Given the rich lore of the entire franchise, creating a Final Fantasy spin-off became a creative outlet for Square Enix. As a result, the Final Fantasy spin-offs are some of the best opportunities for players to explore more of their favourite worlds, characters, and stories. A few titles even experiment with the franchise's role-playing game elements and incorporate them in unique ways.
Explore what the franchise offers beyond the numbered games by playing the best Final Fantasy spin-offs!
Dissidia Final Fantasy
At some point, every Final Fantasy fan has dreamed of playing a fighting game involving their favourite characters from the franchise. The Dissidia Final Fantasy Series made this possible!
Imagine Cloud Strife, a fan-favourite, pitted against iconic characters like Exdeath and Garland. Or the thrill of a power battle between Kefka Palazzo's devastating spells and Yuna's awe-inspiring Aeons. This is the world of the Dissidia Final Fantasy Series!
Final Fantasy's trademark RPG gameplay isn't lost on Dissidia, as it shares a few elements, such as stat-building and augmenting perks. Surprisingly, this system has improved the depth of the fast-paced combat!
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
There is no shortage of memorable music pieces throughout the Final Fantasy franchise, and the Final Fantasy Theatrhythm series takes full advantage of this fact. Fans of the series and its music get to experience the sweeping pieces they have known and loved in an engaging rhythm game.
As is tradition, RPG elements are present in this game, which work surprisingly well for a rhythm game. Players can score high by timing their notes with skills from the characters they use so they can damage their enemies significantly. Yes, this rhythm game has combat!
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Throughout its history, the Final Fantasy franchise has had a cringe moment or two—scratch that; there's a lot. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is chock full of them, especially in the dialogue department. But if players can power through the excessive use of the word Chaos, they might just find a solid game. It's a Final Fantasy spinoff as a Soulslike, after all!
It is gratifying to experiment with this game's sophisticated class system. Once players find the right build for their selected jobs, combat changes drastically, introducing a diverse combat system that fits the franchise.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
One of the best Final Fantasy spin-offs is a prequel to a beloved franchise entry. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII tells the story of Zack Fair, Cloud Strife's best friend in the original numbered game. The game explores his relationship with Cloud while also exploring the origins of Sephiroth.
Apart from the stellar RPG gameplay mixed with deep combat, the story was highly praised for its approach to character vulnerability. It still holds up well today, earning itself a brilliant remake in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Not only is Final Fantasy Tactics one of the best Final Fantasy spin-offs in the entire franchise, but it is also perhaps the most timeless. The war-torn land of Ivalice was the perfect setting for an intriguing story that kept twisting and turning and still holds up to this day.
With a simple grid-based combat system and a rewarding class system to explore, fans of the Square Enix franchise should play Tactics at least once!
With so many available to play, picking the right Final Fantasy spin-off for you will mean trying them all out, but that only means more fun!
As creativity isn't compromised, you will find the same timeless magic in the main games within these spin-offs.