Games

Most Unusual Final Fantasy Games

Published

2 months ago

October 12, 2024

Christoph Rediske

dirge of cerberus and stranger of paradise final fantasy

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Final Fantasy games surprise fans with unique entries and spin-offs, showcasing the series’ versatility.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a rhythm game celebrating the series’ music with cutesy characters and RPG elements.
Final Fantasy 16 shocked gamers by abandoning turn-based combat for fast-paced action reminiscent of Devil May Cry.

Final Fantasy games range from traditional JRPGs to massive shakeups of the formula, still managing to throw curveballs at fans after all these decades. Most people still can never guess what will come next from the series, both in the main numbered entries and in the spin-offs.

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Most gamers would likely never have thought that any of the games below would have been made, but Square Enix defied all expectations by delivering these unusual Final Fantasy games. To the publisher’s credit, most of the games below were met with a warm reception and showcase how special Final Fantasy can be when it embraces the weird.

6 Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

A Rhythm Game Celebrating The Series’ Music

Systems

Released: February 16, 2023
Developer(s): indieszero

This is the latest entry in the rhythm game spin-off series meant to showcase and celebrate the iconic music from Final Fantasy. It might not be unusual to showcase the music of such a series, as there are also regular concert tours of the games’ memorable soundtracks, but what is unusual is the aesthetic and RPG elements put into the game.

The music is not the only thing on display here. The game is also populated with cutesy versions of iconic Final Fantasy heroes, villains, and monsters. The standard edition of the game alone comes with 385 tracks to play, but more have been added in DLC. With this many songs and the intense difficulty modes, Final Bar Line can occupy dozens of hours of gameplay time.

5 Final Fantasy 11

An MMORPG That Revolutionized The Genre

Final Fantasy 11

Released: October 28, 2003
Developer(s): Square Enix

From Final Fantasy 7 to Final Fantay 10, the 3D adventures just got bigger and bigger. With this trend, it felt like the eleventh numbered game would be the biggest single-player JRPG with the best graphics of the time. However, Square instead decided to try their hand at an MMORPG. The game broke new ground by offering crossplay between PS2 and PC, and it was really the first massively successful example of the genre to come out of Japan.

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Online functionality on the PS2 was not available in everyone’s home, so many fans might have missed out on the game in its prime, but Final Fantasy 11‘s historical relevance is undeniable. Square tried to replicate the game’s massive success with Final Fantasy 14, which stumbled out of the gate before a complete revamp made it one of the most celebrated and accessible MMORPGs in recent memory.

4 Dissidia Final Fantasy

A Fighting Game With A Twist

Systems

The PSP was ripe for JRPG adventures. Its portability would make grinding less of a chore on commutes to work or lunch breaks. FInal Fantasy has plenty traditional adventures on Sony’s handheld, along with the unusual fighting game, Dissidia. It wouldn’t be so notable if it was a traditional fighting game in the vein of Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat, but Dissidia lets players move around in a 3D environment and employs an odd fighting system that borrows some elements from the series’ turn-based roots.

Players have to balance their BRV gauge as well as their HP and strategize their attacks to not use up all their BRV at once, or else use it at a wise moment to get an upper hand in battle while also leaving themselves momentarily vulnerable. It’s certainly an unusual concept for a Final Fantasy game, but it proves to be incredibly fun nonetheless.

3 Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7

A Third-Person Shooter Starring Vincent Valentine

Final Fantasy 7: Dirge of Cerberus

Systems

Released: August 15, 2006
Developer(s): Square Enix

FInal Fantasy 7 has always been unusual, but people expect this from its world and characters. Dirge of Cerberus, on the other hand, essentially abandons all RPG elements in favor of being a more straightforward third-person shooter.

This is not a bad idea on paper, but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. Still, at the time, it was awesome to see and play in the world of Final Fantasy 7 with such graphical fidelity. Along with Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children, it was the first time many of these characters had voices put to their faces and personalities.

2 Final Fantasy 16

A Numbered Title That Does Away With Turn-Based Combat

Systems

Final Fantasy 15‘s development traces all the way back to the leadup to the PS3’s launch. With ten years of trailers and hype, it was impossible to live up to the expectations. Final Fantasy 16 had a much cleaner announcement and release, but it shocked some gamers in other ways.

Final Fantasy 16 Clive, Judgment Bolt, Dancing Steel

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Mainly, the game abandoned all turn-based elements in exchange for the straightfoward action more in tune with Devil May Cry. Aesthetically, there is still a lot to make it feel like a Final Fantasy game, but the gameplay is fast and relies on reflexes rather than preparation and planning out moves.

1 Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

An Action Game Taking Place Before The Original Final Fantasy

Stranger of Paradise is easily one of the most unusual Final Fantasy games out there. Removed from the strange concept, the gameplay is compelling and more entertaining when friends are involved for cooperative play. After that, it is all strange and unexpected. The game itself is a prequel to the original Final Fantasy and deals with Chaos, that game’s main antagonist.

There are also several licensed songs used throughout the game, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Limp Bizkit. The game tries to be more mature than past Final Fantasy titles, but thinks that being adult is dropping more curse words and showing more blood. As a result, it ends up feeling more juvenile than serious.