March 2020

Here you can find news items that were posted on Hell and Heaven Net in the past.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Yoshinori Kitase (Producer) and Tetsuya Nomura (Director) of the Final Fantasy VII Remake development team has released an imported message regarding the release of the game and the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak:

The Final Fantasy VII Remake team have worked extremely hard to make this game and we are incredibly proud of what you are about to play. Our biggest motivator during the development was that so many of you were willing us on, and we felt your enthusiasm and passion every step of the way.

We had some hard decisions to make during the final few weeks before launch due to disruption to distribution channels caused by the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These unique circumstances have made it very difficult to align timing of our global shipping. Our highest priority is that all of you, including those who live in countries currently facing the biggest disruption, can play the game at launch, so we made the decision to ship the game far earlier than usual to Europe and Australia.

As a result, there is a greater chance that some of you in these regions will now get a copy of the game prior to the worldwide release date of April 10. For other western regions, including the Americas, copies will be shipped this week and we feel optimistic that most of you will receive the game for launch day. However, due to the challenging situation we cannot provide delivery dates for each country and each retailer.

We really want all of you looking forward to Final Fantasy VII Remake to play the game on April 10 and experience everything we have been working on, together.

To everyone we would like to ask one big favour.

If you get the game early, please think of others and don’t spoil it for them. We know there are potential spoilers that have been out there for over two decades as the original Final Fantasy VII was released in 1997. But Final Fantasy VII Remake is a new game that still has many surprises for everyone. All our fans and players deserve to experience the game for themselves, and we ask for the support of our dedicated community around the world to ensure that.

On behalf of the entire development team, and everyone around the world that has worked on getting Final Fantasy VII Remake to you all, thanks again for your support, and most importantly, please stay safe.

So, please if you got the game early, don't spoil anything. And stay safe and follow the restrictions of your country.

Square Enix

Square Enix has announced that NieR Replicant will be getting a new version called NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... that will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam.

NieR Replicant was originally released on 22 April 2010 in Japan for PlayStation 3 together with NieR Gestalt. In the West NieR Gestalt was released as Nier. Both games have a different storyline but takes place in the same world. NieR Replicant never got a release in the West untill now.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... invites players into a dark, apocalyptic world as they join a brother’s captivating quest to cure his sister of a deadly disease - a quest which will in turn make them question everything. The game will be developed in collaboration with Toylogic and brings back together an all-star team including acclaimed director Yoko Taro (Drakengard / NieR:Automata), composer Keiichi Okabe (Tekken / Drakengard / NieR:Automata), and producer Yosuke Saito (Dragon Quest X / NieR:Automata).

The game has no release date, but Square Enix hopes to release it during the 10th anniversary of the series.

During the 10th anniversary broadcast show a new NieR game was also announced for Android and iOS called NieR Re[in]carnation which is developed by Applibot. It will be produced by Yosuke Saito, directed by Yoko Taro, character design by Akihiko Yoshida and concept art by Kazuma Koda. It is unknown if this mobile game will be released in the West.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Yesterday Square Enix has released a statement update regarding the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake and the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

As we prepare for the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake on April 10, we wanted to keep you updated on how the proactive measures being taken to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus are likely to affect the distribution and retail landscape in western regions at launch.

As you will be aware, many countries are limiting entry or closing their national and state borders and restricting the distribution and delivery of non-essential items. Understandably these restrictions are being implemented so that essential items can reach their destination as fast as possible.

This does not mean that box copies of Final Fantasy VII Remake will not be dispatched, it just means that we cannot control the date the game may arrive.

In many countries and states, retail stores are closing to help with social distancing measures. If you placed a pre-order with one of these retailers, we advise you to check their websites for the latest information about the status of pre-orders, as well as pick-up and/or delivery information. Please ensure your mailing address and contact details are up to date, as some retailers have begun contacting customers with delivery updates.

Finally, we are currently making arrangements to ensure that pre-orders from the Square Enix reach you by April 10.

We are working hard to ensure as many of you as possible can play the game on April 10 and will update further when we have more information.

Thank you for your continued support and most importantly, stay safe.

Stay safe and follow the restrictions of your country.

Grandia

GungHo Online Entertainment America has released patch 1.01.00 for Grandia HD Remaster and Grandia II Remaster for Steam and Nintendo Switch. The games are now available in Japan.

Grandia HD Collection patch 1.01.00 now available

Here are the release notes:

Grandia HD Remaster

New Features

Full Japanese support has been added.

Bug Fixes

  • Fix to screen flash before entering battle.
  • Fixes to BGM and SFX on Pirate Island.
  • Fix to language setting application when GRANDIA is launched.
  • Fix to the train smoke appearing pixelated in the Parm Train Station.
  • Fix to Justin’s portrait being displayed instead of Liete on the menu screen.
  • Fix to text box graphic displaying items and moves in battle.
  • Fix to missing subtitles in Leen’s dialogue while in the J Base.
  • Fixes to translations in Japanese, French, and German.
  • Fix to Justin’s pixelated sprite in Underground Ruins.
  • Fix to purple bubble that appears when using Baobab Fruit, Ultra Potion, Golden Potion,
  • Paralyze Mushroom, or Yellow Medicine in battle.
  • Fix to NPC on screen after leaving the scene in Gumbo Village.
  • Fix to visual effect for Resurrect Potion.
  • Fixes to item and enemy sprites in Typhoon Tower and Mt. Typhoon.
  • Fixes to Mio's sprite appearing pixelated in the Garlyle Base.
  • Fix to language setting application when GRANDIA is launched.
  • Other bugs fixes have been made.

Grandia II HD Remaster

New Features

Full Japanese support has been added.

Bug Fixes

  • Fix tp an issue where the initiative bar disappeared after Poizn was cast.
  • Fix to an issue where the ground appeared to be missing in the Black Forest, Garmia Tower, Mirumu Village, Baked Plains, and in the Heart of Valmar.
  • Fix to an issue where players could not proceed when a scene between Millenia and Valmar caused a freeze.
  • Fix to spell text that had been cut off in the menu for localized texts.
  • Fix to scene not covering the entire screen in Ryudo's flashback in Cyrum Castle.
  • Fix to background not covering entire screen in scene for Ryudo’s flashback story.
  • Fix to the issue that caused the game to freeze when Valmar’s Claw in the Underground
    Plant.
  • Fix to frame rate issues in Raul Hills.
  • Fix to text showing up in English for localized text for the Walnut minigame.
  • Fix to text showing up in English for localized text when fleeing battle.
  • Fix to the scene of the 50/50 not covering the entire screen when traveling to Garland.
  • Fix where the transition from dialogue to the arm wrestling mini-game in Cyrum did not cover the entire screen.
  • Fix where an extra character was added during the battle rewards scene.
  • Fix to issue where item and special move names were not displaying properly in localized translations.
  • Fix to the world maps not completely covering the screen.
  • Fix where the character portraits were replacing the textures of objects and scenery.
  • Fix where the Initiative Bar disappeared after Elena used the special move White
    Apocalypse.
  • Fix to glitches in Tio’s character model throughout the game.
  • Fix to camera cutting into Ryudo’s model in Durham caves.
  • Fix where audio was not in sync with dialogue in the opening scene between Skye and
    Ryudo.
  • Fix to frame rate issues in St. Heim Papal State, the Witt Forest Path, and Liligue City.
  • Fix to white square appearing on the ground when the special move “Burn!” is cast.
  • Fix to trees blocking the characters' scenes in Garmia Tower and Mirumu Village.
  • Other bugs fixes have been made.

Update 25-03-2020: GungHo Online Entertainment America has released patch 1.01.01 for Grandia HD Remaster which fixes a lock-up where using Japanese language with English audio which caused the game to freeze after using magic/move.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

 Square Enix has released a statement regarding the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake and the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released on 10 April 2020 on PlayStation 4. However it is possible that physical copies of the game are not available on the release date in your country.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

With only a few weeks away of the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake Square Enix has revealed a new video series called Inside Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Bringing together interviews with the game’s creators, artists and developers, the series gives an exclusive look at some of the secrets behind the development of Final Fantasy VII Remake - from the game’s story, characters, combat and action to its stunning music and spectacular visual design. The first video features insight from renowned developers including:

  • Yoshinori Kitase (Producer)
  • Tetsuya Nomura (Director & Concept Design)
  • Kazushige Nojima (Story & Scenario)
  • Naoki Hamaguchi (Co-Director – Game Design / Programming)
  • Motomu Toriyama (Co-Director – Scenario Design)

Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released on 10 April 2020.

Square Enix

Recently the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has made the decision to cancel this year's E3 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors, and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.

Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the COVID-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters. But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today.

Our team will be reaching out directly to exhibitors and attendees with information about providing full refunds.

We are also exploring options with our members to coordinate an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020. Updates will be shared on E3Expo.com.

We thank everyone who shared their views on reimagining E3 this year. We look forward to bringing you E3 2021 as a reimagined event that brings fans, media, and the industry together in a showcase that celebrates the global video game industry.

Several companies have responded to E3 2020's cancellation and one of them is Square Enix:

Square Enix E3 2020 update

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Today, one day before the original release date, Square Enix has released the demo of Final Fantasy VII Remake worldwide for PlayStation 4 owners.

In this demo you can play the first chapter of Final Fantasy VII Remake, the bombing of Mako Reactor 1. The progress in demo can not be carried over to the full game.

You can download the demo from the PlayStation Store. Players who download the demo before 11 May 2020 will receive an exclusive PlayStation 4 theme when the full game launches.

Final Fantasy VII Remake will be available on 10 April 2020 for PlayStation 4.