The Most Replayable Final Fantasy Games, Ranked

The Final Fantasy series mostly consists of single-player narrative experiences, where all of the game’s secrets are laid bare over the course of the story. Most Final Fantasy games aren’t inherently designed for multiple playthroughs, but some are better suited for hitting that “New Game” button a few times, either due to unlockable story paths, harder difficulty, or a variety of party compositions that can make each run feel different.

While the Final Fantasy MMOs are also technically great for replays, the sheer length of their story content means that this is only appealing to those with limitless free time. Eorzea might be full of possibilities, but they’re limited by a need to have a full-time job, consume food, and use the bathroom, so it doesn’t make the list.

10 Final Fantasy XVI Has a New Difficulty Level for Replays

The Second Run of FF15 Is Vital for Hardcore Gamers

Final Fantasy XVI takes the lowest spot on this reason for a not great reason. See, the biggest issue with Final Fantasy XVI is that it’s far too easy for dedicated action RPG fans. Anyone who has conquered Elden Ring will find Clive’s quest to be completely trivial by comparison, bar a few of the late-game bosses.

The people who complete Final Fantasy XVI can unlock “Final Fantasy” mode, where the difficulty is drastically increased, along with Clive’s level cap. The game also adds new high-level gear and challenging dungeons. It’s just a shame that this content can’t be accessed straight away, as it would make the game more appealing to the Devil May Cry aficionados.

9 Final Fantasy VI Has a Huge Cast of Characters

The Lack of Protagonist Helps With FF6 Replays

Final Fantasy VI was designed with the idea that it had no central protagonist. While Terra is certainly the focus for the first half of the story, she eventually becomes part of an ensemble, with the player even able to leave her behind and complete the game with the other party members.

Final Fantasy VI has a massive cast of unique characters, yet there’s rarely any need to experiment, especially when the game opens up in its second half. This means that multiple replays can feel drastically different when using characters that were ignored in previous runs, helped by how distinct each hero’s abilities are.

8 Final Fantasy VII Is a Fan Favorite for a Reason

Mastering Materia Takes Time

The cast of Final Fantasy VII have drastically different designs, but they feel very similar in terms of their combat abilities, barring their distinct Limit Breaks. On the surface, a run using Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith won’t feel much more different than one involving any of the other characters.

Final Fantasy VII does have a ton of customization through its Materia system, which turns the job commands from previous games into equipable items, allowing the player to create distinct character builds outside of their other powers. Most players go with the usual “healing + damaging spells” Materia spread, but there are various fun builds that can be done, especially in the late game.

7 Final Fantasy V Is Perfect for Challenge Runs

There’s a Reason for FF5's One-Job Challenges

Final Fantasy V wasn’t the first game to experiment with an expansive job system, but the ability to share powers across classes after they were mastered meant that there was more scope to tinker with the party than there was in previous entries.

Not only is Final Fantasy V filled with interesting build ideas, but it’s also home to one of the best challenge runs in the series: the random job run. In this challenge, four jobs are randomly determined, and the player has to finish the game using them, preferably also taking out the super bosses in the process. This can lead to some bizarre combos, forcing players to think outside of the box and get truly experimental with the system.

6 The Original Final Fantasy Is Worth Going Back To

FF Fans Should Try a White Mage Run

The first Final Fantasy game was also the first to feature a job system, though, unlike the later entries in the series, it was impossible to switch character classes once they had been determined. However, it’s possible to upgrade and improve them by completing an optional quest involving Bahamut.

The mixture of classes involved means that it’s possible for drastically different runs, especially if the player commits to only using a single job for the entire party. Indeed, an all White Mage run might be the oldest Final Fantasy challenge run in existence, and it’s still one of the hardest, even with over-leveling.

5 Final Fantasy III Is One of the Toughest Games in the Series

Try Finishing FF3 Without Ninjas & Sages

Final Fantasy III has a more complex version of the original job system from Final Fantasy, but it’s also stuck in a game that’s far more difficult. Indeed, the game practically forces the player to use certain job combos to proceed through its hardest points.

The extreme difficulty is what makes Final Fantasy III runs so much fun, as the player really needs to utilize every resource available to them to see the ending. This is even more true if they ignore the Ninja and Sage classes, which are usually unlocked at the end of the game and make the final run of bosses more tolerable.

4 Final Fantasy XIII-2 Has Multiple Endings

Players Need to Replay the Game to See Every Fate for Noel and Serah

Most Final Fantasy games have a single ending, though a few have some aesthetic differences based on which party members are around for the final battle. The main exception to this is Final Fantasy XIII-2, which is arguably the best entry in the entire Final Fantasy XIII trilogy.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, there are multiple “Paradox Endings” that can be unlocked by completing tasks at different points in the game, not unlike how the various endings are seen in Chrono Trigger. This means that the most dedicated players can see numerous fates for Noel and Serah, depending on how much they want to play the game.

3 Final Fantasy X Lets Players Experiment With Characters

The Sphere Grid Was Popular for a Reason

The Sphere Grid system in Final Fantasy X allowed players to truly experiment with the abilities of each character, especially in the later releases, which added more advanced Sphere Grids that made it easier to go off the beaten path. This is because most characters started in an area with abilities that made sense for them, such as Lulu being next to Black Magic spells, but it was entirely possible to make her a fighter.

The other benefit of a second playthrough of FFX is acquiring the Al Bhed Primers, as getting them all on the first run will make it possible to read the subtitles whenever the language is spoken. If players manage to do this, they'll have more information about what’s happening when Al Bhed are around.

2 Final Fantasy X-2 Offers New Game Plus

It Takes Time To Find Tidus

Final Fantasy X-2 can be a nightmare to 100% complete, considering the sheer amount of content in the game and the fact that it was really easy to miss things and be locked out of them. After all, this was the era of the physical strategy guide, and Square Enix never made things easy, especially when an ending was locked behind 100% completion.

Luckily, Final Fantasy X-2 has a New Game Plus mode that carries the completion rate over. While it is possible to do everything in a single run, it’s a lot easier to hit everything the second time around. If players want to do everything in a single run, they'll have to rely on a guide during their playthrough.

1 Final Fantasy Tactics Has Aged Beautifully

The Countless Combos of Ivalice Keep the Game Fresh

Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the best games in the series, and there are plenty of reasons to play it, as it may have the best job system in the series. There are twenty jobs (twenty-two in the War of the Lions release), each with drastically different powers and capabilities, with characters able to use commands from multiple classes. The fact that it’s possible to use a party of mostly custom characters throughout the game means there are tons of ways to enjoy Final Fantasy Tactics.

There are also lots of unique story-relevant characters in Final Fantasy Tactics, with their own exclusive jobs. These can also make for a unique challenge run, though this tends to fizzle out when T.G. Cid is introduced, as he’s so overwhelmingly powerful that he can practically solo the rest of the game with his unique sword powers.