate. After all, in the original game, you were sliding around the level at breakneck speed while quickly smashing one enemy before jumping to the next. I feel like that visceral speed and thrilling action is a little lost here as you are left juggling each action.

Another thing that stood out to me while starting up Bulletstorm VR is its graphics. This game is very much a faithful adaptation of the original game, so players shouldn't expect a massive overhaul for virtual reality. It literally feels like you are stepping into a 2011 game and being able to walk around in its engine. As someone who loves retro games, I actually found that charming. But if you expect more realism from your VR experiences, this might be a major sticking point for you. This really becomes noticeable as you progress through the campaign and are thrust into action-heavy levels. Muddy textures and blocky environments are pretty common here. But as I said above, this is a 2011 game, so as long as you walk into this expecting Bulletstorm, but in virtual reality, it might not bother you.

So the question I was left asking myself was, is the VR version a superior version of Bulletstorm? As of right now, I would say no. But if you are a fan of the original game, I do think this is a unique spin on a classic FPS that allows you to experience it in a completely new way. Although the graphics and core elements of the campaign are the same, the gameplay changes are a massive difference that moves the game into a more physical experience.

Bullestrom VR is now available on the Meta Quest and VR headsets via Steam.

The post Bulletstorm VR Is a Jarring Dive Into FPS Virtual Reality appeared first on Siliconera.

Almost two decades after the original release on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, players will get a chance to revisit Gekkoukan High School with the 2024 remake Persona 3 Reload. To learn more about what fans can expect from the HD reimagining, Siliconera spoke with producer Ryota Niitsuma and Director Takuya Yamaguchi to discuss their approach to remaking a classic JRPG while sticking faithfully to the game's original vision.

Brent Koepp: When did work on Persona 3 Reload begin?

Ryota Niitsuma, Takuya Yamaguchi: The development of Persona 3 Reload started at the end of 2019 and finished in 2023.

With Persona 3 Reload being a modern remake, how did the team determine what changes would be made to the story?

Niitsuma, Yamaguchi: In terms of story, we made sure to bring in the main story from the original Persona 3. So I think anybody who is worried that we have changed things around too much can feel safe to know that it's the full main story.

Which new gameplay feature in Persona 3 Reload were you most excited to implement, and what measures did you take to ensure it fit in with the existing content?

Niitsuma, Yamaguchi: So, for Persona 3 Reload, we were able to flesh out the game in many ways. First of all, in terms of story, we didn't change the main story, but we added in new side stories that will bring out the uniqueness of the game's characters and really highlight the interesting parts of the story. In terms of gameplay, we added a feature called Theurgia, which is kind of like a special powerful technique for each character that they all have. And this makes battles feel completely new and extra fun. When making Persona 3 Reload, we used all the stuff we picked up from previous Persona games. For example, we put in something very similar to the Baton System from Persona 5 called the Shift System. So, in the end, we kind of added a lot from the different Persona games.

How much can fans expect Persona 5 to have influenced Persona 3 Reload?

Niitsuma, Yamaguchi: So with Persona 3 Reload, in a lot of ways we've basically taken all the know-how and things we learned since Persona 5. And we put those experiences into Reload. So, in that sense, we added a lot of input from Persona 5 when creating the remake.

Which Persona 3 character did you enjoy working on the most in Reload?

Niitsuma: For me, it's really hard to pick because all the characters are so much fun to work on. They are all just really awesome. I think if I had to choose, it would be Koromaru the dog. I mean, it was a lot of fun to work on him, and I have a dog at home, too. I was able to use that experience of having a dog and talking to it, or being like a "dog would act this way or do this certain thing!" So, using that experience was great.

What was is it like working with Lotus Juice again to revisit his work on Persona 3?

Niitsuma, Yamaguchi: For me, Lotus Juice is a really important part of the Persona series as a whole. And so I think having him in Persona 3 Reload was important. It was really great having the chance to work with him.

Persona 3 Reload is a massive remake with many new features. What went behind the decision to not bring back Fem MC from the Persona 3 FES?

Niitsuma, Yamaguchi: So this is a question we've thought about a lot. And in the end, we kind of decided that the best thing we could do was to put all our efforts into making as perfect as we can a remake of the original game.

Persona 3 Reload will be released on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X / S starting February 2, 2024.

The post Interview: Persona 3 Reload Director Discusses Remaking a Classic JRPG Faithfully appeared first on Siliconera.