Fantasy News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

The gaming world has been gripped by Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for the past two weeks. The second in the Remake trilogy, and the first game in the remade series where what Square Enix is up to is starting to become clear. Square's hope will be a whole new generation of gamers fall in love with Cloud and the gang, and that merch like the Buster Sword necklace below will appeal to Final Fantasy 7 fans who have been around for 20 years and and a couple of weeks alike.

Cygames has released Granblue Fantasy: Relink update 1.1.0 across PS5, PS4 and PC, adding a brand new quest for players to enjoy, as well as some new premium emotes and microtransactions.

I'm struck by the fact that I've spent exactly half of my life, a full 15 years, waiting on a new anime adaptation for Spice and Wolf, and now it's finally airing next month via Crunchyroll. 

V Rising's two years of early access development are almost at an end; Stunlock Studios has announced its acclaimed vampire survival game will get its 1.0 release for PC on 17th may, with a PlayStation 5 release to follow later this year.

I’m not personally familiar with Nexon’s 2010 MMO Vindictus, but its upcoming action-RPG spin-off Vindictus: Defying Fate is looking like a fairly flashy mix of Celtic mythology, dodge-and-slash swordplay and some sharp visuals. Luckily for me and you, we’ll be able to give it a go for free for the next week, as the game’s pre-alpha playtest is now live over on Steam.

Following Enshrouded's impressive early access launch back in January, developer Keen Games has shared the first iteration of its 2024 roadmap for the co-op survival action-RPG, featuring the likes of animal farming, weather, world events, and more.

Final Fantasy 14 may have over 10 years of story across four expansions to catch up on if you're new to the MMO and want to be ready for Dawntrail, but don't expect a new story skip feature anytime soon. 

As artificial intelligence continues to develop and the use of it to replicate voices becomes increasingly common, more video game actors have been expressing their concerns over the technology's use and the negative consequences it could have.

Legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu has revealed he struggled with composing Sephiroth's now-iconic theme tune, One Winged Angel.

In an attempt to prove that The Witcher isn't the only European folklore-inspired RPG on the block, new studio Mighty Koi Studio has announced not one, but two brand new games.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director Naoki Hamaguchi has said the positive response to the Queen's Blood mini-game could mean «future expansions».

Sony rolled out another beefy PlayStation 5 update today with the main goals of improving the speakers and mic on the DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers and deepening the number of Share Screen viewer interactions.

Ori and the Blind Forest developer Moon Studios has confirmed that its promising-looking Diablo-y Soulslike game No Rest for the Wicked will feature offline play for its solo mode.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director, Naoki Hamaguchi, has confirmed that the team is currently considering "further expansions" for the in-universe card game, Queen's Blood.

Final Fantasy14's director and producer Naoki Yoshida thinks the development team may have made the game too «stress-free» for players.

Zanarkand is, arguably, one of the most haunting pieces of music ever composed for a Final Fantasy game. However, in a recent interview with Japanese outlet Weekly Ochiai, accomplished Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu revealed that the legendary theme from Final Fantasy 10 had an unlikely origin. 

While may currently be devouring players' lives with its excellent reimagining of the classic story, one mini-game is proving so captivating that even Square Enix can envision making it even bigger. One of the major positives about the latest entry in the so-called «Remake Trilogy» is the addition of several carefully designed mini-games that both flesh out the world and prove to be a hoot in their own right. There's a good variety on offer but none has gained a following quite like the card game Queen's Blood.

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida has said the massively multiplayer online game has become too relaxed in the last few years, so he and developer Square Enix are looking to increase the difficulty going forward.

The director of Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre has once again rejected revival demands, suggesting fans simply play Unicorn Overlord instead.

At the end of February, Blizzard revealed 8 new Hero Talent Trees in a sneak peek at the new system coming with the The War Within expansion. Our Arms Warrior guide writer, Archimtiros, offers an early review of the Colossus Warrior Hero Talents addressing how the new Demolish ability offers the potential for significant damage at the cost of interrupting the rotation and restricting movement. Can the gambit pay off in a mostly passive tree?

Shortly before launch, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi confused many fans of the series by explaining that the development team made two versions of each side quest all because of Red XIII. We didn't know why at the time, as we weren't aware of the voice change that Red XIII goes through a little ways into the game itself, first hinted at in Under Junon and then again in Costa del Sol.

Legendary video game music composer Nobuo Uematsu says he doesn’t think some modern video game soundtracks are as interesting as those in older games.

The rumored Final Fantasy IX remake will be very different from the Final Fantasy VII remake project in terms of scope and budget, according to rumors.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director has hinted at the possibility of expansions for the JRPG's best minigame.

Final Fantasy 16's producer Naoki Yoshida has said that he would like to direct another major title for the series if the opportunity were offered to him.

Do you know that uncle that hovers around all the kids taking photos at the family get-together? Well, I think I’ve become that person in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Daggerheart is officially in open beta. An early version of the anticipated TTRPG system from Critical Role’s Darrington Press is available for free via a downloadable packet of PDFs from DriveThruRPG and from the Daggerheart website. You can also try out an early version of the game’s character creation tool at Demiplane. Darrington Press is encouraging players to share feedback on the game’s systems throughout this process, and will be releasing improved versions ahead of the full release in 2025.

When you reach Costa Del Sol in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you will quickly realize that Cloud and the crew aren't exactly dressed for a relaxing vacation at the beach. All that leather and black certainly won't be comfortable — and don't get us started on how much sand is going to get in those boots. Before you can even set foot on the sand to relax by the water, Cloud will need to earn some tickets to get more appropriate beachwear. The only way to earn these tickets is to participate in some team minigames, including the Card Carnival on the docks. This is a twist on the Queen's Blood card game you may have been playing throughout your adventure up until now (or perhaps you've been completely ignoring it). Either way, this game is not your typical match, with specific challenges that are more like puzzles than proper games. They can be rather tricky, so we'll help you play your cards right to beat the initial set of Card Carnival trials and earn that swimsuit.

The PC port of Final Fantasy 16 is in the “final stages of optimisation”, producer Naoki Yoshida has revealed, with a PC demo also in the works. The game is currently a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

Goblin Stone, the debut title from Orc Chop Games, has two stories behind it. The narrative of the game itself is of innocent goblins turning the tables on the adventurers that so frequently invade their home, inverting a typical fantasy trope.

Responding to the yellow paint discourse, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director says he will "take on board the valuable feedback for future games."

For almost 30 years, Final Fantasy was all about the party; the diverse team of fighters, mages, adventurers, and scoundrels that fought together. Spin-offs and online entries toyed with alternate formulas, but the idea of a group saving the world via turn-based battles was the cornerstone of the mainline series. Until 2016, that is. Final Fantasy 15 saw Square Enix controversially pivot to real-time action combat, and with it we lost direct control of our party allies. By 2023’s Final Fantasy 16 the party was practically eliminated, replaced by an occasional helping hand from an NPC. It’s a shift that’s eroded a vital piece of Final Fantasy’s soul.

Final Fantasy 16's PC port is now in the «final stages of optimization», but doesn't have a release date just yet.

Final Fantasy 14 is a pretty chill experience for the most part, especially if you're not a big raid buff, and I think most of the community agrees that the game has been getting significantly easier over the years with each expansion drop. A lot of that is intentional, especially in the game's main story, as it could be potentially frustrating for someone to suddenly hit a brick wall of difficulty after having been invested in a game for close to a decade.

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida, often referred to as Yoshi-P, says he regrets making the long-running MMO as stress-free as it is.

Granblue Fantasy Relink, a surprise hit that's managed to stand out in a year positively stuffed with JRPGs, is barely a month old but already rolling out an exciting roadmap of free content that starts with a new boss coming this Thursday, March 14.

The PC port of Final Fantasy 16 is at the end of its development cycle, producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida has revealed.

The PC port of Final Fantasy 16 is in the “final stages of optimisation”, producer Naoki Yoshida has revealed, with a PC demo also in the works. The game is currently a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

If you are a PC player impatiently waiting for Final Fantasy 16 to come to your platform of choice, you won't have to wait much longer, it seems. Producer Naoki Yoshida says that it is in the "final stages of optimization," meaning that it might not be too far away.

We’ve known since before Final Fantasy XVI was released that it would eventually be coming to PC, but Square Enix has remained rather cagey about when PS5 exclusivity might end. Well, in a new interview with Game Informer, FF16 producer Naoki Yoshida gave his most direct answer yet about the PC port of the game, indicating it may not be far off.

Yuffie Kisaragi is the fiery engine behind the main cast in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Whether it’s sprinting off alone to search for her beloved materia or attempting high-profile assassination in front of the entire world, she simply cannot be deterred. The warrior from Wutai previously appeared as an optional character in the original version of the game. Now, she’s included as part of the main story from pretty early on, and her addition is one of my favorite ways that Rebirth alters the story from the original game.

Naoki Yoshida, better known as Yoshi-P among fans, says he wants to direct another "major" Final Fantasy instalment. This comes after he previously suggested he would not lead the development of Final Fantasy 17, something he now appears to be reconsidering.

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida has addressed whether he'll direct another game following the massive MMO, and it sounds like he's keen to.

MultiVersus will officially return on May 28.

The return of MultiVersus could be officially announced today.

WWE 2K24 has debuted at number one in the UK physical software top ten.

Story-driven role-playing game (RPG) Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been enjoying plenty of positive critical reception thanks to its impressive depth and scale. However, it looks like the development process behind the hit title was a particularly daunting process, at least according to a new interview with key developers. 

During the live stream celebrating the franchise's tenth anniversary, Cygames revealed plenty of details on the 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 updates coming to the action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink. Patch 1.1 is slated to land next Thursday, March 14. It will add a free new quest called The Vision:

As many people have said on dating profiles (or mothers on their wall art), I love a video game that makes me laugh, and I am delighted Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been so goddamn good at it.

Lead developers who worked on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have described how "tough" making the sequel really was.

Baldur’s Gate 3 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will go head-to-head once more at the BAFTAs, with both titles leading the way for nominations at this year’s show. Larian Studios’ phenomenal RPG secured an impressive 10 nominations overall, while Insomniac Games’ superhero sequel isn’t far behind, with nine. The two titles will compete with Alan Wake 2, Dave the Diver, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Super Mario Bros Wonder for the Best Game accolade.

At this point, the success of Helldivers 2 is staggering. The co-op-focused shooter topped the PS Store sales charts for February in both North America and Europe. Of course, it did have most of the month to secure the number one spot — releasing on the 8th — but it's still an impressive result for a game that seems to be utterly thriving through positive word of mouth.

A series constant, Final Fantasy's Moogle is a familiar sight to many, and along with the Chocobo, serves as a mascot of sorts for the franchise. But the busted-looking Moogle we got in the recently released Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been rejected by a particular segment of the community, who are convinced the gritty redesign looks more like Matthew McConaughey playing a drug mule named Miguel than a fantastical portmanteau of mole and bat.

We've said it once and we'll say it again: direct sequels are a harder sell than most people realise. The latest Japanese sales numbers are in, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the big talking point. Unsurprisingly, the RPG has immediately topped the charts with 263,000 copies sold — but that total, which may seem fairly impressive at first, puts the game well behind the opening figures of its predecessor, Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Unicorn Overlord, the new strategy RPG from Dragon's Crown and 13 Sentinels developer Vanillaware, is out now on PS5 and PS4. While it certainly isn't the highest profile release of 2024 so far, there's simply no doubting the talents of the Japanese studio behind it.

The second game in Square Enix's new Final Fantasy 7 trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been out for just over a week on PS5 — and we want to know what you make of this highly praised sequel. At the time of writing, Rebirth is one of the highest rated Final Fantasy titles ever released (according to critics), so we're super interested in seeing how it ranks in our own games database.

With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth already out, the busy release season is pausing for just a short period before Rise of the Ronin and Stellar Blade launch later in the month. Here's what we're playing in the meantime.

While there’s no shortage of ways to distract yourself while playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, one of the most unexpected minigames is the surprisingly deep piano system. In most of the major hub towns you encounter across the expansive world, Cloud can find a piano to sit down at and tickle the keys. You’re free to play any song you want in free play, but you can turn this system into a full-on rhythm game, almost like Guitar Hero, by collecting sheet music of some of the game’s most iconic tracks. There’s even an NPC near each piano who will reward you if you get a high enough rank on each song. Cloud may not be the most expressive in his words, but he can sure play the piano with heart. Here is where you can find all the sheet music and what rewards await if you can master them.

The only thing more evil than Sephiroth is pitting Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough against each other.

This article contains story spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Final Fantasy 7 writer Kazushige Nojima says he "regretted" how Aerith and Tifa's relationship was handled in the original JRPG, and therefore saw Remake and now Rebirth as opportunities to make good on the friendship he envisioned all those years ago.

Greetings, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

When it came to finding the lead for Damsel, Netflix’s new dark fantasy/action dragon-sacrifice flick, director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) had a clear vision.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is overflowing with content, including a wide variety of side quests to undertake as you work through its 50+ hour adventure. Some of these are given to you by returning characters, such as the lovable screwup, Johnny, who has found himself entangled in a whole new mess this time around.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is overflowing with fun ways to interact with its world, many of which are minigames that task you with completing challenging objectives or winning games. One of the more laid-back of these minigames is Cactuar Capers, which you’ll have to complete when trying to earn some beachwear in Costa Del Sol. This scavenger hunt will send you to take photos of pink Cactuars that have been painted on various objects around the town. In this guide, we’ll tell you how Cactuar Capers works and where to find all of the pink Cactuars so you can get to the beach in style.

Great news for those excited about the upcoming dark fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Dragon's Dogma 2. Developer Capcom has released a free character creator available on Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Xbox Store.

The Sims 4 is referencing Final Fantasy XIV yet again with a nod to the Crystal Exarch a beloved character from FFXIV’s Shadowbringers expansion.

We all love spotting references in games, especially if you manage to find something a bit niche, but when it comes to obscurity, it'd be hard to top this clever nod to a mysterious Final Fantasy 7 fight in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. 

Square Enix plans to celebrate Final Fantasy 14's next milestone birthday with a massive 14-hour livestream.

Polish developers Mighty Koi have announced The Night Wanderer, a new sci-fantasy Soulslike RPG with metroidvania level design – yes, yes, tick those genre boxes! - in which you are a grim bearded swordsman exploring an alien world that looks a bit like pre-industrial Scandinavia.

Capcom released the incredibly intricate character creator for Dragon's Dogma 2 early and, naturally, players are already creating some wonderful and horrific things.

Given how often I’ve used the weather as an excuse for staying indoors and playing games, it’s fitting that I could take the opportunity with the sun showing itself to spend a little time on outdoorsy tasks. But when darkness falls, it was back to Helldiving into the morass of robot and bug enemies on alien worlds (often with terrible weather), and then enduring the horrors of The Outlast Trials with Tuffcub and Steve.

Unicorn Overlord MSRP $59.99 Score Details DT Recommended Product Pros

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has passed away. On Thursday, March 7, a statement published on the official Dragon Ball website announced that Toriyama had passed on March 1 due to an acute subdural hematoma. He was 68 years old.

Developer Mighty Koi Studio announces The Night Wanderer, a new sci-fi/fantasy soulslike with RPG elements based on the Polish book series "Lord of the Ice Garden" by Jarosław Grzędowicz.

It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, PS VR, and free-to-play games topped the download charts last month. February’s PS5 list saw players doing their part to save democracy and humankind from extinction with new releases Helldivers 2 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth storming the top three in both US and EU regions. The bone-crushing new release Legendary Tales surged the PS VR2 list breaking the top three of most downloads in both US and EU regions.

My biggest beef with trading card games, a genre now in its fourth decade of existence, is just how hard it is to get ahold of the damned cards. The challenge of searching inside random packs is obvious, of course, but two other obstacles loom large. On one side of the spectrum, you have newer games like Disney Lorcana,where sometimes there just aren’t enough cards being manufactured to meet demand. On the other, you have more established games like Magic: The Gathering, where the very best cards in a set can only be found in quantity on the secondary market. That’s why fairly mid Commander decks can run you, at minimum, a couple hundred dollars each.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is not only a fascinating retelling of one of gaming’s most beloved titles — it’s also among the most feature-rich games of this generation. From vast open areas to explore that teem with activities to densely populated cities and tense dungeons, there’s at least 100 hours worth of content to uncover here if you’ve got the time and energy to complete it all.