Square Enix Outs E3 Lineup

By Nick Mokey May 29, 2009

Square Enix Outs E3 Lineup

Though E3 remains days away, Square Enix has lifted the curtain on the titles it will be showing this year with a Friday press release detailing the upcoming show.

New titles include Front Mission Evolved, a third-person shooter based on the “wanzer” humanoid war machine, Nier, an action-adventure game that pits players against a virus, and Order of War, a real-time strategy game set during WWII. Supreme Commander will also see a sequel set to come out in 2010.

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On the Final Fantasy front, Square will show Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord, and Dissida Final Fantasy, which will bring together characters previous games in the series in an action RPG for the PSP.

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Gaming

How to get Ultima Weapon in Final Fantasy 16

A castle under a massive crystal.

After beating the main game, most Final Fantasy titles include extra challenges for the dedicated players to seek out and take on that are far more difficult than the main story. These can include things like super bosses, extra dungeons, and hunting down the most powerful weapons. In Final Fantasy 16, Clive's Ultima Weapon is hidden in a way never seen before in the franchise. If you don't know the proper requirements to get it, no amount of searching or grinding will lead you to this legendary blade. If you want to overpower everything in the game, here's how to get the Ultima Weapon in Final Fantasy 16.

Gaming

The best video games of June 2023: Street Fighter 6, Diablo IV and more

Ryu performs a special move in Street Fighter 6.

June 2023 was a month of old gaming classics successfully resurfacing. Thanks to the flurry of gaming showcases, we got promising looks at new games in stories franchises like Super Mario Bros., Fable, Prince of Persia, Forza Motorsport, and Sonic the Hedgehog. More importantly, this was reflected in some of the month's biggest launches. Franchises like Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, and Diablo, which don't receive new mainline games that often, all got new entries that lived up to expectations.
Even the cult classic Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective got a remaster. This was actually one of the strongest months for AAA games in a while, although there were definitely still some creative indies in the mix, creating a month that was quite exciting from all corners of the gaming industry. In particular, the following games stood out as the best games of the month.
Street Fighter 6

Capcom released a brand new Street Fighter at the start of the month, and it fixed almost every issue that plagued its predecessor. The core fighting gameplay felt as amazing to play as ever, bolstered by a flashy new Drive Gauge system. Those who enjoy the series for its hardcore, competitive elements will like that, as well as its multiplayer Battle Hub mode. That said, Street Fighter 6 is also the friendliest fighting game ever for newcomers to the genre. New modern controls, as well as a meaty RPG World Tour mode that teaches the ins and outs of many of the game's characters and mechanics, means there's a ton of enjoyment to be had no matter one's skill level.
“From its control options to World Tour’s RPG setup, Street Fighter 6 ensures that it can be a fighting game for pretty much any type of player,” I wrote in a four-and-a-half star review of Street Fighter 6. “You’re likely to find your physical, cultural, or gaming background represented within this game somewhere and have all of the tools at your disposal to go from flashy amateur play to seasoned pro, all in one of the best-looking games of this console generation. Street Fighter 6 is the ultimate fighting game and should be the new gold standard for the genre.”
Street Fighter 2 kicked off the original fighting game boom, and Street Fighter 4 brought the fighting game genre back from irrelevancy. There seems to be some magic surrounding even numbered Street Fighter titles, as Street Fighter 6 feels like the most accessible fighting game yet, and one that everyone will be comparing new games in the genre to for years to come. It's available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Diablo IV

Gaming

Final Fantasy XVI’s most impressive innovations are the ones you can hear

Clive walks through a field in Final Fantasy XVI.

Final Fantasy XVI is a leap forward for the long-running RPG series in some very obvious ways, The most immediately apparent way it accomplishes that is through its fantastic real-time combat, which makes the adventure into Final Fantasy’s best pure action game to date. Then there are its cinematic Eikon fights, which offer spectacle on a level we’ve long dreamed of seeing in a video game. However, some of its most impressive innovations are ones you can’t actually see. Rather, you’ll need to listen closely.

Ahead of Final Fantasy XVI’s launch, I spoke to series composer Masayoshi Soken about his work on the project. While we talked a bit about his excellent score, Soken was most eager to share details on the new sound tech that was built for the action RPG. You may not notice it while playing, but Final Fantasy XVI raises the bar for video game audio in ways that might soon carry over into other Square Enix titles.
Audio innovation
In a music panel prior to Final Fantasy XVI’s release, Soken shared a bit about the new sound tech powering the game. The first major innovation he highlighted was the action RPG’s new approach to interactive music, a system meant to make the soundtrack more reactive and dynamic in battles. Rather than looping music during fights, Soken uses audio magic to seamlessly transition between different sections of the score no matter how long it takes a player to move through the fight. Everything down to Clive’s end pose will naturally sync up with the music in every fight.