Latest news with #FinalFantasyXVI
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy Collab Has A Card For Every Cid (With One Exception)
I don't go here (Magic: The Gathering, that is), but I'm obsessed with the new MTG and Final Fantasy collaboration. I swore off trading card games when I realized how much money people dump into cracking packs, but I can still appreciate some good Final Fantasy art when I see it. Something I also appreciate is a good bit, and the Magic x Final Fantasy collab handled one of the series' long-running constants in a truly clever way that even I, someone who doesn't understand the ruleset of the card game, can appreciate. I'm talking about Cid, a recurring name given to different characters in each mainline Final Fantasy. For those who don't play Square Enix's RPG anthology series, every Final Fantasy has a character named Cid (though he doesn't appear physically in the first game, thus he isn't featured in the Magic collab), but it's never the same guy twice. If you were to line up every version of Cid next to each other, you'd probably have no idea any of them were related in any way. But they all share the same name, and some of them are among the most beloved characters in the series. Final Fantasy XVI's iteration was easily the breakout star of the RPG in 2023, and Final Fantasy VII's Cid is a personal favorite of mine across the series' long history. So, how do you handle 15 disparate characters who only share a name and (usually) some mechanical skill? You make a card for each of them, of course. Magic: The Gathering will include 15 different cards titled 'Cid, Timeless Artificer.' Each card has the same in-game function, so there's no favoritism on display here, even for more popular Cids. You can have any number of them in your deck, so you could have several variations to use in a game rather than having to pick your favorite. However, there is one wrinkle in all of this worth mentioning: Final Fantasy XV's Cindy (Cidney in some territories) is nowhere to be seen. This omission recalls some weird semantic debates over who the true 'Cid' of the 15th game is, as there is indeed a character named Cid in it and he has a card in this set, but his granddaughter Cindy is the mechanic the team interfaces with most of the time. The character spurred strong and sometimes divided opinions among players in 2016, as she was the first female Cid in the series, while also appearing in one of the most notably male-centric Final Fantasy games (for good and ill) and wearing a revealing outfit that was controversial, to say the least. She may get a card down the line, but she wasn't part of the initial Cid showcase. You can click through to see the other 15 cards. The Magic x Final Fantasy set will hit store shelves on June 13. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zombies 4 Lands Summer Premiere Date on Disney — See Addison and Zed Battle Vampires in a New Teaser
If there's one thing we know about zombies… they always come back. And this time, they've got a new foe to tangle with. Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, the latest installment in Disney's musical movie franchise, will debut Thursday, July 10 at 7/6c on Disney Channel and will stream the next day on Disney+, TVLine has learned. Disney has also released a teaser for the film, which you can watch below, with Addison and Zed enjoying a romantic getaway before becoming counselors at the supernatural Camp Rayburn, aka 'the most dangerous summer camp on earth.' There, they find themselves in the middle of a turf war between daywalkers and vampires, with plenty of thrills, chills… and musical numbers, of course. More from TVLine TVLine Asks: How Would You Handle CBS' Fall Schedule? And What Gets Held for Midseason? Grey's Anatomy Preview: Monica Is There When Amelia Needs Her Most Andor: Adria Arjona Says That Bix's 'Accumulation of Traumas' Will Test Her and Cassian Moving Forward Seabrook's star-crossed zombie/cheerleader couple Addison and Zed, played by Meg Donnelly and Milo Manheim, return for the sequel, along with Chandler Kinney as the werewolf Willa and Kylee Russell as the zombie Eliza. Plus, Freya Skye (Final Fantasy XVI) joins the cast as Nova, described as 'a fierce Daywalker,' along with Malachi Barton (Under Wraps) as Victor, 'a proud Vampire.' The movie will feature nine new original songs, along with reprises of fan favorites 'Someday' and 'Ain't No Doubt About It.' In Zombies 4, 'a new adventure dawns for' Addison and Zed 'when their summer road trip takes an unexpected detour, landing them in the middle of yet another monster rivalry: Daywalkers vs. Vampires,' per the official description. 'Tensions flare when Zed and Addison find themselves acting as camp counselors between the two opposing supernatural factions. With the help of Eliza and Willa, they must convince sworn enemies Nova and Victor to try to unite their warring worlds before an even greater threat endangers them all.' Press PLAY below to get a first look at , and then hit the comments to tell us what you're hoping to see this time around.
ABC News
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Final Fantasy XIV composer Masayashi Soken on making music that stops the world
Japanese video game composer Masayoshi Soken doesn't see his work as separate from the games he scores, it's all part of the full experience. The Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XVI composer was recently in London for live performances of his music. Music from video game series Final Fantasy, a long running role-playing franchise with more than 30 titles, is being toured globally as part of Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy an orchestral concert series. "When we are creating music for games, I do have to acknowledge that there isn't a lot of freedom to do whatever you want, it is not easy to make game music like this," says Soken "When I'm putting music into Final Fantasy XIV, I'm trying very hard to think about the game experience overall, I think that each sound that goes into it is incredibly important, but I'm not trying to think of each of the songs as separate to the game." Photo shows ABC Game Show promo image with stylised joy stick Discover a new world of music, as composer, multi-instrumentalist and performance poet Meena Shamaly brings you iconic soundtracks and orchestral scores from digital gaming. Unlike film and television composers who score music after the scenes are shot, composers for video games often work hand in hand with the game development team as the game is being made to make sure music and sound effects respond to gameplay. Music in video games is often dynamic responding to player actions and milestones within the story, with each player experiencing their own audio mix and sequence. Soken says it's a challenge but the response from players makes the process worth it. Drinking buddies with Nobuo Uematsu Soken's career spans nearly thirty years, originally starting at Konami, working as an editor and sound designer as well as composer and eventually becoming sound director. He has also worked closely with another composer whose name is still synonymous with the Final Fantasy series, Nobuo Uematsu. Uematsu composed soundtracks for the first 12 mainline Final Fantasy games, starting in 1987 with the original game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Photo shows Japanese composer Nobuo Umeatsu sits playing viola in a lounge surrounded by cds and musical equipment This self-taught Japanese composer is behind some of the most beloved video game music The two musicians worked together on the original 2010 version of the multiplayer role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV and would drink together every day after work. "If I focus on my relationship with Uematsu, I think that when we moved the company [office] to a location that was quite far from Uematsu's house, he slowly started coming less into the company and eventually he left. For me that was a major part of my history when I look back." "We would go out drinking every day before we moved and that's not to say we didn't drink at all, but I did find that quite sad that we couldn't do that anymore, we didn't have that flow of literally going to drink every single day." Uematsu established the signature Final Fantasy sound which draws influences from classical music, along with rock and jazz, with composers like Soken building on that canon 'sound' of the games with their own compositions. The famous piece One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII for example draws equally from the music of Stravinsky and Jimmy Hendrix according to interviews with Uematsu. Loading YouTube content Each piece of music in Final Fantasy features a strong memorable melody, which works as well with the original basic 1980s and 1990s chiptune synthesisers of early video game consoles or arranged for a full orchestra. The main theme of the series, Prelude, originally composed by Uematsu and featured in nearly every game in the series has been recontextualised in Soken's Final Fantasy XVI piece, Land of Eikons, which moves the classic harp melody into a darker minor key. Composing with acting performance as a guide Soken, who only speaks Japanese, says his music was inspired heavily by acting performances of lead characters in the game, even though in some cases he couldn't understand what the performers were saying. "For [Final Fantasy] XVI quite early on in the process I knew that all of the voice actors would be key and I was able to receive inspiration from the acting performances of the voice actors while writing," says Soken. "I'm not very good at speaking English, so when I listen to the English voice acting, I can't really tell the details of the words but I can understand what is actually being portrayed through the performance. "That is proof for how extraordinary their performance was and so I wanted to make the best music that I can to contribute to that game experience that was already there." The concert series Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy was co-founded by game series composer Nobuo Uematsu and music director and conductor Arnie Roth. ( Supplied: AWR Music/ Square Enix ) Music that stops the world Soken plays rock versions of his Final Fantasy music live with band The Primals, and said that he was still touched by the energy that players around the world share after playing the games and listening to his performances. "We have Primals performances in big halls and when we play [Final Fantasy XIV musical piece] Rise, there's obviously that time-stop moment and you see tens of thousands of people stopping all together, that is brilliant to see." "I really am just touched by the energy that all of the [players] have and I'm very much moved by their extraordinary energy." Loading YouTube content "So I would say that what hasn't changed in all these years is that all of this is about the game experience, everyone is trying to feel the game." " I think that there are aspects of music and sound that are more important than others but what I like about it is that I'm just a gamer, that's how I feel. " Sign up to the ABC Classic Newsletter Your information is being handled in accordance with the Email address Subscribe
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
SB19 Almost Hits No. 1 With New Project, Which Earns A Great Start
It's a big day for SB19, one that may mark the start of an exciting chapter for the musical act. The Filipino boy band dropped its new EP Simula at Wakas on Friday (April 25), and within hours, it was clear that this latest release is headed for real, quantifiable success in the United States. Based on some promising initial placements, the project is off to one of the group's best starts yet. SB19 Scores One of the Top Debuts on iTunes Fridays are always crowded on iTunes. The beginning of a new tracking frame typically brings with it a flood of exciting releases, as artists rush to drop singles and full-lengths to maximize their seven-day window for streams and sales. Even with the typical weekly chaos, SB19 manages to stand out. Simula at Wakas rises to No. 2 on the iTunes Top Albums chart in the U.S., as of the time of publishing. That positioning makes it the third-bestselling title in the country on that one platform on Friday. While iTunes doesn't account for all purchases in the U.S., it still serves as a helpful early indicator of which projects are resonating most with fans in real time, as well as which titles may perform well on the Billboard charts in a few days. SB19 Trails Only Ghost and Final Fantasy XVI The only new release managing to outperform SB19 on iTunes this frame is Skeletá by Ghost. The Swedish metal group's latest set bolts to No. 1, easily becoming the to-performing new release this week, at least initially. For some time, SB19 was also beaten by the Final Fantasy XIV soundtrack. That album sat in between Ghost and the Filipino musical troupe for a while, after slipping from No. 1. That's not the case as of the time of writing, as it declines to third place, while the boy band advances. Elsewhere on the ranking, other notable arrivals include new efforts from Machine Head, Coco Jones, Shaboozey, and the 2024 Broadway cast recording of Gypsy. SB19's First Single From the EP Is Already a Chart-Topper Before Simula at Wakas arrived in full, SB19 pushed one tune from the project to one of Billboard's rosters. The EP's first single, 'Dam,' rose to No. 1 on the World Digital Song Sales chart earlier this year. It became the band's first champion on that tally, which is often dominated by international stars. The cut marked SB19's second top 10 on that list to date. The group's earlier single 'Gento' previously peaked at No. 8 two years ago. The success of both 'Dam' and the early warm welcome enjoyed by Simula at Wakas may be a sign that a new foreign boy band is about to become the hottest thing in America, changing the look and sound of what's huge in the music industry.
Stuff.tv
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
French-flavoured RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's drama and battles had me on the edge of my seat
Stuff Verdict One of the freshest RPGs in years that puts tradition and modernity in perfect harmony. Clair Obscur is an astonishing debut. Quelle magnifique! Pros Gorgeous visual design and soundtrack Brilliant characters and performances Intense and rewarding battle system Cons Lack of mini-map Introduction Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an RPG you could easily mistake for a Final Fantasy entry, had that series not gone out of its way to uproot itself from its traditions. Don't get me wrong, Final Fantasy XVI was an action-paced spectacle – and its charismatic lead voice actor Ben Starr also has a role in this new game – but also a divisive one. Many fans found its Game of Thrones-inspired mature tone robbed the series of its wondrous and magical side, while the emphasis on a singular protagonist was at odds with a genre that usually gives you a whole party of characters to invest in. That's not to say new France-based studio Sandfall Interactive's debut effort errs on the side of nostalgia. Rather that it retains a lot of the structure of classic PS1-era Square RPGs, augmented with modern action mechanics and the kind of to-die-for graphics you used to only see in FMV cutscenes. While it wears its Japanese inspirations on its sleeve, as you might infer from the title, it also stands out by being proudly and exceptionally French. Got your number Set in Lumiere, a kind of alternate Paris but on an island in a state of literal collapse, as can be seen by an Eiffel Tower torn apart yet hanging in suspended animation, this is a world where everyone's lives are literally numbered. Each year on a distant continent, a god-like being known as the Paintress paints a number that kills everyone of that age. As this ritual continues counting down, those who arrive at that number bid their loved ones goodbye before disappearing into nothing but decaying petals, while those whose number is up set out on an expedition to stop the Paintress. And so this brings us to the titular Expedition 33, consisting of a group of 32 year-olds including Gustave, who's just witnessed his ex snuffed out before his eyes, as well as his adoptive younger sister Maelle, who decides to join this suicide mission despite being half the age of the other expeditioners – ironically the age that most wide-eyed heroes would usually be in most RPGs of this sort. Everyone else in this party has lost someone, giving everything a very mournful tone but also a defiant determination to continue the mission whatever the cost. There are big emotions at play here then. It's helped by some brilliant performances from actors coming from both screen (Charlie Cox, Andy Serkis) and voice over (not one, not two but three from the acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3), which the photorealistic visuals also do justice (a triumphant showcase of Unreal Engine 5 for a relatively small team), and a sweeping heart-aching soundtrack that I could easily listen to while weeping in an opera theatre. But the strongest emotions comes from the actual gameplay, where you really will be fighting for your life in every battle as if you were playing a hardcore Dark Souls game. Active time parry Clair Obscur taps into plenty of PS1-era Final Fantasy tropes, whether that's a party limited to just three active characters fighting in turn-based battles, a diorama-sized world map you can run around on, and quirky creatures – though some of the eccentricities might evoke more of Square Enix's Nier series. It also keeps its biggest secrets and challenges to the endgame of an otherwise digestible 30-hour main story. Yet the turn-based battles are far from a pedestrian affair. Forget Final Fantasy's Active Time Battle system. These are just active, period. You could compare them to the action-based mechanics in Paper Mario, where a well-timed button press makes an attack stronger or reduces damage but that doesn't do it justice. What Clair Obscur does is add dodge and parry mechanics from hardcore action RPGs, which in theory means it's possible to play through an entire game without getting hit. Of course it's also ridiculously tough to do so. It really is no gimmick because enemies hit hard, so you do not just wait your turn to get hit; you need to stay alert all the time. What that means is instead of fighting a lot of random battles that you eventually switch off from, every battle matters. You can't just spam the same attacks, also because each party member's skills require accruing points for, and which you can earn when successfully parrying. There are also traditional mechanics like targeting elemental weaknesses and even the ability to free aim a gun to target enemy weak points, but memorising attack patterns when it's the enemy's turn is vital. They can get agonisingly demanding as some enemies have pretty long combos. Getting out of rhythm means it's easy to get caught by the next attack. It's dispiriting when a party member collapses only for the enemy to still give you a kicking with the remainder of its combo string. You can opt for an easier 'story' mode, but you only receive a little less damage while the dodging and parry window creaks open a bit more, so you're not getting a free pass. When you do get those parries down it is just so enormously satisfying when you or the whole party answer with a counter attack. It becomes the best way to get through these battles faster since you're dealing damage outside of your own turns, and as you level up, it's not rare to see those damage numbers reaching ridiculous digits. They're not just well-earned victories but well-rewarded in XP, even more so if you can get through a battle completely unscathed. Expedition 101 Despite also being a relatively more compact RPG compared to the bloated 100+ hour behemoths, there's still plenty of mysteries to discover in Clair Obscur, namely a mansion that you'll find yourself returning to from different doors throughout your journey. Most intriguing are final entries of journals penned from past failed expeditions, while you'll also notice the checkpoints you come across to rest and level up are also banners left by previous expeditions with their number displayed. What would have been nice however is if there was a mini-map or some kind of way point system when it came to exploring dungeons as I often found myself getting lost. These environments of impossible vistas may look wondrous but they don't always have the most distinct landmarks. That may well be to capture the sense of discovery in old-school RPGs but there's a difference between exploring a pre-rendered backdrop with a fixed perspective usually from above compared to having the camera right down behind you. It's a minor gripe though when the rest of the game is of such a high exquisite caliber. And of course what you'll want to discover for yourself is the way its story, which has many shocking twists and turns but also captivates you with performances that are naturalistic and nuanced. It's not all deadly serious and despite many battles often leaving your expeditioners' faces stained with dirt and blood, they can still lighten the tone with some sarky banter and the occasional silliness. It's indeed a game that will make you feel a whole breadth of emotions. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 verdict Sandfall Interactive hasn't just taken the foundations of classic RPGs and given it a new paint job. Instead, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is imbued with a captivating and grown-up story brought to life by a star-studded cast and a tough but rewarding battle system that you'll be compelled to persevere with to see how this expedition's fate plays out. With such a confident and triumphant debut as this, it surely won't be this studio's final fantasy. Stuff Says… Score: 5/5 One of the freshest RPGs in years that puts tradition and modernity in perfect harmony. Quelle magnifique! Pros Gorgeous visual design and soundtrack Brilliant characters and performances Intense and rewarding battle system Cons Lack of mini-map
