The Best Open-World Games Published By Square Enix

The Best Open-World Games Published By Square Enix

• Square Enix’s RPG worlds may lack true open-world gameplay, but offer imaginative settings and gameplay mechanics.
• Forspoken introduces a new open-world IP for PS5, with magic, destruction, and potential for a sequel to improve upon it.
• Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth expands on the first remake, offering a full open-world experience with unique regions and impressive visuals.

Square Enix has created some truly breathtaking worlds together and separately when they used to be just Square and Enix. Final Fantasy in particular has some of the most imaginative worlds in RPGs. Not a lot of their worlds have been true open-world adventures though.

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The concept of a seamless or near seamless open world has been relatively new within the past couple of decades. When one thinks of the genre, big names come to mind like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Fallout 3. Of the few Square Enix has created and published, these are the ones that stand out. From classics from a few years ago to new games still fresh on store shelves, these RPGs should not be skipped.

Forspoken

Metacritic Score: 64

Forspoken

Platform(s)PS5, PCReleasedJanuary 24, 2023Developer(s)Luminous Productions

Forspoken is one of the first big new IPs from Square Enix to hit the PS5. It’s an Isekai about a young woman, Frey, who gets transported into a fantastical land on the brink of destruction. Frey gets a magical gauntlet that allows her to use magic and for one reason or another, she gets roped into helping this world defeat a band of evil witches.

The story may not be for everyone based on reviews, but there’s no denying how cool it feels to cast spells in the game. From wind magic to fire magic, there’s so much destructive energy in the game. The open-world is huge and getting around is a lot of fun thanks to Frey’s spirited mechanics. It’s one of those types of games that had a rough landing but true believers know a sequel could help fix things and truly make something remarkable.

Final Fantasy 15

Metacritic Score: 85

Final Fantasy 15

Platform(s)PS4, PC, Stadia, Xbox OneReleasedNovember 9, 2016Developer(s) Square Enix

Final Fantasy 15 is the first game in the series, not counting the MMOs which are ungodly huge, to have true open-world gameplay. Besides some story cutscenes, everything is unlocked from the start too. Players need to repair their car, yes, but it doesn’t take long. Car or no, Noctis and his boy band can run all over the place.

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It’s not recommended though as areas have level-locked creatures that will absolutely destroy players early on. It’s always nice to have a big party in an RPG, but focusing on four core members in Final Fantasy 15 instead helped players get more attached to the group. The action gameplay also made the game fun, especially warping between enemies with Noctis’ teleportation attacks. It was a game in development hell for over a decade and while it wasn’t the second coming of Christ, a lot of fans were overall happy.

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Metacritic Score: 86

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Platform(s)Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedJuly 12, 2019Developer(s) Square Enix, Omega Force

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a great entry for players to jump into. It’s a spinoff and a sequel that was built around the idea of making a Minecraft-inspired Dragon Quest game. Players create a hero and then they are thrust into a world wherein they can fight monsters with action gameplay.

They can also build structures by gathering materials from sticks to blocks. The core game cannot be played cooperatively but there is an island where players can team up and build to their heart’s content. It’s not ashamed at all to wear its Minecraft inspiration on its sleeve and some may even argue that it one-ups Minecraft including the story elements and hack-and-slash gameplay.

NieR: Automata

Metacritic Score: 91

NieR: Automata

Platform(s)Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedMarch 7, 2017Developer(s)Platinum Games

NieR: Automata was a solemn game as the story focused on the end of humanity. Only a small fraction was left alive in space while a few others existed in the ruins of Earth. That’s where 9s and 2b come in who are androids created to help humanity.

They are sent to Earth to solve a robot crisis which turns into one wild ride that is hard to explain. It has action combat like most games on the list, but it could be argued it has the best thanks to PlatinumGames supporting Square Enix in this endeavor. The open world is bleak and it is segmented by more zones than others on the list, but it’s still a cool albeit sad world to explore.

Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age

Metacritic Score: 91

Dragon Quest 11

Platform(s)Switch, PS4, PC, Stadia, 3DS, Xbox OneReleasedSeptember 4, 2018Developer(s) Square Enix

Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the last game in the series and this originally launched in Japan in 2017 for the 3DS and PS4. Dragon Quest 12 has been teased but not a lick of footage has been shown. There’s never been a better time to jump into this series though as this ranks near the top for fans.

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It does not take long for the world to open up and the best thing about these environments is how varied they are. From grasslands featuring waterfalls to deserts featuring sentient cactuses, there is so much life in this game. The only downside is getting around as on-foot travel is the basic mode for most of the adventure. The game is also still incredibly challenging and requires grinding, but hardcore fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Metacritic Score: 92

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Platform(s)PlayStation 5ReleasedFebruary 29, 2024Developer(s) Square Enix

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth needs no introduction because it is at the top of everyone’s minds right now. It is the second part of three in this remake trilogy and it completely blows the first part out of the water. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is good, but it was segmented into a lot of smaller sections in Midgar whereas this sequel is a full-on open-world. It is a bit shoehorned at first because Cloud has to go through his backstory.

After that, Chapter 2 opens things up significantly and each new region that the party travels to is unique. From the first gassy highlands area to the jungle region of Gongaga, the variety is jaw-dropping. The glow-ups that places got in this game are unbelievable. It is both quality and quantity combined into one incredible adventure that feels like the good old 90s days of Square Enix, or by that measure, Squaresoft. It will be interesting to see how they one-up this game with the final entry.

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