Biggest Grinds In The Final Fantasy Games

Key Takeaways

Some Final Fantasy games feature frustrating grinds for benefits that may not be worth the trouble.
Mastering Jobs in Final Fantasy 5 requires a patience-testing grind for hardcore players.
Upgrading Materia in Final Fantasy 7 involves a mind-numbing grind to optimize party members’ abilities.

As someone who has spent countless hours exploring the vast worlds and intricate mechanics of the Final Fantasy series, I must say that these games have their fair share of challenges – some more frustrating than others. However, it is the grindy aspects of these titles that often separate the casual player from the hardcore fan.

The “Final Fantasy” series is widely recognized as one of the most beloved Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG) franchises, consistently capturing fans’ hearts. In the early days of gaming, this series paved the way by demonstrating how technological advancements could enhance the JRPG genre, only to experience a brief decline before experiencing an incredible resurgence.

In typical JRPG fashion, some Final Fantasy games might feature an overly demanding level of grinding which can turn into a frustrating ordeal for players. They may find themselves going to great lengths just to reap rewards that might not justify the effort.

8 Learning Magic

Players Needed To Be Smart While Assigning Magicite

Biggest Grinds In The Final Fantasy Games

As a spellbound fan, witnessing Terra wield her enchanted abilities amidst the awestruck gazes of others is an exhilarating spectacle. Yet, as I grasp my magicite and perceive the wisdom of these Espers imparting potent spells to our party, a chill of apprehension creeps over me. For I know well that the path ahead will be paved with relentless toil, as the mastery of such arcane knowledge demands tireless effort.

In Final Fantasy 6, it’s frustrating for players when they have to teach every party member essential spells to avoid making them dependent on other members for crucial situations. The most powerful late-game magicite spells can be challenging to master if one aims for the magic-oriented characters to reach their full potential and excel effectively in combat.

7 Leveling Up Cecil After He Becomes A Paladin

Loses All His Levels After Changing Classes

Playing Final Fantasy 4 was an enjoyable experience due to its innovative approach to storytelling, particularly through the roles of the characters. The beginning of Cecil’s journey as a Dark Knight sets him on a path where he grapples with a moral dilemma. This conflict is eventually resolved when he renounces his dark side and transforms into a Paladin.

One unforgettable moment in the Final Fantasy series is often recollected, yet players may find themselves humming a less joyful tune upon discovering that this essential party member has been reduced to Level 1 when they open the menu. If players opt against level grinding, encountering certain bosses with a low-level Cecil can become a harrowing experience.

6 Drawing 99 Stocks Of A Spell

A Requirement For Players Who Wanted To Optimize The Junction System

In the Junction system of Final Fantasy 8, there were some intriguing concepts, but due to the rushed release of the game, SquareSoft struggled to find a proper balance within this system. Consequently, players aiming for maximum stat boosts found themselves needing to draw 99 instances of every spell in the game.

Fans found the grinding in Final Fantasy 8 extremely frustrating, causing some of them to abandon the game permanently. But with recent advancements like a speed-up feature and user-friendly mechanics, players won’t need to spend excessive time on magic drawing, especially if they prefer not to accumulate more than 99 instances of each spell.

5 Upgrading Materia

A Mind-Numbing Grind If Players Want Multiple Materia With High-Level Magic

In a more relaxed and conversational style: The materia system from Final Fantasy 7 has developed a rich flavor over time, leading its remakes to stick closely to the same tried-and-true formula with minimal alterations. This is a testament to how captivating this mechanic was, enabling players to tailor the abilities of their party members according to their preferences.

If players aim to maximally upgrade all their materia, they’d find themselves with a significantly challenging endeavor. The grinding required is immense, and the situation becomes even more frustrating when players are encouraged to remove mastered materia to focus on lesser versions, denying them the benefits of utilizing advanced magic and spells in combat.

4 Earning AP To Learn Abilities

Players Will Be Forced To Wear Weaker Equipment Otherwise

Final Fantasy 9 evokes the golden age of the franchise yet blends contemporary JRPG mechanics, providing fans an enchanting fusion of past and present gaming experiences. A significant portion of skills players acquire are linked to gear, a captivating system that occasionally presents a minor inconvenience, leading to tedious repetition.

AP isn’t something you just find lying around, so players need to consciously use less powerful gear to acquire skills that can lead to tough battles against difficult enemies. Repeatedly swapping mediocre equipment and grinding AP for levels can result in a rather boring gameplay experience in an otherwise fantastic game.

3 Manipulating Stats To Make The Party Stronger

A Workaround For Final Fantasy 2’s Weird Leveling System

In simpler terms, Final Fantasy 2 is often criticized as the less popular member of the series due to its controversial change in level progression. Instead of using a reliable leveling system, it introduced something new and innovative, but unfortunately, this concept didn’t work well when implemented.

The flawed game mechanics prompted players to repeatedly perform specific actions and self-deprecate, leading to an unbalanced character growth. To avoid identical development for all characters, gamers were forced to engage in peculiar battle strategies that felt overly laborious, which weakened the impact of Final Fantasy 2 for numerous players.

2 Upgrading All The Celestial Weapons

Some Of The Crests And Sigils Are A Pain To Get

Nearly every Final Fantasy game comes equipped with ultimate weapons for its characters that are delightful to employ. Players relish the thought of dealing massive damage to adversaries, but Final Fantasy 10 introduces a distinctive twist to this notion by requiring players to put in effort to unleash the full might of each party member’s Celestial Weapons.

To transform Celestial Weapons into formidable weapons for dealing damage, players must successfully finish various side activities, mini-games, and challenging tasks scattered throughout the game. Some of these tasks are relatively simple, but others can be quite difficult to handle. The most challenging and notorious minigames include dodging 200 consecutive lightning bolts and achieving a time of zero seconds in the Catcher Chocobo minigame.

1 Mastering Jobs

The Game Has So Many Jobs That Mastering All Of Them Is An Exercise In Patience

In Final Fantasy 5, players can fully customize their team using an exceptional job system, which is one of the series’ standouts. The emphasis here is on gameplay, with a humorous storyline that has left a lasting impression on fans due to its funny scenes and Gilgamesh’s endearing character.

For those who found the job system enjoyable but not too demanding, it was suitable for casual players. However, dedicated JRPG enthusiasts aiming to perfect each job faced an endless grind due to the challenging nature of these roles, with some complex jobs being extremely difficult to master because of their stringent and seemingly impossible prerequisites.

2024-11-09 09:34