Square Enix Game Reviews
Review Octopath Traveler 0 (PS5) - Perfectly Fine JRPG Action
Gacha made good
Now on its third entry in seven years, the Octopath Traveler series and the HD-2D art style it pioneered have quickly become RPG stalwarts. They entertain with retro charm, engaging battles, and cute storylines. On that basis, prequel game Octopath Traveler 0 is another solid dose of turn-based action destined to please — just...
Mini Review Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (PS5) - A Comforting Couple of Classic JRPGs
No two ways about it
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake bundles two classic JRPGs together that, somewhat confusingly, are linked to but set chronologically after Square Enix's 2024 revival, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Together, they comprise the Erdrick trilogy and continue the series' consistently high quality, offering traditional turn-based...
Square's masterwork stands the test of time
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is almost the definitive way to play what is easily the most influential tactics game ever made. Square's stone-cold PS1 classic, Final Fantasy Tactics, has been reborn in all its isometric glory, featuring fully voiced dialogue and a gorgeous graphical...
Review Fantasian Neo Dimension (PS5) - Delightful JRPG Comfort Food Let Down by Uneven Combat
Final Fantasian
Fantasian Neo Dimension is a little like Japanese role playing game comfort food. There's the slightly androgynous amnesiac hero. He'll go on a quest to reclaim his memories and along the way he'll meet up with a slightly kooky orphan mage with secrets of her own to uncover. They'll befriend the sassy princess, the lovable rogue, the...
Review Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (PS5) - A Timeless RPG, and a Gorgeous Nostalgia Trip
Golden oldies
You always know what you're getting with a mainline Dragon Quest game. The series is pretty much the epitome of consistent, having stuck to its timeless Japanese RPG formula for decades. But that comfy feeling of familiarity somehow hits even harder with Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake — a powerfully nostalgic rebuild of a true classic...
The sins of our fathers
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a remake of the influential, Japan-only, 1993 original JRPG of the same name. Square Enix has modernised the experience, which holds its own even in a year which has proven extremely strong for the genre. With a classic design, exciting twists on well-worn systems, deep combat, and...
Review Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (PS5) - Hallmark Series Loses Its Charm
Hella disappointing
After taking over development duties from Don’t Nod, Deck Nine really made the Life Is Strange series its own with 2021’s True Colours. Now heading up Double Exposure, the developer is reaching into Don’t Nod territory by bringing back everybody’s favourite hella awkward teen, Max Caulfield, now as an adult. With a...
Review Visions of Mana (PS5) - Classic RPG Series Returns with Good But Flawed Intentions
Branching out
There's always a degree of trepidation when a classic franchise returns with a brand new release. Down the years, we've seen countless properties attempt to reinvent themselves, either in a bid to reclaim a faded legacy, or to establish a fresh audience. Visions of Mana, however, feels like it's gunning for neither of these goals...
Review Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail (PS5) - Another Superb Expansion for an Excellent MMO
Dawn but not forgotten
Final Fantasy 14 is in a transitional period. The 2021 expansion Endwalker was effectively the finale to a story that began with 2013's A Realm Reborn way back on PlayStation 3. It was a sort of Final Fantasy meets Avengers Endgame; a story that capped off eight years, four expansions, and over 200 hours of story content in a...
Review Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide (PS5) - A Fantastic Sendoff for Square's Action RPG
Gonna need a bigger boat
The Rising Tide is the second and final expansion for Final Fantasy 16, adding another worthwhile chapter to the tale of Clive Rosfield. Only accessible near the very end of the base game, this DLC is designed to be something of a sendoff for the action RPG, providing a new storyline that brings additional weight to the...
Review Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) - Strong Sequel Seeks a New Direction
Cloudy with a chance of pain
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels like a natural progression. Free from the steel skies of Midgar and its corridor-style design, this direct sequel to 2020's Final Fantasy 7 Remake fully embraces that sense of adventure found in the original Final Fantasy 7, as Cloud Strife and his ragtag group took their first few steps out...
Review Foamstars (PS5) - PS Plus' Sudsy Shooter Is Good, Clean Fun
What kinda game is soap?
Foamstars doesn't deserve the hate. Hand-waving comparisons to Nintendo's Splatoon are shallow; beyond both games featuring weaponry that fires something other than bullets, they're two quite different experiences. Square Enix's new multiplayer game is more of a hero shooter than anything else, and while its launch content...
Mini Review Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen (PS5) - A Short But Explosive Dungeon Run
Tower power
We're weren't totally convinced that Final Fantasy 16 needed story-based DLC, but now that we've played through Echoes of the Fallen — the first of two promised expansions — we're actually glad it's happening. If nothing else, this additional slice of adventure is a welcome reminder of how flashy and downright fun 16's combat can be...
Review Star Ocean The Second Story R (PS5) - A Near Perfect Example of a Remake Done Right
Integrity and faithfulness
Many would argue that Star Ocean: The Second Story — originally released for the PS1 all the way back in 1998 — is the pinnacle of the long-running RPG series, and we'd be tempted to agree. In some ways it does feel like it nails the core themes of the franchise, as sci-fi technology clashes with medieval fantasy —...
Strash and burn
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai is a game of two halves: a surprisingly simplistic action RPG and an endless barrage of static, visual novel-style cutscenes. It bears the name Dragon Quest and is published by Square Enix, yet it feels entirely barebones; with basic gameplay and a poorly presented story, we're left...
Review Final Fantasy 16 (PS5) - Final Fantasy's Triumphant Return to the Top
Flames of Rebirth
Final Fantasy 16 is the furthest the mainline series has ever strayed from its traditional RPG roots. It's more of an action game with RPG elements bolted on than it is an RPG with action combat, but at the same time, it boasts all of the ingredients that we associate with the greatest Final Fantasy titles. Its character-driven...
Review Forspoken: In Tanta We Trust (PS5) - Better Than the Main Game
Square Enix just did that
In Tanta We Trust is a rare example of DLC better than the main game it's based on, but that doesn't mean you need to rush out and buy a PS5 copy of Forspoken in order to play it. This optional expansion trumps the original campaign purely because it doesn't need to bother with the baggage of an open world experience: vast...
Review Live A Live (PS5) - 90s JRPG Is Still Amazingly Unique All These Years Later
Live life throughout time
Last year saw the remake of Live A Live launch on Nintendo Switch, some 27 years after its original 1994 launch on the Super Famicom. This marks the first time the title has been made available outside of Japan, and now that it's coming to PS5 and PS4, we're happy to report that Live A Live is still a unique and...
Mini Review Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster (PS4) - One of the Greatest 2D RPGs of All Time
Locke it in
Final Fantasy VI arguably perfected the 2D Final Fantasy formula. Ahead of the series' shift to 3D graphics in Final Fantasy VII, the sixth instalment delivered previously unparalleled drama through breakneck plot pacing and a diverse cast of interesting characters. The storytelling that's so often revered in titles like Final Fantasy IX...
Mini Review Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster (PS4) - Oft Forgotten RPG Deserves Another Chance
V has come to
Final Fantasy V is probably the most overlooked instalment in the mainline series. It didn't come West until years after its original release, and by the time that it finally got a PlayStation port, it had been left in the dust by its genre-defining successors. What's more, V never really received the retroactive attention that was...
Mini Review Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster (PS4) - The Gripping RPG That Rocked Square's Series
Go ahead and jump
Final Fantasy IV is the game that put Square's series on a new path, one that prioritised dramatic, character-driven stories — something that would define the franchise going forward. It tells the twisting tale of Cecil, a skilled knight who starts to question his country's militaristic ambitions. Even 32 years after its initial...
Mini Review Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster (PS4) - Job System Stars in a Solid RPG
Job's a good 'un
Where Final Fantasy II felt like it was really trying to branch away from the original Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III almost feels like a retread of the very first game. In both its storytelling and its core gameplay systems, the third instalment in Square's series has much in common with its progenitor — although it does well...
Mini Review Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster (PS4) - The Best Version of a Flawed Final Fantasy
The Empire strikes back
Final Fantasy II has long been considered one of the weaker mainline entries in Square Enix's series. While it did attempt to push the property forward in terms of storytelling, its intriguing but deeply flawed levelling system has left many a player unimpressed over the years. In Final Fantasy II, you play as a group of...
Mini Review Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster (PS4) - Series Originator Is Still Hard to Fault
It wasn't final after all
Ah, the game where it all began. The original Final Fantasy is an incredibly basic (and relatively short) RPG by today's standards, but there's still an inherent charm to its no-nonsense adventuring. It's light versus dark, good versus evil, four heroes standing against the end of the world — and that's just about all...
Review Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line (PS4) - Solid Rhythm Game Is a Love Letter to a Legendary Series
Kefkaesque
Even if you're a casual observer of Final Fantasy, this isn’t one to miss. Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line collects 385 songs (or 402 if you own the Deluxe Edition) across countless Final Fantasy games, spin-offs, movies, and concerts to create the ultimate celebration of the 35 year old franchise. Final Bar Line is the fourth Theatrhythm...
Review Octopath Traveler II (PS5) - An Immaculate RPG with Brilliantly Realised Characters
Eight times the fun
Square Enix’s 2018 hit Octopath Traveler sold over 3 million copies worldwide, but never made it to PlayStation. Now, the series heads to PS5 and PS4 for the first time with Octopath Traveler II. Still with the striking HD-2D graphics of the first game, the sequel takes what its predecessor did and builds on it, creating a...
Review Outriders (PS5) - Great Combat? That's a People Can Fly Game
Ridin' dirty
Republished on Wednesday, 15th February, 2023: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February 2023's PS Plus Extra and Premium lineup. The original text follows. You know what? Outriders is pretty good. Torn apart during
Review Forspoken (PS5) - Messy Action RPG Is Massively Hit and Miss
It's a kind of tragic
Forspoken is one of the most hit-and-miss games we've played in a long time. For everything it does well, it fumbles something else, resulting in a fantasy adventure that's full of ups and downs. It's a game that feels a bit confused in terms of what it actually wants to be, chasing a AAA-style 'cinematic' story one minute and...
Review Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (PS5) - A Fantastic Remaster of a Fun But Flawed RPG
That's Fair enough
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a PSP exclusive spinoff from 2007 that's often remembered fondly through the tinted goggles of nostalgia. In truth, the original Crisis Core was a messy game when it first released, and it's only gotten worse with age. Much like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the animated film that flanked...
Review Tactics Ogre: Reborn (PS5) - A Tale That Grew in the Telling
Sing to me of a time long past
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a return to the golden age of isometric strategy RPGs, which, paradoxically, it helped to create. Building upon the rock solid foundations of 1995 Super Nintendo release Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, and the 2011 PSP remake of the same name, Reborn, in turn, makes everything old new...
