Summary
- The Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries unified the Final Fantasy franchise with a central mythology based on crystals.
- Spin-off games like Agito and Awakening offered unique gameplay experiences within the Fabula Nova Crystallis world.
- Lightning Returns and Type-0 highlighted the depth and dark themes of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, influencing mainline entries.
In addition to the unique worlds featured across sixteen mainline games, Square Enix has also produced some truly outstanding spin-off worlds for the Final Fantasy franchise. These spin-off worlds have also influenced the core titles in some pretty significant ways, sometimes even becoming the main setting for a numbered entry. And much like the Ivalice Alliance before it, the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries has had major implications not just on spin-off games, but on the mainline titles as well.
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Conceived as a way to create a central mythology for Final Fantasy that tied back to the franchise's origins and its use of crystals, Fabula Nova Crystallis was designed to streamline future games in the series with a unified world that could be tweaked as each team saw fit. It produced some of the most fascinating entries in franchise history, including the 13 trilogy, and was even the setting for a mainline title with Final Fantasy 15. These games have been ranked based on their stories, gameplay systems, and overall quality within the Fabula Nova Crystallis series.
7 Final Fantasy Agito
Engaging Mobile Game Built From Early Type-0 Concepts
- Developer: Square-Enix, Perfect World
- Platform: iOS, Android
- Release Date: May 14, 2014
Final Fantasy Agito was born from a batch of discarded concepts for Type-0, as director Hajime Tabata used many of those elements to craft a mobile game using traditional turn-based combat from the franchise's past. Agito was unique in that regard, as the mainline series had made a full transition into action-based combat by then, making it one of the more interesting Final Fantasy games of its era.
Agito's combat is excellent, with fluid animation and a charming cast of likable characters. Similar to Final Fantasy Awakening, which would launch just four years later and reboot the experience, Agito features deep character customization and is set in the same world as Type-0, retaining all of its drama and militaristic action. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy Agito was not released outside of Japan, despite efforts to do so, and was discontinued in 2015.
6 Final Fantasy Awakening
One Of The Franchise's Best Mobile Experiences
- Developer: Square-Enix, Perfect World
- Platform: iOS, Android
- Release Date: February 2, 2018
Square has been pushing its vaunted JRPG franchise into the mobile space ever since the 2000s, and that trend continued with the iOS and Android release of Final Fantasy Awakening in 2018. Set in the same world as Final Fantasy Type-0, Awakening exists within an alternate reality of that game and further demonstrates the flexibility present within the framework of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. Final Fantasy Awakening also acted as a reboot of Agito, a mobile game in the franchise that never made it out of Japan.
Final Fantasy Awakening is an action RPG that allows players to customize their characters, then jump into the compelling world of Type-0 on a smaller scale. Awakening lacked some of the depth and charm of the Type-0 combat system and story progression, but it was a decent enough mobile experience, and was still a worthy entry in the Fabula Nova Crystallis franchise. It was also a fairly successful endeavor for Square, with strong numbers and player counts, but the servers were discontinued in 2019.
5 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13
The Epic Conclusion Of The Lightning Saga
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13
- Released
- November 21, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Crystal Tools
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
The Final Fantasy 13 trilogy dominated discourse surrounding the franchise for roughly five years, as the story of Lightning was the focal point of the series beginning in 2009. And in Lightning Returns, the phenomenal conclusion to the trilogy, she finds herself back in the spotlight after taking more of a supporting role in Final Fantasy 13-2. This made the world of FF13 feel bigger, and that the stakes were much bigger than the story of one single person.
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Lightning Returns makes a great effort to solidify itself as the finale, as it repositions Lightning as a key figure and focuses on her relationships that have been built ever since Final Fantasy 13. It uses a much faster, more direct combat system that feels like a combination of 13 and 13-2, while also re-introducing several key elements from the franchise that the first game ignored. Shops, towns, and other Final Fantasy tropes were put back into the spotlight, allowing the 13 trilogy to end on a fairly high note, embracing the past and the future at the same time.
4 Final Fantasy Type-0
The Darkest Final Fantasy Game Ever Made
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
- Released
- March 17, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Suggestive Themes, Drug Reference, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, HexaDrive
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
- How Long To Beat
- 24 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
Final Fantasy Type-0 was originally released for the PSP in 2011, but it was given a fantastic HD remaster for modern hardware in 2015, which even included a demo for the hotly anticipated fifteenth mainline entry. Type-0 is set in the world of Orience, where the ongoing conflict between warring nations over the control of powerful crystals drives the majority of the plot and is a huge part of the ongoing Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology.
Type-0's massive story is full of betrayal, as the themes of war and its consequences take center stage, but it's the quieter moments in between, where Class Zero's interpersonal relationships start to flourish, that make up some of the game's best moments. It also has an excellent action-based combat system, as swapping targets feels snappy and the overall flow of battles is still among the best in the franchise.
3 Final Fantasy 15
Reclaim The Throne
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- luminous engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- How Long To Beat
- 28 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
Final Fantasy 15 first entered development in 2006 as Versus XIII, where it remained stuck in a perilous state of constant revisions and even a hardware change, until it was finally released in 2016. Set in the world of Eos, Final Fantasy 15 is the epic story of Noctis, a young man on a journey to retrieve a stolen crystal and reclaim the throne as the rightful king. Noctis' adventure is still one of the largest, most ambitious stories ever crafted for Final Fantasy, and the open world of Eos is proof of that.
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Eos is still one of the most beautiful Final Fantasy worlds of all time, and exploring it with Noctis and his friends in various forms of travel, such as Chocobos or upgrading the Regalia, is simply breathtaking. Combat is some of the franchise's best, and the wide-open fields accommodate the enemies and bosses perfectly. Its writing, thematic elements, and combat system all come together brilliantly, and this outstanding experience is one of the best entries in Final Fantasy history.
2 Final Fantasy 13-2
A Spectacular Entry In The Fabula Nova Crystallis Series
Final Fantasy 13-2
- Released
- January 31, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Drug Reference, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Crystal Tools
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- How Long To Beat
- 30 Hours
Thanks to a lot of work already done on Final Fantasy 13, the development time for the sequel was much shorter, lasting only a year and a half. Final Fantasy 13-2 continues the adventure from the first game, this time seeing Lightning lost to time as her sister Serah and newcomer Noel take center stage. It was a calculated move, but it paid off, as Final Fantasy 13-2 makes the trilogy feel like an ongoing saga of its own with a lot of moving parts and important characters.
Final Fantasy 13-2 also attempted to address a lot of criticisms leveled at the first game in the trilogy, particularly how linear it was, by opening up the world and allowing for much more freedom. It allowed Final Fantasy 13-2 to feel much more like a traditional mainline game, but maintained its own unique identity and fast-paced combat system. 13-2 is still one of the most incredible core entries in the franchise, with a spectacular battle system and mind-bending time-travel story that focuses on the themes of family and loss.
1 Final Fantasy 13
Fabula Nova Crystallis Makes Its Debut
Final Fantasy 13
- Released
- March 9, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Crystal Tools
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
- How Long To Beat
- 50 Hours
Internally referred to as "Colors World" during development, Final Fantasy 13 was a hugely ambitious project that marked the debut of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series and the ongoing story of Lightning. In hindsight, it's fascinating to see just how big of a gamble Square was taking with 13, as the trilogy was the only core Final Fantasy game being worked on and consumed by fans for over ten years. The franchise had already abandoned turn-based combat with FF12, but Final Fantasy 13 took it to the next level, as it focused on a much tighter, more linear experience.
It was a bold move, but it allowed the world of Cocoon to feel tight and overbearing, tying into the game's themes of oppression and class warfare. This tale of revolution and underdogs is also the benefit of some wonderful characters, and is one of the best parties in Final Fantasy history, as each of them feels like a unique, wholly different individual. With its sharp, highly engaging combat and beautiful art direction, Final Fantasy 13 is still one of the most fascinating and compelling entries in the franchise. It was the start of something special, as Square put a lot of effort into making Fabula Nova Crystallis something for fans to be excited about, and this unique fantasy world is well worth returning to today.
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