Square Enix Switch Games Part 1: Original-ish Stuff

On the Switch, you can't really get triple-A, third-party, and timely release all in one package... but you can get Square Enix games, and sometimes that's pretty close maybe kinda. This stuff generally "ages well" and fits criteria that usually keeps it on my shelf forever, so if my son shares my complete lack of action-gaming skill I hope he gets something out of these.

Here are some of Square Enix's original-ish entries on Switch I have (or want real bad).

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Bravely Default II
Approximate aggregate score 7.5-8/10; Approximate CIB price $20-25; Shawn's shelf-worthiness score 4/5

This mostly-3D JRPG is a sequel to the 3DS original that's still physically exclusive to the Switch. Negative reviews include concerns include never-before-seen JRPG takes like "grindy" and "bland side quests," but it looks to me like a satisfying second entry in a subgenre I like, so it's high-up my backlog.

The Diofield Chronicle
Approximate aggregate score 7-7.5/10; Approximate CIB price $20-25; Shawn's shelf-worthiness score 3.5/5

This is a new 3D tactics/real-time hybrid JRPG IP that gets gets okay reviews. I bet the genre description turns off potential players, but conversely many reviews suggest that overall shallowness or blandness is an issue. It's in my "try it eventually" backlog, but admittedly a ways down.

Harvestella
Approximate aggregate score 7-8/10; Approximate CIB price $25-30; Shawn's shelf-worthiness score 3.5/5

My wife played it for 20 minutes and found it awkwardly paced, so then I read reviews and feel that after a messy initial curve there's a solid action-exploration farming game. From the outside it seems like Rune Factory with simpler farming but deeper combat. Physically it's exclusive to the Switch.

NEO: The World Ends With You
Approximate aggregate score 8-8.5/10; Approximate CIB price $20-25; Shawn's shelf-worthiness score 4.5/5

A good sequel to an underappreciated DS game (itself remade for the Switch, The World Ends With You: Final Remix), this is a 3D action-RPG in a wonderfully styled setting, high-energy soundtrack, and polished combat (joycon motion controls thankfully optional). I'm very glad this IP was revisited and modernized.

Octopath Traveler
Approximate aggregate score 8-8.5/10; Approximate CIB price $25-30; Shawn's shelf-worthiness score 4.5/5

Octopath Traveler 2
Approximate aggregate score 8-8.5/10; Approximate CIB price $25-30; Shawn's shelf-worthiness score 4.5/5

The HD-2D JRPG series' popularity is well-deserved for their core quality (at least, if you don't hate the idea of HD-2D), and thankfully are common to find in the year 2025. The sequel is probably slightly better and generally a hair cheaper, but the original is still physically exclusive to the Switch. I'm addicted to compilations so the I + II bundle is high on my wishlist, as will be Octopath Traveler 0 once it arrives in December 2025.

Triangle Strategy
Approximate aggregate score 8-8.5/10; Approximate CIB price $25-30; Shawn's shelf-worthiness score 4.5/5

This new HD-2D turn-based tactics JRPG is one of my favorite Switch new-IPs. It's a little dialogue heavy and I can't compensate for my lack of strategic skill with grinding, but the narrative is good and a few interesting minor mechanics seem like a new spin (or at least new-to-me). Bonus points, it's currently still physically exclusive to the Switch, but the PlayStation 5 is slated for a disc at some point.

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Based on genre, nostalgia, and their ability to perform well on the Switch, Square Enix is one of my favorite Switch topics and subsections to discuss. That being said, they've published a ton of Switch games, so we'll come back to this.

And to my only son, I hope you like JRPGs and your characters absolutely smothered in inexplicable fashion and hairstyles.