If there’s one thing I enjoy about E3, it’s the awkward weirdness that inevitably comes from pre-scripted, live entertainment. So it’s a little disappointing when companies like Square Enix only have pre-recorded dialog clips and trailers to show. That being said, the thirty-minute Square Enix E3 conference was a whirlwind of color, music, and a few surprises. Let’s dive in!
In no particular order (because I’d already listed out what I expected to see), here’s what we saw in trailers and teasers today.
Kingdom Hearts III came as no surprise for fans of the franchise. The biggest addition to the Disney family is the enormous cast of Pixar characters — in the trailer alone, we saw the crews of Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Tangled, Frozen, and Ratatouille. In a mix of gameplay and cutscenes, we see Sora, Goofy, and Donald, and the rest of Organization 13 from previous games, fight through various Disney worlds. While Square Enix had previously released a trailer for E3, this one was slightly more extended. Memorable characters and nostalgia mix for a cute romp, coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 29, 2019.
A game we have seen cinematic trailers for previously, Shadow of the Tomb Raider from eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics gave us the same chills the previous two installments did. Starting out in a disintegrating airplane and in peril, Lara is, again, a complete badass (though she struggles to put on a seatbelt… she’s just like us!), and must make death-defying feats to survive. This time Lara is “becoming one with the jungle” to stop the Mayan apocalypse, which previous trailers seemed to imply she had brought about with her past actions, and must now set right. We got a glimpse at gameplay today, and were impressed with the variety players will seem to have in playstyle — Lara can use her standard bow and arrow, or a knife to take out enemies; new grappling and wall-running mechanics allow greater stealth and strategy. Underwater areas will seem to be a bigger part of the overall story, with at least one underwater tomb. Oh, and of course, there will be SO MANY TOMBS!!! Because what would happen if Lara actually learned her lesson? Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be out September 14th this year, on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Just Cause 4 is another action-adventure title we had been speculating would make an appearance at E3 this year, and we were right (it happens, OK?). This time, Rico is in the fictional South American city of Solace (Solice? Soleece? Solease?) fighting the oppressive violence of Gabriella, leader of the Black Hand. Story aside, the Just Cause 4 trailer focused on new mechanics gamers can look forward to: better grapple with boosters, new vehicle types (think: construction site and rich playboy), and extreme weather conditions like blizzards and tornadoes. Over a lil’ dub step (just ‘cause), we saw the detail the APEX engine can deliver, and the damage a more intelligent AI system will inflict. We can’t wait to see the upgraded physics in this one! Out December 4th, on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
An unexpected (to me, anyway) title to come out of E3 has been the Life is Strange universe’s The Awesome Adventures of Captain Sprit. While not in the Life is Strange storyline, this sweet and nostalgic story of a boy who dreams of being a superhero, while dealing with an unpleasant home life, has the same familiar feel as its predecessor, which is both heartbreaking and uplifting. Players looking forward to season 2 of Life is Strange didn’t get any news, but instead will be treated to a few “hints” at things to come in that game when playing The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. With DONTNOD’s lovely imagery and storytelling, this game is out June 26th for FREE on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
While there was no mention of the Final Fantasy VII reboot/remake this year, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Online’s Under the Moonlight patch 4.3 was announced. There was also the absolute briefest of mentions that there is a Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood crossover with Monster Hunter World, with a free trial out now. Mentions: brief.
Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age won for longest title, with two editions available: Edition of Light and Edition of Lost Time. Telling the “Legend of the Luminary,” players must “Wield the Light, Seal the Dark, Face your Fate” — but only on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as only Japan will be getting the 3DS version. The Nintendo Switch’s version is delayed, according to Square Enix, but for the other consoles, will be out September 4th, with pre-order bonuses.
Nier: Automata Become as Gods edition will be released with previous DLC on the Xbox One on June 26th. That was about all we learned here.
Babylon’s Fall was a complete surprise — a dark fantasy, Dark Souls-meets Diablo-meets I don’t know what. From Nier and Bayonetta’s Platinum Games Inc., this game appears to be an action-adventure title, but little was really shared. All we got to see were references to Judgement Day, fighting knights, and hellfire. OK, I’m in! Out on PlayStation 4 and Steam sometime in 2019.
Octopath Traveler is a JRPG (Japanese Role Playing Game) that will follow, you guessed it, eight travelers, each representing fairly staple class types: cleric, warrior, thief, and a few less traditional ones, like dancer. After heavy feedback on the demo released last year, Octopath Traveler has been reworked to be faster and more original than other titles from Square Enix. Out on Nintendo Switch and Steam July 13th.
For me, the highlight of the conference, aside from getting to see Lara Croft raid more of those exotic tombs (get ‘em, girl!), was the teaser for The Quiet Man. A mix of hyper-realism and not at all like the 1952 John Wayne classic of the same name, The Quiet Man caught my attention by seeming to imply that as the main character, you are deaf. While unclear if this was just a distraction ploy, or the actual character’s story, I am hopeful this is an attempt to include a population of gamers who are often overlooked. Hopefully we will learn more about this mysterious man in August, as Square Enix promised.
