Final Fantasy Tactics returns once again with remastered edition - The Ivalice Chronicles; all details here
Published 5 Jun 2025, 06:00 AM IST Mint Image
It's never truly a Sony State of Play presentation without some kind of Final Fantasy news, and Square Enix was not about to disappoint today. This year, the JRPG giant revealed a new take on an iconic 1997 classic, Final Fantasy Tactics. This is a game that's no stranger to additional content, seeing not only two new games in its wake in the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance series, but countless remasters and re-releases, from the vaunted War of the Lions edition on PSP to its recreations on Android and iOS. Today, we were treated to the latest version, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, which looks to solve the eternal problem of 'which version to play?' by simply including both.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Mahavatar Narasimha is about divinity, not division: Hombale Films' founder on film not being political
This week witnessed the biggest box office clash between Rajinikanth's Coolie and Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's War 2. Amid this, one film, with a modest budget of ₹ 40 crore, continues to roar at the box office. We are talking about Hombale Films and Kleem Productions' Mahavatar Narsimha. The film is directed by Ashwin Kumar. In an interview with Livemint, Chaluve Gowda, co-founder of Hombale Films, opened up about the film. He shed light on what is keeping Mahavatar Narsimha relevant across age groups, maintaining grip against Saiyaara and more. 'It's the emotional and spiritual core of the story. Whether you're a child watching for the animation or an elder connecting with the deeper message, Mahavatar Narasimha speaks to everyone. Ashwin Kumar ensured it wasn't preachy but still profound. That balance, I believe, helped it cut across generations and demographics,' Gowda explained. Mahavatar Narsimha became the highest-grossing animated film in India, crossing ₹ 200 crore worldwide. But animated films have a poor record in India. What made the makers take the risk? 'That was precisely the motivation—to change the perception. We saw a gap in high-quality, emotionally resonant Indian animation for theatrical release. Ashwin Kumar's clarity of vision gave us confidence that this wouldn't be 'just another animated film.' It would be cinematic, spiritual, and thrilling, all at once. And I think the audience proved us right,' he says. When asked about the rising political polarisation around religious narratives, Gowda shared what they did to ensure Mahavatar Narasimha was seen as a cultural project rather than a political tool. 'That's a very important question. From day one, Ashwin Kumar, Kleem Productions and all of us at Hombale were clear—this is a story of divinity, not division. Mahavatar Narasimha is a cultural and spiritual tale that belongs to all of India, not a particular ideology. We approached it with reverence, not agenda, and the audience felt that sincerity,' he said. Amid the success of Mahavatar Narsimha, Chaluve Gowda previously confirmed the tentative release time for the next chapter in the Mahavatar universe. Before the Mahavatar chapter 2, fans will be able to watch the much-awaited film Kantara 2, aka Chapter 1, in theatres this year. The film kept making headlines when one accident after another on the sets surfaced online. Gowda clarified, 'Most of the incidents being spoken about didn't actually happen on our sets. Because of the strong brand Kantara has become, everything around it tends to get linked to the film.' 'That said, Kantara 2 (Which is actually Kantara Chapter 1) is our most ambitious project to date. We're putting in immense effort to make it something truly special. The film will release worldwide in 7 languages on 2nd October 2025, and we promise, it's going to be huge, spectacular, and absolutely marvellous—a celebration of storytelling, rooted deeply in our culture, and crafted for the global stage.'
Mint
7 days ago
- Mint
After Mahavatar Narsimha, Hombale Films' Chaluve Gowda confirms Mahavatar Chapter 2 to release by 2027
Mahavatar Narsimha, filmmaker Ashwin Kumar's directorial debut, has smashed multiple box office records since its release. From becoming the first-ever animated Hindi film to cross the coveted ₹ 100 crore mark in India to claiming the title of the country's highest-grossing animated film, the mythological epic has emerged as a ray of hope for the future of Indian animated cinema. Riding the wave of success, Chaluve Gowda, co-founder of Hombale Films, the banner behind Mahavatar Narsimha, along with Kleem Productions, spoke with LiveMint in an exclusive interview, confirming the release date of the second instalment of the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe. Chaluve Gowda: It feels immensely gratifying to present Mahavatar Narsimha. When director Ashwin Kumar and Shilpa (Kleem Productions) first met us, we knew we had something powerful, but we never imagined it would resonate at this scale. The love from the audience has exceeded all expectations. As a studio, we believed in the storytelling and the vision, but the way it has connected across generations has been deeply humbling. Chaluve Gowda: Yes, it crossed the Kantara Hindi version. It's a proud moment for Hombale Films either way. Both Kantara and Mahavatar Narsimha come from very different creative spaces, Kantara rooted in folklore, Narasimha in epic mythology. The comparison is natural, but for us, it's about pushing boundaries with every film and we're grateful that audiences have embraced both so wholeheartedly. Chaluve Gowda: It started with Ashwin Kumar's passion for Indian mythology and his vision of telling these stories in a format that today's generation can relate to, animation with cinematic depth. We instantly saw the potential for a larger universe. It is going to be something timeless, culturally rich and visually global. Chaluve Gowda: Of course, there will be challenges for creating high-fidelity models of divine figures, to ensure the cultural and visual accuracy. But Ashwin Kumar, Kleem Production and the entire team worked closely to get every frame right. Chaluve Gowda: Let the film speak for itself. We don't want to fixate on numbers, but I can say this: it was a deeply ambitious project and the investment reflects that. Quality comes at a cost and there should not be a compromise on that, especially when presenting a revered character like Narasimha. Chaluve Gowda: It means a lot. When industry veterans and legends appreciate your work, it validates the years of effort put in by the entire team. Prabhas and Prashanth Neel have been part of the Hombale journey, so their support means a lot. Subhash Ghai's kind words were special, coming from someone who has shaped Indian cinema for decades; they were truly encouraging. Chaluve Gowda: The team learnt a lot during the making of the first film; technically, creatively and logistically. The next chapter will certainly come faster. Ashwin Kumar is already deep in development, and I can assure fans that Chapter Two will be coming within two years. Mahavatar Narsimha was released in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam in 2D and 3D formats.
India.com
7 days ago
- India.com
Rs 83000000000: World's most expensive wedding took place in..., beat Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani's children's wedding, couple was...
The costliest weddings often feature beautiful locations, extravagant decor, celebrity performances, and over-the-top hospitality—all of which combine into exceptional experiences. Certain families are synonymous with extravagant weddings, such as the Ambanis, where hosting an ostentatious celebration is taken to the next level. Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal's wedding was said to cost approximately Rs 830 crore. The wedding included extravagant wedding invitations and performances from several celebrities, making it one of the most extravagant weddings in a long time. Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta also had a grand wedding. Although the exact cost of the wedding remains undisclosed, one thing is clear — it was an extravagant affair with no corners cut. Even the invitation itself reportedly cost around Rs 1.5 lakh (approximately USD 1,800), offering a glimpse into the grandeur that defined the celebrations. According to sources such as LiveMint, The Economic Times, and Outlook Business, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding cost a record Rs 5,000 crore. The phenomenal figure exceeds the expenditures of some of the biggest wedding events of all time, including Princess Diana and Prince Charles's wedding (Rs 1,361 crore) and Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum's wedding (Rs 1,144 crore), making it one of the most expensive weddings in history. Nevertheless, there is one wedding that truly shook the globe. This wedding was so extravagant and so lavish that it raised the global bar of opulence and luxury. It has been stated that the lavish wedding reportedly costed about $1 billion. In 2016, Said Gutseriev, a 28-year-old son of an oil billionaire, married 20-year-old Khadija Uzhakhov in Moscow. The young bride had on a beautiful beaded gown, with a flowing skirt, created by Elie Saab. The prices for wedding dresses made by Elie Saab start at £5000, rising to 18,000, according to the Daily Mail (2016) report. The bespoke gown was reported to range between $1 million USD or 25 million roubles – £692,000 or £256,000.
