What On Earth Is Going On With Square Enix?

If you’re taking even a fast look at a launch schedule for the following six months, you may see that there are a heck of a variety of video games popping out. Look a bit nearer, although, and you may spot that possibly 50 of them are from Square Enix. And that is simply on the Switch!

We’re exaggerating, after all, however it’s laborious to disregard the corporate’s completely large output over the following few months — and for the entire of 2022, actually. We’re not going to listing each single 2022 Square Enix Switch launch right here as a result of that might take up a variety of area (although you’ll be able to test all of its video games out proper right here, or scroll to the underside of this text). However, from September till subsequent yr Square Enix is growing and/or publishing 13 video games on Switch alone. Phew! And after all, we’re together with PowerWash Simulator in that.

Look, we’re not complaining — it is truly type of wonderful to see Square Enix put out this many titles, and it appears like we’re in one other golden age with Square and Nintendo, identical to the NES and SNES days. But with the September Nintendo Direct, our jaws could not assist however drop with each new Square Enix announcement.

We obtained launch dates for 2 titles, a demo for an additional, and two model new reveals in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line and Octopath Traveler II for February 2023. On different platforms, Square Enix additionally has Final Fantasy XVI popping out subsequent summer season. On high of all the pieces else! How has this come to go?

Well, we mentioned growing and publishing, and Square Enix is not only one huge studio both. Next yr’s headline Final Fantasy title is, for instance, being developed by Creative Business Unit III — the workforce behind the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. And it is the identical for the Switch’s many upcoming titles.

There are a number of improvement groups inside Square Enix who’re every engaged on a small slate of various titles. Octopath Traveler II is being developed by Acquire, creators of the Tenchu collection, in collaboration with Square Enix Business Division, with Bravely Default producer Tomoya Asano returning to go up the challenge. Fans typically dub these video games — the Bravely collection, and the HD-2D video games — the works of Team Asano. Various Daylife additionally falls into this class, although the lately launched Switch port actually originated on Apple Arcade and was developed by DokiDoki Groove Works.

You’ve additionally obtained a slate of ports or remasters coming to the console, resembling NieR: Automata — which was developed by PlatinumGames and is being ported by Virtuos — and Yasumi Matsuno is returning to oversee Tactics Ogre: Reborn. Then there’s the delayed Life is Strange assortment, which Square Enix is publishing.

Lots of studios, each internally and externally, assist develop or convey Square Enix titles to the Switch, too. Indieszero is again to work on the brand new Theatrhythm recreation, and The DioField Chronicle’s real-time technique is coming from Lancarse, the workforce behind Zanki Zero: Last Beginning and Monark.

Of course, regardless of a big chunk of them being RPGs or RPG-adjacent, they’re all fairly totally different from each other. People who choose up Harvestella will not essentially be the identical crowd who need Octopath Traveler II, and The DioField Chronicle is totally different sufficient from Tactics Ogre — which additionally has nostalgia on its aspect — to face out. And even when you love your Final Fantasy music, Theatrhythm won’t be for you!*

All of those releases comply with a press release made by the corporate lately, which suggests Square will probably be seeking to promote stakes in a few of its remaining studios following a Q1 FY2023 drop in income. The Japanese-based developer has additionally offered off numerous its Western studios to Embracer Group, with the deal finalising again in August.

So, the corporate has obtained a bit bit more cash to play with. But the reality is that a variety of these upcoming initiatives have in all probability been in improvement for some time — July’s Live A Live remake took three years to develop, for instance.

Much to many followers’ chagrin, Square Enix has additionally jumped into the world of NFTs, releasing Final Fantasy-based ones, in addition to becoming a member of a blockchain — all eco-friendly, apparently. The firm president Yosuke Matsuda hasn’t been shy about admitting his curiosity in NFTs, and most of the firm’s income have been invested in these. So maybe Square Enix is attempting to cover this from us avid gamers by throwing dozens of video games at us, proper?

Probably not, however whereas the corporate would not appear to know customers on one hand, with the opposite it has been pumping out demos for lots of its releases. As far again as Dragon Quest XI S and the primary Octopath Traveler, proper as much as Harvestella and the PlayStation console-exclusive Valkyrie Elysium, these demos work vastly in Square’s favour, enabling folks to check out the sport earlier than they purchase it. Not solely that, these demos permit us to switch our save file over to the total launch, which suggests once we determine to purchase the total recreation, we have shaved off a number of hours of playtime forward of schedule. Result!

Square Enix will not be slowing down anytime quickly, we’re positive. There are a number of initiatives we have not heard from shortly and a few Japan-only releases just like the visible novel Elements with Emotions, however us? We’ll be feasting for some time. Triangle Strategy and Live A Live are two of the most effective video games launched on the Switch this yr, and there are some top-quality titles on the horizon (nicely, we hope). We’re simply feeling a little bit overwhelmed amidst a vastly busy slate within the latter months of 2022, particularly for RPG followers.

But this is not all about us! Vote in our polls beneath and tell us what you consider Square Enix’s output in the intervening time. Is it a Blizzaga-style flurry of overwhelming proportions? Or are you as cheerful as a Chocobo seeing all of those video games come out? Oh, and do not forget to inform us what you assume within the feedback, too.

*This is factually incorrect, as Theatrhythm is for completely everybody. Play it, now.