Square Enix has been a JRPG powerhouse for many decades. They consistently make some of the most popular games in the genre, but they also have some lesser-known titles that are equally good in quality.
New IPs, series revivals, remakes of older games, and some spin-offs have filled Square Enix’s 2022 library to the brim. This list will highlight the best games they pushed out this year.
15/15 Voice Of Cards: The Beasts Of Burden
The Beasts of Burden is the third entry in the Voice of Cards series, which only started a year prior. Too many releases in a short time frame result in individual entries being less memorable.
There Aren’t enough gameplay improvements for this installment to stick out from its predecessors. That doesn’t, however, make it a bad game. It still contains good card-based gameplay and Yoko Taro’s unique charm.
14/15 Voice Of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden
Voice of Card’s second installment was released not too long after the first, so it suffers from the same problems that Beasts of Burden has. The Forsaken Maiden was made too quickly to have large-scale gameplay improvements.
This entry contains NieR Automata-inspired DLC. It adds android clothes, pod cards, new music, and a new board. Since Voice of Cards already had the same art style and charm as NieR, this DLC makes it an excellent game for NieR Automata fans.
13/15 Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker Updates
Final Fantasy 14 has become one of Square Enix’s biggest successes. For a while, Square Enix made it impossible for new players to begin playing due to the servers being overloaded. Partway through 2022, it came back.
Endwalker is the fourth major expansion that was initially released at the end of 2021. Throughout 2022, it has gained a few updates that include new arenas and other features. This game would be higher if the full story expansion was released this year, but even just the small patches have added enough to make it worth revisiting.
12/15 Star Ocean: The Divine Force
The future of the Star Ocean series was uncertain after the poor reception of the fifth installment, yet it managed to return with this entry. The Divine Force can be played without previous knowledge of the series.
Its story focuses on an intergalactic war. The explorable area is divinely large and easy to navigate, but the lack of enemies makes it somewhat lifeless.
11/15 Harvestella
Harvestella makes an attempt to blend farming simulator gameplay with RPG combat. In concept, this is an interesting idea. Harvestella succeeds at blending both genres together but fails to rival the complexity of other games.
The farming and combat depth are both very basic. The basic narrative and lack of voice acting also hold the game back. Harvestella has many good ideas but lacks polish. DLC or a sequel can unlock its true potential, but even now, it’s worth trying.
10/15 Strangers Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Strangers of Paradise is a reimagining of the original Final Fantasy. The general story and map are reused, but the characters and details make it an entirely separate experience.
Most aspects of the game are adequate. The mechanics, characters, and writing are more entertaining than Harvestella, but it doesn’t deliver the strong story that it could have if it tried to be entirely unique.
9/15 Triangle Strategy
Triangle Strategy is a tactical RPG with Octopath Traveler’s well-detailed pixel art style. The story focuses on a political conflict between three nations. The player’s choice can alter the story’s direction.
As with many tactical RPGs, the cast of characters is very large. There are 30 playable characters in total. Some are unlocked through the story, but there are many with strict requirements. These factors contribute to Triangle Strategy having replayability.
8/15 Crisis Core —Final Fantasy 7— Reunion
Out of all the Final Fantasy spin-offs, Crisis Core is one of the most important to a main installment’s story. It is a prequel to Final Fantasy 7 that focuses on Cloud’s best friend, Zack Fair, before the events of the main game.
Crisis Core’s ending is one of the most emotional in the entire franchise. This remake doesn’t change any of the stories, but the combat has been entirely revamped. The new faster-paced action is somewhat akin to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
7/15 Valkyrie Elysium
The Valkyrie series makes a return to consoles after nearly a decade. It has now taken the jump from turn-based battles to action combat like several other long-time Square Enix series.
Valkyrie Elysium is a short but sweet game that takes heavy inspiration from mythology. Combat is much more polished than Harvestella, and the atmosphere is more lively than what The Divine Force offers.
6/15 Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster
6 is one of the most widely loved entries in the Final Fantasy series. It contains over a dozen playable characters with unique play styles and a fan-favorite villain.
The Pixel Remaster improves the visuals, but not as much as what other Square Enix remakes have gotten. Another SNES era RPG, Live A Live, got a much more beautiful HD 2D improvement. Final Fantasy 6 also hasn’t gained any new story or content from this re-release.
5/15 Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamer Edition
Chrono Cross was never as popular as its predecessor, but it has the same amount of depth and quality in its storytelling. It is a sequel to Chrono Trigger, focusing on dimension exploration rather than time travel.
The visual improvements make some locations very beautiful, and there’s a way to use classic models for those that were a nostalgic experience. Radical Dreamer was originally a separate dialogue-focused game. It is packaged in with the remaster of Chrono Cross.
4/15 Dragon Quest Treasures
Treasures is a prequel to Dragon Quest 11. It focuses on Erik and Mia exploring a new world full of treasure. The combat isn’t very deep, but most battles are over within a few seconds. Its biggest strength is being a calm exploration game with a lot of charm.
There are over 1,000 collectibles that reference past games. Every mainline match, all 7 Monsters spin-offs, Builders, and the real-life card game get a lot of love in this game. It’s a game made for huge fans that want to build a treasure trove of their favorite characters and monsters from across the series.
3/15 Dragon Quest 10 Offline
Dragon Quest 10 is one of the few Square Enix MMOs. The 5 expansions in its 10-year-long run make it the longest actively updated game the company supports. 10 Offline is a single-player remake of the base storyline and first expansion.
The art style, battle mechanics, skill system, and much more were altered. Important NPCs become party members to make up for the lack of other players. Most of the extremely diverse customization options from the original release remain intact in this one.
2/15 NieR Automata: The End Of YoRHa Edition
For a long time, only three Square Enix series consistently released games that sold over five million units; Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. NieR Automata is the second Square Enix game not falling under those series to reach that benchmark.
The emotional, thought-provoking storytelling, unique use of multiple endings, and wonderful music are major factors in its success. The new Switch release contains all previous DLC content and brand-new costumes. The performance isn’t as good as it is on other systems, but it still runs well.
1/15 Live A Live
The original release of Live A Live never left Japan, but it left an impact on the industry. It inspired several other popular RPGs, such as Chrono Trigger. This HD 2D remake is a massive visual improvement over the original and contains a new alternate ending.
Every chapter takes place in a different time period and has a distinct gameplay gimmick. Eventually, an event caused the protagonists from each era to lie together for a final segment. The way each chapter subtly hints at a grand connection is very well executed. The music is also very excellent.
