Guide: 10 Games Like Final Fantasy to try out!

The Final Fantasy franchise is known as one of the most iconic RPG series in the video game industry, to the point of defining a generation after the historic release of Final Fantasy VII, in 1997.

Today, the series has consolidated itself as a bi-generational experience, where there is a range of products available both for fans of classic genres, with turn-based combat and more traditional elements, or for those who prefer a more interactive experience, with real-time action.

Whatever your taste is, after ending the legacy of the crystals in Final Fantasy XVI, or saving the world from its imminent end in Final Fantasy IX, or even while waiting for the release of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, there is always that emptiness after completing a trip to the franchise, a taste of wanting more of that experience.

In this article, we present ten games similar to Final Fantasy, separated into classic games with turn-based combat, or more contemporary and real-time titles!

The games below were selected based on their similarities to the systems adopted by Final Fantasy from the first game through Final Fantasy XII. These were also chosen for their historical impact on the industry and fan reception.

Chrono Trigger

It's no exaggeration to say that Chrono Trigger is one of the best games of all time. Produced and released by Square in 1995, the title had a "dream team" for its production, including well-known names from Final Fantasy, such as Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu, as well as Yasunori Mitsuda and the creator of the Dragon Ball series, Akira Toriyama.

Chrono Trigger is an RPG along the classic lines, but with a dozen innovations for its time, such as the use of elementals as the characters' inherent attributes, double or triple techs for the battle - a resource that will be reused in Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth - in addition to having one of the most daring plots of its time, with time travel, magic and various mysteries and surprises capable of leaving newcomers awestruck.

Chrono Trigger is for you if you liked: Any Final Fantasy fan should try this game at least once.

Xenogears

Also produced and released by Square Enix in 1998, Xenogears began as a script for Final Fantasy VII, but was rejected due to its plot being "too dark and complicated for a fantasy", and became its own game. Several of its concepts were reworked, and the title became a classic of the genre.

The best way to summarize its plot is "Nietzsche meets giant robots", where philosophy and psychology are combined with turn-based battles in colossal machinery in which we must manage resources such as fuel and a combo system to guarantee our victory. Its plot was very ahead of its time and addresses themes such as religion, racism, emotional trauma and politics as we follow the protagonist Fei Fong Wong on a journey to uncover his past.

Xenogears is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XVI.

Sea of Stars

Sea of Stars is an RPG released in September 2023 by Canadian studio Sabotage Studio, and operates as a love letter to 90s role-playing games in an experience composed of mysteries, charisma and friendship.

Set in a world where two warriors are trained to save the world from an imminent threat, Sea of Stars manages to deliver an incredible experience filled with magic, with an excellent soundtrack and interactive combat with strong inspirations from Final Fantasy X and Chrono Trigger, where sequencing skills can guarantee another extra turn and/or a significant reduction in opponents' actions or damage.

Sea of Stars is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X

I Am Setsuna

Released in 2016, I Am Setsuna is another famous contemporary love letter to classic RPGs. At times, the game even seems to blur the line between paying homage and trying to become one of them, with several plot and gameplay traits taken directly from its inspirations.

This 'defect' makes I Am Setsuna even better for fans of classic Final Fantasy who seek, in modern titles, an experience similar to or even better than some of the main games in the franchise, with charismatic characters and exemplary world-building.

I Am Setsuna is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X

Octopath Traveler / Octopath Traveler II

The Octopath Traveler series is recognized for its artistic direction, storytelling and soundtrack, while mixing several classic RPG elements with a captivating storyline of characters whose goal is to make the world better. The second game in the series has already sold over a million units.

Personal development is the main milestone of the series, with a more introspective approach, where the past and history of each character gain a lot of space and lead the player to understand how events reached that point and their motivations.

Octopath Traveler is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy I to VI.

The selected games are games acclaimed by critics and players, and whose gameplay and storytelling elements stand out in the community and among Action RPG fans.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The most recent game in The Witcher franchise became a landmark in RPGs and defined some of the standards and comparisons to open world games released later. This title was also responsible for popularizing CD Projekt Red among the genre and helped build the hype around the company's other title, Cyberpunk 2077.

Geralt of Rivia is one of the most interesting characters to adapt to other media. In both video games and the Netflix series, the protagonist leaves a lasting impression, and this element is even more evident in The Witcher 3, where we control his decisions, and they affect the political and social relationships around him.

The Witcher 3 also stands out for its real-time combat, with different approaches for each monster you face, hundreds of options for improvements, customizations, elixirs and other resources that can be used to gain the advantage against the next hunt, as well as a plot rich in details, filled with striking characters.

The Witcher 3 is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy XVI

NieR: Replicant / NieR: Automata

The NieR series, also produced by Square Enix, became very famous after the release of NieR: Automata in 2017. Behind a war between robots and androids lies questions about existentialism and the construction of our society in a world where humans no longer inhabit the planet.

Its frantic combat, developed by Platinum Games, is another highlight of Automata. Added to a soundtrack reminiscent of other Square classics, create the perfect formula for one of the most famous action RPGs of recent times.

And in case you need more NieR after Automata, its predecessor, NieR: Replicant, has been reworked with significant gameplay improvements and includes an equally engaging story, with several surprises and plot twists.

NieR is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI, and if you like games that address existentialism.

Tales of Arise

Tales of Arise is the latest title in the Tales Of franchise, produced and developed by Bandai Namco. The series was one of the predecessors of the Action RPG genre since the early 90s, and created its own standard of team management and combat, where it seeks innovations while staying true to its own roots.

The characters and story of the franchise are very similar to classic anime, always with their own set of identities and universes to establish a unique journey in each title. In Arise, this identity is in its combat, with different combinations of team, skills and resource management that make its main battles challenging, in addition to a world where slavery and injustice are inherent parts of the story's conflict.

According to Metacritic, Tales of Arise is considered the best game in the franchise by specialized critics, and brings excellent team management, challenges, a deep plot and characters that guarantee hours of fun for RPG fans.

Tales of Arise is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI

God of War / God of War: Ragnarok

When Kratos was introduced looking older, more mature and with a son in the first God of War trailer set in Norse mythology, fans expected to meet the bloody Spartan warrior of the first three games in the series.

What Santa Monica Studio delivered, however, was a sudden change of genre and narrative, where the various RPG elements merge with the already familiar bloody action of the god of war himself, as his journey with his son delivers one of the most emotional plots about coming of age and dealing with one's own past in the recent industry.

The "rebranding" of God of War in the last two games is an almost cinematic experience and delivers one of the best stories and gameplay in Action RPGs in recent times.

God of War is for you if you liked: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy VII Remake

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition was one of the first great RPGs of the last generation. Stories full of political intrigue, mysteries and magic become even more engaging when we are an active part of it, and this is precisely what this game delivers by putting us in the role of the Inquisitor.

The third title in the Dragon Age series delivers significant improvements when compared to its predecessors, and even if the player hasn't experienced any of the previous releases, it does an excellent job of immersing them in its world and creating an environment where they don't need every meticulous information before starting their journey.

Its combat has an excellent class system and team formation, as well as decision-making with consequences for your relationship with the world and with other characters, including the possibilities of romances, or even to establish new political alliances.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is for you if you liked: Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XVI

These are just some of the other RPGs that we can try, whose stories and systems are as good as, or better, quality than those found in the Final Fantasy franchise!

Now, we want to hear from you! What other games would you recommend for Final Fantasy fans? And what other games do you think should be on this list?

If you don't know, or have never played Final Fantasy, we have prepared a guide on which game in the series is ideal to play first for each kind of player!

Thanks for reading