Not So Good...

[TurkSlayer]

I was reading the review for Romance SaGa in GameInformer (I think that was it, anyway) and they were talking about how terrible it is. So I started thinking, most SquareEnix games outside of FF (And even some of those) aren't that great. The KH series is good, SO3 wasn't bad, and Chrono Trigger/Cross and Vagrant Story are pretty good, but the rest of what they make hasn't been that great. Unlimited SaGa, Romance SaGa, The Bouncer, Crystal Chronicles, X-2, and others aren't well known as being too good. Not to mention much of the stuff Squaresoft made before FF. King's Knight made me want to jump off a bridge. I don't know, what do the rest of you think?

[DJZen]

Yeah, Xenogears was a TERRIBLE game. Square should NEVER have made THAT.

Square games are hit or miss. Most of their games aren't really as good as they're cracked up to be, but they get so much praise from fanboys that you'd never know it.

[Spatvark]

The Mana series are probably the best thing Square ever did as a collective whole (as in, best series of games, though individually they're not the best games Square have ever made). Crystal Chronicles, for what it was, was actually pretty good, it just requires you to, y'know, have friends to play it with. XD We all know the Chrono games owned as did Vagrant Story.

When it comes down to it, Square haven't released that many bad RPGs lately, it's in their forays into other fields that they've failed miserably. Which is why Dirge of Cerberus is likely to suck XD

As for the Enix games, they've churned out a fair few awesome games, but I have to admit, I know far less about them than the Square ones, so I can't comment too well on their progress, so yeah, back to the point I made about Square's non-RPG games. I guess that's the point of my post XD

[TurkSlayer]

Sorry, I always forget about Xenogear. I've never played it myself, so I don't really know much about it.

[Lord Chainsaw]

It really depends on the reviewer. Some reviewers really aren't that good. I haven't played Romancing SaGa, nor have I played the remake, but it wouldn't surprise me if the sentiment they held for it was similar to the rest of the series, which is misguided.

Final Fantasy games are good in themselves, but they are nowhere near the only good games produced by Squaresoft, and definitely not Enix. Dragon Quest alone carries Enix in Japan. Although I really don't see why. Personally, although DW1-4 were really cool for their time, I think the Dragon Warrior series on the whole is bland, stale, repetitive, and needs to die out. Think of level grinding in an MMORPG. Now think of doing that in Dragon Warrior... except with nobody else around. Regardless, it is a titanic series along with Final Fantasy.

While Final Fantasy is definitely the most popular RPG franchise outside of Japan, that doesn't mean it is the only thing Square has to offer. They do more than just FFVI, FFVII and Chrono Trigger. Try looking past the extremely popular games from these companies and you'll uncover some real gems:

(I'm personally going to star the ones I think better than the majority of the Final Fantasy series)

SaGa 1*, 2, and Frontier 2
Actraiser 1* and 2
EVO: The Search for Eden*
The Soulblazer Trilogy*
The Secret of Evermore*
Secret and Legend of Mana
Xenogears*
Vagrant Story*
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2

I like the respect that Final Fantasy gets as a series, but it is a little disheartening as well, because it discourages Square from going outside the series. We have Matsuno who did an incredible stand alone game outside the series, but now even he is being dragged into it. Square-Enix cannot operate solely on Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy.

[Spatvark]

The good thing about Matsuno being dragged into FF12 is that if he does it well enough, and if he so wishes, he could probably get to do a Vagrant Story sequel =D?

[Vyk]

Isn't he the one that had the breakdown though?

[SoulTaker]

Not so good

[Ishin Ookami]

Square was pertty consistant in the quality of their titles during the 8-bit and 16-bit era's, its just that during the 32-bit era their focus shifted. They had always been a company that could do some grand production values, but with the CD medium they could really go nuts, and they did. Add to that their plan to take over RPG's outside of japan, by dumbing the whole thing down with FFVII and well... they sort of shot themselves in the foot. Now they are a company that focuses primarily on graphics, and less on gameplay and solid storytelling. Alot of their key staff during their more consistant days have left, and those that remain just aren't as gifted as sakaguchi, amano, Uematsu, Mitsuda, ect.

The 32-bit era they were just all over the place, I loved the first bushido blade but almost threw up when I saw the second. Einhander was a great shooter, Final Fantasy VII was a decent RPG overall, but way too overhyped. All the way through I kept asking myself where was the challenge that was present in VI? Why arent there any epic battles that require the use of all your party members as there was in VI? Where were the uber deep character development that I loved so much in VI? Why is the battle system now way too simplified? But FFVII, for the most part, was alright. It was VIII that made me want to throw up for all its crapness, then IX came along and reminded me of why I onced loved the series so much (welcome back sakaguchi and amano).

And now, Last game by them I liked was FFX. Thats it. They are in a real slump lately and hopefully they can pull out.

[UWAOOOOU]

I was reading the review for Romance SaGa in GameInformer (I think that was it, anyway) and they were talking about how terrible it is. So I started thinking, most SquareEnix games outside of FF (And even some of those) aren't that great. The KH series is good, SO3 wasn't bad, and Chrono Trigger/Cross and Vagrant Story are pretty good, but the rest of what they make hasn't been that great. Unlimited SaGa, Romance SaGa, The Bouncer, Crystal Chronicles, X-2, and others aren't well known as being too good. Not to mention much of the stuff Squaresoft made before FF. King's Knight made me want to jump off a bridge. I don't know, what do the rest of you think?

Crystal Chronicles and X-2 were very good games. The bouncer wasnt exactly meant to be awesome. It was like, this is what we're easily capable of on the PS2. SaGa games usually suck. I dont think they make them, themselves, they just publish them. Same goes for Star Ocean, although thats a nice series to have your name on. Same goes for Grandia. KH, FF and DQ are all awesome series. Radiata Stories which they published was also pretty good.

[crashNUMBERS]

Yeah, Xenogears was a TERRIBLE game. Square should NEVER have made THAT.

You never know. Maybe the kid hasn't played Xenogears. And if he has then it's his opinion...

And for the record on Gamespot's staff opinions...

Kingdom Hearts - 8.2
Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories - 7.7
Star Ocean 3: Till The End Of Time - 7.9
Chrono Cross - 10.0
Vagrant Story - 9.6
Unlimited SaGa - 4.3
Romancing SaGa - 6.0
The Bouncer - 6.7
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - 8.0
Final Fantasy X2 - 8.1

[TurkSlayer]

You never know. Maybe the kid hasn't played Xenogears. And if he has then it's his opinion...

Crash, your calling ME a kid!?

No, I had just forgotten it was a SquareEnix game.

[Dreddz]

Romance SaGa is good, I am not regretting forking out £40 on it.
The only game I believe they truely messed up on was Unlimited Saga, damn that game was bad........there other games are good or to personal taste .....

[DJZen]

Square was pertty consistant in the quality of their titles during the 8-bit and 16-bit era's

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that. Have you ever played
3D Worldrunner? Before FF came out Square really didn't know what to do with themselves. Even after that they sometimes seemed a little... iffy. Some people curse Square for only giving us some of those games, others thank them.

[Ilyn]

The Bouncer got a 6.7?! XD

I guess it isn't that bad. It's just... there's not much too it. And right now I'm stuck and can't beat that psycho guy who had that crazy operation and it makes me angry because even if I skip all the cut scenes it still takes me 20 minutes to get back there. Graaargh.

It's like... watching a movie. And then some button mashing. Then more movie.