Square Enix announces new hybrid RPG from Final Fantasy series veterans, out this month

The Tokyo Game Show is on right now, and Square Enix had a little surprise in its pocket for Switch (as well as PS4 and PC) owners.

The legendary publisher and developer behind the Final Fantasy series have put some of the series’ brightest minds together to create a brand new hybrid RPG called Dungeon Encounters, and frankly it looks absolutely wonderful. Hiroyuki Ito, the director of Final Fantasy VI, IX, and XII, as well as the creator of the Active Time Battle system, directed the game, while Hiraoki Kato, who worked on Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age and a couple of very well-received Tactics games, produced it. The soundtrack of the game has also been overseen by legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, and judging by the trailer, it sounds fantastic.

Dungeon Encounters will have you exploring puzzling grids, each with their own thought-provoking challenges, obstacles, and importantly, combat encounters, which will used a refined version of the ATB system. The art style for characters and combat encounters looks to be beautifully hand-drawn, while the game’s overworld takes place on a distinctly tabletop RPG-looking paper grid.

The best part? It’s releasing in just under two weeks, on the 14th of October. And it’s available to preorder on the eShop right now, with a regular price of $44.95 AUD. However, if you preorder or purchase before the 21st of the month, you’ll get 20% off, bringing the price down to $35.96 AUD. Not bad for a neat-looking game.