With the Final Fantasy 7 Remake garnering a mostly positive reception, one cannot help but imagine what other games Square Enix could give the same treatment to. At this point, the publisher's main goal is to release Final Fantasy 7's subsequent parts over the next couple of years, but gaming will stretch beyond that.
In this case, Square Enix remade arguably its most popular game ever, ensuring there is already a huge customer base waiting for the remake. While that is clearly a smart strategy, it is arguably the company's less-successful titles that would benefit the most from the remake treatment. Whether revisiting an all-time classic or doing justice to a game that failed to live up to its potential, here are some games Square Enix should remake after Final Fantasy 7.
Updates March 31, 2022, Mark Sammut: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 1 came out to a mostly positive reception, and the action RPG went on to receive a substantial expansion and a PC port. As of the moment, Square Enix has yet to announce a sequel, although one has to assume that it is just a matter of time before Cloud and Tifa return. Exciting as that prospect is, the Japanese company is sitting on a massive library of properties that also deserve another chance in the spotlight. What games should Square Enix remake?
11 Drakengard
The success of NieR: Automata has paved the way for Yoko Taro's peculiar brand of genius to find a wider audience. PlatinumGames' combat in Automata cannot be dismissed, but the game's memorable storyline is its true crowning achievement.
As the title that started it all, the original Drakengard would be the most natural candidate for a full remake, especially since Nier is recent enough to get away with a remaster. Set in a dark fantasy world called Midgard, Drakengard explores various mature themes in a narrative that is arguably the strongest in the franchise. The gameplay and visuals were pretty bad even in 2004 and would greatly benefit from a significant touch-up.
10 The Bouncer
Going with a slightly different approach for this entry – The Bouncer is not a great game. Putting aside questionable spin-offs, this PlayStation 2 trainwreck ranks comfortably among Square's most disappointing releases. A beat 'em up heavy on story and light on gameplay, The Bouncer remains quite a unique entry in the genre and does boast a fantastic soundtrack and a decent enough storyline.
As proven by titles like Asura's Wrath, this type of game can work; unfortunately, The Bouncer's combat is too frustrating to be mindless fun and too shallow to be truly engrossing. A remake would only need to improve the core combat to turn this dud into a triumph.
9 Super Mario RPG
OK, this one is a bit different from the rest of the games in this article since Super Mario RPG was not published by Square Enix; obliviously, that privilege went to Nintendo. Consequently, a remake of this SNES classic would need the big N's approval, and the company has shown no interest in revisiting this era of the plumber's storied history. On the off chance that a remake were to receive the greenlight, Square Enix would be the best developer for the job.
As the forefather of Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, Super Mario RPG holds up incredibly well in nearly every department: turn-based combat, plot, and music. Even the visuals are still charming, although they could definitely be modernized.
8 Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve was Square's attempt to do a horror game akin to Resident Evil while retaining the publisher's trademark RPG elements. The end result is a flawed but great game with an engrossing narrative, memorable characters, and a combat system that leaves something to be desired.
RPG mechanics like upgradable weapons and a decent amount of exploration work surprisingly well with the more grounded neo-noir tone, but the same cannot be said about the random encounters and pseudo-turn-based combat. Whether Square Enix opts to just remake Parasite Eve as a traditional horror game or to tweak the RPG elements to allow for more enjoyable combat, this is one title that deserves a remake.
7 Einhänder
Square Enix is not just a JRPG factory, even if nearly all the company's most iconic properties fall within that bracket. During the PS1 era, Square took a break from Final Fantasy to venture into shmup territory, producing one of the better examples of the genre's potential on Sony's console. Einhänder is a straightforward shoot 'em up for the most part, but it does the basics extremely well while offering impressive visuals for the late '90s.
Shmups are not that popular in today's gaming culture, and Einhänder has been somewhat forgotten over the last two decades. Still, there will always be room for a shoot 'em up in the gaming world, and a budget remake of this PS1 release would fit right in.
6 Treasure Hunter G
In many ways, Treasure Hunter G offers very little that is truly unique. The grid-based combat does not stand out amidst a sea of Shining Force, Tactics Ogre, and Fire Emblem titles, while the story doesn't deviate too far from the blueprint popularized by Dragon Quest. There is also a heavy focus on exploration and adventuring, but the locations are quite prototypical.
So, why recommend such an unoriginal title? Even if many of its ingredients can be found elsewhere, Treasure Hunter G executes each one of them splendidly. Due to being a 1996 Super Famicom game that was released only in Japan, Treasure Hunter G has mostly been forgotten, which is a shame. While it does not justify a huge remake like Final Fantasy 7, a budget release for the Nintendo Switch would be wonderful.
5 Xenogears
If there is a game that deserves the full Final Fantasy 7 treatment, then Xenogears is it. Survived through the Xenoblade Chronicles series, 1998's Xenogears is still the best entry in the franchise, offering a pure JRPG experience that perfectly blends character development, story, accessible but deep gameplay, and mechas.
A remake could do wonders for Xenogears, especially since its presentation was always one of its weaker aspects.
4 Brave Fencer Musashi
Considering Square Enix seems to be prioritizing action RPGs in recent years, a remake of Brave Fencer Musashi almost makes too much sense. With a more lighthearted story and a generally adventurous tone, Brave Fencer Musashi was a welcome change of pace from Square's other projects of the time.
Brave Fencer Musashi's combat could be almost seen as a precursor to the likes of Kingdom Hearts and the later Final Fantasy entries, and it arguably did it better than some of those games.
3 Threads Of Fate
Action RPGs are not a recent passion of Square Enix, the gameplay style just was not the developer's default during the '90s. Threads of Fate is an underappreciated gem that debuted after the launch of the PS2 in North America, diminishing its potential. It is also a pretty stellar title that features gorgeous polygon visuals, simplistic but fun combat, and a charming adventurous tone.
An entry-level action RPG that could also be enjoyed by seasoned players, Threads of Fate hit a sweet spot rarely struck by most games, including Square's Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. As unlikely as a remake seems, it would be more than welcome and also suits Square Enix's recent focus on action-oriented RPGs.
2 Vagrant Story
Despite being one of the best JRPGs on the original PlayStation, Vagrant Story released too late in the console's life to garner a reputation similar to the likes of Final Fantasy 7. Set in a grim medieval world in the middle of a civil war, Vagrant Story is a character-driven epic about one man's struggle to take down a cult figure who kidnaped a duke's son.
It is a lonely affair that is purposefully zapped of any humor, leading to an experience that is quite unlike any other Square JRPG. This is also reflected in the combat and progression system, which are more about efficiency than style. Vagrant Story is already a masterpiece, but a remake could introduce so many new players to this often overlooked title.
1 Treasure Of The Rudras
Another Japanese-exclusive RPG released late in the Super Famicom's life, Treasure of the Rudras takes inspiration from Indian culture and is set during the last days before humanity is wiped out to allow the world to start anew.
An English port would honestly be enough, but Treasure of the Rudras' customizable magic system is more than enough to justify a proper remake. The chances of Square Enix remaking something like this over any other Final Fantasy entry is pretty much zero, but stranger things have happened.