My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations: #10 to #1

Here we are then. The Top 10 Final Fantasy Locations, at least in my eyes anyway. There's been a huge variety of areas we've covered so far already, across all the games. It's been fun. If you've missed them click here for #20 to #11, here for #30 to #21, here for #40 to #31 and here for #50 to #41.

So what are my favourite 10 locations of my favourite video game series ever? Let's count them down.

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

#10: Deling City
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? Not far into the game as Laguna in a flashback, and a bit later on in modern time
Revisitable? Yes, until time compression occurs
Description: A very cool cosmopolitan city, the capital of Galbadia, it's dark for most of the year due to the climate and has a Presidential Residence, a grand hotel and many luxurious streets.

Ah, Deling City. What a place. Apparently this place was inspired by Paris in France in its design and it's hard not to see why. It just looks so cool. So cool. And of course, this is another choice that's definitely inspired by its amazing music. That's the icing on the cake of cool. I'd love to come to Deling City if it existed in real life. I suppose I better go to Paris then, it's the best I'm going to get really. The story that happens here is naturally important, and it's a big swerve in the events as well, as it serves as the place where Ultimecia, in Edea's form, starts to try and take over the world. Of course when you're here you don't know that and think Edea is the main antagonist. Either way Deling City is amazing.

#9: Wall Market
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? Very early on
Revisitable? Yes, but only much later in the game onwards
Description: A shopping centre of sorts, it's one of the most bustling places in Midgar. As well as having its own clothes shop and gym, it also has its own adult club. It's called Wall Market as there's a huge wall here that is actually used to climb above the Midgar plate and straight to Shinra Headquarters.

I've often said during the course of this listing that some places are chosen because of its sheer beautify and not because of storyline events. But this place, Wall Market, is chosen for exactly that reason. What happens in Wall Market... stays in Wall Market. Poor Cloud, poor poor Cloud! The dressing up as a woman scene is one of the funniest moments in the entire series of Final Fantasy. Especially if Don Corneo actually chooses him as his 'bride', then it gets even more funny! And of course, the Honey Bee Inn is classic. It's times like the Honey Bee Inn when Squaresoft completely justifies its 15+ rating on the game. It's just so wrong, some of the things that can happen there. Wall Market is an awesome time in the game, it stays long in the memory, what happens here.

#8: Lindblum
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Quite early on, and a little later after that
Revisitable? Yes
Description: Actually the biggest city in Final Fantasy IX, although it's nothing on other places in other games. A decent sized city with the bet technology in the game, the city is seperated into different Districts. It has its own Regent and force, a force that's considered the strongest in the game until Queen Brahne starts producing Black Mages which shakes the forces of the world of Gaia during the course of the game.

Another cool city in Final Fantasy is Lindblum. It's a different cool to Deling City though, it's just such a nice place. It has a good castle, and the streets have lots of markets and the people just seem really happy for the most part. Tantalus, the crew that Zidane is from, reside here, as does the amazing Regent Cid, one of my favourite Cid's in the Final Fantasy series. A lot of story progression occurs here, and it's a base in parts for your party for some spells of the game. Lindblum is just such a lovely, welcoming city, one that I absolutely adore.

#7: Figaro Castle
Game? Final Fantasy VI
When do you go? Very early on, a little later, and towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: On the surface, Edgar's castle is just that, a castle. But Edgar being the huge technological wizard that he is, has given his castle a few perks, the main one being able to travel underground to another continent.

There is one main reason why I love Figaro Castle, and that's because the man, the legend himself, Edgar resides here. The man is a legendary Final Fantasy character, by far the best womaniser in the series. And some of the best moments in the story of Final Fantasy VI are in this castle; when he flirts with Terra and even better, when you come here following a suspicious man who calls himself Gerad (Edgar in bad disguise). The castle itself and its awesome theme are cool of course; the castle being able to move underground is pretty funky and a bit of a surprise when you see it happen for the first time. Figaro Castle is just one of the best places in Final Fantasy history in my eyes.

Figaro Castle is the fifth and last entry from Final Fantasy VI in this list.

#6: Black Mage Village
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Half way through the game, a little later, and towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A magically hidden village where the Black Mages who were once puppets of war, have retreated to live the rest of their short lives in peace. Later on the Genomes, who have had a similar experience in terms of being used by a master of sorts, also take home here.

The Black Mage Village gets this high on my list because as a place it's cool and also the storyline progression here is amazing. You learn so much here, about the Black Mages, about Vivi and the Genomes come here later on. It's just a true place of Gaia that you feel is completely safe that has a calm atmosphere, and the music helps to that again of course. The Black Mages are terribly scared that Zidane and company have found their secret hideout but soon learn their motives. Mr 288 (all the Black Mages are numbered) is a leader of sorts in the village, and he discusses life philosophy heavily in this village. His words and views on life are really cool if not sad, and really make you think about real life. Things like that make this place so memorable. And of course, the birth of Bobby Corwen is awesome too! Best chocobo name ever!

#5: Balamb Garden
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? Right at the beginning and many times throughout the game
Revisitable? Yes, until time compression occurs
Description: A large school of sorts, students learn and train how to fight here with the hope of once becoming SeeD, mercenaries who help settle global unrest. Later on it's discovered that it's also a mobile ship and is used as one.

There is absolutely no dispute about Balamb Garden being one of the Final Fantasy series most recognisable landmarks. Probably no place in Final Fantasy VIII is as easily memorable as this place. You start the game here, you come back here many times throughout the game and it's your base for pretty much the whole game. A lot of storyline progression naturally occurs here, and it's just a really cool place. I wish I went to school here. The music is so peaceful as well of course. Man I love Balamb Garden.

#4: Alexandria
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Right in the beginning of the game, towards the middle of the game and later again
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A city and nation ruled by a monarchy; Queen Brahne on the throne until Princess Garnet, or Dagger, claims it. The story starts here. A bustling city with a large castle, Alexandria is one of the main places in the game.

I love Alexandria. It's another one of those places that I'd love to live in. Everything is cute or gorgeous, depending on where you go. I love the castle, it's absolutely stunning, and the town centre itself is pretty damn cool too. Vivi's little journey here early on is just great, you can't help but love him there and then right from the off. Of course the scenes with Zidane and Steiner also make it brilliant. And of course, who can forget Beatrix, she can serve me any day... Alexandria, another staple landmark of the Final Fantasy series is also one of my favourite places, and I place it at number four.

#3: Nibelheim
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? In flashbacks quite early on, in modern time towards the middle of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A small village next to a mountain, some of the most important events in the history of the game happen here. Cloud and Tifa's hometime, it's burnt down by Sephiroth when he goes crazy on a murderous rampage. The Shinra Manor, one of the creepiest looking places in the Final Fantasy series, also resides here.

I don't know how naive any of you were on your first visit to Nibelheim, but remember I was very young when I played this game. After hearing Cloud's amazing story, I totally expected this place to be a big pile of burnt ashes. When you stumble across Nibelheim in game, and you see everything completely put back together, like nothing ever happened, I was just so shocked. And confused. Squaresoft really pulled a fantastic plot twist here when they made it seem like nothing had ever changed, but of course, it was Shinra, trying to hide their flaws and failures, who rebuilt the village back to the way it was, and got decent actors to make people believe that no fire ever occured there.

And then you have the Shinra Manor. Man that place is just so creepy, the music, the things that happen there, the experiments, everything. It's an amazing yet horrible place, haunted by the past. I love it. Nibelheim is a truly mindblowing little place, its history and distinct appearance will forever be engraved in my head.

Nibelheim is the seventh and last entry from Final Fantasy VII in this list.

#2: Treno
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Towards the middle of the game and a little later on
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A  town in permanent night time, separated by excessively rich nobles and bones dry poor peasants. It hosts its own auction, card tournament amongst other things. Doctor Tot resides here.

Now if I were to try and narrow down one place I'd love to live in a Final Fantasy game, it probably would be Treno. As a noble obviously. You've got the gorgeous night light, an awesome auction and card tournament, Doctor Tot to rely upon if you need help with something, if you were feeling adventurous you could take on the master's pet and you could kick peasants for entertainment. Okay I'm exaggerating a little here but Treno is just such a cool place. Sure the contrast of the economy isn't nice, but that aside it's a brilliant place. One of my favourite moments in the entire game happen here, when Baku keeps on getting Doctor Tot's name wrong. Such a funny moment in the game. I just can't help but love Treno, I love coming here it's just brilliant.

Treno is the tenth and last entry from Final Fantasy IX in this list.

Okay, we're at the end now. Let's just recap from #50 to #2:

• #50 - Pandaemonium (II)
• #49 - Faultwarrens (XIII)
• #48 - World of Darkness (III)
• #47 - Giza Plains (XII)
• #46 - Chaos Shrine (I)
• #45 - Macalania Forest (X)
• #44 - Lunar Subterrane (IV)
• #43 - Orphan's Cradle (XIII)
• #42 - Edea's Orphanage (VIII)
• #41 - Archylte Steppe (XIII)
• #40 - Northern Cave (VII)
• #39 - South Figaro (VI)
• #38 - Rabanastre (XII)
• #37 - Forgotten Capital (VII)
• #36 - Magitek Research Facility (VI)
• #35 - Moonflow (X)
• #34 - Lake Bresha (XIII)
• #33 - Iifa Tree (IX)
• #32 - Shumi Village (VIII)
• #31 - Gold Saucer (VII)
• #30 - Nautilus (XIII)
• #29 - Besaid (X)
• #28 - Daguerreo (IX)
• #27 - Shinra Headquarters (VII)
• #26 - Ship Graveyard (V)
• #25 - Zanarkand (X)
• #24 - Sulyya Springs (XIII)
• #23 - Bhujerba (XII)
• #22 - Bran Bal (IX)
• #21 - Bodhum (XIII)
• #20 - Giruvegan (XII)
• #19 - Dali (IX)
• #18 - Esthar (VIII)
• #17 - Calm Lands (X)
• #16 - Memoria (IX)
• #15 - Narshe (VI)
• #14 - Cosmo Canyon (VII)
• #13 - Oerba (XIII)
• #12 - Zozo (VI)
• #11 - Conde Petie (IX)
• #10 - Deling City (VIII)
• #9 - Wall Market (VII)
• #8 - Lindblum (IX)
• #7 - Figaro Castle (VI)
• #6 - Black Mage Village (IX)
• #5 - Balamb Garden (VIII)
• #4 - Alexandria (IX)
• #3 - Nibelheim (VII)
• #2 - Treno (IX)

Here we are then. My favourite Final Fantasy location of all time is...

#1: Ultimecia's Castle
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? The final dungeon in the game
Revisitable? No
Description: An exceedingly grand, chilling, maze-like castle. Ultimecia lives here, as do all of her minions, who have your powers. Some of the locations in this castle are the grand hall with a huge chandelier, a wine cellar, a courtyard, a treasure room, an art gallery, a prison, an armoury, a chapel, a waterway, and a clock tower. Ultimecia, lurks deep in the final area, the master room.

What a place Ultimecia's Castle is. Ultimecia as a villain doesn't deserve such an amazing place to hide in. This is more suited to say, Kefka, or Sephiroth. Regardless of my feelings for Ultimecia this castle is my favourite place in the series. Everything about it is perfect. I love the grand staircase when you arrive, the cobwebs dripping from the banisters and ornaments. The art gallery is creepy and the pictures are cool. Getting trapped in the prison gives you an 'oh crap' moment. The clock tower is excellent. I just love this castle. I wish it was mine. It's just feels like Squaresoft pulled all the stops to make it the biggest, grandest castle ever imagined when they came up with it. Everything about it reeks of class and terror. You can't help but wonder how many people or things Ultimecia and her minions may have murdered in cold blood in this place, and in different parts of the castle. It's terrifying. But I love it and it's my favourite place in the Final Fantasy series.

Ultimecia's Castle is the sixth and last entry from Final Fantasy VIII in this list.

And that's the end. Thanks for joining me count down my favourite 50 Final Fantasy Locations. It's been a blast. I love this series so much, I'm sure you noticed. While it's highly debated that the Final Fantasy series is not getting any better, one thing for me that keeps the series together are its amazing locations. Proof of that is the splendid places made in Final Fantasy XII and XIII. Some have critised one or both games, I'm one of those people. But regardless of the game and its flaws, the locations, man, they're just beautiful. You can't deny that. Thanks once again for joining me. There's one more thing I want to do, and that's to point you to My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters listing that I did nearly two years ago, if you haven't seen it. Have a good night.

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My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations: #20 to #11

Welcome to Part 4 of 5, of My Top 50 Final Fantasy Locations listing. Sorry I didn't post this yesterday, I had completely forgotten to do so!

We're approaching crunch time now. These places before you are places in the Final Fantasy series that are absolutely amazing, in a variety of different ways. Today I count from #20 to #11, if you've missed them click here for #30 to #21, here for #40 to #31 and here for #50 to #41. Let's do the Top 20!

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

#20: Giruvegan
Game? Final Fantasy XII
When do you go? Towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: An ancient city, completely out of vision due to large quantities of Mist covering the place. It's completely indoors and is basically a large pit, and at the bottom is The Great Crystal. However this pit is in darkness, and has many lights and designs that bright up in its black surroundings.

I don't know if it's just me; no one else really talks about it, but I find Giruvegan absolutely stunning to look at. I remember playing hours and hours of Final Fantasy XII, boring as hell as it is at times (Don't deny it, FF12 can be boring for long periods of time) and then getting to Giruvegan and just being taken aback by its beauty. Just panning the camera across the terrain, looking at its darkness, its lights, and I had to take a moment to take it all in. It's just damn beautiful. The Great Crystal is pretty cool too, but when you enter Giruvegan, seriously, look around you. Look at what you can see. You'll appreciate it. For some reason not many people talk about this place as much as me, which is a damn shame as it deserves a big mention for being as awesome as it is, in my eyes anyway.

Giruvegan is the fourth and last entry from Final Fantasy XII in this list.

#19: Dali
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Very early on
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A very small village, which its main landmark is its windmill. It looks like an ordinary village with normal villagers, but underneath the surface all the men in the village are producing a Black Mage Army for Queen Brahne to use to take over the Mist Continent.

I love Dali. It's such a cute little place, and the first place that seems to make Vivi even remotely happy, until of course, he's mistaken for one of the Black Mages that are being made for war. Vivi loves windmills. What makes Dali so amazing is its lovely music; it's so nice and warming, you wish music like that was played in your house when you go home. Well I do anyway. And I really wish in a certain way the horrible things that do end up happening in Dali never happen, as it's just such a nice little place. But this is Final Fantasy after all, so it would have been wrong if every thing was nice and perfect here. Man, I love Dali.

#18: Esthar City
Game? Final Fantasy VIII
When do you go? Completely optional, from half way through the game onwards
Revisitable? Yes
Description: Possibly the biggest, highest technological city in the history of Final Fantasy. A monstrosity of a city filled with large blue buildings, super fast cars and large surface roads.

What's the opposite to Dali? Probably Esthar. Remember I said earlier that Rabanastre to scale is possibly one of the biggest places in all of Final Fantasy? Well this, I'm almost certain, is the king. Esthar is just a beast. It covers such a large area, I've never seen an area in a Final Fantasy world map cover such a large patch. Just look at it! It's big and blue! So big. It's got to be bigger than Rabanastre, than Eden, than Zanarkand, than Midgar. It's just untouchable. And it also has the coolest president in the history of Final Fantasy too, in Laguna. You just can't beat Esthar.

#17: Calm Lands
Game? Final Fantasy X
When do you go? Approaching the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A huge plain of grass that's usually used as a place of celebration for the world of Spira for when Sin is defeated. It has an iconic 'scar' towards the end of the plain where Sin fell in a climatic battle with one of the Final Aeons many years ago.

The Calm Lands may not look like much but it says something that they made the Archylte Steppe after it, only three games after the original. Its concept is simple yet effective, it marks the beginning of the end of the story of Final Fantasy X. The Archylte Steppe's purpose is pretty much the same for FF13. But you can do so much here; you can grind your characters abilities well here, you have a lot of side quests that stem from here, amongst other things. You come to the Calm Lands in the story only once, but chances are you'll spend a lot of time here as it has such a good purpose and is so big, that there's so much to do. It's a truly grand Final Fantasy location.

Calm Lands is the fifth and last entry from Final Fantasy X in this list.

#16: Memoria
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Final dungeon (unless you count The Crystal World seperately, then it's the penultimate location)
Revisitable? Yes (when retreating from The Crystal World anyway)
Description: A load of locations meshed into one, formed from the memories of all the characters, and that of time itself.

Memoria is one of my favourite final dungeons. I see it as the final dungeon of Final Fantasy IX, the Crystal World is so short it's hardly a dungeon is it? Memoria is an amazing place. I love the fact that you have this amazing story of Final Fantasy IX, that all of the characters take part in, all of the locations, the dreams, the experiences, everything, and it's all meshed into one location at the end. You have some very significant places in Memoria, some that you will recognise instantly, others are quite discrete. It's a fascinating area and I love it.

#15: Narshe
Game? Final Fantasy VI
When do you go? Right at the beginning and a little later on
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A coal mining town, trying to maintain neutrality in the game's tensions between the Empire and the Resistance, but leans towards the latter discretely. An esper is discovered here and its appearance sparks the beginning of the game.

Narshe will always hold a strong place in my heart, it all begins here and it's a cool little town. As Final Fantasy VI towns go they don't look that great, primarily because the graphics weren't as good back then, but Narshe's blue roofed buildings make it stand out more than the others. All of the steam coming out from the chimneys, and the coal mine to boot, it's distinct in the context of the game. You can come back here in the World of Ruin but it's just lifeless, which I suppose is fitting of the time of the game when its in utter chaos. Either way Narshe is a cool little place, and if you ask anyone who has played Final Fantasy VI, chances are they'll agree with me.

#14: Cosmo Canyon
Game? Final Fantasy VII
When do you go? Towards the middle of the game and towards the end of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A pilgrimage site for those who seek to learn about The Planet and its cycle, it's also the hometown of Red XIII and his 'grandfather', Bugenhagen.

Want to know if someone actually is legitimately someone who likes Final Fantasy VII? Ask them about Cosmo Canyon. Lots of things get mentioned about FF7, the death of Aerith, One Winged Angel, Cloud's spiky hair, but nearly all the true FF7 fans know and love Cosmo Canyon. And what do proper FF7 fans love more than Cosmo Canyon? The amazing theme for Cosmo Canyon! What a song. That being said Cosmo Canyon is so cool, the storyline progression that happens here is so cool too, and most importantly, Buganhagen is too cool. That man is just a legend. Cosmo Canyon is not a place that I'd like to live if I could, but would I love to visit here if possible? You damned right.

#13: Oerba
Game? Final Fantasy XIII
When do you go? Very late on in the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: What was once Vanille and Fang's hometown, described by them as a lovely place to go to, is now a dead, desolate abandoned village. Oerba is so lifeless that it snows crystal dust.

I admit, even playing Final Fantasy XIII as an adult, I bought into Vanille and Fang's story that on the other side of Gran Pulse would be a bustling town full of people to greet and welcome the two best friends home. I was naive. I should have expected Square-Enix to dash the character's hopes of returning to the place they called home and make it horrible. But I never did. And when I saw Oerba, my heart sunk. It's horrible. It's an absolutely horrible place. WHY SQUARE-ENIX WHY?! WHY DO THAT?! It's so mean! Oerba is an amazing place, it's what Zanarkand should have been really. Yes I think they did a better job of Oerba than they did Zanarkand. Oerba is so dead, so lacking in anything that it even snows crystal dust. That's just horrible. But under all that horribleness is what was once a town. I think that's the hardest bit. The fact that you can see pretty much everything in its natural state, just rotting. It's not destroyed by a fire or sucked up, or a pile of rubble. It's like everyone just... disappeared. I love what Square-Enix did to Oerba, love and hate it. It's an amazing place.

Oerba is the eighth and last entry from Final Fantasy XIII in this list. 

#12: Zozo
Game? Final Fantasy VI
When do you go? Towards the middle of the game
Revisitable? Yes
Description: A town that's completely overrun by thieves and criminals. One of the few places in the entire series where it permanently rains. Everyone in the town are incapable of telling the truth and random encounters happen everywhere, a rarity for a Final Fantasy town.

As horrible a place Zozo is, it's also pretty damn cool. I love coming to Zozo, even the random battles don't bother me. I think it's the music again. Music is so important in a video game as it really sets the tone. I love the fact that everyone lies here, it makes for an interesting experience. I don't really know what else to say other than I love Zozo.

#11: Conde Petie
Game? Final Fantasy IX
When do you go? Half way through the game
Revisitable? Yes, until it is blocked off by Iifa Tree roots when Mist surrounds all over Gaia
Description: The village of the dwarven race. A single building across two of Iifa Tree roots, it's a passage from the Black Mage Village to Madain Sari and the Iifa Tree itself.

I can describe this place in a single word - Rally-ho! Rally-ho! Rally-ho! I love this place. It's such a brief blip that you actually spend here, but in that time the amount of comedy Squaresoft stirred up is just magical. I love the dwarves, who refuse to let you in unless you say Rally-ho!, I love their way of speech, which is almost spelt like how people in Scotland speak, I love the fact that the only way to get to the other side of the village is by getting married, and how Zidane reacts when Dagger agrees, and I love the fact that Quina doesn't understand the logic of having to buy food. But the best moment in the 15 minutes you spend here is the option of getting Vivi and Quina married. It's just one of the funniest moments in Final Fantasy history. I mean it. It's just classic. I so happy...

And we've arrived at the Top 10. I hope you've been enjoying going through these locations with me. I've enjoyed writing about them that's for sure. One more part left to go. What will I crown #1 in my favourite locations of the Final Fantasy series? Find out tomorrow. Have a good night! 

Click here for #10 to #1.

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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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Q&A with Johnny Mercyside: Part 3

Hey everyone, usually once in a month I'll do these lazy posts where I'll talk about myself rather than about music or games or whatever. These questions are from my Formspring account, which you can find here if you want to follow me. Here are twenty questions and answers for you that I answered some time ago (although if the answer is different from when I was asked at the time, I'll amend it here).

Q: What's the secret to happiness?

A: Looking at the bigger picture. When shit hits the fan, you need to take a step back and look at what it really is. Bad things are always the worst things in the world when they happen, but then when you look at it, life isn't that bad.This of course doesn't apply to everything, but definitely life's petty events. Stress is a big killer.

Q: What's the oldest piece of clothing you still own and wear?
A: I still have T-shirts I've had for probably upto 5 years ago.

Q: Would you rather vacation at the beach or in the mountains?
A: Not sure, I'd like to do both, in different holidays. If I had to choose? Mountains, I'd love to go to the south west of France or Switzerland.

Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I'm myself, I don't really fit into a category. Growing up I was always considered weird by most people, and it's a tag I've found hard to shake off. The older I've become the less it's bothered me.

Q: What kind of music can you just not stand to listen to?
A: Emo music. Bands who are barely older than me think they know the ins and out of life and love and whine about who life is so unfair. Then the fans who are barely younger than me "relate" to them, who also think they're life is so unfair and important to the rest of us. It's pathetic, it's like listening to a conversation between two Eeyore's.

Q: What was your favorite TV show as a child?
A: It's hard to pinpoint one, but I'll go with SMtv live. I watched it every weekend and it was comedy gold. It really was funny.


Q: Would you rather swim in a pool or the ocean?
A: In a pool, I'd definitely be more comfortable in one. Besides I hate the taste of sea water.

Q: If you could become any fictional character, who would you be?
A: Probably Vincent Valentine, he's pretty damn cool. Personality wise I see myself similar to Zidane Tribal though, so that would be more accurate.

Q: What's your favorite city?
A: Liverpool, it's just perfect for me, and yes I'm biased having connections from there. It's not too big, not too small, it has everything you'd want. Most importantly there are scousers everywhere!

Q: What was your favorite toy to play with as a child?
A: I can't really remember being attached to one particular toy, so it's hard to say.

Q: Do you believe in God?
A: No, just because some dudes in history wrote a few books doesn't make it real. I believe in the scientific explanation more than a spiritual one.

Q: Chocolate or Vanilla?
A: Ice cream? If so, chocolate, although I prefer mint chocolate.

Q: What was your worst travel experience?
A: Around two years ago Mimi, Vivi and I had the coach trip from hell when we went from Portsmouth to Birmingham on the National Express. Vivi wouldn't stop crying, we were cramped, we couldn't undo our seatbelts (or Vivi's), we were delayed about an hour and a half, it was hot. It was just awful, and we couldn't console Vivi very well in that enviroment.

Q: What was your first paying job?
A: I got paid £1.75 an hour working in a coffee shop. Absolute rip off in todays money, but I was 14 and didn't know how bad it was at the time.

Q: If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose?
A: 2003, it was an amazing year with how awful it was until we left my dad, then the great escape, the trip to Ireland, going to a womens refuge, starting school at Friars, dying my hair curly black and wearing Manson hoodies. Good times.

Q: What was your favourite birthday gift?
A: Last year, I enjoyed the surprise XBox replacement a lot of people chipped in to get me. That was great. Going to Alton Towers was also fun. Last year was the best birthday I've ever had.


Q: What website do you spend the most time on?
A: Facebook really, followed by my website. I also go on Rajah a lot and Yahoo!.

Q: Who's the most famous person you've met?
A: Erm not very famous unfortunately, but I shook the hand of Guy McKnight of the Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, outside a venue in Brighton, which was an honour as I love the band. I was going to interview the band but then I needed ID to get in the venue, which I didn't have.

Q: If you could be on one TV show which one would it be?
A: Total Wipeout, and I have an audition to go on the show next month, wish me luck!

Q: Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?
A: Depends if we're at sea or not, if we were, pirates.

And there you go. A little insight to what type of person I am and my views on things. Just in case you missed it earlier you can follow me and ask me questions on my Formspring here. Until next time, take care.

My Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters: (Part 10)

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

#5: Balthier

Full Name (to knowledge): Ffamran mied Bunansa (nicknamed Balthier)
Game: Final Fantasy XII
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Princess! No need to worry. I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man: he never dies.”
Man, if I were homosexual, I’d fancy Balthier. This man just oozes brilliance, he’s just so fucking cool, he’s just got everything that makes a great character; cool looks, awesome looking airship, fantastic voice actor and most importantly, he has the best lines. People who know me know that I’m not that big on FF12, but Balthier is so high, because it just feels like Square-Enix wanted to give Balthier ALL the good lines. They have spoiled us with one character, in honesty they should have balanced them out more, but hey ho. Balthier is one heck of a character, and it’s unusual for me to have a character so high on a game I’m not as fond of, but Balthier is just too good to be lower in this list. He kicks off my Top 5.

Note: Balthier is the second and final character from Final Fantasy XII in this list.


#4: Zidane

Full Name (to knowledge): Zidane Tribal
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: The Main Protagonist
Best Quote: “Come on, Princess. Let's ditch Sir Rustalot and get outta here!” (talking to Dagger, about Steiner)

Some people thought Zidane would be my #1 because of the fact that I use his avatar and his quote (You don't need a reason to help people) a lot. Well, it was a debate for the #1 spot that’s for sure, as well as the other three characters. The Top 4 changed a few times but I’ve finalised them in this order. I’m a huge Zidane fan, the main reason being because I see myself in him a lot. He’s such a positive guy, very happy, but he burdens some thoughts, some feelings but for the most part keeps them to himself and gets on with his life. I see myself in him for those reasons, I’m also very sarcastic, I try to be funny, similar to him. Not talking about myself here, but I just think he’s a really nice guy, and not annoying like a lot of the other main characters, he’s himself. I suppose that’s why he’s this high in my list, it’s hard to explain really, I just like him a lot and think they should aim their main characters in this direction more often.


#3: Sephiroth

Full Name (to knowledge): Sephiroth
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: The Main Antagonist
Best Quote: “Only death awaits you all, but do not fear. For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me.” (Sephiroth whilst he cripples Tseng in the Temple of the Ancients)

Sephiroth is the final character from FF7 in this list and you probably know who the last two characters are now if you know me well enough, and you rule out the rest of the games. If not, then that’s great for me. Anyway, Sephiroth would be a lot of people’s #1 and I’d not disagree with them for the most part, I mean he is just the complete badass to a lot of people. He looks the shiz, he has a horrible, fucked up background, he causes lots of pain and death in the game, has brilliant quotations, and much more. He is a phenomenal piece of character creation, but I just prefer, two more character to him, one a villain, and one a hero. So, that’s just the way I see it, I’d not argue with you though, Sephiroth is truly a magnificent character, and can I just say, much much better than Cloud!

Note: Sephiroth is the tenth and final character from Final Fantasy VII in this list.


#2: Vivi

Full Name (to knowledge): Vivi Orunitia
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “How do you prove that we exist? Maybe we don't exist...” (Vivi’s quote)
Vivi representing the final character from FF9 means there’s only one game that’s not been ruled out, if you’ve figured that much out you should now know who #1 is, if not, find out tomorrow. Vivi was marginally pushed away from the #1 spot, but it was really hard to do that, particularly on a personal level. Just in case you don’t know me well personally, I have a daughter; I’ve named her Vivi, inspired by this character’s name. I’ve chosen her name based on the name, and not the character and his traits, I don’t know if that would be right, based on the horrible misfortunes Vivi goes through.

I’ll go onto that now. Vivi is a phenomenal character, full of emotion, full of thought, full of questions and answers. Vivi is a great creation, one that Squaresoft should be proud of. In this little boy, are all of the above, and much more. A little boy of his age shouldn’t have had to go through what he does in the game, being subjected to questioning his own mortality and his “black mage” roots. He goes through more shit than most of the characters in the entire series does. But not only that, but this kid goes through the game’s events and hangs in there. He takes all the stuff on the chin, and has the character to persevere through the events. And he does it with infinite charm; you can’t help but love Vivi. You feel sorry for him, go through the game with him learning as you go along what he learns, and you love him from start to “finish”, if he does in fact “stop”. Vivi’s story, his personality, his appeal, his image, should never be forgotten about in the FF universe. It’s just a shame he is in an unpopular title in the series.

Note: Vivi is the thirteenth and final character from Final Fantasy IX in this 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 8)

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

#15: Steiner

Full Name (to knowledge): Adelbert Steiner
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Bah! Only a flesh wound!”

Things are really heating up now that we’ve hit the Top 15. Steiner is the first of 15 characters that I absolutely adore. Steiner’s a troubled character. All he wants to do is protect the princess, and keep her safe in the castle. That’s all he wants to do and because of Zidane, because of Queen Brahne, because of Kuja, because of Garnet herself, he can’t do it. He is as loyal a knight can be, following Dagger everywhere she goes. In the meantime, he provides some fantastic comedy relief, most particularly in Disc 1. As the game goes on, he goes from absolutely hating Zidane because of his thief status, to considering him a true hero and fit to have romance with Dagger. Steiner is a humble and strong knight, and gets himself in too much trouble for our entertainment. He is truly a magnificent character, one that I hold a lot of love for.


#14: Ultros

Full Name (to knowledge): Ultros
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: “I have more lives than I do arms!”

If I were to make a list of underused FF characters Ultros would probably near the top of it. Ultros has very little impact on the main storyline, but man, he’s so funny. He says some fantastic quotes when you battle him multiple times, and he just provides such awesome comic relief, which is unusual with villains. I’ve said in my “FF6 remake” article, but he really should be in the game more. I want more Ultros! He’s brilliant, so funny, and deserves much more time and effort into his character, he deserves to be remade or ported into a new FF game with more impact. I love Ultros.


#13: Laguna

Full Name (to knowledge): Laguna Loire
Game: Final Fantasy VIII
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: “Uh-oh... My leg's cramping up...! ...Argh...” (Laguna limping around Julia playing the piano)

Laguna’s leg cramping scene is possibly the funniest moment ever, it’s so ridiculously funny I’m almost laughing about it just thinking about it. Laguna is so entertaining as a character, whenever he is on screen you’re bound to have something silly or funny happen. But, as he says himself, he has a big heart, he’s full of love, he’s possibly the nicest guy in FF history as well. He really shouldn’t be fighting! Even when he does, his “Desperado” attack is pretty funny as well, just hanging in the air, unloading his machine gun over a period of time. Great stuff. I love Laguna to bits, he’s by far the best FF8 character, and is in at #13 in this list.

Note: Laguna is the fourth and final character from Final Fantasy VIII in this list.


#12: Seymour

Full Name (to knowledge): Seymour Guado
Game: Final Fantasy X
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: “Life is but a passing dream, but the death that follows is eternal.”
Seymour is a great villain, possibly underrated to an extent. Give him his due, to a certain extent; his warped philosophy on life actually makes sense. I consider him to be the true villain in FF10, even though there’s dispute that Jecht is. He does some pretty horrible things though to really emphasise his case as a great villain, he kills his own father and a more strongly, he causes a huge massacre in the Ronso tribe, leaving their species at potential extinction. Not only that, but he has the most badass Aeon in the game in Anima, and looks pretty cool as well. Seymour is underrated and a very good villain, one of the best.


#11: Hojo

Full Name (to knowledge): Hojo
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: “I offered the woman with my child to Professor Gast's Jenova project. When Sephiroth was still in her womb, we infused him with Jenova's cells...”

Following Seymour , if there’s one villain that is better, it’s Hojo. The best way to describe Hojo is by using two words – fucked up. Hojo isn’t a genius scientist. The main difference between Hojo and Gast is that Gast was a technical scientific genius, where as Hojo just wanted to mix life with life and screw around with science in the hope he would make a groundbreaking event. Well that he did. He is responsible for Sephiroth’s birth, Hojo and Jenova combined made all the crap that infested the world of FF7, Jenova had the ammo, Hojo had the gun. Hojo is a wonderful villain, he plays the twisted doctor so well, and it’s a brilliant character in FF7, he just misses the Top 10.

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 2)

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

#45: Golbez

Full Name (to knowledge): Theodor (changed his name to Golbez)
Game: Final Fantasy IV
Role in Game: Antihero
Best Quote: "Ignorant dotard. Have you any idea with whom you are dealing?"
Final Fantasy IV really was beginning of the antihero character that has been semi popular in the series. For three quarters of this game Golbez is the main villain, and he's absolutely terrifying, in a fricking cool way. When Zemus finally lets go of his control on Golbez, all he can do is feel bad for what he put the characters through, and the world. He is expanded in other FF4 related games, but we're speaking about this game on its own, and even on its own, Golbez is a brilliantly created character and deserves his place on this list.


#44: Galuf

Full Name (to knowledge): Galuf Halm Baldesion
Game: Final Fantasy V
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: "Galuf: Whose idea was it to steal that pirate ship, anyway? Bartz: Yours, you old coot!" 

Galuf's character in Final Fantasy V stands out very well due to two reasons, his sense of humour, and his nobility. In the start of the game he is very funny, and provides some comedy moments particularly due to his amnesia. Later on, he takes on Exdeath and narrowly fails, and dies a noble death. He is the first major death in FF history for me, and they couldn't have chosen a more cooler character to kill off. Galuf's a great character, and deserves a place in this list.

Note: Galuf is the first and only character from Final Fantasy V in this list.


#43: Garland

Full Name (to knowledge): Garland
Game: Final Fantasy IX
Role in Game: Major Antagonist
Best Quote: "To live is to give life meaning, yet one must take others' lives to survive... Terra's souls will sleep until they forget such nonsense."

Yes, both Final Fantasy Garlands make my list, with FF9's taking a higher place in the list. Garland in FF9 is an intriguing character because of the fact that he, is actually a villain, but doesn't approve of Kuja's plans. He created Zidane and Kuja to be his "Angels of Death" and cause havok in the game. His many quotes in the game are great and it was hard choosing one, he really does question life and living, and in someways it does make the player think about life in a different way. He deserves a mention in this list and he is a very good villain and is pretty badass as well.


#42: Kain

Full Name (to knowledge): Kain Highwind
Game: Final Fantasy IV
Role in Game: Antihero
Best Quote: "Confident bastard, aren't you?"
 
I'm sure all the FF4 fans out there disagree with Kain's placement in this list. Kain is a complete badass don't get me wrong, but FF4 is a game that I don't consider as high in regard as some of the later games. But Kain is really cool, he's just a great character, playing in between the lines of good and evil throughout the game. You truly understand some of his motives because Cecil "has the girl" and the darkness in his heart makes him an easy target for Zemus to take him under his wing. Also, Kain's image is so memorable, he's in the main logo above, and there's a rendition of this in every port and remake done. Despite this game being so old, Kain is still seen in high regard and more than deserves a mention in this list.


#41: Barret

Full Name (to knowledge): Barret Wallace
Game: Final Fantasy VII
Role in Game: Major Protagonist
Best Quote: "Don't need no appointment... This is a 'mergency! Anyone who don't wanna get their face bashed in better git outta the way!! "

Who can't love Barret? Barret swears like a trooper and we love him for it. He may be inspired by Mr T but you know what? I prefer him to Mr T. Barret kicks ass and looks cool too with his gunarm, and even though he doesn't have the biggest brain in the world, he really fucking cares. He wants to make a different to the world of FF7 and uses what he knows best, brute force, to help the cause.

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)