Summary
EachFinal Fantasygame offers something a little differentfrom the last. One thing is consistent though, there’s always optional content to complete if players want to find the game’s strongest items and fight its hardest bosses.
Prior toFinal Fantasy 12, these RPGs didn’t have the now commonplace side quest log or journal keeping track of side activities. However, those earlier entries were just as packed with secrets to uncover and side content to explore.
The more modern franchise entries present their side content front and center, often with map markers and waypoints. That doesn’t necessarily make the optional content less compelling, though. Out of the whole series,theseFinal Fantasygames have the best secrets that are worth seeking out.
Of the side activities inFinal Fantasy 12, the one many remember most fondly is joining Montblanc’s Clan Centurio hunting lodge. These optional hunts led to some of the most unique and interesting battles in the game.
Another highlight is the optional Aeons, which present not only some challenging boss fights, but also grant powerful new summons to use. The game’s gambit system lends a strategic challenge to its battles, as playerscommand their companionsboth directly and with AI commands.
For newcomers and returning players alike,Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Ageis the edition to pick, due to its alternate leveling system and customization options. Not only that, but it also expands the optional content with Trial Mode, New Game+, and the challenging New Game-Mode.
Out of the 2D era ofFinal Fantasygames,Final Fantasy 6(A.K.AFinal Fantasy 3in the US) has the most enjoyable side content. There are optional characters to recruit, secret bosses to fight, and a ton of rare and powerful Magicite to collect.
Many players will remember puzzling out the clock tower riddle in Zozo, bidding in the auction house, or tracking down the eight legendary dragons for the Crusader Esper. While it’s really the character stories and the Magicite system that stand out inFinal Fantasy 6, the side content is well worth exploring.
The side content inCrisis Coremay lack a little variety, but there certainly is a lot of it. The bite-size nature of the game’s missions means that there are quite literally hundreds of side missions to take on, almost none of which are required to beat the main story.
This is where all the most powerful equipment and materia in the game are found, though. Players who want to dive deep into the combat, master materia fusion, andtake on Minerva, will want to get through them all.
The game is so dedicated to side content that it’s got a permanent tracker for the player’s completion percentage that gives rewards at periodic milestones. The rewards for getting to 100% are some of the best items in the game, meaning there’s always a carrot drawing players forward through the side missions.
While some players have suggested thatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’ssemi-open world lends itself to repetitive side content, there are still some truly excellent mini-games and side missions along the way.
The way the game developed the original’s minor character moments, like the “romance” options, into full-fledged side content is impressive. For those who prefer the challenge of end-game level bosses, there’s also the returning combat simulator fromthe remake’s first chapter.
Add to that basically every mini-game from the originalFF7reimagined and expanded, plus a host of new ideas, and it’s undeniable thatRebirthhas great side content, whether there’s “too much” of it or not.
Final Fantasy 10’sside content ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. Learning the entire Al-Bhed alphabet or dodging lightning bolts might seem like tasks for a masochist, yetFinal Fantasy 10rewards every one of these efforts and throws in some amazing optional boss fights, too.
One of the most interesting things aboutFinal Fantasy 10’s side content is how much it manages to pack in despite the majority of the game beinga linear narrative. There’s only one big opportunity to explore optional content in the mid-game, and most of the content is only easily accessed once the player reaches the game’s final area and can backtrack.
The Dark Aeon fights added in later re-releases of the game are a new level of challenging boss fight, pushing the game’s excellent turn-based combat to its limits. However, many players will remember Blitzball as the main side activity that sucked up their time and attention.
Final Fantasy 8can be a divisive entry in the series, but its card-collecting mini-game, Triple Triad, remains a favorite among fans to this day. Of course, it also hadoptional summons to find, secret areas of the overworld to explore, and side missions to seek out.
Once the player has the Ragnarok late on in the game, the map opens up a lot. There are hidden areas and bosses to find that both expand the content and the story of the game. Shumi Village, the Chocobo forests, and the hidden GF locations are all highlights.
The best quests inFinal Fantasy 9often come from exploring the storylines of party members. Whether it’sVivi’s origins, Quina’s quest for snacks, or exploring the character of Zidane’s adopted family, these are some of the most engaging narratives in the game.
However,Final Fantasy 9also goes the extra mile in its other side content, too. The secret town of Daguerro has its own optional puzzles to solve, there’s an expanded version of the prior games' Chocobo hunts, the Tetra Master card game, the auction house, and the list goes on.
Also, the secret boss, Ozma, is an amazing, jaw-dropping fight, and a satisfying combat puzzle to work out and defeat. For those who crave those optional fights, there’s the Treno Monster Arena that continuously adds new foes to fight throughout the game.
One of the many reasons thatFinal Fantasy 7captured gamers' attention and hearts was its willingness to take risks with mini-games, diversions, and side-content. Few, if any, RPGs before it had dared to fuse in vehicle combat mechanics, tower defense mini-games, or racing games.
Final Fantasy 7had all of those and more. Many of these mini-games were collected and brought together at the iconic Gold Saucer, butFF7did a good job of sprinkling optional content along the journey of the game’s 3 discs.
From the game’s complex Chocobo breeding system, which fed into both exploration and the separate Chocobo racing mini-game, to the multiple “Weapon” super bosses,Final Fantasy 7had something for everyone in its side content.
