Final Fantasy, for the most part, has remained a single-player experience. That was mostly the case for the first ten entries of the main games, but then they started to include multiplayer and co-op, and a big way afterFinal Fantasy 10. Multiplayer mostly sprung up in spinoffs prior to the MMOs, as one example, and multiplayer continues to thrive in the spinoff realm.
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There’s nothing better in an RPG than teaming up with friends to take on massive bosses to then gain huge amounts of loot. It’s like living out a weird JapaneseDungeons and Dragonscampaign in video game form. So, from main entries to spinoffs, theseFinal Fantasygames have the best multiplayer options.
8Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicleswas the first big co-op-focused game to hit the franchise. It was a GameCube exclusive which washuge at the timebecause Square Enix wentFinal Fantasyexclusive for the entirety of the PS1 generation.
Players could choose one of four races to play as, each with their own unique traits. They could play alone with a Moogle companion, or up to three other players could join. It was a bit complicated to set up since Link Cables and Game Boy Advances were needed but it was still cool.
7Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn
The first MMO,Final Fantasy 11had to be a surprise hit for Square Enix. It did well enough to get a bunch of expansions, but it was still a bit archaic for an MMO.Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Rebornchanged all that by making the game more accessible as an MMO. It was also more widely available on different systems and devices.
It’s still going strong years later with each expansion outdoing the previous as Metacritic will show. It’s the ultimate multiplayer game with a near-limitless amount of play value at this point.
6Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis the latest co-op experiment in the franchise. It is a reimagining of the first game wherein players are the fabled Warriors of Light on a quest to rid the land of Chaos.
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Even though there are four chosen warriors, the game is a three-player co-op experience only. That’s a bit disheartening butthe game remains fun. It is a lighter take on a Soulslike that should entice the casual players out there if they have ever been curious about the genre.
5Final Fantasy 15: Comrades
Final Fantasy 15: Comradesbegan as an attachment to the core game. It has since been severed and can be played as a separate multiplayer experience. It’s a bit like the olderMonster Huntergames wherein players can warp into areas for a boss-like fight.
These areas are small and once the boss is defeated, that’s it. It’s a smaller scaled-down version of a multiplayer game for this franchise but it was cool to see the world ofFinal Fantasy 15expanded a bit at the time of its release.
4Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
Dissidia Final Fantasy NTis the third game in this series and the first to hit consoles beyond the two PSP games. The concept is simple as it is a fighting game withFinal Fantasyheroes and villains. For example, Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth are in it fromFinal Fantasy 7.
Even someone fromFinal Fantasy Tactics, Ramza, got some love for this third installment. The package is relatively light compared to the PSP games, but the versus gameplay makes it a strong recommendation for longtime fans.
3Final Fantasy Explorers
Final Fantasy Explorersis a more direct take on some of the more modernMonster Huntergames unlikeFinal Fantasy 15: Comrades. Players could customize their character and their weapon class and then head out into the world. They could fight smaller enemies to craft some gear or they could take on bigger opponents for the best loot.
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There is relatively no story to the game, so it’s only recommended to those that have a good friend base on 3DS who love gameplay over anything else. Since that system is more dead than alive, it would be nice to see Square Enix port this to the Switch.
2Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier
Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldierwas a mobile-only battle royale game. It is a prequel to the series whereinShinra is looking for the best of the bestto join the SOLDIER program. For a battle royale, it was a fun experience albeit fleeting. It didn’t do a lot new for the genre butFinal Fantasy 7fans would have loved it.
“Would have” is key here because support for it has fallen by now and there doesn’t seem to be any plans to port it to consoles. Square Enix can still surprise fans though, so one never knows.
1Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest And Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary
Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th Anniversaryis a game most are probably not familiar with. That’s because this is exclusive to Japan. EveryFinal FantasyandDragon Questcrossover game in theItadaki Streetseries has been exclusive to Japan. There were also entries crossing the two mega RPG franchises together on PS2 and PSP with this being the latest.
The Wii did get one version,Fortune Street, which crossed overMarioandDragon Questcharacters instead. Overall,Itadaki Streetis like a more RPG version ofMario Partyand a great multiplayer game for at-home parties.
