‘Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’ shown in 13-minute trailer, game to be launched on August 27

Japanese game developer Square Enix will soon add another installment to its popular Final Fantasy franchise; it’ll be the second MMORPG of the series after Final Fantasy XI. The upcoming Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (let’s call it FFXIV) is set to be launched on August 27 for the Playstation 3 and PC, and in 2014 for the Playstation 4. It’s now available for pre-order from the official website.

Square Enix has released a 13-minute game trailer, which is the longest trailer released for FFXIV so far.

The trailer starts with a few recognizable scenes from a previous trailer before showing us more about the game such as character creation, character classes, in-game places and dungeons, and cut scenes. The trailer is in Japanese, but you can tell what’s going on in every scene. Also check out the the official FFXIV website.

Try out the FFXIV benchmark tool

For those of you who do not have access to a PS3, you can still play FFXIV via PC. Final Fantasy is a game that is well known for astounding and detailed graphics and animation, so the question for PC gamers is can my PC handle this game?. Thankfully, aside from giving us the minimum and recommended system requirements, we also have the official FFXIV benchmark tool. This helps players to determine how well the game performs in your current machine or if you really have the need to upgrade. But take note, although the benchmark uses actual FFXIV maps and characters, it does not let you play or test the game.

The benchmark software allows you to experience character creation and eventually see your character as part of a cinematic. You will be able to adjust settings according to your preference before the test begins. At the end of the test, you will be given a detailed summary of how well your machine can handle the game. You can tweak the settings and run the test multiple times until you are satisfied. This way, you can make sure to adjust the game settings accordingly when you get the game or figure out what kind of upgrade you should get for your computer if you’re willing to go that far.

Aside from allowing you to test your machine’s capacity, the benchmark software also gives you a glimpse of the game itself. Final Fantasy fans and players should prepare to feel a bit of nostalgia and excitement upon seeing familiar characters like the Cactuar, Marlboro, Moogles, and Chocobos.

The benchmark software requires an operating system that’s Windows Vista or later, DirectX 9.0c or higher, and a minimum resolution of 1024×768.

(Editing by Steven Millward)