Once upon a time, it wasn’t that difficult to play a new Mega Man title. One such title was Mega Man X, the first entry for the franchise on the SNES. Now the title has been ported to the New Nintendo 3DS handheld as part of its Virtual Console offerings.
Huawei announces the Mate 9 and a Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9
Today Huawei announced the Mate 9 that continues the dual camera trend with the launch of the new smart phone, that boasts a 20MP Monochrome sensor and a 12MP RGB sensor on its rear panel. But also a limited edition of the Huawei Mate 9 designed by Porsche.
Specs of the Mate 9
Display
5.9-Inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS LCD (373 ppi) / 5.5-Inch QHD display
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 960
RAM
4GB / 6GB on Porsche Edition
Storage
64GB with microSD card slot / 256GB with microSD card slot on Porsche Edition
Rear Camera
20MP Monochrome and 12MP RGB with OIS, 4K video, dual-tone LED flash
Front Camera
8MP with Auto-Focus, F/1.9
Battery
4000mAh (non-removable)
Charging
USB Type-C
Sound
Bottom-facing speaker
Software
Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 5.0
Sensors
Ambient, proximity, accelerometer, compass, fingerprint
Connectivity
Dual-SIM, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, fingerprint scanner, WiFi Direct
Measurements
156.9 x 78.9 x 7.9mm
Weight
190g
Colours
Space Grey, Moonlight Silver, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown, Ceramic White, Black
The Huawei Mate 9 package draws its power from a 4,000 mAh non-removable battery that comes equipped with Huawei SuperCharge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX0BR_r8Es0
The Mate 9 camera picks up from where the Huawei P9 left off when launched in April in London, with a second generation Leica dual camera that’s made up of a 12MP RGB sensor and a 20MP monochrome sensor. The camera features Optical Image Stabilization in the colour sensor, f/2.0 aperture, hybrid autofocus and is able to output 50% smaller file sizes for 4K video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKYo7Kn7SlA
With the new EMUI 5 interface and although it’s visually similar to previous devices, Huawei says it is their biggest refresh ever. A lot of previous features such as Knuckle gestures, customizable home screens and fingerprint gestures also return, but there’s a few differences as well. The first is that there’s finally the option to add an app drawer in the settings, which is ideal for those who prefer the familiar Android experience as we know it.
With the Mate 9 charges four times faster than the iPhone 7 Plus and 50% faster than the Mate 8 from last year, a 30 minute charge can top you up to 50%, while a 10 minute charge offers enough battery for 3.5 hours of video playback.
Prices at €699 for a 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with microSD support, colours for the Mate 9 are Black, Space Gray, Moonlight Silver, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown or Ceramic White. With no official release date just yet for the Huawei Mate 9 with a rumour date of next month (December 2016).
Now for the Huawei Mate 9 Limited Edition Porsche Design, Huawei has teamed up with car manufacturer Porsche on a limited edition Porsche Design Mate 9.
The Limited edition of the Mate 9, is 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage priced at €1395 (but with microSD support), making this one of the most feature rich handsets on the market. Also The Porsche Mate 9 offers us a 5.5-inch curved QHD display, a first for Huawei.
DC Legends launches for iOS and Android today
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced that DC Legends, a strategy role-playing game in which players collect and form unlikely alliances of Super Heroes and Super-Villains from across the DC Universe, is now available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Google Play for Android Devices.
As the shadow of the Blackest Night prophecy falls across every world, willpower alone cannot save the shattered DC Universe. Players will need to collect allies such as Green Arrow, Doomsday, Wonder Woman, Batman and many more, to form teams of Super Heroes and Super-Villains that battle Nekron and the Manhunters. As players battle to decide the fate of all life in the universe, they can unlock the ability to make their heroes Legendary, acquiring remarkable new super powers, powerful stat increases, and enhanced character designs.
“We think DC fans will appreciate the authenticity and depth we’ve brought to DC Legends,” said Jonathan Knight, VP, Studio Head at WB Games San Francisco. “The game delivers an experience that’s both exciting and engaging, empowering players to strategically customize their teams and upgrade their super powers, as they battle against other players across the world.”
In DC Legends, the battle against Nekron and the Manhunters spans across a wide variety of DC locales, including Metropolis, Themyscira, Thanagar and many more. The cinematic action and vivid environments bring each encounter to life as players unleash Superman’s™ Heat Vision or Bizarro’s Flame Breath on wave after wave of undead foes. They can also compete against other players in PvP combat and demonstrate their superior team-building skills as they climb the ranks in 14 unique Leagues with escalating rewards.
DC Legends is now available to download for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and Google Play for Android devices.
Ubisoft reveals details on Watch Dogs 2 Season Pass
Ubisoft revealed details of the Watch Dogs 2 Season Pass. Players will be able to continue their hacker journey with several hours of additional mission content including new co-op challenges and difficulty levels, outfits, vehicles and lots of customisation items. Each downloadable content will be available with a 30-day exclusivity for PlayStation 4 owners.
- DLC 1 – T-Bone Content Bundle: Players will get the style and the swagger of legendary hacker Raymond “T-Bone” Kenney with his truck and outfit, and discover Mayhem, a new co-op difficulty level that will pit players against a new enemy archetype armed with advanced weaponry. (Available on December 13th on PlayStation 4).
- DLC 2 – Human Conditions: Through several hours of additional mission content in three new world stories, players will uncover San Francisco’s biggest scandals on the cutting edge of science, medicine and misuse. In Human Conditions, players will also experience new elite co-op missions and face a new enemy type: Jammer, with the technology to hunt players down. (Available Spring 2017).
- DLC 3 – No Compromise: Players will experience an all-new world story which mixes Marcus up in the seedy underbelly of San Francisco and puts him in the crosshairs of the Russian mafia. Also includes a new co-op mode: Showd0wn, where only the best players will survive. (Available Spring 2017).
- Psychedelic Pack: Customise Marcus’ outfit, weapon, drone and car in the grooviest style. (Available on Day One).
- Root Access Bundle: Includes full sets of outfits, new cars, a drone skin and a new weapon, as well as the Zodiac Killer mission. (Available this Winter).
The Season Pass is included in the Watch_Dogs 2 Gold Edition and is also available to purchase separately for £29.99.
In Watch_Dogs 2, players explore the birthplace of the tech revolution as Marcus Holloway, a brilliant young hacker who has fallen victim to ctOS 2.0’s predictive algorithms and accused of a crime he did not commit. In Marcus’s quest to shut down ctOS 2.0 for good, hacking is the ultimate weapon. Players can not only hack into the San Francisco Bay Area’s infrastructure but also every person and any connected device they possess to trigger unpredictable chains of events in this vast open world.
Watch_Dogs 2 will be available worldwide on consoles November 15th and on Windows PC November 29th.
Wileyfox announces the Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus
Last year Wileyfox made an impressed with the Swift , a device that could measure itself by the good specifications and low cost with the Moto G and other budget charts. Now a year later, the manufacturer shall inform the successor of this smartphone, which introduce some important improvements. Earlier this year already Wileyfox + Spark and Spark X .
For example, the Swift Wileyfox 2 (above) includes a fingerprint scanner, which is positioned on the back side under the camera. In addition, there is support for USB type C Quick Charge 3.0, making the phone recharges in about half an hour half. Convenient because the previous Swift did fairly long time to recharge.
Under the hood is the Wileyfox Swift 2 well provided. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 430 chip with octacore processor and 2GB of RAM. Also present 16GB of internal storage, a 13 megapixel camera and 8-megapixel front camera. The screen measures 5 inches and has a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels. The 2700 mAh battery powers the whole of power. The device runs on the customizable CyanogenOS 13.1, based on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) . It is still unclear whether the smartphones also receive an update to Android 7.0 (nougat).
Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus
New is that Wileyfox also comes with a Plus variant of the Swift 2. Which is not greater than the regular version, but has more RAM (3GB) and storage (32GB). The Swift 2 Plus has an improved 16-megapixel camera. The other specifications are the same.
Wileyfox announces that Swift and Swift 2 2 Plus will soon be available from several Dutch merchants. The devices cost £159 for Swift 2 and £189 for the Swift 2 Plus. Smartphones come in shades of black, gold and pink.
EE announces an update Robin (4G Tablet)
EE has today unveiled the next generation of the popular 4G tablet designed specifically for parents and their children the Robin.
Available to buy in EE stores, online and from EE telesales immediately, the Robin now comes with new single player and multiplayer motion gaming, a new and improved Hopster learning & entertainment app, a new kickstand making it easier for children to take the device with them and watch their favourite shows with their friends and family – as well as improved storage capacity.
Compelling high-quality content: The new Robin comes with over 40 pre-loaded games, educational apps and eBooks, including hits such as Subway Surfer and Motion Sports. Motion Sports specifically allows children to compete interactively with motion gestures via the inbuilt camera. New content can easily be downloaded and added to the Robin through the Google Play app store, with every new piece requiring approval by the parent before children can access it.
In addition, children get free access to Hopster, a unique digital playroom for the under 6s that combines 1500 episodes of the very best kids TV shows, learning games and over 100 songs and nursery rhymes into a single ad-free app. Kids can enjoy shows such as The Gruffalo, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and Thomas and Friends alongside a specially chosen line up of learning videos designed to support Hopster’s academically-vetted curriculum.
Easy-to-use parental controls:
The new Robin is equipped with simple-to-use parental controls, so a child’s online experience can easily be managed. These controls include web filtering, app management and time control that empower parents to set-up bespoke user profiles. These filters can be relaxed as a child grows, giving them increased access to social networks and more age appropriate content if required.
The app management system empowers parents to decide which apps are appropriate for their kids, and to restrict whichever they choose. A separate time control function gives parents the option to limit how much time children can spend on the tablet or on any particular application.
Robust design and features:
The redesigned Robin comes with a specially designed child-proof bumper with a carry handle and kickstand, making it the ideal introductory tablet for children. The perfect blend of power and versatility, the new Robin features the Android Lollipop 5.1 operating system, a quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, and 16GB internal storage (expandable to 32GB with a 16GB MicroSD card) – double that of the original Robin. It boasts a 7-inch display that’s perfect for enjoying crisp, clear videos, playing games, or reviewing images captured on the device’s 2MP rear-facing camera.
Sharon Meadows, Director of Devices at EE said: “Last year we introduced the world’s first 4G tablet for kids which proved extremely popular in the run up to Christmas. So this year we’ve given the Robin a makeover, to ensure it is once again the perfect gift for parents who want a tablet which can provide their children with hours of entertainment and e-learning in a protected online environment.”
Pricing & availability:
The new Robin will be available for consumers nationwide from EE stores, online and EE telesales today. The Robin is available on a range of Pay monthly plans starting from £17 a month on an EE Essentials 24 month plan, and comes with 2GB data and three months of Hopster content for free. For those wanting to make the most of their tablet experience, EE is also offering the new Robin on an EE Max plan, which comes with 20GB data including EU roaming, and 24 months of free Hopster, for just £22 per month.
Alternatively the new Robin is £129.99 on Pay as you go and comes with Hopster free for three months.
The Kavson Besiter Eclipse power pack has style
The Kavson Besiter Eclipse has one of the most powerful batteries available, which means you’ll never lose your charge when away.
It can charge iPhone 6S up to 5 times and a Samsung Galaxy S7 up to 3 times over.
The power bank has a maximum 2.1A output which means that devices such as tablets will charge incredibly fast. You can even charge the Eclipse and your phone at the same time. It’s stylish and is ideal to pop into your pocket or bag and carry on the move.
The Eclipse Series power bank comes in 2 stunning colours, black & gun metal and white & silver. It has a powerful bright light that will navigate in darkness. The Eclipse even has sensors which displays the charge time when you pick it up, meaning you’ll always know how long you have before needing to recharge it.
The Kavson Besiter Eclipse costs from £10.99
Fnatic Gear announces Duel TMA-2 Headphones/Clutch G1 optical mouse
Today, Fnatic Gear, has announced two professional eSports-grade peripherals for the gaming lifestyle community: the Clutch G1 optical gaming mouse and the Duel TMA-2 headphones. The Duel TMA-2 combines professional gaming and urban lifestyles into one headset, thanks to its intuitively modular design, while the Clutch G1 supports maximum reliability and performance with its customisable buttons and controls. Together, the Clutch G1 and Duel headphones support professional gamers with precision and performance during rigorous gaming marathons with premium comfort.
Duel TMA-2 Headphones – for gaming and lifestyle audio
Fnatic Gear collaborated with Danish audio pioneers at AIAIAI to create the Duel TMA-2 headphones. Enthusiasts can finally have an all-in-one headset that delivers top-class audio quality during gaming and music listening sessions, whether you’re at home or on-the-move.
The Duel TMA-2’s have a soft-rubber coated modular design, enabling users to switch between sound-isolating over-ear pads to soft, padded on-ear cups to suit their preference for maximum comfort and desired sound signature. The Duel TMA-2 pumps out accurate and immersive sound using 40mm titanium-coated drivers. Provided is a removable boom for use while gaming and an in-line mic for taking calls when you’re out and about. The Duel TMA-2 headphones are created for the professional eSports player’s lifestyle, and will work seamlessly with PC, PlayStation4 and Xbox as well as smartphones, tablets and other audio devices.
Designed to eliminate the need to own a separate gaming headset and music headphones, the sleek and stylish design of the Duel TMA-2 offers a completely personal experience during the longest of gaming sessions and throughout the rest of your day.
CLUTCH G1 mouse – putting eSports in the hands of all gamers.
The Clutch G1 is a plug and play, soft touch, multi-button eSports gaming mouse designed to increase efficiency, accuracy, and performance. It naturally incorporates thumb and hand movements for extreme comfort during crucial gaming situations.
Engineered and designed for comfort and performance, the Clutch G1 has a matte, soft-touch coating and beautifully ergonomic shape that perfectly fits the right-handed FPS player. Its build allows for a claw or palm grip, which provides flexible comfort even after the longest gaming sessions. The Clutch G1 also features a unique Drag Reduction cord, elevated 2mm, to increase speed and efficiency.
The Clutch G1 is armed with Pixart 3310, an advanced optical sensor perfect for users that are serious about perfecting their game with precise actions. Designed with onboard memory, Clutch G1 offers maximum customisation with three different gamer profiles to personalise the functions of all seven individual buttons, select RGB illumination patterns with millions of colours and lighting effects, and adjust polling rates.
“After the successful reception, by our players and the eSports community of our Flick mouse, we wanted to offer a mouse that would equally satisfy all players and the community who want a slightly bigger form factor with different ergonomics so that everyone can enjoy what we, here at Fnatic, have to offer,” said Andrew Kim, Head of Product Development at Fnatic Gear. “Secondly, I’m really excited to finally be able to announce a headset that will truly eliminate the need for passionate gamers to purchase two different headsets. The Duel TMA-2 is the first professional gaming headset to provide uncompromised gaming acoustics and audiophile music listening through its intuitive and innovative modular design. With a gaming configuration prioritizing positional audio for those gunshots and footsteps, and an on-the-go configuration tuned for a truly immersive audiophile listening experience, the minimalistic and iconic design of the Duel TMA-2’s provide users with uncompromised versatility, comfort and performance.”
Customers can pre-order The Clutch G1 and Duel TMA-2 for £59.99 and £189 respectively at FnaticGear.com. Both products will be fully available late November 2016.
Get ready to see Suicide Squad – Extended Cut this month
Get ready to get your Squad back together in the extended cut with extra footage not seen in cinemas.
It feels good to be bad… Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity.
Suicide Squad early on Digital Download on 28th November, 4K, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD debut on 5th December.
It feels good to be bad… Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?
xXx: Return of Xander Cage is back in the second explosive trailer
Now watch the second trailer for xXx: Return of Xander Cage coming to cinema in 2017.
After passing the baton to Ice Cube for xXx: State of the Union, Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is back and returns in, xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
xXx: Return of Xander Cage is back in 12 Character posters
Are you ready for xXx: Return of Xander Cage, with a new trailer out tonight. Here are 12 new character poster to keep you going.
Coming to cinema is early 2017, xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
Super Dungeon Bros Shreds Across PC/PS4/Xbox One today
Wired Productions, has announced today that its rock-n-roll inspired co-op dungeon brawler Super Dungeon Bros is now available worldwide for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Steam and Windows PC for an RRP of £14.99.
Gamers with an Xbox Live Gold account can download Super Dungeon Bros on Xbox One at no charge starting today for the game’s first month of sale, and the recently-revealed cast of Broettes – four fearless female counterparts to the titular Bros are available to download free from 1st November to 15th November across all platforms.
“We’re delighted to finally see the game hitting shelves and digital storefronts around the world,” said Leo Zullo, Managing Director at Wired Productions. “Super Dungeon Bros is brilliantly fun game to play – whether that’s as a single player experience, in co-op or with three other Bros in tow. It’s all about having fun and it’s no exaggeration to say that Super Dungeon Bros turns it up to eleven!”
“The game is the result of a tremendous ongoing effort by the React Games team,” said Brad Moss, CEO at React Games. “Super Dungeon Bros began life as a concept over two years ago, and to see the game now available at retail is a truly humbling experience; we can’t wait to share it with fans who have waited patiently to finally get their hands on the finished product.”
In the multiplayer-centric Super Dungeon Bros, a band of heavy metal heroes are summoned to embark on a quest from the Gods of Rock. Their mission: to navigate the fantasy realm of Rökheim and seek out epic loot, vanquish hordes of evil undead and uncover the legends of long lost fabled rock stars! Featuring captivating, laugh out loud action and adventure, players can rock out on or offline with four bros as they fling their friends onto far off ledges and distant trap triggers, or unleash their best tag team tactics with the ultimate bro-op offensive. Legendary tools of destruction can be individually leveled up to carry progress across sessions, and players can unleash weapon-specific co-op attacks that grow in power as others join in, such as the Bronado (stack up to create a whirling totem pole of destruction).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGpwA93rKNo
Three unique and challenging worlds await the brave ones as they explore the rock-themed realm of Rökheim and dive deep into the worlds of Cryptheim (an underground dungeon complex), Chillheim (a brewery built upon a natural brew geyser) and Bogheim (a sprawling jungle filled with poisonous plants and animals). Players will never rock the same dungeon twice thanks to the random room generation AI, and near-endless dungeon combinations! To keep things fresh between campaign sessions, players are also able to assemble and compete against other teams in the daily and weekly challenges to see who can claim the top spot on the global leaderboards!
Playora a wireless video casting app for iOS/Android
Following its successful testing on PC, Playora the wireless video casting app seeks funding on IndieGoGo ahead of its release on iOS and Android.
Playora is a brand-new approach to watching what you want, where you want. Playora’s app for iOS and Android will unite video from any website, IPTV stream, or file, directly to the biggest screen in the house. No need to buy new hardware, no need to keep updating old devices, and no need for any wires. Playora supports most popular brands of smart TVs and will work with most existing ‘smart’ boxes plugged into TVs.
By streaming directly from your phone to your Smart TV, Playora grants you access to any streaming services you have access to online, on your TV screen. Some of the possible applications include:
- TV catch-up services
- Film streaming services
- Gaming livestreams
- Internet-based video sites
- Music streaming services
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siPdPALi5lE
Playora co-founder Matt Spall explains: “When so many of us have 50-inch TVs in our homes, why are we watching things on handheld devices? Too often our Smart TVs or streaming devices don’t have the correct apps for the job, or support fails over time. Playora solves these problems without any additional wires or hardware, and enables you to build your own, personalised streaming hub while you’re at it.”
Review: World of Final Fantasy
There really has never been a more exciting time for Final Fantasy fans than right now with the strong build up to Final Fantasy XV in full swing with animated web series and a feature length film in Kingsglaive all building to its release later this month. But there is another game that really deserves to take centre stage right now for fans and it is a game that has completely taken me by surprise, so much so that the last Final Fantasy game that captivated me so much was Final Fantasy VII. It is time to step into the ‘World of Final Fantasy’.
World of Final Fantasy introduces us to the brother and sister heroes Reynn and Lann, who wake up unable to remember anything other than their names and that they are siblings. A mysterious woman who introduces herself as Enna Kros, explains to them that they are both in fact Mirage Keepers, endowed with the power to control creatures known as Mirages and that at one time they were both so powerful that they could ruled the world together. However their memories connected to the Mirages as well as the Mirages themselves has been stripped away from them. Enna Kros tells them that they should travel into the world known as Grymoire, the land of the Mirages, to recover their Mirages and in doing so hopefully reclaim their memories and discover what happened to them.
World of Final Fantasy for me is really a cocktail of traditional Final Fantasy games blending in with the charm of Kingdom Hearts with all the fun and excitement of Pokemon. That combination actually completely threw me as it was much unexpected. If fact if I am truly honest, my attention has been so focused on Final Fantasy XV that this almost snuck past me until I tried the playable demo on the PSN Store and it totally grabbed my attention in a surprising way. Visually this is perhaps the cutest game I have played this year, taking inspiration clearly from Kingdom Hearts and it is all the better for it. It is simply a beautifully drawn world to explore with so many adorable characters and Mirage creatures to meet that it really has such a wonderful aesthetic to enjoy the further the player dives into it.
But the foundation and the strength of this game is that of the Pokemon element, the Mirages. The twins must build an army of sorts by collecting Mirages along their journey in Grymoire. Mirages come in many shapes and types and by capturing them, the twins can harness their abilities and powers to become even stronger. Just like Pokemon, Mirages are captured in battle and the player will need to learn how to unlock each Prismtunity, the chance to capture the Mirage in a prism. The ways vary from using physical attacks to reduce the Mirage’s health to using a specific power or elemental attack to activate the Prismtunity and either Reynn or Lann will use a Prism to try and capture that Mirage. A total of ten Mirages can be carried at any one time, with any surplus Mirages sent and stored in the Prism Case safely back in their own world Nine Wood Hills, looked after by the Mirage Serafie. This Prism case can be accessed via any travel gate or save crystal to exchange the Mirages travelling with Reynn and Lann which comes in handy once you begin to level the Mirages up.
Mirages have three forms or Transfigurations that can be unlocked as each grows in power by unlocking their skills and abilities through XP earned from battling. Mirages can have three stages; small, medium and large. As the Mirage learns a new transfiguration they will become stronger and learn new powers and abilities which Reynn and Lann can then use in combat. Using the Prism Case and once unlocked, the player can choose which Transfiguration they wish to use but each one still has access to the attributes of any Transfiguration unlocked so if you have unlocked the attribut bonues of the medium Transfiguration but choose to use the Small form, Reynn and Lann can still benefit from any of the bonuses of the medium form. Special attacks remain locked to the transfiguration. This all becomes very useful when it comes down to the combat in World of Final Fantasy, and something that to me is the most fun combat system in the Final Fantasy series yet, Stacking.
Stacking allows the player to organise and build a stack that consists of three levels using the three forms a mirage can have of small, medium and large which translates into top, middle and bottom. Now each stack must include Reynn and Lann so each can have two Mirages with them in a stack. The stack pools together all the health points and powers of those within it so the player can put together very powerful teams combining different types of Mirages. Now Reynn and Lann can have two stack builds which the player can set up to use. Both twins have the ability to change from large size, known as Jiant to medium, known as Lilikin and so they can either be the base of a stack or the middle. In Jiant form the twins have their own special attacks which utilise the power type of the mirages in the stack. In Lilikin form they take the middle position and so a different large form Mirage takes the base and allows for stronger attacks to be used. It really is the most rewarding combat system for a Final Fantasy game in recent years, still using a turn based system from traditional games but refreshed by being able to tailor each stack to face the dangers Reynn and Lann face.
The search to meet and capture Mirages by itself would make this game deserving of having the attention of any Final Fantasy fan but of course the story is also something that elevates this game so much for me. Unlike more recent entries to the series, World of Final Fantasy has a very easy to follow yet epic level story for players to experience. Thought and attention has clearly been taken to avoid what so many find to be troublesome in Final Fantasy stories in that at times as the player you can easily lose track of what is going on. Here the story is split into chapters, often when the story takes the twins to a new region and this bite size approach allows the flow of the story to always make sense and using by the Adventure Log in the menu, you can easily check where you are by reading the synopsis of each chapter as you move forward in the story.
The story is where I felt the inspiration that came from Kingdom Hearts and serves as real fan service for those familiar with the Final Fantasy series. Along their journey, Reynn and Lann will come across iconic characters from the Final Fantasy universe such as Squall from Final Fantasy VIII, Lightning and Snow from Final Fantasy XIII and Tidus from Final Fantasy X. It is so much fun to see them but more then that, they also fit really well into Reynn and Lann’s story that it just works so that as the player you do not even question why or how they are there. Once encountered, the player has the opportunity to purchase them as Champion Medals, gaining the ability to call on them in battle as a summon type attack. The animation of each Champion’s attack is something really special to experience especially when your own personal favourite appears such as my own in Cloud.
At the time of writing this I am now 42 hours into the game and story, and I still have so much to do in terms of catching and levelling up Mirages but I am still being distracted by side missions such as the Coliseum and Intervene Missions. The Coliseum serves as a battle arena where the player can take on challenges of different Mirage types in ever increasing difficulty which are all level based so you can gauge which ones you can tackle. Now whilst you will not earn XP from these battles, you can get items as rewards and you can also capture the Mirages you face, some of which are rare or higher Transfiguration stages to what you may have encountered in the story. To my surprise I then discovered that the Coliseum also has an online battle mode which allows you to use any of your captured Mirages and setup stacks to battle other players online and also to trade Mirages opening up a whole new extension to the game experience. Intervene Missions are fun side story missions featuring the Champions and are full of fun humour. Here time and space rules are bent to allow Reynn and Lann to step in to fight a battle for the Champion instead of them; again rewards are items and at times the chance to capture a rare Mirage.
I have not been so captivated by a Final Fantasy game since FF VII, and leading into FF XV’s release at the end of November, this game has completely caught me off guard. Everything about World of Final Fantasy is just special in the wonderful nods to previous games to the excitement of capturing and battling Mirages to make them stronger. The story is beautifully written and told with some memorable moments that simply lift this title from being more than just a fan service game before the big release in XV. It is so accessible and easy to learn but with such a deep gameplay in the Stacking combat system and Mirage collection that I would easily recommend this game to old fans of Final Fantasy and new fans who may only have been familiar with more recent titles or the remastered releases.
World of Final Fantasy deserves more attention and time on the centre stage, it is so well crafted and put together as a Final Fantasy game that if XV was not releasing until 2017, it would be enough to shine a spotlight on the Final Fantasy series. It is charming, funny, challenging, rewarding and satisfying to such a degree that for me it has jumped right to the top of my own 2016 Game of the Year list. As someone who initially dismissed this in the hype build up for Final Fantasy XV, I cam so pleased that the playable demo on the PSN store changed my mind and snapped me out off that hype train.
I will be spending a lot more time adventuring with Reynn and Lann long after the story has ended, and I heartily invite you to join them for the ride as well!