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If you asked me to recommend just one Square Enix game, the answer is Final Fantasy VII Remake. With over 7 million copies sold worldwide (as of May 2023) and a combat system that fuses command-based strategy with real-time action to near perfection, it stands a full head above everything else in Square Enix’s current lineup. That said, if you want a slow-burn classic RPG, or you’re the type who craves a real challenge, there are different right answers for you.
Square Enix isn’t just the house of FF and Dragon Quest. This is a publisher whose catalog spans the HD-2D beauty of Octopath Traveler, the PlatinumGames-developed NieR, and the Disney crossover Kingdom Hearts — masterpieces with wildly different personalities. Which is exactly why searching for “best Square Enix games” leaves you more confused about where to start than when you began.
So the SpotGeeks editorial team scored eight Square Enix titles playable on current hardware across four categories — Accessibility, Graphics, Brutality, and Replay Value — each out of 100 points, then ranked them by total score. Squeezing several hundred hours of play experience into eight slots was, honestly, a stomach-churning exercise.
These scores aren’t a rote transcription of spec sheets. They’re built by cross-checking verified facts — release dates, platforms, developers, shipment figures — against the editorial team’s actual hands-on impressions. Start with the full scoring table for all eight games below.
How Do All 8 Square Enix Picks Compare? The Full Score Table
We scored each game out of 100 points across four criteria. “Brutality” means the higher the number, the tougher and more demanding the game — a bonus if you trust your skills, and a signal to pick something lower if you’d rather play at a relaxed pace. Don’t just look at the totals; choose by the category that matters most to you.
| Title | Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFVII Remake | 88 | 94 | 55 | 86 | 323 |
| NieR: Automata | 84 | 90 | 62 | 85 | 321 |
| Dragon Quest XI S | 96 | 84 | 32 | 90 | 302 |
| Octopath Traveler II | 86 | 88 | 48 | 78 | 300 |
| FFXVI | 88 | 96 | 45 | 69 | 298 |
| Kingdom Hearts III | 82 | 92 | 42 | 74 | 290 |
| Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven | 84 | 82 | 54 | 68 | 288 |
| Live A Live | 88 | 80 | 40 | 68 | 276 |
The top two pulled ahead on the combined strength of visuals and storytelling. But if Accessibility alone is your metric, Dragon Quest XI S tops the chart at 96 — and for a first-ever RPG, that’s actually the game I’d push. The fact that NieR: Automata at 62 Brutality and Dragon Quest XI S at 32 come from the same publisher tells you everything about what makes Square Enix such a fascinating company.
No. 1: Final Fantasy VII Remake — The Monument to Reinvention That 7 Million Copies Proved
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 94 | 55 | 86 | 323 |
Released for PS4 on April 10, 2020, this is the ground-up reimagining of the 1997 classic FFVII. Developed in-house at Square Enix, it has surpassed 7 million copies sold worldwide when combined with Intergrade (as of May 2023). The design that houses command-based strategy and real-time action thrills inside a single combat system hasn’t aged a day, even years after launch.
The decision to devote the entire game to Midgar was divisive, but the way it fleshes out the city’s atmosphere and its characters hits hardest for fans of the original. PC players have the Steam version of Intergrade as an option, too.
I was originally a Sega guy. Back when the PS1 original came out, I was working at a manga cafe in Kabukicho, catching glimpses of it out of the corner of my eye. And yet when I looked up at Midgar’s sky in the Remake, I honestly got a little choked up. The screen I used to watch from behind the register had come this far in a quarter century.
- A masterfully polished combat system fusing commands and action
- Over 7 million copies sold worldwide (as of May 2023) — proof of its broad appeal
- Playable on PS4 and on PC via the Steam version of Intergrade
- The story only covers the Midgar arc; the rest carries over to the next chapters of the trilogy
No. 2: NieR: Automata — PlatinumGames Action Meets a Story That Cuts Deep
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 90 | 62 | 85 | 321 |
An action RPG released for PS4 on February 23, 2017. Square Enix published it, but development was handled by PlatinumGames, the master craftsmen of the action genre. The story of androids 2B, 9S, and A2 fighting through a ruined world has proven its universal pull with 8 million units shipped and sold digitally worldwide (as of February 2024).
What sets it apart is how it balances two things at once: combat that blends swordplay and shoot-’em-up sequences into pure joy, and a narrative structure engineered to punch you straight in the feelings. Simply sprinting through its beautiful ruined world as 2B is a picture in itself, but the real substance of this game is what stays with you after you’ve finished playing. Consider that 62 Brutality score to include emotional damage on top of combat difficulty.
On Steam, over 50,000 user reviews sit at 90% positive — an overwhelming endorsement. Start it late at night and it will absolutely wreck your next workday. Coming from a guy who’s been divorced twice, take my word for it: games that hit you where you live really do exist.
- Exhilarating action that only a PlatinumGames-developed title delivers
- A long-seller with 8 million units shipped and sold digitally worldwide (as of February 2024)
- Stellar reception: 90% positive on Steam across 50,000+ reviews
- The story runs dark and heavy; not the pick for anyone craving a cheerful adventure
- It takes a fair number of hours before its true brilliance reveals itself
No. 3: Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age — When in Doubt, Everyone Should Just Play This
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 84 | 32 | 90 | 302 |
The original launched on July 29, 2017 for PS4 and Nintendo 3DS (the 3DS version was Japan-only), and the definitive S edition arrived on Nintendo Switch on September 27, 2019. It then expanded to PS4, Xbox One, Windows 10, and Steam on December 4, 2020 — meaning it now runs on nearly whatever hardware you already own. The publisher, of course, is Square Enix.
Call it the culmination of everything Dragon Quest, because that’s exactly what it is. The comfort of command-based battles, a world where every detour rewards you with something, and a late-game turn that resonates most with longtime series fans. Its Accessibility score of 96 is the highest in this entire ranking — as a first RPG for a total newcomer, consider it the de facto No. 1.
As the 32 Brutality score suggests, there’s almost zero risk of getting stuck and quitting. I’m a Bianca man from Dragon Quest V, for the record, but XI’s party members are characters I can gush about with the same warmth. Games you can recommend to literally everyone are, I suspect, the hardest kind to make.
- Accessibility score of 96 tops all 8 games here — the perfect RPG gateway
- Wide platform choice: Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Windows 10, and Steam
- Enough post-game volume to keep you busy long after the credits
- Precisely because it’s so classic, players wanting a twisty story or high difficulty may find it too gentle
No. 4: Octopath Traveler II — HD-2D Perfected in an Ensemble Tale of Eight Travelers
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | 88 | 48 | 78 | 300 |
Released February 24, 2023 on Switch, PS5, and PS4 (the Steam version followed on February 25). Co-developed by Square Enix and Acquire, it pushes the “HD-2D” style — pixel art fused with 3D CG — to a new level of refinement. The stories of eight new travelers gradually weave together into one.
The day-night cycle transforms the world’s entire mood and gives the adventure its rhythm, while the combat keeps its balance of challenge and catharsis intact right through the finale. Watching light and shadow fall across pixel art produces screens so gorgeous you can’t stop taking screenshots. No other series has embodied the tagline “nostalgic yet new” with this much precision.
At a shop in Akihabara, I overheard a young customer gazing at this game’s box mutter, “I just love this art style.” I found myself nodding along without meaning to. Pixel art isn’t nostalgia bait — it’s another cutting edge.
- The evolved HD-2D visuals are the pinnacle of pixel-art expression
- Total freedom to start with any of the eight protagonists, in any order
- The day-night switch keeps the adventure in constant rhythm
- The ensemble format means fans of a single, tightly focused narrative may be split on it
No. 5: Final Fantasy XVI — A 96 in Graphics, the Peak of Square Enix’s Current Output
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 96 | 45 | 69 | 298 |
The sixteenth numbered entry launched on PS5 on June 22, 2023, with a PC version (Steam and Epic Games Store) following on September 18, 2024. Developed by the team behind FFXIV, it steers the series hard toward action RPG territory, set in a world called Valisthea. It surpassed 3 million copies sold worldwide roughly one week after release.
Its Graphics score of 96 is the highest in this ranking. The colossal, screen-filling battle spectacle stands as one of the peaks of visual craft on home consoles. The story is weighty, dark, and unmistakably adult — and its willingness to break from series tradition makes it all the more daring.
It’s true that anyone buying this expecting a command-based RPG will be blindsided, and that’s exactly where opinions split. But for someone like me, wired for action ever since the Dreamcast days, this hard turn was a feast. Every climactic showdown left my palms sweating on the controller.
- Graphics score of 96 tops all 8 games here; the battle spectacle is jaw-dropping
- A weighty, dark story built for adults
- Playable on PS5 plus PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store
- Combat is full action; fans of traditional command-based RPGs, take note
No. 6: Kingdom Hearts III — Racing Through Disney Worlds at a Series-Record 5 Million Copies
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | 92 | 42 | 74 | 290 |
The third numbered entry in the Disney collaboration series, released January 25, 2019 for PS4 and Xbox One. Combined worldwide physical shipments and digital sales blew past 5 million copies in roughly two weeks — the fastest in series history. The expansion Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind followed on January 23, 2020.
This installment’s worlds are drawn from Disney and Pixar films like Toy Story, Frozen, Tangled, and Monsters, Inc. In the Toy Story world, Sora, Donald, and Goofy transform into actual toys and scamper around the sets, and the sheer fidelity to the films’ atmosphere will make you laugh out loud.
The story leans heavily into being the grand finale of a long-running saga, and without knowledge of past entries there are moments where the flood of proper nouns will swallow you whole. Even so, the experience of sprinting through Disney worlds with a Keyblade in hand is one of a kind. Think of it as an entire theme park stuffed into your console, and it’s a bargain.
- Stunning recreations of Disney worlds like Toy Story and Frozen
- 5 million copies in about two weeks — the fastest launch in series history
- Flashy, great-feeling Keyblade action
- The story is a series culmination; newcomers who skipped past entries can easily get left behind
No. 7: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven — A Full-3D Remake That Translates Old-School Cruelty into Real Challenge
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84 | 82 | 54 | 68 | 288 |
Released October 24, 2024 for Switch, PS5, PS4, and Steam. It’s a full-3D remake of December 1993’s Romancing SaGa 2, developed by Square Enix together with Xeen. The skeleton is untouched from the original: the war between the ancient heroes known as the Seven Heroes and the successive emperors of the Varennes Empire, told through generation after generation of imperial succession.
Signature SaGa systems like “glimmering” new techniques mid-battle and battle formations are alive and well, now joined by combo attacks and selectable difficulty settings that rebuild the whole experience to welcome first-timers. Event scenes are fully voiced, and the Seven Heroes’ story is rendered in far higher resolution. The original’s unfairness has been properly translated into honest, satisfying challenge.
Among people my age, I can’t count on both hands the friends who charged at the Seven Heroes back in the Super Famicom days and got flattened. Now we get to settle that old score on modern hardware. What a time to be alive, right?
- The imperial succession system still feels fresh and original today
- New difficulty settings open the door to first-time players
- Multiplatform release across Switch, PS5, PS4, and Steam
- That 54 Brutality score means real bite; casual players should plan on using the difficulty settings
No. 8: Live A Live — A 1994 Experiment Reborn in HD-2D as an Omnibus RPG
| Accessibility | Graphics | Brutality | Replay Value | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | 80 | 40 | 68 | 276 |
An omnibus RPG originally released on the Super Famicom in 1994, remade in the HD-2D style that fuses pixel art with 3D CG. It launched on Nintendo Switch on July 22, 2022, then expanded to PS5 and PS4 on April 27, 2023 and to Steam on April 28. Development was handled by historia together with Square Enix’s Asano team.
The omnibus structure — seven stories with different eras, different protagonists, and even different gameplay styles — remains one of a kind more than a quarter century after its debut. Because the tales are split into seven chapters, it plays in tidy sessions and slots beautifully into spare moments; that Accessibility score of 88 owes a lot to this structural lightness.
Honestly? I envy anyone meeting this game for the first time through its 28-years-later remake. They get to walk into that structural masterstroke without a single spoiler. Somewhere in the HD-2D glow, I felt the old ache of nights spent debating this game until dawn with the regulars at the manga cafe.
- An omnibus of seven stories spanning different eras and gameplay styles
- Plays in tidy chapters, perfect for squeezing into spare moments
- Available on Switch, PS5, PS4, and Steam
- Total volume is modest compared with big-budget epic RPGs
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Which Square Enix Game Should You Play First? The Final Answer for Every Type of Player
Let’s recap the essentials. The overall winner is Final Fantasy VII Remake (total score 323), followed by NieR: Automata (321) in second and Dragon Quest XI S (302) in third. But the answer changes with your goal. RPG newcomers and families should go for Dragon Quest XI S and its 96 Accessibility score; if visuals come first, it’s FFXVI with its 96 in Graphics; challenge hunters should reach for NieR: Automata at 62 Brutality or Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven at 54. And if pixel-art atmosphere is your love language, the HD-2D duo of Octopath Traveler II and Live A Live is waiting for you (information as of August 17, 2026).
Another Square Enix strength: all eight games can be purchased on current platforms right now. Sales come around often, so wishlist anything that caught your eye on its store page.
The cinematic power of FF, the comfort of Dragon Quest, the potent shock of NieR, the nostalgia of HD-2D — no other company on earth can line up masterpieces with personalities this different under one roof the way Square Enix can. FFVII Remake wins on total points, but this is a ranking built on the premise that you cannot go wrong with any of these eight. The only real waste here is the time you spend agonizing over the choice.
Even the tallest backlog starts to crumble the day you pick your first game.
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