SAN FRANCSICO, June 12 — A pre-recorded E3 showcase from publishing giant Square Enix included looks at more than half a dozen titles previously seen elsewhere, devoting nearly a third of the presentation to Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with looks at Dragon Quest XI, a Final Fantasy XIV and Monster Hunter crossover, while Octopath Traveller, Kingdom Hearts III and Nier: Automata were among those making repeat appearances after the Xbox briefing.

Square Enix’s 30-minute pre-recorded E3 showcase began with a generous seven-minute look at September 2018 PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC release Shadow of the Tomb Raider, developed by Canada’s Eidos Montréal.

A third franchise prequel, carrying on from 2013’s Tomb Raider and 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, sees adventurous archaeologist Lara Croft race to prevent a Mayan apocalypse.

This typically perilous and grisly preview focused on stealth and combat as Lara sneaks, stabs and shoots her way through a veritable platoon of well-equipped mercenaries deep in the South American jungle.

In a complete change of tone, Dragon Quest XI was given a somewhat extended look thanks to a perky soundtrack, elevated colour palette, and scenes of heroism and teamwork as a young man sets about saving the world with his friends.

The fantasy adventure was an enormous 2017 success on Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4 in Japan and releases worldwide on PS4 and PC in September, with a Nintendo Switch date to be announced.

Several additions to hit MMO Final Fantasy XIV also merited inclusion in the presentation: May’s Under The Moonlight expansion and an upcoming crossover event with Capcom’s successful Monster Hunter World.

Like several other games included in the presentation, such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Just Cause 4 and Captain Spirit, PlatinumGames’ Nier: Automata made a repeat appearance after an Xbox showcase premiere.

It had debuted on PS4 and PC the year before to critical acclaim and would now appear to have been released from a console exclusivity clause.

Likewise, Octopath Traveller, which may pop up again during Nintendo’s E3 broadcasts, and the Frozen promo for Kingdom Hearts III, another Xbox showcase repeat, also formed part of the Square Enix presentation; new prospects Babylon’s Fall and The Quiet Man were teased without much detail provided. — AFP-Relaxnews