Square Enix Games That Need Remakes or Remasters

If comments from the recent Square Enix shareholders meeting are to be believed, longtime fans of the company have a lot to be excited about in the coming years. We already know that Square Enix wants to continue combing through its back catalog for beloved titles to remake or remaster with a modern audience in mind, but the studio’s acknowledgement of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s success and suggestion that it has lessons to teach the currently in-development Final Fantasy XVII bode well for the next iteration of the legendary JRPG franchise. Throw in the fact that we have new rumors circulating about an HD-2D remake of Chrono Trigger, and it’s an exciting time to be a Square Enix faithful. It begs the question, then, of what other beloved Square Enix titles are long overdue for remakes or remasters.

In addition to the rumored remake of Chrono Trigger, rumors of a Final Fantasy IX remake have been circulating for years, as well as comments from Square Enix higher-ups about the possibility of a Final Fantasy VI remake. But there are far more games in Square Enix’s back catalog than just the mainline Final Fantasy titles that are deserving of a modern reimagining. The following 10 titles are games that, along with those heavy-hitters, deserve to be seen through a more modern lens with the benefit of 9th-generation technology. Now that we’ve got a remaster of Final Fantasy Tactics arriving in just a few months, these are the games that should be next up on Square Enix’s priority list.

• Release Date — July 16, 1998
• Developer — Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation

Square Enix’s 5th-generation output is the stuff of legend. Riding high on the unprecedented success of Final Fantasy VII and the series’ mainstream breakthrough, Square entered one of its most daring and experimental periods, pushing the limits of what the company could create well beyond its established expertise in the turn-based JRPG and action RPG genres. One of the most underrated titles from this period is Brave Fencer Musashi, which is ostensibly Square’s take on The Legend of Zelda and an incredibly charming game to boot. Brave Fencer Musashi did eventually get a sequel on the PS2 that largely flew under the radar, but that original title (which holds up incredibly well in hindsight) deserves another shake at gaining an audience befitting its strong gameplay and charming, lighthearted story.

• Release Date — December 22, 1999
• Developer — tri-Ace
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation

Among longtime fans of both Square and Enix before the two companies’ merger in 2003, tri-Ace’s Valkyrie Profile holds a place as one of the best titles to come from either studio. While we’ve gotten a remaster of Valkyrie Profile (Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth) that’s available on PlayStation 4 and 5, it’s high time for Square Enix to go back and create a ground-up remake of this excellent JRPG using modern technology. The story and writing of Valkyrie Profile already hold up incredibly well, but it’s hard not to get excited about the prospect of a remake with updated visuals, quality-of-life flourishes, and a reworked translation that polishes up an already timeless game.

• Release Date — November 20, 1997
• Developer — Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation

Another of Square’s most experimental titles is the studio’s one and only scrolling shooter, Einhander. The PS1 was home to some incredible shmups, and that Square’s only crack at the genre ranks as one of the best on the console says a lot about Einhander‘s untapped potential as a franchise. To see Square Enix revisit Einhander would be incredible, whether through a remaster or a complete ground-up remake. At this point, just having the game available on modern hardware would be enough, meaning Square Enix could use minimal resources to remaster and port the game to PSN and potentially gauge interest for a sequel.

• Release Date — October 20, 1995
• Developer — Quintet
• Review Aggregate Score — 74% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — Super Famicom/SNES

One of the greatest crimes of the 4th console generation is Quintet’s Terranigma never making it to North America, but that didn’t stop the game from becoming a cult classic within emulation circles. Despite not receiving great review scores at the time of its release from both Japanese and European outlets, Terranigma has gone on to be seen as one of the most profound and emotionally affecting action RPGs of the era, and it has some strong gameplay to back up its equally great narrative. Terranigma is one of those titles that deserves a full HD-2D remake to reintroduce it to a more mainstream audience, and it could even open the floodgates for the other Quintet games (SoulBlazer, Illusion of Gaia) to get the same treatment.

• Release Date — March 29, 1998
• Developer — Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation

The appeal of Parasite Eve was strong enough at the time of its release (merging the incredibly popular survival horror of Resident Evil with the RPG mechanics and progression that Square was known for), but it’s only since grown in popularity, serving as one of the most important influences for a whole new generation of game developers hoping to pay homage to its unique blend of ideas and gameplay elements. A remaster of Parasite Eve would be great, but a full modern remake would be even better, especially if it were redone in a similar low-poly style, paying homage to the title’s PS1 roots. Unfortunately, Parasite Eve‘s place as a licensed game (based on the novel of the same name) makes its remake one of the less likely options on this list.

• Release Date — November 27, 2004
• Developer — Level-5
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation 2, Nintendo 3DS

To be honest, both versions of Dragon Quest VIII — the original PS2 release and the later 3DS port — still look and run incredibly well, but it’s hard not to imagine how excellent a modern remake of the game would be using the same engine from Dragon Quest XI. The Dragon Quest series has been slowly being remade, with last year’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake paving the way for this year’s remakes of the first two games in the series. As one of the best games in the entire franchise, Dragon Quest VIII deserves a modern remake or remaster that brings it to modern hardware, which could also coincide perfectly with the upcoming release of Dragon Quest XII.

• Release Date — February 10, 2000
• Developer — Square Product Development Division 4
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PlayStation

Yasumi Matsuno’s Vagrant Story is undoubtedly one of the best and most underrated games of the PS1 era. At the time of its release, Vagrant Story was widely praised for both its gameplay and story, so it’s surprising to see the title continue to languish in relative obscurity as a game locked behind PS1 exclusivity (barring its PSOne Classics ports to the PSP and PS3). Surprisingly, Vagrant Story‘s unique visual identity and art direction still hold up incredibly well, even in a modern context, making it a perfect candidate for just a remaster and port to modern hardware, rather than a full-blown remake. Considering we’re about to get a remaster of Matsuno’s Final Fantasy Tactics, there’s every case for Vagrant Story to be next in line for the same treatment.

• Release Date — March 11, 1995
• Developer — Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 96% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — Super Famicom/SNES

It’s entirely possible we may be getting a Chrono Trigger remake sooner than we might realize. Recent rumors seem to suggest that an HD-2D remake of Chrono Trigger is currently in the works, which would be absolutely incredible. For many longtime Square Enix fans, Chrono Trigger represents the peak of the studio’s pre-merger output and remains one of the most timeless and beloved JRPGs from the “golden era” of the SNES. The HD-2D remakes of games like Live A Live and Dragon Quest III have been incredibly successful for Square Enix, and it’s hard to imagine a similar remake of Chrono Trigger being anything different. The original still holds up incredibly well but is only available on a small selection of platforms, making a modern remake practically essential.

• Release Date — April 2, 1994
• Developer — Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 93% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — Super Famicom/SNES

Square Enix continues to be candid about its love and admiration for Final Fantasy VI, which should come as no surprise. For many, Final Fantasy VI represents the absolute peak of the series’ original 2D era, and it’s arguably one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. Interestingly enough, Square has openly suggested that a remake of Final Fantasy VI could take one of two forms — either as an HD-2D remake in the same style of the Dragon Quest remakes or a full, modern 3D remake like the company’s approach to Final Fantasy VII. That said, a more modern approach to the Final Fantasy VI remake would take hundreds of millions of dollars and several years to produce, making it more of a far-off pipe dream than any kind of upcoming reality.

• Release Date — February 11, 1998
• Developer — Square Product Development Division 3
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PlayStation

Speaking of pipe dream remakes, Xenogears might be the most deserving game to get a remake that we’ll probably never see. Xenogears would end up suffering some issues toward the end of its development, with the team eventually needing to rush the game out to appease the higher-ups at Square and shipping an unfinished product. A modern remake of Xenogears would be phenomenal, but even just a remaster that does a better job of translating its notoriously obtuse script and frees it from its exclusivity on dead platforms would be great. Most of the original team who worked on Xenogears would leave Square to form Monolith Soft, so even if Square doesn’t ever produce a Xenogears remake, maybe Monolith could purchase the rights and do the game justice.