Final Fantasy XIV getting graphical overhaul with next expansion

More major Final Fantasy XIV updates

The Endwalker expansion was just the beginning, there are loads of big changes coming to Final Fantasy XIV including a graphical overhaul.

The upcoming Patch 6.1 will expand the game's Trust System, which allows players to use NPCs to tackle certain dungeons so you don't need to cooperate with other players to enjoy the story.

• Play all original main scenario dungeons solo by Patch 6.2
• Heavensward and Stormblood will be playable solo in the future
• Free Trial and new user registration are back in service today
• All Heavensward content is included in the free trial

MMO makeover: Many low-level main scenario dungeons and trials will be tweaked to support solo play, and these changes are expected in April. The graphics update will be part of the next expansion.

The road ahead: The graphical overhaul includes higher-resolution textures as well as improved materials, lighting, and shadows. You can see more details in the fresh roadmap.

What Mortal Kombat starts with the death of Liu Kang?

a) Deception
b) Deadly Alliance
c) Shaolin Monks
d) Armageddon

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Remote work and old-school JRPGs

Egglia recently launched on Switch, and we rather enjoyed our time with the adorable RPG. We've had a chat with Shinichi Kameoka, president of Egglia developer Brownies, about Egglia's journey to Switch and the challenges of remote work.

Rebirth of Egglia: The Switch version of Egglia introduces a lot of changes and improvements that expands the game's content and also exploits the extra power available on the console.

•  “We wanted to add characters and events that we couldn't include in the mobile version due to schedule constraints, so everything we wanted and we couldn’t include, we added in this release.” 
• This includes direct character control rather than touch controls, which makes the game feel a lot more like a classic JRPG.

Extra cozy motion: More animations were added too, bolstering Egglia's distinct aesthetics.

• “Though 3D technology keeps advancing at a dizzying rate, I personally find that it still doesn’t have the ability to emulate the soft, gentle feel of a completely hand-drawn art style like in the old-school days,” Kameoka said.
• “There are still many people who are looking to immerse themselves in the kind of warm, gentle world that Egglia provides.”

The Elephant in the Industry: Brownie had to figure out how to manage a team of remote developers to bring Egglia to Switch during the COVID-19 pandemic: “We thought that long-term remote work would be impossible, until we actually tried it."

• "It was difficult at first, of course, and development was slow. After a while, though, we began to see who among our staff was suited for remote work and who wasn’t.” Kameoka said

Are there any plans for a sequel? “We don’t have any plans to do something like that right now, but it would be great if we could create another story set in this world,” said Kameoka. Let's hope sales are strong and that Brownie is able to return to the world of Egglia in the future.

Capcom announces Street Fighter 6

Capcom has finally announced Street Fighter 6 with a short teaser trailer. There's no gameplay, although the character models and animations appear representative of the in-game graphics.

The art style seems a tad more realistic than the stylized Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter V, but it's still rather exaggerated with a double-wide Ryu and splashy visual effects mixing the series' signature inky flourishes with half-tone patterns for a very graphic style.

Big brawler: The teaser was accompanied by the announcement of the Capcom Fighting Collection, which features 10 classic titles including two Darkstalkers games that have never before been released in the west.

Out June: Expect “enhanced features, quality of life improvements, and Online Rollback Netcode” for all 10 games when the Capcom Fighting Collection launches on June 24th for PC and consoles.

Square Enix looking into more HD-2D

Square Enix might be updating more 16-bit classics with an HD-2D look, the hybrid 2D and 3D art style employed by games like Octopath Traveler.

According to Famitsu, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has greenlit more HD-2D projects from the Triangle Strategy developers.

Super sprites: Live A Live, which was recently announced for Switch during a Nintendo Direct, is part of the initiative. The game has never been released in the west before, and it is being treated to the full HD-2D treatment.

HD-2D revivals: What's the process for deciding which games get a new lease on life? “We lined up possible titles and thought about which could be done in HD-2D, and brought them to the president,” said producer Tomoya Asano.

Some PlayStation 5 and Switch bargains

Amazon UK is offering up some fresh savings with Far Cry 6 Limited Edition for PlayStation 5 at £26.99 (-51%) and Dying Light 2 Stay Human at £49.15 (-18%).

Get a good deal on Nintendo Switch Sports for £37.95 if you pre-order. Amazon US has a stylish Crash Bandicoot-themed PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Switch at $16.70 (-40%).

• Pokémon Air Adventures collaboration event in May introduces special PokéStops to Pokémon Go
• Soul Hackers 2 was announced for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC, and is scheduled to launch on August 26th
• Pokémon Day special news every day until February 27th available on an official special website
• Night Dive Studios CEO criticises Nintendo for its “gun shy” attitude towards third-party remastering projects
• Creatures Inc. reveals that a Detective Pikachu sequel is still in development through its recruitment website

What Mortal Kombat starts with the death of Liu Kang?

ANSWER: Deadly Alliance!

If you're gonna have a fresh start, better make it count – like Midway Games did with Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. The game opens with Liu Kang getting absolutely wrecked by the titular Deadly Alliance, Quan Chi, and Shang Tsung.

Deadly Alliance was the first console-exclusive game in the series, and it made some serious changes to the Mortal Kombat formula. Aside from Liu Kang being conspicuously absent, the series introduced a new combo system, weapons, and a whole bunch of new characters. And don't cry for Liu Kang, he returned in the next game … as a zombie.

Today we're asking what HD-2D projects you'd like to see from Square?

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey. If you have any feedback or news tips for the team, please email us!