The Final Fantasy series are some of the biggest RPGs in the industry. For those just starting out, it can be daunting knowing how long they are. That begs the question. Just which game is the biggest? Calculating the size of these worlds was no easy task, as only a few entries have official map sizes. Furthermore, map size can be inflated by including zones that cannot even be visited.
It seemed impossible until we thought of a universal measurement: Time. For that, we turned to HowLongToBeat, a website that crowdsources how long it takes to finish a game.
The site calculates how long players take to complete the main story, the main campaign with extra content, and the required time to be a full completionist. Even with those hard numbers, we had to do some calculations of our own.
That is why we also took the number of locations and divided it by the average number of hours required to complete the main story and optional content, as that had the highest chance that players would have visited all the locations. Based on that average time, we could determine the size of each of the games.
Does that make sense and is this list guaranteed to be 100% accurate? Not entirely, and exceptions might be made along the way, but let’s see what our crazy math works out to be.
15 Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI can be completed in 35.5 hours, with that time increasing between 41 and 63 hours depending on the side quests explored. There are approximately 67 locations in the game, including Figaro Castle and the Esper Caves. This results in an average of 0.61 hours spent in each location.
This entry can be thanked for pushing the story forward into a global conflict. There is a lot to see and a lot to do with every character. On top of the normal map, there is also the destroyed version, which essentially doubles the size of this adventure.
14 Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V takes about 32.5 hours to complete, although the additional content extends that time to somewhere between 37 and 68 hours. There are about 60 locations in the game, with some examples being Carwen and the Barrier Tower. This results in an average of 0.62 hours spent in every location.
That completionist time may seem high, but like Final Fantasy III, the fifth entry also has a deep class system. Mastering every class for all four characters takes awhile.
13 Final Fantasy I
The original Final Fantasy takes about 17.5 hours to complete, with that time extending to 23.5 or 36 hours based on extras. There are about 37 locations in the game.
This results in an average of 0.63 hours spent in every location. For an NES game, Final Fantasy was pretty big for its time, as most titles on the console only lasted a couple of hours. The map seemed huge back then, but compared to its sequels, it is tiny.
12 Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III can be completed in 30 hours, but with that time extending to 36 or 46 hours depending on the optional quests. There are about 54 locations in the game, including the Amur and the Living Woods. This results in an average of 0.67 hours spent in every location.
Technically the first game also had classes, but Final Fantasy III was the first entry that allowed players to switch after starting. That’s a big reason why this entry takes so long to complete, on top of being Square’s most ambitious feat on the NES. The hardware's limits were pushed.
11 Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV takes about 23.5 hours to complete, with that time extending to 28 or 39 hours based on extras. Be it Baron or the Tower of Zot, Final Fantasy IV's has approximately 41 locations split between Earth, the Underworld, and the Red Moon. This results in an average of 0.68 hours spent in every location.
While Final Fantasy IV had a lot more ambition piled on, it wasn’t exactly expanded upon. It was more of a refinement of what came before on the NES.
10 Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII takes about 38.5 hours to complete with that time extending to 54 when extras are taken into account. There are about 78 locations in the game, not including the Debug Room's sections that are not meant to be explorable. This results in an average of 0.69 hours spent in every location.
This was another big step forward for Final Fantasy as this ushered in the age of discs, where memory seemed endless. With a giant world and tons of secrets, Final Fantasy VII was a beast compared to everything that came before.
9 Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II can be completed in 25.5 hours, but side quests can easily extend this time to 32 or 41 hours. There are about 30 locations in the game, resulting in an average of 1.06 hours spent in every location.
Making the next game bigger is the goal of every developer, right? Well, Square may have gone too wild with this one, especially when it comes to Final Fantasy II's oddball leveling mechanics. That may account for the spike in completionist hours.
8 Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX can be completed in 40 hours, but with that time extending to 54.5 depending on side quests. The game has around 42 locations, which results in an average time of approximately 1.30 hours spent in each area.
What sets this apart from Cloud’s adventure is the attention to detail. Yes, everyone is shorter, but the designs are also more compact. This is true for characters, places, and even the content itself. Aesthetically, Final Fantasy IX was a return to form for the series.
7 Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII takes about 42.5 hours to complete, although optional content can quickly balloon that time to somewhere between 59 and 89.5 hours.
There are about 38 locations in the game, with the average time per location coming to 1.55 hours.
The biggest addition that makes Final Fantasy VIII slightly longer are the dream sequences. While these sections reuse assets, they still create new locations all the same.
6 Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X can be completed in 48 hours, but with that time extending to 79.5 or 165 hours depending on whether someone explores the optional content. There are about 44 locations in the game, including Baaj and the Kilika Temple. This results in an average of 1.81 hours spent in each location.
Even though this game lacks a truly open-world, seeming like a linear path from one location to the next, Spira is all connected. Despite what one may think, these areas are also dense with side activities. Final Fantasy X was the next step forward.
5 Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII can be completed in 60.5 hours; however, side quests extend that time to between 93 and 155 hours. There are about 43 locations that can be visited in this world, resulting in an average of 2.16 hours spent in every location.
This game tried to do the MMO thing but on a single-player level. Final Fantasy XII took a while to come out, but when it did, fans were treated to a massive experience. Thankfully, the HD remaster added a fast-forward feature to help battles move along quicker.
4 Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII takes about 49 hours to complete the main campaign and around 62 hours with the optional content. There are about 24 locations in the game including Taejin's Tower and the Archylte Steppe.
This results in an average of 2.58 hours spent in every location. Final Fantasy XIII is actually quite linear, with only the final third opening up. As linear as it is, there are still lots of locations to see, not to mention that last gigantic section.
3 Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV takes about 28 hours to complete with that time extending to 54 hours based on extras. There are about 67 locations in the game, resulting in an average time of 0.80 hours spent in every location.
Obviously this game is bigger than that suggests; in fact, Final Fantasy XV's map is approximately 700 square miles. That said, a substantial percentage of the map cannot actually be explored. Nevertheless, let's just assume Final Fantasy XV is the third biggest in the franchise's history.
2 Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI is calculated a little differently. The time is measured in Solo, Co-op, and Vs. While no hours have been logged for the latter, the average to complete the main campaign and extra for the former two comes in at 2785 and 500 hours respectively.
As a real MMO, with multiple expansions, the size engulfs all other console experiences. Just for fun, there are about 160 locations in Final Fantasy XI.
1 Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV is also calculated this way. Strangely enough, the table suggests that the main campaign and extra can be completed quicker alone than through co-op. Like said in the intro, we had to do some inferring when making this list and just comparing the original MMO to this, there is no question Final Fantasy XIV is bigger.
It is the greatest culmination of every game in the series that ever lived, even spin-offs. It’s only natural that this should be the grandest adventure of them all. Also just for fun, there are about 169 locations in the game.