The Story Timeline Order of Final Fantasy Games
Final Fantasy is a franchise of role-playing games (RPGs). Final Fantasy video games are known worldwide for their unique characters, epic storylines and remarkable soundtracks. Many Final Fantasy games are cherished and praised by RPG fans across generations, and some Final Fantasy video games were described as some of the best RPGs of all time, such as Final Fantasy VII.
What Are Final Fantasy Games Like?
Most Final Fantasy video games are turn-based RPGs in which the player controls either a player character or a party of characters. These characters adventure through the worlds of Final Fantasy games in order to help non-player characters (NPCs), and quite often, save the world.
While the Final Fantasy video games share common characteristics, each game usually features a unique setting. For example, Final Fantasy III is set in a medieval world, whereas Final Fantasy VII is set in a cyberpunk world. Most Final Fantasy video games are single player games, with some exceptions, such as Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV.
It is interesting to note that early Final Fantasy video games, such as Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III, were quite similar to Dragon Quest video games. Over time, beginning with Final Fantasy IV, the series of video games began to further diferentiate itself.
Most of the Final Fantasy video games are known and praised for their deep storylines and interesting themes. Final Fantasy video games often involve in their storylines themes such as friendship, dreams, self-doubt and other subjects. For this reason, Final Fantasy video games can be a refreshing experience for RPG fans and for players looking for an immersive storyline.
What Is the Order to Play the Final Fantasy Games?
Most of the Final Fantasy video games can be played and enjoyed in any order. Final Fantasy video games are known for being set in different worlds, often with no direct connection to each other. For example, the video games Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III are set in different worlds with no connection between each other. However, there are also cases in which some Final Fantasy video games are directly related, story-wise, and feature continuity, for example in the cases of Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. This is also seen in the games Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis, Final Fantasy VII (as well as Final Fantasy VII Remake) and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.
Considering that some Final Fantasy video games feature continuity, while it is possible to play and enjoy Final Fantasy video games in any order, it is suggested to play these games in the story timeline order presented in this article. This does not mean that it is suggested to play Final Fantasy games necessarily beginning with Final Fantasy I, but rather that it is suggested to follow the story timeline order regarding each continuity. For example, it is suggested to play Final Fantasy IV before playing Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, and it is suggested to play Final Fantasy X before playing Final Fantasy X-2. This story timeline order is presented in this article, and each continuity is separated and marked with a blank space.
The Story Timeline Order of Final Fantasy Games
Quite often, Final Fantasy video games are set in different worlds. For example, Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III are set in different worlds with no relation to each other. However, in certain cases, some Final Fantasy video games are set in the same world. This is the case, for example, for Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. This is also the case for Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, and there are other examples. For the purpose of this article, when two Final Fantasy video games do not take place in the same world, I considered that there is no continuity between them, and marked this with a blank space in my story timeline order, representing a continuity break (in other words, a discontinuity). In this list that I wrote, if a group of Final Fantasy video games have no blank space between them, then they are set in the same world, and in the same continuity.
Some Final Fantasy games are known by multiple names, such as Final Fantasy I, which is also known as Final Fantasy, and as Final Fantasy (1987). In these cases, I represented these multiple names, and they are separated by a |, indicating that they refer to the same video game. If the names are in a separate row, such as is the case for Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years in my story timeline order list, it is because they are different video games.
Final Fantasy I | Final Fantasy (1987) | Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy VI
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII | Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
Final Fantasy VII | Final Fantasy VII Remake
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII | Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy X | Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Final Fantasy X-2 | Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Final Fantasy XI | Final Fantasy XI: Online
Final Fantasy Grandmasters
Final Fantasy XII | Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Final Fantasy Tactics | Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Vagrant Story
(Final Fantasy Tactics Advance)
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIV (2010) | Final Fantasy XIV | Final Fantasy XIV: Online | Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV | Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition
Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy Type-0
Final Fantasy Agito | Final Fantasy Awakening
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (2003)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015)
Which Final Fantasy Games Are Set in the Same World?
While most of the Final Fantasy video games are set in different game worlds, with no direct connection between them, there are some Final Fantasy games that take place in the same game world. In other words, it could be said that some Final Fantasy video games have continuity between them. We can organize the Final Fantasy video games that have continuity according to the world in which they are set.
There are some Final Fantasy VII video games that take place in the same world, such as: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis, Final Fantasy VII (as well as its version Final Fantasy VII Remake) and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.
Some Final Fantasy video games are set in the same world because they are a direct story continuation of each other, such as is the case with Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2.
The Final Fantasy games set in Ivalice are Final Fantasy XII (as well as its version Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age), Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Final Fantasy Tactics (as well as Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions), Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
The three Final Fantasy XIII video games are also set in the same world and feature continuity: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
The Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles are also set in the same world, even though in some cases these games are set in different time periods. The Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles video games are Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (2003), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.
There are also other cases of Final Fantasy video games set in the same world, such as is the case with the games Final Fantasy Type-0, Final Fantasy Agito and Final Fantasy Awakening.
If you are interested in the story timeline order of RPG video games, you may also be interested in checking out the story timeline orders of Dungeons & Dragons, The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher.
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