My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations: #30 to #21

Hey there, thanks for joining me bang in the middle of My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations list. Today I count from #30 to #21 in my list, yesterday I did #40 to #31 and the day before I did #50 to #41 if you missed them. No more talk let's continue!

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each location represents I'd avoid that entry.

#30: Nautilus
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Towards the middle of the game
Revisitable? No
Description: Also called "The City of Dreams", Nautilus is the best place on the world of Cocoon for entertainment; it has an amusement park, nice green walks and most impressively, the Pompa Sancta parade which is a true dramatic 3D battle sequence of the War of Transgression.

So much happens at Nautilus. Two of my favourite FF13 characters, Sazh and Vanille, come here to try and hide from all the chaos surrounding them being branded l'Cie yet some of the most climatic and tense scenes in the entire game happen here. Before all of that, the beautiful Pompa Sancta parade occurs and it's mind blowing how gorgeous it looks, kudos to Square Enix for that. Then, Vanille comes clean about being responsible for Dajh, Sazh's son, being branded l'Cie, just after Dajh turns into crystal right in front of his fathers eyes. It's truly a sad scene, really sad, and the idea that Sazh was going to commit suicide there and then is horrifying as well. All of this, in The City of Dreams. It's an amazing place with a fantastic shift in the story.

#29: Besaid
Game? Final Fantasy X
When do you go? Very early on
Revisitable? Yes
Description: An island, the official starting point of the pilgrimage; to bring Yuna to Zanarkand to defeat Sin. Yuna, Kimahri, Wakka and Lulu live on the island, which has a gorgeous beach, a river and a village with a temple.

Ah, Besaid. It's such a beautiful place, so calm, so tranquil. It's probably in my Top 5 places I'd love to live if I lived in a Final Fantasy world. Your true journey starts here, after the Dream Zanarkand sequence, the dangers at Baaj Temple and running into the Al Bhed crew. The pilgrimage starts here, as does meeting most of the characters of the game. It's just such a nice place, and it all really starts here.

#28: Daguerreo
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Completely optional, from half way through the game onwards
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A very large library of sorts, flooded by the natural location of the waterfalls above it.

Daguerrero, like Shumi Village in FF8 before it, is completely optional but that's not to say no care or thoughts have been put into its location, Daguerrero is just such a cute little place you can't easily dislike it. It's a bizarre concept; a gigantic indoor library... flooded by waterfalls being directly above it. It doesn't make sense? Yet Squresoft make it work so well. You can get some really strong equipment for your characters here, and this is the last time you see Gilgamesh, although you have to work really hard throughout the game for him to reveal his true identity. It's just a lovely little place with nice, comforting music to boot.

#27: Shinra Headquarters
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? Quite early on
Revisitable? Yes, but only once and it's optional
Description: The headquarters of the Shinra company, the tallest location in all of Midgar, high above the plate that separates Midgar into eight sectors. Seventy floors tall, President Shinra's personal office is at the top.

I was debating whether or not to make Midgar one entire entry in this list or separate parts of it and put those parts in my list. I went with the latter. That being said there's only two parts of Midgar that make the list, this one and... you'll find out won't you? Anyway, the attack on Shina Headquarters is still pretty epic, and the layout of the building is pretty cool. I love the dialogue between Cloud, Tifa and Barret if you decide to take the side entrance, it had me in stitches the first time I saw the scene. And of course, Jenova's journey to Northern Crater to reunite with Sephiroth starts here too. When you play this game for the first time, as a very young kid, I remember thinking that this was close to the end of the game, that we were going to destroy Shinra and the credits would roll. In reality of course, this is just the beginning, and the real story truly unfolds here.

#26: Ship Graveyard
Game? Final Fantasy V
When do you go? Quite early in the game
Revisitable? No
Description: A load of ships completely destroyed by large sea attacks, that is full of ghosts and other beasties, hoping to take your party down with them.

If you've been paying attention you may have noticed that there was no entry so far in the list from Final Fantasy V, a game in the series that while isn't bad by any stretch, isn't really that impressive either. But I absolutely love the Ship Graveyard, and that's why it's so high in my list. I just think that part of the story when Syldra gets sucked into a maelstrom and you barely survive the journey, only to find yourself on a haunted ship full of ghosts and other deadly beings pretty cool. I like the map of the place where you go through the ships full of water, having to hop on nearby stones to get from one ship to another in some parts is great. And of course, at the end, when you finally find land, to have to take on the deadly Siren, who was possessing all the undead all along, was is a good payoff.

Ship Graveyard is the first and only entry from Final Fantasy V in this list.

#25: Zanarkand
Game? Final Fantasy X
When do you go? Right at the beginning and very close to the end
Revisitable? Yes
Description: In actuality, there are two Zanarkands, one was a huge city with many buildings, a huge night scene and lots and lots of blitzball and other high technological activities. After being destroyed by Sin, Zanarkand is a huge shell of its former self, crumbling and decaying, and serves as the final point in Yuna's pilgramage. The other Zanarkand, is the huge city explained above, yet it's only a dream, and does not actually exist. Tidus is part of this dream location

While there are two Zanarkands in FF10, let's get something straight, Dream Zanarkand is an incarnation of the real Zanarkand that did exist a thousand years before the game's plot. So for me, I'm treating it as one location. The contrasts between Zanarkand one thousand years ago and the current Zanarkand is astronomical. Zanarkand of old looked like such an awesome place to live, all the glitz and glamour, all the blitzball you could ever want yet the current Zanarkand is just one of the most depressing places in Final Fantasy history. So much death, so much decay, so much rubble it can make you feel really sad going to the current state of Zanarkand. And for people like me, I was always intrigued to know what Zanarkand you would see at the end of the pilgrimage. Of course, it was never in doubt what you would see at the end of the journey, but you did hope of course, that it wouldn't be the case. Zanarkand is one of Final Fantasy's most amazing locations, there's no doubt about that.

#24: Sulyya Springs
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Quite late in the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A large natural spring that is protected by the fal'Cie Bismarck and is a natural habitat for lots of overgrown frogs. The location is a short bridge between Mah'habara Subterra and Taejin's Tower.

This is one of the areas in the series that's in this list because of its location rather than any plot or story that occurs here. I absolutely love the design of the Sulyya Springs. It's such a gorgeous place and that music is just so beautiful and suits the mood perfectly. It looks so good that you can almost feel the warmth of the water and climate on your face when playing it. Okay maybe not but you get the idea.

#23: Bhujerba
Game? Final Fantasy XII
When do you go? Quite early on in the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A gorgeous floating city in the sky, the Marquis resides here and tries his best to maintain neutrality in the game's two main nations. It contains its own mine and has a lot of natural greenery, as well as a decent sized city centre.

In terms of the cities of Final Fantasy XII, this is by far the best looking one. Bhujerba is just stunning. The idea of a floating continent, or city, is not a new thing, they've tried a few times to make a floating 'something' in the series. But they really pulled off all the stops with Bhujerba, it's just magnificent to look at. The Lhusu Mines are pretty cool too, but it's just the look of the city, the clouds surrounding the city, the scenery, everything about it, is just mindblowingly cool.

#22: Bran Bal
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Quite late in the game
Revisitable? No
Description: The only village on the planet of Terra, the planet trying to take over Gaia in FF9. It's Zidane's true origin of birth, as well as Kuja's, and all of the Genomes race.

Bran Bal, or Terra in general (Bran Bal is about 90% of what's left of Terra) is one of the view places that truly gives me goosebumps when I go there. It's a hard concept to do, making another planet other than your own. And while Terra isn't really much of a planet due to its dying state, you still get a good taste of what life was like through Bran Bal. Life was pretty damn crap don't get me wrong, but as a place it looks amazing. So much blue, so much foreign looking plants and odd shaped houses and vessels, it's a true place of beauty in the universe of Final Fantasy IX. I love it.

#21: Bodhum
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Only through flashbacks, not once do you go to Bodhum in the game
Revisitable? No
Description: The home of Lightning, Serah and Snow, Bodhum is a stunning seaside town that gives an incredible look of the sunset whilst holdig an annual fireworks display to the residents of Cocoon.

It might be considered odd not only to include Bodhum but to place it so high in my favourite places of Final Fantasy but I just think it looks so damn good. It's like an improved Besaid from Final Fantasy X, and seems like the perfect place to chill and hang out. You do get to control Snow here through a particular flashback and from that alone I love the look of this area. Square-Enix did a great job of making this place look as good as it does and it's a shame you don't get to explore it any more than you do.

Three parts down, two to go. What are my favourite 20 locations of the Final Fantasy series? Come back tomorrow when I reveal the first half of them. Take care and have a good one.

Click here for #20 to #11.
Click here for #10 to #1.

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My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations: #50 to #41

Hi there, I hope you're well. Welcome to another one of my celebrations of my favourite game series of all time, Final Fantasy. I love this series so much. So much in fact that I've celebrated Final Fantasy on this site more than any video game series. Here's a full list of work on Final Fantasy on this site:

Final Fantasy IX Game Review - 5/11/05 (Retro Review)

Final Fantasy X Game Review - 30/1/06 (Retro Review)

Final Fantasy VI Game Review - 4/2/06 (Retro Review)

Final Fantasy VIII Game Review - 4/2/06 (Retro Review)

Final Fantasy XII Game Review - 21/4/08 (Retro Review)

Why I Want a Final Fantasy VI Remake (Article) - 7/10/10

My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters - 8/10/10

The Best Music of Final Fantasy Mixtape - 12/10/11

Final Fantasy XIII Game Review - 5/1/12

...that's a lot of homage right there. The first five pieces of work I did before I got this site together, so the quality of work in comparison to my recent stuff is poor. They're still interesting little reads though. That is, if you appreciate Final Fantasy.

So what have I got for you this time? Well if you hadn't read the title of this post, I'm celebrating my Top 50 favourite locations in Final Fantasy. And unlike in my Top 50 favourite characters list, I've included Final Fantasy XIII into this listing, as I've more than played it now. I'm still not including Final Fantasy XI and XIV however, due to not playing them. So this list is Final Fantasy I to X, and XII and XIII. I have included at least one location from those games. Naturally the earlier games may only have one entry due to the fact that the graphics weren't very well developed. Also, please remember that this is a biased list, I'm not saying that #1 is the best or most important location in the series. It's just my favourite, that's all. Anyway enjoy!

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each location represents I'd avoid that entry.

#50: Pandaemonium
Game? Final Fantasy II
When do you go? Final dungeon
Revisitable? No
Description: The capital of Hell, it rises from the ground over the Castle Palamecia and is a castle in itself, very dangerous and very very purple. It also appears in Dissidia. The Emperor, the main villain of FF2, is found here for a final battle.

Pandaemonium is pretty damn scary. There wasn't much you could do on the NES to emphasise scariness but they did as good as job as they could. In more recent ports and in Dissidia they have tried as hard as they could and it's just a filthy purple castle, very fitting for The Emperor to rule. It's a hard place to explore too, and man, that purpleness can just blind you!

Pandaemonium is the first and only entry from Final Fantasy II in this list.

#49: The Faultwarrens
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A multitude of naturally grown areas connected by steep walls and drops, to get from one area to another you must transport with Cie'th stones. Titan, a giant being, roams the area and makes creatures fight each other to the death. The winners survive with Titan's blessing.

Sorry for a not-so good picture but in honesty this location isn't in because of its looks as much, but for the Titan's Trials. The Titan's Trails are explained above, and your job is to survive. It sounds pretty deadly but it's not really, you can quit any time you want. But to get the end of each path is a difficult task. And the paths all go to different places and the final segments of each path holds a very difficult monster in which you have to defeat to get Titan's blessing. It's just a cool area, a cool idea and that's why it makes my list.

#48: World of Darkness
Game? Final Fantasy III
When do you go? Final dungeon
Revisitable? No
Description: An area filled with almost pitch black darkness, made from dark energy and masses, and underneath the area is nothingness. It also appears in Dissidia. You go against the final boss of the game here, Cloud of Darkness.

Once again I choose a final dungeon but to be fair, the final dungeons in video games are supposed to be memorable. World of Darkness is a very important area in the game because there are still bits of unfinished business to take care of before being able to take on the Cloud of Darkness. Before you reach her you have to take on four bosses who are guarding areas that give you access to the Warriors of Dark. After talking to these warriors the Cloud of Darkness is weakened and then you go to face her in the final battle. It's just a really cool area of the game and brings the game to a close well.

World of Darkness is the first and only entry from Final Fantasy III in this list.

#47: Giza Plains
Game? Final Fantasy XII
When do you go? Very early in the game, and then a second time a little later
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A large set of open plains that has dramatic weather changes rapidly throughout the season.

I honestly, off the top of my head, cannot think of a similar area in the entire series like the Giza Plains. Sure, in some locations in the series the weather may change, but not as quickly and rapidly as this. The weather changes so much that new pathways are open or closed depending on the flooding of the rain in some places. It's a pretty damn nice piece of scenery too, in both of the main seasons.

#46: Chaos Shrine
Game? Final Fantasy I
When do you go? Quite early in the game, and then it becomes the final dungeon
Revisitable? Yes, in the respect that you go there twice, but with it being the last area of the game you can't go after the second time
Description: An old, worn down shrine that's completely in ruins, but was once a grand temple that catered as a home to Chaos, the final boss in the game. It also appears in Dissidia, in its past form.

The Chaos Shrine is such an important place in Final Fantasy history. It's the first place really in the entire series that grabs your attention as somewhere that you'll never forget. The fact that on the surface it looks like nothing but a pile of rubble, but the reality is that it's the source area for all the crap that goes on in the game, as well as the time looping element in the game, makes it just awesome. Back in 1987, very few games had the ability to create places like the Chaos Shrine, and it deserves its place in a list of great locations in the series.

Chaos Shrine is the first and only entry from Final Fantasy I in this list.

#45: Macalania Forest
Game? Final Fantasy X
When do you go? About half way through the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A beautiful, tranquil forest that encompasses springs and camp areas and deep wooden pathways that lead to many areas of the game, namely Macalania Temple, Bevelle, the Thunder Plains and the Calm Lands.

Macalania Forest is host to arguably one of Final Fantasy's biggest 'in-game' moments, in the respect that Tidus and Yuna finally embrace and declare their feelings for one another here. But it's not really a scene I care about really, I just think the area is just so beautiful. All of the bright lights, the nature, the blue haze gleaming over area, it's just one of Final Fantasy's most pure locations. There's nothing else to say really, other than that.

#44: Lunar Subterrane
Game? Final Fantasy IV
When do you go? Final dungeon
Revisitable? No
Description: The Lunar Subterrane is separated into two areas; firstly the beginning is very rocky, and pays homage to many perceptions of what the Moon's surface is like. The second part is filled with crystal tiles and is a very difficult area of the game. At the end of this area Zemus awaits the characters and the final battle begins. The former part of the Subterrane is featured in Dissidia.

Despite Final Fantasy IV being a great game, not many of the game's areas really stand out for me. But the Lunar Subterrane, naturally being the final area of the game, does stand out. All of the sections at the end of the game placed on the Moon stand out; it's not often you go to space in Final Fantasy games. I love how the area changes from a rocky, moony area to a crystal core. Final Fantasy do love their crystals and crystal based areas huh? Still it's a cool area.

Lunar Subterrane is the first and only entry from Final Fantasy IV in this list.

#43: Orphan's Cradle
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Final dungeon
Revisitable? Kind of; after finishing Final Fantasy XIII you can go back visit the area
Description: A very odd place, it's like being inside a computer; with large platforms moving at very fast paces moving around you and you have to make your way to the Narthex, where the final battles commence.

Orphan's Cradle received mixed reactions from fans. Why? Because the place seems completely... out of place. Final Fantasy XIII has an amazing landscape, both on Cocoon and on Gran Pulse but for the final dungeon to take place in an out-of-this-world type dimension, it just didn't fit in. But while I agree with all of that, you can't deny that Orphan's Cradle looks pretty damn cool. It does, all of these huge Tetris-like shapes flying at you is awesome, but yeah, it doesn't really fit in FF13 that well. I still like it though as a stand-alone location and for that it gets in my list.

#42: Edea's Orphanage
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? Towards the middle of the game, and at the end as a portal to the final dungeon
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A run down orphanage, completely desolated until Edea returns to her former self and lives there again with Cid. Later on as time travel warps everything it serves as a portal to the final dungeon, Ultimecia's Castle.

Edea's Orphanage is one of the game's most iconic places. It serves as location important to the story in the past, the present and the future. It's nothing really more than a run down orphanage, crumbling and desolate, but because so much happens here, you have to have a soft spot for Edea's Orphanage if you play through the game. It's just a short yet important area in the game and once you've seen it, you'll recognise it and its rooms easily from pictures for a long time.

#41: Archylte Steppe
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: An exceptionally large open field that is mostly populated by many different creatures and monsters

I like the Archylte Steppe. My main problem with it is that its purpose and design are exactly the same as its earlier brother, the Calm Lands of Final Fantasy X, just far inferior. That's quite the criticism but as I said, I do like it. It's a nice area, and put it this way, when you've played through a lot of FF13 and its strenuous linearity it's nice to actually feel like you can breathe and roam about anywhere you want. That being said, when you first arrive here the majority of monsters are tough and give you problems, but it's a good area to grind your characters too.

And that's the end of Part 1 of my Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations listing. Join me tomorrow for Part 2, where I countdown from #40 to #31. Have a good night.

Click here for #40 to #31.
Click here for #30 to #21.
Click here for #20 to #11.
Click here for #10 to #1.

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My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters (Parts 9)

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each character represents I'd avoid that entry.

#10: Edgar

Full Name (to knowledge): Edgar Roni Figaro
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “If something were to happen to me, all the world's women would grieve!”
Edgar just slips into the Top 10 of my favourite characters list, representing FF6. Edgar is the ultimate flirt of Final Fantasy, and he’s so funny when doing it. He flirts with all the women, to a better effect and charm than Irvine from FF8, he doesn’t care that he’s a king. That being said, he is a good king, and a respected one at that. He is also one of the better characters to use in battle with all his invented tools at his disposal. What I love about Edgar is that he is so humble; he’s so cool and funny. The scene when he’s pretending to be Gerad as well is fantastic. He’s just one of the best characters in Final Fantasy.


#9: Beatrix

Full Name (to knowledge): Beatrix
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Antihero
Best Quote: “Allow me to shatter your delusions of grandeur.”
Beatrix is the highest ranked female in this list, primarily because there are more men than women in the series, and my personal opinion is that Squaresoft/Square-Enix don’t develop their women as well as their men. But Beatrix is against this rule, she is absolutely brilliant. Man, I’d do anything for a Beatrix themed Final Fantasy IX prequel or sequel. Beatrix kicks your ass over and over again before realising she was fighting on the wrong side of the battle field. Just in case you didn’t know, yes, I do have a crush on Beatrix, she’s so strong and gorgeous (unless she has one eye…) and why the hell did she choose Steiner over me? WHY?! Not happy. I wish there were more characters like her in the FF series, she’s one of a kind, at least I think so.


#8: Auron

Full Name (to knowledge): Auron
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain, or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!”
Auron is The Godfather of Final Fantasy, I don’t think anyone dislikes this man. It’s truly a sad scene when he gets sent, Spira lost a great man. So why do I like him? Well, he looks the shit, talks the shit; he is the strongest character (in the start) and has a dark secret. What more do I need to say? How about the fact that he rips into Tidus quite a lot? Surely that trumps everything?!

Note: Auron is the seventh and final character from Final Fantasy X in this list.


#7: Kuja

Full Name (to knowledge): Kuja
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: "The Canary I have been after, she flew into my cage of her own free will." (Referring to Dagger coming home)

Kuja is an underrated villain in an underrated entry into the Final Fantasy series. Kuja is a brilliant bad guy, he manipulates an entire continental war, causing many lives to end and many cities to be rebuilt, one even completely destroyed permanently. He also destroys his own world. But what makes him so special is how he does it - with his poetic lines and his Shakesperean drama, he wants to end life like a play. And he almost does so, everything goes swimmingly until he reaches his Trance. Kuja is one of my favourite villains, and my seventh favourite Final Fantasy character.


#6: Cid

Full Name (to knowledge): Cid Highwind
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink your goddamn TEA! Arggggggh! DAMN, I'm pissed!"

The above quote is one of the best quotes in FF history. FF7’s Cid is the highest up Cid, and rightfully so, he is just brilliant. He’s on a permanent period, lashing at people all the time, but it’s just because he’s so damn passionate about what he does. And he looks badass too, with that cigarette that only falls out once in the entire game. There hasn’t been a Cid before or after like this guy, I wish they would make a playable Cid again, because I really think he’s a recurring character name that everyone associates with Final Fantasy, and it would be great homage to a great series. Cid Highwind is just full of vinegar, full of fire, full of entertainment and that’s why he is this high in my list.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

See other parts in the listing!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | The Winner (+ more)

My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters (Part 7)

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each character represents I'd avoid that entry.

#20: Baku

Full Name (to knowledge): Baku

Game: Final Fantasy IX

Role in Game: Minor Protagonist

Best Quote: Baku: “So, this Tootsie's gonna give us Supersoft?” Marcus: “It's Tot.” Baku: “ACHOO! Whatever. I can't believe Tantalus is at the mercy of some old man. Hmph. I guess we gotta keep babysittin' the princess.” Marcus: “Still?” Baku: “He ain't gonna give you the Supersoft unless you're with the princess. That's the deal, Princess. I'm askin' you to take Marcus to this Toot.” Marcus: "...It's Tot.” Garnet: “I was going to, anyway.” Baku: “Well, go get some rest before you go. I'm sure Ted needs time to prepare.” Marcus: “...It's Tot."

Baku is such a fantastic character. He’s the hard but caring father-like leader of Tantalus and really loves all his “boys” the hard way. He’s so funny though, with his constant sneazing, and him being responsible for the entirety of “Lovenote-gate” in Disc 3, he’s just brilliant. But his best scene, the scene that stands out most with Baku , is when he continuously gets Doctor Tot’s name wrong and Marcus keeps reminding him. Baku is comedy gold and such an awesome character, and yes, most certainly is a better character than Cloud if you ask me!

#19: Shadow

Full Name (to knowledge): Shadow

Game: Final Fantasy VI

Role in Game: Major Protagonist/Antihero

Best Quote: “Leave us. The dog eats strangers...”

When I played FF6 for the first time and saw Shadow, I thought about every other “darkside” character in FF games and in other games as well, and thought “here we go again”. But Shadow beats most, if not all of them. He is an absolute badass mercenary assassin, and tries his hardest to hide his feelings for the main cast, even though it’s obvious he cares. His connections with Relm and his vivid dreams also add that fantastic layer to his character. I just love him, he’s the epitome of the dark and reserved character in a video game, he and Interceptor, who believe it or not came close to reaching the Top 50, are awesome.

#18: Jecht

Full Name (to knowledge): Jecht

Game: Final Fantasy X

Role in Game: Major Antagonist/Antihero

Best Quote: “You’ll cry, you're gonna cry, you always cry. See? You're crying.” (to Tidus upon their reunion)

Jecht’s cool, in fact, he’s really cool. I have a lot of love for this man, because of the fact that he’s seen as this horrible bully according to Tidus, but in truth, he’s just a hard headed man that doesn’t show his feelings very well. He wanted Tidus to grow up to be a strong bloke, a similar man to himself, but because Tidus was a young boy, he cried, and saw his father as a big bully. Jecht was not the best father in the world, but he loved his son, and his wife/girlfriend. He cares so much for Tidus that he leaves spheres in Spira, hoping his son would find them one day. Jecht is a proper antihero, but it is debatable that he is the main antagonist of the game, being the penultimate boss. He is a big badass to look at as well.

#17: Quina

Full Name (to knowledge): Quina Quen

Game: Final Fantasy IX

Role in Game: Major Protagonist

Best Quote: “I...so happy.” (Quina when he/she “marries” Vivi)

Quina is one of the funniest characters in FF history. From the fantastic “Quina’s Theme” song, to her/his brilliant philosophy (world simple place, things you eat, and things you don’t eat), and her/his failed suicide mission (when she/he ends up at Lindblum’s shore and makes the guards shit themselves) just make her/him so brilliant. Someone made a good point in saying that Quina adds little to the plot, which is true, but some characters don’t have to, as long as most of them do, some can get by easily, as long as they provide the player with something, which Quina does. Quina is a phenomenal character, one of my FF9 favourites, and is my 17th favourite in the series.

#16: Red XIII

Full Name (to knowledge): Nanaki (Red XIII is his experiment name)

Game: Final Fantasy VII

Role in Game: Major Protagonist

Best Quote: “An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see.”

Yes I like Red more than Cloud. Red is an awesome character from FF7, he’s the last of his species (which is unnamed) and is a very courageous warrior, he is cool and composed, and says things the way they are. I don’t understand why he seems to be a relatively forgotten character in terms of FF7, so many other characters get much more time and development (he only has one line in the entirety of Advent Children) than him, which is unjustified. Red is as cool as a cucumber, and a character I think fondly of, so much that he’s my sixteenth favourite character.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

See other parts in the listing!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | The Winner (+ more)

My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters (Part 5)

Please note: This list will talk about spoilers. If you have not played the game that each character represents I'd avoid that entry.

#30: Lulu

Full Name (to knowledge): Lulu
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “You always said I looked grumpy, but those were the happiest days of my life.” (to Chappu, in the Farplane)

Lulu is a very cool character from FF10, she appears as a very cold hearted person but it doesn’t take long to realise she really cares about the people around her. She just doesn’t express herself easily, but her very “matter of fact” attitude really makes her “own” Tidus many a time in the game, which provides great entertainment. There’s also enough sex appeal in there as well, I’d hate to think what she’d want to do with those belts though! Lulu is a good character, one of the better from FF10, and my number #30 in this list.


#29: Jenova

Full Name (to knowledge): Jenova (otherwise J-E-N-O-V-A)
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: “Because Cloud...You are a puppet.” (the only line credited to Jenova)
Jenova is one fucked up character. Jenova is responsible for the majority of the crap in FF7 and has infected the planet to its in world state. Jenova is an alien and I’ve got to admit, I’d rather meet an alien in “Alien” than her, she’s that horrible. Her cells have created multiple monsters in the game, none more powerful and important as Sephiroth. It can be debated that she shouldn’t be in this list, I mean after all, she only has one line to her name. But her influence, her vile infected influence in FF7 can’t be avoided. Jenova deserves a place in this list, and #29 is where you will find her.


#28: Rikku

Full Name (to knowledge): Rikku
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Memories are nice, but that's all they are...”
Let’s get one thing straight. Characters like Rikku, Vanille and Selphie, are characters that people either love or hate when it comes to FF games. I actually quite like them, I love the energetic, happy happy, young female characters. They’re usually portrayed as being quite hot too, at least I think. But Rikku is the best, she really is cute, and you can’t help but feel sorry for her when her Home gets destroyed. Also, her intentions are right when she is trying to stop Yuna from completing her pilgrimage. I love Rikku, and I don’t care what you think!


#27: Sabin

Full Name (to knowledge): Sabin René Figaro
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “You think a minor thing like the end of the world was gonna do me in?"
Quite simply, Sabin and Edgar are the best twins in FF history. Yes, I shall confirm now, that Edgar is my favourite of the two but how high in the list is he? I’m not telling. Anyway, Sabin is fricking cool; he has a very quick wit for a man of his size, stereotypically speaking. He provides some of the best comedy in the game with Cyan and Gao, and he is at the centre of it. He also has full respect to Edgar and will serve him to the end. That is why Sabin is so high on this list, what a character.


#26: Cid

Full Name (to knowledge): Cid Fabool IX
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Minor Protagonist
Best Quote: Garnet: "The man who attacked you...was he the one who ran off with it?" Cid: "Good guess, but no... Actually... I met a lovely lady at the pub..." (referring to his affair)
Cid has appeared in every single Final Fantasy to date, but only two make the list (I hope you know who the other Cid is, if not, then wait!), the first being from FF9. Regent Cid is the leader of Lindblum, and a great leader at that, however he mainly provides the player with comic relief, as he is in the game in three forms, first as an oglop, then as a frog, and finally as a human again. There are loads of moments that I love with Cid, the Hedgehog Pie, Steiner shouting “OGLOP!” and smashing him into his throne, turning into a frog, creating a barricade in the trams underground when Alexandria take over Lindblum. He’s such a funny character, and for a man with such authority he’s really really funny.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

See other parts in the listing!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | The Winner (+ more)

Retro Review: Final Fantasy X

Morning everyone, I think this is going to be the last retro review. I can't find any more at present, but if I do I'll post them in the future. This is a review I did in 2006, so that would make me 17. It's a decent read, I hope you enjoy it.

 

"A great game overall, but not the best Final Fantasy, well at least I think not."

 

Introduction

If you are a video game fan and never heard of Final Fantasy you are blind. I am serious. Final Fantasy is the most successful Role Playing Game series of all time. It is possible the best selling series too. Final Fantasy had reached its peak in popularity in 1997 when Final Fantasy VII came out fresh on the Playstation. The series continued with Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy VIII and finally Final Fantasy IX. Final Fantasy X is the first FF game to come out on the Playstation 2. With the system's new generation graphics, people were astonished with the graphics this game contained. But can the gameplay live up to its graphics? Many think so. Here's what I think.

Gameplay

Final Fantasy IX went ‘old school' with their system, changing their way of having three characters in battle to four. FFX reverts back to three characters on screen, but with a little twist involved. You can ‘tag' a different character into the battle for one that you do not want to use for the time being. For instance, if you have three attackers in your party and they are starting to lose out on HP, you can ‘tag' in one of them for a healer, and this character than use curative spells on your other party members. This new addition makes gameplay a lot more fun and tactical, like what characters to use and when.

Also the enemies in this game, as minimum in design they may be in comparison to previous titles, have their own weaknesses. For instance, a species that is wolf looking is very fast. It also has an average amount of HP. A slower attacker like Auron will more than likely miss. A more accurate but less powerful attacker like Wakka can attack it, but it takes more than one hit to do so. So Tidus is fit enough to do the job; he can take them in one hit as he rather accurate and more powerful than Wakka. Another example being little birds and insects; these are even faster than wolves but contain less HP. So Tidus' accuracy is too small to attack these, but Wakka can hit and kill them in one hit. See where this is going? Auron is best to use against hard-shelled, slow and high HP enemies, as Wakka and Tidus cannot hit these as hard where as Auron will deal with them no problem. Magic flans cannot be attacked at all by these, as their bodies are absorbent to weapons. Magic is used against these, and Lulu does this her part here. So most of the basic monsters in the game have their weaknesses, and these are a certain character that has abilities that other characters do not posses. This little factor makes battling a lot easier and a lot more fun.

Like previous Final Fantasy titles, levelling up is the key to success. But there are no character levels in this game, a new sphere grid system has been replaced. One level up that a character gets lets the character move one step further into the sphere grid, and in the more the character goes through the grid, more abilities the character can get. Most spheres contain attribute point increases, like a “Speed +4” or “Vitality +1”. Abilities are also accessible, like in Lulu's main pathway magic is learnt, and in Rikku's thievery abilities are there to learn.

 
Summons on this game are also included, and are called Aeons. These magical beasts are only used by one character, and that is Yuna. As well as casting healing magic, she can call out these monsters. They get stronger depending on how strong Yuna is. They can also learn their own abilities by certain items later on in the game. However unlike other Final Fantasy games, you can actually use your Aeon as a normal character; they have their own signature moves but can also attack and cast magic too.

Limit breaks, trance… nope. Overdrives, basically the same principle as previous titles, but in this case you can choose (as you progress through the game) how you want your Overdrive bar to increase to its max. You may want it to increase every time you attack, maybe every time you kill an enemy or when they kill you. It is up to you this time, and this is definitely a plus point in the game.

Gameplay on total is great. But this is by far the easiest battle system that the Square team have ever used (until later on in the game… talk more about that later on) and some would say it is too easy. Battles may get repetitive at times, even though its simplicity makes the game more fun, it also makes it more boring in the long run to some people. Using Aeons they way you wanted to can be like a dream come true, other titles have the summoned beasts perform one attack on them and that is it. This is more of the way you want to use them, which is great.

Gameplay: 9/10

 

Story

There is a great storyline in FFX. A young, overconfident sports player called Tidus was playing Blitzball (the games favourite sports; a mix between many sports, underwater) when a huge unknown creature called ‘Sin' attacked the stadium and the city in its entirety. With the help of a strange man named Auron, Tidus manages to escape the millions and millions of little creatures that dropped of Sin's body. They cause a huge explosion that rips one of the roads in two, Tidus struggles to jump up to the other part of the road, which was by now being sucked into Sin's body. Auron asks Tidus if “he's sure” if he wants to be helped up. Auron then lifts Tidus into Sin's body, and Tidus finds himself in a completely foreign world, where he knows no one and the only thing he wants to do is go home. He finally meets a party of people who are on a journey to kill Sin. Tidus decides if he helps them on their journey he might be able to go home if he gets near Sin again.

The fact that Sin being a big, demolishing creature who does not talk or stalk your character does make the games main villain a bit weak. Seymour being the second main villain is also not as good as previous, like Seifer and The Turks.

It is not the main story that I like the most.

No spoilers involved, but what I do like is the complexity around the theme of religion. A religion called Yevon is involved in this game. I will say nothing more. Play it and find out =)

Story: 9/10

 

Graphics

This game came out around a year after the Playstation 2 had been out. And when it did come out, not one game could compare to the power the graphics in this game contained. The character designs were amazing; the movements of eyes and mouths were almost top notch. But what was so amazing, so fresh and beautiful about the graphics in this game was the landscapes. The world of Spira, as fragile as it is, is a stunning world.

Graphics: 10/10

 

Sound

A great soundtrack was involved in this game. It is not personally my favourite, but it is really good. The background music in the game really blend in with the events and locations of the places. Weapon clashes, monster squeals, you name it FFX has it. But what was new in this game was voice acting. The voices that are included in the game fit almost perfectly within each character.

Sound: 9/10

 

Controls

Almost the same principle as all Final Fantasy games, controls work really well. The use of controls in special events like Wakka's reels and Auron's overdrives add a lot of nice gameplay.

Controls: 10/10

 

Extras

It is not that there is a lot of extras in this game. It is that the sidequests involved are so complex and long, that it makes this game very good with its extras. The game's main sidequest is its Blitzball game. While this is not as fun as Final Fantasy VIII's card game, this is a great game to take your mind off the main game for a bit. Other sidequests like the battle arena makes the game a lot better, as you basically have to catch all the monsters in the world. This can be quite fun, even though some say that it is repetitive. If you have the International version of FFX, you can also battle the Dark Aeons. These monsters have over-the-top statistics and can probably kill all your characters in one hit. You have to really level up hard to even come close to being able to fighting them. This sidequest is a great challenge, if you have the patience.

Extras: 9/10

 

Challenge

This is primarily a very easy game, of course the difficulty increases as you get further into the game. But the fact that this game is so simple and easy makes the game accessible to most people. Also for the people who love a good challenge, the Dark Aeons are there for that. So this game is great for almost anyone.

Challenge: 8/10

 

Replay

Like all Final Fantasy games, this will definitely jump to the top of your pile of games standing up shouting “play me again!” Well maybe not do that but you will definitely want to play this game again, give it a year or two and you will want to play it all over again.

Replay: 10/10

 

Overall

This is far from my favourite Final Fantasy game, despite it getting a really high score in the review. The game however is amazing; the graphics put shame into other games, the side quests can keep you going for hundreds of hours (literally) and that fact that its simplicity within battles makes it for many groups of people. The storyline although on its own not the best, the dark theme of religion makes this game one of the most debatable game storylines of all time. A great game overall, but by far the best Final Fantasy, well at least I think not.
Overall: 74/80 = 93% - 9/10

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