Few video game series match the output of Final Fantasy. For over thirty years the RPG franchise has been steadily churning out titles, whether they be mainline numbered entries or spin-offs. Being epic adventures, each of the games bearing the Final Fantasy moniker tends to take dozens of hours to complete. While this is usually a plus, an over-bloated experience negatively affects the overall quality.
The opposite is true as well, where an RPG can feel too short and not give players enough time to live in the world. The following list looks at both sides of this coin, detailing Final Fantasy titles that were too long, and others that were too short.
Updated June 13, 2022 by Jason Wojnar: Final Fantasy fans generally always have something to look forward to. The big title on their radars now is Final Fantasy XVI. While little is known about the next mainline entry, fans at least know that it is coming out in the summer of 2023.
This is plenty of time to brush up on some older Final Fantasy titles in the meantime. This list will help fans find the beefiest entries as well as the slimmer ones, depending on what they are looking for. The list has also been updated with a couple of more entries, including the two longest entries in the franchise.
12 Too Long: Final Fantasy 13 (49 Hours)
- 2010
- Available on PS3, Xbox 360, PC
The thirteenth entry's biggest shortcoming was its narrative and world. The gameplay was strong and the cast of characters was likable, but the conflict and lore were needlessly complex and ultimately uninteresting.
The linear design of the first two-thirds of the adventure did not win favor with fans either. Had this chunk of the game been shorter and the open sections of Pulse been more fleshed out, perhaps the polarizing title would have been more fondly remembered.
11 Too Short: Final Fantasy 15 (28 Hours)
- 2017
- Available on PS4, Xbox One, PC
Final Fantasy 15 is the first time the series takes a more traditional open-world approach, with a structure taking cues from many western RPGs. In the first half of the game, this makes one think they are in for a game stretching well over one hundred hours.
However, after a key climactic moment, the rest of the story zooms toward its conclusion. The first eight chapters make up about ninety percent of the game, while the last six go by in the blink of an eye. For those who consider 28 hours even too long, there is always Final Fantasy 15: Pocket Edition, which condenses the action even further while having a cute, chibi art style.
10 Too Long: Final Fantasy 2 (25 1/2 Hours)
- 1988
- Available on NES, PlayStation, PSP, Mobile, Game Boy Advance, PC
The second journey in this franchise is generally considered the weakest, but it is notable for being the first one to strive for a more ambitious story. Unfortunately, the stat progression system – which increases stats based on how often they are used in battle, like in The Elder Scrolls franchise – significantly hinders the whole package. A more traditional leveling structure would streamline the experience and shave needless hours of grinding out of the equation, turning a twenty-five hour game into a tighter, more enjoyable RPG.
9 Too Short: Final Fantasy (17 1/2 Hours)
- 1987
- Available on NES, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, PSP, Mobile, PC
The original Final Fantasy still holds up today as long as one plays a more updated version, which fixes many of the bugs present in the original release and updates the sprites to a more timeless aesthetic.
Whatever complaints one has about the series' debut, it is impossible to say it overstays its welcome. It is less than twenty hours long, an impressively short stint for a Japanese RPG even of that era.
8 Too Long: Final Fantasy 8 (41 1/2 Hours)
- 1999
- Available on PlayStation, PC, Xbox One, Switch, PS4
Coming after the universally beloved and historically significant Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8 continued the trend into a more science fiction world, though ultimately focusing more on the characters' relationships than the world-ending conflict.
The narrative is compelling, but its Achilles heel is the Draw system, which makes players grind the Draw technique for hours on end in order to increase stats. Fortunately, the re-release allows players to speed up the game.
7 Too Long: Final Fantasy 11 (707 Hours)
- 2002
- Available on PC (PS2 and Xbox versions have since been discontinued)
Older MMORPGs are difficult for younger generations to jump into. Final Fantasy 11 was a revolution for the genre and marked many firsts within the industry, including being the first console MMORPG and the first MMORPG with cross-play between consoles and PCs.
Though the last expansion has been released long ago, servers are still running and new players are more than welcome to join. Don't expect all the modern conveniences of the next Final Fantasy MMO. It is still worth playing as a curiosity, but it is hard to convince someone to put in the hundreds of hours it takes to see all the main story content.
6 Too Short: Final Fantasy 4 (23 1/2 Hours)
- 1991
- Available on SNES, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, PSP, Mobile, PC
Final Fantasy 2 contained unique characters with distinct personalities, but they were largely forgettable. Only in Final Fantasy 4 did the developers write party members gaming would remember for generations to come.
The increased focus on narrative when compared to prior entries also meant a shorter game overall, however. Fans spent more time within the world years later with Final Fantasy 4: The After Years, but it was not exactly what people wanted from a sequel.
5 Too Long: Final Fantasy 12 (60 1/2 Hours)
- 2006
- Available on PS2, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
The second single-player mainline entry to come out on the PS2, Final Fantasy 12 contained the biggest world yet for the franchise and had significantly more open-ended environments than Final Fantasy 10.
While some enjoyed the vast scope, others abhorred having to journey for hours across the world to reach a destination. Fortunately, the re-release lets players speed up time when out in these areas, streamlining the gameplay while still maintaining its grandiosity.
4 Too Short: Final Fantasy 13-2 (28 Hours)
- 2011
- Available On PS3, Xbox 360, and PC
While some would belittle this game by saying any amount of hours is too long, those who wanted more from the world received a shorter game overall than the first Final Fantasy 13. On top of this, the time travel angle was not exactly something people were expecting from a sequel.
Additionally, it ends with a twist and cliffhanger ending, feeling unsatisfying after about twenty-four hours of gameplay. Perhaps the Final Fantasy 13 subseries would have been better served if this game and Lightning Returns were both abridged and turned into one title.
3 Too Long: Final Fantasy 7 Remake (34 Hours)
- 2020
- Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC,
This dream come true gives fans an in-depth look at the original Final Fantasy 7's introductory hours in Midgar while also teasing some incredible and exciting new concepts for the series. While it may seem heresy to complain about such a remake being too long, certain sections definitely overstay their welcome.
This is exacerbated for those who played the original and are familiar with the story beats. Knowing what comes next slightly deflates the tension and has fans looking at their watch, waiting for the next area to open up. Most would have preferred a slightly shorter game, especially if it meant the second part would come out sooner.
2 Too Short: Final Fantasy Tactics (39 1/2 Hours)
- 2000
- Available on PlayStation, PSP, and Mobile
For newcomers to the game and the genre, Final Fantasy Tactics is a sprawling epic. However, those who have mastered the mechanics can breeze through this game in somewhere around twenty-four hours. Several side quests exist to unlock hidden characters, but few of these involve combat. More challenges and optional content involving the in-depth battle system would have been appreciated by experienced players to further extend this game's life. Even so, Final Fantasy Tactics remains one of the most celebrated games in the franchise.
1 Too Long: Final Fantasy 14 (235 Hours)
- 2013 (original version) 2014 (A Realm Reborn)
- Available on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 (PlayStation 3 support has been discontinued)
MMORPGs are known for their length, and Final Fantasy 14 is no exception. The title also has an incredibly interesting development history. It had a disastrous launch before being completely remade and retooled.
The new version, titled A Realm Reborn, went on to become one of the most celebrated MMORPGs of the past ten years. It has been running for a long time, which makes it extremely intimidating to newcomers who have to go through potentially hundreds of hours of content before reaching the most recent expansion.