Over the long and complicated history of Square-Enix, from theirmerger with rival Enixin 2003 to the departure ofFinal Fantasycreator 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.
Made up of former Telenet Japan employees, developer Tri-Ace has had nearly every game they’ve developed published by Square, including theStar Oceanseries. 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 Forcefeatures two protagonists, one being a starship captain named Raymond Lawrence and the other being a princess named Laeticia Aucerius. The space fantasy world ofThe Divine Forcefeels large and open, one that is a joy to explore with abrilliant cast of likable characters.
In the 1990s, it’s safe to say that Square was on fire, asFinal Fantasywas bigger than ever and its success allowed them to expand into different styles of RPGs. As a result ofFinal Fantasy 7moving the series away from traditional fantasy fare, Square was able to put a unique game in development calledSaGa Frontier. This extraordinary JRPG was centered around seven characters, each of them involved in their own unique story.
Not entirely dissimilar to a previous title by Square calledLive A Live,SaGa Frontiertells 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 Frontierwas also remastered recentlyand is still one of Square’s best.
4Parasite Eve 2
Metascore: 79
The story of Aya Breacontinued inParasite 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 fromFinal Fantasy, the sequel opted to craft an addictive real-time system.
Like any good sequel,Parasite Eve 2not 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.
Initially conceived as aFinal Fantasygame about a detective in New York hunting a sorceress,Parasite Evewas transformed into a haunting mix ofResident Eviland 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.
Everything aboutParasite Eve, fromits incredible background designto 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.
2Xenogears
Metascore: 84
Xenogearswas originally planned as a concept forFinal 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 ofStar WarsandFinal Fantasy,Xenogearsdetails 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 theXenobladeseries, butXenogearsstill remains one of Square’s best andmost forgotten sci-fi JRPGs.
Square has been putting a lot of time into prioritizingStar Oceanas 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 incredibleremake 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 Ris 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 Ris one of the company’s best titles, capped with a huge world to explore.
