Summary
Final Fantasyis one of the most popular video game franchises around. Despite having its fair share of ups and downs, countless JRPG fans can’t get enough of the many legendary titles in this series that boast memorable characters, engaging stories, fun combat, and massive worlds.
Final Fantasyhas experimented with various world structures, ranging from classic overworlds to linear levels and everything in between. Some worlds in theFinal Fantasygames have a great sense of scale and ensure that players will be wowed by their size. Out of them all, however, theseFinal Fantasygames arguably feature the biggest worlds of them all.
Final Fantasy 4’s story-driven approach ensured thateven the classic jobs of this titlewould play a role in the epic narrative. It helps that the game has several overworlds for players to find, with Earth itself having an Underground section that is more expansive than most fans would assume.
Near the end of the story, players will also land on the mood to take out Zemus, the Lunarian who has been pulling the strings behind the scenes. This allows players to explore a new overworld map, further enhancing the sense of scale and exploration in the game.
Final Fantasy 6is legendary for boasting some of the most memorable overworlds in JRPG history. The World of Balance is a place that players will explore in a fairly linear fashion, barring a few moments when the party splits up and multiple narratives are experienced concurrently.
However, after Kefka brings ruin to the world, players are given control of Celes in a brand-new overworld where progression is totally non-linear. This makes for a great second half of the game and ensures that the massive overworlds ofFinal Fantasy 6will leave a lasting impression on players.
The first open-worldFinal Fantasygame had a rocky launch, but most fans agree that the final product is well worth checking out, especially with the advent of theRoyalandWindows Editions. The base game boasted a massive open world that feels grander in scale with these enhanced releases.
Controlling a boat that lets players reach Altissia is a simple way to enhance the scale of the world, and expanding on Insomnia near the tail end of the game was a genius move to ensure thatplayers could witness the destruction of the city firsthandbefore taking on Ardyn in one final battle.
As one of the greatest MMOs ever made, it’s easy to see whyFinal Fantasy 14boasts one of the biggest worlds in the series. The base game itself had a large map, and it has slowly expanded in size with numerous expansions.
As things stand, most fans would agree thatFinal Fantasy 14’s world is the biggest there has ever been in aFinal Fantasygame. The numerous zones and locations present in the current version of this MMO are mind-boggling and let playersenjoy hundreds of hours of contentjust by exploring alone.
Final Fantasy 5’s regular overworld is notable enough as is, which is why fans will be pleasantly surprised when they travel to Galuf’s dimension and see that there’s another overworld for them to explore. However, things don’t stop here.
After a series of events causes both worlds to merge and form one single entity, players will have access to a third overworld to explore. To make things even better, players can acquire a submarine to explore the Sea Floor as well, which makes for yet another zone to enhance the scope of exploration.
Final Fantasy 7’s first few hours take place inthe sprawling city of Midgar, which is absolutely massive. It’s a brilliant sequence that slowly eases players into the game before they can finally explore the overworld following the assault on Shinra Headquarters.
This makes the player’s first steps in this massive overworld all the more magical. Just likeFinal Fantasy 5, players can also use a submarine to explore the sea floor, although they should give Emerald Weapon a wide berth while exploring if they don’t want to face a premature Game Over.
Final Fantasy 8took a while to slowly win over fans, with its odd Junction system and weird story becoming endearing in its own way. However, one aspect of the game that received universal praise was its exploration.
From the massive halls of Balamb Garden tothe many cities players explore during their travels, the world ofFinal Fantasy 8certainly feels big. Countless players will love flying both Balamb Garden and the Ragnarok in this world as they search for secrets and acquire the services of optional Guardian Forces.
The world of Gaia inFinal Fantasy 9is beautiful and full of unique locations to find. Even the Chocobo Hot & Cold side quest gives players another reason to explore the overworld, although it can be a bit irritating to make progress in this quest chain at times.
Regardless, the overworld is yet another reason why fans loveFinal Fantasy 9to death. It may not be as massive as some of the other games in the series, but it still boasts an impressive scope that deserves a mention.
