Square Enix Presents 2021 Overview

A group of us here at GameGrin gathered to watch and report on the Square Enix Presents 2021 digital stream together. Here’s an overview of what happened during the stream.

The show opens with a new CGI trailer for Outriders. Outriders is a cooperative role-playing shooter that’s developed by People Can Fly and coming out on the 1st of April this year (hopefully it’s not an April Fools joke). The trailer shown gives us a rather stunning look at the sort of environments we can expect in the game as well as some of the monsters we might be fighting.

Another trailer for the Outriders is dropped which gives us a deeper dive into the game including some of the different classes we can expect, including:

• Trickster - a rogue-like, close-quarters battling class
• Technomancer - a long-range defensive class
• Devastator - a tank class
• Pyromancer - a medium range dps class

Next up is some time with Lara Croft. This year marks 25 years of Tomb Raider which is crazy to think about. We go a bit crazy in the voice chat when we’re surprised with the announcement of a new animated Tomb Raider series coming to Netflix, as well as another movie, a beautiful “Lost Valley” statue and even a cookbook.

A Definitive Survivor Trilogy is also officially announced which puts the three prequel games into one bundle and is available now at a heavily discounted price until the 2nd of April when the price will increase significantly.

Oh and in case you missed the news, Lara Croft is now part of the Fortnite franchise and Croft Manor is now available in Fortnite creative.

A bunch of new mobile games are announced, bringing existing franchises to a more portal platform. The games announced are:

• Just Cause Mobile: a new game featuring competitive multiplayer and cooperative gameplay. It will be a free-to-play title that will release some time in 2021
• Space Invaders AR: this is a currently untitled Space Invaders alternate reality game that we have few details on at the moment but looks very intriguing.
• Hitman Sniper Assassins: this is a working title that will be an entirely new entry to the franchise with an original plotline that will arrive in 2021.

Some new DLC for TOUHOU Spell Bubble is announced in a colourful, chaotic trailer. Side Story Pack 2 Sanae Arc brings new tracks to the game but as yet has no release date.

A HD version of Darius Cozmic Revelation is shown next, which will include updated versions of all of the games in the original collection as well as an extra previously not included title, G-Darius Ver.2. The HD update will be released in August of 2021.

We have another quick announcement trailer from Taito to let us know that Bubble Bobble 4 Friends will be coming to Steam, although no confirmation on a release date.

Marvel’s Avengers is coming to next-gen with some new faces with upgrades to visuals and performance. We were also given a quick glance at the roadmap for upcoming games and a short trailer for some new DLC for Marvel's Avengers, in the form of Black Panther: War for Wakanda.

Next up is a new trailer for upcoming Balan Wonderworld showing off some crazy visuals. The game is launching soon on the 26th of March.

Finally it’s time for the new Life is Strange title. Titled Life is Strange: True Colors, we meet protagonist Alex and learn a little about her story. The game has been worked on since 2017 and follows a whole new cast, story and power, with all animations motion captured.
Life is Strange: True Colors will be released on the 10th of September 2021 and will include Remastered versions of Life Is Strange and Life is Strange: Before the Storm. This remastered collection will also be available standalone later in the year.

For the last announcement we’re given a look at the working title Project Athia. It’s just a short teaser leaving you with a mainly very dragon-focused takeaway. The actual title is revealed to be Forspoken and it will be coming to PC in 2022.