The Final Fantasy Games With The Best Optional Content

Key Takeaways

Each
Final Fantasy
game offers unique optional content, from hunts to hidden bosses, ensuring players find the strongest items.
Modern entries like
Final Fantasy 12
prioritize side content with new features like improved maps, rewarding players with unique challenges.
Final Fantasy
games like
FF 6, 8,
and
10
offer engaging side missions like card games, rare bosses, and hidden areas to explore.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming experiences under my belt, let me tell you that the side activities in these Final Fantasy games are not just mere distractions, but immersive adventures in themselves!

Every installment of the Final Fantasy series provides a unique experience compared to its predecessors. Yet, one common aspect remains: players have the freedom to engage in additional content should they wish to acquire the game’s most powerful artifacts and face its toughest adversaries.

Before the release of “Final Fantasy 12”, Role-Playing Games (RPGs) did not have the standard side quest logs or journals that keep track of additional activities, which are prevalent today. Yet, these earlier versions were equally rich in secrets to discover and secondary content to delve into.

In many contemporary franchise installments, additional content is prominently displayed using maps and markers. However, this presentation doesn’t diminish the allure of the optional material in any way. Out of all the Final Fantasy games, these ones hide the most intriguing secrets that are definitely worth discovering.

8 Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age

Join The Hunt

The Final Fantasy Games With The Best Optional Content

In the array of side activities found in Final Fantasy 12, it’s often the memory of becoming part of Montblanc’s Clan Centurio hunting lodge that stands out the most. These additional hunts were responsible for some of the game’s most distinctive and captivating battles.

One key feature is the choice of Aeons, which offer tough battles against formidable bosses, in addition to providing potent new summons for the player. The game’s gambit system introduces a strategic layer to combat, allowing players to control their allies directly and through AI instructions.

For newcomers and returning players alike, Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age is 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.

7 Final Fantasy 6

Magicite Hunting

Among the 2D era of “Final Fantasy” games, it’s widely agreed that “Final Fantasy 6” (known as “Final Fantasy 3” in the US) offers the most enjoyable side activities. This game features optional characters to join your party, hidden bosses to battle, and a vast amount of rare and potent Magicite to gather.

In the game Final Fantasy 6, numerous players will recall solving the riddles at the clock tower, participating in auctions, and chasing down the eight legendary dragons as the Crusader Esper. Although it’s the character narratives and Magicite system that truly shine in this game, delving into the side activities is definitely worth your time.

6 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion

Side Missions All The Way Down

As a devoted admirer, I must say that while the diversity in the side content of “Crisis Core” could use a bit more spice, it’s certainly not lacking in quantity! The game’s missions are designed in manageable chunks, which means there are literally hundreds of side missions to engage with. Remarkably, most of these side missions aren’t essential for completing the main storyline.

Here’s the location where you can find the game’s strongest gear and materials – it’s a must-traverse for players eager to delve into intense combat, perfect their materia fusion skills, and confront Minerva.

In this game, so much emphasis is placed on additional content that it features a continuous progress tracker for the player’s completion rate, which doled out rewards at regular intervals. These rewards become particularly enticing when you reach 100%, as they include some of the most valuable items in the entire game. Consequently, these rewards serve as a constant incentive, motivating players to continue tackling the side missions.

5 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Too Much Optional Content?

Despite a few gamers arguing that the semi-open environment of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth might lead to monotonous additional content, it’s important to note that there are numerous engaging mini-games and side quests scattered throughout the journey as well.

The game significantly expanded on the brief character interactions found in the original version, turning them into substantial subplots – including the romance options – which is quite impressive. For players who enjoy tough challenges, there’s also a reappearance of the combat simulator from the remake’s initial installment, aimed at end-game level bosses.

To put it simply, the remake of FF7, titled Rebirth, is brimming with revamped and extended mini-games from the original version, along with a plethora of fresh concepts. Whether the amount of side content in Rebirth is deemed excessive or not, it’s clear that it offers an abundance of engaging additional features.

4 Final Fantasy 10

Dark Aeons

The additional content in Final Fantasy X spans from the profound to the absurd. Mastering the entire Al-Bhed alphabet or evading lightning bolts may appear as tasks for a self-punisher, but Final Fantasy X acknowledges and compensates every bit of effort put in and offers some incredible optional battles as a bonus.

One intriguing aspect of the side activities in Final Fantasy 10 lies in the richness it offers despite the main story being largely linear. There’s essentially one significant chance to engage with optional content around the mid-point of the game, and most of the content becomes accessible only after reaching the end of the game and revisiting previous areas.

In subsequent updates of the game, The Dark Aeon represents an exceptionally tough boss battle within the turn-based combat system, testing its top-notch performance. On the other hand, Blitzball is a popular side activity that players often recall as consuming much of their gaming time and focus.

3 Final Fantasy 8

Triple Triad

Final Fantasy 8 is often controversial within the series, yet its mini-game, Triple Triad, continues to be cherished by fans. Moreover, players could discover optional summoning opportunities, delve into hidden parts of the world map, and undertake additional missions as well.

As the player acquires Ragnarok towards the end of the game, the map becomes more expansive, revealing secret regions and bosses to encounter. These new areas not only add depth to the game content but also contribute to its narrative. Notable discoveries include Shumi Village, the Chocobo woodlands, and the hidden GF locations.

2 Final Fantasy 9

Character Quests

Many memorable quests within Final Fantasy 9 arise through delving into the backstories of your party members. For instance, uncovering Vivi’s past, helping Quina find tasty treats, and investigating Zidane’s adopted family’s history are some of the most captivating storylines found in this game.

Moreover, Final Fantasy 9 doesn’t skimp on its additional content either. The hidden town of Daguerro offers extra puzzles to conquer, there’s an extended version of the earlier games’ Chocobo hunting, the Tetra Master card game, a marketplace for auctions, and much more.

Additionally, the enigmatic boss, Ozma, offers a thrilling, awe-inspiring battle, as well as an engaging combat riddle to solve and conquer. For players seeking optional battles, there’s the Monster Arena in Treno, which consistently introduces fresh adversaries to engage with during gameplay.

1 Final Fantasy 7

The Ultimate Weapons

One significant factor that drew gamers to Final Fantasy 7 was its bold approach to incorporating various elements, such as mini-games and side activities, into the gameplay experience. Compared to other role-playing games at the time, very few, if any, had ventured to blend vehicle combat mechanics, tower defense mini-games, or racing games into their gameplay.

In “Final Fantasy 7”, there was an abundance of these and more. Many of these side activities were gathered in one place at the famous Gold Saucer, yet the game effectively dispersed additional content throughout the course of its three discs, making it available as optional play along the journey.

In the intricate Chocobo breeding mechanism of Final Fantasy 7, which was integral to both adventuring and the standalone Chocobo racing mini-game, as well as the numerous “Uber Bosses” known as Weapon super bosses, this game offered a variety of engaging side activities for diverse players.

2024-10-13 06:04