Games Booth

Square Enix goes massive at gamescom 2014

European premiere for Lara Croft and more than 180 hands-on stations at Europe’s biggest interactive entertainment expo

Square Enix today revealed an exciting line-up of gaming highlights for gamescom 2014, Europe’s biggest interactive entertainment expo. From August 13 to 17, visitors to gamescom 2014 will be able check out a wide variety of titles, including the first European consumer hands-on of LARA CROFT® AND THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS™, as well as the acclaimed MMO FINAL FANTASY® XIV: A REALM REBORN®, HD-remastered compilation KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX, rhythm action title THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL™, team-based multiplayer action game NOSGOTH™, mobile RPGsDRAGON QUEST ^TM IV: Chapters of the Chosen, DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and more.

For the first time ever, the Square Enix line-up stretches over multiple booths in hall 9, with a record total of more than 180 hands-on stations available to gamers. The main booth (hall 9/B21) features a huge FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN area, where up to 48 players can go hands-on and battle the game’s gigantic bosses Leviathan, Ramuh and Gilgamesh, as they compete. 

The booth will also host a special head-to-head battle on Saturday afternoon between FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN producer and director Yoshida-san and Hazama-san, producer of THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL, competing inTHEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL’s new Versus Mode. Both Single and Versus Mode is playable on the booth.

In addition to hands-on stations for THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX, DRAGON QUEST IV andDRAGON QUEST VIII, the booth will host the first European consumer hands-on for LARA CROFT AND THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS, enabling gamers to try out the new 4-player co-op of Lara’s action-packed Egyptian adventure for the very first time.

MMO fans and PvP experts are called to arms at the dedicated FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN booth (hall 9/A51). Gamers will be able to compete in the brand-new frontline PvP mode that pits three teams of 8 against each other or try to stand their ground in extreme battle challenges with live commentary by well-known ESL casters Mori and A1m. The winners have the chance to take away valuable gaming hardware.

Naoki Yoshida, Director & Producer of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN, and Ichiro Hazama, Producer of THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL, will engage in their final versus gameplay battle at gamescom 2014 on the Square Enix booth. This epic standoff will take place at 3pm CEST on Saturday 16th August.

The video above gives a recap of each player’s total fight record, and the proceedings of the previous matchup which took place at E3 this year.

Will Hazama san finally win a match? What will the loser’s forfeit be this year?

The NOSGOTH booth (Hall 9/B51) lets gamers go hands-on with the visceral team-based multiplayer action game, as they face off against other convention visitors in a brutal battle between humans and vampires. Everyone that visits the booth and plays will be granted access to the closed beta.

“It’s great for Square Enix to support gamescom once again, the show is growing year on year in terms of numbers and importance, and is the biggest gaming event in Europe,” said Mike Sherlock, COO of Square Enix Europe. “Our games showcase the impressive talent from Square Enix’s Eastern and Western studios and our line-up has something for everyone – MMO players, console gamers, families, mobile users and PC competitive gamers.”

Fans can visit Square Enix Products in hall 10 at booth D10 to check out a plethora of official merchandise for Square Enix’ biggest franchises. And also in hall 10, the official Cosplay village welcomes costumed gamers and offers the chance to take a photograph in front of one of two FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN backgrounds.

Press and trade partners are invited to meet Square Enix in the show’s business centre in hall 5.2 at booth B21.

The full Gamescom 2014 line-up:

HD Consoles and PC

FINAL FANTASY® XIV: A REALM REBORN®
Platform: PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Windows PC
Developer: Square Enix
Available: Now
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn is the critically-acclaimed, online role-playing game (MMORPG) set within the troubled realm of Eorzea that is threatened by god-like Primals and the invading armies of Garlemald. Players with the PlayStation®4 system, PlayStation®3 system and Windows PC systems are invited to come together to define their own adventure.

NOSGOTH™
Platform: Steam/Windows PC
Developer: Psyonix
Available: In Closed Beta
Developed by Psyonix, Nosgoth is a fast paced competitive team-based multiplayer game pitting a variety of brutal humans and vampires in a fight for survival. The two races have very different play styles: Humans have an arsenal of devastating raged weaponry and lethal devices while Vampires specialize in visceral close-up melee attacks augmented by their inhuman abilities. Nosgoth is set in the dark fantasy world of the Legacy of Kain series and is currently in Closed Beta.

LARA CROFT® AND THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS™
Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 system, Windows PC
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Available: Coming Soon
Developed by Crystal Dynamics,  Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed  Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. In her new adventure, Lara Croft travels to Egypt and must join forces with rival treasure hunter Carter Bell and imprisoned gods Horus and Isis, to defeat the evil god Set. Featuring a four-player co-op story, players must work together to explore the temple, defeat hordes of enemies from the Egyptian underworld, solve devious puzzles, and avoid deadly traps. All the while, players will compete for treasure, powerful artifacts, and ultimate bragging rights.

KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX
Platform: PlayStation®3 system
Developer: Square Enix
Available: December 5, 2014
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX is a fully remastered HD compilation of KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX and KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX. Previously exclusive to Japan, both games will be available for the first time in Europe and PAL territories for the PlayStation®3 system. Theatrical cut-scenes from KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded will also be included in the compilation.

The game is a follow-up to last year’s KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX and will also lead into the highly anticipated KINGDOM HEARTS III.

Handheld and Mobile

THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL™
Platform: Nintendo 3DS™ system
Developer: Square Enix
Available: September 19, 2014
Combining hallmark FINAL FANTASY music with role playing game (RPG) elements, the newTHEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL is bursting with new content, including the new “Versus Battle” mode where players can now compete head-to-head with friends and other players. The game also includes 221 songs and over 60 playable characters from the entire FINAL FANTASY series. Players can relive nostalgic moments as they tap their way through key FINAL FANTASY events, field themes and battle arrangements.

DRAGON QUEST ^TM VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Platform: iOS/Android
Developer: Square Enix
Available: Now
DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King offers players a huge, epic adventure in a deep and beautiful world.  Eight years since its PlayStation®2 PAL release and for the first time in the game’s history, fans can experience this epic adventure in a brand new touch-screen environment, featuring beautiful graphics and a redeveloped, refined control scheme optimised for both single-handed and two-handed play on touch devices. Players can use the Auto button to quickly and easily navigate around the expansive game field and smoothly fight through battles with a single button.

DRAGON QUEST ^TM IV: Chapters of the Chosen
Platform: iOS/Android
Developer: Square Enix
Available: TBC
Get ready to journey through the lands, seas and skies of the vibrant DRAGON QUEST world with DRAGON QUEST IV: Chapters of the Chosen, an exciting new mobile version of the NES title DRAGON QUEST IV originally released in 1990 in Japan and recently updated for the Nintendo DS in 2008. The game includes five chapters to discover and a host of colourful characters to keep you company and battle by your side. Players can journey through the epic environments using all-new touch-screen controls.