The aughts were a great time for video games, and Square, who went from SquareSoft to Square Enix during the first decade, was among the leaders of the charge. We all know classics like Final Fantasy 10 and Kingdom Hearts, but the publisher has many other games under its belt that time has forgotten.
You would still get a great deal of enjoyment from any of the games below. Some of them are re-releases of older games, but that does not make their placement any less valid. If anything, it says something about how well the RPGs hold up through the years.
10 Drakengard
We're all mostly familiar with Yoko Taro's cult classics like Nier and Nier: Automata, the former of which is currently receiving an updated re-release. Few may realize that these games are actually connected to the Drakengard series, though only by some thin threads. Anybody who enjoys the Nier titles will certainly get a thrill from Drakengard, however. The gameplay is not as smooth, but the story is just as wild and unpredictable.
9 Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together was initially released in the mid-90s but received a re-release on the PSP late in the handheld's life. It is seen as a spiritual predecessor to Final Fantasy Tactics, and playing reveals many similarities. However, fewer people clamor for a remake or re-release of this turn-based tactical game, and it deserves equal recognition. If you still have a PS Vita, you can purchase the PSP version from the PlayStation Store.
8 Valkryie Profile 2
The Valkyrie Profile games play vastly different from most other RPGs on the market. Going through dungeons feels more like a side-scroller than one is used to in the genre. Battles, however, take place in 3D and allow for free movement, though actions are still dependent on points and the combat is not in real-time. Valkyrie Profile 2 is the last proper console game in the franchise, with future installments coming out on the Nintendo DS and mobile devices.
7 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle: My Life As A Dark Lord
This WiiWare game is a smaller tower defense game, a far cry from the more epic RPGs on the list. It differentiates itself from other games in the genre by showing the action from the side rather than using an isometric perspective.
Despite its small stature as a spin-off, the game received mostly positive reviews. Sadly, the game is currently inaccessible since the Wii shut down its shop in 2017.
6 Star Ocean: The First Departure
Square Enix went a little wild with remakes on the PSP, but we're not complaining. We're just thankful they brought some of them to modern consoles, like Star Ocean: The First Departure. This remake of the 1996 franchise debut also deserves mention because it is the first time the game came out in the west. While random battles are a part of the combat, the bouts play out in real-time, allowing you to move the player freely on the field.
5 Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wings
Fans remember when a Final Fantasy game came out and all you needed to understand everything was the single game. While this is mostly true with Final Fantasy 12, it still received a spin-off for the Nintendo DS. Revenant Wings is a real-time strategy game, a wholly unique genre for the franchise. The story is a direct sequel to Final Fantasy 12, which should be more than enough to lure fans into playing.
4 Front Mission
Curiously, the first game in the Front Mission franchise initially released on the SNES in 1995 but did not receive a PlayStation port in Japan until 2003. Western gamers only got the chance to play this turn-based tactical game in 2007 on the Nintendo DS. The gameplay is pretty simple compared to other games in the genre and the sequels, but it still has a charm that makes it worth playing today.
3 Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes Of Light
Before games like Octopath Traveler were harkening back to the old days of classic 8 and 16-bit RPGs, Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes Of Light was the series' throwback to its earlier days — it released on the DS in 2010.
Its battle system is reminiscent of something you'd find in Final Fantasy 3 or 5, and the title itself is a reference to the protagonists from the first game, letting you know the game's ambition right off the bat.
2 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7
Honestly, it feels like Square has forgotten about this game more than the fans have. Despite Crisis Core's importance in the overall Final Fantasy 7 lore, the game is almost impossible to find now. It was only ever released on the PSP and is not available on the PlayStation Store, meaning the physical UMD is your only hope of playing it. With the Final Fantasy 7 Remake in full swing, one imagines we'll receive a retelling of Zack Fair's story sometime in the future.
1 The Bouncer
Dream Factory made some solid cult classics for the PS1 under Square, like Ehrgeiz and Tobal No. 1. The Bouncer was an extension of those games, though it added more brawler elements to the gameplay rather than one on one fights. While the campaign is extremely short as one point of criticism, the game deserves more respect and recognition than it ever received. The creative use of the PS2's pressure sensitive buttons and the early implementation of ragdoll physics alone are worth commendation.