Considering that they’ve been developing games ever sincethe 1980s, it makes sense Square Enix would have a massive number of titles in their broad catalog. Over the years, a few of these games gained much more popularity and attention than others, which has prompted Square Enix to make even more sequels and spin-offs based on the same series that players can enjoy.
The truth is though, when it comes to continuing a series for as long as possible, nobody has been able to pull it off quite as well as Square Enix, who have managed to maintain the popularity of some of their most beloved series for several decades by this point. Which of Square Enix’s popular franchises has been running for the longest though? It’s time to find out by breaking down just how many games are included in each one. Before jumping in, it should be noted that while full remakes will be counted as standalone games, remasters will not be considered.
6Valkyrie Profile
Total Games: 5
Valkyrie Profileis a series that first made its debut in 1999 as a fresh and ambitious RPG that distinguished itself for its captivating gameplay and implementation ofNorse mythologyin its stories. Though the first game was mildly successful and popular among critics, fans would be forced to wait another 7 years before the next installment finally dropped, with these long wait times becoming somewhat of a staple of the series.
The latest game in the series,Valkyrie Elysium, is the firstValkyriegame to be released on a home console in the last 15 years, and it comes with quite a few changes to the core gameplay system. The biggest of these is the fact the game now uses an action-based combat system rather than a turn-based one, which isn’t too dissimilar from the directionFinal Fantasywould eventually head toward with its own games.
5Mana
Total Games: 10
Another RPG series that first began in the 1990s and has been alive and kicking ever sinceManahas gone through quite a few iterations over the years. The series made its official debut withSecret of Mana, a vibrant and charming game that featured real-time battles as opposed to turn-based, while also offering a Ring Command menu that allowed players to pause mid-battle to think about their next move.
As mentioned previously though, there have been many different types ofManagames that lean into different types of genres. For example,Children of Manafor the DS is afast-paced ARPGthat takes a top-down perspective, while on the other hand,Dawn of Manafor the PlayStation 2 is almost entirely an action-adventure game through and through. Needless to say, the series has plenty of variety for fans to enjoy, and that’s part of the reason why theManagames have managed to retain such immense popularity to this very day.
4Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts, a series that initially seemed like it would be nothing more than a quirky unique one-off title, would eventually go on to grow into one of Square Enix’s most beloved and recognizable series ever created. Though he doesn’t play the protagonist in every game, most entries in the series follow Sora,a Keyblade Wielderwho must fight his way through a world infested with darkness to save his childhood friends. This is only scratching the surface though, as Square Enix has greatly expanded the lore not only through the three mainline games but also the plethora of spin-offs.
The spin-offs, such asChain of MemoriesandDream Drop Distancefor example, have been met with mixed responses in terms of gameplay, but they’re always considered important to play because of how much they add to the wider story. Of course, one of the biggest draws toKingdom Heartsis how it ties Disney characters and worlds into its games, and since Disney is always acquiring new IPs, it means this series can keep evolving alongside it.
3SaGa
Total Games: 14
These days,Final Fantasyis without a doubt Square Enix’s flagship series, but back in the 1990s, there were many who argued it was actually theSaGaseries that filled this spot.Romancing SaGawas released in 1992, and though it followed a pretty familiar RPG gameplay formula, it also allowed players to choose fromeight different protagonistsupon booting up the game. This gave the game tons of replay value, but another tradition that would carry over between entries was the unique way that EXP would be earned, as it differed from the traditional system.
Instead, characters' abilities and skills would be dependent on how they act in battle, which is another reason many people separated it from the myriad of other RPGs at the time, as it felt like it was doing something vastly different. Unfortunately, after the meteoric rise ofFinal Fantasyin the late 90s, theSaGaseries hasn’t received anywhere near as much attention from Square Enix as it deserves, but at least each of the games is still more than long enough to have a great time with.
2Dragon Quest
Total Games: 55
Dragon Questhas been, and is still one of the biggest RPG series on the planet, especially in its home country of Japan, where it’s arguably even more popular than its main competitor,Final Fantasy. The first fewDragon Questsare largely credited with setting out the blueprint for the RPG formula going forward, with nearly every future game in the genre borrowing from these games since their release. The memorable party members, expansive overworlds, and pretty challenging battle systems have all contributed to makingDragon Questas popular as it is, and that’s just in terms ofthe mainline games.
When it comes to spin-offs, it’s honestly quite shocking how much variation there is regarding genres. Whether it’s the rhythm-basedTheatrhythym Dragon Quest, orDragon Quest Builderswhich allows players to create their own map using the surrounding environment, there’s no shortage of fun to be had with this series. Square Enix thankfully hasn’t put this series to the waist side like they have with some of their others, with it still going strong and getting new installments every year without fail.
1Final Fantasy
Total Games: 94
Newcomers to theFinal Fantasyseries might presume that there’s a total of 16 games which are available to play, but the truth is, the series has exploded to gigantic proportions, with there now being over 90 when also throwing spin-offs into the mix. A big reason whyFinal Fantasyhas managed to continue for so long is due to each game has an entirely different premise, world, and set of characters, so players won’t need to be following from the beginning to jump on board. With that being said, each mainline game features some sort of RPG battle system which has gradually evolved and altered over time, growing ever closer to the action genre as time has gone on.
Of course, it also helps that the majority of games in the series,including the spin-offs, are all very high quality, which encourages plenty of fan discussion about what everyone’s favorite game is, and what characters they like the most. Some of the spin-offs have even taken on a life of their own, such as theChocoboseries of games, which makes up a good portion of the entire series because of how many entries there now are. Iconic mascots like Moogle and Cloud have also done a good job at keepingFinal Fantasyin the limelight ever since it first started in 1987, and it certainly doesn’t seem to be showing signs of slowing down any time soon.
