The Last Remnant
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The Last Remnant roundtable discussion: still no PS3 release date
Don't let the subject line fool you -- while there's still no firm release date set for The Last Remnant on the PS3, it's coming and it's about time we learned a little more about the game. A bunch of press members sat down with the game's producer, Nobuyuki Ueda, then tried to get some information about the game's battle system and storyline. We'll summarize the important bits and let you decide if you want to read the whole thing.The game is supposed to appease both Western and Japanese gamers. English development is ahead of Japanese, so the English dub is proceeding along smoothly, Ueda says. The battles are as large-scale or as small-scale as you'd like. You have control over five "unions" with five members in each union, but it seems like you directly control either one at a time or the leader of each union during battles. Once battle starts, a timer is in place that'll signify when more enemy units will join in the brawl. The greater the number of enemies you choose to encounter, the greater the reward. Think of the DS title The World Ends With You to get an idea what they're going for. The morale meter does not indicate rewards; it helps you see how well other units will pay attention to your orders. While the game sounds like it keeps many traditional RPG elements, it also sounds like it may be more hands-off than expected. We don't know for sure, so we'll not make any judgments until we play it for ourselves.
The Last Remnant chiseled in for Nov. 20 release
The Last Remnant, which given Square Enix's typical grasp of words like "final" is probably the first remnant on top a great pile of discarded remnants, will be found on the Xbox 360 on November 20th. In an announcement that was almost swept away by multiplatform Final Fantasy XIII hysteria, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada confirmed at Microsoft's E3 press conference that the pointy-haired, teary-eyed RPG would arrive on Microsoft's system first, just in time for the end-of-year purchasing frenzy. A Games For Windows version will follow at a later stage.Be sure to view the trailer posted after the break!
Square Enix E3 lineup loaded with sequels, remakes
With 2008's edition of E3 just days away, the role-playing steam engine that is Square Enix has revealed what titles that it will spring on press types as they shuffle past. Of the eleven titles on display, the company's lineup this year is noticeably remake and sequel heavy, with over half of the games representing a return to the well for another drink. Boasting "simultaneous global releases for several platforms," the company has also re-confirmed dates for much of its lineup as well, with the following games also noted as being playable during the show: Chrono Trigger (DS; Holiday 2008) Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (DS; September 16) Final Fantasy IV (DS; July 22) Infinite Undiscovery (Xbox 360; September 2) Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes (iPod; Now Available) In addition, the remainder listed below will be shown in non-playable form: The Last Remnant (Xbox 360, PS3; Winter for Xbox 360, TBA for PS3) Star Ocean: First Departure (PSP; October 21) Star Ocean: Second Evolution (PSP; January 6) Star Ocean: The Last Hope (Xbox 360; 2009) Exit DS (DS; October 7) The Legend of Kage 2 (DS; October 7) And coming soon to a grocery store near you, Star Ocean: Whole Wheat Clusters.
The Last Remnant official Japanese website now open
The official site of the The Last Remnant is now online. There's a trailer, a prologue, information on the battle system, 4 characters with voices and 12 screenshots. You can even choose between three different songs as your background music. The game prologue mentions Remnants as ancient artifacts of awesome power but unknown origins, and that mankind's usage of them has caused "a rift in the world's balance." Isn't there always a rift in the world's balance in every Square game? The game is to be a 360 timed-exclusive supposedly because of a delay caused by the Unreal Engine the game is using. The screenshots seems to focus on the environment, landscape and building architecture of the game. The style also reminds us of Final Fantasy XII. So, still looking forward to The Last Remnant or bitter over the delay? %Gallery-26479%
Last Remnant enthusiasts will enjoy concept art, screenshots
Even though Unreal Engine 3 troubles are hindering the development of this multi-platform title on the PS3, we're still looking forward to The Last Remnant. Given this new stream of screenshots featuring battles as well as a lot of excellent concept art from Famitsu, our anxiety for a firm PS3 release rises further. Check them out and keep your fingers crossed for more information soon.
Last Remnant dev says Unreal Engine cause behind PS3 delay
Once again, another Unreal Engine-related delay strikes again. The Last Remnant is one of the timed exclusive RPGs from Square Enix on the Xbox 360, but that wasn't because Microsoft shelled out the big bucks. According to an interview with Gamespy, the delay was "mainly for development reasons." The Unreal Engine has been difficult to work with on PS3, and that's been the cause of the delay. "We're developing the game using the middleware Unreal Engine, and the Unreal Engine has a slower development on the PS3 side."Thankfully, ever since Epic worked on the PS3 with Unreal Tournament III, things have been running more smoothly on Sony's platform. "It was only really workable after Unreal Tournament was published, so this was mainly a development decision."Square Enix's other PS3 RPG games, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, utilize Square Enix's in-house Crystal Tools engine.[Via NeoGAF]%Gallery-24836%
See screens of Microsoft's JRPG lineup
Microsoft held a press conference on Tuesday morning Joystiq Time to show off its upcoming Japanese RPGs, including Star Ocean: The Last Hope (just announced for Xbox 360), The Last Remnant (launching "on the Xbox 360 first" this Winter), Infinite Undiscovery (whose "worldwide" release isn't quite simultaneous), and Namco Bandai's Tale of Vesperia (reaching North America in August with an Xbox demo this month). Hit up the galleries below to get a peek at each of these four titles.
Star Ocean 4 currently Xbox exclusive, Last Remnant delayed on PS3
Fans of Square Enix RPGs may have assumed PS3 was the safe bet this generation of consoles. However, during a press conference in Japan today, the famed RPG maker announced its plans to support Xbox 360, with at least one exclusive, and two timed exclusives for Microsoft's current generation platform.Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the fourth iteration of the popular RPG series, has been announced for Xbox 360 only. The official website makes it clear that the game will be a 360 title, but plans for a PS3 version haven't been completely ruled out yet. "We cannot announce anything on that. We can say that it will be released first [on the Xbox 360]. Whether we'll release it on the PS3 is undecided. We may release it, we may not." [Source]Another Square Enix game, The Last Remnant, will be multiplatform. However, the game will debut on Xbox 360 first this year, with a PS3 version to come some time after, perhaps next year. This continues Microsoft's aggressive push to secure the Japanese RPG market, with Square Enix's Infinite Undiscovery being an Xbox 360 exclusive as well. PS3 fans need not fret too much, because at the very least, the Final Fantasy XIII games are still exclusive on PS3. For now.[Via Joystiq]
The Last Remnant: New details and trailer [Update]
Update: An English language version of the trailer embedded above is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.Originally touted as the first multiplatform, simultaneous multi-region release from developer Square Enix, The Last Remnant is now planned to release on the Xbox 360 first. At the recent Xbox 360 RPG event in Japan, Square Enix confirmed that The Last Remnant will release on the Xbox 360 in North America, Europe and Japan simultaneously with a PS3 version planned for a later date. Announced in 2007, the Unreal Engine 3 based role-playing game includes two playable characters; one aimed at Eastern audiences while the other was modeled to appeal more to Western audiences. No release date for the title has been confirmed as of yet, but it appears Microsoft has found itself some newfound love with the popular Japanese developer, Square Enix.[via Famitsu]
The Last Remnant hitting Xbox 360 first this Winter
Though we're certain Square Enix's interpretation of words like "final" and "last" differs greatly from ours (o hai Final Fantasy XIX!), we think we're all in the same boat when it comes to "first," as in, "The Last Remnant will launch on the Xbox 360 first." Speaking at a Japanese Xbox 360 press conference (liveblogged by IGN), Square Enix revealed that the Unreal-powered RPG would be arriving on Microsoft's system first this Winter, with the PlayStation 3 version following at a later date.The Last Remnant is still set to enjoy one of those newfangled worldwide releases, with North America, Europe and Japan receiving the Xbox 360 version simultaneously -- or at least, close to simultaneously.[Trailer via X3F]
Square Enix considering stakes in competing developers
Speaking at the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in Tokyo, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has said that his company may decide to get cozy with rival developers. "Economies of scale and breadth of scope are getting important," he said. "It may be a business alliance or it may be us taking a stake in others, but we need to go beyond traditional Square Enix." In moving "beyond" the company's traditional situation, Wada also hopes to move farther beyond the borders of Japan and boost international games sales. Out of total software revenue, overseas sales currently comprise 50 percent -- and he'd rather have them at 80 percent.By forming alliances with other companies and better heeding the desires of the international market (MOAR GUNZ PLZ), Square Enix would be better equipped to deal with steep competition, "not only from Japanese videogame companies but from game companies worldwide." Square Enix's The Last Remnant, which is planned for simultaneous release in the East and West, may be the first step towards that goal.
Square Enix aiming for simultaneous worldwide releases
Here's a slice of news pie that we wouldn't mind gulping down with a tall glass of awesome. Everyone in the RPG business knows the rule: Japan gets the game about six months before any other area. Right? Maybe that won't be the case anymore. Square Enix's Yoichi Wada went on record recently, stating that they plan to start "making simultaneous releases the norm."Does this include PS3-exclusive Final Fantasy XIII, or the multi-plat Last Remnant? It might. Due to the overwhelming strength of the gaming market outside of Japan, we're seeing a shift in game release ideology. Either this means the US and Europe will get the aforementioned games earlier than expected, or Japan will get them later than anticipated. Who knows -- maybe Square Enix really will start opening up development offices outside of Japan.
TGS07: The Last Remnant trailer displays new characters
Okay, first, off, if Xenogears were getting a next-gen makeover, the dude with the eye patch in this trailer would be a pretty spot-on recreation of Bartholomew Fatima. Minus the really long ponytail. That random observation aside, this new trailer for The Last Remnant is exactly what we expected from Square Enix -- awesomeness, mostly. We've all heard the phrases "one young man's adventure begins" and "it's time to awaken" before, but that's all right. We can discount a few cliches here and there. The game looks to be a blast and getting a simultaneous release across two consoles and two countries ... well ... that's pretty cool, too. Still no solid release date, so we expect a fairly vague mid-2008 date to crop up somewhere.
The Last Remnant website update; pretty pictures and more contained within
The Last Remnant, Square Enix's "RPG for the world" is today living up to its title with a new website for both the US and Japan. We wonder whether Square Enix's "world" extends beyond the US and Japan to, let's say, Europe. But that's a discussion best left for another time.The site contains a plethora of info, the trailer and some new images. It also includes the same background music we heard on the pre-site splash page. The Japanese and American websites differ slightly, with the former having character information on Rush's sister, Irena, instead of the Conqueror. The section we find the most interesting, however, is the Staff page, which outlines the entire senior creative team with a short biography on each. Seeing the mix of games that the team has worked on before fills us with confidence that The Last Remnant will be an excellent title. Not to mention the fact that the composer is a guitarist for Nobuo Uematsu's band, The Black Mages
Last Remnant video goes on an odyssey
Square Enix has released the first trailer for its upcoming RPG, Last Remnant. X3F readers will recall that Last Remnant is something of a first for Square Enix, in that it is being simultaneously released in both the U.S. and Japan. Not only that, but it includes two main characters, one designed to appeal to Japanese audience, and another made for western audiences. The trailer showcases some gameplay that looks a bit like Dynasty Warriors and suspiciously similar to Lost Odyssey (created by previous Square Enix employee, Hironobu Sakaguchi).[Via Joystiq]
The Last Remnant: swords, kidnappers, and wars, oh my!
In addition to the nifty trailer we've embedded for you, we've got some more information regarding the Square Enix title Romancing SaGa Tactics The Last Remnant. No, we're not going to blab about the characters or basic plot (other than the kidnapping of your younger sister Irena). What we've learned is that there is only one main playable character, Rush Sykes, not two as previously rumored. Even so, expect large-scale battles with numerous personalities instead of faceless infantry. If you played any of the old Ogre Battle games (which had subtitles named after many Queen songs -- March of the Black Queen, for example), imagine that. What we mean is a "main" character surrounded by some faceless infantry. With that, you'll imagine a fairly turn-based battle system with some more cinematic "realistic" experiences, such as the morale bar and some actions to take in the middle of something else (during a fight sequence, you may get some button cues to unleash a flurry of extra moves, increasing said morale bar). That's all we're going to say for now. Enjoy the trailer and we'll keep you up to date!
Don't expect any Square Enix games until April 2008
A lot of people have been keeping their fingers crossed for an announcement by Sony and/or Square Enix about Final Fantasy XIII releasing this holiday season. We've said it before, we'll say it again: not happening. It's not just that -- don't expect to see any Square Enix game get a release before April 2008. That means everything, no exceptions, the end.Is this really that hard for people to swallow? Final Fantasy XII hasn't even been out a year and people expect the next one to be coming out already? How long did it take to make XII again? Exactly. Don't expect Versus any sooner and despite what you may have heard, The Last Remnant is not that far in production! Star Ocean IV was barely announced, Kingdom Hearts 3 isn't even past the drawing board, and Parasite Eve 3 (that's right, Nick's gonna say it) is still a secret ... and not the supposed phone game. Basically, it's official that nothing from Square Enix is coming until the next fiscal year, but we're not torn up. We're going to have a packed holiday season.
Square Enix launches Last Remnant website
A new website has been launched for the upcoming RPG from Square Enix, The Last Remnant. Right now The website consists only of a single image, some text, and a repeating loop of background music (that you can't turn off). There are two versions of the website. The North American version shows both the typical Square hero, Rush, and the hero designed with Western audiences in mind, the Conqueror. Look carefully at the bloodstained wall behind the Conqueror. You'll notice that the clean part of the wall is in the same shape as the Conqueror's silhouette, which means he was standing there when something very messy happened (yet his hair remains miraculously clean). The Japanese site, curiously, doesn't display the Conqueror at all. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we start sussing out some actual gameplay details.
The Last Remnant official site opens - The Conqueror revealed?
In an effort to mirror the simultaneous release in America and Japan (Europeans are fighting back the vitriol) that was announced with the game, a US and a JPN version of the site have been opened at the same time. The difference between the two is minimal, but only because both suffer from a lack of content. Much like the Dissidia site did when it launched. It is worth visiting both sites, just for the different background visuals. The Japanese version has that great concept image we saw come out of the Square Enix Party, while the US site has a new piece of art. It's clear that the character on the left is Rush Sykes, the 'Japanese' character who we've seen before. Does that mean that the character on the right is the 'American' character, The Conqueror? Looks that way. Interesting look. Definitely nothing we've seen of a playable character in any of the Final Fantasy series. Chances are I'll still be playing as Rush, though.As a final treat, each site has the same background music that will most likely be the theme music for the game. It's pretty good. Though it's getting less and less good each time I listen to the minute-or-so long loop, it has to be said. We'll keep checking the site for updates and let you know. Be sure to view the Japanese site as well as the American one. And why not? They're both in English.
First Last Remnant screenshots surface
The first screenshots of the new Square Enix RPG, The Last Remnant, have been released. To be specific, there are two screenshots and some artwork. The first screenshot (above), shows off one of the game's towns. As you can see, it's very detailed and generally pretty impressive. The second shot shows off what appears to be combat between two different armies. The character models here look nice, though not fantastic. Finally we have a new piece of art. Before you start thinking that the girl with short hair and a sword is hot, know this: that's no girl.Let's face it, it wouldn't be a Square Enix RPG without a disturbingly androgynous hero. Visit Xboxygen for high resolution screens.
