NLG - Next Level Gaming

I recently previewed Final Fantasy XVI, going hands-on with the upcoming game for roughly two hours . I learned a lot about the game, which is due out on PlayStation 5 this summer, including how developer Creative Business Unit III approached accessibility in FFXVI.  You won’t find difficulty settings like easy, medium, and hard. Instead, there’s a story-focused mode and an action-focused mode. The story-focused mode will be easier, while the action-focused mode appears to be the default difficulty setting. And within each of these modes, there are special accessories that can be equipped to tailor the difficulty of combat to your liking. I was able to use five – I’m not sure if there are more  – and I liked how easy it was to swap them in and out, and the effects on my in-game combat actions were great. It’s quick, easy to understand, and effective. Here Are The Five Accessories I Previewed Ring of Timely Focus : With this equipped, right before an enemy hits you, time slows almo

I recently went hands-on with Final Fantasy XVI , the next mainline entry in the long-running series due out on PlayStation 5 this summer, to play roughly two hours of the game. Most of that playtime consisted of me controlling Clive as I battled alongside ally Cidolfus Telamon (always a Cid, right?) through a castle dungeon. However, toward the end of my preview, I was able to fight Garuda, one of the game’s Eikons, while controlling Ifrit, another Eikon.  At this point in the game, roughly five hours in according to FFXVI producer Naoki Yoshida, Clive has little control over Ifrit. A special few in the world of FFXVI are Dominants, meaning they can tap into the power of an Eikon and even transform into them. Cidolfus, for example, can become the Ramuh Eikon. Clive, however, is not a Dominant (but his younger brother, Joshua, is).  I’m not exactly sure what story events led to this moment – I tried asking the team but they remained tightlipped – but regardless, it was good fun. If

Following the release of Forspoken earlier this year, Square Enix has announced that the game's developer, Luminous Productions, will merge into the company.  It's a strange announcement, given that Luminous Productions was already a studio under the Square Enix umbrella. But now, it seems that Luminous Productions as an individual entity will be no more and, thus, won't be seeing its name appear on future titles. "The merger is part of the Company's efforts to bolster the competitive prowess of the Group's development studios, a goal set forth under its current medium-term business strategy," a press release reads. "Square Enix has developed numerous AAA high-definition (HD) games and possesses a wealth of intellectual property (IP) and content. Luminous Productions Co., Ltd. is meanwhile equipped not only with AAA title development capabilities but also technical expertise in areas such as game engine development. Combining the two entities will

Platform: PlayStation 5 Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Release: June 22, 2023 Since the reveal of Final Fantasy XVI in 2020 , my questions about the title have continued to grow. Mind you, my questions are firmly planted in the fascination of everything surrounding this game, like how Final Fantasy XIV studio Creative Business Unit III is developing the title with Naoki Yoshida in the producer role or how former Devil May Cry 5 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 combat designer Ryota Suzuki is the game’s lead combat director. Will FFXVI feature the storytelling prowess of FFXIV ? Will its combat go full stylish action? What does it mean that this upcoming sequel is the first Mature-rated game in the series (quick answer: hearing Final Fantasy characters say f**k)?  These are just a few questions I had going into a recent hands-on preview for FFXVI. While many still linger, I’m now ready to let myself be fully excited for the game’s June 22 release. Yoshida assured us

Platform: PlayStation 5 Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Release: June 22, 2023 Since the reveal of Final Fantasy XVI in 2020 , my questions about the title have continued to grow. Mind you, my questions are firmly planted in the fascination of everything surrounding this game, like how Final Fantasy XIV studio Creative Business Unit III is developing the title with Naoki Yoshida in the producer role or how former Devil May Cry 5 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 combat designer Ryota Suzuki is the game’s lead combat director. Will FFXVI feature the storytelling prowess of FFXIV ? Will its combat go full stylish action? What does it mean that this upcoming sequel is the first Mature-rated game in the series (quick answer: hearing Final Fantasy characters say f**k)?  These are just a few questions I had going into a recent hands-on preview for FFXVI. While many still linger, I’m now ready to let myself be fully excited for the game’s June 22 release. Yoshida assured us