Square Enix @ E3: The Aftermath

Square Enix @ E3: The Aftermath

Posted on 2009//10 by Ronin90

People probably expected a few surprises, but it'd be difficult to find anyone who accurately predicted what actually happened with regards to Square Enix at this year's E3.

There were rumblings about Codename Rapture being shown for the first time prior to the event, but nobody expected Square Enix (or Sony in this case) to officially unveil it as Final Fantasy XIV. Furthermore, it was even more surprising that it will be released as soon as next year, the first time in the franchise's history that two numerical Final Fantasy titles will be released in the same calendar year.

Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV, while not the direct sequel to Final Fantasy XI is effectively its spiritual successor. It will feature the same races (although Taru have not be confirmed yet), allowing players to feel relatively at home with their new surroundings. Square Enix have also stated that they will continue to support Final Fantasy XI with new content for at least another year, so this is definitely good news for those still playing the game.

Final Fantasy XIII
There wasn't a massive amount of content for Final Fantasy XIII at this year's E3, as most of Square Enix's efforts seemed to revolve around convincing the American public that the game will actually be released. Huge advertising banners were placed on buildings near the LA Convention Centre, and there was a Spring 2010 release date claimed at the end of Square Enix's section in the Microsoft Press Conference. They also demonstrated the game running on the Xbox 360 for the first time, while showing a new summon (Odin) and English voice acting. An extended trailer was also shown during the Sony Press Conference.

Fabula Nova Crystallis
Many fans might have been disappointed about the lack of other Fabula Nova Crystallis news, but this was mainly down to absense of Nomura's team, who're working on Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Expect Square Enix to make announcements regarding Versus and Agito at other events throughout the year.

Others
Square Enix also showed a host of other games including, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Front Mission Evolved, Nier, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. None of these could even hope to compete with the hype surrounding the aforementioned titles though, but they still deserve a bit of time in the limelight.

Front Mission Evolved is being developed by Double Helix, and they are attempting to make a Front Mission game that will appeal to the mass markets, in the West, not just Japan. This game is essentially a spin-off and will have more in common with Armoured Core than the traditional Front Mission games. It will be based in the same universe though and there will be a ton of customisation.

Nier is a completely new franchise that Square Enix are working on. The title most similar is probably Kingdom Hearts but the comparisons are few. Nier is going to be a very adult focused game, with a Square Enix storyline, but a focus towards action. Little is known about the game at the moment.

Square Enix had a relatively good show. It's difficult to say whether Final Fantasy XIV this year had a bigger impact than Final Fantasy XIII last year, but time will tell.