Summary
Square Enix games are stuffed to the gills with worlds that kick the imagination into overdrive. The mixture of modern and steampunk elements,like submarines and airships, into the pot alongside the tried and true clashing of swords has proven to be a real recipe for success.
However, the core of many of these same games tends to be rooted in the world’s many historical cultures. They eagerly look toward the throes of royalty and the countless conflicts between the civilizations of the world that players would learn about in a history class to help color their extravagant worlds.
7Kuroshitsuji: Phantom & Ghost
Victorian Era
Based on an anime known in the West asBlack Butler, which takes place in the late 1800s,Phantom and Ghostfor the Nintendo DS is an original work in the canon. It sees players take control of main characters Sebastion and Ciel to help solve a haunting happening at a friendly estate.
Kuroshitsujiis based in London during the Victorian era, with the anime story, and by extension,Phantom & Ghost,involving a boy who is among thehigher rungs of society. This means all the main and supporting characters are well-dressed and exceptionally mannered, just like folks of the time. Now, if only the game could have done a bit more to escape the various trappings of franchise adaptation.
Ancient China
SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions
The Firebringer, a fallen god and bane of humanity, has wrought havoc on the world since his exile. Mankind constructed an Empire with a singular purpose: engage the Firebringer and his fiends in battle to defend humanity. After a millennia of fighting, the Firebringer has finally been defeated, and the Empire is left without purpose, spurring rebellion.Follow the journey of Urpina, Taria, Balmiant, and Leonard as they call on their might and set out to carve a new future.Travel the world and engage in events in any order, or skip them entirely if you wish; your decisions affect the development of your story.Take charge and shape your own adventure with ultimate freedom of choice.Create a team of up to five capable fighters and engage in strategic turn-based combat, selecting from 9 weapon varieties. The composition of your group affects your abilities and impacts your tactics. The choices you make will define your legacy!
This long-running series has had a fair number of iterations throughout its tenure, and ever since the originalRomancing Sagaon the NES, the games have had a -well - romantic ethos to their design. It’s something that the later games, especially, would heavily lean into to accompany their unique take on turn-based combat.
SaGa Scarlet Graceis a great example of this. The overworld map has a nice watercolor art style that is reminiscent of Chinese art from theirvarious historical dynasties, and a lot of the text has a brush stroke quality to it. Aesthetically, though, that’s about where the inspirations seem to end.
Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King
A twisted jester has cast an evil spell over the kingdom of Trodain, turning the king into a troll, the princess into a horse and sealing Castle Trodain within enchanted vines! As the Hero, you’ll embark on a journey, recruiting allies along the way, to put a stop to this mischievous maniac and restore the kingdom to normal.
Lead a party of heroes across a massive world and through dingy dungeons, clashing with hundreds of monsters along the way in classic turn-based battles. Use cunning strategies to outwit your enemies at your own pace, or use the “Speed Up” feature to cut through foes with greater haste!
As your warriors grow stronger, assign Skill Points to teach them new spells, abilities and more. Equip your heroes with the latest gear that they can carry into battle, and combine old unwanted items in alchemy pot to instantly craft brand ones.
It’s a common trope in media that focuses on royalty to incorporate the court jester in some fashion, relegating them to comic relief. But it’s based on a real role that people would play in the hallowed halls of the royal court inmedieval times.
Dragon Quest 8takes an entirely different approach to the jester, though, making himthe game’s villain. Dhoulmagus comes into possession of a magic scepter that allows him to carry out his evil fantasies on a kingdom he believes has wronged him, murdering anybody he sees fit. It’s then up to the good guys to end their rise to power.
Various (Feudal Japan, American Frontier)
Live A Live
LIVE A LIVE, originally only released for the Super Famicom in Japan, is being revived on Steam! Experience this legendary RPG, brought to life in the same HD-2D visual style as OCTOPATH TRAVELER.Meet seven heroes, each with their own unique abilities and lives to live across different time periods. Experience their stories in any order you choose, uncovering shocking developments along the way:Prehistory: A tribesman comes of age in a world without words.The Wild West: A wanderer with a bounty on his head fights for his life.Imperial China: A kung fu master searches for a worthy successor.Twilight of Edo Japan: A shinobi undertakes an important secret mission.Present Day: A martial artist strives to become the strongest there ever was.The Near Future: A youth with psychic powers takes a stand against evil.The Distant Future: A newly built robot is swept up in a tragedy in space.Featuring remastered music from original composer Yoko Shimomura and produced by Takashi Tokita (the director of the original game), this remake retains everything that players loved about the original while also being accessible to newcomers.
The developers describe the content like this:Please be aware that scenes containing depictions of violence and gore or depictions of a sexual nature that are not suitable for all ages are included during gameplay.
Live A Livetakes a “greatest hits” approach to history, exploring 8 different and diverse historical eras. Not only does each character see their story to completion, butthey are extremely specificin their set-ups. For example, the ninja, Oboromaru’s story takes place during the sunsetting of Japan’s storied isolationism in the 1800’s.
While the game takes history seriously, its various stories all wind up culminating in typical, fantastical JRPG fashion. Characters are snatched from their home times to help against a world-ending threat that they really shouldn’t be able to defeat, and yet they come out on top.
The Kingdom of Dalmasca is clearly modeled after theMiddle Eastand, in particular, the ancient city of Damascus. Both are desert-bound regions with, among other things, buildings that clearly show their age and open-air markets. One of the main differences between the real thing and its fictional representation is that the citizens of Dalmasca aren’t nearly as conservative in the way they dress.
Damascus, the current capital of Syria, was founded sometime between 3000 and 2000 B.C., meaning the history that Square Enix was able to pull from forFF12is vast. For instance, the region has seen a lot ofconflict between countriesover the years, something that is reflected in the game’s main conflict of Dalmasca being fought over by two larger nations.
Octopath Traveleris yet another Square-Enix game that takes place in another world but is heavily guided by themedieval period. The time of knights, castles, and people speaking in an overly polite way is one that developers can’t seem tostay away from.
The player party includes 8 characters based on fairly straightforward tropes of the time, like a dutiful warrior or a trusty merchant. As their stories progress, they stride through cobblestone-riddled streets and rugged forest terrain. Environments that are familiar but realized in a beautifully unique art style.
The events of this epic action RPG are presented in grand fashion, often being likened to other media exploring similar themes, likeGame of Thrones. And it’sa fair comparison, asFinal Fantasy16sees metric tons of blood spilled amidst the intense drama that unfolds between characters and countries.
At this point, Square Enix has mastered themedievalaesthetic, and it’s seen in every inch of the game.Final Fantasy 16gives an air of gravitas and pure spectacle to its depiction of the tumultuous time period. The best part is that it doesn’t get hamstrung by its inspirations, injecting all the fantasticalFinal Fantasyflair that players have grown to love over the years.
