E3 2021 Square Enix Showcase News Rundown

We’re well into E3 territory now, and it is Square Enix’s turn to step up to the plate and show us what they’ve got going on. It’s a long showcase, so strap in and get ready. Here’s what was revealed at the Square Enix Presents E3 presentation.

The showcase began with an intro by voice actor Matt Mercer, who hosted this particular event. Then came the first reveal of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, being developed by Eidos Montreal. It looks to be an all-new action game, with a brand new story. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is coming to PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X/S, and PC on October 26^th, 2021.

After the trailer, there was a bit of a deep dive into the game. They confirmed that it will be a Third-Person, single-player Action-Adventure game. It also seems that rather than playing as all four Guardians of the Galaxy yourself, you’ll be playing as Peter Quill, ordering the others around in combat.

Hopefully, they do make other Guardians playable at some point though. The first look at the gameplay was pretty impressive too. It seems you can issue orders to the Guardians, combine elemental attacks with the Guardians’ various skills, and more.

Next up came an announcement for Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, which is a bundle containing the first six entries in the Final Fantasy franchise. So far all it says is “Coming Soon to Steam and Mobile” so hopefully we’ll see a Nintendo Switch release at some point.

Square Enix also revealed the opening movie cinematic of Legend of Mana, ahead of its June 24^th release date. Legend of Mana is coming to Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4.

Crystal Dynamics then took the time to reveal Marvel’s Avengers’ 2021 Roadmap for updates. June is getting the Cosmic Cube update. In the Cosmic Cube update, the Scientist Supreme is creating a super-weapon that threatens the future by allowing her to bend reality to her will. Then, marked “Summer and Beyond,” is something called Wasteland Patrol.

Wasteland Patrol has you searching for clues to prevent a coming apocalypse. It will come with a new Patrol mode, as well as randomized and replayable boss fight encounters. They intend to also reward you for exploring the new areas and environments in the Wasteland. Newly announced is also the War for Wakanda expansion, introducing Black Panther, Shuri, and other new content with a cinematic trailer.

Then Square Enix switched gears to their mobile offerings. They announced Hitman Sniper: The Shadows coming to mobile sometime this year. Then there was a pre-registration trailer for Nier: Reincarnation, along with announcements for Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and War of the Visions. They finished off the mobile section with a trailer for Final Fantasy Vii: The First Soldier, their Battle Royale-esque mobile title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRX3EqCyB1c

Babylon’s Fall was next on the agenda, with a new trailer and developer interview. Babylon’s Fall will release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Steam. The developers revealed that it can be played solo, as well as in teams of up to 4 players. I’m fond of PlatinumGames’ work so this one looks interesting, though I think I want to know more about it before I get too excited, especially since it is being developed as a “live service” title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTDfTtK35d0

Now it’s time for some Life is Strange news, including both the Life is Strange Remastered Collection and Life is Strange: True Colors. The Life is Strange Remastered Collection will be releasing on September 30^th, so there isn’t actually that long to wait. Life is Strange: True Colors was next on the list, and the information we got was very helpful.

Alex can use her powers to connect with people’s emotions and can even see pieces of their memories through altered states called Novas. Much like previous games in the series, it seems Alex will have a lot of choices to make, including how to use her powers effectively. Life is Strange: True Colors will release on September 10^th.

After the Life is Strange segment, we finally got more info on Final Fantasy Origin. The official title is actually Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and is a collaboration between Team Ninja and Square Enix Japan. Considering Team Ninja is a powerhouse in Action games, I’m actually very intrigued.

It takes place during a quest to kill Chaos and seems to be focused around three protagonists. The ties to the first Final Fantasy game are clear as well since Garland is present in the trailer. I am definitely interested in this one. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will release in 2022 for PlayStation and Xbox Consoles, along with PC. A PS5 demo will be available soon.

They then closed out the show via a montage of other Square Enix Properties, including Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade, Nier Replicant, Outriders, and Neo: The World Ends With You. They also mentioned that there is more to come, such as Forspoken, Final Fantasy XVI, and other titles in development.

I’m a little disappointed that there weren’t as many heavy hitters this year, but there are a lot of cool things coming. They also mentioned more Square Enix Presents showcases coming soon, so hopefully, we’ll get more big news from them then.