We love a good Switch eShop sale, and Square Enix has a pretty solid one on offer right now for both Europe and North America (and likely in other major regions, too).
There are some really decent games on offer here, including the likes of Tactics Ogre: Reborn, the criminally underrated PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, and of course, the original Final Fantasy VII (still the best version - fight me).
The sale is live now and will be available until close of play on 28th March, 2024. You've got a good few days to browse before making any purchases, then, but don't dawdle too long! If you're in need of any credit for the eShop, then we've got you covered below.
So without further ado, let's look at some of the games on offer, shall we?
Let us know in the comments which games, if any, you plan on picking up in Square Enix's eShop sale. What's your favourite of the bunch? We want to know.
Comments 54
Kingdom Hearts series on Nintendo Switch is a Scam sell
Very interested in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - I really enjoyed the demo. I may wait until the inevitable 50% off sale in a few more months though.
i tired playing some of these cloud games lol. You def need a very fast and secure/consitent internet connection. Something i dont have and totally unplayable
Playing through FFVII Rebirth which is going to keep me busy for at least a month or two.
Thinking of buying FFIX (which is my favorite FF game) and Crisis core (never played but heard good things about it)
Cloud Hearts
Have to check how much some of these cost physically here in Italy, but I wouldn't exclude getting some of the ones I haven't purchased yet even digitally if the former isn't feasible for me or straight up not available... except for Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX unfortunately because of what others here have already mentioned!
looks like after all these years, I'm finally getting FFIX!! 😁
@-wc- It's one of the better ones imo.
Anyone thinking of getting Harvestella the last time I checked it was under £20 on Amazon in the UK it’s well worth getting ignore the farming aspect it only takes up a small part of the game
@LikelySatan
so I've heard! 👍👍
i was intrigued to see the early 8/16 bit designs come back at the time, but i must admit that i was in a very "128-bit" state of mind with my shiny new dreamcast 🤩 so i missed out.
can't wait to finally try it for myself 😎
I might check out Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo and Little Goody Two Shoes and NEO: The World Ends With You.
"the original Final Fantasy VII (still the best version - fight me)."
I wont be fighting you on this! FFVII:REhash seems to be an abomination, and I wont go near it. 😤
does anyone else wish that you could turn back the "hi res" elements of FFVII on switch, though? The original game was a mixed bag visually as it is, but to me its in overdrive with the overly smooth text windows and crisp poly models that stand out starkly against the blurry pre rendered backdrops.
Someone sell me on Paranormasight, I know literally nothing about this game. 😁
@-wc- I hope you love it. It's still a magical game for me.
I checked out the demo for Kingdom Hearts to see if years later the servers for it have gotten any better and even though in that time I've gotten much better Internet it seemed to run worse if anything.
I might pick up True Colors, been meaning to for awhile.
Only Square Enix will attempt to sell people rental garbage that they can't own. No one is falling for your scam Square Enix. Let's face it, you screw up just like how Stadia screw up. Full price for cloud gaming doesn't work no matter how much you pretend to put a sale on it. If we can't play our games natively, you won't receive our money natively.
@-wc- you're really missing out, FFVII Rebirth is my favorite game of the 2020s so far. I know that sounds ludicrous but it really is that good.
@HeftyLaces So I played through Integrade a couple of months ago, enjoyed it and did have a lot of fun exploring Midgar in high detail with modern graphics but the ending to the game left a really bad taste in my mouth with what they did to the story.
That all changed when they clarified things with the trailer for Rebirth though, so now I'm really curious about what's changed in Rebirth. Sadly I'm waiting for it to come out on PC.
I still have to say as much as I liked Integrade I still prefer the original FFVII to it. They're very different games and I just love the original more.
Really wish the pixel remasters were included here. I really want FFV PR and its not like its crazy expensive, its only 17.99 but still feels a bit much. Would gladly pay 9.99 for it
@-wc- You may not personally like the remakes but you can't deny that a lot of time, money, and love went into them. Sure, SE is milking the hell out of that game but the quality is still there IMO. The original will always be there so no harm done
Been waiting for the Voice of Cards sale lets gooooo
Why am I not surprised the overpriced Pixel Remasters aren't included?
Don't think I'll currently bite on anything since SE hosts these 2-3 times a year, but I'll admit all the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hype has me itching to finally try the OG.
Is that the full list? I've been eyeing Chrono Cross for a while.
Highlight is Star Ocean Second Story R getting its first sale. Fantastic game.
@The_Blue_Mage
"You may not personally like the remakes but you can't deny that a lot of time, money, and love went into them."
i mean the time and money is literally facts on paper, why would I bother denying that?
Love? idk I feel like they messed up the gameplay and tone (and music) of the originals. (source: I watched a friend play the first few storyline beats of the first remake) I dont know how else to quantify their "love" for the game otherwise.
you're right, its obviously my personal opinion, and no harm done ✌️ I clearly wasnt waiting around for a rehash in the first place.
@HeftyLaces
I read the review on pushsquare and I know from the cons that i will not like that game. I'm super glad you like it though! different strokes and all ✌️
I've always wanted to catch up my FFs from VIII on. Even though I got VII done (which honestly I slogged through... I guess I should have been there back with it first released, I just couldn't enjoy it), I never really got into the FFs after VI. After playing so many other types of RPGs since the release of these FFs, I have such a hard time getting into them now. I don't know what it is, but if I could get past it, I'd love to play them sincerely. As for Kingdom Hearts.. I could partake, but I don't agree at all with the model they did with it, so I guess I'll be passing on that this generation.
I'm just glad I got Act Raiser Renaissance and Chrono Cross when I did-- For the former, though I don't love the graphical style, I'm actually enjoying the meatier gameplay better than I thought I would. As for the latter, I'm hoping to start that sooner or later as it's gameplay and story seem to be catching me so far.
@Olliemar28 No love for Tokyo RPG Factory, huh? I really enjoyed their first couple games, and Oninaki's finally joined those at a low enough price where I'm tempted to grab it, especially since they won't be making any more.
I might pick up the voice of card games. I enjoyed the demo of the first one way more than expected.
Whatever you do, do NOT buy the cloud versions of Kingdom Hearts. A complete scam that stems from greediness and laziness on Square’s part. Support real ports like Nier Automata instead
I think the original versions of Final Fantasy 1-9 are still the best ones. (Some need a translation patch.)
The new Final Fantasy 7 remakes seems to be pretty cool, I'm all for making entirely new games with new things to offer that doesn't replace an older game and instead expands upon it. But all these other Final Fantasy "remasters" and remakes, which are weird mixes of old and new like chimeras doesn't stand up well to the original games.
At least not if you care about a good audiovisual experience, visual consistency, and playing the game with the original balance and mechanics.
It's sad to hear that the current version of Final Fantasy 7 on Switch uses some shoddy mix of high and low resolution artwork. Like a poorly configured emulator version. At least you should have the ability to turn on the original low res graphics so you can get visual consistency.
While the blocky characters in FF7 look somewhat weird and clumsy, the pre-rendered environment do still look awesome, just like the environment in Resident Evil 1 and 2. A lot of other games from this period also uses this technique to great effect. But they should be played with a CRT filter or on a real CRT monitor. The fifth generation games need the CRT look, much more so than the games in the previous generations.
@Diogmites Kinda happy to hear you say that. I tried X a few years ago and hated every minute of it until I dropped it but I thought I was the only one.
@The_Blue_Mage @Tyranexx The pixel remasters just went on sale last month so maybe they thought it was too soon to do it again.
@Synecdoche A few years back you say? Yeah, i think i’ll keep waiting to try it again lol. I usually try to beat games even if i don’t like them but, like you with FF X, i just dropped it eventually.
Great music tho.
@Synecdoche I'm definitely aware the Pixel Remasters did receive their first (slight) sale recently lol. That part of my comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek. Normally SE is happy to launch these discounts a few times a year (with little to no variation on the % off, though to their credit most eShop Final Fantasy games used to be 50% off instead of 60%), but they love milking the PRs to death and treat them as a separate entity.
Collection of Mana is highly recommended if you're interested in two sublime SNES action rpgs Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana. The original GameBoy version is a nice bonus.
I have around 60% of these listed games which include all the Final Fantasy games on there. I may get Powerwash Sim now off the wishlist. Also the Voice of Cards iteration I don't have, perhaps.
Is it so hard to include euros too?
Misread one of the games as "The Seven Mysteries of Hojo" and was like "Since when Hojo from FF7 has his own game?"
@-wc-
The hi-res characters on low res backgrounds is one of my main issues with the modern FFVII ports (iirc they are based on the 1998 PC version which also had a similar issue along with some of the more subtle visual effects looking off)
I played the original psone FFVII via the vita (since its part of the psone classics series) recently and feel like it holds up a lot better than the modern ports for me.
the other aspect i wasnt really a fan of is that also iirc you cannot outright disable those "booster" features (they are a nightmare for those with obsessive compulsive issues, as in the medical definition)
As for remake/rebirth, i usually see them as their own thing and taken that way have been the most fun ive had with an FF in ages, i felt like they clicked with me a lot more than the likes of XIII, XV and XVI, i would have probably double dipped on them on a theoretical "switch 2" but not sure if that console exclusivity rules that out (though would be open to a new handheld from sony)
@SearchingS You mean you don't want to pay money to pretend you're playing on another console?
Voice of Cards good, Life is Strange bad
@LikelySatan
I bought FFIX.
Firstly, the game is hyper ambitious with the prerendered backgrounds. im 45 mins in and i can already see that they took the concept and ran with it, closeups, oblique angles, multiple shots of the same room, and on and on. (is this peak prerendered?)
also I'm intrigued as ever by the 16/32bit FF crossover style 👍
ok, now the bad: this game has the pin sharp 3d models on blurry backgrounds look in overdrive. its horrible. I hate to say it, hate to be this way: I don't think I can play a game like this for 75 hours. 😢
I'm pretty disappointed, but I don't know why. My inner child cant let go of his love and faith in square as a company, even though its been over 20 years since that was even really warranted.
Anyway, someday perhaps I'll get a copy on PSX where I can truly enjoy it for what it is/was. ✌️
@-wc- Yeah they reeeeally stand out. I know there was a fan HD mod, but am pretty sure it was canceled. It wasn't super distracting to me, but I get it. I also just love that game. One of my faves in the series. But I'm sure they will remake it. Hopefully more faithfully than VII. IX isn't as ubiquitous as VII, so maybe they won't feel the need to subvert expectations as much as they did w VII.
@-wc-
does anyone else wish that you could turn back the "hi res" elements of FFVII on switch, though?
For sure, it reminds me of the late 2000s, after I had spent a decade playing on emulators, when it clicked with me that PS1 games actually look better as a whole if you run them in their original internal resolution. All of a sudden the mismatch between 3D polygons and pre-rendered CGI and UI disappeared and it's like yes, this looks so much better now. The backgrounds stop looking like a green screen / painting, and the characters look like they actually belong in the world.
Even fully 3D games look more realistic since the number of polygons and the resolution of the textures better match the number of pixels being displayed overall - it looks more like the mindblowing technical leap over SNES that it was at the time, as opposed to a quaint relic of a pre-HD age.
@N64-ROX As someone who emulate a ton of games, I'd have to disagree. 8x upscaling on games makes them look amazing. More than one PS1 games have made me think it could pass for a early PS3 game.
@LoneHammerBro that's definitely how I approached it in the beginning; and the great thing about emulation is everyone getting to get what they want. Seeing the 3D in crisp high-res was amazing. Great for screenshots. But eventually all the little things started to build up for me, especially with pre-rendered backgrounds and UI: weird green aliasing where the transparencies didn't align, and the constant feeling that the characters didn't fit with the world they were running around on. A pixel didn't equal a pixel didn't equal a pixel, it felt amateurish and wrong, like the recent Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters which look like Kemco mobile games. It just wasn't the experience I was looking for. So found the settings which worked for me.
@LoneHammerBro
you got me thinking, surely it depends on the game. 🤔
@N64-ROX
"it looks more like the mindblowing technical leap over SNES that it was at the time, as opposed to a quaint relic of a pre-HD age."
your whole comment was extremely well put and I completely agree. ✌️ cheers
@LikelySatan
OK, I played a bit more, and got my "head in the game" a bit, and started to really enjoy it! it will always bother me a bit, likely, but perhaps i was being a bit dramatic thinking I'll never get over it enough to play the game.
your thoughts about lower expectations for a remake are intriguing! 🤔 this game would be GORGEOUS with a straightforward, fully polygonal realization of what it set out to be in the first place! if it looked like the CG cutscenes but running at a high framerate, the entire game, essentially. 🤤
something else you made me consider is a FFVI like demake! that seems like a lot but with these character designs and setting I really think it would work!
anyhow I will report back somehow some way if I fall off, and especially if I end up playing through! I'm excited for this game again, as things stand 👍👍
@-wc- I am a huge fan of the look of IX. It's hard to picture a dramatic aesthetic change that I might welcome. But I definitely invite SE to prove me wrong. We got HD 2D, so now maybe we are in for an HD Prerendered era? That could be insanely cool looking.
...God I would die laughing if they skip VIII and go straight to IX. It would be hilarious cause so many people would be like "Why'd they skip VIII???" even though we all know.
But awesome! Hope you have a great time.
@LikelySatan
haha! yeah, I "skipped VIII" at the time, and I'll most likely continue to "skip VIII" going forward.
I "skipped VIII" just this weekend. 😅
PS - I pretty much wrote the book on "It's hard to picture a dramatic aesthetic change that I might welcome." 😂 i get it.
really looking forward to getting further into IX! just now i played 20 more minutes and the signature classic FF swashbuckling has already begun! this is clearly one of the good FFs! ❤️
@LikelySatan
"HD Prerendered era? That could be insanely cool looking."
I've dreamt of this for a long time.
well, 2 dreams:
one is the what i just laid out, where the entire game specifically looks something like the CG cutscenes of that game, with the prerenders being fully conceived in 3D. (surely they existed as 3d models at one point, right? or are they more like digital paintings? 🤔)
another is a game like FF6, FF7, or chrono trigger being fully realized in their respective conceptual artstyle. Imagine FF6 looking like a living, breathing yoshitaka amano painting, or chrono trigger looking like an akira toriyama anime (RIP 😢)
I dont think I can take another generation of inching ever further into the Uncanny Valley, towards "realism" but with diminishing (and frankly unappealing) returns! Let's get creative, here!
Gamecube 2! Gamecube 2! USA! USA!
Okay I got too excited 😅✌️ peace
@-wc- I was just talking to a coworker about how we want a FF that looks like an Amano painting. Nice.
@LikelySatan
We find ourselves on the same wavelength yet again, my friend! 😊
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