Journey into Midgar!
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One of the most iconic video games of all time returns and the world’s mind was blown. What does remaking this legendary game entail?
One of the best Action-RPGS of recent memory gets a sequel and it promises to bring the series back to it’s root.
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After 7 years of hype does the next installment in the legendary series live up to the mountains worth of hype?
How does one of the most anticipated games of the year stack up to it’s predecessors?
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Joystick Magazine
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image by Square Enix.
Joystick Magazine
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Journey Into
FANTASY by Wildo Perallon
A shockwave of sent all through out the gaming world when the end of an unassuming trailer revealed that Square Enix is hot at work remaking one of the most iconic games of all time.
I
t was a shocking sight. The applause from the live crowd was deafening, videos exist of gaming journalist literally jumping in their seats and of course the reaction videos from the fans are all over the internet. With ten years worth of hype and the baited breathes of gamers, the day that everyone had resigned themselves to never happening. Final Fantasy 7 is finally going to be remade and it could not have been more satisfying.t One gaming journalist even described it as the second coming, still in complete shock at what was shown. It is the game everyone had been waiting for, ever since the tech demo for the PS3 all those years ago, showed what Cloud would look like in fully rendered current gen graphics. That tech demo sparked a decades worth of speculation as to if and/or when it would happen. People would scorge the internet for anything that could be misconstrued as conformation for its existance. September 2029
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“ Arguably the most beloved game in the ball-bustingly popular game series is finally getting a remake...�
E3 after E3 would pass with nary a peek about a possible remade. This understandebly gave way to pessimism. It appeared that it would never happen, and the hype started to die down. But all of that disappeared after E3 2015. Everyone watched with baited breath as Barret and Cloud appeared on the screen followed by the word REMAKE, only to have 10 years worth of anticipation exploding outward. What is perhaps most shocking fact about the entire situation is that is was kept a secret. Sure the ever present rumors of the announcement finally coming were there as always, but no one truly thought that they would see it. That was evident in the complete shock of everyone as they saw everything unfold. But how did Square Enix and Sony manage to keep such a bombshell of an announcement secret for so long, in the age of social media and the internet, is anyone’s guess. But it was and still is truly glorious. Arguably the most beloved game in the ball-bustingly popular video game series is finally getting a remake and the gaming world is better off for it. It was a shocking sight. The applause from the live crowd was deafening, videos exist of gaming journalist literally jumping in their seats and of course the reaction videos from the fans are all over the internet. With ten years worth of hype and the baited breathes of gamers, the day that everyone had resigned themselves to never happening. Final Fantasy 7 is finally going to be remade and it could not have been more satisfying. One gaming journalist even described it as the second coming, still in complete shock at what was shown. It is the game everyone had been waiting for, ever since the tech demo for the PS3 all those 4
Joystick Magazine
(Cloud and Barret battle the Guard Scorpion, the iconic first boss from the original.)
image by Square Enix.
years ago, showed what Cloud would look like in fully rendered current gen graphics. That tech demo sparked a decades worth of speculation as to if and/or when it would happen. People would scorge the internet for anything that could be misconstrued as conformation for its existance. E3 after E3 would pass with nary a peek about a possible remade. This understandebly gave way to pessimism. It appeared that it would never happen, and the hype started to die down. But all of that disappeared after E3 2015. Everyone watched with baited breath as Barret and Cloud appeared on the screen followed by the word REMAKE, only to have 10 years worth of anticipation exploding outward. What is perhaps most shocking fact about the entire situation is that is was kept a secret. Sure the ever present rumors of the announcement finally coming were there as always, but no one truly thought that they would see it. That was evident in the complete shock of everyone as they saw everything unfold. But how
No More Turns? One of the more notably and controversial changes that the remake will bring is the subtraction of the patented Active Time Battle system of the original. While not much is known of just what the battle system will look like, a more action based battle system has been promised by Tetsuya Nomura, the director of the game. On the other hand, an ATB bar is clearly visible on all screenshots and trailers and the latest trailer showed the ability to swutch between characters. Hinting at possible turn based elements. Unfortuantely, Square Enix is not going into details, so are just going to have to wait and see for more information.
September 2029
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E3 after E3 would pass with nary a peek about a possible remade. This understandebly gave way to pessimism. It appeared that it would never happen, and the hype started to die down. But all of that disappeared after E3 2015. Everyone watched with baited breath as Barret and Cloud appeared on the screen followed by the word REMAKE, only to have 10 years worth of anticipation exploding outward. What is perhaps most shocking fact about the entire situation is that is was kept a secret. Sure the ever present rumors of the announcement finally coming were there as always, but no one truly thought that they would see it. That was evident in the complete shock of everyone as they saw everything unfold. But how did Square Enix and Sony manage to keep such a bombshell of an announcement secret for so long, in the age of social media and the internet, is anyone’s guess. But it was and still is truly glorious. Arguably the most beloved game in the ball-bustingly popular video game series is finally getting a remake and the gaming world is better off for it. It was a shocking sight. The applause from the live crowd was deafening, videos exist of gaming journalist literally jumping in their seats and of course the reaction videos from the fans are all over the internet. With ten years worth of hype and the baited breathes of gamers, the day that everyone had resigned themselves to never happening. Final Fantasy 7 is finally going to be remade and it could not have been more satisfying. One gaming journalist even described it as the second coming, still in complete shock at what was shown. It is the game everyone had been waiting for, ever since the tech demo for the PS3 all those years ago, showed what Cloud would look like in fully rendered current gen graphics. That tech demo sparked a decades worth of speculation as to if and/or when it would happen. People would scorge the internet for anything that could be misconstrued as conformation for its existance. E3 after E3 would pass with nary a peek about a possible remade. This understandebly gave way to pessimism. It appeared that it would never happen, and the hype started to die down. But all of that disappeared after E3 2015. Everyone watched with baited breath as Barret and Cloud appeared on the screen followed by 6
Joytick Magazine
(Midgar in all its beauty rendered in fully HD Graphics.)
“ Everyone watched with baited breath as Barret and Cloud appeared on the screen followed by the word REMAKE...”
image by Square Enix.
Multiple Games
the word REMAKE, only to have 10 years worth of anticipation exploding outward. What is perhaps most shocking fact about the entire situation is that is was kept a secret. Sure the ever present rumors of the announcement finally coming were there as always, but no one truly thought that they would see it. That was evident in the complete shock of everyone as they saw everything unfold. But how did Square Enix and Sony manage to keep such a bombshell of an announcement secret for so long, in the age of social media and the internet, is anyone’s guess. But it was and still is truly glorious. Arguably the most beloved game in the ball-bustingly popular video game series is inally getting a remake and the gaming world is better off for it. It was a shocking sight. The applause from the live crowd was deafening, videos exist of gaming journalist literally jumping in their seats and of course the reaction videos from the fans are all over the internet. With ten years worth of hype and the baited breathes of gamers, the day that everyone had resigned themselves to never happening. What is perhaps most shocking fact about the entire situation is that is was kept a secret. Sure the ever present rumors of the announcement finally coming were there as always, but no one truly thought that they would see it. That was evident in the complete shock of everyone as they saw everything unfold. But how did Square Enix and Sony manage to keep such a bombshell of an announcement secret for so long, in the age of social media and the internet, is anyone’s guess. But it was and still is truly glorious.
Arguably the most controversial change from the original was the announcement that the remake will be split into multiple full sized games, instead of being the one like the original. What exactly does this entail is not known. Neither is how many games it will be split into, though three is the usual guess as the original game was split across three different discs in it’s original release. Thankfully more content and additions to the story are planned to be inplemented, and Square Enix ensures it’s to get the game out in an orderly fashion. September 2029
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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 By
Developer
Platform(s)
Release
Jordan King
Monolith Soft
Nintendo Switch
Holiday 2017
Publisher
Nintendo
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Joystick Magazine
Most Hype Game!
“ Xenoblade Chronicles 2 looks to bring back the sense of wonder and scale that was a hallmark of the previous two installments....”
Image by Nintendo.
Xenoblade Chronicles on the original Wii still remains one of my favorite RPGs of all time. It had a sense of wonder and scale that was in a class of its own. It had a bunch of likable characters and the story had enough twists and turns to keep me captivated through its 100plus hour journey. Its sequel, Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U was absolutely wonderful as well. It took the world building of the original and made it even larger with tons of exploration and magical places to discover. In that game the world was the story device and it focused less on traditional story-driven mechanics. Some people didn’t like that change and enjoyed the original game better. It looks as though Monolith Soft has taken that to heart with this new game for the Nintendo Switch. In addition to straight up naming it Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the short trailer seems to signify a return to the original’s focus on character-driven story. One of the main complaints leveled at
both prior games were the character models, which often seemed sort of lifeless. This new title takes the art in a completely new direction and goes for a more anime look, which I think suits the game well. This new title takes the art in a completely new direction and goes for a more anime look. Also a positive sign is that many of the developers who worked on the original Xenoblade have returned for the sequel. That includes the music composers, which comprise of Yasunori Mitsuda, ACE, Kenji Hiramatsu, and Manami Kiyota. That’s a good thing because Xenoblade Chronicles X’s soundtrack was very divisive among gamers. I personally loved many of the tracks in the game, especially the music that played while traversing the world. However, I didn’t care for some of the music, particularly the songs that played in New L.A. and some of the ones with vocals. Contrast that with the original game where almost every single track was great, and I’m excited to hear what they come up with for the new game. In traditional fashion, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 features sprawling landscapes and humongous creatures roaming about. It looks like players will be taking to the skies in airships this time around. More than once I got a little bit of a Skies of Arcadia vibe from watching the trailer. Not shown yet is the combat system, which hopefully stays intact from the prior two games as it’s one of my favorite battle systems ever. According to Nintendo’s fact sheet, the game is only single player this time around, so it looks like the online elements seen in Xenoblade Chronicles X won’t be making a return. The trailer gave us a quick sneak peek at the game. Nintendo lists the game as a 2017 Switch title, but I could see this one easily getting pushed into 2018. No matter what, I’m pumped and can’t wait to learn more! In traditional fashion, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 features sprawling landscapes and humongous creatures roaming about. It looks like players will be taking to the skies in airships this time around. More than once I got a little bit of a Skies of Arcadia vibe from watching the trailer. Not shown yet is the combat system, which hopefully stays intact from the prior two games as it’s one of my favorite battle systems ever. Nintendo lists the game as a 2017 Switch title, but I could see this one easily getting pushed into 2018. No matter what, I’m pumped and can’t wait to learn more! September 2029
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Final Fantasy XV By
Andrew Reiner
Developer
Platform(s)
Square Enix
Playstation 4 XBox One
Publisher
Square Enix
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Joystick Magazine
9.5
Score
Game of the Month!
“ despite 7 years worth of hype, Final Fantasy XV, more than lived up to it...”
Image by Square Enix.
Final Fantasy XV is a road trip that comes dangerously close to running out of gas, coasting on fumes long enough to deliver a rich and rewarding open-world experience that embraces the bond of friendship just as much as the thrill of hunting for rare treasure and beasts. The concept of hitting the open road in a convertible with three friends is largely successful,ampfires under the stars, and expeditions through the wilderness to find a landmark for a group photo. Final Fantasy XV captures the atmosphere of cruising down an American interstate, but also the boredom that comes from staring down hundreds of miles of open road, or not having anything more to say to the people in the car. If you can tolerate a baffling amount of time where nothing but travel happens, Final Fantasy XV is a good game that upends series traditions and stands as a uniquely satisfying adventure. The characters are made stronger by their interests, which are brilliantly sewn into the story and gameplay. Prompto is a photogra-
pher, and he snaps as many photos as he can throughout the trip. Whenever the group of friends rests for the night, the player can view all of the images he’s taken, and can even save them. Ignis’ love of food is just as fun to follow. Whenever he sees someone eating a new dish, or discovers an ingredient, he has a “eureka” moment, and jots down a recipe, which can benefit the group with significant (albeit temporary) attribute bumps. The abundance of side missions get you where you need to go, and most are enjoyable. Yes, a good number are of the “fetch” variety, but Square Enix does a nice job of making them worth your time. I always felt like I was finding something new, unlocking new abilities, or stumbling upon a secret that had been buried for centuries. The game is designed with side questing and hunting in mind, and it can be a blast if the player embraces these elements. Combat is nicely crafted, offering a wide variety of team-based strategies on top of the need to be swift and skillful. Although combat feels more like an action game in the vein of Devil May Cry or God of War, RPG conventions are the foundation, and it ends up being an excellent hybrid experience. Noctis’ weapons are greatly varied in functionality and power, but the best (and flashiest) attacks are the link strikes that Noctis coordinates with his friends. Faulty camera tracking sometimes becomes a nuisance, as do objects blanketing the action, but I looked forward to each encounter, and felt most were wonderfully balanced and challenging. The battles are mostly about weapon play. Magic is relegated to the role of expendable items rather than skills, meaning you won’t use them much since they are low in supply, but they do pack a satisfying punch (and will even hit your characters if you aren’t careful). The summons are a sight to be hold, always showcasing a Godzilla-like scale and high levels of destruction. It succeeds and struggles in finding its unique stance, but a few problematic designs don’t hold it back from being a hell of a journey. Just days after playing it, I find myself reflecting on it fondly. The thoughts of that damn car are recessed and blanketed by Noctis’ journey and some of the stunning moments that unfolded within it. I wasn’t a fan of Final Fantasy XIII’s sequels, but I hope Square returns with another XV or a similarly designed sequel to iron out the rough spots. There’s a solid foundation here that begs to be explored further. September 2029
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Persona 5 By
Developer
Platform(s)
Games Radar
Atlus
Playstation 4 Playstation 3
Publisher
Atlus USA
12
Joystick Magazine
9.0
Score
Silver Award!
“ Play it enough times and you’ll likely not only be able to levitate but also make a perfect omelette while in midair.”
Image by Atlus.
Teenagers saving the world is a well-worn trope of JRPGs, but the Persona series has always put a unique twist on it by blending fantastical dungeon crawling with mundane real-world obligations. The teens of Persona not only have to battle demons, they have to do homework, work part-time jobs, and get to bed at a decent hour. The last entry in the series, Persona 4 Golden is a confident, incredibly well-crafted adventure with gratifying combat and a cast with personal issues immediately recognizable to anyone who ever endured high school. It was the absolute pinnacle of the modern JRPG, seemingly impossible to best. To Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 has one thing to say: “Hold my beer. I got this.” Persona 5 is astounding. Each one of its elements - the writing, the music, the combat, the damn menus for crying out loud - is precisely tuned to work with everything else to create an experience that’s perfectly realized from the moment it begins. A group of high school students gain the ability to enter the minds of peo-
ple with distorted desires for wealth or power or sex, in order to ‘steal their hearts’ by swiping the symbolic representation of their obsession. They fall into this power accidentally, but eventually choose to use it to improve a society that, from their perspective, is being ruined by adults willfully turning blind eyes to cruel and heartless behavior. This message plays out with increasing depth over the game’s 90-plus hours, as The Phantom Thieves battle their way through the ‘palaces’ that represent the psyches of their targets. In Persona 5, however, each palace is hand-crafted, with enemies, traps, and puzzles placed to provide opportunities for stealthy escapes and ambushes. You are a thief, after all, so the whole point is not to be seen. The need to be more aware of your surroundings as you explore your target’s innermost thoughts makes the combat feel far less mindlessly grindy, despite the fact that it never really changes all that much. The combat is turn-based and pleasantly complex, giving you plenty of ways to bash your opponents to bits. In addition to your hand weapons, you can summon personas (to fight for you. You’ll eventually gain the ability to fuse personas to make a brand new creature that inherits some of its parents’ abilities; some of the strongest personas in the game can only be obtained through fusion. I’ve already mentioned how exceptional the core story of Persona 5 is, but every aspect of the game’s narrative is outstanding, including the many ancillary folks that you can make into ‘confidants’ in the newly-named version of social links. Strengthening your relationships with other people in turn strengthens your personas and even gives you access to new moves in combatAs varied as they are, each one feels genuine - even the talking cat’s worries are immediately familiar, so carving out time to spend with your confidants is a pleasure instead of a stat-building chore. Other than that, Persona 5 is simply phenomenal. The voice acting is outstanding, the music is genius, the art style is so slick it’ll raise your personal coolness level just from being in close proximity to it. Playing Persona 5 will make your hair glossier, increase your vocal range by an octave and add 7.32 years to your overall life expectancy. Play it enough times and you’ll likely not only be able to levitate but also make a perfect omelette while in midair. It’s that good. September 2029
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