Square and Enix separately have a lot of difficult games under their belt that are hard to go back to. The biggest examples are the original Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games on the NES, which can be seen as a bit archaic by today’s standards, especially since both games have better remakes now. The two companies merged in 2003 as Square Enix, and the rest is history.
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Since the merger, there have been some challenging releases as well. Perhaps none of these games is as frustrating as a Soulslike experience, but they will certainly test the patience of players. The following games are all developed or co-developed by Square Enix, and the focus will be on the default difficulty mode, if there are other modes to consider.
The World Ends With You
A Double Standard
The World Ends With You
- Released
- July 27, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS, Switch, Android, iOS
The World Ends With You was co-developed by Jupiter and Square Enix for the DS version, which is the hardest version to play. In battle, players can equip Pins to the hero, Neku, which can be activated through various means on the bottom screen. Tapping or slashing with the stylus could create fireballs or slash attacks, for example.
On the top screen, Neku’s partner can be controlled with the face buttons, and controlling two characters at once to simultaneously defeat enemies can be challenging. Doing two things at once is hard for any state of life, and even though there are ways to automate this in The World Ends With You, it’s still worth evaluating as one of Square Enix’s hardest games.
Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
A Classic Grind
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Released
- September 4, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Simulated Gambling, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
The Dragon Quest series is known for being challenging, and while Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age fixes some issues, it can still be a grind. Enemies on the world map or in dungeons shouldn’t give players a problem in turn-based combat.
However, whenever a boss is encountered, there is a significant difficulty bump. There are a few ways to revive characters early on, making a critical hit on an ally all the more damaging to the party as a whole. To beat the game requires players to be tactful in battle and a lot of grinding for EXP. Also, it’s a lengthy game, ranging from 80 to 100 hours, so it requires patience.
Final Fantasy 10-2
A Tough Reformation
Final Fantasy X-2
- Released
- November 18, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
Final Fantasy 10 had its challenges, but overall, it’s considered one of the easiest games in the series thanks to the party switching system and Yuna’s Summons. Final Fantasy 10-2 has a small three-girl party and a significant boost in difficulty. Players have to constantly be aware of any situation, even normal battles, as enemies can attack quickly while players are busy sifting through menus.
Like Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age, boss battles are also where the main challenge lies. There is plenty of curative magic, which is a plus, and a normal set of grinding for EXP should get players through most of the game. That said, the side dungeons contain an alarming difficulty spike to the point where some players may not even bother.
Octopath Traveler
Unbalanced Power
Octopath Traveler
- Released
- July 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Octopath Traveler was co-developed by Acquire and Square Enix, and its unique gameplay loop is also its downfall. Players can choose one of eight characters at the start and then recruit the other seven along their journey. Each character has individual episodes, which get increasingly harder as players continue. To beat the game, all eight characters must have their entire campaigns completed.
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The problem is that party members not participate in the turn-based battles do not receive EXP. RPG fans know that leveling up three to four characters can be challenging to beat a game, let alone eight, which is a huge time sink. Between normal battles and boss battles, players really need to level up and get the best gear for everyone if they ever want to finish Octopath Traveler completely. Even then, it’s not a guarantee because the bosses have ridiculously high HP levels and underhanded tricks, from doubling up on attacks to status ailments.
Front Mission 4
The Luck Of The Draw
Front Mission 4
- Released
- June 15, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
Front Mission 4 is a tactical RPG that revolves around players customizing their mechs, called Wanzers. Most tactical RPGs are challenging, as they are all about strategy, patience, and relying on a little luck. Players can move around the grid and target a foe they want to attack with ranged or melee attacks.
Players can hit one of four areas: the body, either arm, or the legs. Destroying an arm would disable attacks, blasting the legs would reduce movement, and blowing up the body would kill the enemy instantly. The tricky part is that where players strike is mostly random, which can drag fights out if the body does not get hit. Accuracy is also very important, and enemies often far outnumber players, resulting in struggle matches wherein retries are almost always on the table.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13
Time Is Not On Your Side
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13
- Released
- November 21, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 is the final part in the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy, starring Lightning and Lightning only. The battle system mixed with the various Garbs, standing in for classes, makes battles engaging and fast. For the most part, combat isn’t too challenging, but what makes this game hard is the time travel, as players have a countdown they must adhere to, akin to the clock in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
With only so much time, players will feel rushed and thus make more mistakes than they genuinely would in an RPG. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 is an example of difficulty that is more frustrating than it is hard, but players may get so overwhelmed that they quit, as it can be that obnoxious despite some truly compelling elements.
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
A Complete Mystery
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
- Released
- October 11, 2005
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
The SaGa series is not for everyone, as they rarely give players tutorials, beyond in-game codexes or a manual for the older boxed games. Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song is a remake of Romancing SaGa on the SNES, which looks great thanks to the watercolor design. Players can choose one of eight characters to play, and some scenarios are more challenging than others.
For example, Hawke begins with a well-equipped group of pirates to even out the turn-based battles, while Sif is alone and stuck in a harsh area wherein enemies can dominate her easily. Characters level up through repeated actions, including stats and skills. The randomization is often what trips players up the most, along with getting almost no guidance in any of the scenarios, even beyond just the complex battle system, which is why it can be so hard to get into.
The Last Remnant
Randomized Tactics
The Last Remnant
- Released
- November 20, 2008
- ESRB
- M For Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
The Last Remnant has a hybrid battle system that is part turn-based and part RTS. Outside of battle, players will create units comprised of several party members. When battles begin, players have little input in what these units do in battle beyond giving them a general target to attack and what type of attack they should go for.
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Even in these attack groups, the skills they use are randomized, and the leveling-up system is similar to the SaGa series, as units will level up based on what they do or what is done to them. Not knowing what units are going to do takes control away from players, which makes dying all the more frustrating. The original Xbox 360 version is the hardest one to get into, while the remaster can be a bit more lenient on monster AI and how quickly players level up. Also, the remaster runs better as the original game took big dips in the frame rate.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Ready, Aim, Miss
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
- Released
- February 15, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Strategy
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is as old-school as it gets, as the game was originally released on the SNES in 1995. Later revisions helped tweak it a bit, like this PSP version, wherein players can equip characters with weapons and classes to form a balanced party.
Beyond the AI being aggressive and enemy units coming in large quantities, the accuracy system is what makes battles the most challenging. More so than other tactical RPGs, characters can often miss, even if it seems like that attack should connect. A wasted turn in Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together can mean one more enemy unit to survive and help dominate the player’s party for another round.
Triangle Strategy
A Brilliant, But Difficult Masterpiece
Triangle Strategy
- Released
- March 4, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Tactical
Triangle Strategy was co-developed by Artdink and Square Enix, and it’s one of their newest tactical RPGs that is quite brilliant from all angles, from the HD-2D style to the story choices, making all the difference. Normal tactical hiccups can challenge players, from enemy units outnumbering the heroes to their attacks being more aggressive than most. That’s enough to test even the mightiest tactical RPG fan, but what characters bring into battle means all the difference because there is a wide range of them, and they all have specific skill sets.
For example, in a vertical level, Jens may come in handy for those who can build ladders, thus allowing the party to get around more quickly. However, Jens doesn’t have high attack stats, so it can almost be wasteful to add him to the party just for this strategy. Who to bring and who to leave behind can weigh in on players, which is both a positive and a negative, as it can take a lot of experimentation with various groups to complete a particular map.
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