When it comes to side quests in JRPGs, Final Fantasy is renowned for having some of the wildest ones. This includes the mainline and spinoff games of which there are many. The game debuted in 1987 on the NES in Japan and the series is still going strong today.
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Side quests can take on many forms in Final Fantasy games from helping NPCs to mini-games to finding rare gear by exploring extra dungeons. Even though there are dozens of games out there, only seven games feel like they have the most worthwhile or numerous amount of side quests out there. Don’t worry about spoilers for this one.
7
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Managing The Clan
- Released
-
September 8, 2003
- Developer(s)
-
Square Product Development Division 4
- Publisher(s)
-
Square, Nintendo
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer
- ESRB
-
e
- How Long To Beat
-
45 Hours
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance allowed players to create a Clan. In this version of Ivalice, Clans fought each other and took on jobs to help build their reputation. While some missions players took on themselves, most optional missions had players send party members in their stead. To get some of the best party members and equipment, these optional missions were necessary. While the variety isn’t that great compared to other games in the series, these Clan missions are quite numerous.
6
Final Fantasy 12
The Hunt Is On
Final Fantasy 12 took place in Ivalice as well and contained some Clan-like highlights namely in the form of Hunts with Montblanc the Moogle at the charge. Hunts were like bounty missions wherein players would fight rare monsters for prizes all around the world and there were a lot.
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A few NPCs had named side quests but there weren’t many. There were some optional dungeons hiding rare gear and all that typical RPG content. There were also optional Espers to find like Zalera and Espers were the Summon equivalents of Final Fantasy 12.
5
Final Fantasy 9
PlayOnline Was Bogus
Before the Internet hit its peak, most RPG fans bought strategy guides and BradyGames was the top dog. For Final Fantasy 9, they hid most of their content behind PlayOnline, an extra service attached to the book which made it frustrating to complete the game as the side quests were many. 2000s trauma aside, players had to mail letters for Moogles, find coins for Stellazzio, catch frogs, go to the Treno Auction, and so on. There was also a card game that was engaging: Tetra Master. Chocobo Hot and Cold was the biggest side quest though involving a mini-game hunting for Chocographs which then led to locations in the world. It was the best way to get rare gear and the Chocobo would evolve, gaining new powers like the ability to cross oceans.
4
Final Fantasy 10
Becoming A Blitzball Lord
- Released
-
December 17, 2001
- Engine
-
PhyreEngine
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- How Long To Beat
-
45 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Final Fantasy 10 is a slight step above its predecessor even though the game no longer had a traversable world map. Finding the ultimate weapons was more involved than most games because players had to find the weapon and then its corresponding Crest and Sigil. Some of the side quests involving their completion were incredibly hard like dodging lightning. Yuna, the game’s Summoner, could find extra Aeons to use in battle like Yojimbo. There was a Pokemon-like side quest involving catching low-rank monsters that would then unlock tougher bosses in the Monster Arena. The one big mini-game in Final Fantasy 10, Blitzball, was the biggest side quest though which was a fully featured sport in-universe.
3
Final Fantasy 15
The Franchise’s First Modern Open-World
Final Fantasy 15 was the first game in the mainline series that went full open-world. There were many named side quests given by NPCs that involved searching for items and defeating monsters. It was typical fetch quest fodder for an open-world game but there were also bigger hunts. The most ludicrous side boss involved taking down Adamantoise, a giant turtle that Godzilla himself would struggle with. The hero, Noctis, could relax with some fishing too as the game’s biggest mini-game even got its own VR spinoff, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy 15.
2
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
The Biggest Remake Yet
- Released
-
February 29, 2024
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 4
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- How Long To Beat
-
40 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
-
N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
- PC Release Date
-
January 23, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
-
February 29, 2024
Final Fantasy 7 had a lot of side quests and mini-games but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second remake project, upped the ante. Like Final Fantasy 15, this game had plenty of fetch-level side quests from NPCs in the open-world. Chadley, an android, also had players collect plenty of samples like Summon data.
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Gold Saucer and Costa del Sol were two locations brimming with mini-games from shooting galleries to motorcycle chases. The biggest mini-game had to be Queen’s Blood though, a card game with a dark past hidden inside. Also, there was the Gilgamesh side quest which undoubtedly got pretty epic by the end.
1
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn
Hard To Argue With An MMO
- Released
-
August 27, 2013
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Engine
-
Originally the Crystal Tools engine, but currently it’s a custom engine using parts of the Luminous Engine.
- ESRB
-
T for Teen – Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- How Long To Beat
-
99½ Hours
- Steam Deck Compatibility
-
Playable
- PC Release Date
-
August 27, 2013
- PS5 Release Date
-
May 25, 2021
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
-
March 21, 2024
It’s almost a bit unfair to put an MMO on here as the whole point of the genre is to craft a seemingly never-ending void of side quests. Final Fantasy 11 and Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn are the two MMOs in the franchise and of the two, the sequel experience of course has more. From the numerous expansions the game has received, there are not hours of content available but months. It’s a game not for the faint of heart but that’s a good thing for anyone who wants to check out an MMO. Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is the one to dive into from unlocking Jobs to fetch quests to mini-games, it’s all here.
