Square Enix E3 2015 Press Conference Cliff Notes

Just Cause 3

Everyone’s favorite ridiculous action adventure stunt game is back and better than ever. The series whose staple is over the top stunts set in a giant open world with an iconic grappling hook has taken it to the next level. By having a triggered grappling hook, you can hook multiple things together, then pull the trigger to have them all pulled close, opening up tons of awesome enemy death possibilities. The wing suit also makes escaping situations and dive-bombing enemies look so gorgeous with the updated graphics and better lighting. If you liked Just Cause 2, you’re going to be excited about Just Cause 3

Nier *insert static words*

No, that’s really the title, as far as we could see it. Fans have been asking unhopefully for a new Nier game, and being expectedly disappointed. But now Square Enix has partnered with Platinum Games to continue the saga in an as yet unsubtitled name Nier game. It’s coming out for PS4 and there isn’t any word on Xbox One yet. There aren’t many more details other than the heads of Nier are back and that this is definitely a Nier game. Color us excited, though, as the E3 of unexpected dreams coming true continues.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Lara Croft just can’t catch a break. Not unlike Nathan Drake, she’s in all sorts of trouble lookin’ for dem tombs to raid. The trailer starts out with her ice climbing with a companion. Predictably, things go awry after some death-defying leaps and an avalanche begins to fall. The avalanche looks great and the sense of impending doom and trouble are very present. Rise of the Tomb Raider appears to be running on the same engine as its predecessor, meaning the lighting and graphics are especially good for dark moments with little lighting. Overall the game looks beautiful and seems even more anxiety-inducing than the previous game. Fans of the series, or just fans of action games in general, should keep an eye on this.

Final Fantasy VII

Yes, we already wrote about this announcement. Yes, this is a repeat. Yes, it’s that important. Final Fantasy VII may be one of the most over-hyped games in the series. The protagonists may be a little bland, the story kind of convoluted, and the fanbase an absolute nightmare, but the announcement of this remake is important for reasons beyond just one of the best Final Fantasy game being remade. It’s even more important than the implication that other Final Fantasies could get remade. It’s a symbol of Square Enix finally using its ears to listen to the fans in addition to their money. This started with Bravely Default when fans demanded a traditional, huge JRPG and Bravely Default was barely made. Barely any expectations, but then it started to sell and sell and Square may have realized “maybe the fans should be listened to?” And despite all the previous denials, all the times they’ve said “it would require a massive amount of resources and people,” or “we would love to, but remaking an old classic is daunting,” they’ve sucked it up and committed. That’s a powerful symbol. And now we’re here, in a year where Nier 2 and a Final Fantasy VII remake are actually being worked on. Maybe, just maybe, the Square we grew up with is starting to phoenix down.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X (pronounced like key)

As usual with Square Enix Kingdom Hearts games, before we get any more info on the next console version, a mobile game has to be released to lead in to the story. Kingdom Hearts III is no exception and its prequel is Kingdom Hearts Unchained X. The graphic style go a completely different direction than Chain of Memories, Coded, or Birth By sleep. Instead, the new game is done in a 2D almost half Paper Mario half Theatryhythm style. The gameplay is ambiguous, but seems similar to Final Fantasy All the Bravest. No word on how this fits in to the Kingdom Hearts lore or where it is on the chronology, but current plans are to release it worldwide.

Kingdom Hearts III

Now this is more like it! Every time we see this game, it seems it gets twice as exciting. They started off the KH3 portion of the show by talking about how it will feature the world of Tangled, something surprising as Kingdom Hearts isn’t really known for doing newer Disney IPs. Then the gameplay start and everything looks absolutely gorgeous. The colors in Kingdom Hearts III are more vibrant and exciting than any of the previous titles, making a really visually interesting landscape to enjoy. And there’s a lot of landscape to enjoy, with the scale of worlds seeming to go way way up. Olympus in particular seems far bigger than it ever has. The next upgraded aspect of the game seems to be in the combat, with something that looks akin to forms in KH2, but with a lot more variety. Guns, chain keyblades, and something like War Machine’s Repulsor Cannon all make this game look fresh. Add in the theme park inspired summons/specials of the electric parade, tea cups, and boat swing and Disney fans are sure to find something new to enjoy with this game. On the story side, two new unknown characters were introduced playing a version of chess with one another. They appear to be younger versions of Eraqus and Xehanort, but that’s nowhere near confirmed. The game continues to wow us with its previews, and we can’t get it fast enough. No word on a release date, but you can bet as soon as there is one, our calendars will be marked, days taken off, supplies bought, and tissues prepared for what looks to be the best Kingdom Hearts game to date.

World of Final Fantasy

The entry barrier to a series like Final Fantasy seems kind of high to someone who’s never played the games before. In order to try and alleviate this, World of Final Fantasy was created. There’s not many details on the game other than it seems to be a turn based combat game in which you control monsters who fight one another, not unlike Pokemon. The graphics seem to alternate between 3D Theatrhythm-style graphics and less cartoony models. Not many details on this yet, but this seems like Square Enix’s answer to not have many casual-friendly games, so at the very least, it should be an interesting experiment.

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness

Star Ocean has been needing some love for sometime and fans of the series are finally getting sweet relief. Integrity and Faithlessness is definitely built for the current generation, featuring wide landscapes, HD textures, and what looks to be no load screens for fights. Couple that with the wide variety of landscapes featured in the trailer and Star Ocean fans have a reason to be squirming in their seats. The six person party system and open combat look like a lot of fun too. The game is coming out in Japan later this year with a worldwide release planned for 2016.

Project Setsuna

A completely new IP was announced that doesn’t even have a title yet. The development company handling this title was just created by Square Enix with the name Tokyo RPG Factory. Though no real details are known about the game, its storyline or even the goals of Tokyo RPG Factory, the trailer for their game, codenamed Project Setsuna, looks visually stunning already. We can’t wait to hear more about this title.