E3 - Hands On Impressions - Square Enix

Continuing our 'brief impressions'-based look at the major titles and major publishers at E3 in Los Angeles, here's a look at SquareEnix's booth. Read on for info about a cornucopia of Final Fantasies, plus the new Star Ocean and the mysterious Drakangard...

- Final Fantasy XI was being shown in the same form as we've already previewed it on the Sony booth. It requiring the PS2 hard disc is a significant expense/hassle, but if you're a Final Fantasy fan or a MMORPG freak, it may be well worth it.

- Star Ocean:The End Of Time was a graphically stunning action strategy game (with real-time combat), including some insanely nice special effects, though there's some very occasional slowdown. You even got to fight enemies like D+D-styled 'eye of the beholder' floating ocular beasts. As far as control goes, you control the main character directly, and the other people in your party follow your lead, but you can stop the action to change priorities or weapons.

- Drakangard for PS2, an unknown quantity until the show, had the player controlling either a warrior on the battlefield, in very Dynasty Warriors-esque hack and slash action, or the same warrior astride a dragon, hovering high above it and swooping down to fire-heat the opposing troops. The graphics looked a little plain from ground level, but being able to see whole groups of enemies from the air and then toast them was neat. Depth of gameplay could be a problem?

- Final Fantasy:Crystal Chronicles was being played by four eager gamers, each using a GBA to control their onscreen character, and we've dealt with this game briefly already in our discussion of the Nintendo booth. It does look like one of the stand-out Gamecube titles at the show, with wicked-looking robot bosses who rotate their body like a windmill, direct action-based controls and plenty of signature Square special effects, but this isn't your standard Final Fantasy title, so it may polarize fans. We heard someone else make the Gauntlet Legends+ comparison while in the booth, so that may be a good way to think of this game.

- Unlimited SaGa for PS2 may be a continuation of a classic series, but it's a decidedly strange one. The use of 2D characters and 3D background mainly works, but it's the opening 2D/3D cinema that really impressed. This definitely comes with an 'only for the hardcore' tag (there's both 'hit points' and 'life points', for example, both of which are important), but if you can get past that, it's a niche title of interest.

- Final Fantasy X-2 can easily be summed up as 'very, very fruity'. From the opening dancing and singing CG, the all-female cast, and the 'Dress-up Sphere' element to combat, with players needing costume changes to power up, it's all very, very Japanese. The game restored the Active Time Battle method for battles, and the graphics surpass even Final Fantasy X, but it's not so much epic as epic kitsch. Still seems to have the gameplay going on, mind you.

For further impressions, screenshots, and media try IGN.com, Gamespot, Gamers.com, Gamerfeed, or all the other usual suspects. More hands-on impressions soon.

So my choices for...

[th3space]

Final Fantasy on the PS2 involve an all female cast with a concept that was described by the reviewer as 'very, very fruity'...or a MMORPG itteration? I'm sure both are well-designed and involve the depth of gameplay we've grown to expect from the series...but what happened to guys with big swords running around in an expansive (but ultimately limited) world in an effort to save it from whatever damning event (or chain of) that hangs over it's head? Of course...I guess things have to change, and evolution is the name of the game, and that's why you're supposed to keep your copies of the older games lying around (to sate your desire for big swords and big, but limite, worlds).

Now that I think about it...I didn't think I'd like FFX or Kingdom Hearts, and those are two of my favorite PS2 releases to date. So I'm going to just have to wait and see as far as FFX2 and FFXI go.

Re:So my choices for...

[Baron_911]

I, for one, am glad Square is trying to take some diffrent spins on their games. A Final Fantasy that has a non-dark-and-gloomy story? Sign me up! And I also don't see a problem with the all female cast >:)

I'm also pretty pumped about Unlimited Saga. Woah, they actually realized the only people that will buy this game ARE hardcore! Let's make the game accordingly! ROCK ON!!!

Re:So my choices for...

[Tsuzuki]

I'm also pretty pumped about Unlimited Saga. Woah, they actually realized the only people that will buy this game ARE hardcore! Let's make the game accordingly! ROCK ON!!!

Well, all of the previous SaGa games have been like that too :) It's like buying Shin Megami Tensei games. W00t.

Re:So my choices for...

[Mortanius]

I've seen a trailer for FFX-2 and talked to a friend who has the Japanese version, it's apparently pretty much designed to cater to the fans 100%. The trailer has left me pretty scared about the game, it seems to involve a lot of scantily-clad women in somewhat suggestive poses. But then, you can't judge a game by its trailer, I suppose. I picked up FFX without hesitation, I think FFX-2 is definitely going to have to be a rent-first game...

As for FFXI, I've played a couple MMORPG's (Dark Age of Camelot and

DrakenGard

[dsyu]

sounds like a Drahken rip-off, even in name. Weird.

oooooh...SaGa!

[th3space]

In my haste at work, I seem to have skipped over (and forgotten previous reviews of) the Unlimited SaGa news...stupid paychecks. That's another game that I absolutely can not wait for...and yet, I must. E3 is such a gamer tease, it's not even remotely amusing...and here we are, year after year, all wishing we were there, reading these reports and lusting after all of these new titles and toys to keep us busy until the next years con rolls around. *shakes a fist at the clouds*