Square Enix Conference Recap - E3 2015

The last major conference of E3 2015 is held by publisher Square Enix. Things kick with a trailer for Just Cause 3, showing just as many explosions and crazy stunts as you would expect from the title. Square Enix CEO Phil Rogers then comes on for opening comments. He then returns to Just Cause 3, promising that the company will support the game for a long time after it releases, before introducing the game director from Avalanche Studios.

He talks about the game in broad terms, mentioning the wing-suit and upgraded grapple-hook that will now be included. The map will be 400 miles squared, and the game will launch on December 1st of this year. To wrap up the segment, another trailer is shown, more stunts and explosions ensue. At one point a bridge is seen collapsing, pointing towards increased destructibility. The narrative premise is also revealed, which will involve bringing down a dictator.

Business Division VI producer is on next to announce a new game from Platinum Games with a trailer. Artwork is shown of a highly dilapidated looking city, eventually transitioning to a clip of a girl, and the words "NieR" come on screen, though its subtitle has not yet been decided upon. Production has just begun on this project, so very little information is available. Project Director from Platinum is on now, wearing a bizarre mask to promote the title, though he doesn't provide any hard info. The same goes for the next two speakers from Platinum; it sounds like the game won't be coming out any time soon.

Now Lara is on screen, indicating that Rise of the Tomb Raider is on next. Game Director Brian Horton from Crystal Dynamics comes on to introduce a behind-the-scenes look at the game's development. Developers talk about the effort put into developing character models, pore technology, and making Lara as life-like as possible.

Rolling along, Square Enix Montreal studio head comes on to talk about mobile gaming. A trailer is played to reveal a new title for mobile platforms, and it looks to be an animated Tomb Raider game, Lara Croft GO.

After a brief trailer showing clips from various games like Final Fantasy, Life is Strange and Dragons Quest, it's on to Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII. Studio producer comes on and talks in untranslated Japanese -- this leads into a trailer, the same one we saw yesterday for the Final Fantasy VII remake. Afterwards it is announced that the PC version of Final Fantasy VII will be coming to the PS4 and iOS later this summer. After this, a trailer plays for a new Kingdom Hearts, Unchained Key, which will be coming to iOS and Android exclusively.

Keeping on with this series, Kingdom Hearts III is up next. A video showing two Disney Animation Studios developers talking about the game and its development plays, after which a trailer is put on with some gameplay. Lots of action and jumping is shown, at one point we see the player character summoning a giant tea-cup and using it to dispatch foes. The game will be coming to the PS4 and Xbox One, though no release date is provided.

Now it's back to Final Fantasy with the recently announced World of Final Fantasy. The same trailer that was played at the Sony conference yesterday is run again. Game Director Hiroki Chiba comes on to further discuss the title. He spoke to designing the game so that it could attract a larger audience, hoping to create a simple but deep gameplay system that people of all ages can enjoy. Players and monsters forming towers for combat is described as a key new component of the game.

With that, Io Interactive are on to talk about the recently announced Hitman. The game will launch on December 8th, but will continue to grow and evolve over time as new missions and locations are added, hinting at a sort of ongoing development process. Limited-time contracts are mentioned, with players having to work together to complete assassinations. The core of the game will see you playing as Agent 47 performing assassinations in classic Hitman style.

A new in-engine trailer plays, focusing on the attempt to assassinate a single target. Agent 47 is seen completing the mission in several different ways, with the mechanics looking to build on those in Absolution. We then see 47 briefly moving through a variety of environments, with the voiceover indicating the return of Hitman Contracts. The game will be coming to the PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Next, a trailer for something new from developers Tri-Ace. It looks to be a new Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness (apparently that is a real word). Though previously announced for Japan, it is now confirmed to be coming to North America as well. We get to see a gameplay trailer, with a group of heroes running through a variety of environments before engaging in combat with a variety of bizarre enemies. Battles, exploration and events will all have seamless transitions. It is also mentioned that the developers are targeting 60fps for the final release, and that the game will be coming out in 2016 in North America and winter 2015 for Japan.

Now it's time for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Eidos Montreal come on to talk about the game, indicating that the same team from Human Revolution has returned but the title will be running on a new engine. The game will take place two years after the end of Human Revolution, and Adam Jensen will again serve as the central character. The story will focus on a 'mechanical apartheid;' Adam Jensen however is working to stop terrorist attacks while also working as a double agent. A hidden firearm and projectile Nano-blades are listed as new augmentations within the game.

As with Human Revolution, the game's narrative will be partially dictated by player choices. After this, we get to see an in-game trailer. Little gameplay is shown, though from what we see the core gameplay design of Human Revolution will remain intact, with both stealth and action sequences depicted. The game is set to come out in early 2016 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Square Enix President/CEO Yosuke Matsuda is on next to introduce the Final Fantasy Portal App. An English version will be coming this summer. He then introduces a new RPG project under development by a new studio, Tokyo RPG Factory. Some artwork is shown, revealing snowy environments, with the game currently being titled Project Settsuna.

With that, Yosuke makes a closing speech, and a montage trailer plays, all of the devs who presented return to the stage, ending the Square Enix conference.