With us well into the 2009 we thought we’d spend some time reminding everyone about all the great titles scheduled for the rest of the year. This could possibly be one of the best years for Square Enix Games fans so read on for a full breakdown of the games to look out for.
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3 and Xbox 360) – Square Enix Games
First on our list has to be Final Fantasy XIII, a game belonging to one of the most popular RPG game franchises on the planet. Our personal opinion of the last FF offering (Final Fantasy XII) was not only a little dissapointing but the combat system was what can we say, “A Complete Mess”.
Despite Final Fantasy XII performing so averagely, it seems Final Fantasy XIII is going to be a big step forward both in terms of graphics and gameplay dynamics. It’s certainly the game to look out for in 2009 and with the creators of Kingdom Hearts also involved in the development process we’re hoping it’s going to offer something special for all of us fans. Remember if you haven’t already done so, check out the Final Fantasy XIII trailer.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Nintendo DS) – Square Enix Games
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days is the first game in the Kingdom Hearts franchise to be developed purely for the DS (i.e. it isn’t just a port of an older game). The story is quite straight forward and involves you playing as Roxas, who plays as a member of organization 13 battling to defeat the heartless in various areas such as Agrabah, Wonderland and the Beast’s Castle.
With a nifty battle system that allows you to team up with other members of organization 13 it also happens to be one of the first truly multiplayer Kingdom Hearts games to be produced. With the ability to play as any of the organization 13 members as well as the mysterious new 14th member called Xion this really seems like a game that will add a whole new dimension to enjoying Kingdom Hearts with your friends.
Impressively for the DS, the game boasts Kingdom Hearts 2 quality cutscenes which are rumored to cover over 40% of the game. The graphics from what we’ve seen are definitely a step up for the DS allowing it to play as well as the ever popular Kingdom Hearts 2 for the PS2. This in our opinion has to be one of the most anticipated Kingdom Hearts games of 2009 so check out the trailer below.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Trailer – Square Enix Games
Dragon Quest 9 – Square Enix Games
The Dragon Quest series which is quite remarkable in terms of gameplay and graphics continues to be one of the most popular Square Enix franchise in Japan. With that in mind Dragon Quest 8 for the PS2 was actually the first of the series to be shipped to North America and Europe and it didn’t disappoint. The game was critically acclaimed by the media for it’s fantastic battle system, graphics and lifespan, IGN rated the game 9/10 (Outstanding), Xplay highly recommended the game and gave it 5/5 and Famitsu gave the game 39/40 which is almost perfect!
Akira Toriyama, the lead manga artist of the Dragonball series influenced the graphics on Dragon Quest 8 and Koichi Sugiyama created the wonderful music for the game. If you haven’t already heard the music check out the main theme called “Strange World Marching Through the Fields” via the clip below. So if you haven’t played Dragon Quest 8 and you’re a fan of the RPG Genre the this is one game you can’t afford to miss.
Dragon Quest 8 Trailer – Square Enix Games
Dragon Quest 9 Trailers – Square Enix Games
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP) – Square Enix Games
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep is the fourth Kingdom Hearts game to appear on a Playstation console and the titles exclusive nature should help bolster the currently suffering sales of the PSP console. The holiday season hasn’t been great for Sony so this title should offer a breath of fresh air.
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep focuses on three knights (chasers as they’ve been called in an interview), who seem to be protecting the seven princesses of heart. The three knights are called, Ven, Aqua and Terra.
The main enemy is called Master Xehanort and the game takes place about 10 years before the events of Kingdom Hearts 1 when Sora and Riku were just young children. Check out the subtitled trailer below.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Trailer – Square Enix Games
Final Fantasy Dissidia – Square Enix Games
Well that’s it for now, we’ve got more information coming up on Final Fantasy Dissidia for the PSP so keep your eyes peeled for that but other than that if you want to hear about any other upcoming games or simply want to share your views feel free to drop us a message or a comment below.