Final Fantasy Isn’t the Final Word—These Five Prove It

Etrian Odyssey is a dungeon-crawler originally released on the Nintendo DS. The HD versions of the first three games are available on Steam and the Nintendo Switch eShop. The story is essentially going into an underground labyrinth in Etria to discover secrets and keep monsters out of the village.

Etrian Odyssey’s music is great, because it’s composed by Yuzo Koshiro. The artwork is stellar and stands out, compared to Final Fantasy. Players may not get to know the character classes or the NPCs, and that’s okay. Sometimes, whacking monsters and getting stronger is what matters in a game.

3. Tales of Vesperia

Tales of Vesperia features Yuri Lowell, not to be confused with voice actor Yuri Lowenthal. Yuri is considered one of the coolest JRPG protagonists out there. How many Final Fantasy protagonists are considered cool? Tales of Vesperia is one of the few JRPGs to be released for the Xbox 360, and the game sold pretty well on the platform.

The gameplay and story stand out, even among other entries in the Tales of franchise. When I was a kid, I wanted to play a 360 to play this game. I barely played RPGs in my childhood, but I knew that this game was a must-play.

5. Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger is considered one of the best games of all time, with some of the most memorable characters in gaming. Part of the game’s charm is thanks to the late Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball and Chrono Trigger’s lead character designer.

The game has time travel, but that doesn’t convolute the story. The stakes are higher in Chrono Trigger than in most Final Fantasy games. As of this writing, I’m thinking about the story of Final Fantasy XV.

In some games, stories need high stakes to make them compelling. This game’s story is compelling due to the characters’ situations and how they need to get to the bottom of their conflicts. The music is also iconic, partially in thanks to Nobuo Uematsu.

5. Shining Force

While Shining Force was Sega’s answer to Dragon Quest, the game stands out with its graphics and music. You get to recruit centaurs, elves, a werewolf, and birdmen. If you know what you’re doing in this game, the game is easy.

The game’s character designs are dated, but again, it beats walking belt advertisements and spiky hair. I like this game because I remember being immersed in the world when I played this game via Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the PS3. If you have a chance, check out this game.

Conclusion

Final Fantasy is a franchise where the first game in the series was meant to be Square Enix’s final game prior to bankruptcy. However, the game brought them much success, and the rest is history.

The games listed are also considered the best in their respective franchises. I think they are contenders for outshining Square Enix’s poster child. I recommend playing each of these games, and I hope you’ll enjoy them.