It’s become increasingly evident over the past year that Microsoft’s main priority isn’t selling Xbox Series X or S consoles. Rather, the company is more focused on increasing the value of Xbox Game Pass, regardless of if you plan on playing on Xbox, PC, or through Xbox cloud gaming. It’s proven through partnerships with publishers such as EA and Sega that Game Pass is only possible through partnerships with key industry publishers, with a healthy backing of indie projects on Microsoft’s part too.One unlikely partnershipthat has come from Microsoft’s focus on Game Pass is with Square Enix, a publisher that has historically partnered with Sony and Nintendo.
Not only has Square Enix brought People Can Fly’s latest triple-A multiplayer shooterOutridersto Xbox Game Pass at launch, but last week it brought the once Nintendo Switch-exclusive titleOctopath Travelerto Xbox platforms for the first time. This is afterOctopath Travelercame to PC in 2019 and Google Stadia in 2020, and almost three years after its release as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. While this isn’t the first time Square Enix has launched the Xbox version of a game into Game Pass (Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Editionjoined the service upon release on the console last December), it was a major surprise for fans who did not expect the game to come to Xbox at all after its Nintendo Switch exclusivity.
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Now that Square Enix has taken an interest, there is an entire back-catalogue of titles just waiting to be added to Xbox Game Pass. While we will not be highlighting games that have been added and removed to the service in the past like the previousLife is Strangegames, orupcoming games likeLife is Strange: True Colors, here are some Square Enix games that should come to Xbox Game Pass next.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Let’s address the big one right away.Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the first installment in the remake series for Square Enix’s most iconic JRPG that was nominated for and received multiple game of the year awards in 2020. Upon its reveal in summer 2015, Sony announced that it had timed-exclusivity forFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. Xbox and PC fans still do not know how long this exclusivity will last. The game’s box art initially implied that exclusivity would last a single year, however,Final Fantasy 7 Remakeis approaching its one year anniversary,and the reveal ofIntergrademakes it seem like Xbox and PC fans will have to wait even longer on Microsoft’s platforms.
IfFinal Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergradeis a timed PS5 exclusive, it seems like it makes the most sense to bring the game to Xbox Series X/S and PC via Xbox Game Pass. The game could join Game Pass a year or two after its initial release to give the game a “second life,” like so many games have seen frombeing added to Xbox Game Pass. Square Enix has also added almost all of theFinal Fantasygames released on Xbox consoles over the past generation, soRemakeseems like the next sensible addition.
Trials of Mana
Fans of theSeiken Densetsu(orMana) series waited almost 25 years to playTrials of Manain English, which they were finally able to thanks to the release of theCollection of Manaon Nintendo Switch in 2019. This localization was made possible thanks to the localization work the staff at Square Enix was already doing onthe game’s then upcoming remake, which launched in April 2020 for PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Similarly toOctopath Traveler,Trials of Manais a lower budget Square Enix JRPG from one of the studio’s smaller internal teams. While the game was a sales success, receiving the best fanfare and sales of any of Square Enix’sManaseries remakes so far, the game’s popularity has certainly fallen off less than a year after its release. This is another Square Enix JRPG thatcould benefit from a second life, and one of the titles that seems likeliest to benefit from being added to Game Pass.
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Marvel’s Avengers
It should come as no surprise to see this title here.Marvel’s Avengershas been onan uphill battle for Square Enixsince its reveal in summer 2019. Before launch, many fans criticized its characters for looking like “knock-off MCU” depictions of Marvel’s most iconic comic book heroes. Since then, many fans have struggled with the concept of a Marvel-centric, loot-based action RPG, resulting in mixed reviews at the game’s launch and underwhelming sales.
While Crystal Dynamics has done all it can in recent months to prevent it from undergoing the same fate as the likes ofAnthem, it seems like something drastic needs to be done to keepMarvel’s Avengersfrom falling into irrelevance. Especially in the first year of the game’s content rollout, momentum needs to be built fast. Whilecharacters such as Hawkeye and Black Pantherwill bring in new fans, whatAvengersneeds is to come to Xbox Game Pass, if only for a limited time. This gives fans the opportunity to try the game for themselves, play with friends, and even experience its engaging campaign.
Balan Wonderworld
The final suggestion for Square Enix titles that should come to Xbox Game Pass is one that Square Enix should probably add to the service for its own sake than for fans.Balan Wonderworldreleased just last week, and despite being the latest creation fromSonic the HedgehogandNiGHTScreator Yuji Naka, the game is beingabsolutely slammed by critics, with the game sitting at a 46 on Metacritic and an average 51 on OpenCritic.
These reviews aren’t an immediate death sentence for the game, but what’s most disappointing aboutBalan Wonderworldis that it is the first project from Naka’s newest development team Balan Company. If the game underperforms financially it is possible the teammay not get a second chanceto learn from its mistakes and hone its skills for another title. While adding the game to Xbox Game Pass certainly wouldn’t make it any better of a title, it may allow the game to find a cult following similarly to other critically panned titles such asFallout 76andHello Neighbor. Perhaps Balan Company could grow an audience and following of its own on Xbox Game Pass.
Octopath Traveleris currently available on Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox One.
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