Square Enix had a weirdly healthy year. Sales fell, but profit rose, largely because the company cut costs, improved margins, and leaned harder into catalog sales, merchandise, and licensing. For
Continue readingStar Ocean: Anamnesis is a free-to-play mobile RPG that combines a character-collecting loop with real-time, party-focused action combat. It draws heroes from throughout the Star Ocean franchise, allowing you to form themed squads and take on story quests, grindable stages, and co-op missions at your own pace.
 | Publisher: Square Enix Playerbase: High Type: Mobile RPG Release Date: July 10, 2018 (NA) Shut Down: November 2019 Pros: +Fast, real-time 3D battles. +A big roster spanning the Star Ocean series. +Strong soundtrack and audio presentation. +Plenty of missions and co-op events. Cons: -Generally easy, with limited pressure to master the systems. -No PvP option. -Very large install size (over 1GB) |
Guardian Codex was a free-to-play mobile RPG that framed its adventure around a near-future conflict between the Empire and the Resistance. Players fought back by entering the Codex matrix to recover legendary Guardians, then building a squad for turn-based battles, story quests, and boss encounters that could be tackled solo or cooperatively online.
 | Publisher: Square Enix Type: Mobile RPG Release Date: November 3, 2016 Shut Down: July 30, 2017 Pros: +Tactical turn-based fights with up to four commands per Guardian. +A large roster of 100+ Guardians to recruit. +Plenty of upgrade paths for improving your team. Cons: -Noticeable lag and connection hiccups. -Damage values felt uneven and in need of tuning. -Several features are gated behind skill point unlocks. |
Guardian Codex Shut Down on July 30, 2017
Final Fantasy The Awakening is a mobile action RPG that returns to the war-torn world of Orience, letting you assemble a squad of recognizable faces and fight in real-time battles. Between missions you recruit characters, fine-tune weapon and armor setups, and make story decisions that influence how the campaign unfolds.
 | Publisher: Square Enix Type: Mobile ARPG Release Date: December 14, 2016 (China) Shut Down: May 2020 Pros: +Story routes that react to player choices. +Four-character party combat. +Eidolon summons featuring six different gods. Cons: -Busy, sometimes confusing UI. -PvP offerings feel limited. |
Flame VS Blaze (called Flame X Blaze in Japan) is a mobile MOBA built around compact 3v3 matches. Players pick from a roster of more than nine characters and look for advantages through lane pressure, timing, and smart use of the jungle, including neutral monsters that can be converted into helpful allies for defense.
 | Publisher: Square Enix Type: Mobile MOBA Release Date: Unannounced Pros: +Flexible equipment customization and upgrades. +A roster of 9+ playable characters. +A streamlined map design with one lane plus a jungle. Cons: -Not much public detail has been shared. |
Final Fantasy XI is a subscription MMORPG that drops players into Vana’diel, a classic fantasy world built around long quest arcs, party-based combat, and the kind of narrative focus the Final Fantasy name is known for. Even today, its defining hook is the flexible Job system, where your character can learn and swap between dozens of roles over time rather than being locked into a single class forever.
 | Publisher: Square Enix Playerbase: Low Type: MMORPG Release Date: May 16, 2002 Pros: +Narrative-heavy MMO with a strong sense of adventure. +Flexible Job system encourages experimentation. +Party-focused design is cohesive and satisfying. Cons: -Requires a monthly subscription. -PlayStation 2 and Xbox servers are no longer available. -Visuals show their age. -Can be intimidating for new players. |
Wakfu is a fantasy MMORPG built around tactical, turn-based encounters on a grid. Instead of treating the world as an endlessly regenerating theme park, it leans into player agency, resources and ecosystems only bounce back when players actively replant, breed, and manage them. Layered on top is a nation system with elections and laws, turning everyday gathering and PvP into part of a larger political tug-of-war.
 | Publisher: Ankama Games, Square Enix Playerbase: Medium Type: Turn-Based MMORPG Release Date: February 29, 2012 Pros: +Player-shaped economy and ecosystems. +Deep, tactical class kits. +Nation politics that matter. Cons: -A lot of combat repetition while leveling. -Localization can be awkward in places. -Camera angle can fight you in battles. |
Lord of Vermilion Arena is a 3D fantasy-themed MOBA that folds collectible card game ideas into the standard lane-pushing formula. Instead of picking from a traditional roster alone, you bring a hand-picked set of summonable creatures, then spend mana during 7v7 battles to call them in and swing fights around objectives.
 | Publisher: Square Enix Type: CCG MOBA Release Date: June 4, 2015 Shut Down Date: June 30, 2016 Pros: +A distinctive MOBA and card-collection hybrid. +More than one map to play on. +Large card pool to chase and experiment with. +Includes a solo Story Mode. Cons: -Hard to find comprehensive details today. -A Western launch was never confirmed. -High-value cards risk creating pay-to-win style balance concerns. |
Final Fantasy XIV is a 3D fantasy MMORPG from Square Enix that leans heavily into what the studio does best, a long-form narrative, memorable music, and a steady stream of curated themepark activities. It supports everything from high-end raids to relaxed side pursuits like crafting, collecting minions, and decorating housing. If you enjoy JRPG-style storytelling in an online world, FFXIV’s main scenario can easily run well past 100 hours, and it is delivered with a level of polish that most MMOs do not match.
 | Publisher: Square Enix Playerbase: High Type: MMORPG Release Date: August 27, 2013 (NA/EU) PvP: Duels / Arenas Pros: +Robust character creator and glamours. +Outstanding soundtrack and audio. +Large selection of jobs and crafting paths. +Housing for individuals and Free Companies. +Very generous free trial. Cons: -Very limited build customization within a job. -The early hours can feel sluggish. -Main story progression gates access to a lot of endgame content. |
