Sony Computer Entertainment Japan president Atsushi Morita took the stage during the event, adding that he wants to bring the game to home consoles and is in discussions with Square Enix to do so. But Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama said that the game will be arcade-exclusive for at least one year before it’s ported.
The game’s arcade cabinet was revealed. It uses twin sticks with the four PlayStation buttons for movement and actions. A live demonstration was given on stage, running on PlayStation 4 hardware at 60 frames per second.
A location test will begin in Japan on April 17 at the following locations:
April 17 to 19 (10:00 to 24:00)
HEY (Akihabara, Tokyo)
Sendai Leisurelan Ichibansho Store (Sendai, Miyagi)
Battles are three-versus-three. Here’s the screen layout:
1. Playtime
2. Battle Log
3. Teammate Status
4. Player Status
5. HP
6. Target Line
7. Break Bonus
8. Mini-Map
9. Enemy Team Information
10. Chat Icon
Controls are the same across characters.
HP and Brave Attacks
There are two types of attacks:
HP Attack – When a player attacks with an HP Attack, the amount of HP they can take off the enemy is displayed as the Break Bonus stat in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Brave Attack – When a Brave Attack hits, it can sap away at the enemy’s own Break Bonus.
EX Skills
A class of iconic support skills players can use during battle, such as “Protect” for raising allies’ defense, Slow to make enemies move slower, provoking enemies to lock their targets elsewhere. Also includes character specific skills like Tina’s “Trance” and Cloud’s “Limit Break.”
Summons Beasts
All members of a team share a Summon Gauge that can be built up. When it’s full, if all players join in the invocation, they can have a Summons Beast enter the fray as a temporary fourth teammate. Summons Beasts also have auto-abilities that will be continuously in effect while they’re out on the field, providing an added boon to team members.
Summons Beasts are selectable.
Braves
Enemy Braves can also be stolen with a Brave Attack. Braves can be accumulated en masse with a Brave Break. If you manage to accrue all of an enemy’s Braves, you’ll get a bonus. That said, there’s a greater incentive to prioritize enemies with bigger Brave reserves.
Brave Breaks ideal to use after taking HP Attacks and can help stage big comebacks.
Character Customization
Character customization (status, abilities, etc.) can be done with a dedicated smartphone app, meaning you can make character changes without going to the arcade.
Updates
Regular updates are planned for release after the arcade version is out. Updates include additional characters, stages, summons, battle music, custom parts, balance refinements, and additional gameplay systems.
