Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Review

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Final Fantasy XV, the JRPG from Square-Enix, only just launched worldwide continuing the story set in the Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy movie. This movie is set a few years before the events of the Final Fantasy XV games and follows the story of an elite squad of commandos under control of the king of the kingdom of Lucis. This squad, and the protagonist Nyx, wield magic and do battle against the empire of Nifelheim to stop a plot to overthrow the kingdom of Lucis. Much like the previous Final Fantasy movie, The Spirits Within, this film is done completely in CGI, but unlike it, it actually has to do with a mainline Final Fantasy title.

Kingsglaive’s story is far from a vast philosophical tale, and instead moves in the direction that Final Fantasy stories have been moving towards for quite some time, and that is a theatrical storyline with memorable characters and a pathway to action sequences that seem to really bend reality, pushing the fantasy to the final limit (break). Nyx and his friends are a small group within the Kingsglaive, an elite group of commandos that operate in the defence of the kingdom of Lucis in strategic missions. Soon after the films beginning, we’re taken into a huge battle with the forces of Lucis needing to defend their main city from the attacking Nifelheim forces. It is here that we get a sense of the Kingsglaive’s casts personalities, and the films theatrical storytelling.

The main plot develops over the course of the film and follows Nyx’s path from a Kingsglaive front-line unit, to one that is reprimanded and put onto guard duty. While undertaking this new duty, he is assigned to guard an upcoming event involving a treaty between the empire of Nifelheim and the kingdom of Lucis. This is where the real meat of the plot comes into play, as the film becomes one of political rivalry and political/military power-plays that affect Nyx, as well as some other notable characters from the upcoming Final Fantasy XV game, such as Lunafreya. Of course, somehow, Nyx ends up finding himself caught in the middle of all of these political battles, making this a fun and action packed movie.

To be honest, I didn’t think that I would find Kingsglaive to be all that an enjoyable film, but, honestly, I really did enjoy it. From the outset, the idea of another Final Fantasy film was an iffy one, after-all, Final Fantasy The Spirits Within wasn’t exactly the most Final of Fantasies, having barely any similarities to any existing Final Fantasy at the time. Even more, the Final Fantasy anime series is barely even memorable, I literally only just remembered that it existed as I was writing this paragraph. But, outside of the iffy quality and pacing of the early movie, Kingsglaive strengthened itself the further along it went. It isn’t a cinematic masterpiece, but damn, it made me excited enough for the franchise to renew my hope that Final Fantasy XV wouldn’t be a symptom of a huge decline in the franchise. But I still can’t help but want Final Fantasy to go back to its medieval fantasy roots just a little.

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Kingsglaive – Final Fantasy XV is a movie done completely in CGI. This seems a little weird at the beginning of the film with a bit of uncanny valley going on with characters expressions, but as the film progresses, the emotion shown in the CGI characters does actually increase exponentially. It kinda feels like the team got better at animating, but then forgot to go back and fix up some of the earlier sequences. However, despite this small issue that corrects itself as the movie progresses, the CGI action sequences are incredibly well done and somehow become the main draw to the film.

As I mentioned before, this is rather theatrical film with characters that often go for the theatrics. Quite often, you’ll see some exaggerated movements in the way the characters talk and behave during dialogue and combat sequences to make things look and seem cooler, or to emphasise a certain emotion or plot. This is a good use of animation and it’s something I like to see in films.

Character and set design is pretty important to the Final Fantasy mythos, with characters becoming more and more elegant as the main-line series progresses. What was interesting about this particular Final Fantasy story is that it takes place in a world that looks similar to our own for the most part. This comes right down to the Lucian kingdom being very reflective of a modern day Earth city. However, things start to look a bit more Final Fantasy when the Nifelheim appear, looking like a mixture of the soldiers from Final Fantasy XIII and the Garleans from Final Fantasy XIV. What was also cool was Ultros’ design in this, even if he wasn’t as silly as some of his previous incarnations.

Unlike anime, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV only has English and a couple of other voice options, but no Japanese dub. I find this a bit strange considering that this is a Japanese production and fans of the games often prefer to play the Japanese language when it is available in games. But outside of that, the voice acting was pretty well done and the performances were believable. I also enjoyed the soundtrack, which had some pretty good moments.

Overall, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is a rather fun film that gets better as it goes along. It sets up the world of the video game Final Fantasy XV pretty well and gives you a nice background understanding of what’s going on. The battle sequences are pretty awesome and the story progresses interestingly.

Rating: Needs a little more Final Fantasy, but still worth a watch /10

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV comes courtesy of Sony Entertainment. This review is based on the BD version of the film as provided by Sony for the purposes of review. The publishing of this review was held back to celebrate the launch of the Final Fantasy XV video game. You can purchase it in stores for ~$20, it is also available on iTunes.

Gaming PR: FINAL FANTASY XV NOW AVAILABLE FOR XBOX ONE AND PLAYSTATION 4 WORLDWIDE

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It is out! Here is the official word about the launch!

FINAL FANTASY XV NOW AVAILABLE FOR

XBOX ONE AND PLAYSTATION 4 WORLDWIDE

‘FINAL FANTASY XV – Ride Together’ Launch Trailer also Released

 

 

SYDNEY 30th November 2016FINAL FANTASY® XV, the highly anticipated and latest mainline entry in the iconic FINAL FANTASY series, is now available for Xbox One and PlayStation®4 across the world.

 

The latest instalment in the classic series, FINAL FANTASY XV is set in an enthralling world where fantasy meets reality, where players will embark on an adventure like no other. Join Prince Noctis and his comrades on an epic journey of brotherhood, love and despair as they unravel Noctis’s destiny and take up arms against the warmongering empire, Niflheim. With a captivating cast of characters, breath-taking visuals, open world exploration and thrilling action-packed real time combat, FINAL FANTASY XV is the ultimate FINAL FANTASY experience for both newcomers to the series and series fans alike.

 

“FINAL FANTASY has a special place in the hearts of many and the team who worked long and hard on this project couldn’t be prouder to present FINAL FANTASY XV to fans around the world,” said Hajime Tabata, game director. “Today, we invite not only longtime fans but a new generation of gamers to a series beloved thanks to the engaging storytelling, unique characters and captivating worlds that have become the hallmark of FINAL FANTASY over the years.”

 

To celebrate the launch, a new gameplay trailer entitled ‘FINAL FANTASY XV – Ride Together’ is also available to watch now at:

 

FINAL FANTASY XV is available now worldwide for the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system. For more information on FINAL FANTASY XV, visit: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/

 

Related Links:

FINAL FANTASY XV YouTube: https://YouTube.com/FinalFantasyXV

FINAL FANTASY XV Twitter®: @FFXVEN

FINAL FANTASY XV Instagram: @FFXV

FINAL FANTASY XV Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/ffxv/

 

# ENDS #

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 3.4 Soul Surrender Dungeons Impressions

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Coming off the back of the last patch, this latest Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward content patch has added a lot of new content for players to burn through. With numerous additions to items, and obtaining them, as well as numerous additions to crafting and PVP, there is also a fair bit of new dungeon content to power through. And while I could focus on all of that new content, I lead a busy life, and so the main point of interest for me is in the dungeons of Soul Surrender.

Much like in the previous major content patches, there have been two additions made to the Expert Roulette of dungeons. The first of these is the Great Gubal Library (Hard) which sees players returning to the library once more to defeat some new enemies. The second is obtained through the Main Story Quest and is the dungeon Xelphatol, which is a dungeon that has the players running through some boardwalks and floating rocks in order to defeat some monsters trying to summon Garuda.

The first dungeon mentioned, The Great Gubal Library (Hard), is found by doing a sidequest that begins in Idyllshire. This dungeon is the second coming of the Great Gubbal Library and has the layout of the dungeon changed slightly. There are also some interesting books laying around, which some players might recognise as ones mentioned throughout the story and some of the class questlines, like “The Boy and the Dragon Gay” which was referenced in the Dark Knight storyline. Interestingly, I liked the boss fights in this dungeon as they felt like extensions or retakes on the fights from the first time through. The most fun fight would have to be the one with the magnetism gimmick though. The final battle is pretty cool, and is probably one of the most complicated fights I’ve seen in a dungeon boss in FFXIV, so it’s a lot of fun!

Xelphatol is the second new Expert dungeon added into FFXIV this patch. In this dungeon, accessed through the Main Story, players run through the mountains of Xelphatol to battle a contingency of Ixal looking to summon Garuda. This dungeon also has some interesting boss fights, as well as a pretty decent looking area to run through. One of the highlight bosses is the boss where you need to defeat a cannon in order to cause an updraft to pop a balloon with the boss on it. This will force it to the ground where it can be attacked again. There is also the final boss which stood out, with a bit of coordination being needed to place aoe markers and avoid a boss attack.

Out of the two, I like Gubal the most. It has a really fun atmosphere and really gives you a sense of returning to a place that has since become even more dangerous. The whole run is familiar, yet also different at the same time. I liked that aspect of this run the most.

Outside of these two dungeons is entire new wing of Alexander, and with it, a new series of Savage fights as well. This new Alexander wing, dubbed, ‘The X of the Creator’ (where X is the name of that section), has an interesting fight in each level. My favourite fights in this Alexander are the Gundam fight and the final battle which involves a bunch of time-travel mechanics. It’s actually a genuinely difficult wing to clear this time around, unlike the last wing where the only difficult fight was the final one. There is also a really fun fight involving a giant goblin and a bunch of trap buttons. I don’t really have anything negative to say about this wing of Alexander. It’s challenging, but it’s also a lot of fun.

Lastly, there is one new primal fight added for players to challenge. This battle is Sophia found in Containment Bay P1T6. It’s not a particularly difficult fight, but, it is pretty enjoyable. Probably the hardest part of the fight is working out which way to run when the level starts to rock from side to side so you don’t fall off the ledge. But, unlike other fights like Leviathan, instead of being killed and being un-ressurectable, you are placed back into the arena where you can be rezzed. So it is a little bit easy.

Overall, the dungeons in this patch are pretty fun to run through. It was enjoyable returning to Gubal Library in a fun way, and the new wings of Alexander provide a decent challenge. I definitely recommend coming back to this if you’re into running content.

Final Fantasy XV Impressions – EBGames Expo 2016

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This year at the EBGames Expo held in Sydney there was a playable build of the upcoming Final Fantasy XV video game from Square Enix held at the Namco Bandai booth. Final Fantasy XV follows the adventure of Noctis and his crew of guys as they road-trip it across the countryside for bromance reasons. Our demo took place in a desert area, where they are tasked by Cidney to kill some mobs just outside of the garage.

Exploration in Final Fantasy XV is a bit strange. Much like in classic Final Fantasy games, monsters are invisible in an explorable area, but what makes this strange is that the game feels like a third-person action game. The combat controls are locked down until you are actually in combat, which I find strange considering all of the weapons that you can use can be used for teleportation, but I can see why they designed it this way. It’s as though they wanted to retain a sense of the classic formula while merging into a newer formula.

It’s a little strange having invisible mobs when in Final Fantasy XIII, the previous main-line Final Fantasy game, you could see mobs on the linear corridor that was the game. However, in XV, where it is much more open and seeing enemies would be more beneficial, they are rendered invisible. It’s an odd choice.

The combat in FFXV, I felt, was a little clunky to use. Noctis himself can’t really do much without keeling over and panting for breath and some weapons felt a lot more effective than others. One of the hallmarks of the combat was this multiple weapon feature, but I felt that the really big sword, which I dubbed the Dark Knight class (no idea what it is actually called, I play DRK in FFXIV which uses similar swords), to be the most versatile of the lot. Lance felt useless unless you were in the air, which Noctis really isn’t built to be in, and the regular Short Sword felt too weak to be of any use. Of course, I imagine that over the course of the game, you’d have access to different weapons, but for this demo, it really didn’t do a good job of showcasing weapon versatility.

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Combat’s best part was probably the teleportation gimmick, but it was hard to utilise in a fun way. I envisioned a method of being able to chain teleport across multiple enemies, accruing damage on each before ending up at the furthest one and being able to kill it. Unfortunately, after a small number of teleports, Noctis keels over like a child and becomes vulnerable to being killed. This is actually a lot of my experience of playing as Noctis, he is just too unable to do anything to live up to his cool looks. Which sucks, because Noctis is a sexy beast.

It was a bit strange that such a fantastically visual designed Final Fantasy game had its demo set in such a bland desert level with no access to magic spells outside of the teleportation. One of Final Fantasy’s biggest draws since its switch to 3D has been its focus on being a spectacular visual feast. Unfortunately, sand and a lack of abilities makes this point a hard-sale. I know that there is potential for more beautiful scenery from this game, as both the movie and some of the marketing material tells us as much.

My gameplay demo ended slightly after following the kill monsters quest chain lead me to an abandoned shack where I killed more things. After playing Final Fantasy XIV, having the only quests available in a single player game in Final Fantasy XV seems a bit strange. However, this was only a demo build of the game, so there may be more variety in the full release.

For me, this demo was kind of a let-down when it came to showcasing just how good Final Fantasy XV could be. I feel like a lot of poor decisions were made by having the demo take place in an uninteresting environment without any kind of real tools to make this more enjoyable. I’d have picked a location later in the game, just to build that excitement a little bit. Not having much to do in a desert just isn’t all that interesting.

Gaming PR: FINAL FANTASY XV LIVE AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS

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I don’t know which radio station this is, or if it is even in my country. But, if you know if it’s relevant to you, check it out!

FINAL FANTASY XV LIVE AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS

Featuring Exclusive Live Performances from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and an appearance from FINAL FANTASY XV Composer, Yoko Shimomura

SYDNEY, 29th August 2016Square Enix Ltd., today announced that the world famous Abbey Road Studios will play host to a special one-off concert featuring music from the forthcoming videogame FINAL FANTASY® XV on Thursday 8th September.

The one-hour concert will be broadcast from Abbey Road’s iconic Studio One, and will feature live renditions of a selection of songs from the FINAL FANTASY XV soundtrack performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, with a special appearance from world-renowned composer, Yoko Shimomura.

“With so many iconic recordings taking place here over the years, performing the music for FINAL FANTASY XV in the very same recording studio is a huge honour for me and for everyone involved,” said Composer, Yoko Shimomura speaking about the event.  “I am excited to be able to collaborate with Abbey Road Studios for this performance and to share the music of FINAL FANTASY XV with everyone. I hope that music and videogame fans around the world can tune-in and join me for this incredible experience”

The show will begin at 4am AEST / 6am NZST on Thursday 8th September and will be live streamed. Full details on how to watch the broadcast will follow.

About FINAL FANTASY XV

The latest instalment in the classic series, FINAL FANTASY XV is set in an enthralling world where fantasy meets reality. Players will embark on an adventure like no other. Join Crown Prince Noctis and his comrades on an epic journey of brotherhood, love and despair as they unravel Noctis’s destiny and take up arms against the warmongering empire, Niflheim. With a captivating cast of characters, breath-taking visuals, open world exploration and thrilling action-packed real time combat, FINAL FANTASY XV is the ultimate FINAL FANTASY experience for both newcomers to the series and series fans alike.

FINAL FANTASY XV will be available on the 29th November for the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system. For more information on FINAL FANTASY XV, visit: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/

Related Links:

FINAL FANTASY XV Official Website: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/

FINAL FANTASY XV YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQSuIHSbDFH6Enz3AXeUHaA

FINAL FANTASY XV’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ffxv/

FINAL FANTASY XV’s Twitter account: @FFXVEN

FINAL FANTASY XV’s Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/ffxv/

# ENDS #

Gaming PR: FINAL FANTASY XIV CELEBRATES THIRD ANNIVERSARY WITH MORE THAN SIX MILLION PLAYERS WORLDWIDE

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Six million of us! Woo!

FINAL FANTASY XIV CELEBRATES THIRD ANNIVERSARY

WITH MORE THAN SIX MILLION PLAYERS WORLDWIDE

 

New ‘Letter from the Producer LIVE’ Teases New Content for Award Winning MMO

 

Sydney, Australia – August 29, 2016 – Celebrating its third anniversary, FINAL FANTASY® XIV continues to welcome new players to the world of Eorzea®, with over six million cumulative players globally—excluding free trial.

 

To honor the momentous occasion, the FINAL FANTASY XIV development team played host to a 14-hour live broadcast and invited viewers along for the ride. The broadcast featured the 31st installment of the ‘Letter from the Producer LIVE’ series, where producer/director Naoki Yoshida showcased upcoming game content, discussed and addressed fan feedback, and more. In this episode, Yoshida introduced and explained in detail all the content for Patch 3.4, “Soul Surrender,” releasing on September 27. The new patch includes new main scenario quests, dungeons, trials, the final stage of the 8-player raid Alexander, and more.

 

A brief recap of the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XXXI can be found at http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/topics/detail/1cbefdac1aa59edba153644672a812d54faf8020.

 

The third anniversary also continues in-game with “The Rising” seasonal event, a celebration of remembrance, featuring fun activities and exciting in-game rewards for players to enjoy. Detailed information is available at: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/2016/The_Rising/

 

 

 

 

With the release of Patch 3.35 last month, introducing millions of Eorzeans to the title’s first Deep Dungeon, FINAL FANTASY XIV continues to deliver the best of the FINAL FANTASY experience to the online realm. The game continues to deliver a plethora of content to its growing and engaged community through frequent updates, including the recent collaboration with LEVEL-5 to welcome characters from YO-KAI WATCH™ into the world of FINAL FANTASY XIV. More details on their collaboration can be found at: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/2016/youkai-watch/.

 

Related Links

The Lodestone®: http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/

Official Website: www.finalfantasyxiv.com

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIV

Official YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/FINALFANTASYXIV

Official Twitter: @FF_XIV_EN

 

About Square Enix Ltd.      

Square Enix Ltd., a part of the Square Enix Europe business unit, develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix Group. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix Group boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 115 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST which has sold over 68 million units worldwide and TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 45 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/eu/en/.

 

FINAL FANTASY XIV © 2010 – 2016 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.

HEAVENSWARD and A REALM REBORN are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. FINAL FANTASY, FINAL FANTASY XIV, FFXIV, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

 

Gaming PR: Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV – Episode 4: “Bittersweet Memories” is Out Now

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The next episode is here!

Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV – Episode 4: “Bittersweet Memories” is Out Now

 

SYDNEY, 18TH August 2016 – Watch episode 4 of Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV now! Find out how recreating a certain “sweet” forms a bond of friendship between Ignis and Noctis in their younger years. Watch all Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV episodes here – http://bit.ly/237Cxjn

As the prince’s aide, Ignis has cared for Noctis every day since they were in their youth. Noctis can’t hide his annoyance as Ignis preaches what is expected of the future king. But the two are tied by a certain “sweet” – and Ignis is secretly struggling to recreate it.

Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV delves into the extraordinary friendships between Crown Prince Noctis and his three comrades, setting the stage for the adventure players will set out upon in the action RPG. Subsequent episodes will be released before the game’s launch on November 29, 2016.

 

# ENDS #

Gaming PR: MAGIC, SIDEQUESTS HIGHLIGHTED IN NEW LONGFORM FINAL FANTASY XV GAMEPLAY VIDEO

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Woo more FFXV videos! Let’s play the entire game before it is released!

MAGIC, SIDEQUESTS HIGHLIGHTED IN NEW LONGFORM

FINAL FANTASY XV GAMEPLAY VIDEO

 

New Footage from Computer Graphics (CG) Animated Movie and

Anime Series Also Available

 

SYDNEY, 17th August 2016 – Three new videos from the FINAL FANTASY® XV Universe were released today, including an action packed gameplay video from the opening chapters of FINAL FANTASY® XV. A new trailer for BROTHERHOOD FINAL FANTASY XV™ Episode 4 and the first 12 minutes of the highly acclaimed CG animated movie, KINGSGLAIVE: FINAL FANTASY XV™ were also revealed today.

 

  • FINAL FANTASY XV Master Version Gameplay video – 
    • Features extensive new footage including: Chocobo® racing, new monsters, side quests, equipment, ability and magic synthesis systems, and the Wait Mode.
  • BROTHERHOOD FINAL FANTASY XV Episode 4 trailer –

 

    • With the full episode ‘Bittersweet Memories’ out tomorrow on YouTube, the new trailer gives a sneak peek on the fourth episode that focuses on the bond of friendship forged between young Ignis and Noctis.
  • KINGSGLAIVE: FINAL FANTASY XV opening – 
    • Narrated by Lena Headey (who plays Princess Luna), the prologue sets the stage for the world of Eos, the Kingdom of Lucis and its ruler King Regis (played by Sean Bean). A battle outside the city walls of Insomnia introduces viewers to the elite unit known as the Kingsglaive, and their fearless soldier Nyx (played by Aaron Paul). The CG movie will be available digitally on August 30th.

FINAL FANTASY XV will be available on 29th November 2016 for Xbox One and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.

 

Related Links:

FINAL FANTASY XV Homepage: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/

FINAL FANTASY XV YouTube: https://YouTube.com/FinalFantasyXV

FINAL FANTASY XV Twitter®: @FFXVEN

FINAL FANTASY XV Instagram: @FFXV

 

# ENDS #

Gaming PR: FLORENCE + THE MACHINE RELEASES ‘SONGS FROM FINAL FANTASY XV’ – THREE BRAND NEW TRACKS

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Three new songs! Just for FFXV! Check out the details below.

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE RELEASES

‘SONGS FROM FINAL FANTASY XV’ – THREE BRAND NEW TRACKS CREATED FOR THE FINAL FANTASY XV UNIVERSE

           

SYDNEY 16TH August 2016 –   Square Enix Ltd., have announced that Songs from FINAL FANTASY XV, a selection of three brand new tracks recorded for FINAL FANTASY® XV by the Grammy-nominated and two time Mercury Music Prize shortlisted Florence + the Machine, are available now.

 

The special collaboration which includes three tracks, Too Much Is Never Enough, I Will Be and Stand By Me, which were recorded at Air Studios in London with producer and composer, Emile Haynie (Kanye West, Lana Del Rey). Too Much Is Never Enough, is a cinematic epic, featuring sweeping strings and Florence’s rich, emotive vocals. It premiered globally this morning on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw as part of their New Music Friday. I Will Be is an evocative ballad, while her rendition of Stand By Me, as first previewed at the UNCOVERED: FINAL FANTASY XV event in March, gives the Ben E. King classic a beautiful, melancholy edge.

“I’ve always seen FINAL FANTASY as a beautiful and creative game so I don’t think I could have worked with another video game. It wouldn’t have made sense.” –  Florence said on her decision to collaborate with FINAL FANTASY XV. In some ways the landscape of FINAL FANTASY and my own internal landscape seemed to fit quite well, it’s mythical and beautiful and epic.”

 

FINAL FANTASY XV Director, Hajime Tabata, also spoke about his excitement for the release of “Songs from FINAL FANTASY XV” – “We are incredibly excited to have collaborated with Florence on both the cover of ‘Stand By Me’ and on the two original tracks inspired by the world and story of FINAL FANTASY XV. Music has always been a hugely important and much beloved part of the FINAL FANTASY series, and with these three tracks we really wanted to create a musical experience to live within the game, and that will transport listeners, whether new to the series or not, into the epic FINAL FANTASY XV Universe”.

Florence + the Machine’s Songs from FINAL FANTASY XV is available now on iTunes.

 

Related Links:

Songs From FINAL FANTASY XV on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/songs-from-final-fantasy-xv/id1139251218

FINAL FANTASY XV Homepage: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com/

FINAL FANTASY XV YouTube: https://YouTube.com/FinalFantasyXV

FINAL FANTASY XV Twitter®: @FFXVEN

FINAL FANTASY XV Instagram: @FFXV

 

# ENDS #

The Meetup That Was Everyone’s XIVth Final Fantasy in Sydney + Palace of the Dead Primer

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Saturday night was a rather different one for fans of Square Enix’s most recent entry in the MMORPG market, Final Fantasy XIV. That night, at a place called ‘The Nerd Cave‘, a rather packed out meetup took place between fans where we could engage and interact with each other while playing some FFXIV, and some of the many other games present at the location. It would prove to be a fun night with activities, pizza, booze and more.

Officially, there is a Final Fantasy XIV group for Australians and New Zealanders to join on Facebook, which is where we found out about the event. Despite working with the PR company in-charge of looking after the Final Fantasy XIV brand, I had never actually heard of the group until accidentally stumbling upon it somehow. But joining this group has been pretty cool, being able to discuss the game as a regular gamer, rather than as a media person has been rather enjoyable. I think that’s what made the meetup so engaging for us, just being there, being a fan of the brand, and being surrounded by people that also enjoy Final Fantasy.

The beginning of the night was pretty fun for me, we started with some bourbon and then played some arcade games. After a short while of that, some of the computers had freed up so I was able to login to the game and do a dungeon run or two. However, the night didn’t really begin until we did the new Deep Dungeon content in the Palace of the Dead.

For those unfamiliar with the Palace of the Dead content, it is essentially pretty similar to the tower thing that I forget the name of in Final Fantasy X-2. But if you don’t have the point of reference, basically, as a party, you need to work your way through groups of 10 floors within the palace, 10 floors of randomly generated content, to take on a boss monster. Defeating these monsters will allow you to save your progress and advance another 10 levels within the palace. What makes this interesting is that players are given these new kinds of weapons and armour called Aetheryte Armour/Weapons. They basically overwrite your mainhand and ignore equipped armour that your character is equipped with, replacing them with their own stats, leveled through blue chests within the dungeon.

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Unfortunately, thanks to a rather large oversight over at the Final Fantasy XIV department at Square Enix, I had to wipe one of two save files to run in Palace of the Dead with friends. This is a pretty bad decision, considering that you get locked to a floor per save file, and locked to a class on that save file as well. This would be a better system if there was at least one save file per class, or the ability to start on any cleared 10th (multiple) floor on a new save file. Your Aether gear saves even if you wipe the save, why can’t the floors as well? I think this unfairly punishes players that have more than one main group that they play with.

Anyway, besides the save file hassles, the content within the Palace is actually really fun to run. Like, really fun. I swear, Square could make their next MMO entirely like this, but maybe larger in scope, have some villages on every 10th floor and just add 500 more floors per expansion pack and it’d be a pretty solid game. However, those Minotaurs on floor 20-30. Mate, those things, I swear. About to clear a room: “Oh, hey guys, we’re just 3 more Minotaurs! Death to the healers! Death to the DPS! Death to the Tanks!”. Please don’t change this, I enjoy the challenge.

After playing through 10 floors or so and some wipes, it was time for night to finish up. We were all huddled together for more booze and a group photo. This was to commemorate such an awesome night. There were also some really cool promo shirts floating around too! So definitely some extra value for fans of the games!

I would definitely love to see more of these kinds of events from Square Enix, or the people doing the marketing for this game. It’s great just getting together with other fans and discussing the game, seeing how they have their hotbars setup (to that one guy with all the Cleric Stances, lmao!) and just having great fun. If you haven’t already joined the fan group and are in Australia and/or New Zealand, definitely do so.

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Image swiped from the FFXIVAU&NZ Facebook page.