05.08.2007 SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES THE LAST REMNANT

According to Jeux-France, the newest Game Informer magazine issue should have news about Square Enix's new game The Last Remnant that will be coming out on PlayStation 3 and/or Xbox 360. Instead of coming out in Japan first (or being announced in a Japanese magazine first) it will release simultaneously in America and Japan. With the Unreal Engine 3 technology within his reach, Hiroshi Takai will direct the new RPG with help from Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy: Spirits Within's Kouzi Kobayashi.

The two main characters are Rush Sykes and The Conqueror, although Rush is the only playable character, and the gameplay revolves around Remnants:

“of one era the magic fragments spent, entered in contact with the human beings thousand years ago” which destabilize the world from their immense capacity, these Remnants can take the shape of vehicles, weapons and even of the creatures. The adventure begins on a called insulated island Eulam on which Rush and its Irina sister live peacefully. But Irina is unfortunately kidnapped by a mysterious organization, and Rush is found in the middle of a war related to these invaluable Remnants if coveted.

The Conqueror is the guy with the red clothes in the pictures, and his goal is to find the greatest number of Remnants. However, it seems like Remnants and their length through a certain timeline is important, so I'm gonna predict he's either the last Remnant from the future looking for the first, or he's actually Rush Sykes from the future. Combat consists mostly of magic battles and large numbers of enemies, and four races are available to join up with: "Mitra (of human), Yama (of the watery creatures), Qsiti (of small lizards humanoïdes), Sovanni (of the cat-like beings with four arms)."

Square Enix has definitely set up a unique looking Intellectual Property, but I'm not convinced it will be much fun at all. Check out the interfaces in the scans below, the morale bar could be fun to push around with different battle tactics, but everything else looks pretty simple and repetitive so far. Maybe Square Enix is trying to create a White Knight Story styled game of their own, we'll have to wait for this weekend's Square Enix party for more details on characters, combat, and story.