Big news from the Square Enix conference includes the much-anticipated Avengers game, and the even more thirst-ridden Final Fantasy VII remake.

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Besides that, Square Enix has been busy with fan service — a few days ago, it was revealed that Final Fantasy music is now available on Spotify and Apple Music worldwide. The series’ scores have always been epic, emotional, and memorable, so this is a great way for fans to live through their favourite moments in each game.

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There were also a slew of other announcements, as well as new content for Kingdom Hearts 3. Remastered content includes Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, which will be playable on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and even mobile. There’s also Oninaki, a new action role-playing game for Switch, PS4, and Steam that comes out in August this year.

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These are the biggest takeaways from Square Enix’s outing at E3 this year.

Marvel’s Avengers

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It’s pretty weird seeing a totally different look (with different voices to boot) for Marvel’s mightiest squad, but if you’re used to the way comics work, it shouldn’t be a problem. The game also introduces some true gems overlooked by the film franchise — Taskmaster and Abomination are in today’s cinematic trailer.

As for actual gameplay, it’ll be both single player and co-op (four-person multiplayer). Megan Marie from Crystal Dynamics promised the addition of more superheroes in the future, as well as no loot box mechanics. We wouldn’t want to be in Crystal Dynamics’ position right now — the pressure to get this game right is enormous. Expect to get your hands on the game next May, in 2020 — even on Google Stadia. PS4 owners will get special early beta access and perks.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

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Square Enix wasted no time, opening their E3 conference with the FFVII trailer. FFVII looks like it’ll be re-done right, with the perfect visuals, music, and due justice done to Tifa’s classic fighting style. The new hybrid combat system was well-received by the enthusiastic crowd, incorporating real-time combat, turn-based and bullet-time elements (you can even change the settings to suit your playstyle). The remake will take up a massive amount of space: two Blu-ray discs. Fans have been waiting for this one for a while, and it’s good to see that the remake isn’t just a cosmetic one. Get it on March 3, 2020.

Outriders

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This post-apocalyptic alien adventure looks promising, at least in the cinematic trailer. Outriders is a co-op shooter on a hostile planet, centered on the struggle of the last “outriders” to preserve mankind. One of the main characters has a distinctly “don’t mess with me” Imperator Furiosa vibe, which is definitely something you want if you’re trying to save humanity from extinction. Outriders could really go either way — painfully generic and boring, or surprisingly super cool. We’ll have to wait until next summer to find out.

Final Fantasy XIV

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Shadowbringers is the third expansion for FFXIV Online, which comes out on July 2. Game director and producer Naoki Yoshida popped on-stage to give more details — Shadowbringers is so comprehensive that it’s comparable to a standalone game experience. It’s been six years since FFXIV came to life online, and it’s about time we got more juicy content.

alexisong@asiaone.com