Final Fantasy: 5 Must-Play Spin-Off Games

It is no exaggeration to say that we are living in a new golden age for the Final Fantasy franchise.

Between the resounding success of Final Fantasy XVI in 2023 and how critically acclaimed Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was in early 2024, in addition to the long-awaited new expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, Dawntrail, marking one of the biggest release streaks in a long time - however, this comes with a consequence: it could be a few years before the next big game comes out.

With the Final Fantasy IX Remake still nothing more than rumors and conversations surrounding a new Final Fantasy Tactics starting to take shape with a recent interview with Naoki Yoshida, it might be a good time for players to get to know and/or revisit some of the biggest spin-offs and parallel series of the franchise since its origins.

In this article, we present five must-play spin-off games, but keep in mind we aren't adding any title that works as a prequel or sequel from the numbered mainline games (sorry, Crisis Core!), prioritizing those who received critical acclaim or community recognition through their own universes!

Final Fantasy Tactics

Final Fantasy Tactics was the series' first and most famous iteration in the tactical RPG genre, where characters move across platforms like chess pieces and take actions based on their available skills.

Released in 1997 for the PlayStation and re-released in the War of the Lions version in celebration of its tenth anniversary for the PlayStation Portable while currently available for iPhone and Android, the game tells the story of the war for the throne on the continent of Ivalice and the path taken by Delita, the first commoner to become King, from the perspective of Ramza Beoulve, an unknown hero whose name and deeds have been erased from history.

Considered to this day as one of the best games in the series, Final Fantasy Tactics brings a medieval world surrounded by intrigue, betrayal and secrets in a unique narrative far ahead of its time, in addition to being acclaimed for having one of the best Job systems in the franchise, with a wide variety of them that guarantee dozens or hundreds of hours of fun and party customization.

The Tactics series also has other titles widely recognized by fans, with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003 and Final Fantasy Tactics A2, released for the Nintendo DS in 2008 - Both have different artistic directions from the original game and relatively lighter stories, each with its own system of rules, jobs and innovations that make them unique experiences rather than just repeating the formula of their predecessor.

In April 2024, Naoki Yoshida, director of Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XVI, stated that it was time for a new Final Fantasy Tactics, opening speculation around an exclusive title in the series or a Remaster of the original game produced by the studio he leads, Creative Studio III.

Final Fantasy Type-0

Considered one of the darkest games in the franchise, Final Fantasy Type-0 is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis, an anthology of stories whose main theme is a pre-determined destiny by superior entities and includes the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, and in early development stages, would also include Final Fantasy XV.

In addition to destiny, one of the main themes of Type-0 is war and its consequences in a universe where all memories about a person are erased at the moment of their death. Their world, Orience, is a region where four great nations are blessed by the power of crystals, where the Militessi Empire begins a war against the Dominion of Rubrum.

Unlike other titles, Final Fantasy Type-0 does not have a specific protagonist. Instead, it seeks to highlight the various playable characters of Class Zero, a group of young people trained with special means to use the souls of fallen enemies as a source of power to cast magic, and the group's role in the great war that is taking place in the world.

From start to finish, this game is a grim emotional rollercoaster - Whether with an opening, where we see a messenger and his chocobo begging not to die before perishing, or the many times in which the causalities of war are treated with the coldness of mere numbers, Type-0 exposes the darkest side of war conflicts and stands out very well in doing so.

The outline of a sequel to the game, named Final Fantasy Type-Next, was officially released during the official launch of the FF Type-0 HD remaster in 2015, with a post-credits scene raising players' expectations for a new title in the series. However, no update on the project has been announced since then and the departure of Hajime Tabata, director of FF Type-0, from Square Enix in October 2018 reinforces speculation that the project has been cancelled.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

Considered a non-canonical spin-off of the first Final Fantasy, Stranger of Paradise is an Action RPG that tells the story of Jack Garland and his allies on their journey to destroy Chaos, the great villain of the original game, and his path to discover the truth behind this uncontrollable desire.

Stranger of Paradise was developed by Team Ninja and was the franchise's first (and so far, only) attempt to enter the Soulslike universe, with powerful and challenging enemies in a story highly inspired by the characters, regions and locations of the first game in the series, but with its own narrative surrounding Jack's quest to kill Chaos at any cost.

Available for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, this was the most recent title in the franchise to adopt the famous Job system, where Jack and his allies can choose between several options that expand as the player progresses through the story, in addition to their equipment and visuals, which are highly customizable.

World of Final Fantasy

Available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, World of Final Fantasy is a relaxed spin-off that brings together characters, recurring monsters and other common elements of the franchise and places them in a chibi universe called Grymoire, where the protagonists and twin brothers, Lynn and Reynn, have the power to capture them and use them in battles as they travel the worlds searching for their lost memories.

Called Mirages, the captured monsters and characters serve both combat mechanics such as stacking them to receive bonuses or spreading them on the field to have a greater rate of attacks while some, more powerful, are used as summons, in addition to there being circumstances where Lynn and Reynn use them to get past obstacles on the map or travel to a hard-to-reach corner.

World of Final Fantasy is a unique tribute to the series' legacy and part of its 30th anniversary celebration. Its turn-based battle system is intuitive and easy to learn, making it ideal for players of any age, but without leaving aside the usual challenge that every game in the franchise has.

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest

Released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo/SNES, Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest was an introductory product for the franchise, aiming to be more friendly to the Western public at the time by simplifying several mechanics from the main games.

Despite the various criticisms received by fans due to its weak story, lack of diversity and focusing more on the exploration rather than combat or a more complex plot, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest sets out to do one thing, and it does so incredibly well: being fun.

As an introductory product, the game did a good job of showing a visually attractive universe with a good soundtrack to keep players engaged and, today, the exploration system with the use of equipment for actions around the map makes it more unique than it really was in its time, leaving it in a cult game spot among fans of the classics and guaranteeing it a place among one of the main spin-offs of the series.

Honorable Mention: Bravely Default

The Bravely series, produced by Square Enix, was originally born as a Final Fantasy spin-off until it became its own title and inherits most of the elements from the franchise's classic games, such as the turn-based battle system and Jobs archetypes, in addition to all the formulas already known as frequent in RPGs, such as equipment, exploration, team management and others.

The narrative aspects of the series also indicate a strong influence from Final Fantasy, with concepts such as crystals or a group of warriors chosen to save the world from a great villain aiming to destroy it or dominate it in some way through the Crystals, which represent the four elements (Water, Fire, Earth and Air).

It certainly pleases any fan who misses the “classic” Final Fantasy atmosphere proposed by the first titles in the franchise, while it has its own characteristics that make the Bravely series a brand of its own and worthy of the attention of RPG veterans and newcomers.

Final Fantasy is an extensive game anthology. Today, the series already has more than one hundred titles including the main games, remasters, spin-offs, prequels and sequels, in addition to other works available for mobile and games that were eventually cancelled or whose servers were turned off.

These are just a few of the wide range of spin-offs and unnumbered games available to the public, with the main titles being the most notable in the fandom, guaranteeing hours of fun, engaging stories, or just a different and very innovative way to play the series.

And the near future, with the notable absence of new titles in sight after the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth could be the omen for the emergence of other new projects not involved in the main console titles, or even for the long-awaited announcement which might finally confirm the rumors of the Final Fantasy IX Remake or the Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster.

Thanks for reading!