Summary
- Square Enix's legacy titles are influential but reliance on nostalgia feels lazy.
- Immersive game design and wonder make exploring Square Enix games unique.
- Sleeping Dogs, Dragon Quest 8, & Chrono Trigger offer rewarding exploration experiences.
Square Enix has a divisive reputation, but the company is also a major mainstay in the video game space. Its track record of relying on nostalgia bait feels lazy—see Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy Pixel, and the Dragon Quest Remasters as evidence. Then again, their legacy titles are some of the most influential and critically acclaimed video games of all time. Gamers never get tired of playing Square Enix’s evergreen classics.
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A common highlight of most Square Enix games is the sense of wonder and discovery that makes them feel so unique. There’s nothing quite like venturing into the vast world map and exploring every nook and cranny to uncover its secrets. Square Enix has mastered the art of immersive game design, and it keeps players, even casual ones, engaged and exploring their vast worlds.
7 Sleeping Dogs
A Highly Underrated Gem That Offers Surprisingly Deep Exploration
Sleeping Dogs
- Released
- August 14, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Square Enix’s Sleeping Dogs is an action-adventure game set in Hong Kong and loaded with crime-drama themes. Sleeping Dogs’ combat takes after the Batman Arkham games ' free-flow style, but puts its own spin on it with weapons and environmental finishers. As for the world design and exploration aspect, Sleeping Dogs stands out quite a lot from other similar games.
Players get to explore four distinct regions of Hong Kong, each with its own gang and aesthetic outlook. The protagonist, Wei Shen, is an undercover cop infiltrating the Chinese Triad network to catch the criminal kingpins. But that’s just the main story, and players can explore the huge world map full of side activities and collectibles. There are prayer shrines for health upgrades, side-missions about dating and singing karaoke, and high-speed car and bike racing.
6 Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King
One Of The Best Retro JRPGs With A Heavy Emphasis On Exploration
Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King
- Released
- November 15, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
While many of its critics will say that Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King is a by-the-numbers game, it’s anything but. The game marvelously subverts the series’ expectations and is one of the most fulfilling PS2-era JRPGs. There are daring overhauls to many of the franchise’s traditional elements, and the overworld integration is among the best in the series.
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A grand sense of adventure awaits players when they explore the world without handholding markers or waypoints. Every dungeon feels like danger is around each corner, and players can even catch monsters to make them fight alongside them. The magnificent view while exploring using the airship is absolutely spectacular. Exploration feels rewarding in Dragon Quest 8: Journey Of The Cursed King, as the resources help craft powerful items and weapons.
5 Tomb Raider (2013)
A Tight-Knit Experience Evoking Nostalgia While Modernizing Gaming’s Iconic Action Heroine
Tomb Raider
- Released
- March 5, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Many fans might consider the sequels to Tomb Raider (2013) as superior, but here’s the thing: bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. The Tomb Raider reboot game is a fantastic reimagining of Lara Croft that perfectly balances out the story and gameplay. There’s no artificial bloat, over-stuffed activities, or an overwhelming number of map markers. Everything feels intuitive, especially Tomb Raider's signature quick-time events. And, of course, the game allows for free exploration to gather resources along the way.
The side missions and additional collectibles make sense within the narrative context. Every ‘Tomb’ is designed to test the player’s thinking by mixing Lara’s tools and platforming ability in sync. Figuring out the pattern of the complex puzzles and finding the hidden artifacts feels incredibly fulfilling. It’s a beautiful thing to have the players, and, by extension, Lara, overcome obstacles as she grows into her role as the titular ‘Tomb Raider.’
4 Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age
The Best Map Design And The Gold Standard For Exploration In Final Fantasy Games
Final Fantasy 12
- Released
- October 31, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age is another divisive Square Enix game that offers some pretty seamless and phenomenal exploration. While its story might not be as impactful as the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 Remake or its sequel, its gameplay and level design are... Well, immaculate. Players can just go on exploring for hours on end. Every single area on the map feels so exquisitely well-thought-out and populated by enemies.
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The Gambit system and the class license grid create complex and layered gameplay mechanics for players to master, but they will fully immerse themselves in the game’s large areas. There is a high chance of just stumbling into a powerful boss out of nowhere when exploring its dungeons, which is the fun part. The sheer breadth and scope of the levels with diverse backgrounds are an absolute visual delight.
3 NieR Replicant
This Emotionally Devastating Game Has Straightforward But Enjoyable Exploration
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...
- Released
- April 23, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Japanese video game legend Yoko Taro’s eccentricism shines bright in the depressing and bleak setting of NieR Replicant. While many fans love its sequel, NieR Automata, Replicant was the foundation for everything the sequel built. This unique game experiments with a lot of ideas and blends multiple genres. Despite the game’s straightforward structure, both its main plot and exploration involving side quests carry a lot of depth.
The boss fights, in particular, will become tearjerkers in subsequent playthroughs, as players push to reach the final ending (there are five in total). NieR Replicant has a deeply desolate and depressing world, and everything has a hauntingly beautiful ambiance. It helps that the soundtrack for this game is otherworldly, which honestly makes the exploration all the more enchanting.
2 Forspoken
Majestically Designed Overworld And Unique Traversal Will Keep Players Hooked
Forspoken
- Released
- January 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Despite the negativity surrounding Forspoken and its protagonist, Frey, there’s no denying this Square Enix game’s profound exploration. Frey’s abilities create the most pulse-pounding way of exploring in a video game since Marvel’s Spider-Man. Players will love the fluidity and smooth transitions with which Frey can scale structures and keep pushing forward.
Once players get used to combining the motions of gliding over water, quick dashes, and speed-running, the exploration feels all the more satisfying. Unfortunately, fans will likely not see a sequel to Forspoken because the game did not meet Square Enix’s lofty sales expectations. However, a Final Fantas y title with Forspoken’s mechanics will be a wild dream come true for fans.
1 Chrono Trigger
A Masterclass In Plot-Twist Storytelling And Exploration-Centric Gameplay
Chrono Trigger
- Released
- March 11, 1995
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Genre(s)
- RPG
If there’s one Square Enix game that will pull players in and make them explore every inch of the in-game world, it’s Chrono Trigger. Players are in for a roller coaster of emotions as the game’s many twists unfold over the course of the story. Chrono Trigger leans heavily into time travel, and its ripple effects are felt throughout the gameplay and narrative. The environmental aesthetic and character changes show the result of the player’s decisions at critical junctures.
The puzzles and dungeons in Chrono Trigger give it a surprisingly tactical edge. It’s not a game where brute force gets results. There’s always a strategy that needs to be figured out in order to progress. With 12 different endings, it’s an essential pick for any JRPG fan who enjoys getting lost in exploration-heavy games.