Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Is Square Enix Teasing Final Fantasy News for Tomorrow?

 Video games  5 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
May 082019
 

Tomorrow at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET, Sony is holding a State of Play broadcast.

They’ve announced an extended look at the MediEvil remake (which I’d honestly forgotten about), a new title, and other updates and announcements.

Recent tweets from Square Enix and the official Final Fantasy account have led fans to believe we might get Final Fantasy news as well.

First, Shinji Hashimoto retweeted the State of Play announcement with a comment that translates to “Oh, it has come.” Hashimoto is the Brand Manager for the Final Fantasy series.

Next, the official Final Fantasy Twitter account posted two unusual tweets. The first was a screenshot showing the Chocobo Farm from Final Fantasy VII.

They then followed it with a Chocobo-related poll, using the Chocobo cry “wark.”

So what could this mean?

The most exciting guess, which many fans have jumped to, is that tomorrow’s State of Play will include a look at the Final Fantasy VII Remake, which we’ve seen only a little of since it’s announcement. With Kingdom Hearts III finished, Final Fantasy VII should be their next big focus.

On the other hand, the Chocobos might be the key part of the tweet. Chocobo’s Dungeon was recently remastered for the Switch and PS4, and Hashimoto was also the producer of Chocobo Racing. Tomorrow’s announcements could include a new Chocobo spin-off or remaster.

It’s also possible that the Final Fantasy tweets are unrelated to the State of Play, much like Capcom’s Resident Evil tweets were mistaken for RE3 Remake teasing not too long ago.

Maybe the State of Play will include a Final Fantasy XVI announcement or Naoki Yoshida’s new game (Sony isn’t sharing next-gen plans tomorrow, but that doesn’t necessarily rule out a next-gen game being announced), or even more information about Babylon’s Fall.

I’d love to see Final Fantasy VII Remake news, but I’m excited for whatever Square Enix has to show tomorrow. What are you hoping to see in Sony’s State of Play? Do you think Square Enix is teasing an announcement?

Capcom is Bringing the Original Devil May Cry to the Switch

 Video games  4 Responses »
May 062019
 

Today, Capcom announced that the original Devil May Cry is coming to the Nintendo Switch.

This is an unusual announcement, because it looks like it’s just going to be the first game on its own.

After its initial release on the PlayStation 2, Devil May Cry was eventually re-released along with Devil May Cry 2 and 3 as the Devil May Cry HD Collection for the PS3 and Xbox 360, which was then later brought to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC as well.

So it would make sense for the Devil May Cry HD Collection to be ported to the Switch… but instead they’re releasing just the original game, which has the unfortunate implication that they might release each game separately to charge more money. But who knows! Maybe they’ll be priced reasonably despite being separate releases.

(I wouldn’t count on physical copies, though.)

Update: it’s been confirmed for an eShop-only release.

Capcom has been bringing a lot of their games to the Switch, from the recently-released Phoenix Wright Trilogy (at least that was released as one collection) to the upcoming releases of Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0, and Resident Evil 4. This has involved some similarly disappointing decisions, such as how the physical copy of the Resident Evil Origins Collection will only have 0 on the cart while you have to download 1.

They aren’t the only company who has done that, either. Due to the size of the Switch cartridges, releasing a collection where one or more of the games has to be downloaded feels like common news.

But it’s still strange that Capcom isn’t even doing that with Devil May Cry. Either they want to price the games higher by releasing them separately, or they aren’t sure there’s a Devil May Cry audience on the Switch.

Still, at least fans will get to play the original. How do you feel about Devil May Cry coming to the Switch? Why do you think Capcom chose not to release the HD Collection?

PlatinumGames Teases New Games and Bayonetta 3’s Design Process

 Video games  8 Responses »  Tagged with:
May 032019
 

We’ve barely heard anything about Bayonetta 3 since it was announced, which is disappointing.

However, PlatinumGames has referenced its development from time to time, and the latest update comes along with teases for other planned games.

In a recent interview with VGC, Platinum’s studio head Atsushi Inaba said they are moving away from the “orthodox development process” used for Bayonetta 1 and 2 and that fans may recognize this while playing Bayonetta 3.

It’s unclear what he means, but it might explain why we’ve gone so long without seeing more from the game.

While describing the development of the first two Bayonetta games, he said, “We did stage one, then stage two, then stage three and built up the drama and the pacing chronologically.” Development of Bayonetta 3 is not following that process. Maybe this non-chronological development means they haven’t had anything early enough to show off.

And if it’s something the player might notice, I can’t help but wonder if we have more time travel coming in the plot.

In the rest of the interview, Inaba spoke about how PlatinumGames is working toward an approach where they’ll be able to own and control their IP, which gives them freedom and also lets them create sequels.

(Remember, Bayonetta 2 almost didn’t happen at all until Nintendo stepped in, despite Platinum having plans for it. They’d like to avoid that sort of situation in the future.)

They still plan to partner with publishers for certain games, but right now they have plans for two new unannounced IPs. Inaba also referenced an unannounced game that “has never been done before.”

In other words, PlatinumGames is busy! We have Astral Chain coming August 30 for the Nintendo Switch, Bayonetta 3 coming to the Switch at an unknown date, Babylon’s Fall announced for this year for the PS4 and PC, and now two unannounced games as well.

I’m excited for Astral Chain, Bayonetta 3, and Babylon’s Fall, so I’m looking forward to hearing about the new games as well… although preferably after we’ve seen more from Bayonetta 3. And will we ever see The Wonderful 101 or a sequel on the Switch?

How do you feel about PlatinumGames using a different design process for Bayonetta 3? What are your hopes for their unannounced titles? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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