Square Enix had a rough go on the PS3 as did a lot of Japanese developers. It was as if Japanese companies were allergic to the HD era. They put out some quality titles on PS3, but it was nowhere near as stellar as the previous generation on PS2.
The PS4 generation then was like an apology tour for them. Square Enix put out so much great content that it was hard to narrow down the best of the best. For variety’s sake, only one game per series will be highlighted, although there will be some runner-ups. Also, only games released first during the PS4 generation will be mentioned. No ports or collections will be added, but remakes will count.
8 I Am Setsuna
I Am Setsuna was the first game from Tokyo RPG Factory. This separate studio with Square Enix was set up to make smaller RPGs to harken back to the early SNES and PS1 days of the two now merged companies. I Am Setsuna was clearly an attempt to make a successor to Chrono Trigger in particular at least in terms of gameplay minus the time travel.
While it didn’t blow up the internet, it is still a very solid RPG for this side company’s first venture. It’s a shame it never got a direct sequel and everything after I Am Setsuna from Tokyo RPG Factory has been not as good.
7 Trials Of Mana Remake
Seiken Densetsu 3 was the name of the third game in the Mana series. It was released on the SNES in 1995 but in Japan only. It did not get an official release in the West until Collection of Mana hit the Switch in 2019 followed quickly by this remake in 2020.
These two games were renamed as Trials of Mana in the West. The original SNES game is better in Collection of Mana, but that collection still hasn’t left the Switch. This remake is a good replacement though.
6 Voice Of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars
Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars was a surprise game from Yoko Taro who also worked on NieR: Automata. It is a turn-based card RPG with some strategy elements. Players wander around the world as players on a game board, interacting with NPCs and monsters on their journey.
Once battles begin, the setup should look familiar to RPG fans. For a card game, it’s incredibly easy to jump into. It has since received two sequels, but they are all standalone ideas, so it doesn’t matter where players start between this game, The Forsaken Maiden, and The Beasts of Burden.
5 Neo: The World Ends With You
Neo: The World Ends With You is another example of a Square Enix game that took a while to get a sequel to. Trials of Mana is admittedly a different case as it was more based on waiting for English localization.
Both of The World Ends With You games feature action RPG gameplay, but the sequel took things into 3D space. It doesn’t hold a candle to the original but few games can. Still, fans of The World Ends With You on DS waited thirteen years, based on the North American release, for this, and they couldn’t have been happier despite some minor gripes.
4 NieR: Automata
The aforementioned NieR: Automata blew players and critics away when it launched in 2017. The original was a niche hit for hardcore RPG fans, but it was buried by a ton of technical issues to keep it from true stardom.
Almost everything about this sequel was better. Part of that praise goes to PlatinumGames which Square Enix contracted to help develop it. They know how to make the action feel good in their games and NieR: Automata is no exception.
3 Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts 3 was kind of like a joke in the industry. Kingdom Hearts 2 was released in 2006 in North America, and in-between that game and this third major entry, Square Enix released eleven spinoffs, remakes, and remasters for the Kingdom Hearts series. It was as if they were determined not to move the story forward in a big way with a numbered sequel.
And yet, in 2019, Square Enix finally gave fans what they wanted and it was glorious. Hopefully, the already teased Kingdom Hearts 4 will not take another thirteen years to come out.
2 Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Dragon Quest has never been as popular in the West, unlike Final Fantasy. Dragon Quest is more like Japan’s favorite RPG. However, Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age broke the mold and got more Western players onboard than ever before.
It’s kind of like how Persona and the Shin Megami Tensei series overall took a while to get popular in the West. Dragon Quest 11 is a top-notch, very long RPG and is the one to play in the series on PS4. However, Dragon Quest Heroes 2 and Dragon Quest Builders 2 are both excellent spinoffs in the Dragon Quest series worth checking out too.
1 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
World of Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Type-0, and Final Fantasy 15 all deserve praise for being great mainline and spinoff titles in this franchise. However, the one game in the series that hit critical mass on PS4 was Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It came out at exactly the right time in 2020 when everyone was locked inside.
Maybe that’s why more people played it, or maybe it’s because Square Enix has never made a game quite as adored as Final Fantasy 7. Fans have been waiting for a remake since Square Enix released that tech demo for PS3. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is not quite a remake at all in the traditional sense, but that’s what made it so much more engaging.