Square Enix and Tokyo RPG Factory announce new game, Lost Sphear

Tokyo RPG Factory, the studio behind last year’s warmly received I Am Setsuna, is hard at work on their follow up, Lost Sphear for the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.

The game appears to come from the same vintage vein as I Am Setsuna: a story-focused, top-down RPG that harkens back to the golden age of PS1 role playing games like Final Fantasy VII and Legend of Mana before it. Though the footage looks like it’s in the beginning stages of development, Square Enix expects the title to launch in early 2018. With the engine and much of the technical groundwork laid down during the development of I Am Setsuna, the quick turn around for Lost Sphear is a natural progression.

Ranking the Mainline Final Fantasy Games – Final Fantasy XV Included

So here we are. Literally a decade after Final Fantasy XV was announced as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, we’re just a week away from the next main entry in the beloved Final Fantasy series. Counting only the main 14 games in the series (sorry Final Fantasy X-2 and Final Fantasy Tactics: we love you, but you’re sitting this list out), we here at Future Console Gaming are ready to give our definitive list of the mainline Final Fantasy games, from worst to best.

The Top 10 Wii U Games

Now that the Nintendo Switch has been revealed and the Wii U essentially has no life left in it, we thought it would be a good time to reminisce on the good times the Wii U gave us during its short lifespan. Without further adieu, here’s our list of the 10 best games on the Wii U.

What Life Does the Wii U Have left in it?

It’s no secret that the Wii U is Nintendo’s worst selling console of all time. Ever since its launch in 2012 the Wii U has struggled to get out of the Wii’s massive shadow. It didn’t help that the Wii U’s initial announcement didn’t make it clear to audiences that the console was completely new hardware instead of just a second screen for the original Wii, and the fact that its name even sounds like an add-on to the Wii hurt it further. Luckily, Nintendo did an excellent job unveiling their upcoming console/portable hybrid, the Switch. We here at Future Console Gaming are very excited for the Switch and its hopefully awesome launch line-up, but we’re still left wondering: has Nintendo already abandoned the Wii U before the Switch even launches? Well… kinda.

The Wii U has had some great games (Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros., and Super Mario 3D World), but there’s very little left on the horizon. Here’s what’s left, and here’s why you should maybe hang on to your Wii U for a little while longer.

Gears of War 4 – Campaign Review

I have a strange relationship with Gears of War. I’ve played every main entry, including the fun but underwhelming Judgement, and I’ve enjoyed them all. The thing is: I don’t think I’ve ever been hyped to play the next installment. Gears 1, 2, and 3 are all great games, and each improved on the previous significantly, but my memories of them bleed together. I bought Gears of War 4 as an afterthought, as I have the other Gears games, and I enjoyed my time playing it. Though it is very similar to the previous entries, I think Gears of War 4 will manage to stick out in my mind. Here’s why.

 

The Nintendo Switch is a Console-Portable Hybrid… The Best Decision They’ve Made in Years

When the Nintendo NX was casually announced during a Nintendo investor’s meeting last year, nobody knew what to expect from Nintendo’s next console. In the time since, leaks trickled out of Nintendo suggesting that their next home console was not just that, but it would also be their next handheld. Pretty much all of the major rumors turned out to be true, including the use of detachable controllers, the inclusion of Nvidia’s Tegra processor, and more.

 

The Nintendo Switch – Docked to a TV (top) and in Portable Form (bottom)

My First Day With PlayStation VR

Wow.

That’s what I said to myself, out lout, with nobody else but my dog home when I first tried on PlayStation VR. I knew it would envelop my surroundings once strapped on, but I didn’t quite anticipate just how engrossed I would become in any given video game world.

The PSVR headset

The Dream Launch Line-up for the NX

It’s been over a year since Nintendo stealth-announced that they’re working on a new console, codenamed The NX, during an annual shareholder meeting. In the time since, with help from numerous leaks over the last year, the Internet has gone crazy theorizing what this console could be. The general consensus is that it’s a handheld-console hybrid that you can play on the go and dock/play on your big screen TV at home. It probably runs on Nvidia technology, is roughly as powerful as the current generation PS4 or Xbox One, and includes detachable controllers of some sort.

The NX is currently expected to release in March 2017, as it was announced that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild would be delayed to simultaneously release on both the Wii U and NX at that time. With the probable release so close, many fans are expecting Nintendo to officially unveil the console within the next month. The good news is, if this is both the new Nintendo handheld and home console, their various teams are now working on a single platform, and even if the launch lineup isn’t perfect, we can expect a greater, more consistent output of first party titles from Nintendo than ever before. Without further ado, here’s Future Console Gaming’s dream line up for what games could launch alongside or in the launch window of the NX.

How to Shop for a 4k TV on a Budget

If you’re like me, you hadn’t put much thought into getting a 4K TV anytime soon. They were, after all, prohibitively expensive, costing upwards of $10,000 for a halfway decent model only a few years ago. Things are changing, however. 4k TVs are rapidly getting cheaper, approaching HD TV price points in many cases. In preparation for the PS4 Pro, Microsoft’s Scorpio and the inevitable next generation of video game consoles, the time may be approaching to buy a 4k TV if you want to experience games in their intended resolution and fidelity.

The difference in pixel density between various resolutions

Resident Evil 4 Review (PS4)

I’ve played a lot of games that many consider to be the “greatest of all time.” I beat The Ocarina of Time as a kid, Chrono Trigger as a freshman in college, and The Last of Us as a senior. But there was always one critically acclaimed title that eluded me: Resident Evil 4.