Summary
In 2003, two successful Japanese video game companies merged together to form Square Enix, a conglomerate that would continue to prosper until it became one of the most recognizable developers and publishers in the gaming world. The independent companies each brought popular and beloved series with them: video game studio Square had already establishedFinal Fantasy,Kingdom Hearts, andChrono, while multimedia publisher Enix had the household nameDragon Questsafely in its repertoire.
Since then, Square Enix has gone on to develop and publish hundreds of games for a multitude of consoles and build on itsalready established franchises. Now, Square Enix is well-known in the gaming sphere and has been at the forefront of the market for over twenty years. The 2010s were a brilliant era for the company that saw the release of multiple acclaimed titles. While there’s bound to be a lot of familiar favorites in its best-ofs, some gamers might be surprised to see which games defined Square Enix’s critical success as a developer throughout the decade.
Because they are a Japanese company, Square Enix games are often released earlier in Japan, so article dates may not appear consistent with Metacritic’s dates.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Togetheris a 2010 remake of the second game in theOgre Battleseries, which was originally released on the SNES in 1995. It’sa tactical RPGset in the fictional land of Valeria during a civil war and follows rebel Denam Pavel.
The remake expanded upon the story and characters and added more mechanics to the gameplay. Critics believed it addressed almost every issue the original had and was a true example of the developers learning from past mistakes. It was developed and published by Square Enix and is deservedly the company’s highest-rated game of 2010 - just narrowly beating outKingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, which sits at 82 on Metacritic. The series remained relatively quiet until 2022when a remastered versionof the 2010 remake titledTactics Ogre: Rebornwas released.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasyis a 2011 fighting game developed and published by Square Enix as part of theFinal Fantasyfranchise. It was another PSP exclusive and acted as a strange hybrid that both remade the originalDissidia Final Fantasywhile adding prequel content.
The game focused on one-on-one battles and added mechanics not seen in the original, like the assist system and countering. Players can explore the map with their party and encounter various story-based events, as well as shops and monsters.Dissidia 012 Final Fantasyis thought to be one of the best PSP games, even being nominated at the Gamers' Choice Awards. It was also one of the best-selling games in Japan in the year 2011, proving to be a big success for Square Enix.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasyisa rhythm gamebased on theFinal Fantasyseries originally released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. It offers a selection ofFinal Fantasymusic from the first thirteen games and includes three different levels for each game that players can complete.
As players level up, they can unlock various music and cutscenes that allow different modes of gameplay, meaning the game is completely stacked with content.Theatrhythm Final Fantasywas perfectly fun on the surface but included a lot more depth and integrity the more it was played. There have been twoFinal Fantasy-basedsequels, the most recent being 2023’sTheatrhythm Final Fantasy Lineand oneDragon QuestTheatrhythmspin-off.Theatrhythm Final Fantasywas developed by indiezero and Square Enix 1st Production Department.
Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remasteris a high-definition remaster ofFinal Fantasy 10andFinal Fantasy 10-2, both released in the early 2000s.Final Fantasy 10-2was the first direct sequel in the franchise, immediately following up on the events ofFinal Fantasy 10. This 2013 remaster compiled the two games into one and added substantial graphics changes.
The remaster included all the content from the international versions of the original games, which assembled the various elements from separate releases into one place. It also featured an audio clip in the credits of the game that told a never-before-heard story about Tidus and Yuna after the events of both games. The updated visuals greatly improved the game and provided a fantastic new way to experience the title.
62014 - Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Metacritic: 83
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Callis the secondFinal FantasyTheatrhythmgame, released two years after the original. 2014 was a good year for Square Enix, with titles likeKingdom Hearts HD 2.5 RemixandFinal Fantasy Explorers. But, ultimately, a fun and content-packed rhythm game was the winner of their highest-rated 2014 game.
Developed by Square Enix and indiezero,Curtain Callwas hailed as an utter triumph of rhythm games. The movements of each song appeared to complement the context, which allowed the game to keep the spirit thatFinal Fantasyis known for. With over 200 hundred songs available to play and brilliant attention to detail,Curtain Callis fantastically fun and a great choice forFinal Fantasyand rhythm game fans alike.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HDis a 2015 remaster of the original 2011 action RPG game that was released exclusively for the PSP in Japan. Despite arriving in North America four years after it was originally created and coming from a handheld console,Final Fantasy Type-0 HDaged remarkably well and was popular upon release. It was developed and published by Square Enix as an installment in theFinal Fantasyoffshoot,Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy.
A great cast ofinteresting and distinct charactersworked well with the narrative to create a moving story of war and ethics, ultimately creating a very enjoyable spin-off experience. Even if it wasn’t making any big technical strides, it was largely considered to be one of the betterFinal Fantasyreleases around the time period.
Dragon Questwas Enix’s staple title when they merged with Square, and although they continued to release games in the series, their first big 2010s hit wasDragon Quest Builders. This brilliantly fun game combined the well-loved RPG elements ofDragon Questwith thesandbox building popularized byMinecraft.
TheDragon Questseries has always been loved for its accessibility and creatively engaging stories, andDragon Quest Builderswas no different. It had all the fun of a sandbox game alongside the heart that’s typical of the franchise. More streamlined thanMinecraft, this game offered the best of both genres and executed the combination perfectly, creating a charming and captivating addition to theDragon Questname.
Square Enix developed two very popular and critically acclaimed games that defined their 2017. Those games wereFinal Fantasy 12: The Zodiac AgeandDragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Both games sit at an 86 on Metacritic, withDragon Quest 11having a slightly higher audience score. The eleventh installment in this long-running series was released in Japan in 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4, but it wasn’t available in North America until 2018.
Dragon Age 11was met with fantastic reviews upon its release. It managed to capture the classic feeling of aDragon Agegame without limiting itself to an old-fashioned appearance. It’s true to the JRPG genre, and though it occasionallyfalls into trope territory, it created a familiar but nonetheless memorable adventure for RPG fans.
Just two years after its release,Dragon Quest Buildersreceived a highly popular sequel that would manage to critically surpass it. That game is suitably namedDragon Quest Builders 2. 2018 was another great year for Square Enix, and they released many notable titles, likeOctopath TravelerandThe World Ends With You: Final Remix.
In the end, the whimsical and spirited fun ofDragon Quest Builders 2earned it a rating of 86 on Metacritic. The game was released on the Switch and PS4 in Japan in 2018 and reached the rest of the world in 2019.Dragon Quest Builders 2took the foundation of the first game and elevated it to a fantastic level, adding even more content as well as a new co-op mode.
12019 - Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Metascore: 91
If Square Enix has proved nothing else, it’s that building on a previous game to make an even more polished version is often a worthy endeavor. Despite the success and praise the original received,Dragon Quest 11 Sis the first Square Enix game of the 2010s to receive Metacritic’s ‘universal acclaim’ title.
Dragon Quest 11 Supgraded the original without losing thetraditional JRPG elementsat its core. Although it was only released two years later, the overall quality of the game was significantly improved, including a phenomenal orchestral soundtrack as well as further character and story depth. It even added a special mode previously only available on the Japan-exclusive 3DS version, in which gamers can play the entire game in a classic SNES 2D mode - redefining the idea of going back to their roots.
