Category: Games

While many were upset to find out that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series would only be headed to PC and Mobile, Square Enix has confirmed that the games could come to other platforms if there is enough demand.

In a Japanese Q&A (translated via Google Translate), Square Enix revealed a bit more about these Pixel Remasters – which are essentially upgraded versions of Final Fantasy 1-6 – and it began by explaining that it chose to do this project because there are fewer opportunities to play these games easily. Furthermore, Square Enix wanted to renew these games with the same standard, which will make it better for first-timers and series vets alike.

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These games will be remasters based on the original NES and SNES versions, and while some of the game balance will be updated to make it a more enjoyable experience, the stories will stay as they were. These games will not include every element that has appeared in the many re-releases of these games over the years, but there will be a gallery, music player, and bestiary included as a bonus.

It was also revealed that Kazuko Shibuya, an artist who has worked on numerous Final Fantasy games, will be recreating all the beloved character art for the remasters.

Fans of Final Fantasy will also be happy to know that Nobuo Uematsu will be supervising the music and rearrangements for the Pixel Remaster series and that the sound effects will be reproduced as close to the originals as possible. Those who purchase the remasters will be able to check out the new music right away, as the included Music Player has all songs unlocked at the start.

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There will be a bestiary that will be filled out as you fight enemies in each game, and there are various ways to arrange them. In the Mobile version, you can also battle with those you have registered.

Lastly, almost all of Yoshitaka Amano’s character, monster and image illustrations are included in the gallery. All of these will also be unlocked at the start.

The Pixel Remaster version of Final Fantasy 1-3 will be released on July 28 and Final Fantasy 4-6 still have a release date of “coming soon.”

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyword Sword HD is the latest entry in this legendary Nintendo series to get the HD treatment. While it’s not the WInd Waker revival many of us hoped we’d see come to Switch, it’s arguably an overdue remastering of one of the more divisive Zelda games out there. Make sure to check out our Skyward Sword HD review to see what reviewer Travis Northup thinks of it.

With Breath of the Wild 2 not coming out until next year, this is the best chance to scratch that Legend of Zelda itch until 2022. The good news is this new-release game is on sale, which is perfect since I paid full price on the Nintendo eShop like a sucker. Don’t be like me. Seize this opportunity.

Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Deal

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More Opportunities to Save on Zelda Games

Of course, there are lots of opportunities to play Zelda on your Nintendo Switch, this is just the latest. You can still pick up The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on sale, although the price drop is not quite as dramatic as it was during Prime Day. There’s also Breath of the Wild, my pick for best Switch game of all time and maybe my pick for the best game of all time. And hey, guess what? Breath of the Wild is marked down 25% right now.

If you’d rather go a little more old-school with your Zelda games, you can play The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda II and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past through the Nintendo Online service. There’s actually a deal going on right now, where you can get a 128GB microSD card and a 12-month subscription to Nintendo Online for $46.98, or you can just sign up for 12-months of Nintendo Online for $19.99.

Looking a little further down the pike, you can still preorder the Legend of Zelda Game & Watch at some retailers, and you can preorder Breath of the Wild 2 right now, in spite of the fact we know that’s not the official name. What an age we live in.

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Seth Macy is IGN’s Executive Editor, Commerce.

It’s now been 20 years since Final Fantasy X released in Japan, and if you were born before the year 2000, that probably makes you feel pretty old. Well, one fan decided to honor the anniversary by recreating many of the game’s most famous locales and scenes in Unreal Engine, and then he made a video showing it off.

In the video description, fan Toby Saunders says they first played FFX on his older brother’s PlayStation when they were six years old, and they decided to teach themselves Unreal Engine in summer 2020 as a side project. They ripped some official Final Fantasy models from Final Fantasy Skyrim mods, processing them through Blender. In retrospect, Saunders feels they could have done the entire project in Blender, but they chalk it up as a learning experience.

Final Fantasy X fans will recognize many of the locations that Saunders recreated in the video, such as the Calm Lands, the spring in the Macalania Woods, the beach on Besaid Island where Tidus washes up, and the opening shot of the game. It also features some updated models of several of the game’s bosses, as well as the summon Yojimbo, and many others.

Several key members of Final Fantasy X’s development team said in a recent interview that a hypothetical Final Fantasy X-3 is not outside of the realm of possibility, and that scenario writer Kazushige Nojima has actually written a plot outline for it. However, they also said that that project couldn’t proceed until Final Fantasy VII Remake is done, and that’s probably going to be quite a while from now.

After helping Castlevania escape development hell and become a popular animated series on Netflix, producer Adi Shankar is turning his attention to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Based on the popular battle royale game where dozens of players compete to be the last person standing, PUBG will be adapted as an animated series under Shankar.

“To me, this animated project represents another step in the evolution of mending the torched bridge between the games industry and Hollywood,” Shankar said in a press statement. “I look forward to revealing to everybody what winning a chicken dinner looks like.”

This isn’t the only PUBG-related project currently in development, as the series recently saw the release of its first live-action short film Ground Zero, an investigative documentary starring Jonathan Frakes in full Beyond Belief mode, and an upcoming horror game set in the PUBG universe called The Callisto Protocol.

As for Shankar’s other video game animated adaptation, Devil May Cry? Very little has been heard on it since it was announced in 2018, with Shankar commenting at the time that he grabbed the rights so that “the jabronis in Hollywood don’t f*** this one up too.”

In other PUBG news, the mobile version of the game recently went through a massive update that added a map overhaul, a new Royale Pass system, and a partnership with the electric car company Tesla.

Publisher Warner Bros. Games and developer Turtle Rock Studios released a new trailer for Back 4 Blood. The trailer showcases more of the zombie-killing mayhem to be had in the upcoming co-op first-person shooter as well as the features you can expect to see on the PC version of the game.

The trailer lists the following features for the PC version of Back 4 Blood:

• 4K resolution
• Uncapped framerate
• NVDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS)
• Both ultrawide and multi-monitor support
• Cross-play support

Additionally, the PC version of Back 4 Blood will include multiple graphical options. The trailer showcases that you’ll be able to enable motion blur, chromatic aberration, adaptive FX quality, and VSync.

On top of that, on PC you can adjust Back 4 Blood’s quality settings. There’s an option to enable custom quality and customize textures, shadows, foliage, and more to your ideal experience.

Back 4 Blood is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on October 12. On PC, the game will be released via the Microsoft Store, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. Back 4 Blood will be available on both Xbox and PC day one via Xbox Game Pass.

If you want to try Back 4 Blood prior to its release, preording the game gets you access to the open beta, which begins August 5.

Today you can save $100 off the newest Apple iPad Air, the lowest price we’ve ever seen. The very well rated AirPods Pro is also back down to the same price we saw on Amazon Prime Day. In other deal news, score 100 feet of LED light strips for $25, $20 off the Xbox Elite Controller (Xbox Series X compatible), 50% off a WD portable solid state drive, $10 off the newly released Zelda: Skyward Sword game, and more below.

$100 Off the Newest Apple iPad Air

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The 4th generation Apple iPad Air released in 2020 is still the newest model out. It’s the best iPad to get if you don’t need the power (and price tag) of the iPad Pro. Thanks to its slim bezels, it has a larger screen size (10.9″ vs 10.2″) compared to the iPad without noticeably increasing the overall footprint. The iPad Air display also features Tru Tone and P3 Wide Color (gamut). It connects via USB Type-C cable, which is much more convenient than the proprietary Lightning cable.

Apple AirPods Pro Noise-Cancelling Earbuds

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If you regret not picking the Airpods Pro up on Amazon Prime Day at 24% off, here’s your chance to get it today at the same price. The AirPods Pro is considered one of the best noise-cancelling in-ear headphones you can get, especially for under $200, and it’s significantly better than even the vanilla AirPods. Woot is owned by Amazon, and in this particular case you’ll have to log in with your Amazon Prime account in order to see the discount.

Govee 100ft RGB LED Light Strips

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You won’t find 100 feet of LED strip lights for a mere $25 at your local brick and mortar electronics store (you’d be lucky to find 1/10 of that length for the same price). These lights do feature some extra functionality, like color changing, music-sync, and bluetooth for smartphone control. If you’re in the market for some cheap yet good looking bling, you can’t do much better than this. It’s probably too long as accent lighting for your gaming monitor, but it’s definitely long enough to light up a small room or your entire gaming space.

Xbox Elite Black Series 2 Wireless Controller

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The Elite controller is compatible with the Xbox Series X|S. The price might be high but it’s worth it if the games you play require precise control. This professional-grade controller features adjustable tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wraparound textured grips, interchangeable thumbsticks and paddle shapes, custom profiles saved on your controller itself, and included USB Type C cable with charging dock. It boasts up to 40 hours of battery life.

WD 512GB Portable Solid State Drive (SSD)

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This is a great price for a portable solid state drive from a reputable brand. This WD Passport features an internal SSD instead of an HDD. Paired with the faster USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-C) connection, you’re going to get much faster transfer speeds compared to your average portable hard drive. SSDs have no moving parts, so they’re more durable than traditional hard drives, consume less power, and generate less heat.

LEGO Ideas International Space Station

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The ISS model is a good-sized model at 19″ long and includes 2 astronaut microfigures, a mini NASA space shuttle, and 3 mini cargo spacecrafts, as well as a 148-page instruction booklet. It’s very well priced right now at only 6.5 cents per brick.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

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This game came out on last Friday and Walmart is offering a sweet $10 discount for it. When you try to add it to cart, Walmart will ask for your name and email address (it doesn’t matter what you put in). Don’t worry, no email will be sent to you. You’ll proceed straight to your cart with the discounted price. If you’re on the fence about getting the game, then check out our Skyward Sword review.

Persona 5 Royal for PS5

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Persona 5 was the best RPG on the PS4, but Atlus somehow made the game much, much better. The Persona 5: Royal Edition introduces a brand new character and seamlessly inserts her into the existing storyline, the ability to customize your very own Thieves’ den, new story arcs, new cutscenes and new endings. They’ve even added an entire new semester to give you ample amounts of time to finish all of your quests.

Apple Back to School Sale

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Apple’s annual Back to School Sale is already under way. This year, current and new students, parents, and faculty can get a free pair of Apple AirPods when purchasing an iPad Air, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, or Mac Mini. If you want to upgrade, you can get the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case for $40 or AirPods Pro for $90. You can also get 20% off AppleCare on any Apple product.

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends roughly 1/4 of his income on stuff he posts. Check out the IGN Deals articles and subscribe to the IGN Deals Twitter page.