Summary
Since two companies named Square and Enix - both already iconic in their own right - merged in 2003, they’ve gone on to become heavy hitters in the gaming world, with a multitude of instantly recognizable franchises under their name. Now,Square Enixis home to a lot of fan-favorite games, including manycritically acclaimed RPG titlesthat continue to make ripples in the gaming world. The company both develops and publishes games, so it may surprise players to see just how many franchises it’s involved with.
Many of these franchises are known for their expansive and complicated worlds, likeFinal Fantasy, which typically follows a new narrative in each game and has infamously complex lore. Additionally, franchises likeChronoandKingdom Heartshave distinct worlds with vast history and ancient, magical powers. Thanks to these long-standing franchises, it’s safe to assume that one or twonear-world-ending eventsmight make a few civilians feel like they have rotten luck. While the worlds might seem idyllic, the constant threat of monsters, death, and evil is enough to make any fan happy that they can simply close the game. Even though being the hero is cool, there are certainly a few worlds in the Square Enix catalog that players wouldn’t like to live in.
Final Fantasyis a difficult series to pin down, since most of the games are assumed to take place in different dimensions, and the sheer amount of information that existsacross over a dozen installmentsmakes it difficult for even the biggest fans to understand what exactly is going on. Even the worlds are largely unnamed, although the planet inFinal Fantasy 7was retroactively named Gaia. There’s not exactly a “good” or “safe” world to inhabit in the franchise, but the themes and behaviors in7are a little too reminiscent of real life for players to want to be anywhere near them.
Essentially, living in any of the dimensions or universes where aFinal Fantasygame takes place means facing an evil power or centuries-long war almost constantly. ButFinal Fantasy 7takes the cake as one of the toughest places to live, specifically thanks to a mega-corporation named Shinra that is actively draining the life force of the planet for its own gain. To make matters worse, a super soldier named Sephiroth has just discovered he is the product of a scientific experiment and is determined to drain the planet’s Lifestream to ascend to a godlike status. Countless amounts of innocent people are killed thanks to Shinra and Sephiroth’s actions, and the chances of being collateral damage are very high.
Kingdom Heartsuses the term “world” to describe the various places Sora ventures during his adventures. That means that across the franchise, there aredozens of worldsto choose from. Many of them are beautiful and bright, but there are a few that don’t quite share that same welcoming aura. Hollow Bastion is one of those worlds, specifically in the originalKingdom Hearts.
Although it was once a place of happiness and beauty named The Radiant Garden, Hollow Bastion became the morphed half-castle, half-industrial factory seen inKingdom Heartsthanks toAnsem’s apprentices betraying him, and Maleficent subsequently taking over the world with the heartless. This means Hollow Bastion is overrun with heartless, and almost all other life has been driven from there by the evil that now calls it home. It would surely rank last in the places players would fancy living, especially when there are so many other fairy tale worlds to choose from.
Even though the worlds of the Square Enix-developed titles certainly have their problems, the first threeDragon Questgames, published by Enix, feature the most dysfunctional world. They’re considered a connected trilogy set in or including Torland. While the various kingdoms of Torland look like great places to live, some of the areas have had their fair share of trouble - and most players wouldn’t be too happy if they found themselves in Alefgard or Moonbrooke. If gamers are confused about why Torland is such a perilous place, it will only take a quick recap to understand.
Firstly, Alefgard was cast into an age of darkness and had to have light restored by Erdrick, who defeated an evil monster. Then, Alefgard was raided by the Dragonlord, who stole the Ball of Light, which was all that kept the Kingdom safe. Subsequently, monsters pillaged the land and reduced it to ruin. Then the epic hero Erdick went missing during his quest to return the Ball of Light - leaving behind a serious mess and a very dangerous place to live. The Kingdom suffers major deterioration and the King all but gives up hope.
Unfortunately, it gets worse for Alefgard, as the Dragonlord returns to kidnap the princess. Eventually, the hero saves the day, but once again, there’s a high probability that hundreds of civilians perished in the process - and that’s only the first game. If players happen to end up living in Moonbrooke, they’re likely to find their home reduced to rubble by Hargon. If that’s not enough, thenDragon Quest 3is sure to convince gamers, since it reveals that the Dark World, which Zoma opens up a portal to, is actually Alefgard. Eventually, the hero prospers, but it’s often true that minor characters end up as collateral damage long before the conclusion of a story. If players somehow avoid the four major Kingdoms of Torland, then there’s a chance that it’s a pleasant place to live - but for most, it’s not looking good.
While many planets undergo various amounts of turmoil throughout theStar Oceanfranchise, Earth is certainly not a place anybody wants to be in SD.10, whenStar Ocean: The Last Hopetakes place. After the catastrophic World War 3, Earth has been completely ruined and reduced to a borderline uninhabitable wasteland. Because of this, what’s left of humanity is forced to live underground with the knowledge that soon Earth will no longer be a suitable place to live.
It’s because of this that Earthlings turn their attention to space, and the events ofThe Last Hopeare set in motion. To make matters worse, when Edge and the crew of the SRF-003 Calnus are accidentally sent to an alternate Earth in 1957, things go terribly wrong for that version too. When the technology of the SRF-003 Calnus comes into contact with Milla, she thoughtlessly experiments with it and causes a massive explosion that destroys the planet once again. No matter which way fans look at it, living on Earth at any point duringThe Last Hopeis a risky, if not life-ending, business.
Any gamers familiar withThe World Ends with Youwill likely agree that the Underground, which is an alternate plane of existence, is not exactly a place one would want to live - even if they wouldn’t live there for long. Appearing in the Underground means that a person who has passed away has the choice to gamble what’s most important to them and enter the Reaper’s Game, a series of competitive tasks set by Reapers that, if completed, will restore life to the player.
Although the plot ofThe World Ends with Youis relatively complicated, it’s clear that the Reaper’s Game is not exactly a fair or easy thing to compete in. To make matters worse, while players are running aroundan alternate version of Shibuya, where the living can be seen but not interacted with, and trying to win the game, the Reapers will show up to obstruct them. As well as this, frightening creatures named Noise will have to be defeated - which requires the help of another player. Although it offers people a second chance at life, the sacrifices that have to be made combined with the stress and terror of participating in the Reaper’s Game make the Underground one of the worst places to end up.
