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E3: Square Enix’s E3 Line Up Is Extra Spicy
Square Enix has always been known for their RPGs. The Final Fantasy series mostly. I kind of wish they would bring back some classics from the SNES era. After jumping on board with Deep Silver to help publish Dead Island it’s nice to see Square switching it up quite a bit. A decent line up this year for them which you can check past the break.
Developer: Techland
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platform: Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Windows PC
Genre: Zombie Action/RPG
Players: 1-4 online cooperative
ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)
Ship Date: 2011 (NA)
*North America Distribution Only
Story Overview:
The island of Banoi is a lush, tropical paradise in the South Pacific where its flagship Royal Palms Resort serves as the ultimate getaway for vacationers with money to burn. However, all good things must soon come to an end – and the picturesque resort falls into madness and carnage after a mysterious zombie outbreak throws its once-peaceful atmosphere into chaos.
Four individuals who strangely find themselves not affected by zombification must utilize day-to-day items as weapons to fight off zombie hordes in intense, gruesome melee combat in order to survive.
The official website can be found at: http://www.deadisland.com.
DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION
Developer: Eidos-Montréal
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platforms: Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Windows PC, OnLive®
Genre: Action RPG
ESRB: M (Mature)
Ship Date: August 23, 2011 (NA)
Story Overview:
DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION marks the return of one of the most critically acclaimed video game franchises of all time. The year is 2027 – a time of great innovation in neuroprosthetics, but also a time of chaos, conspiracy and a new social divide. Adam Jensen, a man cybernetically augmented against his will, finds himself in the middle of a mysterious global plot to which he holds the key. By offering players the chance to advance through the game in multiple and different ways, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION challenges the foundations of gaming and provides an immersive experience, where every choice has a lasting consequence.
The official website can be found at http://www.deusex3.com.
DUNGEON SIEGE III
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment, Inc.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platforms: Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Windows PC
Genre: Action RPG
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: June 21, 2011 (NA)
Story Overview:
As one of the few remaining members of the 10th Legion, disgraced protectors of the land of Ehb, it is up to you to rebuild the once-great Legion and stop the land from falling into darkness. Joined by a group of unique companions, you will travel through a compelling world, defeating all manner of villains and beasts through a combination of heroic abilities, screen-shaking magic and pure cunning.
DUNGEON SIEGE III seamlessly blends intuitive action gameplay, a robust RPG system featuring a large selection of abilities and loot, an extensive multiplayer component, and Obsidian Entertainment’s signature storytelling.
The official website can be found at http://www.dungeonsiege.com.
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system
Genre: RPG
ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)
Ship Date: This Winter (NA)
Story Overview:
Set a few years after Lightning and the others saved Cocoon, some survivors have decided to start over by rebuilding on Gran Pulse. Lightning, however, is nowhere to be found and thought dead by many, but Serah believes otherwise. When her town is suddenly overrun by monsters, a mysterious man named Noel appears to save her. Together, the two set off to find Lightning…
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 is the follow-up to the 2010 hit title, FINAL FANTASY XIII, and the latest installment in the world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series, which has shipped over 97 million units worldwide. FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 features an all-star production staff including producer Yoshinori Kitase, director Motomu Toriyama, character designer Tetsuya Nomura and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo.
The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ffxiii-2.
HEROES OF RUIN
Developer: n-Space Inc.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platforms: Nintendo 3DSTM system
Genre: Action RPG
ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)
Ship Date: Early 2012 (NA)
Story Overview:
Brand-new for Nintendo 3DS, HEROES OF RUIN tasks players with lifting a deadly curse from Ataraxis, ruler of the city of Nexus…
Four mercenaries, each with their own strengths, weaknesses and motivations, answer the call. These unlikely heroes can choose to create a fearsome alliance or venture forth from the city alone. Beyond the safety of the city the land is filled with strange and dangerous creatures, but none as deadly as the evil force behind the curse, which the heroes must eventually confront and destroy.
The official website can be found at www.HeroesofRuin.com.
HITMAN ABSOLUTION
Developer: IO Interactive A/S
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platforms: Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Windows PC
Genre: Action Adventure
ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)
Ship Date: 2012 (NA)
Story Overview:
HITMAN ABSOLUTION follows cold-blooded assassin Agent 47 as he takes on his most dangerous contract to date. Betrayed by those he once trusted, and hunted by the police, he suddenly finds himself at the center of a dark conspiracy and must embark on a journey through a corrupt and twisted world.
Showcasing IO Interactive’s new proprietary Glacier 2™ technology, the game has been built from the ground up. Boasting a cinematic story, distinctive art direction and highly original game design, HITMAN ABSOLUTION combines much-loved classic gameplay with features never seen before in the Hitman franchise.
The official website can be found at http://www.hitman.com.
TOMB RAIDER
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platforms: Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Windows PC
Genre: Action Adventure
ESRB Rating: RP (Rating Pending)
Ship Date: 2012 (NA)
Story Overview:
TOMB RAIDER® delivers an intense and gritty story of the origins of Lara Croft and her ascent from frightened young woman to hardened survivor, armed with only raw instincts and the physical ability to push beyond the limits of human endurance.
Superb physics-based gameplay is paired with a heart-pounding narrative in Lara’s most personal, character-defining adventure to date.
The official website can be found at http://www.tombraider.com.
WAKFU®*
Developer: Ankama
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platforms: Windows PC, Mac and Linux
Genre: Fantasy MMORPG
ESRB Rating: Not Rated by the ESRB
Ship Date: Open Beta Starting Summer 2011 (NA)
*North America Distribution Only
Story Overview:
WAKFU® is a vibrant, immersive world where player choices are paramount. The World of Twelve has fallen into chaos, and is in desperate need of heroes to help rebuild the world.
Players can customize one of 14 distinct character classes and declare allegiance to a nation. From there they can defend their nation against enemy attacks, conquer new territories and even run for governor! WAKFU is a tactical MMO, with a turn-based combat system, so strategy is essential for success in battle. In addition to a satisfying combat system, WAKFU also has a player-driven economy, an ecosystem shaped by player behavior, and a player-driven political system. Participation in all of these has real, in-game consequences. Step into the World of Twelve and forge a path for yourself. In WAKFU, it’s all up to you.
The official website can be found at http://www. WAKFU.com/.
Let’s start with the good news. Lockbox looks far better than its misleading marketing materials suggest, a supernatural horror movie so darkly lit and color graded that you’ll have to squint your way through jump scares. It’s also anchored by reliable genre performers. That’s also about where the good news ends with this rote adaptation of Knifepoint Horror Podcast story “Winthrop.”
The empathetic Carla Gugino gives her all as Ellen, a saint of a woman with boundless patience who takes on life’s hard luck with a kind smile. After giving up her career as a fashion designer to become caretaker for a dying mother, she’s then forced to reinvent herself once more when her caretaker role ends. That catches us up to the events of Lockbox, where Ellen is asked to take in a cousin she hasn’t seen in quite some time who’s dealing with severe PTSD.
Just as Ellen finally establishes a real connection with Winthrop (Lou Taylor Pucci), it’s interrupted by the arrival of peculiar neighbor Vahna (Katharine Isabelle), who spells clear trouble. When Vahna shows up dead, it sets in motion a supernatural battle of possession.
Image Credit: Aura entertainment
Director Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism, Prey for the Devil) and screenwriter Justin Yoffe approach Lockbox in the broadest of brushstrokes, dooming it from the start with clunky storytelling and woefully underdeveloped themes of heady topics like PTSD. Winthrop is a character that comes loaded with emotional baggage and trauma that’s piled on throughout his tragic life, but much like its title, his interiority and history are treated like a tightly guarded secret meant to prolong the supernatural mystery.
The problem here, though, is that Lockbox is too sparse to sustain mystery at all, and it instead robs Winthrop of characterization. It winds up trapping the talented Pucci without anywhere to go, toggling between wounded animal and mentally disoriented.
From there, Lockbox bounds through plot developments without any sense of stakes or purpose, peppered by a smattering of haphazard paint-by-numbers jump scares. The only unwavering constant is Ellen’s resolute faith, and Stamm seems to leave it entirely to Gugino to guide confused audiences through this inconsequential story right up until its supernatural climax.
Image Credit: Aura entertainment
To give more credit, Lockbox at least injects an unconventional exorcism here; just don’t expect much in the way of explanation. When the film finally reveals the meaning behind its title, it dangles a fascinating carrot it has zero interest in delivering. More than a severe lack of fleshing out its characters beyond plot drivers or devices, this faith-based flick also seems terrified to offer any worldbuilding whatsoever.
Yoffe’s script stretches the short story beyond its means instead of fleshing it out, and Stamm fills out the gaps with cheap CGI scares and overwrought performances; Isabelle’s Vahna is beyond cartoonish in her villainy. It’s also pretty nonsensical, treating only Ellen’s faith with the utmost sincerity and largely squandering its typically reliable talent. So much so that the final imagery, pure sunkissed saccharine sentimentality, leaves you with the feeling that this horror movie might be better suited as an entry in Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Lockbox releases in select theaters on July 3, 2026.
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