Square Enix E3 2018 Showcase

Square Enix E3 2018 Showcase

Square Enix kicked off their E3 showcase presentation last night with an introduction from Yosuke Matsuda, their President and CEO, after which it was down to business. We've got a round up of the highlights, plus other teaser trailers and release dates below. Overall the presentation has been met with a little disappointment, as there was very little we didn't already know about.

If you want to skip through the presentation and watch the clips referenced below, check out the full presentation and timings here:


07:25 - Start of presentation
08:42 - Shadow of the Tomb Raider
15:37 - Final Fantasy XIV Online: Stormblood, Under the Moonlight, Monster Hunter World
18:02 - The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit (Life is Strange)
20:20 - Dragonquest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
23:45 - Babylon's Fall
25:45 - Nier: Automata - Become as Gods Edition
26:31 - Octopath Traveller
27:21 - Just Cause 4
31:00 - The Quiet Man
32:39 - Kingdom Hearts III


Shadow of the Tomb Raider
The first clip shows Lara Croft trying to control an aircraft as it crashes towards a dark jungle and, according to Senior Game Director Daniel Chayer-Bisson, this clip shows the beginning of the game. The story aims to show how Lara Croft became the tomb raider as she races to stop an Mayan apocalypse.


"Lara will have to confront a brutal jungle environment in order to survive. And even though she's more confident and more capable, she will still be out gunned and outnumbered by Trinity. She will have to use everything she learned from the jungle and use it in order to survive. We call this becoming one with the jungle."

The second clip shown in the presentation showed gameplay, as Lara stalks and kills her targets by stealth. There will be new traversal techniques in the game, such a grappling and wall running, plus 360 degree underwater swimming allowing for full water exploration and survival.

The clips in the presentation are different from the trailer above, so if you want to check them out then skip to 8 minutes 42 seconds of the presentation (top of the page).

Shadow of the Tomb Raider release date: 14th September 2018


Just Cause 4

The existence of Just Cause 4 had already been leaked via a rogue advert on the Steam Store, but that only really served to heighten the anticipation.

Just Cause 4 shows the return of Rico Rodriguez, "a rogue agent on a mission that will challenge everything and everyone he knows." According to the voice over, "Rico has arrived in the fictional South American country of Solís, the largest and most breathtaking world we've ever created. Every journey into Solís will uncover history, secrets, and danger. Never before has a Just Cause game offered a greater variety, rich in all forms of life. At first glance Solís is a beautiful location, but scratch the surface and you will uncover oppression, fear, and violence, all enforced by Gabriella, the leader of the private militia organisation The Black Hand."


"Just Cause 4 takes destruction and physics simulation to whole new level, with the introduction of extreme weather. Experience towering tornados that can tear trees from the ground and level bridges to sticks. Awesome forked lightning, unpredictable and deadly sand storms, roaring blizzards. Witness the spectacular destruction as they offer both a challenge to Rico as well as creating fun opportunities for creative sandbox gameplay."

The game will also feature new vehicles, from bulldozers to jets, cranes to wrecking balls. Rico also has a fully customisable grapple, with the ability to deploy booster rockets and all new airlifters (balloons that lift the target into the air). The game features an all new story, with better-than-ever combat and enemies who are more of a threat. Just Cause 4 is powered by the open world Apex engine.

Just Cause 4 release date: 4th December 2018


Kingdom Hearts III
Last but not least, Kingdom Hearts III, which was first teased at E3 five years ago. The game features a number of returning characters, and also features new characters from titles such as Frozen, Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Tangled, Ratatouille, and Wreck It Ralph.


Today they also released a new trailer showing the characters from Pirates of the Caribbean:


Kingdom Hearts III release date: 29th January 2019



Other new trailers and release dates

Babylon's Fall: Release date 2019


The Quiet Man: Release date unknown, but more to come in August 2018.

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Becky Cunningham
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