10 absurdly generous Square Enix demos you can play right now!
We take a look at some of the demos for Square Enix games that you can play for free! How many have you tried?-3s61816s7.jpg?quality=65)
When I was but a wee stripling, my teachers would often say to me: ‘you can’t get something for nothing.’ Clearly they never tried a demo.
Many Square Enix games have demos, which let you try their many delights at no cost at all. We’ve put together a list of just 10 of our favorites. These examples may all offer wildly different experiences, but they all have two things in common: they’re extremely fun and absurdly generous.
1. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
- Demo available on: PS5
- Game available on: PS5, Steam, Epic Games Store
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is a critical smash, with more than 125 perfect review scores from global critics on PC and PS5 and 40+ game of the year e award wins and nominations. In other words, it’s a really good game.
The good news is that you can try it for yourself on PS5 with the free demo! It’s a lengthy hands-on with the game that takes you through part of the iconic Nibelheim Flashback. In this early chapter, Cloud tells his friends about an ill-fated mission back to his former hometown of Nibelheim - and the events that would forge Sephiroth into one of gaming’s greatest antagonists.
You’ll get a taste of the gripping story and fast-paced hybrid battle system, which combines real-time action with menu commands.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
Yes, with a caveat. Without giving anything away, there are a few surprises at the start of the full game that don’t feature in the demo. However, if you have a demo save, you’ll be able to skip a part of the opening chapter once you get there.
2. FINAL FANTASY XVI
- Demo available on: PS5, Steam, Epic Games Store
- Game available on: PS5, Steam, Epic Games Store
FINAL FANTASY XVI has a very generous demo that’s comprised of two parts.
In the first, you’ll play through the game’s incredible prologue, which is focused on protagonist Clive Rosfield as a young man. As Clive, you’ll take on a dangerous mission in a flooded village, culminating in a thrilling battle against a slathering morbol!
You’ll also take part in the earth-shattering events at Phoenix Gate - a heart-wrenching sequence that leaves Clive’s nation- and family - forever changed. It even includes one of the game’s larger-than-life Eikon battles, in which two towering creatures go head-to-head in spectacular style.
Once you’ve completed the prologue, a second part of the demo opens up. This special battle demo picks up with an adult Clive in a later part of his story, armed with a range of powers and Eikonic Abilities. It’s an opportunity to play with an expanded skillset, and experience more of the action-packed combat that awaits in the game!
Does progress carry over to the full game?
Yes, the prologue portion of the demo carries over! When you start playing the full game (on the same platform you played the demo, naturally), you’ll be able to load your save and pick up where the demo left off.
The second part of the demo does not carry over to the full game, however. That’s more about letting you play with Clive’s abilities, rather than a true segment from the final game.
3. ROMANCING SAGA 2: REVENGE OF THE SEVEN
- Demo available on: Switch, PS5, PS4, Steam
- Game available on: Switch, PS5, PS4, Steam
If you want to see whether this generations-spanning RPG is for you, then be sure to check out the free demo for the game.
It takes you through the opening sections of the game and the adventures of its first playable characters - the noble Emperor Leon and his second son Gerard. These missions include attacking the nest of monsters that threatens your people, which gives you the perfect opportunity to try out the snappily strategic turn-based gameplay.
Things get more serious when Avalon, the capital of the Varennes Empire, is attacked by Kzinssie - one of the Seven Heroes of ancient legend. You’ll take on this cackling foe in a dramatic battle that sets up the rest of the game!
Does progress carry over to the full game?
Yes! When you start the full version of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you’ll be able to pick up exactly where you left off. The next generation Emperor awaits you!
4. FANTASIAN Neo Dimension
- Demo available on: Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam
- Game available on: Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Steam
If you’re a fan of classic RPGs like FINAL FANTASY I - IX, make sure you check out this brilliant new RPG. It’s from Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the FINAL FANTASY series and is every bit as good as that pedigree suggests - as you can see for yourselves in the demo.
It lets you play through the opening of the game and experience the start of the story, as your protagonist Leo wakes up with no memories of where he is or how he got there. You’ll jump straight into the action and get to play with the game’s amazing battle system, which introduces Skill Trajectories into traditional turn-based combat.
Some attacks can take out multiple enemies in a line, others let you curve your strikes to hit enemies behind others, and many more beyond. It’s a great example of how FANTASIAN Neo Dimension fuses bold new ideas with a classic RPG feel.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
Yes, it does! If you play the demo, you’ll be able to pick up where your last save left off in the full game.
5. NEO: The World Ends with You
- Demo available on: Switch, PS4
- Game available on: Switch, PS4, Steam, Epic Games Store
Prepare to enter the Reapers’ Game!
This uniquely brilliant RPG takes place on the streets of Shibuya, where a young man named Rindo finds himself embroiled in a deadly contest where his existence itself is on the line. The demo shows you how it all begins.
You’ll get to experience the opening sections of the game and take on some early challenges and face off against monsters in fast and flashy real-time battles, where clever combos and psychic skills are the key to success.
Just as important, you’ll meet this unforgettable cast of characters, explore a vividly stylized Shibuya, explore the game’s amazing food and fashion, and enjoy the awesome soundtrack.
It’s all so effortlessly cool.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
It certainly does. When you reach the end of the demo, you’ll be able to carry on by purchasing the full game on the same platform.
6. DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince
- Demo available on: Switch
- Game available on: Switch, Steam
If you’ve played a DRAGON QUEST game before, you’ll know how imaginative and varied the series’ menagerie of monsters is. DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince puts the captivating creatures right in the spotlight.
You play as Psaro - the titular ‘Dark Prince’ - who is cursed by his father to be unable to harm anything with monster blood. Instead, Psaro must scout, train and synthesize monsters to fight for him - both out in the field and in exciting arena battles.
The demo lets you play through the opening sections of the game. You’ll see how Psaro stars his journey and start building your team of marvellous monsters.
It’s a great way to see many of the features that make the game such a delight, including how the world and its inhabitants change with the seasons, how you can synthesize monsters to gain even stronger ones, and much more. You’ll even be able to conquer your first arena battles - if your team is strong enough, of course.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
Story progress does not carry over, but when you upgrade to the full version of the game, you’ll be able to transfer up to eight monsters from the demo. Specifically, you’ll have the four monsters in your main party, and your four chosen reserves.
It’s a great way to get a head start on the adventure - and keep a team you’ve grown attached to.
7. STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R
- Demo available on: PS5, PS4, Switch, Steam
- Game available on: PS5, PS4, Switch, Steam
The STAR OCEAN series offers something very different to your typical RPG settings - a fabulous fusion of fantasy and space opera. Think swords and sorcery mixed with spaceships and laser guns. It’s great - and the crown jewel of the series is arguably STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R.
The free demo for the game lets you discover what this remake is all about. It showcases the beautiful 2.5D art style, which combines detailed 3D backgrounds with super-expressive sprites. It lets you experience the fast and fluid combat system, which allows for blisteringly fast and really addicting battles. And you’ll be able to play with the two selectable protagonists - Claude, a young officer accidentally transported to Planet Expel, or Rena, a pure-minded girl with unique healing skills.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
It does indeed! Everything you earn, including story progress, items, Battle Points (BP) and Skill Points (SP) used to strengthen character skills, will be transferred into the full game.
Bear in mind that in the demo your character level is capped at 12. If you hit that, battles will no longer give you experience or other rewards. Don't worry though - you can continue to grow in the full game.
8. HARVESTELLA
- Demo available on: Switch
- Game available on: Switch, Steam
You’d be forgiven for thinking you know want to expect from HARVESTELLA. You probably don’t.
You may expect to tend crops, cook aggressively delicious meals and build lasting bonds with your neighbors - and that’s there and very fun indeed. But you’ll also experience thrilling battles, boldly imaginative scenarios and a story that… well, without spoiling anything, it goes places.
It’s a really great game - and a personal favorite of this writer!
You can get going in the demo right now. It lets you play through the first two chapters of the game, or until 15 days have passed in-game. This will introduce you to some of the main players, including the mysterious time-traveling Aria, let you start a small farm and explore some of the more dangerous areas of the world.
It’s a good way to experience the game’s endlessly compelling gameplay loop and discover how fun it really is.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
Yes, once you reach the end of the demo, you’ll be able to play the full game from where you left off.
Be sure to upgrade to the full game because as enjoyable as those first two chapters are, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Again, this game goes places.
9. OCTOPATH TRAVELER II
- Demo available on: PS5, PS4, Switch, Steam
- Game available on: PS5, PS4, Switch, Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows
OCTOPATH TRAVELER II features eight different protagonists, each with their own unique stories and abilities. The demo lets you play with all of them. Yes, really!
You’ll pick one of the eight to be your starting character, and experience the first three hours of their stories. There’s no limit to how many times you can play, so you can try out all the characters to find out which one you like the most (harder than it sounds because they’re all great)!
Whoever you choose, you’ll have a great time exploring this amazing world, listening to the incredible soundtrack and taking on enemies with the deeply strategic ‘Break & Boost’ battle system. Based around exploiting enemy weaknesses to render them vulnerable, it makes even the lowliest foe a super-fun challenge.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
Your progress does carry over to the full game. That said, the demo only allows one save file (unlike the final game), so if there’s a particular character you want to carry on with, be sure to have them saved and ready to go.
10. Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars
- Demo available on: PS4, Switch, Steam, iOS, Android
- Game available on: PS4, Switch, Steam, iOS, Android
In Voice of Cards series, you can enjoy a truly unique gaming experience from YOKO Taro, Okabe Keiichi and Fujisaka Kimihiko, the team behind the NieR and Drakengard series. If you know anything about them, you’ll know they don’t do things in a conventional way, and the demo for this game is no exception.
First though, let’s discuss the game itself. It’s an utterly unique RPG adventure told entirely through the medium of… cards. Yes, cards.
The characters are cards, the world is cards… it’s all cards. As you explore this world, you’ll face enemies and battle them in enjoyably tactical turn based combat. Which yes, is represented as cards.
Combined with the game’s hilarious writing, it makes for something that’s both really enjoyable and unlike anything you’ve played before.
As for the demo… rather than let you play through the final game, it’s actually a prequel. The events take place prior to the beginning of the full game, so you’ll get to see how it works, and soak in all that beautiful artwork, without having to worry about spoilers.
Does progress carry over to the full game?
As a prequel, your progress doesn’t carry over to the main adventure because it takes place before that game even starts!
It’s basically an extra chapter of the game, given away for free. Again unconventional, but also brilliant!
Those were just 10 demos you can download and play right now, but there are plenty more worth checking out. If there’s a game you’ve been interested in playing, be sure to see if there’s a demo available!
We hope you have fun - and be sure to bookmark the blog and follow us on social media to stay up to date with news and information about all our games.