Final Fantasy is the biggest JRPG franchise of all time, and you arguably don’t need the “J” qualifier. Anyone remotely into gaming has either played, knows, or is sick of hearing about Final Fantasy 7, and the other mainline entries are well known too. The thing is, if we count spin-offs, we have received at least one new Final Fantasy game every year since 1997, and not all of them became part of pop culture.
While I wouldn’t call any of the numbered games forgotten, that descriptor certainly fits a few spin-offs and belated sequels; more importantly, a couple of them are not only fantastic but also must-play releases for die-hard fans. Final Fantasy‘s track record for spin-offs isn’t particularly great, so the gems deserve celebration and immortalization.
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Final Fantasy Dimensions Is The FF5 Sequel We Always Wanted
Trapped on Mobile Devices
- Launched in 2010 in Japan, with a worldwide release in 2012.
- Released for Android and iOS
While it might not have the most interesting story or characters, Final Fantasy 5 might just have the greatest class system in both the franchise and the JRPG genre as a whole. Square Enix rarely tries to replicate this formula, but Matrix Software stepped up to create a genuine spiritual successor in Final Fantasy Dimensions.
The campaign takes place in a world split between light and dark realms, and you control different parties depending on which one you explore. The Warriors of Light might as well be ripped from classic Final Fantasy, while the Warriors of Darkness arerougher and more willing to bend the rules. While not a home run, the story is more than decent for an old-school JRPG that emphasizes combat.
Besides the 2D throwback visuals, Dimensions takes FF5‘s Job System and builds upon it. While both share the same foundational classes, the parties unlock Light- or Dark-aligned exclusive Jobs later in the campaign, helping set them apart. FF Dimensions introduces a system that doesn’t let players early-game grind to master all available Jobs, forcing them to commit to specific builds.
Oh, right, you can also fuse skills, spells, and abilities to create something new, a mechanic that should be included in every single turn-based RPG ever. The Pure Active Time Battle system is also indebted to classic Final Fantasy, and it’s all good.
Why is Final Fantasy Dimensions not well remembered? Well, it is a mobile exclusive that cost around $29 in 2012, if you picked up all the separate episodes. While you got a full single-player RPG, that price was and still is high for a mobile game. More importantly, Square Enix hurt the franchise’s name by releasing an underwhelming sequel that wasn’t really a sequel. Final Fantasy Dimensions 2 is the Western version of Final Fantasy Legends: Toki no Suishō, just with the latter’s gacha content removed.
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Final Fantasy Adventure Is A Game Boy RPG Gem
That Isn’t Really A Final Fantasy Game
- Released in 1991
- Released for Game Boy
OK, this one is a bit of a special case. Final Fantasy Adventure isn’t a Final Fantasy game; more accurately, its legacy isn’t associated with Final Fantasy. Released on the Game Boy, this spin-off shifted to action-oriented combat and set the stage for the Mana series. While Square tied the first game to a somewhat established IP to boost its chances, this tactic became unnecessary with the release of Secret of Mana.
Since then, Square Enix has remade this game three times, and none of them kept the Final Fantasy branding. The only exception is 2019’s Collection of Mana, which includes the original version of Final Fantasy Adventure. To complicate matters further, the RPG went by different names in Japan, North America, and Europe, with the latter not even using Final Fantasy in the marketing.
Although it isn’t that impressive nowadays, Final Fantasy Adventure was pretty darn good for the Game Boy and still holds up well enough to be worth a try. The gameplay is simple but snappy, the story is simple but bleak, and Kenji Ito’s score is simple but brilliant.
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Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wings Is Such A Bizarre Sequel
One Of The Best Strategy Games On The DS
- Released in 2007
- Released for Nintendo DS
Except maybe Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the franchise’s sequels rarely set the world on fire, and most are forgottenquickly. Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wings has the distinction of being one of the weirdest direct sequels in Square Enix’s history, as it turns a mature, challenging home-console RPG into a real-time strategy game for the Nintendo DS. At a glance, you would be forgiven for believing this is just a throwback spin-off, but Revenant Wings officially continues Vaan’s story, along with Penelo’s.
Although you need to go in with realistic expectations, this sequel actually fixes some of its predecessor’s issues. Rather than a bystander, Vaan serves a far more crucial role in the narrative, stepping up as a leader rather than just somebody tagging along for the ride. Both returning characters achieved their dream of becoming Sky Pirates, and they use their airship to visit a floating continent, where they get dragged into a conflict involving a race known as the Aegyl.
The combat system takes some getting used to because it’s far removed from not only its predecessor but all games in the series, but it does a brilliant job of using the DS’s stylus to lead your party in battle. Revenant Wings also does a far better job than FF12 of integrating Espers (and Yarhi) into battles.
Despite FF12 being a PS2 exclusive at the time, Square Enix figured it would be a great idea to release a sequel on the Nintendo DS.
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Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King Is Square Enix’s City-Building Game
A Charming Game Lost To Time
- Released in 2008
- Released for Nintendo Wii through WiiWare
In early 2019, Nintendo shut down the Wii Shop Channel, ending its WiiWare service. Since then, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King has been impossible to buy, and that seems likely to remain the case. Square Enix has left its mark on many video game styles, but city-building isn’t one of them. In fact, I imagine quite a few people don’t even know Final Fantasy released a full-blown game for the genre, and it’s pretty great!
Basically a spin-off of a spin-off, My Life as a King takes place after the original Crystal Chronicles and puts you in charge of constructing a town from scratch. Instead of crawling through dungeons looking for monsters to smack in the head, you assign those quests to adventurers, so you can spend your time planning your town’s expansion and structure. You talk to the residents to see what they might need, upgrade shops, and craft buildings that can lure more citizens. The gameplay loop has surprising depth, considering a WiiWare game could not skip the 40MB file size (at least the base content).
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A2: Grimoire of the Rift Is Final Fantasy Tactics At Its Best
Let’s Return To Ivalice
- Released in 2008
- Released for Nintendo DS
Ah, the curse of the sequel returns, and this one comes with layers! Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is the direct successor to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and part of FF12‘s Ivalice timeline; however, unlike the original game’s dream world, A2 takes place in the real Ivalice, technically making it a sequel to Revenant Wings. Also, it’s an isekai story about a boy who gets sucked into a magical book. It’s strange, slightly inaccessible, and represents Square Enix’s peak in handheld tactical RPGs.
The FFTA games are generally divisive because they eliminate the heavy political intrigue of the original Final Fantasy Tactics on the PS1, opting insteadfor smaller-scale adventures that are lighthearted and whimsical. You don’t get War of the Lions, but both games shine when they are allowed to stand on their own. A2 is significantly better than its predecessor, and it especially excels in build variety, with 7 distinct races and more than 50 jobs.
