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Square Enix Remains Hell-Bent On Ruining Final Fantasy

The news took some time to process. For someone who has been a die-hard Final Fantasy fan since the Super Nintendo days, something like that takes a while to sink in.

Thing is, we're all older now. We consider a lot of different factors before arriving at a conclusion.

We consider Square Enix's position in the flagging Japanese gaming market, as they – and most other Japanese developers – desperately attempt to cater to Western markets. We consider that nostalgia frequently plays a role and in fact, despite what we may think , old-school mechanics like turn-based combat really might lead to financial disaster. We consider the new crowd of gamers and what they want as opposed to what we of a different generation want.

But even after considering it from every possible angle, I'm still pissed. This just boggles the mind. Perhaps most infuriating is Kitase's comment about how action RPGs are a trend and "one you ignore you at your own peril." Goddamnit, the only reason it's a "trend" is because it's basically the only type of RPG that exists anymore! It's not like gamers have much of a choice . Sure, there are a few handheld and digital productions that utilize turn-based fighting but full-budget productions are few and far between. Atelier Totori: Adventurer of Arland is a definite rarity.

Fact: Gamers didn't start to abandon turn-based combat, game makers took it away.

And beyond that, why, why , why would a company completely ignore a large and vocal group of fans? How is that beneficial? Yes, we understand that you have to expand to survive; that you have to lure in new fans. But at the expense of those who would've followed you to the ends of the earth? Who bought just about anything with "Squaresoft" on the box in the original PlayStation generation? How can that possibly help? Maybe you just don't believe them when they say they'd love a classic turn-based Final Fantasy in a modern style. Maybe you think there aren't enough of them.

Okay. But I don't see a whole lot of supporters for your cause. I don't see an opposing group going, "no, action RPG is definitely the way to go for Final Fantasy ." Show me one fan who says that. And I also think it's a bad idea to underestimate the younger generation and think they all want some "twitchiness" in every game they play. Square Enix, how on God's green earth do you know what they want? Based on what we've seen in the past, you really have no idea. So what is this? Blind groping to gather in as many faceless gamers as possible to help your bottom line?

While you're flailing about in the dark, millions – millions – of fans are begging you to come to your senses. Open your ears, use your eyes, listen . The backlash is impossible to miss. All I can think of now is the time when Square Enix asked, sorta vaguely, if fans really want a Final Fantasy VII remake and their Twitter page exploded. And what did they learn from that? Apparently nothing. Look, I think FFXIII-2 will be a great game; FFXIII was a great game. They are not great iterations in the legendary Final Fantasy series and there's a reason for that.

I would just love to be a fly on the wall in a Square Enix executive or development meeting. Because at this point, I'm starting to think a well-trained monkey could've made better decisions.

FFXIII-2 Nearly Complete, “Packed With Many Elements”

It's almost done.

And it had damn well better be, considering the Japanese release date is December 15. Producer Yoshinori Kitase told Famitsu.com (as translated by Andriasang ), that Final Fantasy XIII-2 is nearly complete.

Speaking in a short Q&A during the London part of the European media tour for the game, Kitase said he's actually playing through the game right now. He says the adventure is "packed with many elements," including different routes via the Historia Crux system and various collecting missions. He thinks FFXIII-2 has a "great balance between story and game elements," and the Historia Crux feature really encourages replays.

For instance, you may come across a boss-level enemy that will annihilate your party during the first play-through of a certain area. But after building up, you can reopen the Historia Crux and try again. …I just hope getting suddenly wiped out like that won't cause controllers to go hurtling into TV screens. That could prove problematic.

Anyway, December 15 for Japan and January 31 for the US. Although I still maintain that it's gonna be more like RPG Lite, I have very high hopes. How can I not? It's Final Fantasy ; I can't help it; it's like a chemical reaction.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII-2

FFXIII-2 Pre-Order Goodies, Two Special Editions

If you plan to pick up Final Fantasy XIII-2 on January 31, you should probably pre-order.

Square Enix is giving you plenty of incentive to do so: if you drop your deposit on the highly anticipated sequel, you will receive a steelbook case, downloadable content pack (details currently unknown), FFXIII – Episode I – Novella, and three lithograph art cards. Yep, all for free.

But there are two other options for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners. First up is the Crystal Edition, which boasts:

But if you're not willing to spring for that bad boy, there's a step lower that might intrigue you; it's the "regular" Limited Collector's Edition:

So yeah, the difference is that you don't get the t-shirt and the soundtrack isn't as complete. Just bear in mind that we don't have the prices just yet, so don't go making purchase decisions just yet. Still, it's obvious that Square Enix wants to give us plenty of cool extras, even if we only pre-order the standard edition.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII-2

Square Enix Hosting Final Fantasy XIII-2 Community Event

Do you plan to be in London this week? Are you in London right now ? Okay, probably not, but at least we can still expect some new footage.

Square Enix will be hosting a "unique community event" that focuses on the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII-2 , and the publisher will show off fresh gameplay.

FFXIII-2 producer Yoshinori Kitase will be on hand in London, and attendees will get a chance to meet him. The event will be held at the Electric Cinema on November 5 and if you want to go, simply register for the official fan community, the Square Enix Members group. Then you have to complete a form expressing your interest in attending, and you just have to pick one of three time slots. Entry is free and any selected attendees can bring a guest. Bottom line? We're most interested in seeing more gameplay footage, and perhaps more of those staggering cinematics.

Remember, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is scheduled to launch on January 31 in North America.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIII-2

Final Fantasy XIII-2 NYCC Trailer: Very Tough To Ignore

Production values. It's what Square Enix does best when it comes to Final Fantasy .

But we always want to see more in the way of gameplay because after all, that's what's most important. This 7+ minute trailer for FFXIII-2, which debuted this past week at New York Comic-Con, shows us more than we've ever seen before. There's a bevy of cut-scenes (some of which we've enjoyed before) along with new gameplay that gives us an idea of various character abilities. It's pretty and very difficult to ignore.