A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about how I finally got into Magic: The Gathering thanks to the latest Final Fantasy set. Since then, I’ve been attending Friday Night Magic at a local game store. I’m still not good at the game, but I’m still having fun trying to get better. At the same time, it’s also renewed my interest in Final Fantasy. For a series I fell off of, it’s nice to go back and catch up on what I missed.
No strong connection to the modern games since XI
The last Final Fantasy that I put any significant time into was Final Fantasy XI. Yes, it’s been around 20 years, and it’s the first MMO in the franchise. Other than putting in many all-nighters, I only have one major recollection of that game. I couldn’t tell you the story, but I do remember the fact that you could lose XP. Once your character reached Level 30, you would lose XP any time you died. So, if you played the game solo, you’d get screwed anytime you died.
Sure, I did dabble in some of the other modern Final Fantasy games, but I never finished any of them. I only tried XII when it came out as The Zodiac Age edition around 2017. XIII is one that I got about halfway through before I lost interest. So, that means I never played any of its direct sequels either. As for XV and XVI, my only experience with either of them is their demos.
The only Final Fantasy games I’ve played through completion are the classic ones. I had fun playing Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS. I’m one of the few people who liked that one, even though it’s considered one of the weaker games in the franchise. Then last year, I finally finished FF IV. It’s a game I started back in 2023, so it took me almost two years to complete. It’s now one of my favorite games in the series.
Currently playing V and a few others.
I began playing Final Fantasy V late last year. It’s a game I featured in my daily series. So, over the last two weeks, I started it up again. This time, I began fresh with the Game Boy Advance version through emulation. For some reason, I prefer playing the classic games that way. I have the Pixel Remasters, but there is something about the GBA version that appeals to me. I’ve put in over 10 hours and have reached the ‘second world’ of the game.
But it’s not the only FF game I’ve been playing. I also decided to give XIV another go around. I had some issues trying to find the accounts I set up before. So, I started playing with one character on my Xbox Series X, but then recovered an older character on my PS5. I’m taking advantage of the Free trial, so it’s nice to fool around. Unfortunately, after about two hours so far, I’m still wandering the starting zone.
The other Final Fantasy game I’ve jumped back into is VII Remake. I’m currently early in Chapter 11. Rebirth was one of the few major releases of 2024 that I didn’t play last year. I would have loved to have finished Remake last year, but I couldn’t find the time. It looks like I still have another 20 hours left to go, but I’d love to finish it so I can jump into Rebirth.
A few others I’m playing or thinking about playing
As mentioned earlier, with Final Fantasy XII, I only began playing it after the release of The Zodiac Age. I started it on the Nintendo Switch, then again on Steam. You may notice that I tend to buy more than one copy of Final Fantasy games. XII isn’t the only one that I’ve done that for. While I started it on both systems, my progress on Switch is a few hours more than on the other system. I will admit, the game looks better on my Steam Deck than on my Switch 2.
I also picked up XV. The Royal Edition was on sale on PSN, so I picked up that version intending to play at some point. As for XVI, it’s another one I’m thinking about getting. I’m uncertain where. I started the game on PS5, but I’ve only played the first hour. Not enough to remember any of the plot. Because of that, I’m leaning towards starting fresh on PC. XVI isn’t Steam Deck compatible (based on what’s shown on its Steam page), but I have a good enough video card. So, I wouldn’t mind playing it while sitting at my computer.
Then there is XIII. When I first played it, it was back on the PlayStation 3. I still have that console, but it’s sitting in storage. It’s not something I’d want to bring out of storage. There isn’t any space for me to put it, considering my TV is already connected to three other consoles. I did pick up the trilogy of games on PC. All three should be compatible on Steam Deck, so I could start it up again and see if I can push through. But, in comparison to all the FF games I’m thinking about, it’s at the bottom of my list.
There are so many Final Fantasy games
So far, I’ve only mentioned the mainline Final Fantasy games. There are also a few spin-off games I missed out on. For example, I never played FF Type-0. The same is true for games like FF VII: Ever Crisis or Stranger of Paradise. I’m looking forward to playing the Final Fantasy Tactics remaster this September.
At the moment, it would be best for me to decide which I can finish in a reasonable amount of time. Based on time played so far, I’m nowhere near the end of any game. But, considering I’m further along in both FF V and FF VII Remake, those make the most sense to push through.
But after that, I don’t know. If I use the times posted on How Long To Beat, it feels like XV‘s 28-53 hour timeframe is more manageable. Especially since XII looks to take around 61 – 92 hours, and XVI would take me about 38-58. In any case, I’m jumping ahead of myself since I should focus on completing V and/or VII Remake first.
Not sure how long this itch will last
Magic: The Gathering‘s next set releases in a few weeks, so the hype around Final Fantasy is starting to die down. Final Fantasy got me into Magic: The Gathering, and MTG has gotten me back into FF. I do hope that my interest in both continues for a bit longer because I’ve been having a lot of fun. While I do hope I can finish at least one FF game this year, I also hope that I can get better at Magic.
