A trailer for Square Enix's upcoming title The Last Remnant (PS3, Xbox 360) has emerged from the deepest depths - pardon the drama - of this year's Tokyo Game Show. You can check out the YouTube vid below.

The trailer itself runs for three minutes and is a mix of cutscenes and actual gameplay footage. It shows the game's protagonist, Rush, and the kidnapping of his sister Irina. We also get a look at some of the characters and remnants that Rush will encounter through the course of the game.

The trailer is in English with Japanese subtitles, so both non-Japanese and Japanese speakers should have no problem with it. The game is currently scheduled for a simultaneous release in North America and Japan in Spring 2008.

When Microsoft Japan said the land of the rising sun will fall in love with the Xbox 360 because of big RPGs coming out, the gaming giant is serious. Square Enix took the stage with Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant at Microsoft's pre-Tokyo Game Show 2007 press conference, and it seems that Japanese and western 360 owners alike have much to look forward to.

As we've heard before, SE took developer Tri-Ace's Infinite Undiscovery under its banner. In this video, the game's producer and director shed light on a few details of the "dynamic" RPG with seamless gameplay. Larger-than-life Last Remnant, which is Squeenix' game "dedicated to the world," also got its share of the spotlight. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until TGS 2007 before we see new trailers of these two.

If you're wondering what Square Enix had to offer during Microsoft's conference, just check out the video below.

  

TGS is right around the corner, and it's no surprise that the big boys of the videogame industry are packing their biggest guns for the event. Such is the case with Square Enix, having recently announced that it will be showing new, exclusive trailers of its highly-anticipated titles in two separate Mega Theaters at TGS. Talk about jumping into the fray armed!

So what titles are going to get the special trailer treatment from Squeenix? In no particular order, they're Dragon Quest IX (DS), The Last Remnant (Xbox 360), Final Fantasy XI (Xbox 360, PC), Final Fantasy Dissidia (PSP) and Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII (PS3). That's five titles we haven't been hearing much of lately, with emphasis on the highly-anticipated sequel to one of the greatest RPG series ever made.

There's a catch, though. Final Fantasy Dissidia and Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII will have their trailers shown in Squeenix's Closed Mega Theater, while the others will be airing at the Open Mega Theater. So it's going to be pretty tough for anyone who'd want to watch what's the latest with the Final Fantasy character-packed fighting game for the PSP, as well as the first ever main female lead of a Final Fantasy game (second if you count Yuna).

 

It should be safe to assume that Last Remnant is one of the most anticipated titles to date for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. We can't even imagine how many Square Enix fans drooled after seeing the trailer, and now we found the official Japanese and US websites all beefed up.

Available are tons of info about the game's world, a little bit on gameplay, and a look at the characters. For some reason, the US site features The Conqueror while Irina takes his character spot on the Japanese site. Could this mean something between the two, or simply a matter of taste between east and west (Japan and them teenage girls, Americans and them conquerors...)?

The staff list is also worth checking out if you haven't heard who were working on this giant title. Staff section offers some pretty good background on the guys behind the scenes, and it's worth noting what games they previously worked on. For a Squeenix fan, it's an all-star lineup including The Black Mages' guitarist.

Have we mentioned that there are some new beautiful screens and other images on both sites? That's right, you don't want to miss this. Just click on the Read link below to find the US site, and it won't be hard to find its counterpart.

IGN managed to grab a copy of the very first public trailer for Square Enix's The Last Remnant (PS3, Xbox 360). Clocking in at 1:22, the short trailer features a variety of little nuances that most people will definitely want to notice.

In a companion article to this video, IGN revealed that Hiroshi Takai had some notes for the viewing public:

I would like to take this opportunity to correct one of the common misconceptions about the game. Though many believe there are two protagonists, in actuality there is only one protagonist -- Rush and he is the only playable character.

The man splattered with blood is a vital character in the game, and the story's anti-hero. This ominous character has captured the interest of many and we will strive to develop him into a character that will live up to everyone's expectations.

A man splattered with blood, a single protagonist, and an intriguing new project from Square Enix. It definitely sounds like something worth waiting for, don't you think? Enjoy the trailer.

IGN reports that while speaking with Famitsu, Square Enix's Hiroshi Takai, Kimihiko Miyamae, Yusuke Naora, and Noboyuki Ueda (all of whom are involved in The Last Remnant team) revealed several details regarding the background of Square Enix's multiplatform game, The Last Remnant.

Said the team, while the battle system may be similar to your standard RPG - command input first, actions later - there are some differences. For example, because of the large number of units in the battle, you can issue commands groups ("unions") of five characters. It was also found that you can freely change the groupings of your units.

Moreover, depending on how you grouped your characters (and the context of the battle), your command options will change; it's possible to be presented with a whole bevy of attack options, or just end up with the option to "flee."

As for that tension gauge that people have noticed on the screenshots, it fills depending on the commands/movements you've made. Even if you're outnumbered, if you manage to make enough "effective commands" (like defeating two "unions" with only one), then the tension will favor your side, and victory should follow.

Playtime, for now, is expected to be around 30 hours.

As for the game's art style, it was noted that Square Enix wanted The Last Remnant to look European to Asian gamers, and Asian to Western gamers.

When it comes to taking advantage of the online networks of the Xbox 360 and the PS3, Square Enix isn't considering multiplayer, but they are thinking of providing future downloadable content for the game.

Although there isn't an official date for the title yet, it was hinted that localization is being taken seriously. So unlike previous Square Enix titles, we won't have to wait the extra few months for the translations of The Last Remnant to get done.

Square Enix RPG fans who find themselves weary of the sequels and remakes that the publisher dishes out will be happy to know that their favorite game maker is cooking up something for them and it's very original. The game is called The Last Remnant and it's going to launch for the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 in a date still to be determined.

The game is said to have a vibrant environment powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine which allows an unprecedented simultaneous development effort for two separate platforms. What excites us the most are reports of a new battle system unlike any other in the RPG plane where players can control up to 70 units at a time for clashes of titanic proportions.

Curious to see what the game will actually look like? We have just the thing for you. Here are some scans from Dengeki PalyStation that, unfortunately, will leave you craving for more. Enjoy!

See the rest of the scans after the jump!

 

The folks of Jeux-France managed to post several Famitsu scans featuring the Square Enix's game that's "dedicated to the world", The Last Remnant. The scans give us better hints at how the combat, the enemies, the cutscenes, and the environments will look like in-game. There's also a whole bunch of concept art put in there, as well as closer views of the game's main characters.

It's really nice stuff, and it's really a decent preview. You really get a feel for the game's "look". For one thing, you the images of the in-game enemies show huge Colossi (including a large bird-like creature) that remind us of Shadow of Colossus, and the big troll-like enemies reminds us of the trolls in Peter Jackson's LOTR. Also the costumes of the characters feel like a mix of wardrobes from Final Fantasy X's Spira, and Final Fantasy XII's Ivalice.

Gameplay-wise, you get an idea of how the radar should work in The Last Remnant, and how that "morale bar" on the top shifts from you and your Allies to your Enemies. You also get a good look at how that action-based framework should work in a Dynasty Warriors-like (meaning a whole lot of enemies) setting.

Enough talk, on with the images! Click on the thumbnails below to get a better look at each scan. Enjoy!

   

Get the rest of the scans after the Jump!

JeuxFrance blogger blakguy has put up a few scans off Game Informer that focus on Square Enix's upcoming next gen RPG, The Last Remnant. The scans reveal that there will be two central characters in the story. The main protagonist is Rush Sykes, an "energetic and idealistic 18-year-old swordsman". Square Enix is banking on Rush appealing to Japanese gamers.

American gamers, on the other hand, will more probably be drawn to the Conqueror, a dark and mysterious battle-hardened figure that's the exact opposite of Rush. While Rush is the main character, he has a connection with the Conqueror which will gradually bring the latter into a more prominent position in the story.

Over on the battle side, there won't be any traditional turn-based fights in The Last Remnant. Unlike in traditional Japanese RPGs, the emphasis in this game is on "recreating the sensation of a soldier on a battlefield", so expect lots of cinematic camera angles and a more realistic flow to the combat.

That doesn't mean that battles in The Last Remnant be going like one in Ninety Nine Nights or Dynasty Warriors, though. The fights will still take place in a turn-based framework. The difference is that after choosing an action, you must then adapt to the battlefield's changing circumstances which might require some timed button presses in mid-attack.

Morale will also play an important part in battles. It's represented by a meter on the top of the screen and fluctuates during battles. "If morale is low, characters will not be able to exert their powers," said director Hiroshi Takai. "Players must aim to continuously improve their battle-style and commands, or they may end up with a difficult battle."

For more on The Last Remnant, including some tidbits on the history of the Remnants and the different races in the game's world, check out the scans below. Oh, and one last thing. It seems we finally have a launch window for this title. The Game Informer scans have this one pegged for a simultaneous Japanese/North American release in "Spring 2008".

   

More scans after the jump!

 

A Famitsu report alerts the intarwebs that the official site for Square Enix's The Last Remnant is up. The "read" link below leads to the Japanese site, but don't worry, since, as we've mentioned before, the game will be released simultaneously in the U.S. and Japan, there should be a huge link there that'll lead you to the North American site.

Not much content in there yet. Just a few hints of what's to come. The Japanese site features that concept art that we've seen before. The North American site show's the hero up-close, in contrast with this white-haired character that left a messy stain on the wall. Check out our screenshot below to see what we mean.

We hope that the site updates soon and gives more info on that "up to seventy units" in The Last Remnant hint that they gave out the other day.