Summary
Cloud, Zidane, and Clive: These are all beloved character leads in their respectiveFinal Fantasygames.Cloud, in particular, has appeared many times in crossover games,including ones not directly related toFinal Fantasy 7.While fans love playing through carefully crafted stories with premade characters, other players like to put their own personality into the equation.
Those players enjoy creating their own characters, which is a popular gameplay mechanic found more in Western RPGs than Japanese ones. Still, there have beencharacter customization opportunities inFinal Fantasygames,and some are even very popular. So let’s rankthe bestFinal Fantasygames that offer character customizationbased on how many customization options players get and how good the games are overall.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicleswas released first for theGameCube, and its focus was on four-player co-op. Players could create their character based on four different races, including Clavats, Lilties, Yukes, and Selkies, which set them up with different weapons. Spells could be acquired in dungeons and lost after the dungeon was all said and done, so no one race could exclusivelly be a mage.
There weren’t many customization choices on offer, as things boiled down to various hair and clothing colors, which would later be amplified in the sequels,Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of FatesandFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time.
6Final Fantasy Awakening
Back To School
Final Fantasy Type-0was a PSP spinoffthat was later re-released on consoles. It was set in a military academy and offered players over a dozen story characters to play as.Final Fantasy Awakeningwas a mobile spinoff of that game which allowed players to make their own cadets and choose typical avatar customization options, from hair to facial features toweapons.
The game kept thehack-and-slash gameplay of the original, which functioned decently on mobile devices. It was released first in 2016 in China and later dropped in North America in 2018. Unfortunately, like manymobileFinal Fantasyspinoffs, it is no longer available as of 2020, but for a time,it was a fun multiplayer game to take on the go.
5Final Fantasy 15 Multiplayer: Comrades
A Co-Op Game In The Dark Timeline
Final Fantasy 15 Multiplayer: Comradeswas originally packaged with the mainFinal Fantasy 15game, but eventually it was spun off into its own version on digital console stores. It takes place late in the game’s story when monsters become more rampant. Players are set up with their hunter to help quell the monster uprising and can fully customize their avatar in great detail.
The weapon choices were minimal, with players choosing between things like a katana or daggers, and missions were more bite-sized, making it seem like it was a game designed for mobile devices first. Smaller missions aside, players can join others on dozens of missions in four-player co-op.Final Fantasy Awakeningis still available to play, and despite it taking place late in theFF 15main story, players really don’t have toknow anything about Noctisand his crew to get enjoyment out of it.
In a world filled with too many Battle Royale games,Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldieris actually an interesting spin on the genre. It’s a prequel set before the main game, wherein Shinra was experimenting with their SOLDIER program. The idea is that matches weed out rookies, and the winner becomes the canonical firstSOLDIER for Shinra.
Players can customize theiravatars, tweak their load-outs like a Job system of sorts, and jump online with other players on mobile devices for versus matches. Unfortunately,The First Soldierwas shut down in 2023, after only launching in 2021, which is a real loss forFinal Fantasy 7fans. However,maybe it could come back to consoles someday.
Final Fantasy 11is an obvious choice here, as MMOs typically offer players deep customization options. This was the franchise’s first MMO, which players felt was a hard go in the land of Vana’diel, but they stuck with it because the rewards were great if they put in the time.
At the start, players can choose from five races, including Hume, Elvaan, Tarutaru, Mithra, and Galka, and basic Jobs like Warrior, Black Mage, or Thief. As they level up, they can unlock new Jobs and, of course, a big hook was the multiplayer aspect.Final Fantasy 11was released first on PC in Japan in 2002, but would later come to PS2 and Xbox 360. Even though there is a spiritual successor MMO, Square Enix is still supportingFinal Fantasy 11,with the latest expansion,Voracious Resurgence, ending its episodic run in 2023.
Final FantasyExplorersdoesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. It took theMonster Hunterformula and simplified it for a new generation beforeMonster Hunter Worldreinvented that franchise’s aspects. The aesthetic is also cuter, with more anime-like avatars that players can customize initially and then further when they craft new weapon and armor sets.
There are also unlockable costumes based on other characters in the franchise, likeCloud fromFinal Fantasy 7,complete with his famous Buster Sword. It’s a 3DS-only experience, and players can team up for four-player sessions across an action RPG landscape.
Final Fantasy 14improved a lot on whatFinal Fantasy 11started when it relaunched itself in 2013 after a poor debut in 2010. Players can choose between the Hyur, Elezen, Lalafell, Miqo’te, and Roegadyn races, along with basic Jobs like Archer, Pugilist, or Gladiator. Leveling up branches out skills and jobs, andexpansions deepen the gameplayfrom new Job offerings to new locations.
The costume choices are also more varied, giving the world of Eorzea a more welcoming feel than its MMO predecessor.For many,Final Fantasy 14is the ultimateFinal Fantasyexperience, whether players go into it alone or with friends.
