Square Enix revealed that a remastered PlayStation 4 version of its acclaimed PS2-era RPG Final Fantasy XII will launch worldwide in July, while Final Fantasy XV players can look forward to all-new storyline DLC and Season Pass content starting in February.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will also feature an array of gameplay upgrades when it launches later this year, including a character progression system that was once exclusive to Japan.
Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006, Final Fantasy XII remains a favorite among series fans for its memorable cast members and politically charged storyline. Final Fantasy XII also marked a departure for the series in terms of gameplay, challenging players to define their party’s combat behavior using a “gambit” system instead of allowing direct control over individual party members.
The Japan-exclusive rerelease Final Fantasy XII: International Zodiac Job System in 2007 expanded on the original game’s mechanics with 12 additional License Boards, granting party members stat boosts and abilities based on their chosen class. These mechanical improvements were previously reserved for players in Japan, but fans worldwide can experience International Zodiac Job System‘s features in the upcoming PS4 remaster.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age launches exclusively for the PlayStation 4 on July 11.
Square Enix additionally revealed that Final Fantasy XV players can expect to see a “Booster Pack” of downloadable content on February 21. Available in both free and paid Season Pass versions, the Final Fantasy XV Booster Packs will outfit players with new items and equipment, including a “Magitek Exosuit” that grants new abilities in battle.
Final Fantasy XV‘s first batch of add-on storyline content will launch on March 28 with Episode Gladiolus, a playable episode featuring Prince Noctis’ companion Gladio. The episode will be released as stand-alone DLC on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live and is available as a free download for Premium Edition and Season Pass buyers.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.