While everyone is preoccupied with the nostalgia of the Final Fantasy 7 remake, an even earlier Final Fantasy is celebrating its 30th birthday. Released on April 27, 1990, Final Fantasy 3 introduced the job-change system, and pushed the limits of what a game could do in those days.
Square Enix has released a new interview with game creator Hiromichi Tanaka about the development of Final Fantasy 3. With two Final Fantasy games already under their belt, and game carts increasing in storage space, the team wanted to push the envelope with Final Fantasy 3. “We had learned how to make good use of the NES, plus carts had gotten to megarom data sizes that were about double that of FFII,” Hiromichi Tanaka said. “So we were making FFIII with the mentality of pushing the amount of data that can be packed into these carts to its utmost limits.”
Tanaka also explains how they went from the story-heavy FF2 to the mechanics-dominated FF3. “That’s because Mr. [Akitoshi] Kawazu wasn’t involved,” he explained. “When Mr. Kawazu creates stories, they have a certain distinctive characteristic to them, so his involvement often has a tendency for that game to be remembered as story-heavy.”
While Square, now Square Enix, is now a huge company with thousands of employees, the company was much smaller and development not quite as organized as it is these days. Tanaka explains that his involvement extended to “essentially everything but the story” with Final Fantasy 3.
“With FFIII Mr. [Hironobu] Sakaguchi started writing the story, so I handled everything not related to that – battle, menus, system design, all of that,” he said.
It was also the first game to be properly documented at Square, a process that’s now considered core to the development process. “After making FFI and FFII we realized, ‘Oh, there’s not any documentation left,'” he explained. “With FFIII, we decided to create an official project plan, organize all the materials in a binder and archive it properly.”
Final Fantasy 3 was the first appearance of many features now iconic to the series, including Moogles, the summoning system, and even having the party present with the main character in the game. Hiromichi Tanaka touches on this and more in the full interview, which is worth a read for any fan of the classic Final Fantasy games.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Once you complete Final Fantasy 7 Remake once, you’ll unlock a tougher challenge: Hard Mode. This version of the game requires you to be on your toes in every single battle, while taking away some of the key elements you might have relied upon in Normal Mode to get you through. Hard Mode is the only way to fully upgrade your weapons with Manuscripts, unlock the toughest boss battles in the game to earn its best accessory, and get the chance to make choices that will let you see additional scenes.
We have some essential tips that will help you best all the amped-up foes you’ll face in Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Hard Mode. And if you want more, we’ve got tons of FF7 Remake guides, walkthroughs, tips, and analysis.
1. Conserve MP
There are very few ways to replenish MP in Hard Mode, so save it for healing.
That means you’ll want to conserve MP as much as possible; only use spells when you absolutely must, and save most of your MP for healing spells, as without items, you’re locked out of replenishing HP or reviving downed teammates in almost any other way. Using MP Up Materia can help you get more MP out of your teammates, but you’ll want to consider carefully which character you use for which magic job. Try to remember ways to game the system, too: Aerith’s Arcane Ward doubles your spell output for the same cost and her Siphon Soul ability steals MP from enemies. Some weapon upgrades cut down on spell costs, too, which can be seriously beneficial.
2. Use Prayer And Chakra
Prayer lets you heal without using MP–that makes it essential in Hard Mode.
The big workaround for your finite MP supply are the Prayer and Chakra Command Materia. Prayer gives you a healing boost to your whole team for two ATB charges, while Chakra heals one character based on how much damage they’ve taken. Neither is ideal in all cases, but finding and equipping both Materia on all your characters will give you non-MP options for healing in emergencies. Chakra is relatively easy to come by, but Prayer is much rarer: look for it in Chapter 14 in the “Corneo’s Secret Stash” side-quest.
3. Don’t Forget Revival
Revival Materia is essential in Hard Mode–there’s no other way to save your downed teammates.
Without items, you can only revive teammates who are knocked out in battle one way: Revival spells. You’ll need Revival Materia, which you can generally purchase, on all of your characters, and you should try to level it up as quickly as you can. The Ascend spell is great for getting characters back into a fight at full strength, but it’ll take you a while to earn. Forgetting to equip Revival can be the end of your team in a fight, so make sure everyone has some at all times.
4. Guard Like Crazy
Keep your guard up or you won’t last long in Hard Mode.
You’ll take more damage from attacks in Hard Mode from all sources–it is hard, after all. That makes using the Guard ability more important than ever. You can generally get away without guarding much in Normal Mode, but in Hard Mode, there are plenty of moments when you’ll face attacks from enemies that you can’t avoid. Guarding can hugely reduce the amount of punishment you take (especially with the Steadfast Block Materia equipped), while keeping your characters from getting stunned nearly as often. As Cloud tells Tifa, keep those gloves up.
5. Counterattack Is OP
Punisher counterattacks and Cloud’s Counterstance are key to winning fights and staggering many tough enemies.
With all that guarding you’re going to be doing, you’re going to want to spend a lot of time in Cloud’s Punisher mode. Even against enemies whose attacks you can’t avoid, you’ll often be able to get in a counter-attack swing with Punisher mode engaged, allowing you to do damage and, for most enemies, fill up their Stagger meter. Even better than Punisher mode counter is the Counterstance ability from the Twin Stinger sword. It’s similar to guarding in Punisher mode but is activated with an ATB charge, and allows Cloud to dish out a ton of damage when he’s hit. These are great ways to pressure and stagger enemies, so try them often.
6. Switch Characters Frequently
Fill all your characters’ ATB bars and keep opponents off-balance by switching characters frequently.
Enemies in FF7 Remake tend to flock toward and prioritize targeting whichever character you’re currently controlling. That’s especially true with bosses, who will often ignore AI characters to go after your controlled character, even if you’re largely staying back out of the fight. You can use that targeting to your advantage by frequently switching between characters; it’ll often allow you to “kite” an enemy with one fighter while you switch to another to flank, fire off spells, or heal. Especially in some of the tougher boss battles toward the end of the game, frequent switching will create gaps in enemy defenses you can exploit and open up chances to heal your team when they’d otherwise be in serious trouble. It’ll also allow you to drive up everyone’s ATB meters equally, giving you more options throughout any given battle.
7. Experiment With Combos
Click To Unmute
Final Fantasy 7 Remake – Crazy Combos
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
There’s more to fighting in FF7 Remake than just dishing out damage and blocking or dodging incoming blows. Some moves your characters have are more effective on certain enemies than others. For instance, Cloud’s Disorder ability, learned from the Nail Bat, can usually upend enemies that are Cloud’s size or smaller; the same is true with Tifa’s Omnistrike. Both abilities let you knock enemies off their feet so you can pummel them uninterrupted. String the right moves together and you can combo enemies indefinitely without them being able to react, an essential skill for staying alive and minimizing MP use throughout Hard Mode. Experiment with different moves to see how they affect enemies so you can keep your opponents off-balance.
8. Cheap Spells Are Your Friend
When driving up Stagger, cheap magic spells can be pretty effective and safer than stronger, more expensive ones.
Lots of enemies in FF7 Remake have weaknesses to magical elements, allowing you to deal big damage to them or drive up their Stagger meters with magic spells. The trouble is, with MP at a premium throughout Hard Mode, you’ll probably find yourself foregoing offensive magic in favor of saving up for healing spells at critical moments. There are moments when using offensive magic is a good idea, especially in some boss fights where it can give you a significant advantage–the trick is to opt for weaker spells over stronger ones.
Weak magic spells aren’t just cheaper than their stronger counterparts, they also cast faster. The trouble with going with Firaga over Fire, for instance, is that you run the risk of being interrupted during the casting, which causes you to lose MP with nothing to show for it. A weak spell will often give you a decent blast of damage or add to an enemy’s stagger without breaking your MP bank or leaving you vulnerable. You don’t generally need to use Firaga to stagger an enemy–Fire will probably do.
9. Evaluate Your Weapons For What Perks You Need
Which weapon you use in any given situation comes down to more than just its base stats.
As you advance toward Level 50 and start gathering Manuscripts to continue upgrading your weapons, you’ll find that each of them excels at different things. Some weapons are good for physical attacks, some for magic, some for critical strikes, some for defense. Just because you’ve got Tifa’s Purple Pain or Cloud’s Twin Stinger doesn’t mean you should sleep on their other weapons. The final weapon you unlock isn’t necessarily the best.
Take a few minutes to go through the weapons you have, compare their stats, and see what perks they carry that aren’t reflected in the numbers. You’ll find each weapon is good for specific situations, and one might be better for a character’s role than others–or for the specific needs of an enemy encounter. You can also compare weapons directly with Materia slotted in by using the “Reslot” option when you equip something new, which allows you to see how things like HP Up affect weapon stats.
10. Consider Character Builds Carefully
With the right combination of weapon, accessory, and Materia, you can create some interesting character builds to help you get through.
Every character has their specific strengths and weaknesses, but with the right weapon and Materia, you can get a lot of versatility out of your team. Utilizing weapon abilities and perks along with different Materia can give you powerful builds. For instance, giving Barret Healing spells and Materia like Prayer, plus a bunch of HP Up, and using his Lifesaver ability allows him to tank a ton of damage while healing pretty constantly. Steadfast Block lets Cloud absorb damage while unleashing Counterstance after Counterstance. Pairing Tifa’s stagger capabilities with ATB Stagger and similar Materia lets you keep a constant flow of her abilities as she beats down enemies. Using Aerith’s wards on other characters can power them up in ways you might not expect. Take some time to consider your options as you build out your characters–you don’t have to go with the most obvious options.
11. Spread Out Your Summons
Stronger, more expensive summons aren’t necessarily always better.
Once you have Leviathan and Chadley’s final summon, it’s tempting to just equip the two most powerful Summons and never really think about the others again. That’s a mistake, though. While late-game summons are really powerful and benefit from not using elemental attacks, they often require two full ATB charges to summon, and their abilities can require two ATB charges to use.
Instead, make sure to carry multiple summons of different capabilities. Chocobo & Moogle, for instance, excel specifically at pushing up enemies’ Stagger meters, while Ifrit and Shiva are obviously beneficial from an elemental standpoint. Keep lots of options on-hand and pick the summon that best fits the scenario, not just the one that seems the strongest.
12. Work On Stagger
Always use Assess on your enemies, then adjust your strategy to maximize Stagger.
In some boss fights, the best way to stay alive is to stagger the enemy. For bosses that have big attacks or that count down to your destruction, landing a stagger can save your life and reset their attack phase. But in all cases, staggering enemies lets you lay down some serious pain while you and your characters remain safe. Taking advantage of opportunities to stagger bosses is essential in Hard Mode.
While in Normal Mode you might stagger enemies without really knowing how or why, in Hard Mode, you want to pay a lot more attention to what works and what doesn’t with each opponent. Assess will usually give you a sense of how you can quickly stagger a boss, whether it’s through the use of magic or attacking at certain moments. Pay attention to what moves cause enemies to be Pressured–that means they’re susceptible to moves that increase their Stagger meters. When you have an enemy Pressured, go nuts with moves like Focused Thrust, Focused Strike, and Focused Shot. The Stagger meter is just as important as an enemy’s health, and taking advantage of it should constantly inform your strategy for each new bad guy you face.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Ricky Gervais’ Netflix show After Life recently returned for a second season, but whether or not it will get picked up for a third go-around has not been confirmed at this stage.
In a Periscope Q&A, Gervais said Season 3 is not guaranteed. The comedian and actor–who wrote and directed all episodes of After Life–said he has “ideas” for what could happen next. A Season 3 would be notable in part because no show that Gervais created has ever moved beyond two seasons. “I don’t know. I’ve got ideas for it. I’d love to do a Season 3, for the first time ever,” Gervais said.
The actor said the response to After Life Season 2 has been incredibly positive so far. If the show continues to get buzz and eyeballs, Netflix might pick it up for another season.
“It looks like this is going to go down a storm, so if this reaction carries on, then yes [we could do a Season 3],” Gervais said.
Gervais added that the positive feedback to After Life makes additional seasons more difficult, from a creative perspective. If people see After Life as a perfect 10-out-of-10 show, then anything less than that for a follow-on series might be seen as a disappointment.
“That’s what goes through my mind as well,” Gervais said.
After Life follows the story of a man, Tony (Ricky Gervais), who is coping with depression after his wife dies of cancer. The show is a rarity in that it will make you laugh one moment and cry the next. Season 2 ended on something of a cliffhanger, so fans will be hoping for a Season 3.
Gervais is also known for creating The Office (UK) and Extras, both of which ran for two seasons. He also wrote and starred in the 2009 comedy, The Invention of Lying.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the battle royale game Warzone are offering double XP this weekend, developer Infinity Ward has announced. The double XP event begins on May 1 and runs through the weekend, across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
The double XP will apply to both standard XP progression across all playlists, as well as weapon XP. Additionally, the double XP covers progression through the battle pass tiers.
In other news, Modern Warfare/Warzone is adding a new feature with Gunsmith Customs, which will give players more freedom to mix and match their weapon blueprints..
A new patch is slated to hit Modern Warfare and Warzone on Tuesday, April 28. Infinity Ward has yet to reveal the full patch notes, but the preview notes confirm that Warzone’s gas circle has been “adjusted,” various bugs have been addressed, and more. The update will be split in two this time around.
Modern Warfare/Warzone Double XP
May 1 at 10 AM PT through May 4 at 10 AM PT
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Fallout and Elder Scrolls company Bethesda is making a substantial donation to the ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts. The company is donating a total of $1 million to multiple charities, including Direct Relief and UNICEF.
“With the impact of this health crisis being so great and widespread, we want to help by donating to an array of international and local charities which are directly involved with COVID-19 relief efforts,” the company said in a news release.
$500,000 will be given to the Direct Relief charity, which, among other things, provides protective equipment for healthcare workers. $250,000 will go to UNICEF, which provides humanitarian aid around the globe. And another $250,000 will be given to charities that are local to Bethesda’s various studios. “These recipients will be chosen by our individual studios and international offices. This way we can support worthy charities fighting COVID-19 in our local communities across the world,” the company said.
In conjunction with the seven-figure donation, Bethesda has launched a new campaign called “Bethesda At Home.” As part of this, developers will stream games from their home offices, and encourage viewers to donate to charities. These streams will take place on Bethesda’s Twitch channel.
“Whether it’s playing games, watching streams, or however you’re choosing to stay active during these challenging times, we encourage you to find ways to stay connected to others while we continue to observe social distancing guidelines in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy,” Bethesda said.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
As of right now, Twitch seems to be down. In a brief statement made over Twitter, Twitch said it is “investigating an issue that is causing the site not to load properly.” There is currently no update on when the issue may be fixed.
If you log onto Twitch right now, you’re able to load the homepage fairly easily. However, trying to watch a livestream will likely just bring up a black screen. It doesn’t matter whether you’re subscribed to the channel or not–currently, all of Twitch seems to be unwatchable. Chat isn’t working either.
🔎 We are investigating an issue that is causing the site not to load properly. We will update you when we know more.
Just prior to this, Twitch went down for scheduled maintenance. Starting on April 27 at 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET, certain Twitch channels were unable to go live or their broadcasts were simply not available. Twitch has not announced whether there is any direct correlation between the scheduled maintenance and today’s issues.
Pokemon Go‘s servers appear to be down, effectively preventing the game from being played. Numerous reports are streaming in on places like Reddit and Twitter, and while the particular problems vary, the end result is the same.
Some players have posted screenshots showing that their GPS signal can’t be found, while others simply see nothing on the in-game map. In general, game elements aren’t loading properly.
As of yet, there’s no official word from the Pokemon Go Twitter account or Niantic Help support account, but we’ll report back when we learn more.
Perhaps coincidentally, today also saw the launch of the new remote raid passes feature, which allows players to participate in raids from further away. It’s one of several measures that Niantic has taken to ensure the game is playable while players are social distancing.
Disney+ in May features some notable TV and film offerings like the series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, titled “Victory and Death,” which will air on Star Wars Day (aka May the 4th).
Also debuting on May 4 is Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, an eight-episode documentary series that will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the series. For a look at the upcoming docuseries hosted by showrunner Jon Favreau, check out the trailer below:
JBL is finally getting into the gaming business. The longtime speaker manufacturer will launch its “Quantum” line of gaming audio gear this spring, including seven gaming headsets at various price points, and a desktop speaker set. At the top of the heap, the Quantum One shows that it has what it takes to compete and excel as a headset-maker. Pumping out a quality sound and delivering top-of-the-line bells and whistles like head-tracking and active noise canceling, the Quantum One shows that JBL knows exactly how to calibrate its audio expertise for gaming.
Design and Features
The Quantum One’s headset design splits the difference between “gamer” style and traditional, minimalist audio look to create a synthy soft-cyberpunk aesthetic. Though the body is made from molded black plastic, the Quantum has colorful accents scattered all over – a bright orange “R” and “L” painted on the fabric in the earcups and a three-part RGB lighting scheme on the sides of the cans.
It also has a solid fit, if a bit on the loose side. The top band is pretty wide, so while there is some pressure keeping the headset in place, it doesn’t feel like you’re getting squeezed. Though it was a great fit for me, I could also see it feeling a bit loose on smaller heads. Both the top band and earcups are well padded with leatherette-covered synthetic memory foam cushioning: Though it looks like it should be heavy, the 369 grams never weighed me down.
Looking closer at the cans, there are a lot of inputs and I/O. Everything is on the left side, including a robust suite of on-set controls: Mic mute button, a volume dial, a quick head-tracking recalibration button, and a “talk through” button to disable the active noise canceling. You also have the ports for the mic, a 3.5mm jack for a direct connection on consoles, and a USB-C port for connecting via USB, which you’ll need to use the head-tracking. The USB-C to USB-A cable also features a simple chat/game-audio mixer, which comes in handy when calibrating audio in multiplayer.
Speaking of which, the Quantum One’s active noise-canceling feels like a huge upgrade, even if it isn’t new or innovative technology. Active Noise Canceling, which plays a low-frequency tone to block ambient sound, is relatively common in high-end headphones, but rarely finds its way into gaming headsets. It should, though: Blocking outside noise makes it easier to hear the nuances of the sound of a game (or music, or Netflix). Even when playing alone in a quiet room, it blocked the sound of my PC’s or console’s fans: I didn’t realize how distracting that sound could be until I worked for a week without hearing it.
Inside the cans, the Quantum One sports 50mm drivers, which deliver a polished, sharp sound. There are specs that support this, in theory, though I’d argue there isn’t any one element that directly translates to a better sound: At 114 dB, the Quantum One has a higher sensitivity than the average headset, which means it’s coming in louder (and possibly clearer) even at lower volume. It has the same 20-40,000Hz “Hi-Res” frequency response that you tend to find in high-end headphones, but rarely in gaming headsets. These are strong indicators of quality, but ultimately the proof is in the sound. Where many headsets, even good ones, come in a bit bassy and can get a little fuzzy when there’s too much going on, everything that comes through the Quantum One feels balanced and clear.
Maybe the one real low point on the Quantum One is its detachable microphone. The short, bendable boom is covered with a rubbery plastic that doesn’t feel like a high-grade product. It works fine, but it’s just fine. I generally have a hard time getting a headset mic right where I want it, but it can be especially tough to find the best placement with the Quantum One mic because you don’t have much bendable arm to work with.
Software
JBL created a new configuration app, QuantumEngine, for its Quantum line of gaming headsets. The app allows you to adjust the audio mix in the headphones, and save custom audio profiles, in addition to the pre-made settings available out of the box. For the Quantum One, the app is essential, as it allows you to calibrate the headset’s head-tracking and spatial audio, and configure the RGB lighting on the cups.
QuantumEngine looks clean and is easy to navigate. The areas of customization are clearly broken down, and each category fits on a single panel. And yet there are a surprisingly large number of settings to tweak. When looking at the Sphere360 spatial audio, you can adjust virtual speaker positions, your body height and head diameter to perfect how the simulated sound hits you. Where most headsets with RGB lighting have a single glowing element, the Quantum has three customizable areas which can be set to follow many of the same patterns found on keyboards and mice.
That said, JBL is clearly still working some of the kinks out of the software. For much of my testing, the head-tracking seemed to lose track of its alignment very easily. This seems to have been fixed with a recent patch, but I still find it needs to be calibrated on startup. It’s very easy to calibrate and only takes a moment, but having to take that step every time feels like an imposition.
Gaming
The most important thing about any gaming headset is how it sounds. Over the course of a few weeks, I tested the Quantum One with a few games across PC, Xbox One, and PS4, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Doom Eternal, Teamfight Tactics, Ori and The Will of The Wisps, and Nioh 2.
In general, the Quantum One outputs clear, nuanced soundscapes. The bass booms. The mids sing. The highs whine. Even when using a direct 3.5mm connection, which does not allow for 7.1 surround sound or head-tracking, you hear a complete version of the music and sound effects that you may not get on cheaper audio gear (like your TV’s speakers). You get most out of the difference in sound quality, I think, in a game like Doom Eternal, where you really want to hear every guitar lick, but also need to clearly pick up the crackling sound of a fireball whizzing towards your head.
The surround sound, particularly when combined with the spatial audio and head-tracking software on PC, is very precise. You can follow an enemy’s movements in Modern Warfare by following their footsteps. It’s particularly cool to notice how the sound positions to match your head movements IRL. Saying that these features work exactly as they’re supposed to doesn’t necessarily sound like high praise, but it is. Stable, reliable positional audio builds immersion in a subtle, but also amazing way.
Purchasing Guide
The JBL Quantum One gaming headset will be available at major electronics retailers for $299 starting May 4, 2020.
Writer-director Quentin Tarantino reveals in a new interview what happened to (and his own backstory for) one of Pulp Fiction’s most notorious side characters, the Gimp.
SPOILERS ahead for Pulp Fiction!
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Dressed head-to-toe in leather bondage gear, the mute Gimp (portrayed by Steve Hibbert) is the S&M slave imprisoned in the basement of Maynard’s pawn shop where a bound and gagged Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) and Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) are held captive. The Gimp is present when Maynard and security guard Zed rape Marsellus and then when Butch frees Marsellus.
In a fan Q&A with Empire, Tarantino revealed his backstory for the Gimp and what happened to him after Butch left. (I think we all can imagine what “medieval” fate was in store for Zed). “It doesn’t quite play this way in the movie, but in my mind when I wrote it, the Gimp’s dead. Butch knocked him out and then when he passed out he hung himself,” Tarantino revealed.
The filmmaker, who won his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for 1995’s Pulp Fiction, went on to dish on who the Gimp really was and why he was chosen by Maynard and Zed. “In terms of backstory, he was like a hitchhiker or somebody that they picked up seven years ago, and they trained him so he’s the perfect victim,” Tarantino said.
