5 Forgotten Square Enix RPGs That Deserve a Comeback
Square Enix has several role-playing games that have not received the lasting attention given to Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts, despite their potential and devoted fans. The article argues that five such games deserve a return through modern ports, remasters or remakes, making the case for rediscovering neglected parts of the company’s catalogue.
The excerpt discusses three examples. Parasite Eve, released in 1998, follows detective Aya Brea as she confronts a mutant entity in New York and blends horror with action; Bloodmasque, a vampire story set in an alternate 19th-century Paris, appeared only on Apple touchscreen devices in 2013, and its writer says he created thousands of years of lore. Xenogears, released in 1998 after beginning as an early Final Fantasy VII pitch, was acclaimed and commercially successful despite an unfinished-feeling second half; its creator later made the Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles series.
- Square Enix has older RPGs that could merit modern releases.
- Parasite Eve mixed New York horror with action combat.
- Bloodmasque and Xenogears also feature among the examples.
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Square Enix is a Japanese video game company known for long-running role-playing series such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts. Its wider catalogue also includes one-off games and shorter-lived series that have had fewer re-releases and less attention over time.
The examples here span different styles and eras: Parasite Eve mixes detective fiction, horror and action; Bloodmasque is a vampire story set in an imagined 19th-century Paris; and Xenogears is a science-fiction role-playing game. Xenogears was created by Tetsuya Takahashi, who later worked on the Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles series.
Ports bring older games to new platforms, while remasters and remakes update aspects of their presentation or design. Revisiting older titles can make them available to new players and preserve games that might otherwise be difficult to access.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A return could introduce distinctive games to new audiences and preserve parts of Square Enix’s catalogue that risk being overlooked. Modern ports or remakes could also address barriers such as ageing hardware and, in Xenogears’ case, an unfinished-feeling second half, while giving devoted fans a chance to revisit the stories.
The case against
A comeback is not automatically the best use of development resources: remakes can be costly, and nostalgia or a devoted fan base does not guarantee a wider audience. Some games may be better left as products of their time, while Square Enix focuses on new projects or on preserving the originals through more modest releases.