For such a huge publisher,Square Enixhas a surprisingly inconsistent track record when it comes to the success of its releases. For a studio with massive tent pole franchises likeFinal Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts,andTomb Raider,they’ve also been bogged down by mediocre titles likeBabylon’s Fall,Marvel’s Avengers,andThief.
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Then there are these next games. Originally lumped in with the latter group of less-than-stellar experiences, these releases eventually found a vocal fanbase that spread the word of their quality. Over time, they’ve built up a following, sometimes one large enough to result in the production of a remaster or remake, if not an outright sequel, and earned themselvesthe status of a cult classic.
9Nier Gestalt (2010)
TheNierfranchise has graduated from “cult classic” to full-blown “classic” with the success ofNieR: Automata,but when the first game was released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2010,NierGestaltwas not received well. Critics and players alike found the gameplay uneven and the storyline confusing (fair enough) and really, considering it was meant to loosely stand as a sequel to theDrakengardseries, the whole thing came across as unusual.
The creator ofNier, Yoko Taro, has a devoted following, and they picked upNeirregardless of what the conversation around the game said. Then they began spreading the word of the game’s utterly fascinating world-building and philosophically challenging narrative. Soon enough, it started to catch on. Not only didNierget its sequel, but the original game wasrecently remade asNier: Replicantand released on modern consoles in 2021.
8I Am Setsuna (2016)
The first-ever release from homegrown Square Enix developer Tokyo RPG Factory,I Am Setsunawas made as an homage to classic RPG titles of the 90s and 2000s. Everything from the story to the combat to the interface felt like it was pulled from a SNES RPG and modernized.
The game received decent praise from critics, sold very well in its first week, and then trailed off. Tokyo RPG Factory took heavy financial losses as a result of the game’s initial sales. Despite that,I Am Setsunacontinues to stay relevant. It is often mentioned as a good entry point to the world of JRPGs given its short runtime (usually less than 30 hours) and nostalgically familiar controls. No one will mistake it for a masterpiece, but it hits all the right notes for what it’s trying to accomplish.
7Valkyrie Profile (1999)
Valkyrie Profiledidn’t bomb in the traditional sense. Releasing in 1999 in Japan and a year later in North America, by the end of 2005, it had sold over 700,000 copies. However, the overwhelming majority of those sales (nearly 90%) were in Japan. Despite extremely positive critical reception and word of mouth, the game just never caught on in the West.
The popularity thatValkyrie Profilesaw in Japan resulted in the game being remade for PSP in 2006. Once again, the game sold well in Japan, and while its sales improved in North America, they still weren’t spectacular. Despite that, the latest reported milestone hasValkyrie Profilehaving sold 2.2 million copies. With the franchise’s first true sequel,Valkyrie Elysium,releasing sometime in 2022,Square Enix is hoping these games will finally catch on with a more JRPG-attuned Western market.
6Sleeping Dogs (2012)
Square Enix’s venture into the realm of GTA-style open-world action games,Sleeping Dogsreleased to critical and player acclaim. It was praised for its engaging combat system - often compared to the combat in theBatman Arkhamgames - and its detailed and enticing portrayal of Hong Kong. It was even nominated for Action Game Of The Year at the 2013 D.I.C.E. Interactive Achievement Awards.
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While all these factors would point toSleeping Dogsbeing a success, along with it selling 1.5 million copies in its first two months, Square Enix had higher sales expectations for the game and declared it a “failure” in 2013. The planned sequel was scrapped shortly thereafter, despite the protestations of fans that continue to this day. There is a film adaptation in the works starring Donnie Yen, giving fans renewed hope for a potential sequel, but it has no scheduled release date as of this writing.
5Racing Lagoon (1999)
Developed in 1999, back when Square Enix was still called SquareSoft,Racing Lagoonwas a fusion of 3D racing and JRPG storytelling. Critical reception was lukewarm, and as a result the game never received an English translation, but players sang a very different tune.
While the racing elements were fairly basic, even when compared to its contemporaries likeGran Turismo 2, it was the RPG elements that drew players in. There was an exciting world to explore, and various upgrades players could attach to their car. There was also the fantastic jazz-fusion soundtrack, which has been ranked as one ofthe best of the PlayStation era.Recently, a group of translators at Hilltop Works published an English translation ofRacing Lagoonwhich is now available for download, showing the game still has a following all these years later.
4Vagrant Story (2000)
Released at the tail end of the original PlayStation’s lifecycle,Vagrant Storywas missed by many players who had already moved on to the new console generation. Those who played it know that this game pushed the PlayStation to the absolute limits of its capabilities in terms of graphics, told a deep and engaging Shakespearean story, and sowed the seeds of lore-based storytelling that would eventually lead to games likeDark Soulsover a decade later.
Despite all this,Vagrant Storynever truly caught on. The game’s creator, Yasumi Matsuno, went on to directFinal Fantasy 12, and there are plenty of influences in that title that harken back toVagrant Story. Of all the games on this list, this one is the most deserving ofa modern-day HD remaster,if not a full-on remake.
3Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy (2021)
Is it too early to declare this game a cult classic? Despite generally positive critical reviews, praise from players, and winning the 2021 Game Award for Best Narrative, Square Enix declared thatGuardians of the Galaxyhad failed to meet sales expectations 6 months after its release.
That may have had something to do with the lacklusterMarvel’s Avengersrelease just a year earlier hanging over its head, butGuardians of the Galaxycontinues to receive praise from players who give it a shot. At this point,a sequel seems unlikely,but as long as players continue to pick up the game due to word of mouth, those odds will improve.
2Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn (2010)
Final Fantasy 14’sinclusion on this list should come as no surprise. To say the game bombed at launch is a bit of an understatement. Visually it was very well-received, but the game was trying too hard to look good and wasn’t able to run properly on most players' systems. This only made the problematic gameplay, story, and server issues all the more frustrating.
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Two years after its launch,Final Fantasy 14was shut down, and Square Enix brought in Naoki Yoshida, famed director of theDragon Questseries, to fix the game’s issues. One year after that,Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Rebornlaunched to nearly unanimous praise from critics and fans. It’s been all uphill from there.Final Fantasy 14is no longer just a cult classic, it’s one of the most successful MMOs of all time, and considered one of the bestFinal Fantasygames ever made.
1NEO: The World Ends With You (2021)
Released a few months beforeGuardians of the Galaxybut appealing to a very different audience,NEO: The World Ends With Youis a sequel to2007’sThe World Ends With Youon the Nintendo DS. It boasts a wholly unique art style, some fantastically customizable combat mechanics, and a top-notch soundtrack.
Despite this,NEO: The World Ends With Youis yet another example of a game not meeting Square Enix’s sales expectations. That said, word of mouth is likely to carry the load for this game as well. As more players try it out, enjoy it, and recommend it to others, this game has cult classic written all over it.
