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'Just Cause 4' parachutes in December 4th
Square Enix brought more than just Kingdom Hearts to Microsoft's pre-E3 2018 press conference -- there's also Just Cause 4. Rico is back, once again parachuting into some disastrous warzone with both guns and attitude in tow. The quick trailer showed off some new-gen powered gameplay with plenty of driving, shooting, explosions and impressive weather effects as our hero plunged directly into a tornado. The game is scheduled for release December 4th on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, so at least that's one title we won't be waiting until Q1 2019 for. While a gameplay trailer showed off Just Cause 4 at the event, you should look below for the "Welcome to Just Cause 4" video that goes in-depth with developers from Avalanche Studios (which is also behind the 80s-themed robot shooter Generation Zero) explaining what's new this time around. This time the game takes place on the home turf of a group that has been featured in previous games called The Black Hand. There will be four separate biomes included, and the concept of a "force of nature" plays a massive role. Rico's grapple hook is, of course, included, but there are even more physics-based tricks for players to mess around with this time.
Yoko Taro's 'Nier: Automata' comes to Xbox One on June 26
Nier: Automata was one of the most surprising games of 2017. The Japanese RPG had a mind-bending story, conceived by Nier and Drakengard director Yoko Taro, and a snappy combat system refined by Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames. It was a huge success for Square Enix, shifting more than 3 million copies and winning countless awards. Now, the game is coming to Xbox One. A special Become As Gods edition will hit the Xbox Store on June 26th, bundling the base game, the 3C3C1D119440927 expansion, and a slew of in-game skins and accessories, including a Grimoire Weiss-themed robot companion. Hopefully the extra sales will solidify a sequel, or an entirely new project by Taro and his team.
'Kingdom Hearts III' will land on PS4 and Xbox One in January 2019
Kingdom Hearts fans will have to a wait until next year to finally play the franchise's next installment, but a few more months don't sound that bad when they've been waiting over a decade for the game to drop. Square Enix has announced at the KH Orchestra World Tour that Kingdom Hearts III will arrive on PS4 and Xbox One on January 29th, 2019. Series director Tetsuya Nomura apologized for the delay since the game was supposed to come out later this year, telling fans that his team is sorry to ask "for a little more time than initially planned."
Square Enix has stopped working on 'Go' mobile games
In many ways, Square Enix' Go titles were textbook examples of how to make good mobile games: for a little cash up front, you'd receive a truly mobile-friendly experience that felt like it received just as much attention as a blockbuster console release. However, that strategy has apparently run out of steam. Square Enix Montreal head Patrick Naud told PCGamesInsider.biz in an interview that his studio has stopped working on the Go series. The premium mobile game market is "diminishing," Naud said -- there are too many genuinely high-quality free games for many people to pour money into games unless they're riveted by the concept. While Hitman Go, Lara Croft Go and Deus Ex Go had strong reviews and "great revenue," only a small number of people played them.
'Kingdom Hearts III' will feature retro games within the game
Kingdom Hearts' long-awaited sequel comes with a surprise for anyone fond of those old LCD games from the '80s. At the first official Kingdom Hearts Union χ convention, Square Enix has premiered a new Kingdom Hearts III trailer showing retro style games within the game based on classic Disney cartoons and 1980's handheld consoles. You can start spending your time playing black-and-white virtual handhelds instead of the actual game once Sora gets the machine in Twilight Town. And, yes, you control a small black-and-white Sora!
Square Enix gives 'Chrono Trigger' the PC graphics update it needs
Square Enix came under fire back in February when it released the mobile version of Chrono Trigger onto Steam, and not the anticipated SNES version. Players weren't happy, but now the publisher has made good its promise to fix things by releasing a patch that better aligns the game with its original look.
Square Enix pledges to fix the PC version of 'Chrono Trigger'
Square Enix is going to make it right for Chrono Trigger fans. In late February, the publisher dropped the classic JRPG onto Steam, but it was the oft-derided mobile port from six years ago -- not the original SNES game from 1995. To right that wrong, Square Enix will patch the game with an option to switch between the current visuals and "the original graphical style" of the game.
How the 38 Studios scandal shaped 'Life is Strange: Before the Storm'
Passion doesn't equate success. It's a hard lesson to learn in any industry -- no matter how dedicated your team is, regardless of how invested they are financially or emotionally, the entire business could burst into flames at any moment. Factors beyond anyone's control can shift the course of a project in an instant, or kill it on the spot. Few people know this reality better than the developers at 38 Studios. Founded in 2006 by former professional baseball player Curt Schilling, 38 Studios recruited top talent including fantasy author RA Salvatore and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, with the goal of building MMORPGs -- huge, online games with dense ever-evolving worlds.
'Final Fantasy XV' team forms a studio to develop new IPs
Square Enix wants to expand its offerings with brand new AAA titles, and it's relying on Final Fantasy XV's developers to make that a reality. FFXV director Hajime Tabata and the game's core developers are leaving their old division to form a studio within Square Enix called "Luminous Productions" (LP). The subsidiary's purpose is to create new IPs and to "deliver new AAA titles to the world."
'Octopath Traveler' heads to Nintendo Switch on July 13th
Square Enix's gorgeously retro game, Octopath Traveler, is arriving on the Switch very soon. Nintendo has revealed on today's Direct stream that the game, developed by the same people behind the critically-acclaimed RPG series Bravely Default, will be available on July 13th. The game giant has also introduced two new characters you can play as: a merchant named Tressa, who can acquire new items from just about anyone, and Alfyn the apothecary, who has the ability to dig for more information than any other character.
'Life is Strange: Before the Storm' ends with 'Farewell' DLC episode
If looking for more nostalgic content from episodic prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm, you're in luck. A new bonus episode, titled "Farewell," is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam (PC). It stars Chloe and Max's original voice actors Ashly Burch and Hanna Telle, too, so you know it will be up to snuff. In addition, the boxed retail version of the game will launch March 6th in the US, with PAL versions available on Friday, March 9th. The box will contain a physical art book and the licensed soundtrack on CD.
'Monsters Inc' is the next Pixar world coming to 'Kingdom Hearts 3'
Pixar's presence in Kingdom Hearts 3 won't be limited to the Toy Story crew. Square Enix and Disney have revealed that Monsters Inc will play a role, too. You'll see Boo, Mike and Sully (minus the famous actors, of course) as well as settings from the classic CG movie, such as the door vault. There's even the chance to wield weapons themed around the movie... including Mike, apparently.
'Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition' launches February 9th
It looks like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, the mobile version of the console and PC game, is just around the corner. According to an App Store listing, it will hit iOS on February 9th for players who have an iPhone 6s or later, late model iPad or iPad Pro. The game also appeared on Google Play back in August last year, and while the release date isn't mentioned there, you can pre-register to find out when it arrives.
'Sonic' designer Yuji Naka joins Square Enix
Here's a game industry move you probably weren't expecting: Sonic the Hedgehog co-designer Yuji Naka has joined Square Enix. He'll continue to pursue game development, but he isn't exactly dropping many hints as to what's next. Naka wants to make an "enjoyable game," which sounds like a good goal to shoot for. It's not clear what will happen to his game studio, Prope, with the change in career path.
'Dragon Quest Builders' arrives on Switch in February
Square Enix's Minecraft-style construction game Dragon Quest Builders is coming to Nintendo Switch on February 9 next year. The game -- which was released last year on PS4, PS3 and Vita -- sees players gather materials, reconstruct towns and fight monsters through a sprawling RPG. It's all very Minecraft-esque, but offers a more structured gameplay with a proper storyline -- in this instance, restoring the world of Alefgard.
'Final Fantasy' celebrates 30 years of not being very final
On December 18, 1987, developer Square released its first Final Fantasy title to the Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicon console. While Hironobu Sakaguchi thought it would be his last video game, the title was a financial success, leading to a continuous stream of sequels released on almost every gaming platform since then, including a surprising recent foray onto iOS with Final Fantasy XV Pocket. The first Final Fantasy was included on the recent NES Classic, too, if you were lucky enough to grab one before Nintendo stopped making them.
'Life is Strange' comes to iPhone and iPad December 14th
If you haven't had the chance to play 2014's Life is Strange or its recent sequel Before the Storm, now's your chance. The brilliant episodic narrative game revolves around teenaged Max and her ability to rewind time, returning to her hometown only to find it and her previous best friend Chloe in very different straits. Beginning December 14th, a whole new audience will be able to experience their story on iPhone and iPad.
How 'Life is Strange' landed in Deck Nine's hands
Idol Minds had been making video games for 20 years when it rebranded as Deck Nine in May. It's not just the studio's name that changed -- its entire mission refocused. Instead of working on titles like Cool Boarders 2001 and Pain, developers built a suite of storytelling tools ideal for crafting narrative-driven games. Deck Nine hired experienced writers and shopped itself around to major publishers, offering to take on emotionally complex projects with branching dialogue paths. Game director Chris Floyd didn't expect much to come of these early meetings. "And it was Square [Enix] that came back to us and said, 'What do you think about making the next game in the Life is Strange franchise?'" Floyd said. As fans of the series, developers were floored. And they were in.
‘Final Fantasy XV’ multiplayer DLC pushed back to November 15th
Back in September, Square Enix announced upcoming multiplayer DLC titled Comrades for Final Fantasy XV, its blockbuster game that came out a year ago. Unfortunately, the extra content was delayed past its initial Halloween release date, but not for much longer: The publisher tweeted that it's coming out on November 15th.
‘Hitman: Game of the Year Edition’ adds new ‘Patient Zero’ campaign
When developer IO Interactive separated from publisher Square Enix, it got to keep the popular Hitman franchise, giving the now-independent studio control over the 2016 stealth shooter game it developed. Back in June, the company released the first episode of Hitman for free to attract new customers, and now it's putting out a "Game of the Year" version of the game for PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 7th. The new edition will include the entire first season, a brand new 'Patient Zero' campaign, new Escalation Contracts, new weapons, new suits, new challenges and improved graphic and lighting effects.
