14 DAY TRIAL // Square Enix is not done showing off new Final Fantasy titles. After trying for a while to launch new franchises that would allow for the main revenue stream to be less emphasized, the publisher has apparently given up and announced Final Fantasy XIV, a new MMO set in the universe, while also continuing to provide details related to the new straight up role playing game experience, Final Fantasy XIII.
It seems that Square Enix is also preparing to release a Nintendo DS Final Fantasy title, if reports coming from Weekly Jump, a Japanese magazine, are to be believed. The original name of the new game appears to be Hikari no Yon Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden, which roughly translates as Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden.
As the aforementioned magazine indicates, the developers plan to allow a wide variety of customization options for the title and equipment will also influence the look of all the characters, which is unusual for a Final Fantasy title.
The plot of the game is centered on a young person, 14 years of age, who gets his birthday interrupted when the King summons him to confront a witch that has kidnapped his daughter. He begins his quest to find her and traditional JRPG mechanics take over, with parties of four fighting various enemies but with the normal Mana system being replaced by something called Charge. It's not clear how this change will influence gameplay.
One of the designers working on Hikari no Yon Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden is Akihiko Yoshida, whose previous experience includes games like Final Fantasy Tactics and the classic Final Fantasy XII. The title is set to arrive on the Japanese market this fall and the magazine is not mentioning whether it will come in Europe and in North America.