With E3 just around the corner, it is once again time for the Player 2 crew to get their crystal balls out of the attic and make some wildly inaccurate predictions as to what will appear at the world’s biggest games show. Our final entrant is Square Enix. What can they do to wow us all?
E3 2017 Predictions – Square Enix
Adam Rorke
Safe bet
Hints and rumours have been pointing to this and with the company behind it being tight-lipped, I’m fully expecting the official announcement/trailer for Kingdom Heart 3. Hell, it’s only been …one … three … err who cares? Now we did just see a tantalising report come out that they’ll definitely be releasing this within the next three years and one has to wonder if this is some weird troll job or they really do have no idea when they’ll finish it. I’m hoping for some trailers/teasers, in fact, I would be perfectly happy with that at this point in time.
Fairly likely
My relationship with Square is very much a love/hate thing. When they teased the Final Fantasy Remake I couldn’t believe my eyes and found myself clapping at my computer during the trailer. Rightly so I guess, Square quickly changed focus to Final Fantasy 15 and gave that a bunch of love and support. Well, that’s been and gone and hopefully what this means is that we’ll see an actual trailer for FF7 Remake and some new gameplay footage.
Wishful thinking
On the back of my last post … a 2017 release date! (It’s ok, I know I’m seeing myself up for disappointment).
Matt Hewson
Safe Bet
Final Fantasy something something. I am pretty sure there will be plenty of Final Fantasy love on show. DLC for FFXV? A new mobile game perhaps? Something for the 3DS/Switch? Whatever form it takes you can bet your bottom dollar that Final Fantasy will be there.
Fairly Likely
I have a feeling that Lara will make an appearance once again. Both the reboot and Rise of the Tomb Raider were excellent so I am super keen to see some more Lara action and I think there has been enough time since the last outing for a new one to be announced.
Wishful Thinking
I know this is a hope against hope but I want the 3rd part of the Adam Jensen Deus Ex storyline to be announced. I loved both of the previous titles and while Mankind Divided had issues, they never held the game back from being a super engaging experience. I want the story to get to the point where Adam and JC Denton co-exist and I am getting a little tired of waiting. Come on guys, get cracking!
Jenn Christodoulou
Safe Bet
With the remake of FF12 right around the corner, I’m hoping theree is some more footage to show this off. Same with the upcoming Dragon Quest game- these are two franchises I absolutely adore so any new information I can get about them I will soak right up.
Fairly Likely
The Tomb Raider reboot has been doing really well for Square, with the company pumping out games quite quickly. With the most recent title a year gone now, it’s about that time for them to show us more info on Shadow of the Tomb Raider. She’s been to the jungle, she’s been to the snow- maybe now it’s time to revisit a city like in Tomb Raider 3?
Also, more Final Fantasy 7. Because we can’t have a Square E3 article without me banging on about FF7.
Wishful Thinking
FF8 remake? (Hey it could happen). Also I’d love to see and hear more about this Final Fantasy Type-0 online game that’s been swirling around the internet.
Paul James
Safe Bet
Shadow of the Tomb Raider – It’s been leaked already, and so as a result I feel quite confident in stating that Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be present at E3 2017 to some degree. I wouldn’t rule out seeing it at Sony’s conference as a small gesture of an apology for Rise of the Tomb Raider’s timed exclusivity. I hope that it isn’t exclusive to that platform, but I feel it’s perhaps the most logical place to find Lara this E3. We’re about due for signs of her next adventure. A 2018 release beckons and her first steps towards it begin this E3.
Fairly Likely
Dragon Quest XI – Last year I laughed off the prospect of seeing Dragon Quest XI at E3, my tone has changed though for 2017. While I’m still not convinced it will be there, with a nearing Japanese release date, and still no official confirmation that it’s coming to the West, the Playstation stage will be the best place for Square-Enix to formally announce it for all of us non-Japanese speaking folk. I wouldn’t then rule out the possibility that Nintendo doesn’t show it off further in their E3 Direct the following day – look forward to it.
Wishful Thinking
Final Fantasy XVI – It’s usually about this time that Square-Enix would reveal the next big core Final Fantasy game, and after major delays to each of the last three (XII, XIII and now XV), surely Square-Enix aren’t foolish enough to start teasing the next major game in the franchise? Square-Enix would have to be firing on all cylinders if we got to play the next core Final Fantasy game before the close of 2020, so just put the cue in the rack for a while guys – no need to start teasing me just yet.
Stevie McDonald
Safe bet
Now that FFXV has released, we’ll all but certainly get some more specific info about the promised DLC. Episode Gladiolus has dropped, but all we know of further episodes revolving around fellow companions Ignis and Prompto is that they are imminent.
Fairly likely
Rumours of the next installment in the rebooted Tomb Raider series have been swirling for a while now – surely now is the perfect time for any announcements Square and Crystal Dynamics have been wanting to make?
Wishful thinking
Not only is the FFVII remake finished and everything you hoped it would be, it’s available RIGHT NOW!
Matthew Ballinger
Safe Bet
Final Fantasy 7 updates
Fairly Likely
Square have been floundering around making stupid decisions one after the other for a while now but recently they have revealed that they are working on a bunch of unannounced Marvel Comics branded games. Marvel are really pushing games at the moment and giving studios the opportunity to work on their own stories within their established universe. From what we have seen with Insomniac’s take on Spiderman for PS4, this really gets my geek heart pumping hard.
Wishful thinking
Chrono Trigger something, anything.
Stephen del Prado
Safe Bet
Dragon Quest XI is officially dated for the west, however licensing issues will prevent the dual 3DS/PS4 versions from releasing here. Turns out Dragon Quest X will remain a Japanese exclusive title due to the ongoing costs involved in supporting both it and FFXIV for a worldwide audience.
Fairly Likely
Further promises are made in regard to both the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Kingdom Hearts 3, however Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the future of the Deus Ex franchise will sit this one out completely. Following their disappointment with the numbers brought in by Hitman, it is announced that FFVII:Re will move to a traditional release rather than an episodic model.
Wishful Thinking
Square-Enix courageously apologises for putting Tetsuya Nomura in charge of anything, and banish him once again to character design. Character costumes riddled with leather and zippers increases a staggering 300%. Fortunately, this shift has fast-tracked Kingdom Heart 3, which will release by mid-2018.
Sarah Ellen
Safe Bet
The initial trailer release for Tokyo RPG Company’s next nostalgia-train Lost Sphear had a trailer drop in the last few days, and I anticipate that further information about the game (and which classic JRPG’s heart strings it is pulling) will be offered in Square’s E3 presentation.
Fairly Likely
Let’s put the JRPGs aside for a minute and talk about Battalion 1944, a Kickstarted classic multiplayer shooter in development by Bulkhead Interactive that just went into alpha testing last weekend. Let’s talk about Square Enix publishing this, and whether it is developing the company’s reputation for taking on “spiritual successor” projects or just continuing work with the company that developed the lesser-known puzzle game The Turing Test. Or let’s just talk about this game, because it looks like an EA shooter as far as I can tell.
Wishful Thinking
aka: Not a Lick of a Chance in Hell
Final Fantasy VII has been cocooned into the warm embrace of Square Enix, apparently leaving contributing studio CyberConnect2 on the doorstep. There is little hope of further gameplay footage at E3 2017.
