Final Fantasy Games That Lived Up To The Hype

Final Fantasy is the biggest JRPG series in the West without a doubt. While it faces more competition than ever before, fans remain excited about new releases in the franchise. It’s easier to get hyped daily today compared to Final Fantasy’s early days, because the flow of information is better thanks to dedicated websites and trailers. It’s more fun than ever to discuss news with other fans on message boards, thus adding to the hype.

It can be a letdown when a project fails to meet expectations, especially after a long development cycle like Final Fantasy 15. It’s not a bad game by any means, but it perhaps wasn’t worth waiting ten years for. That said, these other Final Fantasy games were worth hyping up, and they will be ranked based on how well they met expectations at the time.

Final Fantasy 3 (DS Remake)

Decades In The Making

Final Fantasy fans were overjoyed when long-awaited games finally started releasing on the PS1 after skipping Western releases initially. One game Western fans had to wait longer for—sixteen years, to be exact—was Final Fantasy 3, which was an NES game originally remade for the DS in 2006. It’s the game that pioneered the series’ swappable Job system, so it was certainly an important entry.

At the time, no one was excited about the story or anything like that. They just wanted to close the gap on their history with the franchise, and while Final Fantasy 3 wasn’t a sensation across the greater DS RPG library, Final Fantasy fans were happy with it.

Final Fantasy 4 (DS Remake)

A Favorite In Japan

Thanks to the mild success of Final Fantasy 3’s remake, Square Enix pushed forward with remaking a fan favorite from Japan, which is also shared among some Western fans. Final Fantasy 4 was the next game to receive a DS remake, which added voice acting on top of quality-of-life improvements, including faster load times and quicker menu navigation.

Characters like Cecil, Rosa, Cid, Yang, and the rest all looked great in their new polygonal forms. The voices weren’t bad for the sound quality of the DS either, along with the iconinc soundtrack. Again, it was a release more hyped overseas, but another one that found its way onto the shelves of many fans in the West.

Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn

True Believers Counted On Square Enix

Final Fantasy 11 grew to have a large fan base as the franchise’s first MMO, so it was decided that Final Fantasy 14 would be a spiritual successor. Unfortunately, the 2010 launch was so disastrous that Square Enix eventually threw in the towel in 2012 and shut servers down, with the promise of returning with a new game sometime down the road. Some thought it wasn’t possible after the bad launch and polarizing reception of Final Fantasy 13. Was Square Enix done?

Some fans never stopped believing, though, and their faith was justified in 2013 when Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn was released. It fixed so many problems with the original launch that it indeed felt like a brand-new game. Those who have stuck with the game for over a decade now secretly know it’s one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made.

Final Fantasy 16

Back In A Big Way

Final Fantasy 13 had an odd reception, Final Fantasy 14 initially had a bad launch, and some thought the wait for Final Fantasy 15 wasn’t worth it. Suffice it to say, the larger gaming media didn’t think too highly of the franchise for a good decade. New console launches can rejuvenate hype for any series, and that was what Final Fantasy 16’s announcement did for the PS5 and the Final Fantasy ​​​​​​series in 2020.

Fans still had to wait three years to play it, but hype never died down, and reached a fever pitch whenever a new trailer was shown. The final product was a darker tale of revenge, one influenced by Western media, such as Game of Thrones. It was a good reestablishing of the franchise, but the big question is this: Can Final Fantasy 17 keep the momentum going for the main series?

Final Fantasy 10

Breaking In The Next Generation

Final Fantasy 9, Final Fantasy 10, and Final Fantasy 11 were all announced at the same time, which made a lot of sense. Final Fantasy 9 was a farewell to the PS1, Final Fantasy 11 was a bold leap for the franchise as the first MMO, and Final Fantasy 10 was the first entry in the new console generation. Could Final Fantasy 10 do for the PS2 what Final Fantasy 7 did for the PS1?

The easy answer is yes and then some. The PS2 itself was more graphically capable than the PS1 by leaps and bounds, which Squaresoft showed off with Final Fantasy 10. Gone was the open-world map structure, but most fans didn’t even miss it because Final Fantasy 10 was a spectacle through and through. It was so beloved that it led to the franchise’s first direct sequel, Final Fantasy 10-2.

Final Fantasy 7

The PS1’s Savior

Young or old, the PS1 was the “it” console in the 90s, and no one could escape its grasp on the gaming market. Sony’s coup on Nintendo was successful, with one game in particular standing out: Final Fantasy 7. Trailers do most of the hyping now, but in the 90s, commercials were king, and the marketing team behind Final Fantasy 7 deserves a medal.

It got non-RPG fans to hop aboard for a bold new experience with epic cinematics, a cutting-edge battle system, and a mature story with swearing! It was edgy, which sold well in most media in the 90s, and Final Fantasy 7’s legacy really needs no elaboration at this point.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

A Promise Fulfilled

Years later, Square Enix decided to turn Final Fantasy 7 into a franchise all its own with numerous spinoffs and movies. The one thing fans were most hyped for wasn’t a game at all, but a 2005 tech demo for the PS3 featuring a remade intro to Final Fantasy 7. Tech demo or not, this made fans thirsty for a real Final Fantasy 7 remake, one they were left waiting on for over a decade.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake was officially announced in 2015 with a teaser trailer that set the Internet on fire. Unfortunately, due to development complications, it wouldn’t be released until 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was released at the right time, as fans had to stay home anyway. It wasn’t what many thought it would be, as it was only part one in a trilogy of remakes, but it still impressed a lot of players, and that’s all that really matters.