Square Enix is famous for creating many incredibly popular and well-known game franchises – some of the most successful of all time. But what about the games originally developed when the company was first starting out? And specifically, what became of those titles after Squaresoft and Enix merged to form the company we know today?
Collectors are always on the hunt for hidden gems, rare titles, and older games that never received follow-ups. This list highlights some of the best Square Enix games that unfortunately didn’t get a sequel.
Vagrant Story
Father Of Modern Dungeon Crawlers And Soulslikes, Long Forgotten By Its Creator
Released by Square Enix, Vagrant Story is a groundbreaking RPG often credited as a key influence on today’s popular games, including both Roguelikes and Soulslikes. It stood out from other Square Enix titles with its challenging difficulty and innovative combat system, sparking a lot of discussion among players. You play as Ashley Riot, a special agent known as a Riskbreaker, from the world of Valendia – the same setting as Final Fantasy XII. Ashley is falsely accused of treason while investigating a dangerous plot led by Sydney Losstarot, a former nobleman and cult leader who threatens to plunge the kingdom into chaos.
The game unfolds through a collection of scenes and story snippets as Ashley pursues Sydney and his crew through the complex city of Leá Monde. As Ashley overcomes the effects of brainwashing, players learn about his history and the reasons behind his quest to defeat the villain. Ashley fights with incredible power, taking on numerous enemies, monsters, and even dragons. As he grows stronger and recovers his abilities, the story becomes more intense and the consequences of failure become greater. Like its captivating story, Vagrant Story was groundbreaking in its gameplay. It’s a surprisingly dark and mysterious game for Square Enix, and many believe it deserved a sequel.
Brave Fencer Musashi
The Original Game Was Created By Squaresoft, But Square Enix’s Version Never Got a Sequel
Brave Fencer Musashi came about thanks to the creativity of Yoichi Yoshimoto during a successful period for Squaresoft. Following the huge success of Final Fantasy VII, a separate development team was working on something different – an action-packed platformer with instant combat, a departure from the company’s traditional turn-based battles. The game has a simple premise: it’s an isekai story where the hero, Musashi, is reborn into a fantasy world once protected by his ancestor. He’s given a powerful sword and must find the legendary Lumina blade before the villainous Thirstquencher Empire gets their hands on it.
This fantastic series has sadly fallen into obscurity, and its spiritual successor, Musashi: Samurai Legend from Square Enix, didn’t gain much of a following. While the series reboot showed potential with solid gameplay and stayed true to the original’s vision, it received a lot of criticism. Ultimately, plans for a proper sequel were cancelled, and fans of Musashi: Samurai Legend likely won’t see the story continue.
Xenogears
Originally Created As A Spin-Off, It Never Got A True Sequel, But Its Legacy Lives On
Many fans know the Xeno series started with a game called Xenogears, which, while different from the main games, is closely connected to them. Originally, Xenogears began as a potential spin-off of Final Fantasy VII, created by a separate team with a specific audience in mind: players who enjoyed sci-fi fantasy with robots and challenging combat. There were even plans for it to be a sequel to Chrono Trigger, but the project evolved, and Xenogears became its own unique game.
The development of this game eventually led to the Xenosaga series, though it wasn’t ultimately successful. Later, the Xeno series, first known as Monado, began with Xenoblade Chronicles. While Xenogears, Xenosaga, and the Xeno series all share a common origin, inspiration, and ambitious scope, they aren’t directly connected stories. There are a few hidden references and Easter eggs in Xenoblade Chronicles and other games that nod to the original Xenosaga, but fans hoping for a continuation of that story likely won’t see one.
The Last Remnant
One Of The Best Turn Based JRPGs Ever Made
The Last Remnant is a famously divisive game from Square Enix, often considered one of their best – or worst – alongside the poorly received Final Fantasy: All The Bravest. It embodies both the strengths and weaknesses of typical Japanese role-playing games, but to an extreme degree. While some see it as a flawed but potentially great game that needed more polish in its technical aspects and story, others consider it a genuine masterpiece. Despite these differing opinions, most players agree on one thing: The Last Remnant deserves a sequel.
Despite its age, The Last Remnant demonstrates what a small, dedicated development team can achieve. With its complex combat and epic battles, TLR stands out as a truly unique game in Square Enix’s history – arguably one of their most innovative titles yet. Like many games on this list, a sequel isn’t planned anytime soon, but does it even need one to be considered great? Simply put, it’s a game worth experiencing, at least once, if you’re a fan of JRPGs.
Terranigma
An Extremely Dark And Forgotten Classic
Terranigma is a rarely remembered but incredibly dark and compelling game for the SNES, created by Qintet and published by Enix. What makes it truly special is the art – it was all done by Kamui Fujiwara, a famous manga artist known for his work on the Dragon Quest manga. From the beginning, Terranigma stood out with its simple but engaging gameplay, inspired by the early days of JRPGs, and a story about the battle between good and evil told in a mysterious and unsettling way.
Okay, so imagine a world that looks amazing on the surface, but underneath it’s totally messed up and decaying. That’s the setting for this game. It’s basically set on Earth after a huge war between God and the Devil – a war that almost wiped out humanity. It’s called Terranigma, and honestly, it feels like it was always meant to be a standalone experience, not the start of a whole series. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have loved to see where the story could have gone – it deserved a sequel, in my opinion!
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2026-02-20 20:14