Final Fantasy is mostly an anthology series. Each main game is a standalone RPG with its own world and its own heroes, yet you feel at home from one to the next, because the battle systems and maps work in similar ways. Add music by the likes of Nobuo Uematsu and you get a series that has sold more than 200 million copies across 16 numbered main entries.
Once you finish your favourite, the hunt for the next one starts. These are the 22 games players recommend most to Final Fantasy fans, ranked by how many different people named each one.
22 Games Like Final Fantasy Where You Lead a Party on an Epic Quest
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (2009)
Dragon Quest IX keeps the series' turn-based battles and takes them on the go. You play a Celestrian, one of an angelic race, after a disaster in their home scatters magical fruits across the mortal realm. Series creator Yuji Horii designed the game and story, with Akira Toriyama on the art. If you came to Final Fantasy for a party of heroes and a long road, it is all here.
The big difference is that you build your own party. You create the hero and the other three members yourself. An early prototype used action combat, but fan feedback brought back turn-based fights. With over five million copies sold by 2011, it was the best-selling Dragon Quest until XI. The online trading of treasure maps ended in 2014. Play it on DS.
Lost Sphear (2017)
Lost Sphear runs on a version of the Active Time Battle system, the same system found in the Final Fantasy series. You play Kanata, who is granted the power to stop the world from vanishing. Using memories, he restores places that are fading away, in a world where the Moon is treated as a deity. It was made by many of the same people as I Am Setsuna.
The big difference is the mechs. Later on the party can use Vulcosuits, which have their own skills and need fuel. A timed button press also strengthens attacks. Critics were mixed: they praised the battle system and music but faulted the story. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Child of Light (2014)
Child of Light fights with a turn-based system similar to the active-time battles of Final Fantasy and Grandia. Its art style was inspired by Studio Ghibli and Yoshitaka Amano, and its presentation was compared to Final Fantasy VIII. You play Aurora, a child who wakes up in Lemuria after dying of a mysterious illness. To get home, she has to free the sun and the moon from the Queen of the Night.
The big difference is the smaller party. You control two characters in battle and can swap them with others waiting. A firefly called Igniculus slows enemies or heals allies with his light. It came out to mainly positive reviews. Play it on PS3, PS4, Vita or Wii U, and it reached Switch in 2018.
Xenogears (1998)
Xenogears started life as a proposal for Final Fantasy VII, written by Tetsuya Takahashi and his wife Kaori Tanaka. Square let it grow into its own project, and it kept the studio's signature Active Time Battle system. The story follows Fei Fong Wong and his friends as they set out to overthrow the all-powerful rule of Solaris, with anime cutscenes at the big moments.
The big difference is the giant robots. You explore and fight both on foot and inside humanoid mecha called Gears. The story leans on Jungian psychology and religious symbolism, and critics faulted the rushed pace of the second disc. It shipped 1.19 million copies by 2003 and earned a cult following. Play it on PS1, or as a download on PS3 and PSP.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (2011)
Ni no Kuni follows Oliver, a young boy who sets out to find a way to bring his mother back to life. Its world map is the old-school kind: you cross it on foot at first, and later by boat or on the back of a dragon. The art style was inspired by Studio Ghibli, and critics praised the story and the look.
The big difference is the familiars. You catch and tame creatures and send them out to fight beside your party. Battles mix turn-based and real-time play, with a timer for each fighter, close to the active time battle system. Play it on PS3. A remaster came out for PS4 in 2019, the same year it reached Switch.
Trails of Cold Steel (2013)
Trails of Cold Steel is a traditional Japanese RPG with turn-based battles, the kind Final Fantasy fans grew up on. Its Action Time battle system shows whose turn is next on a bar across the screen. You play Rean Schwarzer, a commoner adopted into a noble family, in Class VII at Thors Military Academy, the only class there that mixes nobles and commoners.
The big difference is the slow-burn politics. Field studies send the class across an Empire caught in a power struggle that threatens to become civil war. Party members also grow their Link Levels with each other, and the links become more useful as the story goes on. Xseed Games brought it to English players in 2015. Play it on PS3, Vita or PS4.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (2018)
Ni no Kuni II follows Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, a young king forced out of his castle who sets out to build a new kingdom. The overworld is a diorama with chibi-style characters, and between story quests you roam an open world of towns and dungeons. Along the way Evan is joined by Roland, a president from Earth who arrives in the world as a younger version of himself.
The big difference is the action. Battles happen on an open field where you move freely and command one member of a party of three, switching between them at any time. Little elemental helpers called Higgledies cast spells for you. It sold over 900,000 copies by May 2018. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (2017)
Dragon Quest XI is as classic as a modern RPG gets. You play the Luminary, a hero chosen by the world tree Yggdrasil to save the world of Erdrea, hunted by the people who see him as a threat. It continues the gameplay of earlier Dragon Quest games. Enemies show on the overworld, so there are no random encounters. Critics loved its story and characters.
The big difference is the design, which critics called overly traditional. The game was first meant to be fully open world, but the idea was dropped because it clashed with the story. The Definitive Edition adds a mode that plays like the older Dragon Quest games. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Cosmic Star Heroine (2017)
Cosmic Star Heroine was inspired by Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII, among others. Like Chrono Trigger, it has no random battles: you see the enemies on the field and fight them right there. You play Alyssa L'Salle, an agent of the Agency of Peace & Intelligence, and recruit up to 11 characters, four at a time in your party. Fans love it as a throwback that looks like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger.
The big difference is how abilities work. Once you use an ability, it stays spent until you use your defend move, which recharges all of them. Each fight turns into a small puzzle. The party explores 3 planets. Its development was funded partly through Kickstarter. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Persona 3 (2006)
Persona 3 is a dungeon-crawling RPG with a school year wrapped around it. You play a high school student who joins SEES, a group investigating the Dark Hour, when students can enter Tartarus, a tower full of monsters called Shadows. Evenings in the tower build your party's experience, and a boss waits on the day of each full moon.
The big difference is the daily life. The days tick by, and the relationships you form make your Personas stronger in battle. You summon your Persona by firing a gun-like Evoker at your head. Critics enjoyed the social side, though some found the combat repetitive. Play Persona 3 FES on PS2, or Persona 3 Portable on PSP, PS4 or Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles (2010)
Xenoblade Chronicles is a spiritual successor to Xenogears from its creator, Tetsuya Takahashi. The world is built on the bodies of two giant titans frozen in place, an idea Takahashi first made as a model in 2006. Shulk takes up the Monado after an attack on his colony and sets out for revenge with his best friend Reyn. Fans say it has a real Final Fantasy feel.
The big difference is the open world and the real-time fights. You control one of three party members, and Shulk gets glimpses of the future in battle. Critics praised the story as innovative and surprisingly complex. Play it on Wii or New 3DS, or get the Definitive Edition on Switch.
7th Dragon III Code: VFD (2015)
7th Dragon III Code: VFD is set in the year 2100, after dragons have descended on Earth. You join Nodens Enterprises, a video game company dedicated to stopping the dragon menace, and become a dragon hunter. To beat the True Dragons, the hero travels through time to three different eras. Players who picked it up at launch were pleasantly surprised by it.
The big difference is that you build the whole party. You pick from eight jobs for your party members. There are also 32 appearances to choose from. If you liked swapping jobs in Final Fantasy V, this scratches the same itch. It came to North America on July 12, 2016. Play it on 3DS.
Dragon Quest VII (2000)
Dragon Quest VII comes from Yuji Horii, who has led the series since it began, with character designs by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. The Hero and his friends discover secrets about the islands around their home of Estard, then travel to the pasts of those islands and defeat the evil in each one. An extensive class system lets you shape each character, a lot like the jobs in Final Fantasy.
The big difference is the structure. Instead of exploring one large world, you place stone shards into pedestals in the Shrine of Mysteries to reach each trapped land, then return to Estard once its problems are solved. Battles stay turn based and seen in first person. It reached North America in 2001 as Dragon Warrior VII. Play it on PS1, or the remake Fragments of the Forgotten Past on 3DS.
Dragon Quest VIII (2004)
Dragon Quest VIII was the first game in the series with fully 3D environments and characters, drawn in cel shading. You guide the Hero across big landscapes to full-size towns, with a party of four main characters who all join early. Together they chase the wicked Dhoulmagus, who cursed the kingdom of Trodain. Fans often suggest it to anyone who likes Final Fantasy.
The big difference is the Tension system. A Psyche Up command lets a character build tension during battle. Battles are still menu-based and turn-based, and you can recruit monsters to fight in the Monster Arena. It was the first English Dragon Quest to drop the Dragon Warrior name. Play it on PS2 or 3DS.
The Legend of Legacy (2015)
The Legend of Legacy was written by Masato Kato, who wrote most of Chrono Trigger's story, with music by Masashi Hamauzu. Eight adventurers explore the lost continent of Avalon to uncover its mysteries. From the town of Initium you head out with a blank map. Battles are turn based, with the party arranged on a grid in Formations.
The big difference is how you grow. Winning a battle raises your stats directly, and characters gain stat increases only while they are in the party. Party members can partner with elemental spirits to cast spells called Charms. Play it on 3DS. A remaster came out in 2024 for Switch and PS4.
I Am Setsuna (2016)
I Am Setsuna was built to feel like the genre's golden age. It uses an Active Time Battle system, and the team took mechanical inspiration from Chrono Trigger, so fights happen right where you meet the enemy. The story follows Endir, a silent hero who becomes the guardian of Setsuna, a young woman destined to be sacrificed to calm the world's monsters.
The big difference is the mood. The whole game is snowbound, and the story was written around sadness. Spritnite crystals set in talismans unlock your Techs. Critics praised the atmosphere and the soundtrack, though several found it too easy. It was the debut of Tokyo RPG Factory. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Radiant Historia (2010)
Radiant Historia is set on Vainqueur, a continent split between the warring nations of Alistel and Granorg. Stocke, a soldier of Alistel, is given the White Chronicle, a book that can move between timelines, so he can stop the land turning to desert. Several critics compared it favourably to the RPGs of the 16-bit era.
The big difference is time travel. You jump between two main timelines and many smaller branches, and how many you unlock shapes the ending. Your experience and money carry over between them. Battles are turn based on a grid, where you can move enemies around and change the turn order. Play the original on DS, or Perfect Chronology on 3DS with voice acting and an extra story path.
Chrono Trigger (1995)
Chrono Trigger was made by a team Square called the Dream Team: Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, and Dragon Ball artist Akira Toriyama. Veteran Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu helped Yasunori Mitsuda with the soundtrack, which is hailed as one of the best ever. The story follows a group of adventurers who travel through time to stop a global catastrophe.
The big difference is how fights start. Enemies are visible on the map, and battles happen right there instead of on a separate screen. It has multiple endings and side quests about the cast. It shipped more than 5 million copies across its versions. Play the DS version, or the PS1 port that came in Final Fantasy Chronicles in North America.
The Legend of Dragoon (1999)
The Legend of Dragoon follows Dart and a band of warriors trying to stop the destruction of Endiness, a high fantasy world. You lead a party of 3D characters through pre-rendered backgrounds, with CGI movies at the big story moments. Its budget was over $16 million, a very high figure for the time. Fans describe it as a PS1 RPG very much in the Final Fantasy mould.
The big difference is the Additions. When you attack, two squares close in on the screen, and pressing the button as they overlap keeps the combo going for more damage. Reviewers were split, and many compared it unfavourably to Final Fantasy. It still sold more than one million copies. Play it on PS1, or as a download on PS3 and PSP.
Persona 5 (2016)
Persona 5 sends a party into otherworldly dungeons, where they battle Shadows with Personas, physical forms of their own psyches. Set in modern-day Tokyo, the story follows a high school student codenamed Joker, framed for assault and sent to a new school while on probation. Critics praised its visual presentation and its music, and it is often called one of the greatest games of all time.
The big difference is the calendar. Joker splits his time between normal student life and exploring otherworldly places. Time with friends builds Confidants, and higher ranks with party members unlock new abilities in combat. Counting Royal, it has sold over 11.8 million copies. Play it on PS3 or PS4, or get Persona 5 Royal on PS4 or Switch.
Bravely Second: End Layer (2015)
Bravely Second keeps the battle system of Bravely Default, a traditional turn-based RPG with jobs at its centre. Set two and a half years after the first game, it follows Yew Geneolgia across Luxendarc to rescue Agnès Oblige, now Pope of the Crystal Orthodoxy, from a warlord called the Kaiser. Edea and Tiz from the first game join him, along with Magnolia, a woman from the moon. Fans often name both Bravely games as the most Final Fantasy-like RPGs on 3DS.
The big difference is the chain battles. Win a random encounter and you can fight the next group straight away, for up to three times the experience and money. Up to 30 jobs come from asterisks that other characters hold, and some side quests make you settle an argument to decide who gives one up. Reviews were positive, though some found it weaker than the first. Play it on 3DS.
Bravely Default (2012)
Bravely Default started out as a sequel to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, and it kept elements from the Final Fantasy series while telling its own story. Four heroes set out across Luxendarc, a world held in balance by four elemental crystals, to take the crystals back from the darkness. You get a turn-based job system and later an airship. Fans call it a love letter to old-school Final Fantasy.
The big difference is how much it lets you tune. You can mix abilities from different jobs and change the battle speed and even the random encounter rate. The music by Revo was meant to call back Dragon Quest and SaGa. It met strong sales and critical acclaim, though critics found the late game repetitive. Play it on 3DS. An HD remaster launched with Switch 2 in 2025.
Which one to play
There you have it, the whole list of games like Final Fantasy. Some stay close to the crystals and jobs of the classic games, and others take the party somewhere new.
If you miss the old 2D games, start with Bravely Default, then Chrono Trigger. For a PlayStation epic in the spirit of VII to IX, play The Legend of Dragoon or Xenogears. If you love swapping jobs, 7th Dragon III Code: VFD lets you build the whole party. For a modern game with a big cast, try Persona 5 or Trails of Cold Steel. And for a gentle adventure to share with younger players, Ni no Kuni is a lovely pick.
