The 30 Best Games Like ‘Final Fantasy’

• Developer: Claytechworks
• Rating: T for Teen

Not only is the Bravely Default II series like the Final Fantasy franchise in so many ways, but it actually started out as a Final Fantasy game before it branched out to be its own project. It’s now considered a spiritual successor instead and a worthy one at that. If you’re a fan of the earlier FF games that were turn-based, try this one out. It's perfectly fine to start with this sequel since its story is unrelated to the first game. But we still recommend you check out its predecessor to see how its sequel changed things for the better.

• Developer: Square
• Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+

Like Bravely Default, Chrono Trigger is also made by Square Enix, the developer/publisher behind FF. It didn’t quite start out as a Final Fantasy game, but it actually got Final Fantasy VII pushed back due to how big it was getting. This is widely regarded not just as a great Japanese RPG but as one of the better RPGs ever made. Prepare yourself for an emotional time-traveling journey where the main character Crono and his party members attempt to save the world. Seek out the sequel Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition if you end up becoming addicted to everything you come across in Chrono Trigger.

• Developer: CD Projekt Red
• Rating: M for Mature

Developed by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 saw a turbulent release in 2020 after years of anticipation. A lot of those bugs are behind it now and for fans of Final Fantasy VII, the cyberpunk setting will certainly resonate. The massive amount of freedom afforded to players, the multitude of meaningful side quests you'll embark on, and the substantial Phantom Liberty expansion should provide you dozens upon dozens of hours of immersive first-person action RPG goodness.

• Developer: Square Enix
• Rating: T for Teen

Yet another game by the makers of Final Fantasy, the Dragon Quest series will definitely remind FF fans of the earlier games with its bright color palette and turn-based combat, to name a couple of things. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is considered pretty unanimously to be the best offering in the entire series but if you enjoy it, the entire thing is definitely worth a try.

• Developers: Ape Inc., HAL Laboratory
• Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+

EarthBound had what would be described as somewhat of a cult following for a long time in the U.S. after it had about half the sales as it did in Japan. That is until the main character Ness appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series. That gave it a boost to a more well-known game and one that’s beloved by RPG fans.

• Developer: tri-Crescendo
• Rating: T for Teen

Eternal Sonata has one of the more unique concepts in gaming. The game is set in a fictional world dreamed of by the late Polish pianist Frédéric Chopin. The world is inspired by his life and music and he even appears as a playable character. The battle system here can take some getting used to but once you do, it’s fun.

• Developer: Tokyo RPG Factory
• Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+

Tokyo RPG Factory made I Am Setsuna with the goal of emulating RPGs from what is considered by many the golden age for the genre, the 1990s. Of course, Final Fantasy boasts some of the better games in that era, so naturally, those are reflected here. Specifically, the battle system was adopted from earlier Final Fantasy games too.

• Developer: Square Enix Business Division 3
• Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+

It’s only natural if you’re a Final Fantasy fan that you try out Kingdom Hearts III. The games in this series are sort of a crossover between Final Fantasy and Disney/Pixar, which is as much fun as it sounds on paper. If you don’t feel like playing the previous two games in the series and want to jump straight to this one, there’s a cool thing called the memory archive that will help you catch up. If you want to do a deep dive into this game and the wealth of series entries that preceded it, go ahead and check out the Kingdom Hearts All-in-One Package.

• Developers: Square, Square Enix, Historia
• Rating: T for Teen

Yet another game developed and published by Square Enix, LIVE A LIVE is a great game that focuses on a multitude of likable characters and their stories and then ties everything together at the end. The cool thing is that each character plays differently, so you truly feel like you’re getting a unique experience with each one. 

• Developers: Feelplus, Opus
• Rating: T for Teen

Avid Final Fantasy fans will know the name Hironobu Sakaguchi who worked on the Final Fantasy games from 1987 until 2006 when he founded and moved to Mistwalker. One of the first games he did there was Lost Odyssey in 2007, so naturally this feels like it could slide right into the FF series and arguably it would be one of the better, more refined games there. You can hop into this underrated RPG masterpiece nowadays thanks to the backward compatibility feature on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

• Developer: Level-5
• Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+

If you’re a fan of both Final Fantasy and films by Studio Ghibli (who did Spirited Away), then there’s no better game for you to play than Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. Studio Ghibli produced the cutscenes and character designs and in general, this is one of the best JPRGs of all time. It might be worth delving into the sequel Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.

• Developers: Square Enix Business Division 11, Acquire
• Rating: T for Teen

For those who are particular fans of FF’s older 2D games, Octopath Traveler has a really interesting 2.5D art style that will take you back a little. On top of that, the atmosphere of the game created by the soundtrack is special too. If you’re a fan, there’s an equally amazing sequel ready for you to play too.

• Developer: Square
• Rating: M for Mature

Parasite Eve follows Aya Brea, a New York police officer, as she attempts to stop someone who wants to destroy the entire planet with the aid of a killer virus at her command. Fighting in this game is a lot of fun due to the unique battle system where there’s an active time bar to take into consideration amongst other things.

• Developer: P-Studio
• Rating: M for Mature

It’s difficult to consider a bunch of great JPRGs without mentioning one of the biggest out there, Persona 5 Royal. It’s garnered such a fanbase due to how accessible it is and how many elements of different kinds of games it does well. As well as Final Fantasy, there are things here that will remind you of Pokémon here and they’re all done particularly well.

• Developer: tri-Ace
• Rating: T for Teen

Developed by tri-Ace, Resonance of Fate boasts a cast of characters that rival a bunch of Final Fantasy games. For some fun gun-based combat and an intense, hectic story to tie it all together, check this one out.

• Developers: Bandai Namco Studios, Tose
• Rating: T for Teen

Here, you play as either Yuito Sumeragi or Kassane Randall and are tasked with defending "New Himuka" from the "Others" mutants that want to consume humanity's brains. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed game that takes place in a fictional world that rivals some of those in the Final Fantasy series.

• Developer: Square
• Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+

Developed and published by Square Enix (back when they were just called Square), Secret of Mana is another vintage RPG that helped build the studio’s reputation for making great RPGs (action and turn-based). Despite it being from 1993, it features combat in real-time. There are also a bunch of protagonists for you to choose from. The Mana series as a whole is one of Square Enix's most upbeat franchises, so check out all of its games if you're into that sort of vibe.

• Developer: Nautilus
• Rating: T for Teen

Shadow Hearts: Covenant is one of the more eccentric and oddball Japanese role-playing games on this list because unlike most games typical of the genre, it has a dark gothic kind of setting. This game takes place six months after the events of the first but you can jump straight into this one because it’s by far the best in the series. If you enjoy what's been presented to you here, then take a journey back to complete Koudelka and the first Shadow Hearts. Then move on to complete the series via Shadow Hearts: From the New World.

• Developer: Atlus
• Rating: M for Mature

If you’re a Final Fantasy fan and want to push yourself to play something in the same lane but a little more challenging, look no further than Shin Megami Tensei V. It follows a high school student who is transported to an apocalyptic version of Tokyo where he and his friends must get into the battle there between angels and demons to survive.

• Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
• Rating: T for Teen

Suikoden II suffered from low sales at one point but now, nearly a quarter of a century after its release, it’s considered a cult classic. The game boasts a roster of over 1000 recruitable characters and just under half of them are actually usable in combat. There’s some strategy involved here too, with battles varying from one-on-one fights to large-scale combat. Keep an eye out for the Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars to truly enjoy these games in their most refined forms.

• Developer: Namco Tales Studio
• Rating: T for Teen

Although the Tales series hasn’t quite reached the popularity or folklore status of the Final Fantasy series, there are some incredible hidden games to be played, namely Tales of Vesperia. This game in particular has a protagonist called Yuri Lowell who is very lovable and fun to be. The combat here is also real-time so fans of the FFVII remake will love it.

• Developer: Square Enix
• Rating: M for Mature

Square Enix, the makers of Final Fantasy, also made a great game called The Last Remnant, which feels a little like a Final Fantasy game in some ways. Instead of controlling a single player in battles, you control entire groups called "Unions," which makes a nice change that you might welcome. There’s also a very memorable protagonist you'll become a big fan of here.

• Developers: Mistwalker, AQ Interactive
• Rating: T for Teen

The Last Story is a great game that suffers a little because it was released only on the Nintendo Wii and at the end of its life cycle too. With that being said, if you have a Wii at home that you can dust off and use and you’ve never played this game, it’s a treat to experience. Like Lost Odyssey, this is a game by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the beloved and highly respected creator of Final Fantasy.

• Developer: Japan Studio
• Rating: T for Teen

Some of the criticism of The Legend of Dragoon has been that it’s an RPG that’s too typical of your average releases from the genre, but if you’re a fan of Final Fantasy then perhaps something that represents the genre in that way is exactly what you’re looking for. Take a trip to the 32-bit golden era of RPGs by checking this out on PS5 or PS4. You'll notice the comparisons between The Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy VII pretty quickly!

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Rating: T for Teen

The Trails series is a great one and your best bet is likely starting with 2013’s Trails of Cold Steel because it’s very accessible. Make no mistake though, as an entire series, for many, this rivals the Final Fantasy series due to how good it’s been for how long it’s been going. This franchise has been going strong for a good while now, so you'll be inspired to play through the rest of it after reaching the end of this first foray into the world of "Erebonian Empire."

• Developer: CD Projekt Red
• Rating: M for Mature

Most games on this list are Japanese-made role-playing games, but we’ll make an exception here for what’s considered one of the better games of all time. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will certainly appease fans of the Final Fantasy series with its character depth, immersive story, and a world that feels lived-in and is a pleasure to traverse through. Geralt of Rivia is one of the best gaming protagonists of all time, so you'll get sucked into this world and all the dark conflicts he finds himself in via the main campaign and incredible side missions.

• Developer: Monolith Soft
• Rating: T for Teen

We’ve picked the third game in the series for this list because it’s the newest and is available on the Switch but you can dive in from the start too because all of the games are solid. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has a battle system that works based on how well you can chain things together which makes it enthralling and fun to get better at. If you end up loving this series entry, then you're going to want to check out the other two mainline series entries. Those happen to exist on the Switch as Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

• Developer: Square
• Rating: T for Teen

The aforementioned Xenoblade Chronicles series is actually a spiritual successor to and made by the same team as Xenogears. This one is definitely worth playing too because it’s a special one. The only downfall of this game is that the second half is told primarily through cutscenes due to restraints that the studio had at the time. Nevertheless, Xenogears' engrossing plot will compel you to see it through to its epic conclusion. Plus its mecha-based combat featuring "Gears" makes for some exciting moments worth being a part of.

• Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Rating: M for Mature

Like A Dragon is a sharp left turn in the Yakuza series but a welcome one. It combines the style of JPRGs with the flare of previous entries in the series for a compelling offering in this world that fans of Final Fantasy should try out. The whacky character classes and slapstick humor of this new take on the Yakuza formula is a revelation for series diehards. Trust us when we say you'll quickly become enamored with Ichiban Kasuga and his cast of downtrodden characters that rise to become heroes in the seedy underbelly of the Yokohama district of "Isezaki Ijincho."

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Rating: T for Teen

Finally, developed by Falcom, is Ys VIII. The game sees you take on the role of Adol Christin, the main protagonist of the series who is totally silent, which allows your imagination to fill some holes regarding the way his life plays out after surviving a traumatic shipwreck and ending up on a mysterious island. In a nutshell, the game has a fun combat system, interesting characters, and a pretty cool story.