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Monthly Archives: April 2014
Final Fantasy XIV: ARR Playstation 4 Launch Trailer
FFXIV: ARR fans’ long awaited console upgrade arrives at last, featuring improved graphics, physics, and plenty more!
FFXIV: A Realm Reborn – Now Available on the PS4
Square Enix, Inc. today announced the launch of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.
Already a major hit amongst critics and fans on the Windows-PC and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system platforms, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn (FFXIV: ARR) brings the classic elements of the FINAL FANTASY franchise to the online world. Along with vastly upgraded graphics, this new version features the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system remote play functionality, which allows players to continue their adventure wherever they go. And with the PlayStation 4 system’s Share feature, players can stream their favorite moments, and share memorable screenshots with friends and fellow community members. The PlayStation®4 system version of FFXIV: ARR also takes full advantage of the PlayStation®4 system’s mouse and keyboard support.
The PlayStation 4 system Collector’s Edition for FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn is available today and comes with a special collector box and art book, special music disc, as well as six in-game bonus items. FINAL FANTASY XIV players that own the original FINAL FANTASY XIV 1.0 Collector’s Edition or FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn PlayStation 3 system / PC Collector’s Editions will also be granted two new additional in-game items (Fat Chocobo Mount & Wind-up Moogle Minion).
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn PlayStation®4 system Collector’s Edition includes:
- Exclusive Box
- Art Book – The Art of Eorzea: A Realm Reimagined
- Special Soundtrack – The Sounds of Eorzea
- Art Card Set
- Themed Security Token
- Seventh Umbral Era Special Movie Content Disc – The Waning of the Sixth Sun
- In-Game Items – Fat Chocobo Mount, Coeurl Mount, Behemoth Barding, Wind-up Moogle, Baby Behemoth, Helm of Light
The FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn Standard Edition for the PlayStation 4 system is available today for $39.99; the PlayStation 4 system Collector’s Edition is available for $79.99 for the retail version and $59.99 for the digital version.
Players who own the PlayStation 3 system version of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn can upgrade* their accounts to the PlayStation 4 system for free. Please note that, once upgraded, PlayStation 4 system players will no longer be allowed access to the PlayStation 3 system version. To play both versions, a player must purchase the PlayStation®4 system version. Additional account transfer details can be found here.
Also, both PlayStation®3 system and PlayStation 4 system Standard Edition owners can upgrade to the digital-only Collector’s Edition for in-game bonuses via the FINAL FANTASY XIV: Mog Station. 30-days of game time is included for new accounts, with monthly subscriptions starting at $12.99.
For more info, visit http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/pr/ps4/
InnoGames: Several Easter Events Now Available
Today, InnoGames announced special Easter related events starting this week in Grepolis and The West. Egg hunters, chicken hatchers and duelists will be thrilled by this year’s events, which bestow numerous bonuses and cool items upon participating players. Grepolis’ event starts on April 14th, and The West’s follows three days later, on April 17th.
In Grepolis, Jason’s mythical hen visits ancient Greece – players have to find feed for it by solving islands quests. Different combinations of feed result in different rewards from the colored eggs laid by the hen. Discovered recipes can be saved and easily used again. Since every recipe has 5 possible outcomes, players should try them a few times to gain all rewards. The event runs until April 30th.
In the West, the popular Wheel of Fortune offers a special twist this time: Every spin consumes Easter eggs, which can be obtained in the game and even given to everyone on a players’ friends list. Also, players will be able to duel some of the most notorious bandits in the wild frontier for cool rewards. Winning a duel increases the difficulty of the next ones, so, winning streaks get continuously harder to prolong. Players with the longest winning streak on each world will be showered with valuable in-game items.
Forge of Empires’ Easter event, which already started last week, introduces a range of new buildings and avatars. In order to gather those items, players have to collect eggs, which are hidden all over a city’s decorations.
For more info, visit www.innogames.com/
SMITE Khumbhakarna God Reveal
SMITE introduces its first guardian in quite a while, packing a nasty initiation skill and AoE stuns to lock teams down for quite some time.
Strife Dev Blog: Shank Hero Overview
S2games introduces the newest hero to the Strife MOBA roster, Shank. With a powerful pull and plenty of brawling capability, he’s set to shake up any team fight’s position.
Final Fantasy XIV ARR (PS4) First Look: Bigger, Badder, Stronger
By Jason Parker (Ragachak)
Applying a Mega-Phoenix to a downed ally
Console MMOs are not a new or exciting thing for us as players. The Xbox had Phantasy Star Online; the 360 and PS2 both had Square-Enix’s perennial title, Final Fantasy XI, the MMO that still to this day rages on as proof that console MMOs can still succeed. However, when Final Fantasy XIV initially dropped several years ago, I was not the only player that was horrified with how the game was conceived. In a word, it was unplayable. There were a heap of problems, bugs, and general errors with the game, enough that the president of Square-Enix issued a public apology, and made the game free-to-play while it was being redeveloped from the ground up.
Though many players were leery that the company could not deliver after its initial boondoggle, Square-Enix would not disappoint. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a beautiful game that, with a bit better marketing, could take the world by storm. It takes some of the things that made Final Fantasy XI so wondrous (being able to play as anything whenever you wanted), and some readapted features of other larger MMOs such as Guild Wars 2 (Fates appearing on every zone) and World of Warcraft (queuing up for dungeons instead of having to walk there and advert for a party). It is worth noting that all players who purchased FFXIV: ARR for the PS3 receive an automatic upgrade for the PS4, if they also own that particular console.
Telegraph in the Time of Cell Phones
While this is a spectacular title on PC, and even on console, it suffers one violent, deadly flaw that, without proper preparation, can make coordinating with others in-game miserable: communication. Voice-Over IP is a powerful tool, with programs like Skype, Ventrilo, and Teamspeak revolutionizing how players organize for dungeons in other games such as World of Warcraft. However, there is no native Voice Chat for Final Fantasy XIV on any console, though many clans do have their own private server that can be accessed on Skype/Vent through your phone or PC. I have to say, having a PC next to the console just to play an MMO is a tad ridiculous. If that’s the case, why not just play on the PC? To PS4 players however, one can still use the console’s built in voice chat if all of your friends playing are on a PS4, much in the way that FFXI players on the 360 could use the console’s voice chat so they could communicate while they play.
All hope is not lost, however. There is a feature built into the game ported over from FFXI that auto-fills in certain parts of your text, aptly named “Auto-Translate.” Originally this feature was put in place because Final Fantasy XI does not have servers simply for Japanese/French/American players. Everyone played together. So, Square-Enix came up with a system that allowed them to auto-translate important ingame phrases so that all players could understand advertisements and group communication. A rousing success, but a very tedious way to communicate if that is all you have. Fortunately you can also hook a keyboard directly into your PS4, much like you could on the PS3 and chat that way. I highly recommend it, even if you have to get a cheap spare keyboard so you do not have to constantly plug/unplug your PC keyboard. Without voice chat, this will make talking to players a truckload easier. One of the other minor issues with text is that it was awfully small in the first beta on the console. However, you can resize/move your UI around at will, and there’s a helpful how-to on the FFXIV site, located here.
You Can Check Out Anytime You Like, But You Can Never Leave
There are a few things one should be aware of, when you are updating your account from the PS3 to the PS4 version of the game. There are benefits, but there are potential drawbacks as well. I do feel the benefits far outweigh any negative that might present itself. Namely, if you upgrade your account from a PS3 to a PS4 account, you cannot go back. Your account is permanently locked to PS4 consoles. Meaning you can’t log back in on your PS3 if say, someone is playing Call of Duty on the PS4. So this is certainly something to keep in mind before you make the leap. Though it is not all downsides! You gain access to the game days before PS4 users who are buying the game fresh (April 11th, whereas it drops on the 14th). All of your characters, servers, skills et cetera will transfer, since all of the important information is located on SE’s personal servers. However, all macros, aliases, and equipment sets will have to be redone. That is quite the chore as I learned myself, but well worth it.
However, the coolest feature to me about playing on the PS4 is owning a Vita. Yes, you can Remote Play FFXIV on your Vita, in the event someone else needs the Television! As long as you have a nice, solid internet connection there is no hassle in using the Vita for your MMO needs. Or in the event you simply do not wish to sit at the TV anymore and might want to lay in bed and play portable; I absolutely loved Remote Play, and am glad to see that FFXIV can utilize one of the fancier features offered on the PS4.
Always A Hill To Climb
There is always a challenge to conquer in Final Fantasy XIV. Just because you hit the level cap does not mean you are done, not by a long shot. Unlike some other MMOs, it is not simply time to do dailies every single day just to farm. Sure, there is farming in XIV (and it wouldn’t be an MMO without it!), but there are simply so many other things to do in the game. You can resume leveling other classes to enjoy trying new things; or you can opt to do other storylines, learning the great lore behind the vast world that Square-Enix has given us as players. There are the Eidolons, and the increasing difficulties such as Hard and Extreme.
There are always new challenges coming; currently, the Coil of Bahamut quest grows, having just added the “Second Coil of Bahamut.” New storyline quests at various levels have been added to increase our understanding of the saga of Eorza. New trials, new challenges, and not to mention the Lord of the Whorl, await challengers! Rare spawn timers have been adjusted, and combat has improved for players. Entire piles of new items, such as dyes, material, and equipment have been added for everyone to discover. Even housing has gotten some changes! However, housing is still ludicrously expensive without a titanic sized clan to back one up. One of the few things that vexes me about the game is how expensive guild housing is. There is talk of new classes/jobs to come such as Red Mage, but I have seen very little official information. I was admittedly hoping they would appear this patch (2.2), but alas.
The entire host of content updates that came from Patch 2.2 for Final Fantasy XIV can be seen at this link. There is even a transmogrify option (Glamours), which appears to be a more common theme in games thanks to World of Warcraft and Diablo 3. It is an option that I love personally; most every piece of gear for cloth wearers looks plain and drab until level 50. Finally then it becomes worth looking at, unless you are a White Mage. So the option to glamour my gear and make it look different is quite the boon.
And That, As They Say, Is That.
Final Fantasy XIV is a game that has come a long way from 1.0. I will not be rating this title, as it is simply a first look at a console beta of a game that is already in existence. Later in the year, when it has had time to continue to grow or falter, we will no doubt take another look at it. But for now, I am pleasantly surprised at how far Square-Enix has gone, and I have no doubt that they will continue to back this project, giving it quality content that will wow players for years to come. I cannot wait to see what comes next, whether it is a new class or job, or simply quests and more beast tribes to explore storylines with. A bit more of a social media push could take this game to heights they have yet to even dream of.
I’ll grant you that the UI is incredibly cluttered, but any MMO fan can deal with that, or shrink it down if it really bothers them that much. It is a staple in World of Warcraft, so a little clutter does not bother me personally. No MMO is ultimately perfect; there may have been a few that are close to perfect for their target audience, but Final Fantasy XIV feels like a true title in the series. It promotes teamwork and unity, overcoming impossible challenges and striving constantly for the next big battle. Final Fantasy XI was a step in the right direction, but there was no way for you as the player to solo; well, almost no way. In XIV, you can work alone for most things, but teamwork offers greater rewards for those brave enough to step up.
Celtic Heroes
Celtic Heroes is a free mobile MMORPG. Protect the mythical Dal Riata from dark forces, alone or with clans, to become a hero of Celtic mythology!
Features:
Open-World MMO: A wide, open world features hundreds of Celtic inspired quests and stories.
Social Play: A fun and social world awaits, supported by a Clan system that lets you trade, chat, and explore with friends. Feeling less friendly? PvP and duels are also an option!
Five Character Classes: Play as the Druid, Mage, Ranger, Rogue, or Warrior.
WildStar: PAX East 2014 Re-Cap
By Michael Sagoe (mikedot)
Carbine Studios has taken PAX East 2014 by storm with an all-access showcase for their upcoming Fantasy / Sci-Fi MMORPG: WildStar. With Christopher Lynch, Jeremy Gaffney, Stephan Frost, Chad Moore, Joe Piepiora and Jen Gordy from the WildStar development team, all eagerly prepared to show Boston just what WildStar is all about, the show featured off a ton of different elder-game content, which promises something for all hardcore PvE and PvP fanatics.
First off, before going into to details about raids and warplots, Stephen Frost, Jeremy Gaffney and Chad Moore started things off with some details regarding the endgame content. At level 50, players will be able to participate in massive open world content in Grimvault, one of two endgame zones. This zone is a huge, infested wasteland and the creatures that players will face do not mess around. The trash mobs (or as the WildStar dev team likes to call them: “Base Populations”) will throw out tons of zany and flat out ridiculous attacks and telegraphs that will make every battle against them feel like a sub-boss battle.
During the Grimvault demonstration, they showcased a quick battle with a Draken Warrior going toe-to-toe against some oversized swamp monster. For those that are currently in the beta will notice that they also showcased some new animations for the warrior’s Power Strike skill, which now has the warrior doing a crazy bunch of slash attacks while in mid-air.
Jen Gordy then took over to talk about WildStar’s PvP content, including the Walatiki Temple, Halls of the Bloodsworn and the Arenas. While the details explained for these game modes did not reveal anything new, Jen Gordy promises that they will dive deep into a live stream session for some changes to their instanced PvP and Warplot content later this month.
After that, they switched things over to Chad Moore, who went into some great detail regarding the ongoing lore and world story for WildStar. For those that aren’t too big into raiding or warplots, but want to get some engaging content to do at endgame, players will be able to participate in private story quests, which dives deeper into the mysteries of the planet Nexus and the disappearance of the Elden that resided there. While very similar to personal quests in Guild Wars 2, world stories in WildStar promises to have engaging instances to complete and valuable rewards to gain.
Up next, Joe Piepiora took the microphone to talk all about the bread & butter of WildStar: Raid content and the amazing loot that players can earn from it. Only from participating (and getting lucky) from raid content will players be able to receive the best gear in the game, as well as the best weapons in the game known as Relic Weapons. These weapons not only have the best stats, but they can only be further improved with more stats and passive abilities through the completion of “Imbuement Quests”. These quests require players to defeat insane challenges such as “Defeat two raid bosses at the same time” in order to unlock the weapon’s full potential. With imbuements and several rune slots available, these weapons are sure to be the “best-in-slot” items that any player can get for both PvE and PvP.
Speaking of raid content: They showcased what only a handful of beta participants have ever laid eyes on for the entire world to see: The current 20-man raid called “Datascape” pits players against a slew of freaky and demented bosses while introducing some fun and unique battles mechanics that have really been done within instanced content of this magnitude, such as having battle on a huge, fragile platform while avoiding a giant nuke placed on a raid member, which will blow up the platforms belong, dropping and killing any other raid members that were standing by. Or how about entering a bizarre cyberland where raid members have to race and double jump over death rays with low gravity enabled?
These are the kinds of experiences that can only happen in WildStar’s raid content, and the dev team at Carbine Studios prides themselves over watching their players achieve success (or utter failure) from these raids. With that in mind, Stephen Frost then pulls up a very exciting YouTube video, showcasing one of their raid testers who managed to survive one of the first Datascape raid bosses with only a sliver of health left and the entire raid group completely wiped out.
After the video, they pulled everything back to Stephen Frost to reveal one final detail about WildStar, which is the unique 40 vs. 40 Warplot content. To demonstrated, they showcased an exclusive WildStar Flick video for PAX East that explains everything in the simplest details:
1. Grab 40 friends and start a warplot group
2. Buy a Warplot and outfit it with tons of defensive weapons, traps and more.
4. Find 40 enemies to do battle with against them and their warplot.
Watch live video from PAX on TwitchTV
Click ahead to 5:00:00 for the Warplot Flick!
The best part about warplots is that along with tons of objectives to complete and enemies to destroy, players can also capture boss monsters from various instances and use them to defend their warplots, which creates a huge Player vs. Player vs. Environment element to the game.
To end things off, the WildStar team concluded by mentioning that client and CD copies for the game has gone gold. The wait is almost over and the game will be launching in US and EU territories on June 3rd, 2014. WildStar certainly has a lot of things going for it, and if they can keep this up, it could easily be one of the best MMORPGs this year while solidifying that the P2P business model still has a place in this industry.
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