When one thinks of Square-Enix and its long history developing some of the greatest JRPGs ever made it is impossible not to think of the Final Fantasy series. This is especially true in the west because it was Final Fantasy VII that helped popularize the JRPG genre in the west with its release on the original PlayStation in 1997.
It’s the company’s most profitable franchise with its endless remakes and remasters of previous games in the Final Fantasy series. However, their skills in gaming development go way beyond just the Final Fantasy series.
There have been many times where the company has been willing to take risks with some of the best and most original games ever developed over several generations of gaming. Let’s take a look at ten of the best games that Square-Enix has developed without the Final Fantasy name attached to it.
10 SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions
SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions was released in 2019 on the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices that support Android and iOS. It is an enhanced port of the PlayStation Vita original released in 2016.
The game was released on the series 25th anniversary of the series and is the twelfth entry in the series. It is considered to be one of the best entries in the series with the difficult but rewarding and thrilling strategy-based combat system. Saga Scarlet Grace: Ambitions offers the player several unique paths each with their own engaging stories whether it is world-building or character development.
9 The Parasite Eve Series
The first Parasite Eve was released by Square on the PlayStation in 1998. Parasite Eve II followed in 1999 and its final entry arrived on the PSP in 2010 called Parasite Eve: 3rd Birthday. The games are survival horror RPGs and on a visual level, the first two games resembled the Resident Evil games.
The gameplay, however, implemented a pausable but real-time combat system the played similarly to Square’s Vagrant Story. Parasite Eve’s narrative was based on the Japanese horror book of the same name and served as a continuation of that book's story.
8 The Kingdom Hearts Series
The Kingdom Hearts series began with the first game in 2002 on the PlayStation 2. In addition to two full sequels with Kingdom Hearts II in 2005 and Kingdom Hearts III in 2019, there have been several spin-off entries.
These entries helped expand and develop the game’s universe further which somehow masterfully crossed Disney and Pixar with Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy characters into a complex yet, stunning universe. So much more than “Final Fantasy for kids”, Kingdom Hearts is one of the best entries in Square-Enix’s library.
7 Vagrant Story
Vagrant Story was released for the original PlayStation in 2000. It was later re-released for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and the Vita in 2009 via the PS Network. It was the first game developed by Square-Enix to receive a perfect score from Famitsu.
Even though it’s not a Final Fantasy title in name, there are allusions to Vagrant Story in Final Fantasy XII and along with Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions Ivalice Alliance. The game remains one of Square-Enix’s most unique RPGs with its mature storytelling and incredibly atmospheric dungeon crawling to rival Dark Souls series.
6 Front Mission 3
Front Mission 3 was released for the PlayStation in 1999. It was the first game in the series to be released in the west even though all of the games have connections and allusions to each other. While its predecessors were turn-based straight strategy games similar to the Advance Wars series, Front Mission 3 added far more RPG mechanics like the Fire Emblem series.
Front Mission considered by many gamers to be the best in the series due to its balanced difficulty and storyline. However, the re-released Front Misson for the Nintendo DS and Front Mission 4 for the Ps2 are games that all strategy fans should invest in too.
5 Chrono Trigger
Originally released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo and ported later the PlayStation, Nintendo DS, and mobile devices, Chrono Trigger is highly regarded as one the greatest JRPGs ever developed. It was created by a dream team of Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Hori the creators of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest respectively.
Twenty-five years on and Chrono Trigger is just as great as it’s always been. With a surprisingly deep story, intuitive battle system, and multiple endings the game was way ahead of its time and should be in every JRPG collectors library.
4 Xenogears
Released in 1998 on the PlayStation, Xenogears is a science fiction RPG with an incredibly deep storyline that develops around themes of religion and theories based on Freudian and Jungian philosophies.
It was the first game developed in the Xeno series with spiritual successors in the form of the Xenosaga trilogy for the PlayStation 2 and the Xenoblade series on Nintendo consoles. Although the games are unrelated in terms of story, they do carry on many of the same themes most notably the mechs and symbolism that featured so prominently in Xenogears.
3 Star Ocean: Second Evolution
Star Ocean: Second Evolution is an enhanced remaster of Star Ocean: The Second Story and it was released for the PSP in 2009. The original was released for the PlayStation by Enix in 1999 and is a science fiction RPG that was heavily inspired by the Star Trek franchise.
Star Ocean: Second Evolution maintains all of the original game’s features like multiple endings and the choice of two protagonists. However, the enhancements include even more endings, new artwork, cutscenes, and voice acting. Additionally, the Star Ocean series features a real-time combat system that fans of action games and beat-em-ups will enjoy and was revolutionary at the time.
2 Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was originally released on the PlayStation 4 and the PC in 2018. However, it is the definitive edition that was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019 with several enhancements that make it the best choice for gamers.
While the Nintendo Switch version doesn’t have the high-resolution advantage seen on the PS4 the Switch port features orchestral music, new cutscenes, an expanded plot, and a new 16-bit 2D mode. The addition of the 2D model feels like a brand new experience and long-time JRPG fans will love the throwback to the SNES era RPGs.
1 Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a turn-based strategy RPG that was released on the PSP in 2011 and is an enhanced remake of the Super Famicom original. The PSP version was the first time the game was released outside of Japan and features several enhancements to its gameplay and narrative choices.
The game was directed by Yasumi Matsuno who also worked on Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy XII, and Final Fantasy: Tactics. Matsuno and his team returned work on the PSP remake and included the ability to make different choices to see how the story is affected at key moments using the brand new “World” system. Tactics Ogre is one of the most complex and deep tactical RPGs ever released and has a mature plot that goes way beyond its simplistic and old-school sprites.