Screen Critics Shaun looks at the current state of Square Enix's western games, asking if the company is dropping the ball hard?
Danish from eXputer: "The Witcher's upcoming sequel needs to overhaul the series' combat system if it wants to make a big splash among gamers."
Saad from eXputer: "After suffering from massive financial hits, Square Enix & Bandai Namco appear to be turning over a new leaf but I'm still unconvinced."
I was talking about games with some Japanese guys here in Japan, and it seems like around here Bandai Namco has a fame of making low-quality games, with the occasional gem.
About Square Enix, I believe they lack the capacity to improve. They should learn with Capcom (although even Capcom still makes some bad mistakes), but I don't think they ever will. They keep chasing whatever is new at the time (blockchain, AI...) to say "we innovate", without considering the public perception and if these things actually improve the games or not. Them releasing too many small games with no advertising also shows a lack of trust in its own products. Even with their biggest games, like turning FF into an action game with XVI and the very divisive plot changes regarding whispers and timelines in VII Remake, shows them trying to attract a new generation of gamers without understanding what made the series so big in the first place.
I want a true ff7 remake. With thatcsaid I'm way happier with 7 remake then I was with ff16. I'd still prefer turn based but square keep chasing these Lil kids
Man, it is perfectly fine to prefer turn based. Turn based is amazing. But there's zero reason to call anyone who likes action games "lil kids". Liking one gameplay system over another does not make you more mature in any way.
People love the new FF's overall...the problem is the abundance of 7's they release that lose money or make very little like diofield, star ocean divine force, Valkyrie asylum, harvestella, foam stars, etc. Advertising wouldn't have saved those games. Apparently Forespoken had a big Advertising budget but we saw how that went.
Star ocean divine force actually sold well from what I've read not ff type numbers but well enough. Was a dope game to.
Bandai Namco is going to Bandai Namco, I do believe that Square Enix can't change without changing the entire management, they've had these issues for more than a decade and haven't learnt, I have very little faith they can course correct. I'll still buy their better remasters/remakes like Star Ocean 2 though (not FF7R).
Namco is just milking the same Sword Art Online with lack of budget as well as anime IPs that don't go to decent developers like Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia. Namco deserves their losses and no future Dot Hack or Xenosaga remaster :(.
Square allocated lot of their budget on Forspoken was a mistake. Square always had management issues. Star Ocean 2 was a great remake and I found their recent entries of FF(16 and Rebirth) better than 13 and 15.
I think they were better than 360/PS3 generation where Square went really downhill.
I don’t know why NOW they decide on this, but I guess later is better than never.
With confirmation that Larian Studios will not develop another Baldur's Gate game, the fourth entry has a major challenge on its hands.
Larian had big shoes to fill themselves. Hopefully another studio can pull off the same miracle, but uphill battle is an understatement at this point. It feels impossible that BG3 even exists and accomplishes what it does.
I doubt anyone will attempt a Baldur’s Gate 4 for minimum a decade. It took about 20 years to get a third one for a a reason.
I'd just copy every single thing larian did obviously with different story and characters. Sometimes innovation isn't needed at that particular time.
Hitman shouldn't be an episodic game in first place.
What a mess. SQ Enix has some of the best IPs anywhere and their releases are excellent. Now 2 of my favorite franchises..Deus Ex and Hitman are shelved. My days of gaming seem to be coming to an end.
Not that I would put sales above making quality games, but whatever they are doing over at Square Enix, apparently it's raking in tons of profits.
http://www.pcaficionado.com...
Now, if they can use some of that money to fix some of their missteps, then everybody wins.
Thankfully it was pirated so that after Square removes the game completely from the digital stores have at it everyone
Let that be a lesson for Square Enix to not make their AAA games episodic. They better hope these financial issues don't hamper FFVII's episodic release