Out of the thousands of video game developers in the world, one of the most enduring, impactful, and beloved is Square Enix. Although Square was founded in 1986 and Enix in 1975, they joined forces in 2003 to become an iconic video game development and publishing company. Square Enix has gone on to release hundreds of games across various consoles but is best known for franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts.

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As the world celebrated the beginning of a new millennium, one of the most impactful decades in gaming history began. The 2000s saw huge technological advances that transformed the landscape of video games forever, and Square Enix was one of the companies embracing these technologies to ensure they released crowd-pleasing games for their fans each year.

10 Final Fantasy 9 (2000)

Metascore: 94

As the millennium dawned, Enix released a well-received Dragon Quest 7 while Square produced masterpieces like Vagrant Story – but Final Fantasy 9 has to take the medal for the best game of the year from either company in 2000.

Final Fantasy 9 has everything fans want from a Final Fantasy game, complete with a medieval fantasy setting, RPG gameplay, turn-based combat, and an absorbing narrative with compelling character development. Final Fantasy 9 even introduced Ability Points, a mechanic that Square Enix has gone on to use several times since. Earning Ability Points and unlocking them from equipped items added a layer of depth to the gameplay and made it even more rewarding. With stunning 3D characters and a memorable soundtrack, Final Fantasy 9 remains a firm fan favorite.

9 Final Fantasy 10 (2001)

Metascore: 92

2001 saw a few small releases from each company, but Final Fantasy still dominated the year. Although Square released Final Fantasy Chronicles on PlayStation to widespread acclaim, Final Fantasy 10 was still their top game of the year.

Final Fantasy 10 stands out as the first entry released for PlayStation 2, offering players an upgrade in visuals and voice acting as they guide Tidus and Yuna on their journey to defeat Sin – and of course, become Blitzball champions. This game introduced players to a more innovative way of leveling up, thanks to the Sphere Grid. But story is paramount when it comes to Final Fantasy games, and Final Fantasy 10’s is just as emotional as fans have come to expect from the series, exploring ideas of faith, sacrifice, and much more.

8 Kingdom Hearts (2002)

Metascore: 85

Enix released a couple of Grandia games in 2002, as well as Itadaki Street 3, but Square proved yet again to be the company with bigger games. 2002 was a big year for Final Fantasy as they re-released the first two games on PlayStation as well as the brand-new Final Fantasy 11. However, the best Final Fantasy game was an ambitious crossover with Disney called Kingdom Hearts.

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The idea of combining Final Fantasy characters with beloved Disney characters seems bizarre on the surface but works incredibly well in practice, capturing the joy of childhood while still being enjoyable for adults. In fact, Kingdom Hearts was groundbreaking upon its release and kicked off a series that has since amassed a huge following. Kingdom Hearts follows Sora as he teams up with Donald and Goofy to battle the Heartless and save numerous Disney worlds. Players adored jumping through the worlds of their favorite Disney films, but the intense real-time combat and sprawling, often emotional storyline is what really made this one stand out in the hearts of fans.

7 Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (2003)

Metascore: 87

2003 was the year in which Square and Enix merged to become Square Enix, but it was also a big year for fantasies, releasing titles like Drakengard and Sword of Mana. Naturally, Final Fantasy still dominated the year though, releasing both Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on GameCube and Final Fantasy X-2 on PlayStation 2. Despite being the first direct sequel and featuring both fast-paced combat and great character development, Final Fantasy X-2 was met with mixed reviews from fans. Fortunately, Square Enix released Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

Not only was Final Fantasy Tactics Advance the franchise’s first foray into Game Boy Advance, but it was Square Enix’s best game of 2003. It brought the strategic gameplay of the series to a new console with a new story set in the world of Ivalice, following a group of children who find themselves in an alternate version of their world. Crucially, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance showcases excellent gameplay with a huge range of character classes and a Law system that makes each battle fresh and unique.

6 Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King (2004)

Metascore: 85

2004 was a good year for Square Enix. They released both Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Final Fantasy 1 & 2: Dawn Of Souls on Game Boy Advance, but Dragon Quest ruled the year, thanks to its appearance in Itadaki Street and the PS2 remake of Dragon Quest 5. However, Dragon Quest 8 proved to be the highlight of the year.

Bolstered by the merger to become Square Enix, Dragon Quest got the leg up it needed, finally releasing Dragon Quest 8 on PlayStation 2. Players could finally enjoy the series in a vast 3D open world with improved exploration and interactions with the environment. As players venture forth to break Dhoulmagus’ curse, players get to grips with the turn-based combat, made more interesting by the innovative tension system to unleash more powerful attacks. Although this was by no means the first entry in the series, it was the first Dragon Quest game to get serious fans in the West.

5 Kingdom Hearts 2 (2005)

Metascore: 87

2005 was an interesting year for Square Enix, one in which many players disagreed with reviewers. For example, despite mixed reviews from critics for Musashi: Samurai Legend and Romancing SaGa, players had a blast, also enjoying releases like Grandia 3 and Radiata Stories. However, there was a special sequel that took the year by storm for Square Enix.

Kingdom Hearts 2 picked up where the first game left off but expanded on the story massively. Players guide Sora as he once again teams up with Donald, Goofy, and an even greater range of characters from Final Fantasy and Disney. Together, they continue to visit new worlds and battle the Heartless, along with Nobodies and Organization XIII this time as well. Square Enix built from the foundations of the first game, giving the rich narrative more depth and complexity while upgrading the combat to make fights more dynamic and visually spectacular. To this day, fans still get giddy when they see Sora dual-wield keyblades with extra abilities.

4 Final Fantasy 12 (2006)

Metascore: 92

2006 saw the release of some excellent games from Square Enix, porting classic Final Fantasy titles on newer consoles like Nintendo DS and PSP and releasing both Valkyrie Profile and Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria to critical and commercial success. Nevertheless, despite its turbulent time in development during which director Yasumi Matsuno left the project, their top game of that year was still Final Fantasy 12.

Final Fantasy 12 returned players to Ivalice, a familiar setting from Final Fantasy Tactics, with a captivating narrative about politics, war, and rebellion. But what makes this one stand out is its departure from the usual turn-based combat. In its place, Square Enix embraced real-time combat with a Gambit system that allows players to customize how party members act in the heat of battle. Along with an open world and captivating voice-acted cutscenes, Final Fantasy 12 received critical acclaim at the time and remains a favorite to this day.

3 Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions (2007)

Metascore: 88

2007 was a major year for Square Enix’s flagship franchises. It saw the release of a new Mana game, a spin-off Dragon Quest game on the Nintendo Wii, and several Final Fantasy games. While some older games were remastered and released on newer consoles, two Final Fantasy games topped the list for that year.

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Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 boasted fantastic gameplay with a rich backstory to one of the franchise’s best narratives, but Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of Lions has a slight edge to make it the best game of that year. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of Lions on PSP was the pinnacle of tactical RPGs at the time, offering players a complex yet engaging story and deep tactical gameplay. With improved graphics, cinematic cutscenes, and additional job classes, this update for the PlayStation system made it a quintessential experience for all tactical RPG fans.

2 The World Ends With You (2008)

Metascore: 88

As usual, Square Enix continued to expand their franchises in 2008, releasing games like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King on the Nintendo Wii and a remake of Dragon Quest 5 on the Nintendo DS. But the best Square Enix game of 2008 wasn’t actually part of a franchise. Released worldwide in April 2008, The World Ends With You was co-developed by Square Enix and Jupiter, taking inspiration from Jupiter’s previous game Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories.

The World Ends With You is an action RPG set in a stylized version of Shibuya in Tokyo, a district famous for its youth culture and fashion that makes it the perfect setting for the urban culture-inspired story. Known for its distinctive art style, The World Ends With You follows teenager Neku Sakuraba fighting for survival in the Reaper’s Game. Square Enix capitalized on the features of the Nintendo DS by including combat on both screens and having players perform attacks using the touchscreen or shouting into the microphone. Along with a memorable soundtrack, The World Ends With You remains a cult classic for Square Enix.

1 Dissidia: Final Fantasy (2009)

Metascore: 79

Square Enix’s franchises were going as strong as ever in 2009, with new releases for Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and of course, Final Fantasy. Coming out worldwide in the latter half of 2009, Dissidia: Final Fantasy was the only new game among numerous ports and remakes to celebrate Final Fantasy’s 20th anniversary.

Dissidia: Final Fantasy is a spin-off that offers a lot for fans of the series with its unique fusion of RPG and fighting game elements that adds great depth to the gameplay. Players enjoyed how customizable it was, able to tailor movesets and use experience points to enhance stats for each character. It also included an ingenious blend of real-time action and strategy, requiring tactical thought to make the most of “Bravery” attacks. But what made Dissidia: Final Fantasy truly special to fans was how it brought together characters from across the whole Final Fantasy series, making it a perfect way to celebrate twenty years of an exceptional franchise and round out the decade.

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