Summary
Since it debuted on the NES in 1987,Final Fantasyhas been built on party systems. Players could create four characters based on Jobs like Black Mage or Thief, and then that was the party they played as. As the series progressed, the party was given more personalities,and there were even instances where party members came and went as the story progressed.
While theparty systems have changed inFinal Fantasygames, some entries went bizarre and focused on just one hero. They either had no party members whatsoever, were limited to rotating members, or were determined based on player input. Let’s go through these offbeatFinal Fantasyentries and rank how fun they were, even without big party system setups. The fewer the party members, the better the game’s ranking will be, along with the game’s overall quality.
Final Fantasy 11andFinal Fantasy 14are both MMOs that can technically be played alone, butFinal Fantasy 14made this concept easier with more quality-of-life improvements. Players can design their character, from their looks to their Job, and explore a vast world without a party to slow them down.
Part of the fun of an MMO is playing with friends or even strangers, though, so while it is possible to play theFFMMOs alone, it goes against their core design, along withother multiplayer-focused gameslikeFinal Fantasy Crystal ChroniclesandFinal Fantasy Explorers. That said,Final Fantasy 14deserves a quick nod for those who enjoy solo runs in their RPGs, even if it’s not the “ideal” way to play this MMO.
Final Fantasy Mystic Questwas North America’s one shot at getting a core game designed just for them. The protagonist is Benjamin, a warrior, who improves his stats via items and weapons gained on his adventures, along with traditional EXP.
It works more likeThe Legend of Zelda’sgear progression system, except as a turn-based RPG. Benjamin is accompanied by a rotating cast of party members along the way, including the ninja Tristam. Typically, players aren’t alone with Benjamin for long, but they can never choose who joins him in this small two-party system. Benjamin’s companions come and go with the whims of the story.
Final Fantasy 16is the latest mainline entry in the series, and it starsone core character: Clive. Throughout his journey, AI-controlled party members will accompany him, like his wolf Torgal.
Most of the story missions give Clive someone to fight alongside him, but side content is typically reserved for Clive alone. Then there are the Kaiju-like Eikon battles, which transform Clive into Ifrit. These are largely solo experiences, too, and are without a doubt the highlight of the entire game.
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7is a spinoff ofFinal Fantasy 7that takes place after the game and movie,Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.Itstars Vincent Valentine,who is given support by various characters like Reeve via his comm channel, but they never appear to aid Vincent in battle.
Players go through linear missions, taking down a Shinra successor organization called Deepground with various guns they can tinker with. Some sections made Cait Sith playable too, but Vincent was the main attraction in thisDevil May Cry-style action game.
3Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy 15
Noctis’ Dream
Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy 15was released before the main game came out, but it wasn’t a typical demo. Instead, it was a prequel starringa younger Noctiswho fell into a dream world with his animal buddy, Carbuncle. It played and looked more like aKingdom Heartsgame, with Noctis given goofier weapons like a toy hammer to dampen the violence.
Even though it was a short experience, fans absolutely loved thePlatinum Demo,even more so than the main game.Of course, at the time, they hungered for a newKingdom Heartsentry, which may be why, but years later, it’s still a fun RPG to play in an afternoon.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13was the final entry in theFinal Fantasy 13trilogy. Each game whittles down the number of party members, with this entry starring justone character: Lightning. The gameplay is still turn-based at its core, but Lightning can now change into various outfits to fit different Jobs.
Also, the time-traveling aspect of the previous game returns, except it’s technically more of a time loop akin to adventures likeThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. This makes the game harder, but also more rewarding for players who stick with it.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7is anotherFinal Fantasy 7spinoff, and it was a more traditional action RPG compared to Vincent’s side quest. This game wasa prequel starring Zackand set right before the main game’s events kick off. Zack had some support at home base, but his missions were solo affairs.
Zack has access to his trusty blades and various Materia he can fuse to create new loadouts. Thankfully, this PSP game can be enjoyed on modern consoles thanks to the remaster, and it’s one of the best games in the series, especially for players who like the challenge of a solo adventure.
