E3: Square-Enix Blends the Best of East and West

These past few years, many felt Square-Enix’ offerings have been lacking in the genre they are mostly known for. In fact, some would even say its Western branch has been delivering the far better experiences with titles like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex. However, this E3 marked a return to the company’s roots, announcing a plethora of titles which should excite any JRPG fan.

Clocking in at just over an hour, the conference was relatively short and though the introduction was heavy on dialog it didn’t take long for the presentation to gain quick, stead pace. Just Cause 3 was the first title to be shown, a hands-on trailer displayed a large free-roaming world to explore, vehicles and the option to glide. The main character, Rico can shoot a long distance grappling hook capable of propelling him through long distances and even onto helicopters, it may also be used as a weapon or a tool to escape volatile situations. Players may also chain multiple grapple tedders capable of bringing down vehicles and even towers. Between the vast, varied weaponry and the fact Rico now has unlimited C4, explosions will likely be a running theme for any playthrough. As our main character destroys enemy military bases and liberates towns new areas are also unlocked. The free-roam market is extremely competitive, but Square-Enix’ title might just be one of the most promising. Currently the game is set to release for PC, Xbox One and PS4 on December 1^st.

This was then followed by a sequel to Nier. Only a short cinematic teaser was presented, not even the title’s full name revealed. With that said, the visuals and musical theme were striking and hauntingly beautiful.

Balancing out Square-Enix content with Eidos productions, we were then shown further content starring Lara Croft. This came in the form of a short Rise of The Tomb Raider video and a mobile exclusive, Tomb Raider Go. The developed likely assumed most players already seen its AAA counterpart during Microsoft’s presentation, which would explain why the segment for Rise of the Tomb Raider was so small. Its mobile incarnation on the other hand received slightly more screen time. The game features a simplistic, almost cell-shaded art style with combat being handled in a turn-based fashion. Maps are angular in nature with movement and puzzle design being reminiscent of the classic Landstalker series.

Never let it be said that Square-Enix doesn’t have a sense humor, when Kindgom Hearts producer Shinji Hashimoto walked into the stage fans were eagerly awaiting news for the seemingly forgotten Kingdom Hearts 3. Shinji however did as best we could to delay any information, first by presenting the same Final Fantasy 7 remake trailer we had previously seen at Sony’s E3, providing no information as to when it will be released. As the conversation segwayed into the Kingdom Hearts series, it was revealed the mobile title Kingdom Hearts Unchained would be coming to the US. Despite feauturing a chibi graphical style, the combat remains fast-paced with 5 possible ending being announced.

As the fans were getting impatient, Shinji finally revealed a gameplay trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3 featuring gorgeous locales, fast combat and new move sets including the ability to run up mountains. The combat retains many of elements found in previous titles, but the abilities shown were fast, frantic and even showed off Sora wielding more than just his keyblade. All the action took place in wide open areas, certainly more spacious than its predecessors. After years of silence, Kingdom Hearts fans may finally rejoice.

The flurry of JRPGs continued with World of Final Fantasy. This chibi-styled RPG aims to attract new fans to the series, aiming to be a series entry point for younger players. Though little gameplay was shown, it seems to harken back to classical turn-based Final Fantasy combat. Cloud Strife also made an appearance though his role in the story is unknown. When a franchise this many sequels it’s only natural for newcomers to feel intimidated even if the games are often unconnected plot wise. As such, creating titles with the purpose of attracting new followers seems like a smart business move that will benefit both developers and gamers.

Switching back to its western branch, the conference moved on to Hitman which is currently set to release on December 8^th, 2015. Gameplay will now promote experimentation as new skills are acquired and subsequently levelled up. As new skills are unlocked players unlock new assassination options. Levels work in a sandbox manner, as players must acquire disguises, distract guards and more. From a gameplay standpoint, Hitman promises to be one of this series’ best entries.

Up to this point, Square-Enix had already presented one of the strongest JRPG-centric presentations in years but their line-up was not complete. Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness was also added into the mix, featuring the series’ trademark combat. Despite this, the video shown still looked relatively last generation, with the developers openly admitting many of the assets being shown were not final and therefore taken from its PS3 and Xbox 360 predecessor. With that said, gamers were promised the final release would run at a smooth 60 frames per second, something not many console games can claim. The JRPG-fest came to a close not with a game announcement, but instead, a new studio. Little is known about this Square-Enix subsidiary other than the fact it’s based in Tokyo and is aptly named RPG Factory once again showing the software giant’s renewed commitment towards JRPGs.

Ironically, the conference came to a close not with a JRPG, but with a title rooted in its western counterparts. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is set to release early next year for PS4, Xbox One and PC. The game marks both the return of Adam Jensen and the first time a main character is playable in more than one game. Taking places after the events of Human Revolution, augmented humans have been forcibly separated from non-mechanicals. It’s assumed Jensen is forcibly confined in these neighborhoods with player choice dictating which faction he will side with.

It’s fair to say that back in 2009 few gamers predicted an acquisition between of the then ailing Eidos by an equally debilitated Square-Enix would result in a positive outcome. Yet, 6 years later this rejuvenated software giant delivered possibly the best third party line-up of this year’s E3.