So it’s been a while since we’ve had a look at the character creation system in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Back then, the unfinished creator had many of the options that were in the original version, but many were still under lock and key or had yet to be changed.

Project Manager Fernehalwes provides us with an update, revealing some brand new hairstyles and tats. The character creator itself has gone through something of an upgrade, with sliders for height (and likely other… parameters) and larger color palettes to further customize your journeying partner. You can now pose them with backgrounds from Ul’dah and Limsa Lominsa regions, giving you a better idea how your character will look in different types of lighting.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is currently in transition from Phase 2 to Phase 3, set to begin in June. The game will be in attendance at E3, and playable to boot. The next Letter from the Producer Live has also been scheduled for May 30, 2013, from 6:00AM Pacific US Standard Time. We will be bringing that stream to you here on Final Fantasy Network along with all the juicy highlights that accompany it!

To start off your adventure into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn means a start in one of three cities spread across the Eorzean frontier. Should you start in Gridania, the wood-shrouded city in the east? Or what about Limsa Lominsa, full of salty-tongued piratefolk? Then there’s Ul’dah, the bustling sultanate in the arid south. Thanks to new screenshots of these regions released today, we’ve prepared something of an image-heavy primer to help you decide.

Each of the city-states is home to a Grand Company, one of three you’ll encounter in A Realm Reborn. Should you join up with their ranks, you can expect to collect exclusive weapons, gear, and even chocobo barding. With that in mind, it’s important to plan out which company you’ll be raising your sword and cup for.

Since there’s quite a bit of new media, you can view it all by expanding the article.
Which city-state appeals to you the most? Leave us your thoughts in a comment below!

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While the testing for Phase 2 in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn‘s beta has concluded, the team is busily preparing for the next phase that will open up much more of the game for testers. Square Enix posted a handful of new in-development high-resolution screenshots this morning which feature some of the newly-revamped locales.

In the images below you can see that the UI has gone through a few aesthetic tweaks, and that the player is controlling a Thaumaturge class Lalafell. There are several different places in Thanalan (a mostly arid region of Eorzea) shown, such as: an overlook in what I presume is western Thanalan near the sea, Uldah in the distant nightscape, and in the city of Ul’dah itself. It should be noted that the map has transparency, which may be adjustable going forward.

The next phase of closed-beta testing (Phase 3)will begin in June for both PC and PlayStation 3. You can apply by following this link. Following that will be the open beta (Phase 4) followed by the official release. If you’re wondering what time-frame the team is shooting for, they assure us it will release in the “hot summer” — as if to rule out later in September.

What areas are you most excited to revisit and re-explore in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn? Those of you who are completely or generally new to the game, what strikes you the most about the areas featured in media thus-far? Do you find the new Eorzea to be more appealing to play in? Leave us your thoughts in a comment below!

Update: Four new screenshots have been posted featuring the Limsa Lominsa/La Noscea region.
Update #2: Three new screenshots from Ul’dah/Limsa Lominsa.
Update #3: Four new screenshots from Limsa Lominsa at night time.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is at this weekend’s Nico Nico Chokaigi to present the game in a special cross-promotion with Windows 8. The team was on hand to talk about the game, including director/producer Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida. Yoshi-P’s stage performance included fusing with a Miqo’te to become “Yoshi’te”, the result of which you can see in the images below. There was also Final Fantasy XIV-themed cosplay, complete with the new default outfit designs by Kazuya Takahashi.

A Realm Reborn’s beta testing is currently in Phase 2 of 4. In Phase 3, which is safe to put in May, the PlayStation 3 beta will commence; Square Enix is working with Sony to prepare for this. In Phase 4, the team will shift to an open beta and begin testing PvP (Player-versus-Player) content. With regard to the upcoming release, Yoshi-P confirmed that the game will release this summer and simultaneously on PC and PS3.

The Final Fantasy XIV team also lifted the veil off two new Japanese voice actors that will be voicing key characters in the game. Yuuichi Nakamura (Cid Raines — Final Fantasy XIII, Trey — Final Fantasy Type-0) will voice Thancred and Shinnosuke Tachibana (Kristoph — Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, Capel — Infinite Undiscovery) will voice a new character named Alfino. In our earlier report, voice-work for a new trailer was underway — that trailer is now scheduled to be released in the third week of May.

The development of a smartphone app as a companion to the game is also planned, and players will be able to check the online status of their friends and Free Company cohorts as well as check a database of in-game information including what items drop in a certain dungeon. A new soundtrack is also in the works, featuring music from Masayoshi Soken and Nobuo Uematsu.

The second day of the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn presentation will contain a panel with Yoshi-P and 2ch founder Hiroyuki Nishimura, and we’ll bring you any notable developments!

Update: The second day of presentations at Nico Nico Chokaigi has concluded: here are the highlights.
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You won’t get far in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn without crossing blades with the Beastmen Tribes. These tribes of monsters (though I’m sure they’d object to that classification) inhabit various regions of Eorzea. Through their wanton use of aether, the lifeblood of the planet, they summon their Primal gods — but not without drawing attention from the Empire.

Of course, mentioning the Beastmen needs mentioning of the Primals, who appear as classic Final Fantasy summons. In Version 1.0, Ifrit, Garuda, and Good King Moggle Mog are each challenged with a party. In A Realm Reborn, more Primals will appear. Through an official website update, Square Enix brings us more information and images of the Primals and Beastman Tribes. Expand the article to read on.

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Square Enix has provided another round of screenshots from the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta — currently underway. We’re in the second of four phases, with the next phase open to everyone who purchased the original game and then-some. It’s then that Square Enix will boot up the PlayStation 3 version of the beta, so for those of you patiently waiting to try the game out on a console, we’re not far off! The following screenshots are from the PC version of the game.

If you’re interested in signing up for the beta, you can do so by clicking here. If you want to scope out how well the game runs on your PC, you can download the first of two benchmarks by clicking here. Another benchmark equipped with a character creator will be released closer to the game’s ship date.

At this juncture, what are you most excited to play in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn? Will this be your first MMORPG or have you made the rounds with Final Fantasy XI or other franchises in the past. What do you think Final Fantasy XIV needs to get right to be a success in your eyes? Leave us your thoughts by posting a comment below!