PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for November: Grand Theft Auto V, Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Like a Dragon: Ishin, and more

Dive into the gritty underworld of Los Santos, strive to stay human while you uncover the dark secrets of a post-apocalyptic world, fight for justice to change the future of Japan, and more with November’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup*! Grand Theft Auto V, Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and more games are available to play from November 19. On the same day, five new titles join PlayStation Plus Premium in the form of the kinetic first person shooter PS VR2 game Synapse and four Classics; Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Blood Omen 2, Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2.

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog

Grand Theft Auto V* | PS4, PS5

When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath find themselves entangled with some of the most frightening and deranged elements of the criminal underworld, the U.S. government and the entertainment industry, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a ruthless city in which they can trust nobody, least of all each other. Experience the interwoven stories of Franklin, Michael and Trevor in the sprawling open world of Los Santos and Blaine County.

*PlayStation Plus re-release.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human | PS4, PS5

In Dying Light 2, survival meets action adventure as you attempt to endure a hostile, post-apocalyptic world. Rival factions across The City aren’t the only enemy – a virus has turned a vast majority of the human population into monsters. Take on the role of Aiden Caldwell, a wanderer with the power to change the fate of The City, but your exceptional abilities come at a price. Haunted by memories you cannot decipher, you set out to learn the truth – and find yourself in a combat zone. Hone your skills to defeat your enemies and make allies. Unravel the dark secrets behind those that wield power, choose sides and decide your destiny. But wherever your actions take you, there’s one thing you must do – stay human.

Like a Dragon: Ishin | PS4, PS5

1860’s Kyo is plagued by widespread inequality, and one samurai will change the course of history in his search for justice. Take up the sword as Sakamoto Ryoma and venture to Kyoto to find your father’s killer, clear yourself of a framed murder, and restore your honor. In doing so, you will bring an end to the samurai era and forever change the future of Japan. Draw your blade, load your revolver, and join the revolution in this heated historical adventure that only the creators of Yakuza: Like a Dragon could produce.

MotoGP 24 | PS4, PS5

As a new season dawns, the winds of change are sweeping through the pit crews. Embark on your quest to become a MotoGP legend and shape your own epic saga. Challenge your abilities and immerse yourself in the exhilarating journey of the 2024 campaign. From humble beginnings to triumphant heights, the path is yours to forge. Engage in thrilling rivalries, build your reputation, and leave your mark on the history of your beloved team.

The Sims 4 Island Living* (Add-on only) | PS4

Welcome to Sulani, where the sun shines bright and the nights are totally chill. Escape the ordinary and enjoy a laid-back lifestyle surrounded by beaches in The Sims 4 Island Living. Explore a breezy world drenched in sun, sand, and endless fun as your Sims make their own paradise. Set sail on the glistening water in your island canoe, swim to your heart’s content, and explore the scenery on a watercraft. Everything is chill (except for the occasional sunburn) when it’s Island Living.

*Requires the original game The Sims 4.

Digimon Survive | PS4

After getting lost on a school trip, Takuma Momozuka finds himself transported to a world inhabited by ferocious foes and new allies. Join Takuma and his friends as they fight their way back home. Digimon Survive is a hybrid visual novel and tactical RPG set in a mysterious world filled with dangerous monsters and deadly battles that will test your ability to survive. Persuade your opponents to join your team and evolve them to fight alongside you in thrilling turn-based battles. Unfold a dark tale about friendship and survival that is jam-packed with exciting drama, a unique cast of characters, and potentially grim choices.

Overcooked! All You Can Eat | PS4, PS5

Hold onto your chef hats and prepare your appetite for an XXL portion of Overcooked magic. Overcooked!, Overcooked! 2 and all additional content are blended together and remastered in this delicious definitive edition! Enjoy hundreds of levels of cooperative cooking chaos across increasingly perilous and obscure kitchens.

Stick Fight: The Game | PS4

Stick Fight is a physics-based couch/online fighting game where you battle it out as the iconic stick figures from the golden age of the internet. Fight it out against your friends or find random sticks from around the world!

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos | PS4, PS5

Drawing upon both surreal and punk fantasy influences, the world and civilisations of Zenozoik are brimming with fascinating characters, creatures and landscapes. You play as Pseudo, a master of martial arts who lives as a recluse in the strange land of Zenozoik. When you cross paths with the Boy, a small creature whose mysterious powers have attracted the attention of Gemini, the Mistress of the Artifacts, you decide to protect him, unaware that much greater forces are involved. Roam this intriguing land and discover its paths, inhabitants and ancient secrets.

Killer Frequency | PS4, PS5

The year is 1987, and as the clock strikes midnight in small-town Gallows Creek, USA, former big city radio DJ Forrest Nash is live on air in what will turn out to be the graveyard shift of a lifetime… In this horror comedy, you must solve puzzles to save callers from being hunted down by a mysterious killer. Where every call is life and death, can you save the inhabitants of Gallows Creek? Step into the shoes of a late-night radio talk-show host – new in town and fallen from grace. The Sheriff is dead, so the townsfolk turn to you for help. You, Forrest Nash, are the only person in town who can run a phone line.

Hungry Shark World | PS4

Become a shark and spread terror on the beach! Fight man, machine and beast as you explore tropical islands, sunken temples, vast cities and frozen icebergs. Enjoy discovering expansive levels with their own distinctive enemies, hidden treasures and unique missions. Take on everything the sea throws at you, from gruesome goblin sharks and the adorable porbeagle, to prehistoric monsters and giant submarines. With rebalanced enemies and pacing, there’s a challenge around every corner!

Chivalry 2 | PS4, PS5

Return to the ultimate medieval battlefield. Chivalry 2 is a multiplayer first person slasher inspired by epic medieval movie battles. Players are thrust into the action of every iconic moment of the era – from clashing swords, to storms of flaming arrows, to sprawling castle sieges and more. Charge headfirst into stunning 64-Player cinematic battles inspired by epic medieval action films. Pick your playstyle with 4 classes and 12 subclasses, each with their own unique weapons and abilities.

PlayStation Plus Premium

Synapse | PS VR2

Dual-wield brutal firepower and surging telekinesis in the ultimate mind-breaking VR action shooter. Unleash your inner anti-hero and invade the twisted subconscious of a notorious enemy of the state. Become a mind-breaking operative and wreak havoc on the enemy’s mind with deadly weaponry in one hand and expressive telekinetic abilities in the other. Combine your powers to overcome formidable defences and delve deeper into a hostile mindscape.

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain | PS4, PS5

Ready yourself for next month’s launch of Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered by discovering the origins of this dark gothic fantasy franchise with the original PlayStation title Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. In this top-down action adventure, embark on an epic quest through a vampire kingdom fraught with murder, magic and vengeance. Journey through an expansive world containing more than 100 hours of intense, blood-sucking, spell-casting gameplay, and enjoy cinema-quality voice-overs, dynamic lighting effects and more than 25 minutes of full-motion-video footage.

Blood Omen 2 | PS4, PS5

Fierce attacks and brutal combos await in this action adventure, originally released on PS2 in 2002, after Soul Reaver 2’s launch the year previous. Blood Omen 2 will take you back to an alternate timeline set between the events of the first Blood Omen and Soul Reaver. Cast down from power by a mysterious warlord centuries ago, Kain reawakens in a world he barely recognizes. His armies slain, his vampire brethren nearly extinct, Kain is one of the last of his kind. With an agenda of vengeance, Kain shall unleash a wicked wrath to uncover the plot that threatens the land he seeks to conquer.

Resistance: Fall of Man

Epic military action and unnerving tension blend together in PS3’s 2006 first-person shooter Resistance: Fall of Man. Humanity faces annihilation as a relentless alien force known as the Chimera ravages Europe. Amidst the chaos, Nathan Hale emerges an unlikely hero, confronting unimaginable horrors while uncovering secrets that could change the course of the war.

Resistance 2

Initially released in 2008 on PS3, Resistance 2 is the continuation of Insomniac Games’ science-fiction FPS saga. Now on American soil, the alien Chimera threatens Hale’s humanity in a gripping race against time to put a stop to the invasion. Once again at the forefront of humanity’s fight for survival, Nathan Hale must lead his squad through desperate missions, as new weapons and giant boss encounters increase the scale of the conflict to new heights.

*PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe lineups may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day.

The Pokémon Card Deals I Want to See for Black Friday

We all want to be the very best Pokémon TCG player and collector, like no was ever was. We also all know the value of a bargain on booster boxes, big box premium collections, elite trainer boxes, and more. Black Friday 2024 should be loaded with Pokédeals, making it the best time of year to invest in some sealed products to rip open or hold on to.

Pokémon Card Deal Predictions for Black Friday

Grading Pokémon cards is also becoming more popular than ever before. Trainers won’t find cards in better condition than being pack fresh, but opening packs rather than buying singles can rack up a Gollum of cash. I’m a Pokémon Master, and the following products are on my radar for Black Friday 2024. Let’s get into it:

Big Box Deals

Pokémon TCG collectors worldwide know how good premium collections and other big box deals can be. We’re talking booster packs for less, epic promos thrown in, and other goodies such as pins and card sleeves. I think Black Friday 2024 at retailers like Amazon and Walmart will be packed with all kinds of big box deals, and here are the ones I think will make the cut:

Pokémon Tin Deals

Tins are a great way to collect some cool promos with a handful of boosters from various sets, especially at their often lower pricepoint when compared to high-end premium collections. They’re also an epic way to store bulk, dice, Pokécoins, and more. Here are the tins I think will be making the Black Friday rounds this year:

Booster Bundles

Need to complete a set sooner rather than later? Booster bundles are the offordable way to get multiple boosters to rip open in one sitting. Yes, booster boxes are ideal for collectors, but they’re mostly touching or well above $100. Booster bundles have six boosters per box for just north of $20, with Black Friday bringing price points down further. Here’s what I’m betting on:

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Stellar Crown booster bundle

Pokémon TCG Elite Trainer Boxes

Next to full-on booster boxes, elite trainer boxes are one of the best Pokémon TCG products to grab on a Black Friday deal. Containing eight or nine boosters, depending on the retailer and set, trainers get everything they need to battle, including unique dice, sleeves, card dividers, and a pack of energies. The main draw for ETBs is the promo card bundled in – they’re super collectable. Here are the ETBs I won’t need to flip a coin on when Black Friday hits:

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Stellar Crown Build & Battle

These stamped promo cards are usually distributed at pre-release events, but this is a chance for trainers to get ahold of one out of four from a new set. The box also contains four boosters and a 40-card readymade deck to battle opponents on the fly. This is one for promotional card collectors, so here are the ones I think will be showing up for Black Friday:

Pokémon Iono Premium Tournament Collection Box

Deck Box? Check! Sleeves? Check! Four foil supporter cards (one being full art) and everything you need for a Pokémon Card battle? Check! These themed tournament collection boxes are a trainer card fan boys dream and a cheap way to get some exclusive swag for your themed deck. Here’s what I’m expecting on Black Friday:

Booster Packs and Boxes

Here’s where the Pokémagic happens! A Black Friday Pokémon TCG deal isn’t much without booster packs. Single sleeved boosters are fine, but what about 36 packs for a bargain? There’s no better time to invest in your collection, so here’s what I have on the cards for Black Friday:

GOG are doubling down on game preservation, and making it easier to see which games run well on modern PCs

Over the years, game retailers GOG have drifted from almost purely offering classic oldies to welcoming more and more modern blockbusters onto their storefront. In one sense, they’ve turned from a game preservation champion into a slightly dustier, DRM-less Steam. Now, though, GOG have declared a renewed focus on not just selling aged games, but on tweaking more of them to work on non-aged hardware. And you’ll be able to tell which games have got this restoration treatment from a fancy badge plastered on top of them.

Amazon Prime Members Can Save 10% on PlayStation and Xbox Gift Cards Before Black Friday

Amazon Prime members can now take advantage of a 10% discount on gaming gift cards, including those for PlayStation and Xbox. The offer comes as retailers gear up for the Black Friday sales season, providing an opportunity for digital gamers to prepare for upcoming deals.

The promotion includes significant savings, such as $25 off a $250 PlayStation gift card and $10 off a $100 card. These discounts are particularly valuable for those planning to purchase digital games, downloadable content, or subscriptions during the holiday sales period.

Think about it this way: There’s a 100% certainty of digital games sales over the Black Friday period, and these gift card discounts mean you can save even more. Or you could actually gift them, if you want? There are also discounts on Fortnite V-Bucks, Xbox Game Pass Core, and Roblox Digital Gift Cards if you’re so inclined.

With Nintendo already revealing its Black Friday plans, similar announcements from PlayStation and Xbox are expected in the coming days. For now, these gift card offers provide a timely chance to save ahead of the main sales event. Not a Prime member? Consider taking out a 30-day free trial and cover yourself for the whole Black Friday sales season.

What About PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass?

Black Friday often delivers discounts on gaming memberships like Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, so the first tip is to be patient. Additionally, these digital gift cards can be used to purchase subscriptions, making them a handy option if digital deals on memberships are announced soon. Otherwise, there’s a pretty great deal on Xbox Game Pass UItimate at Woot right now if you’re keen to grab a deal today.

When Is Black Friday 2024?

The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29 this year, but the deals have already kicked off. Leading up to the big event, retailers have begun to open deals online. Each day leading up to the event will slowly roll out more deals, which ultimately leads to massive discounts on Black Friday. Retailers will not reveal their biggest Black Friday deals until the big day, but most general deals will be available well in advance, such as this excellent discount on gift cards.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Planet Coaster 2 review: a good water park is hard to build

Theme park management sim Planet Coaster was all about making roller coasters that would push your park guests to the edge of puking up their overpriced burgers while making sure the excitement levels of your twisting rides remained high. Planet Coaster 2 wants to do that again, but this time adds water parks into the mix, with slides to design, pools to plop down, and raft rides that you can click together to form ambitiously speedy spirals. You can feel some creative pride when you look down on the watery wonderland you’ve made with these tools. But you may also wonder if it was worth the effort. As a newcomer to Planet management games, I’ve found this slippy sequel fiddly, cumbersome, and poorly explained.

Arcs Board Game Review

Space conquest games are ten a penny, including some of the best war board games around, like Twilight Imperium and Eclipse. But for all their glory, they tend to follow a formula known as 4X: explore, expand, exploit and exterminate. That means capturing resources, climbing up a tech tree and fighting your neighbors, with all the potential for turtling and table talk that that involves. Arcs, by innovative designer Cole Wehrle, looks very much like its genre peers, but it promises to be something different: a sci-fi subjugation game that puts strategy front and center, while weaving the inbuilt instability of growing empires into the mix.

What’s in the Box

For a genre that traditionally comes with a ton of plastic and cardboard, Arcs arrives in a disarmingly small box that’s packed to the brim with goodies. It features wooden pieces rather than plastic, but its single spaceship design cutouts and agent pieces still look great on your table. Your other units, cities and spaceports, are represented by cardboard triangles. It’s all functional, and thematically austere, and you won’t miss the plastic at all.

One reason why such relatively plain components look so good is the instantly-recognizable art style of Kyle Ferrin which adorns the pieces, cards and board. It initially appears sketchy and amateurish until you see how much detail, character and consistency goes into his portrayals. Better known for his fantasy work on other titles from Leder Games such as Root and Oath, his transition to sci-fi is seamless and elevates the game’s appearance to the next level. The card art in particular, split across several decks, is a delight.

Genre veterans may be slightly surprised by the board, which is compact and features various administrative tracks alongside a circular map outlined in more Ferrin art. But like everything else in the box, it does exactly what it needs to do while looking surprisingly stylish, with neon tones standing out against a classic black space background. Some resource tokens, player mats and a hefty selection of custom combat dice round out the contents.

Rules and How it Plays

You might be surprised to find that a mutated derivative of classic playing card trick-taking, where one player leads a card suit and others have to follow, is at the heart of a 4x game. But that’s what we’ve got here, representing the player’s inability to perfectly control their forces. It’s a typical left-field move from Wehrle, whose creativity can make his games feel hard to grasp. Arcs is no exception, but the good news is that it’s both simpler and more familiar than most of his oeuvre, and you should have everything down quite comfortably by the end of your first session.

Leading is a significant advantage because it allows you to control the tempo of the entire turn. The suit of the card you play determines what actions you can take, such as building, moving or attacking other players, and the number of pips tells you how many of those actions you’re allowed. If you’re going first, you can also declare the ambition printed on the card, which is essentially deciding which facet of the game is going to be worth points on this round, such as having most of a particular resource, or destroying the most enemy pieces in battle, although doing so sets the numeric value of the card to zero.

Players following the leader have difficult decisions to make. If they can match the suit and play a higher value card – easy if the leader went with the ambition – then they can also take the named actions up the number of pips, plus they get to lead next round. Otherwise, their card only gets them a single action, either of the lead type or the type they played, with an option to discard another card to gain that precious lead slot.

Immediately, this snares everyone is a series of strategic traps. Leading is powerful, but if you declare an ambition, you’ll likely lose the initiative, yet if you don’t someone else may later pick a scoring opportunity that’s unfavorable to you. If you’re following, and you can’t beat the lead card, you need to consider whether the high, high price of discarding a card, leaving you out of later rounds completely, is worth it to grab the initiative. And that’s before we even get to what you’re actually going to do with your cards and actions.

Initially, this can feel suffocating, robbing you of choice and demanding pounds of flesh to get the initiative. But with experience you’ll learn there’s nuance here, a surprising amount of strategy around card-counting and timing. And much of the rest of Arcs is dedicated to ensuring you’ve got options, even in the most barren hands of cards imaginable, although there is, as always, a cost for exercising that flexibility.

One method is to sacrifice resources to gain actions. Giving up a fuel allows you to move, for example, or a material to build or repair. Doing so, however, puts you at a disadvantage for ambitions based on that resource, and you’ll need some of that resource in the first place. You gain resources via the tax action on cities, and the planet they’re on determines which resource you get. You start with two cities, so to gain access to new resource types you need to move a fleet there, either battle to take control or build to found a new city, then tax to get your token. It’s no small undertaking, with a whole series of strategic trade-offs to get there.

The other ameliorating factor are guild cards. There are always a selection of four available, and they provide various new powers and resources. Mining Interest will get you a material resource, for example, while Lattice Spies can be discarded to seize the initiative. Getting a card requires two actions: influence, which lets you place agent pieces on an unclaimed card, and secure, which allows you to take a card on which you have a majority of agents. As always, there’s a sting: if another player claims a card on which you have agents, they capture them. This not only deprives you of their use, but the tally of captured agents is another point-scoring opportunity.

Hopefully you can begin to sell the wheels within wheels within wheels of planning a turn in Arcs. Everything is deviously and brilliantly reliant on everything else. Nothing can be achieved without risk or sacrifice. The game hands you all the tools you need to manage this fraught state of affairs but tells you nothing about how to use them: some of the aspects don’t even look like tools at first, just infuriating bits of chaos or mechanical straitjackets that exist only to annoy until you encounter the circumstance in which you can leverage them, and comprehension dawns like an alien sun rising over an extraterrestrial world. But even as you gain experience, trying to make everything join up, to push all the buttons to your advantage, is a fascinating, difficult, multi-faceted challenge that doesn’t get old.

And I haven’t even got to the fact that all the other players will be trying their best to sabotage your plans. Nothing stops players negotiating or making deals so, atop that solid mechanical core, this is a red-blooded game of dynamic aggression, where both dynamic and aggression are the operative words. The movement system and circular board makes it very hard to defend yourself, or to turtle in corners. You might get one speedbump to slow an enemy fleet en route to your major systems, but that’s it. This ensures every turn when battle actions are available ramp up the tension, as everyone tries to be first to take the fight to the enemy.

When fights do erupt, they’re governed by a fascinating, novel dice mechanic. For each ship they have, the attack can choose a type of dice to roll. Skirmish dice have a 50-50 chance of inflicting minor damage. Assault dice are far more punishing, but they carry a risk of damaging your own ships. Raid dice are the most dangerous for the attacker, but they allow you to steal resources from your opponent. The risk versus reward ratio is very much on you, but pieces can take two hits each and the attacker gets to allocate all damage. So Arcs rewards aggression, since the attacking player can eliminate enemy pieces while distributing damage among their own.

Where to Buy

Get it at Leder Games

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake review: a world in the palm of your hand

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake‘s premise is bluntly, delightfully simple. The Archfiend Baramos, as evil as he is mysterious, is up and about. He’s got ill designs on the world. Your Dad tried to stop him, and he died. He fell into a volcano. We absolutely can’t be having that.

This is, more than anything else, a game about Going On An Adventure. Well walked ground, of course, but it’s rare to see it embarked upon with such barefaced delight, or such a wholehearted commitment to going the distance. It is a very big and a very simple RPG that is as wide as an ocean and as deep as a pond; a game to curl up with and play lazily and—with some sour caveats—enjoyably, for an entire winter.

Review: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Switch) – Square Doesn’t Drop The Ball, Just Some Frames

The wait is finally over.

A few years ago, Square Enix announced it would be doing a remake of Dragon Quest III in its popular HD-2D engine, but this was then followed by a lengthy period of radio silence where its development status seemed uncertain. While they were at it, the developers decided to go ahead and remake the first and second Dragon Quests, too. Now that Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is finally here, we’re happy to report that the wait has been well worth it. Though it isn’t without drawbacks, this is easily the most feature-rich and enjoyable version of Dragon Quest III available.

Released in Japan in 1988, Dragon Quest III hails from a much simpler era, so the narrative is considerably less detailed than one you may find in a title from subsequent decades. You begin as a nameless warrior, the child of a once-legendary hero, now called upon to take up your father’s mantle and save the world from the threat of an evil dark lord. There’s not much character development to speak of, nor narrative depth—your character is essentially a blank slate and your party members are basically animated cardboard cutouts with some stats and gear attached. Though there are ultimately some clever tie-ins to other releases in the series and some new cutscenes to flesh out your father’s role, the plot amounts to little more than ‘there’s a bad dude out there; go get him!’

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

What You Need to Know About Final Fantasy XIV Online Patch 7.1: Crossroads – Out Now!

Category: Games

November 13, 2024

What You Need to Know About Final Fantasy XIV Online Patch 7.1: Crossroads – Out Now!

Mark BuckleyPR Manager, Square Enix

Summary

The first major patch since the release of Dawntrail.
New story, battles, events and more.
The first part of highly anticipated Final Fantasy XI crossover raid.

It’s been a few months since we welcomed the Xbox family into the world of Eorzea in the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV Online, and we’ve since seen the fifth expansion, Dawntrail launch to players around the world.

But Eorzea is always growing. This week, we launched the first major patch for Dawntrail, titled Crossroads, which brings with it an awesome number of additions and changes, including the first installment of the hotly anticipated crossover raid with Final Fantasy XI (the original Final Fantasy MMORPG).

Let’s take a look at some of the things included in Patch 7.1 and why this is a great time to head into the world of Eorzea as the Warrior of Light!

Main Scenario Quests

If you’ve yet to dive into the land of Tural and experienced Dawntrail, firstly – what are you waiting for? The story of Dawntrail takes twists and turns in fantastic locales and offers the start of a brand-new story arc for FFXIV.

For those of you who have been waiting to discover what is next following the dramatic story of Dawntrail, Patch 7.1 continues this journey. The Warrior of Light and their companions seek to help the people of two worlds move forward, and find that some secrets of the past must be unearthed…

But what if you’re a newer player, keen to experience the game for the first time? Well have no fear, all previous expansion stories are available to you and set the scene for the epic Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga spanning the first 10 years of FFXIV. When you join us in Tural, you’ll be perfectly primed and ready for the next epic saga, which is only just starting to unfold!

Final Fantasy XI Crossover Alliance Raid – Echoes of Vana’diel

After being revealed at the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2023, the worlds of Hydaelyn and Vana’diel collide in the first installment of the crossover alliance raid series with Final Fantasy XI, the first MMORPG from Square Enix.

Even if you’ve never played FFXI before, the raid offers incredible scenery, boss battles and an incredible story to match! Echoes of Vana’diel is the latest Alliance Raid to join FFXIV and will continue to be updated throughout the Dawntrail patch cycle with new story, battles and scenery to explore!

“What is an Alliance Raid?”, I hear you ask. These epic 24-player adventures are multi-part, multi-boss encounters where 3 parties of players band together to take on a variety of foes in different settings, each series having its own story to follow as you face the challenges ahead.

Much, Much More

The world of FFXIV is never short of things to see, stories to tell and places to explore, and Patch 7.1 is no exception, are you a Housing afficionado? How about a dedicated PvP’er or even an intrepid inspector? Well, we have you covered:

Housing – Patch 7.1 includes changes to player housing, including the ability to further customize the interior décor with new designs and the ability to choose city state interiors regardless of location
Player versus Player – A rework of multiple Crystalline Conflict maps, PvP action changes, and more
New Hildibrand Quests – The Hildibrand quests are a long-running side-story in FFXIV, featuring the inimitable Inspector Hildibrand and his entourage. The upcoming Patch 7.15, set for release on Tuesday, December 17 arrives with the latest adventures of our favorite inspector, in a new story sure to intrigue and inspire in equal measure!

The release of Patch 7.1, Crossroads, this week is only the start of the Dawntrail journey, with numerous smaller updates scheduled across the end of 2024 and into the new year, each bringing changes and updates that ensures there’s always something to look forward to in FFXIV. For more information and the latest news, please visit the Dawntrail website.

This has been just a small handful of the new things that have arrived with Patch 7.1 this week and we hope you’ll join us as we take the next steps in the journey of the Warrior of Light and Final Fantasy XIV!

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Complete Edition

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★★★★★

$59.99

Get it now

For newcomers to FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, this edition includes the base game (A Realm Reborn) and all expansions through Dawntrail, plus a 30-day free play period*

Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn
Create your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.

Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward
Take your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.

Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood
Journey to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.

Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers
Travel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.

Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker
A great calamity has been building – a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.

Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail
Blue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.

IMPORTANT:
• *The 30-day free play period included with purchase can only be applied once to each platform on a single service account.
•All editions of the game require user registration. All editions of the game other than the Free Trial require an active paid subscription to play.
•Age restrictions and other terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the User Agreement (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_agreement) and Square Enix Account Terms of Use (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_terms) for the terms and conditions of registration and service. Please visit the FINAL FANTASY XIV website at https://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/ for additional information.
• An active Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan is required to play this product.

FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Free Trial

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Play FINAL FANTASY XIV Online for FREE!

The FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Free Trial includes three award-winning titles – FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn the base game, and the first and second expansions: FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward and FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood.

Join over 30 million adventurers worldwide and take part in an epic and ever-changing FINAL FANTASY. Experience all the hallmarks of the best-selling franchise – an unforgettable story, exhilarating battles, and a myriad of diverse and captivating environments to explore.

Party up with friends or play solo! Experience all the main story dungeons on your own by calling upon NPC allies to fight by your side.

Your journey takes you ever higher in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward:
• Take your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.
• Three additional jobs: channel celestial magicks to heal your allies as the mystical Astrologian. Attack from afar using firearms and mechanical weaponry as the daring Machinist. Wield a mighty greatsword and the power of darkness as the valiant Dark Knight.

Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood:
• Journey to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.
• Two additional jobs: master the balance of martial and arcane arts as the rapier-wielding Red Mage. Draw your katana and let steel sing as the noble Samurai.

IMPORTANT:
• Requires game purchase and on-going subscription to continue playing after the Free Trial.
• All editions of the game require user registration.
• Age restrictions and other terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the User Agreement (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_agreement) and Square Enix Account Terms of Use (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_terms) for the terms and conditions of registration and service. Please visit the FINAL FANTASY XIV website at https://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/ for additional information.

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Despite Buying Activision Blizzard for $69 Billion Just Last Year, Microsoft Is Still Looking at Even More Video Game Acquisitions

Microsoft is still in the market for acquisitions despite having splashed out $69 billion for Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard just last year.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer said he’s up for buying more companies, although cautioned that nothing’s “imminent” and big deals are off the table for now.

So, if Microsoft does open its wallet once again, what might it spend its billions on? Deals that add “geographic diversity,” including in Asia, might be worthwhile, Spencer said.

Apparently Microsoft’s eyeing up buying another mobile company (Microsoft picked up Candy Crush maker King as part of the Activision Blizzard acquisition).

“We definitely want to be in the market, and when we can find teams and technology and capability that add to what we’re trying to do in gaming at Microsoft, absolutely we will keep our heads up,” Spencer said.

Microsoft is still busy absorbing Activision Blizzard employees, Spencer added, which is why very large deals are probably impossible right now. But that leaves the door open for major acquisitions in the future.

Spencer and co. will probably find future acquisitions easier to get over the line after Donald Trump becomes U.S. president in January. Microsoft faced a tough battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the Activision Blizzard deal — a battle it ultimately won. Wall Street is said to be foaming at the mouth with all the possible mergers and acquisitions that may now go through with Trump as president.

The focus, it seems, is fleshing out its mobile offering ahead of launching an app store of its own. But Microsoft’s App Store and Google Play rival has suffered a number of delays, with staff still trying to figure out a plan. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft still doesn’t have an effective way to get its own store on mobile phones, delaying the launch further.

Microsoft’s gaming aquisition ambitions continue despite cutting an eye-watering 2,550 staff just this year alone, with Xbox mobile game development teams recently hit hard.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.