Highlights
- Final Fantasy 9's overworld may not stand out, but its character development and story make the experience memorable.
- Final Fantasy 5's superb gameplay and unique worlds create a grand sense of adventure for players.
- Final Fantasy 8's unnamed overworld is beautiful and jam-packed with secrets to uncover, offering players plenty to do as they try to save the world from destruction.
Final Fantasy is one of the most popular JRPG series of all time, establishing its roots in 1987 and paving the way for this genre to become one of the most widespread ones in gaming history. The franchise has always strived to achieve the highest levels when it comes to quality and staying ahead of the curve, evolving with gaming as a whole to be as cutting-edge and innovative as possible.
Every Final Fantasy Game Released On The DS, Ranked
Square Enix and the Nintendo DS were a match made in RPG heaven, with the company releasing plenty of Final Fantasy games on the handheld console.Each game in the series features a massive overworld that players can get lost in for hours on end as they explore these massive worlds and uncover the wealth of content that is on offer. These overworlds initially used to be massive world maps that housed areas of interest before the rise of open-world gaming led to Final Fantasy's massive landscapes becoming more fleshed-out and lived-in than ever before.
6 Gaia (Final Fantasy 9)
There are many people who consider Final Fantasy 9 to be the very best in the series for many reasons, with the throwback to old Final Fantasy games being appreciated by people who felt like the last two games were trying too hard to be different. The game certainly excels in many departments... even if the overworld itself feels like a step backward from previous games.
That's not to say that Gaia is a great area to explore, with players finding a wealth of secrets in this world as the story progresses to let them explore certain areas naturally. However, there are many people who feel that this overworld doesn't really do a lot to stand out, and Final Fantasy 9 ends up leaning on its character development and story to make the experience memorable instead.
5 Bartz's World, Galuf's World, & The Merged World (Final Fantasy 5)
The job system is extremely fleshed out in Final Fantasy 5, allowing players to form diverse parties with unique traits to make for a great experience. While the story itself can be pretty rudimentary and the characters are barely different from each other in any way, it's the superb gameplay of this title that makes it so memorable in the eyes of many.
6 Darkest Endings In The Final Fantasy Games, Ranked
Final Fantasy is one of the biggest franchises in the history of gaming, but sometimes the happy ending players expect doesn't come to pass.The overworlds that players explore are pretty great in their own right too, featuring many unique worlds that all merge together in the game's final chapter as players try to fight against Exdeath and the Void. Final Fantasy 5 may not be the story-focused experience that most people wanted, but the sense of adventure as players explore new and unique areas to further their adventure makes for a grand time.
4 The Overworld, The Underworld, & The Red Moon (Final Fantasy 4)
Final Fantasy 4 is a game that many people consider to be their personal favorite, with the integration of traditional Final Fantasy elements into an emotional story that boasts impressive set pieces making for a great time indeed. Players genuinely feel like they are embarking on a grand adventure in this title, with a wealth of party members coming and going from the game as Cecil and his friends try to pursue and stop Golbez in his tracks.
The Overworld of this game is pretty massive, but players get to explore the Underworld and the Moon itself after a point. It's a truly glorious adventure where players control a party of five in tactical encounters where a single mistake can prove to be quite deadly. While the other two worlds may not be massive, it's the distinct visuals and impressive exploration it enables that make these overworlds so memorable.
3 Unnamed (Final Fantasy 8)
It's funny how Final Fantasy 8 has one of the most beautiful and jam-packed overworlds in the entire franchise but doesn't really have a specific name for the same. Since players have early access to an airship in this game, they can easily explore many secrets from the get-go without having to wait too long.
6 Darkest Final Fantasy Abilities, Ranked
Final Fantasy players have many tools at their disposal, but these moves make for a scary strategy.This leads to players uncovering secret draw points, optional dungeons, and towns that players don't really need to explore. There are a lot of things to do in Final Fantasy 8's unnamed map, and players will find many interesting things to do in this overworld as they try to stop the world from being destroyed at the hands of Edea and Ultimecia.
2 The Planet (Final Fantasy 7)
The overworld of Final Fantasy 7 makes an incredible impression from the very moment players stumble onto the world map. Midgar is a beautiful and twisted urban metropolis to explore in its own right, with players spending a bulk of time in this city before finally getting access to the rest of the open world... even then, it takes a while before players can finally explore the world at their own pace.
This makes for a wonderful adventure as players explore various areas on the Planet and interact with a diverse melting pot of cultures, questlines, character-building moments, and everything else along the same lines. The Planet is massive, and an airship makes it quite engaging to explore as players figure out the many secrets lying in this overworld while hanging out with their favorite characters.
1 The World of Balance & The World of Ruin (Final Fantasy 6)
Final Fantasy 6 is considered by many to be the best game in the series, and understandably so. The title's ensemble cast makes a really strong impression, and the manner in which Kefka bamboozles everyone to alter the balance of the Warring Triad and completely change the face of the world itself is truly engrossing and shows how badly the heroes have failed.
The World of Balance is one full of hope, charm, and love. In comparison, the World of Ruin shows just how horrifying Kefka's actions have been, and it's up to the heroes to infiltrate his tower and take out this dastardly villain before he can do more damage.