Summary
Final Fantasyis a series where every game features some fun secrets that players can find to make their playthrough more unique and memorable. Players who want to explore every corner of the rich fantasy worlds in this series can uncover everything from hidden cutscenes to optional dungeons and everything in between. Sometimes, some games go the extra mile and introduce new characters that players can add to their party if they’re fortunate enough to find them.
This can take some work, but most optional party members players can find in these games are a joy to control. It’s especially rewarding to get these characters in the player’s party after all the hard work they put into unlocking them in the first place, but this isn’t a guarantee. In fact, some secret playable characters players can unlock intheFinal Fantasygamesdon’t justify the effort that goes into unlocking. Either the process is too arduous or the skills they bring to the table are far from appealing.
In a JRPG where a party member’s actions can dictate whether players wipe out their enemies or are humiliated by a boss, it’s important to have full control over their characters. This can make it pretty unappealing ifplayers have a party memberwho is essentially a Berserker and takes his actions in battle at random.Final Fantasy 6has one such character who falls under this job class, who must be defeated in a boss fight before players get the chance to recruit him.
Umaro the Yeti is a physical specimen who can wallop enemies to smithereens, but this doesn’t necessarily make him a great character in battle. He may be fine against regular enemies, but Umaro can completely upend a player’s strategy if they want to take out a particularly challenging boss. This makes him a largely forgettable character that players are better off not unlocking if they aren’t all that inclined to uncover every secret present in the World of Ruin.
Final Fantasy Tacticsis one of the hardest games in the series, and players must ensure that their strategies are on point if they don’t want to be flattened by a particularly challenging boss. So,the idea of fighting a superbosscan be daunting, but players who trust their skills can take on characters like Elidibus in battle. However, there’s a catch here — the party is aided by another character who can become a mainstay in the squad if players manage to keep him alive in combat.
This enhances the difficulty of a boss fight that is already pretty challenging as it is, and one can argue that Byblos isn’t even worth taking on as a party member if players manage to fulfill this criterion. He’s weak to fire and doesn’t bring anything unique to the table. Unless players are hell-bent on filling up their cast of party members, they’re better off leaving Byblos to his fate instead of going out of their way to save him.
Not manyFinal Fantasygames let players control Cid, which is why most fans would jump at the opportunity to have Al-Cid Margrace as a playable party member. He’s a fun character who embodies chivalrous qualities with the Agent job, supporting and defending female allies efficiently. However, once players discover the unlock requirements of this character inFinal Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, they may be less enthused at the prospect of recruiting.
AlltheFinal Fantasy Tacticsgamescan take a long time to complete, andGrimoire of the Riftis no exception here. So, the fact that Al-Cid Margrace is a character the player can unlock only after finishing the game once is not an appealing prospect in the slightest. Only the most rabid completionists around would subject themselves to this time-consuming task.
The Mimic job is iconic intheFinal Fantasyseries, and most players would love the idea of controlling a character who can mime in battle to humiliate foes. This is perhaps why players would love the idea of getting their hands on an optional party member who takes on this role, but getting Gogo is no simple feat. Without a guide, it’s hard to find out that players can be sucked in by the Zone Eater to uncover a hidden dungeon that houses this secret character.
The enemies are tough, and the reward may not be worth it. Sure, Gogo can equip the command of any party member in the game, but his subpar stats and a lack of viable equipment mean that he will always lag behind the characters he’s trying to mimic. He may be a creative character to mess around with in battle, but players who care about their party being as strong as possible would prefer to control characters who are more focused in combat.
Dissidiais one of the best fighting games thatFinal Fantasyfans will love if they want to playthe crossover title of their dreams. Players control a suite ofFinal Fantasyheroes and villains in awe-inspiring battles that are as cinematic as they come, with the difficulty varying between scenarios. Soon, the linear path becomes more challenging, and players who want to punish themselves in combat can take on the mighty Feral Chaos in a dreaded one-on-one.
There’s no easy way to say this — Feral Chaos isone of the most unfair boss fightsthat will make players tear their hair out. His attacks hit like a truck, and players will be lucky if they manage to damage his HP at all before biting the dust. The reward of unlocking him as a playable character rings hollow, since the story content is done with anyway, and all players can do is show him off in a few battles before the novelty quickly wears off.
