Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 and Harvestella lead an onslaught of fall games from Square Enix

Shaken from the production problems of the pandemic, and perhaps a gradual shift to more sustainable work practices, the video game industry is running out of product. After a barren summer, we’re faced with a lack of release schedules in the fall and into the end of the year, with few major titles or platform-exclusive content that typically fills the season. By all accounts, the second half of 2022 will be a quiet time for video games.

But no one told Square Enix.

A venerable Japanese publisher a pile up release scheduleAt least nine games will be released between mid-September and mid-December. triangular strategy, life is strange Arcadia Bay Collection On Switch, And Weird Mobile Compendium Remake Stuff Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisiswhich is scheduled to enter beta testing this year.

There are no major releases in this line-up, but there are quite a few remakes and reissues, as well as a few lesser spin-offs and genre experiments. There’s ambition and breadth here, and a mind-boggling length. Most of these games offer some variation on the JRPG template and don’t shy away from slow buildups and chaotic run times.

After selling Western studios and assets such as Deus Ex and Tomb Raider to the Embracer Group, these games let go of their attempts to become a global monolith and embraced a Japanese identity, embracing a wave of anime popularity and the Switch. and the wave of JRPG content on Steam. Not long ago, many of these games would never have made it to the West.

At a recent event in London decked out with fake cherry blossom trees and a counter selling Japanese snacks, Square Enix made this line-up playable, with a few exceptions. Romancing Saga Minstrel Song And the long-awaited remake of the classic tactical RPG, Tactics Ogre: RebornJRPGs aren’t particularly good for sampling in the 30 minute demos on the show floor, but I’ve tried most of them. Here is what i found.

Diorfield Chronicle

Perhaps the most interesting genre experiment Square Enix had to show was the Diorfield Chronicle Takes the traditional tactical RPG format exemplified in Tactics Ogre Removes the movement grid and turn-based action, leaving the game to play like a single player league of legends Or a leaner, hero-focused real-time strategy game. Busy in a good way, but the storytelling is subdued and Mission Hub seems to be made on a tight budget.

Diorfield Chronicle Available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Valkyrie Elysion

Image: Soleil/Square Enix

Probably the most immediately playable game in demo form. Valkyrie Elysion A loose successor to the Valkyrie Profile series. The Norse mythology-inspired thread turns hybrid his platformer-RPG into an action-RPG, as fluid Bayonetta places a firm emphasis on his style of action. The name of the game is Valkyrie’s combo, while summoning his einherjar, spirits of dead warriors waiting for Ragnarok, to maintain his strings to assist you and exploit the enemy’s elemental weaknesses. That’s it. It’s a sparse piece full of skyscapes, but it works well where it matters.

Valkyrie Elysion will release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on September 29th, with a Windows PC version on November 11th.

Nier: Automata – The End of YoRHa Edition

Image: Platinum Games/Square Enix

Arguably the best game in this ton of releases, but also by far the most well-known volume, is this Switch release of Yoko Taro and Platinum’s 2017 cult hit. It’s just fun to have the game in a portable form, and this edition, with its exclusive costumes and perfectionist approach to content, leans heavily toward the game’s fans.

Nier: Automata – The End of YoRHa Edition It will be released on Nintendo Switch on October 6th.

Star Ocean: Divine Force

Image: Tri-Ace/Square Enix

fewer reboots than Valkyrie Elysion, the sixth Star Ocean game in a row with all its predecessors, sharing the same developer, tri-Ace. Continuing the steady drift into the action realm of sci-fi RPG series, explore vast, open environments and launch many elevations. There are gimmicks and some pretty good ones. DUMA is his hovering droid that assists all four of his party members in bringing the aerial dimension to both exploration and combat. “Blindside” surprise attack and Vanguard utilizing his DUMA His Assault puts an interesting emphasis on positioning in combat. The game is handsome enough, too, but don’t stare at the characters’ motionless PS3-era faces and listen to nonsense dialogue (“That’s just semi-omancy!”).

Star Ocean: Divine Force It will be released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on October 27th.

Harvestera

Image: Square Enix

Unlike subtle blends of styles like Diorfield Chronicle, Harvestera It takes a straightforward approach to Frankenstein’s monstrous genre mashup. Harvestera is a farm-life sim at home and an action-RPG abroad, and the two lineages of the game are linked in an obvious but satisfying way (you can head to monster-infested fields, grow materials and farm them). such as making equipment for , it’s surprisingly lush and surprisingly dense narratively. HarvesteraThe natural cycle of the four seasons is interrupted by a time of death known as the Quietus, caused by dust from Scheelite, the giant leaf-like crystals that dominate the landscape. are involved in The main character is an amnesiac trapped in the middle of everything.

Harvestera It doesn’t seem like a very sophisticated example in either genre, but it works.The two flavors go together like salt and caramel.Standing out in the current wave of farming sims is a good bet. It seems that.

Harvestera It will be released on Nintendo Switch and Windows PC on November 4th.

Dragon Quest Treasures

Image: Tose/Square Enix

I’m a little reluctant to pass judgment on a short demo of a light JRPG that clearly struggles to slowly introduce itself to younger players. Dragon Quest Treasures does not seem to meet the standards of dragon quest 11 (This is an ostensible prequel to Eric and Mia’s childhood) or a very charming dragon quest builders and its sequel. Developed by his Tose, an outsourcing specialist, this piece draws from the margins of dragon his quest lore in a colorful, ageless, leaden and unattractive attempt to evoke treasure-hunting adventures. It seems so. To varying degrees it suffers from the worst examples of symptoms that have affected all games here.

Dragon Quest Treasures It will be released on Nintendo Switch on December 9th.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion

Image: Tose/Square Enix

Judging by Final Fantasy’s branding and its sleek presentation, and with a relatively extravagant budget, this is probably Square Enix’s biggest bet this season. As a remake of his PlayStation Portable game from 2007—a prequel final fantasy 7 From the perspective of a SOLDIER operative, it hones its humble origins with sleek graphics, handsome character models, and fully voiced acting. Structurally, however, they cannot hide their origin at all. It’s still a scripted narrow action RPG set in a tightly constrained environment. The pre-rendered video sequences are noticeably lo-fi, with fade-outs and jumps to battle arenas every time you enter a battle. In that sense, it’s very outdated. But in the context of 2007, the combat itself was ahead of its time — at least within the Final Fantasy series, where players had so many iconic spells and abilities in a well-organized free-flow. In a way that allows immediate command. action game. The past and future of Final Fantasy are in a package that contradicts each other.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion Releases December 13th on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Such a high volume of releases from one publisher may just be a scheduling coincidence. It could be a publisher reassessing and redefining its identity after selling its Western division. Or, in the same situation, it could be evidence that Square Enix is ​​adding what was once a niche, Japan-only product to its global schedule now that it has nothing else to offer.

Nothing is more important to Square Enix’s future than a big 2023 release Abandoned When final fantasy 16 will be But it shows the publisher doing something that many of its rivals, especially those in the West, aren’t doing at the moment. Re-releasing and remastering past hits to keep a brand alive is not uncommon, but it certainly makes a lot of small bets as opposed to one or two big bets. . Square Enix gives both external and internal development teams modest budgets for various purposes, such as experimenting and creating original new properties (Harvestera When dio field), brand extension (Dragon Quest Treasures), long-running middle-tier series maintenance (star ocean) or dormant reactivation (Valkyrie Elysion).

It’s no surprise that the first experiment here is quickly the most compelling game, but the big picture is one of publishers looking to satisfy a small but ardent fanbase. The lesson learned from the slow successes of Capcom’s Monster Hunter and Sega’s Raikua his Dragon (aka Yakuza) is that this pays off well in the long run. And in the short term? At least, thanks to Square Enix, we have something to play this winter.