The Final Fantasy series has remained relevant for decades, and a big reason for this enduring success is its anthology formula. While many other long-running game franchises struggle to retain their strengths with each passing entry due to audience fatigue and beleaguered narratives, Final Fantasy's loose relationship with plot, character, setting, and tone has allowed it to freely experiment time and again.
But it's not just story and setting that benefit from this casual connection to continuity—gameplay regularly gets a shot in the arm as well. Final Fantasy has managed to cater to fans of MMORPGs, turn-based combat, and action-RPGs thanks to its willingness to embrace mechanical change, and games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake even allow audiences to experience a familiar story with fundamentally different gameplay. Having said that, Square Enix could certainly embrace a little more flexibility in this respect, since most Final Fantasy games adhere to the conventions of traditional RPGs, and looking at the series' forays into a decidedly western formula could be a nice way to shake things up.
What Is the Best Order to Play the Final Fantasy Series?
To experience Square Enix's legendary mainline Final Fantasy series in optimal order, it's best to move from classic storytelling to modern action.
It's Time for More Final Fantasy Shooters
Final Fantasy Has Dipped Its Toes Into the Third-Person Shooter Space Before
It may seem like an odd combination—and in some ways, it certainly is—but a third-or first-person shooter with Final Fantasy sensibilities could work surprisingly well. There are at least two notable instances of Final Fantasy games leveraging shooting mechanics:
- Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7
- Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier
Dirge of Cerberus is something of a cult classic, remembered fondly as an oddity within the vast universe of Final Fantasy 7 spin-off properties. It's a bit rough around the edges, and its shooting mechanics are nothing to write home about, but it definitely has a bit of PS2-era charm about it, and the edgy story (helmed by none other than Vincent Valentine) is a good bit of shlocky fun. Moreover, it's a solid translation of action-RPG mechanics into a more shooting-focused template.
The First Soldier is much less respected. The 2021 free-to-play battle royale was extremely low on the list of things Final Fantasy fans were hoping for, as the genre was already getting rather long in the tooth at the time of its release. One could endlessly speculate about why this endeavor failed, but ultimately, it just came across as a shallow and misguided project that didn't leverage the strengths of its IP. However, it would be wrong to say that its implementation of shooting mechanics was what sunk the ship, as there are certainly ways that Square Enix could successfully implement similar ideas in a premium release.
A Single-Player Final Fantasy Shooter Isn't as Strange as It Sounds
Although most real-time Final Fantasy games focus on melee combat, shooting mechanics could still gel with the series' action-RPG tendencies. Something like Barrett's shooting systems in the Final Fantasy 7 remake saga could be a nice jumping-off point: Barrett's combat is a good mix of grounded shooting with a good deal of fantastical and outlandish elements, like the lack of ammo limitations and the various magical effects that augment his abilities. It should also be noted that many turn-based Final Fantasy games feature characters with guns or other ranged implements. If real-time Final Fantasy gameplay is meant to be a fast-paced version of turn-based combat, then there's no reason why this same design philosophy can't be applied to guns like it is to melee weapons.
A more mechanically deep version of Barrett's or Vincent Valentine's gameplay could make for a strong Final Fantasy shooter. The need to actually aim, reload, and optimize gun loadouts would make for a more in-depth and engaging combat sandbox, and there could still be room for magical features, such as elemental guns or even wands and staves. It would be a nice change of pace from the usual sword-wielding gameplay of entries like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 16.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- PC Release Date
- January 23, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- February 29, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 40 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
