Best Sci-Fi Games Published By Square Enix

Best Sci-Fi Games Published By Square Enix

Over the long and complicated history of Square-Enix, from their merger with rival Enix in 2003 to the departure of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi in the same year, they’ve shown their willingness to explore multiple different styles of game. And one genre that Square-Enix has explored plenty over the years is science fiction.

Keen not to rest on their laurels of making great fantasy games, Square-Enix has explored the vaunted halls of science fiction on numerous occasions. But as they tend to do, Square also sought to see how they could do something different, often by mixing the genre with others to create a unique experience. While games developed and published by Square Enix are the primary focus, several titles that Square Enix published and owns the IP for are considered as well.

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Star Ocean: The Divine Force

Metascore: 69

Star Ocean: The Divine Force

Platform(s)Xbox Series X, PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleased2022-10-27Developer(s)Tri-AceGenre(s)JRPG

Made up of former Telenet Japan employees, developer Tri-Ace has had nearly every game they’ve developed published by Square, including the Star Ocean series. This sci-fi space fantasy series has been quietly producing some fantastic RPGs, and the latest entry was one of the best in the franchise.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force features two protagonists, one being a starship captain named Raymond Lawrence and the other being a princess named Laeticia Aucerius. The space fantasy world of The Divine Force feels large and open, one that is a joy to explore with a brilliant cast of likable characters.

SaGa Frontier

Metascore: 77

SaGa Frontier

Platform(s)PS1Released1998-03-24Developer(s)SquarePublisher(s)Square, Sony Computer EntertainmentGenre(s)JRPG

In the 1990s, it’s safe to say that Square was on fire, as Final Fantasy was bigger than ever and its success allowed them to expand into different styles of RPGs. As a result of Final Fantasy 7 moving the series away from traditional fantasy fare, Square was able to put a unique game in development called SaGa Frontier. This extraordinary JRPG was centered around seven characters, each of them involved in their own unique story.

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Not entirely dissimilar to a previous title by Square called Live A Live, SaGa Frontier tells the tale of seven distinct personalities as they make their way through this sprawling sci-fi epic. Featuring some absolutely gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds and a terrific combat system, SaGa Frontier was also remastered recently and is still one of Square’s best.

Parasite Eve 2

Metascore: 79

• Platforms: PS1, PSP
• Release Date: December 16, 1999
• Developer: Square Enix
• Genre: RPG, Sci-Fi, Horror

The story of Aya Brea continued in Parasite Eve 2, one of the rare video game sequels that exceeds expectations. Where the first game relied on a variation of the turn-based battle system from Final Fantasy, the sequel opted to craft an addictive real-time system.

Like any good sequel, Parasite Eve 2 not only ups the difficulty of the enemies the player faces, but also the number of unique creatures. A slew of new nasty monsters are all great fun to fight, while the ongoing struggle between Aya and Mitocondria Eve continues the saga of this sci-fi-horror franchise.

Parasite Eve

Metascore: 81

Parasite Eve

Platform(s)PS1Released1998-09-09Developer(s)SquareGenre(s)Action RPG, Horror

Initially conceived as a Final Fantasy game about a detective in New York hunting a sorceress, Parasite Eve was transformed into a haunting mix of Resident Evil and Square’s iconic RPG series. This sequel to a novel of the same name is a dark exploration of motherhood, one set against the backdrop of a sci-fi-horror world of DNA and aliens.

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Everything about Parasite Eve, from its incredible background design to the music and CG cutscenes, is still absolutely fantastic to this day. The writing and lore is perfect, a sinister examination of humanity’s final days and Mitocondria Eve’s alarming mission to eradicate every human in existence.

Xenogears

Metascore: 84

• Release Date: 1998-10-20
• Developer: Squaresoft
• Platform: PS1

Xenogears was originally planned as a concept for Final Fantasy 7, but it was seen as too dark for the series and became its own game. Set in a huge, expansive sci-fi world that feels like a mix of Star Wars and Final Fantasy, Xenogears details the harrowing struggle between a rebel alliance and an enormous imperial empire named Solaris.

It incorporates a phenomenal combat system that mixes intricate turn-based combat between humans, but also has some incredible mech battles. The team behind it eventually formed Monolith Soft and created the Xenoblade series, but Xenogears still remains one of Square’s best and most forgotten sci-fi JRPGs.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R

Metascore: 86

Star Ocean: The Second Story R

Platform(s)Switch, PS5, PS4, PCReleased2023-11-02Developer(s)Gemdrops, Inc.Genre(s)JRPG

Square has been putting a lot of time into prioritizing Star Ocean as one of the premiere JRPG franchises in the industry, as they published a remake of the first game in 2008 that was later ported to modern consoles. Furthering this effort, Square published an incredible remake of the second game, Star Ocean: The Second Story R, in 2023.

With a graphical style reminiscent of Square’s recent HD-2D titles, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a joy to look at and plays even better. The fast-paced combat feels terrific, as the combination of slashing enemies mixed with beautifully animated special attacks mix together wonderfully. The Second Story R is one of the company’s best titles, capped with a huge world to explore.

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