Summary
Final Fantasyis one of the greatest video game series of all time. Coming at a time when Square needed a hit to keep them going, the firstFinal Fantasytitle paved the way for a series that never rested on its laurels and let people enjoy some tantalizing storylines as they interacted with memorable characters and with gameplay mechanics that pushed the JRPG genre to new heights.
With the series experimenting with several gameplay loops that can either be a hit or miss, it’s easy to see whysomeFinal Fantasygames are harder to replaythan others. This can be because of poor stories, questionable pacing, or gameplay loops that simply aren’t as engaging as they could be.
Final Fantasy 2features several additions that have become staples in the series. A story-heavy focus and the idea of taking down a tyrannical emperor is familiar to many fans, but there are reasons why the second mainlineFinal Fantasygame was far from a classic. The biggest detractor from this experience was the addition of a puzzling leveling mechanic that was so half-baked that it was subsequently dropped, never to be seen again.
The idea ofleveling up stats based on how players act in battleis certainly a novel concept, but the system’s implementation was far from perfect and could be exploited. Having to beat party members and use magic from a pathetic MP pool makes the early game a pain. This poor impression doesn’t go away for a long time and makes subsequent playthroughs more trouble than they are worth, resulting inFinal Fantasy 2being more of a frustrating affair than a rewarding one.
The issues present inFinal Fantasy 2were clear from the get-go, making it clear why Square decided to pivot and focus more on the gameplay side of things.Final Fantasy 3is the game thatintroduced many series staples like summonsand a job-change system that helps the gameplay feel more dynamic than ever. However, certain aspects ofFinal Fantasy 3’s design make it a hard game for players to check out again if they’ve already managed to reach the ending.
There are moments in the game where players must willingly inflict themselves with statuses or be forced to switch jobs if they wish to take out bosses. It goes against the spirit of the new gameplay additions and how they prioritize player freedom. These stifling moments are a pain to get through and not something that players would want to subject themselves to over and over again.
It was a bold move forFinal Fantasytoturn one of its mainline entries into an MMORPG, butFinal Fantasy 11brought its fair share of interesting ideas to the table that helped it stand out as one of the more notable games in the series. While this genre is known to gamers who love forming new characters to explore new jobs and replay various sections of the game, there’s a major hurdle that preventsFinal Fantasy 11players from doing the same.
The dated nature of this title and how character fees bump up the amount that players need to pay is just the tip of the iceberg. A dwindling player base and combat that can take a while to get used to also make a replay ofFinal Fantasy 11hard to sell. If players were lucky enough to check this game out back when it was popular, they should treasure this memory instead of tarnishing it with another playthrough in the modern era.
Most fans are familiar with the sheer vitriol that was thrown inFinal Fantasy 13’s way when it came out. For a series that prioritized open-ended environments and the freedom to form whatever party one wished, the thirteenth mainline entry sacrificed all of this for numerous rigid chapters where the party can’t be changed until a long way into the experience. This, coupled witha story that is riddled with obtuse termsthat players are unfamiliar with and characters who are far from likable, makes it clear whyFinal Fantasy 13is an absolute chore to get through more than once.
The only justification for a second playthrough of this aggressively linear game is that players will have a decent idea of the lore and won’t have to check their phones every single time a character utters something incomprehensible. This does nothing to alleviate the frustrations players must endure when they have to level up using the crude Crystarium and go through corridor after corridor with no end in sight.
Final Fantasy 16was a bold step for the series. While the previous mainline entry integrated real-time combat, there were moments where players could pause the action to take a breather and heal, with later updates letting gamers evenswitch control of party members. This is completely absent inFinal Fantasy 16, with players having no other choice than to control Clive in a combat system highly reminiscent ofDevil May Cry. This should’ve ideally enhanced the replayability of the game, but some decisions bog down the experience.
The lack of any challenge means that players don’t necessarily need to pull off fancy combos, andthe disappointing enemy varietyis the last thing players expect from aFinal Fantasygame. Despite Clive being able to switch Eikons and change the type of magic he has access to, enemies don’t have any elemental weaknesses or resistances. This leads to players having no incentive to use specific Eikon powers for different enemy groups. The hunts in the game are the only time when the game ramps up the difficulty, but these are fleeting moments that don’t warrant a second playthrough.
