10 Minor Issues That Actually Make Final Fantasy Games So Much Worse

20 July 2025

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10-minor-issues-that-actually-make-final-fantasy-games-so-much-worse — 10 Minor Issues That Actually Make Final Fantasy Games So Much Worse

The Final Fantasy series comprises numerous games, some of which are ranked among the greatest titles of all time, while others are despised by fans. Of course, even the best titles in the franchise have their issues, with flaws that even extend across multiple titles and entire console generations.

10 Final Fantasy’s Summon Sequences Are Ridiculously Long

Players Need to Buy a Hammock for Knights of the Round

Most modern gamers will never be able to appreciate just how incredible the 3D summon sequences looked in Final Fantasy VII at launch. The jump from the SNES to the PS1 was so vast. When the legendary JRPG was first released, players couldn’t get enough of watching the incredible visuals play out in front of them.

Unfortunately, the problem with Final Fantasy VII and its two successors on the PS1 is that these visuals have aged terribly. The fact that they lack a skip button means that players will have to sit there each time they want to use these powerful attacks in battle. Luckily, there are other combat options available to players, so they’re not forced to rely on the likes of Shiva, Ifrit, and Ramuh to save them in battle.

Final Fantasy 7

Released: January 31, 1997
ESRB: T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix

9 Some of Final Fantasy’s Items Have Ridiculous Drop Rates

Items Like the Pink Tail in FFIV Are Too Well-Hidden

Cecil and Rosa looking up in Final Fantasy IV — Image via Square Enix

The presence of grinding in the Final Fantasy MMOs is part of the business model, but it makes considerably less sense to include them in single-player games. This grind is one of the worst parts of many mainline Final Fantasy games, like FFIV, which requires those who want the best armor in the game to get the Pink Tail, which is a 1/64 drop from a creature with a 1/64 chance of appearing and only shows up in a single room.

These are the Final Fantasy games that have stood the test of time and are just as fun to play now as they were when they were first released.

Once players have the Pink Tail, it can be traded for Adamant Armor, which makes the rest of the story a lot easier. What makes the Pink Tail quest so annoying is that it’s needed for an achievement in Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster. This means that players who want to 100% the game have a lot of grinding ahead of them.

Final Fantasy 4

Released: July 19, 1991
ESRB: e
Developer(s): Square
Publisher(s): Square

8 Lots of Final Fantasy Games Introduce an End Boss at the Last Minute

Maybe Necron Was Just Out of Shot the Whole Time

The Final Fantasy series has some of the most incredible villains in the history of gaming. Despite this, the developers sometimes feel the need to bring someone in at the last minute, maybe just so there’s a big, spooky monster to punch at the end of the story.

Final Fantasy IV ditching Golbez for Zemus (which turns into Zeromus), as well as Kuja stepping aside at the last minute for Necron in Final Fantasy IX are some of the worst decisions in the franchise. Even replacing Zodiark and pushing Zenos to the sidelines for Meteion in Endwalker was seen as a huge error by many, especially since it happened so many hours into Final Fantasy XIV’s runtime.

Final Fantasy 9

Released: July 7, 2000
ESRB: T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix

7 Some Final Fantasy Secrets Are Almost Impossible to Find

Players Shouldn’t Have to Play Final Fantasy Games With Strategy Guides

Final Fantasy XIV characters riding Chocobos through grassy field. — Image via Square Enix

The older Final Fantasy games exist in an era before the Internet. This was a time when there was money to be made from game rentals and the sale of strategy guides. To capitalize on this, a lot of older games had secrets that were borderline impossible to find on a casual playthrough.

There are some Final Fantasy games that suffer from this issue. How would anyone breed a gold chocobo in Final Fantasy VII or find all of the Guardian Forces in Final Fantasy VIII without outside help? Luckily, the Internet means this level of obtuseness in game design is pretty much gone, with games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth all but advertising its secrets.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Released: February 29, 2024
ESRB: T for Teen
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix

6 Getting the Best Glams in Final Fantasy XIV Is an Unbearable Grind

Square Enix Will Make Fans Work for Those Swimsuits

MMOs are all about the grind because that’s how the developers make money. Final Fantasy XIV is the most profitable entry in the series because it brings in monthly subscriptions, plenty of regular paid expansions, as well as sells tons of cosmetic items.

'I-Like-a-Challenge!'-35-Years-Later,-Final-Fantasy-Is-Anything-But-Final

Square thought Final Fantasy would be their final fantasy, but they were completely wrong.

The most frustrating aspect of playing Final Fantasy XIV is trying to unlock the high-level Trust Glams for the main party members. This involves playing through the same dungeons over and over again to level up the characters, in order to max out their levels. The process for doing this is already torturously slow, considering how inefficient the AI-controlled characters are compared to human players. Square Enix really makes players work for that Y’shtola swimsuit.

Final Fantasy 14

Systems

Released: August 27, 2013
ESRB: T for Teen – Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix
Engine: Originally the Crystal Tools engine, but currently it’s a custom engine using parts of the Luminous Engine.

5 Some Older Final Fantasy Games Have Unskippable Cutscenes

Players Should Put a Pot of Coffee On for a Trip Through Spira

The main cast of Final Fantasy X led by Tidus — Image via Square Enix

The Final Fantasy games are primarily story-based experiences. This means players shouldn’t skip cutscenes, but what about the times when they die in a battle or forget to save for a while and are going through scenes they have already seen? There are plenty of situations where players should be able to skip scenes if they want to.

A lot of the Final Fantasy games give players the option to skip cutscenes, but not all of them. Final Fantasy X might be the worst in this regard, as its HD remaster didn’t even include the option. This means there’s a lot of cutscene watching involved, whether the player wants to or not.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

Systems

Released: March 18, 2014
ESRB: T For Teen due to Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix

4 Some of Final Fantasy’s Minigames Are Agonizingly Tedious

Who Doesn’t Love Dodging Lightning Bolts in FFX?

Wakka plays Blitzball in Final Fantasy X — Image via Square Enix

The Final Fantasy series has some of the most fun minigames in gaming history, with Chocobo Hot and Cold from Final Fantasy IX standing out as one of the best. There are also minigames that are fun, but can be annoying to engage with at times, like Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII and its seemingly ever-changing rules.

Most Final Fantasy games are intended for a single playthrough, but some are well-suited for multiple save files and difficult challenge runs.

And then there are the Final Fantasy minigames that many players find to be truly awful, with Final Fantasy X carrying the bulk of them, like dodging the lightning bolts, Blitzball, catching the butterflies, or Tidus racing the Chocobos. What makes them even worse is that some of the best gear in the game is locked behind them, so players need to engage with them if they want to max out their characters’ potential.

3 Some of Final Fantasy’s Gameplay Systems Are Poorly Explained

No One Knows How Faith Works in Ivalice

Rapha Marach Final Fantasy Tactics Death Scene — Image via Square Enix

In an era where video game manuals have gone the way of the dodo, most developers will naturally weave information about gameplay systems into the experience, usually through tutorials. Of course, back in the old days, players had to expect a bit of reading, especially if they wanted to make the most of their experience.

Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy Tactics were some of the worst games in this regard. A lot of the finer details of Junctioning in Final Fantasy VIII were buried in menus, while the mechanics of Bravery and Faith in Final Fantasy Tactics were glossed over. This means it’s easy for players to miss out on information that could make the game a lot easier for them.

Final Fantasy Tactics

Released: June 20, 1997
ESRB: t
Developer(s): Square
Publisher(s): Square, Sony Computer Entertainment
Engine: Luminous
Franchise: Final Fantasy

2 The Horrible Camera in Certain Dissidia Stages

Games Like Dissidia NT Made It Hard for Players to See Attacks

Dissidia Final Fantasy Cover Heroes — Image via Square Enix

The Dissidia spin-off games contain some of the best fighting games of all time, or at least they did until Dissidia NT ruined things for everyone. They weren’t without flaws, however, especially when it came to the camera. Players engaging in chase sequences in the smaller stages could often cause the camera to freak out, making it difficult to see or respond to attacks.

10-Final-Fantasy-Games-With-the-Steepest-Learning-Curve,-Ranked-by-Difficulty featuring Final Fantasy 14, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy Crisis Core Remake

The Final Fantasy series has some games that are incredibly difficult to pick up and play, thanks to a learning curve that’s way too steep.

Some of the smaller stages that were enclosed within a few areas suffered the worst from camera issues, with the Phantom Train level from Dissidia 012 being the worst offender in this regard. The camera struggles to follow the action, tending to get caught on the scenery, leading to a lot of frustrating moments.

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Released: August 25, 2009
ESRB: t
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix

1 Final Fantasy Has Glitches & Softlocks Waiting for Unwary Players

Riovanes Castle Is a Trap Waiting to Steal Runs

The featured image for — Image via Square Enix

Game-ending bugs aren’t as terrible in the modern era, as it’s possible for developers to push out patches that can fix them. This isn’t true of older games, as some of the early Final Fantasy games can screw the player over via glitches or softlocks.

Final Fantasy VII has the infamous Diamond Weapon glitch, where it’s possible for it to not appear, meaning players can’t proceed, as the boss fight needs to happen to continue the story. There are also places like Riovanes Castle in Final Fantasy Tactics, where the player can save after entering, only to be thrust into brutally difficult boss fights, with no way to leave or grind. Anyone who isn’t ready for the solo Wiegraf fight is going to have to start all over, which is especially frustrating for a game as long as Final Fantasy Tactics.