6 Square Enix Games You Forgot Were Awesome

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Square Enix has a huge library of video games. The companies that came together to form Square Enix were already making popular games for years before their merger in 2003, and they’ve continued to do so ever since. While many players are familiar with series like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix has created a lot of other great games over the decades. This list isn’t a definitive guide to the best Square Enix has to offer, but it’s a great place to start if you want to explore more of their history.

Here are six hidden gems in Square Enix’s massive catalog.

6) Brave Fencer Musashi

Brave Fencer Musashi was Square’s take on the classic Zelda formula for the original PlayStation. While inspired by Zelda, it wasn’t a simple copy – it included features like spoken dialogue, a changing day-night cycle, and RPG-style elements. Players and critics generally found the action-platforming to be both fun and difficult.

The game featured impressive graphics for its time and offered a strong take on the classic Zelda style of gameplay. It was a huge hit in Japan, selling over 600,000 copies in 1998 and ranking among the country’s top 20 best-selling games that year. While a sequel was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005, it didn’t achieve the same level of success as the original.

5) Drakengard

The game Drakengard holds a special place for Square Enix as it marked Yoko Taro’s debut with the company. This initial collaboration blossomed into a successful partnership, eventually leading to the critically acclaimed Nier: Automata.

I think Drakengard is absolutely worth checking out! The creators were aiming for something totally unique, blending the large-scale battles of Dynasty Warriors with the aerial combat of Ace Combat. And honestly, Yoko Taro and his team nailed it. It’s not a flawless game, not by a long shot, but the story is so compelling that I’d recommend it for that reason alone. It’s a really important game, and I’m glad I played it.

4) Valkyrie Profile

Released a few years before Square and Enix merged, Tri-Ace’s Valkyrie Profile was a popular and critically acclaimed PlayStation game. It sold over 700,000 copies and was praised for its engaging story and detailed gameplay.

Since playing the first Valkyrie Profile, I’ve tried a bunch of similar games, but honestly, nothing has quite captured the same magic. It just nails that sweet spot with its deep, turn-based battles and a really compelling story that keeps you coming back for multiple playthroughs to uncover everything. Plus, let’s be real, it still looks pretty good even today!

3) Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen

The first Ogre Battle game started the series, but it’s become less well-known than its sequel, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. However, the original Ogre Battle remains a significant title, and arguably could have been even more popular.

Initially, the game developers intended to produce a limited number of copies. Fortunately, they were able to increase the print run in Japan, which contributed to Ogre Battle‘s commercial success. However, in North America, where Enix published the game, only 25,000 copies were made. These sold out quickly, making the game rare and difficult to find outside of Japan. Despite this, Ogre Battle became a beloved cult classic and remains a worthwhile experience for fans of strategy games.

2) Parasite Eve

After the popularity of Resident Evil, many game developers wanted to create their own survival horror games. Square’s entry was Parasite Eve, which combined the tense atmosphere of survival horror with the role-playing elements Square was famous for. It was also a significant game for the company, being their first to receive a mature rating due to its violent and disturbing story.

The game Parasite Eve was popular with both players and critics, leading to two sequels, a movie, and two comic book series. People especially enjoyed its stunning graphics and movie-like cutscenes, although it did have lengthy loading times. Despite this, it remains one of the most memorable and original games in the style of Resident Evil from that time, and many believe it deserves to be remade for modern consoles.

1) ActRaiser

Enix teamed up with Quintet, the developers behind popular games like Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma, to create ActRaiser. This innovative game uniquely combined fast-paced platforming action with strategic city-building elements, representing a bold effort to deliver a new experience on the SNES.

While not a flawless combination of genres, ActRaiser was largely successful, offering something for fans of both action and simulation games. It also featured a fantastic soundtrack, earning the Best Music award from Electronic Gaming Monthly in 1993. A sequel was released, but it focused almost entirely on action-platforming and removed the city-building elements. Though there were plans for a third game on the Nintendo 64, development stopped, and we haven’t seen a true follow-up that recaptures the original’s unique blend of gameplay.

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2026-01-24 02:42