By
Edge_
posted April 19, 2004
Regular readers of Edge will remember a certain columnist who found both his life and his writing invaded by the charms of a particular MMORPG. At the time, Lupin Kojima's obsession was greeted with a certain justified scepticism. Would the words 'Final Fantasy', 'online' and - whisper it - 'PlayStation2' ever come together outside of Japan? Now, as Final Fantasy XI finally jumps the Pacific on to American PS2s, it could be time to dig out those back issues.In May, it will be two long years
Anyone who plays online role-playing games knows that it takes a ton of content to keep gamers satisfied - and to keep the subscription fees rolling in. Four years after launch, Square Enix's first foray into the massively multiplayer arena is still going strong. Final Fantasy XI will soon be growing once again with the release of its third expansion pack, Treasures of Aht Urghan. While hardcore fans of the game have the most to look forward to, the expansion provides ample opportunities for
Our first hands-on preview of Final Fantasy XII cut straight to the basic details of this mammoth RPG, the most monumental PlayStation 2 release of 2006. More time spent under its spell proves the game to be a slow burn - one of the most deliberately-paced in the series. Somehow, though, it's still addictive.
So far in the first several hours of the game, all action has revolved around blonde leading man Vaan - though Ashe, the princess who played a leading role on the demo disc, has made a
By
Edge_
posted February 15, 2006
At E3 in 2004, FFXII's idiosyncratic project leader Yasumi Matsuno confided to us that if his game was released on time and with 80 per cent of his vision intact, he would be happy. When the game finally reaches Japanese stores on March 16, it will be almost two years late; Matsuno, rumoured to have been hospitalised for exhaustion during the extended development, has not even been directly involved for one of them.
But handing the reins of Square's most popular blockbuster to its most indie
If there's one thing we truly know about Final Fantasy XII, it's massive. Years in development have yielded what is very likely the biggest single-player Final Fantasy game yet. We played the import for hours and hours and we barely scratched the surface.
So it's no surprise that there are plenty of details we have yet to uncover. Good thing that Square Enix stopped by with the game and uncovered some exciting new details. Though the game was only on demo for maybe half an hour, we learned a
New Final Fantasy, slightly new rules. Ever since the series redefined what role playing games could be with Final Fantasy VII for the original PlayStation, gamers have flocked to play each and every one. Somehow, though, developer Square Enix keeps us guessing. Final Fantasy VII and VIII mixed sci-fi with fantasy, Final Fantasy IX featured super-deformed ragamuffins instead of troubled teens, FFX added voice acting, FFX-2 marked the series' first direct sequel and the emergence of girl power
Final Fantasy is, for most gamers, absolutely synonymous with the concept of role-playing games. These games represent the pinnacle of technology and visual artistry wherever they land. If we're lucky, they also tell captivating tales, filled with adventure and love. From what we've played so far, Final Fantasy XII is set to uphold this tradition. It is both like and unlike its predecessors, and instantly feels epic. Whether or not it holds up over its entire playtime ... well, we'll find out
Wrestling tykes weaned on today's glitzy SmackDown! franchise probably haven't even heard of the Fire Pro Wrestling series - one of the longest running and highly popular series' in Japan - what with its infinitely customizable gameplay, gigantic roster and incredibly in-depth move list. Oh, we have your attention now? Heading straight for the current/last-gen PS2 this fall is Fire Pro Wrestling R (the R stands for "Returns") and will compete head on against the WWE's longstanding series for
We'd teleport all of you to Tokyo to enjoy this year's TGS with us, but since we can't, experience the shows most game-filled booth in this new video straight from Japan...
Last year's racer FlatOut is remembered mainly for two things: drivers who went flying violently through the windshield with every serious collision, and minigames that revolved around how far you could launch your driver out of the car. Some critics dismissed the actual racing as unremarkable, but the horrible-accident minigames stood out so well that the game is getting a sequel.
FlatOut 2 features everything a good sequel should: more cars, more varied tracks, more personality and twice as
