With Final Fantasy XIII finally done and in stores, Square Enix fans are now scouring the internet for the next big project in the Final Fantasy series: The still-PS3-exclusive Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Character designer and director Tetsuya Nomura was interviewed on Twitter, an appropriate venue that forces brevity and a general lack of detail. According to Nomura (as translated by Andriasang), "not everything is connected together" in Versus, "so the various areas have different levels of progress." He did manage to reveal at least two facts about the upcoming game: "You can fly across the world map in an air ship."

Adding both world maps and controllable air ships should help appease Final Fantasy fans disappointed by their absence in XIII. While Versus represents a spin-off for the franchise, it sounds like it may be closer to a traditional FF experience than its counterpart. For hardcore Square Enix fans, that news alone should be enough to restart the long wait to the next Final Fantasy game.

"Now it's a fight," this new trailer for EA Sports MMA proudly proclaims. And it's true -- EA Sports has a huge fight ahead of it. Not only is EA Sports MMA a latecomer to the genre, it's missing the UFC license and some of the biggest fighters in the business. Still, the game looks to stay true to its promise of showcasing "authentic Strikeforce environments," and the animation does look particularly good (and very reminiscent of the Fight Night series).

Still, it's hard to know if EA Sports has what it takes to go up against THQ in the MMA arena. Will EA get its foot in the ring, or will it be KO'd before the fight even begins?

After almost six months, we're going to see sales for the PSP Go pick up in Japan starting tomorrow. How can we be so sure? Today, Sony announced that not only is the PSP hit Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (called Monster Hunter Freedom Unite here) being released as a download on March 18 -- a voucher for the title will also be given away with new PSP Gos. The downloadable game by itself will cost ¥1,600 ($17.69) from the PlayStation Store.

Even though over three million people already have this on UMD -- and even though Monster Hunter Portable 3 was just announced for PSP -- we still anticipate a lot of sales for this. People in Japan are just that thrilled about Monster Hunter.

[Via Andriasang]

Atlus has proven to be the distributor of some of the funniest press releases we regularly receive. The party responsible for a majority of that humor, PR manager Aram Jabbari, recently stopped by Playstation.Blog HQ to give a brief video demonstration of 3D Dot Game Heroes, which you'll find posted above.

The video shows a walkthrough of one of the game's Zelda-esque dungeons and, appropriately, includes a number of irreverent jabs at 8-bit classics. Though legal reasons prevent Jabbari from naming specific games the title lampoons, he was more than happy to show off his homemade Vampire protagonist's massive sword, remarking, "I'm sure Bella will find that impressive." Oh, Aram. Don't ever change.

Multiplayer first-person shooters are a dime a dozen lately, meaning Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West has a lot to prove for itself. The gameplay is definitely fun, but it's clear that its main selling point is the format. As a downloadable game (confirmed for PC, planned for XBLA and PSN), it's one of the most polished multiplayer shooter experiences available in the space.

Priced at $15, Paradox Interactive's shooter is competing against the likes of Battlefield 1943. Like DICE's shooter, the production values are impressive and highlight by colorful, animated visuals. The style is reminiscent of Team Fortress 2, with the characters donning an almost psuedo-cel shaded look. Combined with the Wild West theme, it can oftentimes look identical to Valve's shooter.

Of course, there are far worse places to look for inspiration. In many ways, the gameplay is also similar to Team Fortress 2. There are four classes for players to choose from, and each features distinct and valuable traits. The primary difference between the four classes is their range: some classes are equipped with shotguns, best for short range fighting, while the requisite sniper is obviously equipped to handle long distances. Beyond their weapons, each class is equipped with a special ability. One can throw dynamite, while another can "mark" an enemy. (Marked enemies take twice the normal rate of damage.)

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Though it seems like we just got back from Shanghai, it appears we're going to be booking another flight soon. Square Enix has announced that Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will kick off "48 hours of hell" for its duo of miscreant protagonists on August 24 in North America and August 27 in Europe.

If you'd like to spend the interim months preparing for the sequel, there's a new trailer from IGN available directly after the break. (Side note: How weird is it to see the Square Enix logo at the beginning? Totally weird, that's how weird.)

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Based on all the movies and old shows we've seen, we feel like we know exactly how it was in the old west: people sat around all day, drank whiskey from unmarked bottles, hit up the brothel when they had some spare cash and did their best not to get in Clint Eastwood's way. Pretty cut and dry, right?

Well, Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption paints a different picture of the west, one filled with picturesque landscapes and small towns, where clusters of folk tried to earn a living and make a life. A place in the grip of the Industrial Revolution, an uncertain time of transition from the old lawless ways of the west to the modern comforts and progress enjoyed by Americans in the east.

This recreation of life back then isn't just for show, however, as players will be able to go all Ted Nugent on it and hunt and skin animals, selling their hides to merchants for valuable goods or services. There's also the job of ranch protector, should you wish to guard the land from potential night-time rustlers. You can even herd cattle and fight a mountain lion or two, if the idea of mowing down countless NPCs puts a hitch in your giddy-up.

The PSP has become home to a growing number of PS3 ports, from Super Stardust to LittleBigPlanet, but rarely has a portable rendition of a PS3 game remained so faithful to the original as ModNation Racers on PSP. (Well, perhaps with the exception of PixelJunk Monsters.) ModNation Racers is launching simultaneously on PSP and PS3, and unlike many previous cross-platform titles, this racer loses almost nothing in its portable conversion.

The career mode is nearly identical on both platforms, even featuring the same CG animated cutscenes in both. The much-touted creation tools also make an appearance on the PSP, allowing you to create and share levels rather easily. And most importantly, unlike LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers retains multiplayer options, offering both Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure connections.

Even the control schemes between the two platforms feel nearly identical. The PSP version also uses the R-button for acceleration, just like its big console counterpart. It makes sense, but for some reason, I expected the handheld to use the X-button for gas, and Mario Kart players may need some time to adjust; especially considering ModNation's very different drift mechanic.

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Want to understand what Nier's all about, you know, besides yelling at books? Square Enix is giving us all a chance to study the backstory of Cavia's action RPG, with a Nier comic series produced by DC's Wildstorm Studios. The three-part series will tell three separate, but overlapping, stories in the Nier universe before the game's April 27 release date.

In addition to introducing the main characters -- including Nier himself, his "disease-stricken" daughter, Yonah, a "conflicted" companion in Kaine, and the talking book "with an attitude," Grimoire Weiss -- the comics will reveal what caused the "Black Scrawl" disease and the cataclysmic event that led to the condition of the world (as it is in the game).

The Nier comics will be available on the Nier website, and through the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store. See the cover of the first issue after the break.

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