For 35 years, the Closing Fantasy franchise has captivated followers with its anthology type of storytelling, preserving issues recent with new characters and tales. It even tends to set the time durations someplace between previous and future in every recreation whereas preserving them related with the identical plot: a gaggle of younger heroes gathering to struggle an incredible evil threatening their world whereas they exploring their inner struggles and relationships with one another — a common theme that individuals can relate to.
Should you’re new and wish to get into the Closing Fantasy sequence, there are 15 numbered video games (with Closing Fantasy XVI on the way in which), a couple of direct sequels, and a prequel to the primary recreation. It appears like lots, however we’re right here that can assist you make the journey into the RPG franchise slightly smoother.
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Which Closing Fantasy Sport Ought to You Play First?
Wanting on the Closing Fantasy franchise as a complete may be overwhelming as most of them have tons of of hours of content material to play by way of. If you wish to ease your self into the franchise, we suggest beginning with Closing Fantasy VII. This recreation left an indelible mark on the sport trade for having the best gameplay and fight methods to get a dangle of, particularly with the Restrict Break system, and giving us probably the most memorable characters, like Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Sephiroth. Its reputation impressed Sq. to create Kingdom Hearts in collaboration with Disney in order that a few of its characters may work together with Disney characters.
Closing Fantasy VII even got here out with a feature-length CGI and Closing Fantasy VII Remake, which has prettier graphics however retains the identical story with themes of pro-environmentalism, identification, and transferring on from loss — parts that earlier Closing Fantasy tales didn’t have. Both model of the sport is okay to choose up and play.
Play Closing Fantasy Video games in Chronological Order
If you wish to do a deep dive into the Closing Fantasy franchise and play all of them in chronological order, right here’s the total checklist of video games and the order by which to play them. Although you may play many of the mainline numbered in any random order and nonetheless be nice as there isn’t a direct continuity between them.
Stranger of Paradise: Closing Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Closing Fantasy Origin takes place within the kingdom of Cornelia, a darkish fantasy world model of the setting of the unique Closing Fantasy recreation. Jack Garland and his companions and fellow Warriors of Gentle, Ash, Jed, Neon and Sophia — every carrying a darkened crystal representing earth, wind, hearth and water — got down to discover Chaos and destroy him, restoring gentle to the world. Regardless of what the prophecy foretold concerning the heroes, every Warrior grows skeptical about their function.
You possibly can change characters’ jobs on the fly, however with Jack because the participant character you may solely swap between two positions. Regardless of his job title, Jack has a decisive ending transfer that crystallizes enemies and shatters them to revive a portion of his magic meter as soon as the enemy’s break gauge is depleted.
Learn our assessment of Strangers of Paradise: Closing Fantasy Origin.
Closing Fantasy
Centuries after the occasions of Stranger of Paradise, Closing Fantasy introduces 4 new younger Warriors of Gentle, every of them carrying an orb representing the 4 parts which were darkened by the 4 Elemental Fiends. At first, they’re tasked by the King of Cornelia to rescue Princess Sarah from the evil knight Garland, however their journey expands to defeating the fiends and restoring the orbs to their former glory, thus saving the world from everlasting darkness.
Closing Fantasy will get its title from sequence creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s risk to go away the video games trade and return to school if it didn’t promote nicely, and Sq. Enix coping with the notion of the sport being its final as a result of risk of chapter. In the end, the sport offered over 1.3 million copies worldwide and grossed over $21 million, saving each the corporate and Sakaguchi’s profession.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy.
Closing Fantasy II
In Closing Fantasy II, Firion, Man, Maria, and Leon turn out to be orphans after the Palamecian Empire destroys their hometown and kills their mother and father, rendering them orphans. They be a part of the Wild Rose Revolt and, beneath the steerage of Princess Hilda, who initially deemed them too younger to hitch the military, journey to cease Emperor Mateus’ plans to take over the world together with his hellspawn.
In contrast to the primary Closing Fantasy, the sequel had no character creation or job system as a result of Sq. wished the sport to be extra story-driven relatively than stuffed with heavy gameplay mechanics. This recreation is notable for introducing a few staples that might perpetually outline the sequence: chocobos and the recurring inventor character Cid.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy II.
Closing Fantasy III
One other group of 4 orphaned teenagers — Arc, Refia, Luneth, and Ingus — are drawn to a crystal of sunshine within the Altar Cave after an earthquake hits the village of Ur. The crystals grants the youth a portion of its energy, their first set of jobs, and instructs them to revive steadiness to the world.
Closing Fantasy III is the primary numbered recreation within the sequence to function the job-change system, permitting gamers to alter how the characters would battle monsters all through the sport. As an alternative of staying in a single job or class, they might discover different job choices and see which one fits every character. The 2006 Nintendo DS remake retained the weather of the unique recreation, however gave the characters extra well-rounded personalities.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy III.
Closing Fantasy IV
Closing Fantasy IV facilities on Pink Wings captain Cecil Harvey, who questions the King of Baron’s motives after he and his knights steal the Water Crystal in a raid on Mysidia. After the king strips him of his title as punishment for disloyalty, Cecil units out on a quest with Kain Highwind and the allies they meet alongside the way in which to cease the sorcerer Golbez from seizing the opposite crystals so as to save the world.
This recreation launched the Lively Time Battle (ATB) system, which permits characters to carry out a transfer when their gauge is full. Whereas a celebration is proscribed to 4 folks within the earlier video games, Closing Fantasy IV allowed a celebration of 5 characters.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy IV.
Closing Fantasy V
Adventurer Bartz Klauser comes throughout a fallen meteor and finds 4 strangers, together with King Tycoon’s daughter Lenna, and set off on an journey to avoid wasting the Crystals from falling aside, a phenomenon attributable to Exdeath, an entity making an attempt to free himself from imprisonment and acquire the ability of the Void. The group turns into Warriors of Gentle and focuses their consideration on defeating Exdeath and stopping the Void’s energies from plunging their world into darkness.
Closing Fantasy V expanded on the job system, giving gamers greater than 21 jobs to select from. To make the job system much more fascinating, you may mix a ability you be taught from a sure job with a special ability from one other job so as to defeat difficult dungeons and executives.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy V.
Closing Fantasy VI
Set in a steampunk-style world stuffed with expertise resembling that of the Second Industrial Revolution, Closing Fantasy VI facilities on a insurgent faction referred to as the Returners preventing the Gesthalian Empire, which gained the ability to take over the world by experimenting on magical creatures referred to as Espers. The Returners, together with amnesiac former imperial soldier Terra Branford, work to free the areas beneath Gesthalian management utilizing the magic they search out and put a cease to the empire’s reign.
Closing Fantasy VI, which was launched as Closing Fantasy III in North America and closely censored as a result of Nintendo of America’s insurance policies on the time, has 14 playable characters to select from all through the story, making it the most important forged within the sequence’ historical past. It additionally offers with mature themes of immoral army dictatorship, use of chemical weapons in warfare, the pursuit of a magical arms race, private redemption, and the renewal of hope and life. That is additionally the primary Closing Fantasy recreation to not be directed by Sakaguchi, who handed the reins over to Yoshinori Kitase.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy VI.
Disaster Core: Closing Fantasy VII
Set in Midgar seven years earlier than the occasions of Closing Fantasy VII, Disaster Core: Closing Fantasy VII facilities on fresh-faced SOLDIER Zack Truthful, who’s assigned to search for lacking SOLDIER and defector Genesis Rhapsodos, who went off on a rampage for causes unknown. Throughout his search, he discovers Genesis’ origin, Undertaking G (or the Jenova venture) and the way it’s related to the 2 aforementioned high-ranking SOLDIERs, and finally battles him and different merchandise of the venture, which entails injecting Jenova DNA into them.
Disaster Core: Closing Fantasy VII was notable for exploring the delicate aspect of Sephiroth, probably the most profitable SOLDIER beloved by everybody earlier than he went insane after discovering the unnatural circumstances of his creation and rapidly fell from grace, in addition to a few of Cloud Strife’s life as a SOLDIER earlier than leaving Shinra Electrical Energy Firm. It was initially a PSP-exclusive title, however managed to get remastered as Disaster Core: Closing Fantasy VII Reunion for PS5, PS4, Xbox Sequence X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Swap in honor of the twenty fifth anniversary of Closing Fantasy VII.
Learn our assessment of Disaster Core: Closing Fantasy VII.
Closing Fantasy VII
In probably the most iconic video games of the sequence, ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary Cloud Strife joins Avalance (led by Barett Wallace) within the struggle to cease Shinra from lining the corporate’s pockets by mining all of the mako from the planet to make use of as an power supply. Cloud initially fought for private acquire and to maintain a promise he made to Tifa Lockhart after they have been children, however finally developed friendships with different members of Avalanche, together with Aerith Gainsborough, and works with them to avoid wasting Midgar from each Shinra and Sephiroth, who was hellbent on destroying the planet so as to be reborn as a demigod.
With the retention of ATB and the introduction of Materia, Closing Fantasy VII grew so fashionable that the majority of its characters appeared within the Kingdom Hearts sequence and spawned the CGI sequel movie, Closing Fantasy VII: Creation Kids. It additionally spawned the full-blown remaster, Closing Fantasy VII Remake, which shall be launched in three elements. The primary half was launched in 2020, whereas Closing Fantasy VII Rebirth is about to come back out in Winter 2023.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy VII.
Closing Fantasy VIII
On this contentious follow-up to Closing Fantasy VII, a gaggle of younger SeeD mercenaries led by Squall Leonhart (or Leon, as he’s identified within the Kingdom Hearts sequence) assist out a gaggle referred to as the Forest Owls, an endeavor that escalates right into a battle by Sorceress Edea, who has seized management of a strong army state and intend to destroy time itself. As they struggle to cease Edea, Squall struggles together with his function and falls in love with Forest Owls chief Rinoa Heartilly.
Closing Fantasy VIII nonetheless incorporates ATB as a part of its gameplay, nevertheless it overhauled the character leveling system. So far as spell-casting goes, the sport threw out the Magic Factors-based system, making characters acquire, draw, and create magic from objects to energy themselves up utilizing the junction system as an alternative. That is additionally the primary recreation to include a vocal theme into its soundtrack with “Eyes On Me” by Hong Kong pop star Faye Wong.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy VII.
Closing Fantasy IX
Within the first Closing Fantasy recreation of the millennium, a thief named Zidane Tribal is tasked with kidnapping the Princess of Alexandria, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, as part of a warfare wage in opposition to the neighboring nation of Lindblum. His thief troupe finally ends up changing into the princess’ guardians, and Zidane groups up with Garnet to defeat her mom, Queen Brahne, who began the warfare.
Regardless of Closing Fantasy IX being launched in 2000, when most recreation franchises transitioned from 2D to 3D graphics by then, Sq. Enix designed the sport to appear like a retro-style RPG. Nevertheless, it nonetheless managed to render CGI graphics for the characters and every little thing else on the planet of Gaia.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy IX.
Closing Fantasy X
Closing Fantasy X is without doubt one of the most beloved video games within the sequence subsequent to Closing Fantasy VII — and we’re not simply saying that as a result of it’s the primary Closing Fantasy recreation for the PS2. The story revolves round star blitzball participant named Tidus, who’s taken to Spira — a world impressed by the South Pacific, Thailand, and Japan — by Auron after his hometown of Zanarkand is destroyed by a colossal monster named Sin. He joins summoner Yuna and her guardians on a quest to defeat Sin and convey concerning the Calm after studying its true identification is Tidus’ lacking father Jecht.
This recreation changed ATB with the Conditional Turned-Based mostly Battle system that makes use of an Act Listing by which characters’ turns are decided by their stats. It additionally launched a brand new leveling system referred to as the Sphere Grid, which units characters down a particular path with stats and skills and permits them to unlock all their skills as soon as it opens up.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy X.
Closing Fantasy X-2
Within the follow-up to Closing Fantasy X, Yuna turns into a sphere hunter and a member of the Gullwings, comprising Rikku and Paine. She units out to search out Tidus — or no less than, a mysterious man who seems to be like Tidus — however will get caught in a political battle that the Gullwings should resolve earlier than it escalates to a warfare involving a secret weapon that was constructed to destroy Spira.
Along with being the primary recreation within the sequence to be an official recreation sequel, Closing Fantasy X can be the primary to function an all-female forged and have a number of attainable endings. It introduced again ATB, however enhanced it to permit characters to interrupt enemies whereas getting ready to assault. It additionally launched dresspheres and the Garment Grid, which permit characters to alter their character class mid-battle to change the course of the battle.
Closing Fantasy XI
Sq. Enix took a web page out of World of Warcraft and made Closing Fantasy XI an MMORPG as an alternative of a daily console recreation. Gamers may customise their characters and make it into one in all many races of being roaming the land of Vana’diel — Humes, Elvaan, Tarutaru, Mithra, Galka, and so forth. The plot revolves round defeating a demonic chief referred to as the Shadow Lord, who rose from the ashes of the Crystal Conflict and despatched his beastmen armies off to terrorize the land, albeit in a much less organized trend.
Help for the PS2 and Xbox 360 variations of Closing Fantasy XI led to 2016, however followers can nonetheless play it on PC. Rumors circulated final 12 months that the sport would shut down, on condition that it’s over 20 years outdated, however director Yuji Fujito said that that was not the case. In different phrases, it’s nonetheless alive and nicely and beloved by many retro Closing Fantasy followers.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy XI.
Closing Fantasy XII
Closing Fantasy XII is about within the kingdom of Ivalice, the place the Archadia and Rozarria empires are preventing an countless warfare with one another. When Dalmasca is annexed by the previous nation, Princess Ashe types a resistance motion and meets Vaan, who goals of changing into a sky pirate, teaming up with him to rally in opposition to the tyranny of the Archadian Empire.
Closing Fantasy XII took three years for Sq. Enix to develop after Closing Fantasy X-2 was launched, and it paid off. It received a number of Sport of the 12 months awards and spawned the Nintendo DS sequel, Closing Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, in 2007. Over a decade later, the remastered model of the sport, Closing Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, launched on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Swap, and Home windows.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy XII.
Closing Fantasy XIII
Lightning, the sequence’s first feminine protagonist except for Yuna in Closing Fantasy X-2, is a former soldier dwelling within the floating world of Cocoon whose sister Serah goes lacking after she’s branded an enemy of Cocoon by the federal government, Sanctum, for coming in touch with a god-like creature from Pulse. As Lightning searches for her sister, she’s joined by a band of allies to rally in opposition to Sanctum for authorizing a purge on residents who additionally got here into contact with Pulse, leaving the destiny of the world in danger.
This recreation wasn’t acquired nicely not as a result of it had a feminine lead, however relatively as a result of it had complicated battle methods — Command Synergy Battle and Paradigm Shift — and linear maps. Even so, it was well-received and spawned two extra direct sequels.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy XIII.
Closing Fantasy XIII-2
Three years after the occasions of Closing Fantasy XIII, Serah takes the lead and groups up with Noel Kreiss, a younger man from the distant future, to journey throughout time and house to search out Lightning. In the meantime, Lightning finds herself in Valhalla, a realm between loss of life and chaos on the fringe of time within the distant future, dominated by the goddess Etro, who she protects as a knight throughout a warfare with Caius.
Closing Fantasy XIII-2 retained the Command Synergy Battle and Paradigm Shift methods, however they have been improved upon to make battles stream higher. Mog Clock was added to the combination, which prompts gamers to assault monsters on the sphere earlier than time runs out to achieve the higher hand in battle.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy XIII-2.
Lightning Returns: Closing Fantasy XIII
Within the final installment of the Closing Fantasy XIII trilogy, Lightning awakens from her 500-year hibernation to find that the world is about to finish in 13 days. She is chosen by the god Bhunivelze to avoid wasting everybody, however alongside the way in which she learns the reality concerning the world’s destiny and Bhunivelze’s actual motives.
Gamers slammed this recreation as a result of it featured a ticking clock that signifies how lengthy you had till the sport was over, placing a strict time restrict on missions and aspect quests. Its saving grace was the closely modified model of the Command Synergy Battle system, which employed real-time options, like freely taking management of Lightning’s actions and assaults.
Learn our assessment of Lightning Returns: Closing Fantasy XIII.
Closing Fantasy XIV
Closing Fantasy XIV has a number of storylines, however the primary one entails the participant character touring 5 years into the long run to flee the destruction of Eorzea by the hands of the primal dragon Bahamut. They enter Eorzea within the Age of Calm and work to rebuild the land, however should take care of the specter of invasion by the Garlean Empire.
The circumstances surrounding Closing Fantasy XIV’s growth have been fairly difficult — particularly because it’s the second MMORPG title within the sequence. The unique 2010 recreation was embroiled in controversy as a result of it was launched in an unfinished state, though its servers remained lively till November 2012. The subsequent 12 months, Sq. Enix launched Closing Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn with favorable acclaim and went on to provide 4 expansions: Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy XIV.
Closing Fantasy XV
The most recent installment revolves round Noctis, a prince from the dominion of Lucis is about to marry his childhood good friend Lunafreya when he goes on a quest to rescue the Crystal from Niflheim, who stole it throughout an assault on the Lucian capital of Insomnia, killing his father within the course of, on the eve of peace negotiations between the 2 empires. Throughout his journey, he learns of his future to make use of the Crystal’s powers to avoid wasting the realm of Eos from everlasting darkness.
Closing Fantasy XV acquired important popularity of its beautiful visuals, gameplay — like driving all over the world within the Regalia and the Lively Cross Battle system — and its visceral soundtrack, together with a rendition of “Stand By Me” by Florence + The Machine used as the sport’s theme tune in addition to a couple of contributions from Afrojack. The sport spawned a couple of spin-off video games, the anime sequence referred to as Brotherhood: Closing Fantasy XV, and a function movie Kingsglaive: Closing Fantasy XV.
Learn our assessment of Closing Fantasy XV.
How To Play The Closing Fantasy Video games By Launch Date
If you wish to play the Closing Fantasy video games within the order by which they got here out, right here’s the checklist of video games by launch date. Remember that most titles have been launched in Japan first, adopted by the U.S. at a later date. The primary six video games are remastered for the Nintendo Swap in Closing Fantasy Pixel Remaster.
- Closing Fantasy – December 18, 1987 (JP) / Could 1990 (NA) – Famicom/NES
- Closing Fantasy II – December 17, 1988 (JP) / April 8, 2003 (NA) – Famicom, PlayStation
- Closing Fantasy III – April 27, 1990 (JP) / August 24, 2006 (NA) – Famicom, Nintendo DS (remake)
- Closing Fantasy IV – July 19, 1991 (JP) / November 23, 1991 (NA) – Tremendous NES
- Closing Fantasy V – December 6, 1992 (JP) / October 5, 1999 (NA) – Tremendous Famicom, PlayStation
- Closing Fantasy VI – April 2, 1994 (JP) / October 11, 1994 (NA) – Tremendous NES
- Closing Fantasy VII – January 31, 1997 (JP) / September 7, 1997 (NA) – PlayStation
- Closing Fantasy VIII – February 11, 1999 (JP) / September 7, 1999 (NA) – PlayStation
- Closing Fantasy IX – July 7, 2000 (JP) / November 14, 2000 (NA) – PlayStation
- Closing Fantasy X – July 19, 2001 (JP) / December 18, 2001 (NA) – PS2
- Closing Fantasy XI – Could 16, 2002 (JP) / March 23, 2004 (NA) – PS2
- Closing Fantasy X-2 – March 13, 2003 (JP) / November 18, 2003 (NA) – PS2
- Closing Fantasy XII – March 16, 2006 (JP) / October 31, 2006 (NA) – PS2
- Closing Fantasy XIII – December 17, 2009 (JP) / March 9, 2010 (NA) – PS3, Xbox 360, PC
- Closing Fantasy XIII-2 – December 15, 2011 (JP) / January 31, 2012 (NA) – PS3, Xbox 360, PC
- Lightning Returns: Closing Fantasy XIII – November 21, 2013 (JP) / February 11, 2014 (NA) – PS3, Xbox 360, PC
- Closing Fantasy XIV – August 27, 2013 – PS3, PS4, PS5, PC
- Closing Fantasy XV – November 29, 2016 – PS4, Xbox One, PC
