Square Enix is a gaming company that has created a wide range of games over the years ever since 2003. While first only being popular in Japan, eventually Square Enix managed to branch out to a western audience that had fallen in love with many of the different franchises the company had created.
However, for Square Enix to become a success across the world, the company had to experiment with their games in order to mix up genres and attract new players with games that had not yet been attempted. With so many titles over the years these are by far the most experimental games that have been developed or published by Square Enix.
8 Babylon's Fall
Babylon's Fall was an action role-playing game coupled with the hack and slash genre that was created by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix. While the game was praised for its combat through interesting combos and doges, many players felt the game's progression itself of advancing through a tower became repetitive, especially due to its enemies.
Unfortunately, although Babylon's Fall was quite the experimental game for Square Enix to publish, it wasn't very successful. Only six months after the game was released to players Square Enix announced that they wouldn't be supporting the game any longer and the online servers for the title were completely shut down as of February 2023.
7 Final Fantasy
Arguably, while Final Fantasy may be the greatest franchise that Square Enix has released and continues to add on to, at one point this game was also quite the experimental game for the company to release. Evidently, this risk paid off as many players have fell in love with the Final Fantasy franchise as well as any spin-off series that has released from it.
A great example of this is the game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, a rhythm game that allows players to listen to various songs that have made up the soundtracks of some of the most loved Final Fantasy games. These titles have continued to be created over the years with the most recent releasing on Switch called Theatrhythm Final Bar Line.
6 Drakengard
Drakengard is a role-playing game that was the original ancestor to the now popular title known as Nier. That series classed as a spin-off to this one and therefore took a lot of its influence from the features and mechanics that were experimented with throughout this franchise.
Published by Square Enix, this brutal game that follows the story of a prince that hopes to get revenge during a grim religious war. Combining the game play of the much-loved Dynasty Warriors with the aerial battles of Ace Combat, turned Drakengard into a series many players have come to enjoy.
5 Harvestella
Life simulation games are quite common with many players falling in love with them across both platforms and companies, Harvestella was a new sort of life simulation released by Square Enix in 2022. While many players likened this new game with its own combat moments and farming features to that of Rune Factory, many players felt that Harvestella held its own unique style with an interesting spin.
Out of all its features the event of 'Quietus' is by far the most fascinating, this happens at the end of each season where all the crops wither and residents aren't allowed outside their home. Finding out what causes this problem is exactly what the main story is about.
4 Dragon Quest Builders
Similar to what was mentioned with Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest is another franchise that was successfully created and published by Square Enix. Since the success of the original title, the game has found itself a part of various spin-offs including its own rhythm game.
However, a brilliantly experimental game that many players have enjoyed is also the Dragon Quest Builders; as a sandbox role-playing games, players are tasked with rebuilding the world since its recent destruction. Set in a parallel world of the original Dragon Quest, players can experience life if the hero were to accept the Dragonlord's deal.
3 Various Daylife
While Various Daylife itself may not be one of the most experimental concepts in gaming, the platform in which Square Enix first decided to publish it in 2019 caused it to become a staple of the Apple Arcade.
With a mix of reviews from critics and players, Various Daylife was a title that many either felt was experimentally successful or should've been rethought. Besides this, there was some enjoyment from the RPG if it was played in small intervals. It was later ported to other platforms such as the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC in 2022 so that a wider audience could enjoy it.
2 Forspoken
Forspoken was a story that has yet to be seen by Square Enix, following the adventures of a woman named Frey who was teleported into a fantasy world from her home in New York; players are free to adventure around the open world of Athia.
Sadly, Forspoken was another title published by Square Enix that wasn't as well received by its audience as expected. However, the developers of the game, Luminous Productions pledged to continue to improve it before they were absorbed into the main body of Square Enix in May 2023.
1 Murdered: Soul Suspect
Unlike any other game published by Square Enix, Murdered: Soul Suspect had no only an intriguing experimental story but also gameplay that sunk many players deeper. Set in a fictional version of Salem, players take on the role of the detective Ronan as he hunts for the Bell Killer who is terrorizing the town.
After being murdered by this killer, Ronan finds himself trapped as a ghost as he must find out who the Bell Killer is if he hopes to pass over. While solving this mystery the players will also stumble into many other ghosts that need the player's help to pass over. This made Murdered: Soul Suspect an incredibly interesting game with plenty in store for players.