Final Fantasy: 5 Best Post-Game Experiences for Hardcore Fans

You beat Kefka, saved the day, what now? Well, now two new dungeons have opened up for you to explore. Though sadly, the content is only available on the original versions, either GBA or PC, after you defeat all 8 Legendary Dragons and earn the Stone Tablet. You can find the Dragons’ Den, one of the hardest dungeons in the series, at this point. You need to be at your best here, and just like with Kefka’s Tower, your party will be split, though luckily, there are points you can swap this time around. You’ll be fighting a host of dragons and other unholy beasts, with different AI tactics, all culminating in the final fight, the Kaiser Dragon. 

But the game isn’t over yet either, because once you beat that nasty self-reviving beast, you unlock the Soul Shrine. This is a gauntlet; you’ll be fighting every enemy in the game here again, equaling 128 battles, all culminating in fighting all the dragons and the Kaiser Dragon again. Your reward is the Master’s Crown and the ability to brag about it to all your friends.

#4 Final Fantasy XIII-2

Time travel isn’t something explored often in media for how messy it can get, but when done right, it’s a beautiful thing. After you beat the main story, you can spend time completing most other content, like the arena, monster capturing, chocobo racing, and hunting around for some items you may have missed. There’s also the Paradox Endings. These are ‘timelines’ that you can take part in to unlock hidden endings.

The battles you take part in are massive, intense, and open up possibilities you might not have anticipated. All in all, there are hours of content, puzzles, fragments, and self-contained stories to explore.

#3 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Post-game content in Final Fantasy usually follows along the path of combat skills to test your mettle against, and this one hits the nostalgia hard. Along with new boss encounters, Combat Simulator fights, Colosseum tournaments, and the Hard Mode, you also fight a recurring character, Gilgamesh. The post-game opens up new ways to play, and encourages you to explore areas again, and possibly complete the backlog of side-quests you might have forgotten to complete beforehand.

#2 Final Fantasy XV

Though the game does end decisively, FFXV allows you to come back and explore the world once again, with stronger enemies, alternate endings, and of course, superbosses. Though one could say the DLC adds more post-game content, I am of the opinion that DLC doesn’t truly count, which is why I’ll be focusing on things to do after the base game. Or, you can focus on the truly massive amount of content you might have missed the first time around, such as chocobo racing, regalia unlocking, mob hunts, or just help out the natives as a king should.

#1 Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Oh, Yiazmat. Millions of HP, multiple health segments, and that’s just the tip of what you can do post-game in Zodiac Age. A secret, final esper in the form of Zodiark, a Trial Mode, powerful weapons only available post-story by farming, and of course, of course, more superbosses in the form of high-end marks like Omega XII and the Behemoth King.

This takes the #1 spot because, while the offers offer quite a bit of challenge in the form of combat encounters, this one really makes sure you’ve maxed out and mastered what you can do with your party, and then rewards you both internally with the warm fuzzies and externally with trophies and loot worthy of your time.

Final Thoughts

The pun is not lost on me, but I digress. Many FF games, and many Square Enix games in general, offer content beyond the pale of normal. Some of them really hit you hard. Some of them give you a chance to relive epic moments. Some just go back and have fun with the small minigames they offer. And these ones in the list? They are some of my favorites. I’ve had hours of fun, and sometimes I come back again to see if I’ve still got it, just like how most games should be.