E3 2015: Square Enix Conference and Trailers

Phil Rogers, CEO of Square Enix America and Europe introduced the conference, talking about how they’ve changed the way they work with developers. He cited supporting Just Cause 2 mods and trusting Dontnod Entertaining to make a game with heavy themes – Life is Strange. He promised to provide longer and stronger support for games after release.

They’re seeing the Square Enix Collective as a new route into the games development industry.

Just Cause 3

• Launching 1st December 2015. PS4, Xbox One, PC.
• Roland Lesterlin, Game Director on Just Cause 3 at Avalanche Studios “We strive to put the sandbox style creativity back into next-gen games.”
• Upgraded grapple hook. Directly control the grapple. Use multiple grapple lines to chain things together. Manually retract the grapple.
• The world is 400 square miles, covering sky to the sea bed.
• Over 80 land, air and sea vehicles.
• Rico intends to liberate his mother’s home island Medici from a militaristic dictator.
• Can wield one or two handed weapons, or control the parachute and grapple at the same time.
• It’s about doing crazy, explosive shit.

Nier New Project

• Platinum Games
• Business Division VI Producer Yosuke Saito (Dragon Quest XI, Nier): “This project is still very early in development but we’re like to take the time to introduce it today”
• Yoko Taro and Atsushi Inaba are working on it.
• This video was a showcase of concept art.
• More information in Autumn 2015.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Lara strangles a man underwater.

There is a temple.

This was mostly a video of developers talking about how much attention to detail they put into Lara.

Her clothes get dirty in a better way than the last game.

Lara Croft Go

• The team behind Hitman Go

Final Fantasy VII Remake

• More info in Autumn 2015.
• Final Fantasy VII (not remake) is coming to iOS in Summer.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained Key

• It’s on iOS

Kingdom Hearts 3

• It exists.
• Xbox One, PS4.
• Disney’s Tangled is in it.
• More info at a later time.

World of Final Fantasy

• Hiroki Chiba, Director of World of Final Fantasy
• The World of Grimoire is filled with tiny, adorable people.
• Wants to bring a new audience to Final Fantasy
• Aiming for simple but deep gameplay that small children and parents can play together.
• Apparently you stack tiny animals on human characters who ride on animals. Towers are a thing in Japan right now, it seems.

Hitman

• Up to you to decide how to approach each assassination – brute force or careful masterpiece.
• 8th December digital release
• They’ll release new locations, maps and hits at regular intervals, and design based on player feedback.
• Events like a target can appear for 48 hours for everyone, rather like an actual contract. If you miss it, it’s gone.
• Locations in Paris, Italy, Marrakech and more.
• Every NPC has a name.

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness

• Being developed by tri-Ace for PS4.
• Winter 2015 in Japan, 2016 in US and Europe

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

• Mary DeMarle, Executive Narrative Director: “Choices that you make as a player will not only change how the game is played, but it willalso change the story as it unfolds. The actions you take as a player will ultimately determine the end of the game.”
• 2029 – two years after Human Revolution.
• Augmented people are feared and hated, some forced to live in ghettos.
• Jensen has joined Task 29, a new division of Interpol. He’s a covert double agent, believing that the task force is actually serving the Illuminati.
• He has a hidden PEPS gun in his arm.
• Nanoblades can be used as deadly projectiles.
• There’s an app called Deus Ex Universe

Final Fantasy Portal App

• An English version is coming this summer.

Project Setsuna

• New Studio: Tokyo RPG Factory specialising in RPGs.
• Nice concept art.

See more E3 2015 news here.