Summary
Despite theFinal Fantasyseries becoming synonymous with the open-world genre, not every game in this immensely popular series allows players to explore a vast overworld at their leisure. In contrast, there’s been a few entries, mainline and spin-off, which are a lot more straightforward and linear. This doesn’t inherently need to be a bad thing though, as a linear game can come with some advantages, such as being able to tell a more focused story, and allowing the gameplay to feel much more accessible and easier to follow.
Sure, being able to venture through a large open world is always a ton of fun, but it can be nice to enjoy something a bit more linear now and again for a refreshing change of pace. Thankfully, there’s a few excellentFinal Fantasygames which follow this formula, so it’s time to see how they match up in terms of overall quality.
Dirge of Cerberus, one of the several spin-offs ofFinal Fantasy 7, plays unlike anything else seen in the series. The game is a third-person shooter, meaning the RPG mechanics have been dialed down, with more of an emphasis placed on fast and flashy gunplay. Like manythird-person shootersat the time,Dirge of Cebrerus’level design is primarily made up of narrow alleyways and corridors that players will need to venture through while blasting anyone who gets in their way.
Throughout the game, players will be able to acquire different weapons and upgrades for Vincent’s guns, which helps add some diversity to the core gameplay loop. As a sequel to the originalFinal Fantasy 7, the game also contains plenty of intriguing lore for Vincent, alongside expanding more on key characters like Nero and Weiss.
Final Fantasy 13’slinearity and lack of an overworld has been a topic of division for many years now. Each chapter of the game funnels the player through a set of straightforward paths which are packed full of enemies. The good news is, the combat in13is surprisingly deep, with the Paradigm system allowing players to conjure up all kinds of effective team formations, and because it’s real time, it ensures the battles also feel pretty intense to be a part of, especially going againstthe dreaded Eidolons.
While some players didn’t enjoy the more narrow and isolated scope of the gameplay, those who came to warm up to the combat system found a lot to love withFinal Fantasy 13. Having such linearity does also ensure the story moves at a steady pace, along with the character development relating to the quirky main party members, who all go through their own hardships.
ThoughStranger of Paradiseis based within theFinal Fantasyuniverse, acting as a prequel to the first game, the gameplay itself is essentially an entirely different genre from the mainline games. InStranger of Paradise, players will be hacking and slashing their way through levels, but because each stage is based onareas from the main series, it allows for a lot of diversity and fanservice. One moment, Jack and the crew will be navigating their way through an ice palace, while the next, they’ll be tasked with venturing through a Mako Reactor.
Each of these levels are very straightforward and easy to follow, though there are still few gimmicks here and there to keep things interesting. This game leaves the world building and exploration aside to focus more on the thrill of chaotic combat, which manages to remain satisfying for an entire playthrough thanks to the Job variety, which is used to unlock new moves and abilities for Jack and the party.
ThoughFinal Fantasy 16does technically have open areas that players can explore, it doesn’t feature the same connected overworld that many of the games do. As a result, it’s often seen as a game which feels very linear, though with the flashy action combat, it means Clive’s grand adventure to avenge his brother never gets boring.
Most parts ofFinal Fantasy 16will provide players with a long path which is crawling with monsters for Clive to slice and dice for some precious EXP; allowing players to acquire more destructiveEikon abilitiesthat can be used to execute combos. The game does luckily have a fast travel option through the Obelisks, so players can return to previous areas and grind out some EXP if they wish, but while it’s quite linear in nature,Final Fantasy 16is still a great entry in the series which stands out for its unique combat style and mature narrative.
Since the first entry in theFinal Fantasy 7remake trilogyonly focuses on Midgar, a very small portion of the original game, it means players don’t get to venture across the vast open overworld; this would come later inRebirth. ForRemake, Square Enix decided to create a neat and focused character-driven story which acts as a big introduction to the main party, the world, and the villain ofFinal Fantasy 7.
As a result, Cloud’s journey is a mostly linear one, with the game slowly pushing players through each area while throwing in plenty of enemy encounters, which are all a lot of fun thanks to the action-turn-based hybrid combat system. Many of these areas, such as Sector 5 and Wall Market, for example, will also feature optional side quests to ensure players aren’t forced to move through an area too quickly, which is greatly appreciated considering how jawdropping the environments are from a visual perspective.
Considering Tidus and the rest ofFinal Fantasy 10’sparty members are embarking on an epic pilgrimage, it wouldn’t make much sense for players to run to the other side of the map to finish off a few side quests or collect loot. As a result, in order to make the player feel as though they are steadily moving through the many different regions that make up Spira, the game is largely linear. What keeps the gameplay from ever becoming stale, though, is the minigames and extra missions that show up along the beaten path to keep things fresh.
Blitzball, for example, always provides a nice break from theturn-based combat, which is already extremely fun thanks to the in-battle strategic options and Sphere Grid progression system. This isn’t even mentioning the compelling story, which contains many thought-provoking themes centering around the nature of sin and the afterlife.Final Fantasy 10continues to be one of the most fondly remembered games in the series despite its linearity, which just goes to show that having a large open world isn’t always a necessity forFinal Fantasygames to be enjoyable.
