Square Enix Presents 2021, Everything announced - Event Recap

Yesterday, Square Enix live-streamed their own Nintendo Direct / Playstation State of Play style live 40 minute event where they shared exciting updates on upcoming games. We got news on everything from Life is Strange to even a huge update on Project Athia! Below is a list of the things Square Enix showed off, complete with trailer, details, and impressions. Thanks to titles like Final Fantasy, Life is Strange, Nier, Tomb Raider, and so many more, Square is quickly becoming one of my favorite publishers. They continue to publish games from developers with a passion for story telling, amazing characters, and more. While some games have had some missteps like Avengers, or how unimpressed I was with the demo of Outriders, there still is much to look forward to from this publisher. If you would rather watch the event in it's entirety it is embedded below. Stay tuned for more event recaps as they only ramp up the closer we get to Summer.

(Full Event)

Project Athia Is Officially Called Forspoken

Game Developers seriously need to stop telling us their project names before giving us the final product? Project Scorpio? Project Scarlet? Project Xcloud? Looks like Square Enix is learning from Xbox's bad habit of sharing cool project names before giving us the final name. I'm sorry, I know it means nothing for the quality of the game but am I the only one irked by Athia being just a cooler name than... Forspoken? Like...is that even a word? Ok, google says it is a word, but I've sure never heard it before and it sounds like a word that is made up. It sounds like a word you say when you are trying to think of the past tense version of some other word. Sorry, I hate the title. Moving on.

Project Athia is now FORSPOKEN, and it is coming in 2022. This was a much anticipated title by fans, and it is confirmed again in this trailer to be a new IP, squashing any rumors of it being secretly tied to an existing license. Sadly, it is not Final Fantasy something, but as a New Ip looks amazing. This truly next-gen title got more than a title. We got a new look at the game alongside the actress who plays the protagonist.

Marvel's Avengers - Black Panther Trailer (Later 2021)

Avenger's has had a rough launch. While not excusing it's issues in my review, I still Len more positive than more criticism and especially gamers. I really enjoyed this game, mostly because I had a friend who also really was looking forward to it. It was a game that despite many flaws proved to be a lot of fun when you had someone to laugh at said flaws with. Now, since launch, with the main game far completed, there isn't much bringing fans back. It is a live service game that is missing that live service element. Once you run out of things to do, there's little reason to keep playing. It always seemed better as a single player game to me. However, despite dropping player bases, and failure to recoup their development costs; I applaud Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics for sticking to their promises to players. We have seen two post launch characters, and now we have a reveal teaser for the much anticipated Black Panther Wakanda expansion. I only hope that the game can survive long enough to see it released, later some time in 2021.

Marvel's Avengers - New Look at Hawkeye, Next-gen, and 2021 Roadmap

In addition to Black Panther, we got an additional look at Hawkeye. At first, I was worried that the game would suffer from adding yet another hero that was so similar to the first DLC character. Having Hawkeye and Kate Bishop, both bow and arrow slinging heroes, seemed like an odd choice for the role out of new characters. Where's Dr Strange? Where's Captain Marvel? Avenger's needs something exciting to bring players in. I will say that this update does look like it may be interesting once in game. We get a new location and mission that seems to be very different and offer fresh content.

Life is Strange True Colors

The third Life is Strange game is coming! Instead of titled "3", True Colors is the next major installment in the franchise. Like with 2, we are seeing a whole new cast of characters and a new supernatural ability. While there will most likely be Easter eggs or call backs to things from the original two games, True Colors is a new story, welcoming to new comers in the franchise. In True Colors, the special ability focuses on psychic empathic abilities. Players seem to be able to read or maybe even control the emotions of others, on an adventure to solve a mystery. As a huge fan of the first game, I can't wait to see how True Colors delivers. True Colors is coming September 2021.

Life is Strange Remastered Collection

Speaking of the first game, Life is Strange and it's stand a lone expansion, "Before the Storm" are getting a remaster collection! The game will be getting enhanced visuals, graphics, and animations! To say that I am almost more excited for this than the actual sequel is an understatement. That is because I find it hard to believe that True Colors could outmatch the first game. Don't get me wrong, True Colors looks interesting, but the original Life is Strange is just that good. It is a top 10 all time contender for me. Recently, I have been getting an embarrassment of riches when it comes to remasters of some of my favorite games. Kingdoms of Amalur, the approaching Mass Effect Trilogy, and now Life is Strange! I can't wait to boot this one up and see a 10/10 game get even better.

Outriders - New Trailer and gameplay look

I seriously could not be less excited for Outriders. Which is such a shame, because it had been in my most anticipated 2020 list. In my impressions review of the demo, I said it failed to provide entertainment value even when it was free, let alone when release came at $60. Crazy was it wasn't very long after that they announced Outriders was hitting Xbox Game Pass. I wonder if even Square Enix knew this game just isn't very good, or worth it at $60 and wanted to find some way to get even more players playing it for "free". In my review I said it was worse than Anthem, and said it felt like a bad "cancelled after one season" SyFy Channel show. It's just boring. The combat is boring. The story is flat. The characters are hollow. Seriously, go play Destiny 2 or even Anthem instead. I gave it a 5/10 and I felt I was being generous. Don't let a free to start strategy or even "free with gamepass" strategy trick you into lowering your standards. While I agree, price matters in dictating a game, it is not the only variable. A free meh game is still a meh game. My only hope is just "somehow" the first 2 hours of the game are vastly different than the rest of the game, and the rest of the game is much better. Perhaps the story picks up and just has a bad start.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy

As huge Tomb Raider fans here at Gi, any Tomb Raider news is good news! Even if that news is just a re-bundling of the existing last three games. Square Enix dropped the Definitive Survivor Trilogy which bundles the first three reboot games with all DLC and for only $20. While I am excited for the potential for this news to bring in new fans and introduce Tomb Raider to newcomers, to be honest, most Tomb Raider fans just already have these games. This isn't a next gen update, or the level of Tomb Raider news we fans were hoping for. This is the 25th anniversary of Tomb Raider and fans were hoping for more Tomb Raider. It would be nice to get a remaster of some older titles, or even just word on the next game.

Just Cause Mobile

I don't know much about the Just Cause franchise, having only played Just Cause 4 briefly. It is a fun game, and now a new game is hitting mobile in the JC universe. The trailer looks interesting, and I think fans of the franchise might enjoy having some news, any news on JC.

Project Hitman Sniper Assassins

Project Hitman Sniper Assassins is a new mobile game announced for the the Hitman universe from the creators of "Hitman Sniper". This new mobile installment tells a completely new Hitman story and feature new assassins. While yes it is another mobile game news, with Hitman 3 having just released, fans of the Hitman games don't really have any reason to complain about a mobile spin off.

AR Space Invaders Mobile Game

Square is hoping to be the next Pokemon Go apparently, with news of a rare AR games, powered by Space Invaders? I loved playing space invaders when I was little (no, on emulators, I'm not THAT old) so the idea of fighting invaders in the real world appeals to me.

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