The Square Enix E3 2021 is over, and the main focus of the showcase was a new project from Eidos Montreal - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. But, we also got updates for other Square Enix titles including Life is Strange and the Blank Panther DLC for Marvel's Avengers. Here's everything announced at the E3 2021 showcase.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Eidos Montreal has revealed its next project, and it's huge - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. You play as Star-Lord, and it's a third-person, single-player adventure with a strong narrative. It's the studio's own take on the Guardians of the Galaxy, rather than anything based on the MCU movies on Square Enix's other game, Marvel's Avengers. Everyone will experience the same beginning and end, but the game will offer various decision-based variations. You'll also be able to command the other Guardians in combat at the touch of a button, calling on specific moves from Gamora, Groot, Rocket, or Drax.
Legends of Mana
Legends of Mana got a brief showing during the presentation, and that was to reveal the game's June 24, 2021 release date. It's arriving on Switch, PS4, and Steam.
Marvel's Avengers Black Panther DLC - War for Wakanda
The coolest Marvel character is finally arriving in Marvel's Avengers later this year as part of the free War for Wakanda expansion. We got a new trailer showing King T’Challa in action and a look at the game's version of Wakanda - which looks stunning - but no actual release date for this highly anticipated DLC.
Hitman Sniper: The Shadows
Hitman Sniper: The Shadows comes from Square Enix Montreal and will introduce a wholly original story set in the Hitman world. It follows a group of snipers called Initiative 426, made up of five characters, Soji, Kiya, Kolzak, Knight, and Stone. Series regular Diana Burnwoord features but it’s mentioned this is based after the disappearance of Agent 47.
Reminiscent of the Sniper Assassin mode introduced in Hitman 2, you will be tasked with eliminating targets with nothing but a sniper, and the environment you can manipulate by… well, shooting it. Hitman Sniper: The Shadows is currently set to be a mobile exclusive, coming to iOS and Android as a free-to-play title later this year.
Nier Reincarnation
The first mobile game in the NieR series will have players deep in the “sad and beautiful tale” of NieR Reincarnation. Players will get to explore a vibrant world from a third-person, sometimes top-down perspective while making use of on-screen buttons to engage in battle. NieR Reincarnation is to be available on iOS and Android and is available for pre-registration now.
Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier
Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier got a tiny showing during Square Enix’s E3 presentation. If you’re unfamiliar with the overall concept of the game, it’s a spin-off set 30 years before the events of Final Fantasy 7, in which Shinra hosts SOLDIER tryouts to see who gets to enrol in their program. Simply put, you battle it to the death using swords, guns, magic, summons, and more to emerge victorious in this battle royale game. The First Soldier is launching later this year on mobile devices, but unfortunately, you’ve just missed the first beta period if this is the first you’re hearing about it.
Babylon's Fall
Platinum Games is launching its Babylon's Fall title on PS5, along with its originally confirmed PS4 and PC releases. The game will also now be a live service title, where regular updates will be released allowing for the addition of new moves. Character customization and crafting will also be big focuses for the game. No release date for this one yet though.
Life is Strange
Today's showcase gave us a closer look at both the upcoming Life is Strange Remastered Collection, which bundles together the stories from the original game and spin-off Before the Storm with updated visuals, and Life is Strange: True Colours. After the reveal back in March introduced new protagonist Alex Chen, today's new trailer focused on her powers. Alex has the ability to read the emotions of others, sensing their fear, sadness, anger, or joy, and using them to shape her conversations. When she's in the presence of a particularly powerful emotion, she can reach out to cause a 'Nova' - an explosive force that reshapes the world around Alex with fragments of memories but can have serious negative consequences, so you'll have to be prepared. Life is Strange: True Colours is set to launch on September 10, and pre-orders are available now.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
The final reveal from Square Enix's showcase featured a trio of adventurers heading to the Shrine of Chaos to destroy Chaos itself. The sword-wielding combat will be pretty familiar to anyone who knows their Final Fantasy, but the vibe so far seems substantially more souls-like than previous entries in the series, even if the main character seems dangerously obsessed with fulfilling his lofty goal. The project is a spin-off to the original game, and we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out exactly how it fits with the franchise - a PS5 demo is coming soon, with Stranger of Paradise set to get its full launch in 2022.
