Popular games published by company Square

In this turn-based Japanese RPG, young Crono must travel through time through a misfunctioning teleporter to rescue his misfortunate companion and take part in an intricate web of past and present perils. The adventure that ensues soon unveils an evil force set to destroy the world, triggering Crono's race against time to change the course of history and bring about a brighter future.

Final Fantasy VII is the seventh main installment in the Final Fantasy series, and was the first title to feature three-dimensional graphics, pre-rendered backgrounds and numerous full motion videos. The gameplay is a departure from previous entries in the series in many ways. Though it retains the Active Time Battle pseudo-turn based menu command system, FFVII features three party members rather than four. The Materia system allows the player to customize each party member's abilities to their liking, and the Limit system grants them unique combat skills. Though minigames had been a recurring feature, FFVII introduces numerous new ones, many of them playable in the theme park Gold Saucer varying from racing with Chocobos to snowboarding.

Millennia ago, a fierce battle was waged for control of an idyllic world known as Pureland. After much fighting, the brave warriors of Pureland were protectively sealed in their own dimension, away from the rest of the universe. This was done by means of Talon, a powerful space craft capable of traveling through both time and space. Centuries have passed and the would-be master of Pureland have managed to create a rift in the galaxy, sending the Pureland Water Entity to devour all that stands in its path. You must journey through past, present, and future to find the 13 pieces of the now-divided Talon. Only then can you save the universe from total destruction.

The Final Fantasy Legend series continues! In this classic RPG adventure, you are on a quest to reunite with your father. In order to find your father, you must travel far and wide to find the scattered fragments of a mystical force, known as Magi. Your quest takes you to several mysterious lands filled with caves, temples, enemy bases, ancient Japanese castles, and much more. Many of the worlds are filled with quirky inhabitants, such as the world of giants. Another world praises beauty but banishes ugliness. You can choose four heroes to accompany you in your journey. Choose from humans, robots, and even monsters. As the game progresses, you will encounter additional characters that may join your party.

Final Fantasy VI is the sixth main installment in the Final Fantasy series, developed and published by Square. It was the final title in the series to feature two-dimensional graphics, and the first story that did not revolve around crystals. The game gives players up to fourteen playable characters, the largest cast in the series, and features the Active Time Battle pseudo-turn based menu command system. A party can consist of up to four characters, though some events require the player to assemble three different parties of up to four and switch between them. Each character has a unique command ability, such as Terra's Trance, Locke's Steal, Edgar's Tools or Sabin's Blitz, and can also learn Magic spells from earning AP from battles with magicite equipped. Each character's rare Desperation Attack will randomly activate after using the Attack command when at critical health.

Xenogears follows protagonist Fei Fong Wong and several others as they journey to uncover the truth behind mysterious, cabalistic entities operating in their world. The principles and philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung influence the plot, character design, and world of Xenogears. Additionally, the symbols, theological concepts, and devotional practices of several world religions are represented in fictionalized forms in the game. Major psychological themes are the nature of identity and human memory, particularly as these relate to the phenomenon of dissociative identity disorder. The relationship between humanity and machines is central to the game's plot, as indicated by the presence of giant robots dubbed "gears," which almost each playable character can control.

Final Fantasy X is the tenth main installment in the FF series and the first title released on sixth-generation consoles. It was also the first game to feature fully three-dimensional areas rather than including pre-rendered backdrops, and the first to include voice acting. Final Fantasy X tells the story of a star blitzball player, Tidus, who journeys with a young and beautiful summoner named Yuna on her quest to save the world of Spira from an endless cycle of destruction wrought by the colossal menace Sin.

Final Fantasy IX is the ninth main installment in the FF series. The title is a return to the series's roots, with gameplay features and references to the past games featuring throughout, as well as a medieval fantasy setting and cartoonish art style as a break from the sci-fi slant style of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII.

Front Mission is the first main entry and the first entry overall in the Front Mission series. Front Mission is part of a serialized storyline that follows the stories of various characters and their struggles involving mecha known as wanzers.

Trials of Mana is the third installment of the Mana series, developed by Square under the direction of series creator Koichi Ishii. The game takes place in a new world where, once again, the Mana Tree is under threat from an ancient evil thought sealed away. Players choose three from among six heroes as the chosen wielder of the Mana Sword and their two companions on the journey to claim the holy blade and preserve what remains of mana power. The power of Mana drains rapidly from the land and the Mana Tree begins to wither…

Lead epic battles in a new FINAL FANTASY world. Betrayal and darker dealings await in Squaresoft's game of war. Fight hundreds of battles across dangerous 3D terrain as an ancient blood feud awakens a deadlier foe.

CHRONO CROSS, the sequel to the SNES favorite CHRONO TRIGGER, is one of the most ambitious role-playing games ever made. There are over 40 playable characters, each with their back-story, special moves, abilities, and weapons. The story spans two discs and follows the story of Serge, a young man who is able to cross dimensions. Suddenly he is pulled between worlds, trying to figure out his own past at the same time. The graphics are bright and beautiful, utilizing the PlayStation's capabilities to the fullest. The polygonal character models are huge and detailed, and the pre-rendered backgrounds are immaculately detailed. The music is composed and arranged by Yasunori Mitsuda, and features very realistic-sounding synthesizers. The battle system revolves around Elements, which are used to grant magical powers, as well as to summon huge monsters. For anyone that wanted to see the story of CHRONO TRIGGER continue, this is your chance.

Bahamut Lagoon combines RPG mechanics with squad-based combat. Characters have HP, MP (SP for fighter characters), EXP, equipment, stats and class-specific, SP-draining special elemental abilities very much like traditional console RPGs. The player can explore his surroundings, talk to people and visit shops when not in battle, though to a limited degree as there is no world map and no way to leave the current area. The game's core is its turn-based battles fought on a 2d grid. Characters are assembled into parties of four and the player allowed a maximum of six parties, which are usually well outnumbered. The two opposing sides act in alternating turns so that each party can move once and/or attack once a turn. Attacks are divided into distant and close-up combat. In the former, a party uses a special ability (e.g. casting fireballs, throwing lightning, healing allies) of one of its members at a distance. The range and possible area of effect damage vary per ability. If the attacking party has two or more characters with the same ability, they join in the action to multiply its effectiveness. Distant combat results in less money and generally less damage, but the target cannot retaliate. Distant attacks can also affect the field; fire and ice ignite or extinguish forests and melt or freeze ice, etc. Close-up, each unit in two adjacent opposing parties can act once. Very much like Final Fantasy SNES combat, they can attack an enemy, use an item or a special ability (though these can't be combined and most only affect one target instead of all) or defend. Dragons are the player's ace in the hole. They have their own stats and gain experience like normal characters do. In battle, each party has a dragon attached to it and draws a large portion of its strength from that of its dragon: if a party's dragon is slain, the party will lose the ability to use special attacks and class-specific abilities for the remainder of the map. The beast acts as a very powerful autonomous unit that moves after its party does and it cannot be controlled beyond very simple commands, e.g. "Come!" Out of battle, dragons will eat anything and raising them by feeding them items is an important part of the game. Feeding can improve their stats as well as affect their behavior on the field, and the dragons develop into new forms as they grow. The player can change the characters in each of the parties, their formation as well as what dragon represents them at will.

Initially released in Japan in 1993, Secret of Mana took the world by storm with its innovative real-time battle system and gorgeously rendered world. It continues to stand out among other action RPGs for its seamless gameplay that anyone from beginner to veteran can enjoy. One of the most memorable elements of the Mana series is the Ring Command menu system. With the single press of a button, a ring-shaped menu appears on the screen, where players can use items, change weapons, and do a variety of other actions without needing to switch screens. This Ring Command menu system for which the Mana series is so well known was first introduced in Secret of Mana and has since appeared in most games in the series. Play as Randi and his two companions, Primm and Popoi, as they adventure all around the world. At the center of our epic story is the mystical power of Mana. Battle the empire in its quest for control of Mana. Befriend the eight elementals who wield the forces of nature itself. Numerous encounters await at every turn.

FINAL FANTASY IV is the fourth main installment in the FINAL FANTASY series, developed and published by Squaresoft. It was released in July 1991 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan, and released as FINAL FANTASY II in North America in October 1991 with alterations made due to Nintendo of America's guidelines at the time.

Yokosuka, Japan, 2112 AD. The young student Kazuki Takemura works as a test pilot with Kirishima Industries, a production company of military battle wanzers (walking panzers), mechanized walking robots with movement similar to that of a human being. Kazuki has just finished testing the combat capabilities of the new Zeinslev prototype in the lab. Finishing his day's tasks he is asked by his best friend Ryogo to help with a company delivery to the Japanese Defense Force (JDF) military based. This simple choice determines where Kazuki is when strange things begin happening in Japan. A large explosion, a wanzer theft, his sister Alysia being hunted, rumors of a powerful weapon, and accusations of involvement by agents of both the OCU and the USN all make the situation more complicated. Kazuki is swept up in a plot of conflicting loyalties and attacked by various factions. He will need to recruit additional characters and wanzers in order to be victorious in battle and investigate leads to uncover what is going on.

Kingdom Hearts is an action role-playing game developed and published by Squaresoft for the PlayStation 2. It is the result of a collaboration between Square and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney's animated features with those from the Final Fantasy series, developed by Square. Kingdom Hearts was a departure from Square's standard role-playing games by introducing a substantial action-adventure element. In addition, it has an all-star voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Kingdom Hearts was longtime Square character designer Tetsuya Nomura's first time in a directorial position. The game uses an experience based progression system, with experience gained by defeating foes. Experience gained rises in relation to the strength of the foe, and is consistent for each enemy over the course of the game. Levels are gained with experience, and provide increases to stat attributes in strength, defence, magic, hit points, magic points and ability points, with a new, predetermined ability unlocked approximately every four levels.

Adventure into a world of unparalleled depth and danger with SquareSoft's Vagrant Story. In this sweeping dungeon-crawling epic you play as Ashley Riot, a young assassin and spy for the organization known as Riskbreakers. Your goal is to unravel a deep and twisted plot and come to terms with the recent death of your wife and child. If this sounds a bit too cerebral never fear. Your path to recapturing your sense of humanity hinges on the destruction of countless vicious monsters and the exploration of dark and dangerous dungeons. Vagrant Story is awash in gorgeous scenery and features designs from Yasumi Matsuno and Akihiko Yoshida, the acclaimed artists and creators behind Final Fantasy Tactics.

Parasite Eve is a survival horror role-playing video game developed and published by SquareSoft (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation console. The game follows the story of Aya Brea, a rookie NYPD officer who becomes embroiled in a series of bizarre and deadly events related to a genetic mutation known as mitochondria. The game combines elements of horror, science fiction, and RPG gameplay, featuring real-time battles, exploration, puzzle-solving, and character development. The game's plot is inspired by the novel of the same name by Hideaki Sena, and its gameplay mechanics were influenced by the Final Fantasy series. Parasite Eve was critically acclaimed upon its release in 1998, and is widely regarded as a classic of the survival horror genre.

Squaresoft brings its popular Final Fantasy franchise to the Game Boy Advance in the form of strategic warfare. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance trails the story of a young boy named Marche who is magically transported from his sleepy modern-time home to a strange kingdom where magic and adventure reign supreme. Players control a set of troops who specialize in various fighting, healing, magic, and archery skills (or job classes). Strategically positioning characters on the battle map, and calculating offensive advances are the keys to success. Two players can battle and trade items with the aid of the GBA link cable.

Threads of Fate is a 1999 action platform video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation console. It revolves around two characters, Rue and Mint, and their quest for a mystical object known only as "the Relic" that has the power to profoundly alter their lives. Two amazing adventures! Rue is on a quest to revive a lost friend. Mint is seeking power and revenge. Both of them are looking for a powerful relic, but which will be brave and clever enough to reach their goal? Explore a beautifully rendered 3D world with challenging puzzles, unusual enemies, and unknown dangers. Play as both characters to encounter two entirely different storylines. Rue has the ability to shape-shift into the forms of defeated enemies. Mint can learn and use a wide variety of magic spells.

Final Fantasy VIII is the eighth main installment in the Final Fantasy series. The gameplay makes a departure from many series standards. While it still uses the Active Time Battle system, it deviates from the series' traditional means of boosting a character's power via leveling, although levels are not completely abandoned as they were in Final Fantasy II. In addition, it does not have a Magic Point-based system for spell-casting. Instead, magic is collected, drawn, and created from items, and is used to power up the characters via the junction system.

While incorporating action role-playing game elements from the three games which preceded it, Legend of Mana has its own distinct style of gameplay. Most notably, it gives the player the ability to shape the game's world of Fa'Diel according to his or her desires, a system which was incorporated through the use of "artifacts," which are gained as the player progresses through the game. The player uses the artifacts to create different towns, dungeons, etc., called "Lands", to venture to and explore. This creates a non-linear gameplay, since the game is driven by a series of what would be considered side-quests in other games. Legend of Mana features three different plots which can occur simultaneously, and which do not necessarily need to be completed for the player to finish the game. Legend of Mana was a financial success in Japan. While the game garnered considerable praise for its graphics and presentation, many critics and fans were turned off by the game's lack of a main storyline.

Live A Live's story is split across seven seemingly unrelated chapters that can be played in any order, based on popular genres such as Western, science fiction, and mecha. Each chapter has its own plot, setting, and characters. Although the basic gameplay is the same throughout the game, each chapter adds a new factor to the basic formula, such as the stealth elements in the ninja chapter. After the first seven chapters are completed, two final chapters take place to establish the connection between the seven previous and resolve the story.