For the most part, Square Enix has had a strong 2020s so far, producing several massive JRPGs that rank among the genre’s best modern efforts. Nowadays, the publisher targets more than just Sony hardware, but the PlayStation 5 is still arguably the best console to play Square Enix games.
Developing and publishing a couple of projects per year, the company’s lineup is constantly expanding and, at times, reaching new heights. A few missteps aside, Square Enix’s PS5 games are quite good, at least for players who generally enjoy action or turn-based RPGs. Let’s highlight Square Enix’s best games on the PlayStation 5, focusing on titles developed by in-house teams.
Games co-developed by Square Enix and another developer will be considered. Games that were only published by Square Enix will not be included.
7
SaGa Emerald Beyond
A Good Gateway Into A Divisive Long-Running Franchise
- Released
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April 25, 2024
- Developer(s)
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Square Enix
SaGa is a complicated franchise, both in terms of releases and gameplay. Newcomers might struggle to find an entry point into the series, but they have a couple of options on the PS5. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a solid remake of a classic entry, although PS5 owners have to settle for playing the PS4 version. However, beginners should just go ahead and pick up the latest “new” entry in the franchise: SaGa: Emerald Beyond.
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While a spiritual successor to Scarlet Grace, Emerald Beyond is largely a standalone experience that can be enjoyed without any knowledge of previous entries. With five campaigns revolving around different playable characters, the game shines in its varied locations, covering more than a dozen planets that players can mostly visit in any order they prefer. Now, free exploration is not offered, but each world contains events that blend dialogue and combat. SaGa has always prioritized player choice, a mantra Emerald Beyond respects while also simplifying the core mechanics just enough to keep things accessible (by the franchise’s standards). The turn-based battle system is quite strategic too, without being too overwhelming.
6
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Not Perfect But Still A Great Remaster Of A Tactics RPG Classic
- Released
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November 11, 2022
OK, now, here is a Square Enix PS5 game with a unique history. Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a remaster of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, a 2010 PSP remake of 1995’s Tactics Ogre for the SNES. The latter is considered one of the most important console tactics games of all time, and the PSP version is highly regarded and, for many, an improvement upon its predecessor. Reborn should be the definitive version; however, while considered as such by many players, it can be quite divisive, particularly with die-hard fans of the 2010 release.
Reborn does not change all that much about its classic ancestor, opting to mostly update the visuals and provide some QOL and gameplay adjustments. The latter bring the turn-based combat into the modern era, while still retaining some of the PSP iteration’s charm. That said, the remaster’s tweaks to the battle system are not to everyone’s preferences, particularly the incorporation of random cards that introduce an aspect of RNG. While the combat is nothing too fantastic compared to other modern strategy games, Tactics Ogre: Reborn‘s war story is still among the genre’s best efforts.
5
Live A Live (Co-Developed By Historia)
An Ambitious SNES JRPG Revised For Modern Consoles
- Released
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April 27, 2023
- Publisher(s)
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Square Enix, Nintendo
Never released outside of Japan, 1994’s Live a Live was among the SNES’ best and most ambitious JRPGs, so it is a shame that an official English version was never produced. Fortunately, Square Enix eventually decided to revisit this cult classic, giving it an HD-2D makeover in the process.
Live a Live‘s “gimmick” (and that is not a criticism) is the incorporation of eight scenarios set in unique eras and featuring different protagonists. Even the gameplay changes depending on the setting, and players can play through seven scenarios in any order. This freedom was incredible in 1994, and it is still impressive more than three decades later. While some campaigns are better than others, Live a Live is surprisingly consistent considering its scattershot approach to storytelling.
4
Octopath Traveler 2
An HD-2D Modern Delight With A Fondness For The Past
- Released
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February 24, 2023
Almost a spiritual successor to Live a Live, Octopath Traveler and its sequel revolve around eight playable characters who each follow unique storylines. Players pick a starting character and then recruit the other seven, before embarking fully on their chosen protagonist’s quest. Each story is mostly standalone, with the other characters serving as party members but not contributing much to the events.
That said, unlike the first game, the sequel tries to make the party members seem like friends by emphasizing banter, a small change that results in a far superior overall experience. Essentially, Octopath Traveler 2 tells eight companion-style stories that are wildly different from each other, although they are all of reasonably high quality. The turn-based combat is inspired by classic Square Enix JRPGs like Final Fantasy, and it works well.
3
Final Fantasy 16
Not Classic Final Fantasy But A Worthwhile Epic In Its Own Right
Any new numbered Final Fantasy entry will always be a big deal, but this also means these games must meet extraordinary expectations. Although rarely producing a “bad” project, the series has grown fairly inconsistent, with Lightning’s trilogy and FF15 being particularly polarizing. In comparison, Final Fantasy 16 is not only a triumph but also one of Square Enix’s best modern releases, delivering an epic campaign with production value that puts to shame most other games.
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Opting for a more mature and darker tone than usual, FF16 tells a story that explores themes related to war, sacrifice, power, devotion, and revenge. Unlike classic entries in the series, the 2023 game mostly features a solitary protagonist, Clive, rather than an ever-available party. The combat takes a few ideas from Devil May Cry, delivering flashy hack-and-slash action that builds on some of the ideas introduced in the FF7 Remake. While linearity and cutscenes are hardly unusual for the franchise, FF16 takes things quite a few steps further, delivering fairly short gameplay stages that can, at times, seem like they end too quickly.
FF16 is fantastic, but it is such a departure from the traditional Final Fantasy adventure that a player’s mileage may vary, depending on what type of experience they crave.
2
Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Co-Developed By Gemdrops)
A PS1 Masterpiece Transformed Into A PS5 Masterpiece
- Released
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November 2, 2023
- Developer(s)
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Gemdrops, Inc.
The PS5 has a couple of Star Ocean games, including a new numbered sequel in The Divine Force. While a good action JRPG, it does not quite compare to The Second Story R, a remake that modernizes arguably the best entry in the franchise, which originally debuted on the PS1.
Even more so than Live a Live or Tactics Ogre: Reborn, this remake is not only 100% the definitive way to experience this story, but almost none of the changes take anything away from the original’s appeal. The Second Story R combines tight gameplay, likable characters, stunning visuals (seriously, they are gorgeous), and a surprisingly enjoyable story to create one of the most complete JRPGs on the PS5, as long as the isometric “old-school” aesthetic is to a player’s liking.
1
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Square Enix’s Best PS5 Game And, Arguably, The Console’s Best Action JRPG
- Released
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February 29, 2024
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is also fantastic, but it has been omitted to avoid doubling down on the same trilogy.
FF7 Remake was a big success, and Rebirth not only builds on its predecessor’s great ideas but also expands the scope considerably. Unlike the first entry, the 2024 sequel takes place in a full-blown open-world stuffed with side quests, mini-games, and activities to keep players distracted when they are not focusing on the main story. While not consistently amazing, the optional content is generally enjoyable and serves to immerse players in, by far, this universe’s biggest playground to date.
The second chapter in the trilogy, Rebirth takes a few more risks with the story’s direction than Remake, a decision that manages to pay off not only within the confines of this entry but also as a set-up for the third act that is still to come. The real-time combat system is arguably Square Enix’s best to date, offering seven (main) playable characters who are all wildly different from each other. With top-notch gameplay, a mostly brilliant main story, best-in-class graphics, and an overwhelming amount of content, Rebirth is just one of the greatest PS5 games, at least within the JRPG genre.
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