Last May at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, one of Microsoft's biggest announcements for the Xbox 360 was that Square Enix's popular online role-playing game, Final Fantasy XI, was headed to the system in 2006. Since the game first launched in Japan way back in the summer of 2002, we never could have expected that it'd be a showpiece for a next-generation console four years later. But Final Fantasy XI for the Xbox 360 is definitely on its way, and we've been playing the open beta version to prove it. Available exclusively with the latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine, the Final Fantasy XI beta test essentially lets you experience the game for free on the Xbox 360, while the beta lasts. We're just starting to get our feet wet with this version of the game, but our first impression was one of surprise, since so little has changed on the surface of Final Fantasy XI all these years later.

Welcome back to Vana'diel…this time on the Xbox 360.

Much like other versions of Final Fantasy XI, the Xbox 360 version requires you to first install Square Enix's PlayOnline browser before you can get into the game. PlayOnline is sort of a shell interface, offering its own friends list and email system that are analogous to features built into the Xbox 360, only clunkier. At any rate, this preliminary install literally takes about an hour, and together with the Final Fantasy XI data, you end up carving out a large chunk of your hard drive--about five gigabytes. You also have to go through a fairly laborious registration process, first setting up a PlayOnline account and then separately registering for Final Fantasy XI. All told, it takes a solid couple of hours between the time you first insert the beta disc into your Xbox 360 and the time when you first get started playing Final Fantasy XI.

The game itself seems identical to what we've experienced in the past. The interface is unchanged, meaning the game is playable with a game pad, but a USB-compatible keyboard is more or less necessary for player interaction (the game doesn't support the Xbox Live headset). There don't seem to be any additional bells and whistles in terms of the presentation, so the visuals--since they were originally conceived in 2002 with the PlayStation 2 in mind--just aren't that impressive by the Xbox 360's standards. On the other hand, games like Final Fantasy XI can get better with age, and to that end, this is absolutely a time-tested online RPG that seems to have left its old growing pains long in the past. We've already seen plenty of players running around, killing monsters, finding loot, and getting stronger in this beta.

With both existing expansion packs included, FFXI won't lack for content.

The Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XI does include the game's first two expansion packs, Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia (another expansion, Treasures of Aht Urhgan, was recently announced). Together with those, there's just a ton of content here, enough to have kept people busy playing all these past years since the game's original debut. So while we aren't going to expect too many differences between the Xbox 360 version of this game and previous versions, essentially this version of Final Fantasy XI will give Xbox 360 owners a chance to get wrapped up in the game's addictive world.

While we got a serious case of déjà vu setting foot in Final Fantasy XI's world of Vana'diel for the Xbox 360, we're still looking forward to experiencing this game again on a new platform. Stay tuned for additional coverage and impressions as we delve deeper.

ESRB Rating: N/A  Genre: Online

by James Mielke 01/12/2006

Final Fantasy XI fans take heart -- today Square Enix finally unveiled the first significant screenshots of its upcoming expansion Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan. While the previous trickle of screens showcased bright green fields and misty pirate ships, these new screens reveal much more detail about what's in store for FFXI players.

One of the new areas announced today is called the Mamool Ja Savagelands, an area hostile to the Near Eastern Aht Urhgan Empire, itself more clearly defined as an ongoing concern rather than the treasure-filled ruin the game's title suggests. The inhabitants -- the Mamool Ja (which translates to "brethren of the shining scale") -- are divided into four biologically distinguishable classes, comprised of warriors, aquatics, sages and knights. The Mamool Ja, interestingly, are republicans, ruled by four overlords, one representing each class. The recent hostilities towards the empire of Aht Urhgan point back to the emergence of one of the four overlords known as the Autarch.

Mamool Ja's capital city is Mamook (shades of Star Wars creep in ever so slowly), which is built deep with the forest seen in the screenshots, on a peninsula west of Aht Urhgan. The land is overrun with termites, though (an interesting detail), and so the Mamool Ja burn down any wooden structures every few years and rebuild them, which explains the crude architecture of the the buildings and houses. The Mamool Ja are superstitious as well, as evidenced by the sacred stones that decorate the capital area, and are believed to harbor the souls of Mamool Ja heroes killed in battle. These spirits are said to protect the capital of Mamook from harm.

Another area called Arrapago Reef is a dangerous area, known for beaching any ship that wanders near. Perhaps this explains the pirate ship screens Square Enix released previously, but it's also significant because Arrapago Reef hosts the last remaining survivors of a kingdom that was all but wiped out by the Aht Urhgan Empire. It's said that the treasures of that kingdom are hidden in the coastal caverns of the reef, but the race called the Lamiae is using the natural enclosure as its stronghold, which is also occupied by the sleepless undead. This is obviously going to be a difficult area to explore, with its Pirates of the Caribbean look, but presumably less family-friendly welcoming committee.

Some of the screens show Mamool Ja warriors with battle-ready cockatrices amassing their forces. Mobs with pets are no new thing in the world of FFXI, but the forces assembled here look more organized than the goblins and quads and yagudos we've come to know and love. While the screenshots released for Square Enix's previous expansion, Chains of Promathia, did little to ignite the fires, these new shots are indicative of what you can expect to see graphics-wise on PC and Xbox 360. They're actually quite nice-looking and have us very excited at what Aht Urhgan has in store.

One interesting observation, though, is with the Xbox 360 beta underway, we're confident the 360 version will be inclusive of Treasures of Aht Urhgan, and obviously all the pre-existing content. Given the timing of the previous expansions that have come out for XI, and forecasting that the big focus in the upcoming year will be the PS3 and Revolution, Squenix would want to launch their first big app for 360 before those systems start grabbing headlines. That said, we'll put money down on Treasures of Aht Urhgan, on PS2, PC and 360 hitting market sometime this Spring -- and if it hits this Spring, it's going to bundle everything into one disc on 360. We'll have more news on this as we get it, but we recommend that all FFXI veterans finish up their CoP missions and get ready to rush the Savagelands.

ESRB Rating: Rating Pending  Genre: RPG

Back in the Super Nintendo days, RPGs were just starting to take off in the U.S. and apart from Final Fantasy, Square's Secret of Mana was perhaps the best-regarded of the bunch. Here was a game that incorporated three-player co-op play within the confines of a traditional RPG setting -- and somehow made it work without seeming gimmicky. The impressive art didn't hurt it either. Since then, there have been a number of other games in the series, but none that have had the same impact as Secret of Mana (which was technically the second game in the Japanese series -- also known as Seiken Densetsu 2).

After a SNES sequel that never made its way to the U.S. and a PlayStation spin-off called Legend of Mana that came and went rather quietly, Square Enix has a plan to revive the the Mana series. Key to this are the games Children of Mana (a 2D RPG for the Nintendo DS) and the game we're here to discuss, Seiken Densetsu 4. Neither has been announced for the U.S. market at this point, but both look promising.

The two main characters for Seiken Densetsu 4 are Eldy and Rytzia. Eldy, a lively sixteen year old boy, lives in the Village of the Tree, but his origins are shrouded in mystery. Rytzia is his childhood friend, who also happens to serve as the maiden of the Village of the Tree. Seiken Densetsu 4 is actually a prequel to the rest of the series, but we don't know much about the story beyond that. One key story element in Secret of Mana was a 'great war' which left the world in shambles -- it's likely that Seiken Densetsu 4 will shed some light on this event.

This installment is the first to break out of the 2D realm, and the player can explore a fully three-dimensional world. One noticeable difference from the previous Mana series includes a radar in the top right corner of the screen to facilitate the hunt for enemies in the 3D world.

On the production side, it's worth noting that Masato Kato, who worked on scenarios for Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, and Chrono Cross, has taken on the scenario writing for Seiken Densetsu 4. While he may be new to the Mana games, his legacy is well-regarded and we are hoping for another solid tale this time out.

With any luck, Seiken Densetsu 4 will make its way to the U.S. and help revive interest in the once-popular Mana series on these shores, but we'll have to wait for an announcement before we know anything for certain.

By Andrew Alfonso | Jan. 10, 2006
After one successful run with Disney, can Nomura and Square-Enix pull it off one more time?

SpiffyIffyAmazing graphics and a battle system that's both enjoyable and fast-paced; the story is also quite good.The camera has the same problems as in the first game, and the music isn't as good as before.

Square has always been known for delivering visual tour de forces in the past, but its most recent efforts haven't been up to par with the level of greatness that we've come to expect from them. Titles such as Code Age Commanders and Musashi Samurai Legend are all fine titles, but they were missing that special touch that most classic Square-Enix games possess. But with Kingdom Hearts II, Square-Enix went to extremes to ensure that this game will become its next big money maker, something that's of such high quality that it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Final Fantasy, or Dragon Quest.

One thing about Kingdom Hearts II that you need to know is that the game isn't the second game in the series at all. It would've been more accurate to say that this game is actually Kingdom Hearts III. This title follows the events after Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for the GBA, which is the sequel to the first Kingdom Hearts. Basically, if you think you could play the first PS2 game and then dive into this, you're in for a surprise, because you won't know what the hell is going on. Even if you don't have a GBA to play Chain of Memories with, it's best to brush up on the storyline just so you have an inkling of where the story in KHII will be headed.

Played to the music of Utada Hikaru's "Passion," the opening video is absolutely gorgeous and reintroduces Sora, Goofy and Donald to the game as well as giving you a glimpse of the new characters that you will be able to use.


The first couple of hours of the game aren't like a traditional RPG, but it does give new players a short introduction of how the game is played. There are two new features in KHII that will please fans of the first title. The first thing is that there is a new context-sensitive button, called the Reaction button that allows you to do everything from dashing in battle to dodge attacks, to picking up items on the street. The second and most important change is the camera system. In the first game, you had to change the camera angles by using the trigger buttons, which was a pain in the ass if you were comfortable with using the right analog stick instead. Square-Enix has changed it so that it now uses the right analog stick, making it much easier to change the camera in the heat of battle. I still believe that the camera is a little too close for comfort, especially during battles, and it makes it really hard to fight larger opponents, but making the camera easier to control makes battles more tolerable.

I'll try not to reveal too much of the game's plot or character appearances, but to get it out of the way, you'll meet up with several Square-Enix characters in the first couple of hours in the game. Once the game begins, you'll be controlling Roxas, who is a new character in the game and someone you're probably not familiar with if you haven't played Chain of Memories. He seems eerily similar to Sora -- right down to the same fighting stance -- but he lives in Twilight Town with his group of friends. The first four or five hours of the game is divided into six days, and revolves around Roxas and his connection to the rest of the cast in the game, and features a huge amount of flashbacks and scenes from Kingdom Hearts that will refresh your memory on has occurred previously.

i am finally back after 2 weeks....for those who know me....does anybody?
still waiting for soulja to promote me back again *cough*
csimonma

i know you, lol ,hi

[QUOTE="maa4208"]Yes do tellJAG_ROGUE

I think he was joking... well I hope

he was wit the FFE he probly wasnt jokin