The Last Remnant
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Square Enix unexpectedly releases ‘The Last Remnant’ on mobile
If the news that Square Enix is delaying Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition has bummed you out, the company may have something to make up for it. Without any leadup or prior announcement, the Japanese publisher has released The Last Remnant Remastered on iOS and Android.
Steam weekend sale discounts Deus Ex, Hitman and other Square Enix games
Steam is hosting a Square Enix publisher sale this weekend, discounting games in the Hitman, Just Cause, Legacy of Kain and Deus Ex series, among others. On now until Monday, March 31 at 1:00 p.m. EDT, the Director's Cut edition of Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($4.99), the Just Cause Collection ($7.49), the Sleeping Dogs Collection ($9.99) and the Hitman Collection ($11.24) are each 75 percent off. Individual games and DLC packs in each bundle are either 75 or 76 percent off as well, for those that already own pieces of the collections. The sale also includes the Dungeon Siege Complete Pack and Legacy of Kain Collection, both 60 percent off ($7.99 each). Additionally, The Last Remnant and Mini Ninjas are both discounted to $3.99 for the weekend, 60 percent off their previous prices. The Steam sale overlaps Square Enix's other sale on the Humble Store, which ends tomorrow and features Tomb Raider's Game of the Year edition for $12. [Image: Square Enix]
Amazon has Absolutely Great Square Enix sale, $165 of games for $10
The Absolutely Great Square Pack from Amazon offers seven games and one piece of DLC in digital form, all of which would normally cost $165, for just $10: Deus Ex: Human Revolution Augmented Edition and "The Missing Link" DLC, Hitman: Blood Money, Just Cause 2, Just Cause, Quantum Conundrum, Supreme Commander 2, and The Last Remnant.That's a savings of 94 percent, in case it wasn't clear how absolutely great this sale is. Buying the pack also grants $5 toward a pre-order of Hitman: Absolution. These deals run through October 20 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Don't be a square and miss out on this sale.[Thanks, Ignatius]
Square Enix explains The Last Remnant's technical shortcomings
The Last Remnant represented a major experiment for Square Enix. Not only was it one of the company's first Xbox 360 games, it utilized the Unreal Engine, a first for the Japanese publisher. Unfortunately, the experiment wasn't quite successful, with critics calling it "a technical mess." Thankfully, the company isn't simply ignoring its mistakes, with Square Enix's new chief technology officer explaining how the misuse of the Unreal Engine led to such disappointing results. "One of the traps with middleware (like Unreal) is that some game teams believe that, because they got this middleware, maybe they need less programmers on their team, or maybe they don't need that many skilled programmers," Julien Merceron told Gamasutra. By relying too much on middleware, teams face precarious situations when issues arise that can't be solved internally. "You don't have anyone that is able to solve the problem on your team," Merceron explained. In the case of The Last Remnant, the "problem" happened to be a wildly inconsistent framerate. Merceron isn't advising against using middleware, noting "it won't be possible anymore to work without middleware because of time, talent, and cost reasons." Hopefully, under the new guidance of Merceron, Square Enix won't repeat the same mistakes it made with The Last Remnant.
Yoichi Wada suggests The Last Remnant may never make it to PS3
We hope you're not holding your breath for a PS3 release of The Last Remnant, Square Enix's uneven attempt at creating a game using Unreal Engine 3. The company's CEO, Yoichi Wada, made some choice comments during a recent shareholder meeting which lead us to believe it may never make it out on Sony's system. AndriaSang.com has summarized his comments, in which he states that "it's tough on the development side of things to say that you'll release a game on multiple platforms but end up not doing so, Square Enix has to think about profitability.""If there's a gap in the release of multiple versions of a game, and if the first version didn't necessarily see such great success, they have to think that there won't be a change in performance on a new platform." No games in particular were mentioned, but only one really fits the bill. The Last Remnant was announced as a multiplatform title, saw low sales on the Xbox 360 in November 2008, and there's been no sign of a PS3 release since then. In the interest of "profitability" this game may simply be put to pasture, instead.
Report: The Last Remnant sold better in the West, poorly in general
It seems as though Square Enix's attempt to reach out to Western gamers with The Last Remnant has done little in the way of olive branch extension, with the title selling 220,000 units since its release last year. According to Siliconera (and corroborated with info from VGChartz.com), the game sold even worse in Japan, where 360 saturation is notably low, moving only 160,000 units, making the game a relative success with Western audiences.That being said, combined worldwide sales for the game totaled just over half of a million units, with 560,000 selling altogether (more than 400k of which were sold in North America and Europe). Hopefully the acquisition of Eidos will do more for the Japanese company in the west than The Last Remnant did.
GDC09: No comment on PS3 version of The Last Remnant
Square Enix first announced The Last Remnant, its Unreal Engine-powered RPG, as a multiplatform title for Xbox 360, PC and PS3. With both 360 and PC versions out, some are wondering what happened to the PS3 version.Hiroshi Takai from Square Enix spoke at GDC, commenting on his experiences working with an externally produced engine for a project targeted at a global market. Lackluster reviews in America led Takai to admit that the game was "scored too high" in Japan.According to Gamasutra, Takai was asked about the PS3 version of The Last Remnant. Though noting that the PC version had just shipped, he said, "I can't answer for the PlayStation 3," We've requested an official comment from Square Enix, and will update when we get a response.%Gallery-24836%
Square Enix summons development studio in LA
In a move that we'd have considered entirely out of the ordinary just a few years ago, Japanese developer Square Enix has shored up on the west coast of the US and opened shop. According to Ars Technica, this new development studio plans to cater to a western audience not by changing the type of games they make, but by employing western developers."It's not a good idea to make a game for people you don't understand," game development manager Fumi Shiraishi told AT." According to the piece, this new studio won't set out to develop "another FPS" but will push the envelope with regards to traditional Square Enix-developed titles. Considering the tepid reviews The Last Remnant received in the States, we're hoping this new studio can bring the signature Square Enix style to us with some much needed fresh ideas. Shiraishi wouldn't reveal what the studio will be working on next, though he did say it falls under the "western niche" banner. So, an Infinite Undiscovery RTS, eh? Well played, Shiraishi. Well played indeed.
Last Remnant PC unplayable due to Steam activation [update]
European PC gamers got their hot little hands on the Games for Windows version of Square Enix's The Last Remnant today. Don't be too jealous, Americans -- the PCified RPG is coming stateside next Tuesday. Actually, don't get jealous at all -- according to a number of consumer reports via Eurogamer, the game refuses to accept the activation codes printed on the title's manual. Any attempt to install the game is met with a prompt informing the user the game hasn't been unlocked on Steam yet. More troubling, Steam's separate launch isn't coming until April 9.Hopefully, Square Enix will rectify this verification blunder before the Steam launch date rolls around. We heard a rumor that most folks don't appreciate not being able to install the games they've rightfully purchased. Weird, right?[Update: Square Enix reports that copies of the game should now be activating just fine, saying, "This issue was actually fixed early this morning so any technical glitches were resolved within a few hours."
The Last Remnant on PC March 24, Steam in April
Square Enix has set a March 24 date for the PC release of its cross-platform RPG The Last Remnant. The Games for Windows title will offer new features not available in the Xbox 360 version, including the ability to choose between English or Japanese dialogue. Enhancements and fixes are also planned, such as improved character animation and faster battles. In a separate announcement, Valve and Square Enix have confirmed a partnership to bring the latter's catalog of PC titles to the former's Steam service, starting with The Last Remnant on April 9. The game will be the digital distribution platform's first major Japanese RPG offering. Pricing has not yet been announced.Square Enix president and CEO, John Yamamoto, said of the deal, "We are excited to offer the millions of Steam customers online access to Square Enix titles beginning with our major action RPG, The Last Remnant," adding that, "Square Enix is committed to delivering the best quality titles to PC gamers and distribution on Steam is one of the many steps we are taking to increase accessibility for fans in North America and PAL territories."
The Last Remnant PC hitting Japan in April
If you believe most reviews, The Last Remnant's outing on the Xbox 360 was mired in technical issues, evoking the kind of strain and unexpected farting more closely associated with the plane-pulling segment of a strong man competition. The most obvious solution, then, is to get a bigger man or perhaps a better metaphor.According to Japan's Famitsu magazine (via 1UP), the PC version of Square Enix's strategic RPG is set to arrive in the region on April 9 for the hefty price of ¥8,190 ($90). That heft nabs you the ability to speed up battle animations, include more leader-class characters in a union, preview equipment in the menu and switch between Japanese and terrible voice acting. And, provided your rig has enough muscle, the Unreal-powered graphics should look (and hopefully perform) more in line with The Last Remnant's rampant epicness.
Best Buy Canada: Last Remnant, Infinite Undiscovery $40 each
It's a slow week for sales in the Great White North, but role-playing fans are in for a treat this week at Best Buy Canada. For a limited time, Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant have been discounted to $39.99 each. Both published by famed developer Square Enix, each title has been a staple in Microsoft's role-playing game push, over the last year. The Last Remnant was developed by the powerhouse Square Enix using Epic's Unreal Engine 3 and Infinite Undiscovery was developed by JRPG fan favorite tri-Ace and offer two very different game play experiences. Canadians looking to spend some quality time with two popular Japanese role-playing games should take notice to this promotion.[Sale Links: Infinite Undiscovery | The Last Remnant]
Grab free The Last Remnant DLC 'unlocks'
Square Enix just released new The Last Remnant downloadable content to the Marketplace today, but we do use the term "downloadable content" ever so liberally because the content is nothing more than 108KB game unlocks. No matter, it's new content even if it's already on the game disc. The two FREE downloads include Challenge Pack 1: Purgatory's Sins which we're informed requires "adequate game progression" (whatever that may be) and The Key of Ancient Ruins which should unlock some pretty spiffy stuff. Remember too that more DLC is headed down the pipeline, so watch for it and keep hope that it isn't just an unlock code.
The Last Remnant getting four DLC packs in December
If you thought you've seen the last of The Last Remnant, Square's recent East-meets-West RPG, you've got another thing coming -- actually, you've got four things coming. Throughout December, Square will be releasing four downloadable expansions to the already expansive title. The first two will drop simultaneously on Dec. 1 for Gold Xbox Live members (Silver members will have to wait until Dec. 8) -- "Challenge Pack 1: Purgatory's Sins" will add difficult new guild tasks to the game, while "The Key of Ancient Ruins" will... unlock some in-game Ancient Ruins.On Dec. 22 (Dec. 29 for Silver members), Square will release "Challenge Pack 2: The Price of Lies", which will bestow even tougher guild tasks upon the game's more masochistic players. Finally, the "March to War" set, which unlocks three new battle formations and was rewarded to pre-orderers of the title, will be available for everyone to download Dec. 15. It will run players 100 -- the other three expansions will be totally free.
Four DLC packs for Last Remnant in December
If you've been able to look past the numerous reported technical issues with The Last Remnant, you should be happy to hear that that three downloadable content packs are on the way for the game. The first, Challenge Pack 1: Purgatory's Sins, will be available to Xbox Live Gold members on December 1 and Silver members on December 8. This pack includes new guild tasks. Also available on these dates will be The Key of Ancient Ruins which, appropriately enough, unlocks the Ancient Ruins in the game. The third bit of DLC, Challenge Pack 2: The Price of Lies, which includes more guild tasks, will be available to Gold members on December 22 and Silver members on the 29th. All three of the above content packs will be completely free.Finally, March to War, which was previously available only to those who had pre-ordered the game, will be made available to both Gold and Silver members on December 15 for 100 Microsoft Points. March to War adds three more formations for the game: Scatterswarm, Goblet and Catapult.
Metareview - The Last Remnant (Xbox 360)
Well, so much for that fancy "platinum" score from Famitsu. Western critics have passed judgment on role-playing epic The Last Remnant, deeming it an intriguing turn-based affair that's unfortunately mired in plodding pacing and abundant technical issues. Did nobody think to send Square Enix the Unreal Engine's instruction manual? Gametrailers (80/100): "The Last Remnant is a hard game to judge. A person's enjoyment of it will be directly related to how much they can tolerate persistent graphical issues. If you can get past it, there's a lot to enjoy in the smart design decisions and its unique battle system." Gamespot (65/100): "How unfortunate that such a renowned RPG developer has buried a potential classic under a humiliating technical fiasco." Eurogamer (60/100): "It's a unique and compelling combat system buried beneath choppy pacing, too much wandering around, disappointing presentation problems and an awful lot of loading, and whether that's worth accepting depends largely on your tolerance or affection for long-winded self-indulgence, and whether you think 40 quid is a reasonable amount to pay for one superb idea cushioned by hours of grinding mediocrity." IGN (53/100): "The Last Remnant is a technical mess, but it's also behind the curve in so many ways."
Shipping this week: Braaaains edition
You've read the headline and you're probably thinking, "Oh, great. Just what we need. Another article effusing praise for Left 4 Dead. Thanks. Thank you so much." In truth, yes, we're excited that Left 4 Dead is coming out this week, but the reality of the headline is best understood by glancing at the list below. There are twelve, twelve new games being released this week. If that's not enough to metamorphose every respectable gamer into a gibbering, cash-starved zombie, we're not sure what is. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have suddenly developed an irresistible craving for braaains gaaames. Left 4 Dead The Last Remnant Shaun White Snowboarding Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe You're in the Movies with Camera Tomb Raider Underworld NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 LIPS Karaoke Revolution: American Idol 2 Disney's Bolt Sonic Unleashed Need For Speed: Undercover
The Last Remnant receives 'platinum' score from Famitsu
If the Unreal-powered RPG sits as well with gamers as it did with reviewers at Japan's Famitsu, The Last Remnant will be the first of more, er, remnants to come. According to a post on NeoGAF, the magazine's four-person Cross Review team lauded Square Enix's Western-focused title, scoring it 10/10/9/9 (38/40) – high enough to earn its Platinum Award.For comparison, the mag scored Infinite Undiscovery 9/8/8/6 (31/40) – it averaged a 68/100 metascore here in the States. Of course, Famitsu has been known to exhibit some ... questionable taste in the past. Take, for example, its 9/8/9/8 (34/40) score for Ubisoft's Haze.
70 screenshots for The Last Remnant plus battle mechanics details
We really haven't heard anything about The Last Remnant for a while now -- the game's PS3 version still lacks a release date (the delay is attributed to the Unreal Engine while the 360 version will be out this November) and details on the game mechanics are fuzzy at best.Luckily for fans, Siliconera has unearthed some information on the battle mechanics for the multiplatform RPG. It is being summarized as a "turn-based RPG with multiple parties" -- you control several parties of up to five characters each. Instead of issuing direct commands to the members of the party, you issue more generalized directions such as "time to get physical/mystical" (physical/magical attacks on enemies) or "attack, but stay healthy" (attack close-ranged enemies while healing) to the entire party. Finally, there's also a morale meter on the top of the battle screen: high morale means you deal more damage while damage received will be reduced and vice versa.This whole system doesn't sound especially innovative to us. So instead of controlling 4-5 members of your party in a typical RPG, you control 4-5 parties that work in a similar fashion? We'll reserve our final judgment for the game when it comes out though, not that we know when that will happen. Check out the latest screenshots for the game -- you can find all 70 of them in the gallery below. %Gallery-24836%
Famitsu corrects its Last Remnant PS3 release date
Famitsu has posted a correction on its website (via IGN) about an incorrect The Last Remnant release date that appeared in the latest Famitsu PS3 publication. The issue, dedicated to Square Enix's recent DKΣ3713 event, incorrectly listed the PlayStation 3 version of the game as coming November 20, the same day as the Xbox 360 release. The PS3 version's actual release date is, as they say, TBA for both Japan and the rest of the world. As far as we know, the Xbox 360 version is still poised to make that November 20 "worldwide" release.
