Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Last Remnant gears up for its PC release
By Michael Lafferty

Producer Nobuyuki Ueda shares information about the title's transition to the computer

Square-Enix is one of those companies that rarely have a misstep when it comes to releasing games of quality – not only from the visual perspective but from a gameplay standpoint as well. There was a time, in the back history of the company (Square, more precisely) that the PC figured prominently into game releases. Legendary titles like Final Fantasy VII were titles that defined the role-playing experience for the generation on the PC.

But things changed and Square-Enix focused more on the next-generation of systems, both from the console and handheld perspectives. The company continually set the bar when it came to epic adventures that could squeeze more graphical power out of a console than most developers.

Well, get ready, PC owners, Square is about to release a title to the PC. The Last Remnant features a storyline that follows the epic path in a tale that combines the familiar with the unique. In TLR, Rush and his sister Irina are daughters of a scientist studying Remnants – mysterious artifacts from an ancient civilization. When Irina is kidnapped, Rush is set on a path to find his sister while getting caught up in a power struggle for The Last Remnant.

Some of the features of the title include:

• Large-scale battles that come to life as players command unions of soldiers in an exhilarating new turn-based system.

• A visually stunning world rich with parched deserts, lush forests and sparkling seas inhabited by four distinct races: mitra, yama, qsiti and sovani.

• A captivating story that is packed with outstanding cinematics and a sweeping soundtrack composed by Tsuyoshi Sekito (Final Fantasy VII – Advent Children – and Dawn of Mana). The story experience can be expanded through multiple side quests

Producer Nobuyuki Ueda was kind enough to answer some questions about the upcoming Square-Enix release.

Question: At one time Square Enix (particularly Square) developed titles for the PC, but seemed to drift away from that in favor of consoles. What made you decide to bring The Last RemnantT to the PC platform?

Nobuyuki Ueda: The original concept was to create a multi-platform title, so there were plans for a PC version since the start of this project. The development was PC-based, which was one of the main reasons why we decided to release a PC version.

Q: Square Enix is renowned for squeezing as much out of a machine as is possible with its releases. While graphically the next-gen consoles are amazingly powerful machines, more can be done given the possible configurations of the PC. Has the game been upgraded in any manner for the PC release?

NU: There are multiple new and original elements that have been added in terms of game content, as well as PC-specific upgrades such as several graphic setting options.

Q: Has anything new been added to the gameplay content for the PC, or is this essentially the same game that players saw on the console?

NU: There is no additional gameplay content for the PC version.

Q: The game is destined to be delivered via Steam. What made you decide to go that route for digital delivery? Will there be a box available?

NU: There was an especially strong demand from fans overseas, and that was one of the deciding factors. We had always thought to utilize Steam’s online system, and digital delivery was the appropriate course for this product. Packaged versions will of course be available as well.

Q: Will players have the same options in terms of character control that they did with the consoles? Has that been expanded in any manner? Is the control scheme adapted to the keyboard and mouse with some of the standard RPG elements (like WASD movement), or have you gone exclusively mouse control with a point-and-click design?

NU: We have adapted the PC version for keyboard and mouse controls, but recommend using a controller.

Q: Will the game support any kind of multiplayer abilities?

NU: There are no plans for multiplayer support.

Q: What do you think are the most compelling aspects of the story of The Last Remnant?

NU: The story revolves around several characters from different walks of life – the main character, Rush, who embarks on a journey to rescue his kidnapped sister,  David, who continues to strive for the expansion and independence of his state, the mysterious mage Wagram, who  is behind Irina’s kidnapping, and the Conqueror. Various individuals with different purposes are brought together in a story that revolves around artifacts known as Remnants. Players will gradually be able to comprehend the existence of Remnants through these characters’ eyes, and I believe this experience is one of the major draws of The Last Remnant.

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