As a rabid consumer of roguelites and roguelikes and having just recently beat Vampire Crawlers, I’m always on the look out for my next “number go up” fix. Blood Dungeon, from Messhof, seems like it’ll scratch that itch while providing a new challenge I haven’t quite experienced frequently in the genre: platforming.
Co-founder of Messhof Mark Essen describes Blood Dungeon as a 2D survival platformer; think Vampire Survivors meets Spelunky with its own quirky, charming “MS paint” kind of art-style you might recognize from Messhof’s earlier games, like Nidhogg. They’re glowing comparisons that proved their merit when I had a chance to play at Summer Games Fest’s Play Days. Though there is a free demo available on Steam right now, the build I played had everything unlocked.
Even still, it was challenging enough I couldn’t complete my first two runs—just a few wave bosses including a quintessential giant worm.
The idea behind each run of Blood Dungeon is fairly simple. Essen said it’s “really about running and jumping,” which it is, as your weapons fire automatically just like they do in Vampire Survivors. But instead of a top-down view, you’re in a 2D maze, where you can freely climb walls and even the ceiling.
Enemies approach from all sides, threatening to touch your character and deplete a heart—marking you closer to death and the end of the run. Killing enemies and collecting blood—as one does—levels you up, unlocking new weapons, upgrades, and passive charms to help keep the onslaught of weird little (and big) guys at bay.
The unlocking of abilities is satisfyingly presented like the pull of a slot machine, granting options to choose from each time, labeled by rarity. Your choices can propel you to victory or bury you in trouble, which can still be very silly and fun. Where a great synergy can carry you through a run, failing to discern what you need next results in an underperforming build that won’t be able to keep up with each wave as they swell in difficulty.
Or, like me, you can choose something out of immense curiosity and get yourself killed outright. I couldn’t say no to the allure of an ability that would randomly teleport me to different spots of the map. Sounds super interesting, right? Well, I was unaware of an underwater portion of the level still buried beneath eventually breakable blocks. Of course it was the first area I teleported to and, hilariously, I promptly drowned.
But now I know not to take that ability in that area. The geometry of each arena is static, allowing you to get to know it—and the locations of its static powerups like dynamite—giving you an advantage as your real-world experience grows.
There are also randomly placed elements like locked doors and keys, but Essen explained that the more “meta” strategy is to bounce between the different statically placed altars around the level, so knowing where they are will give you a great advantage. Chests randomly appear in these alters, and when you collect one, another will appear at a different altar.
Each run sends you “home” to a base area with Bones to spend at the Bone Shop, where you can buy permanent upgrades. There are nine characters, each with different abilities and merits, and six different arenas to unlock.
There are also quests that unlock both tangible upgrades and cosmetics like character skins. The loop is evident and familiar—go on a fun frenetic run, unlock new things, repeat—a borderline addicting recipe that keeps me saying “just one more run.”
I loved the quirky, silly designs of the playable characters when I saw them, and admire them even more after speaking with Essen about them.
"The loop is evident and familiar—go on a fun frenetic run, unlock new things, repeat”
Over time, he would sketch ideas, some with motives in mind and other times, not so much.
“Sometimes, the name is the joke, like, Skinja. It’s a naked ninja and she’s fast,” Essen described.
Leggy is a spider, so he’s got to have webs, and Essen knew he needed a big character, one who has a big hit box and a big weapon to make up for it.
“Another one is like, I’m not quite sure what this character is, but I drew them, and I like them,” Essen said.
So of course, that character made it into the game, too.
Besides the starting character, Gun Man, I played as Hypnomancer, who uses a gas attack. It used to have mind control waves (thus the name), Essen explained, which eventually turned into this “mystical” gas. When their sound guy made a fart joke, it stuck—and Essen insisted I play with the headphones on so I could experience the sound effect.
The humor in Blood Dungeon definitely comes off as inane slapstick, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it warmly reminds me of the kind of stupid jokes and silly sound effects a group of close friends would make while goofing off with each other. (Like my group of silly friends.)
Blood Dungeon was actually made little by little by Essen as a fun side-project over the last few years, sending it to friends as he went to see what they thought. Those friends injected some good ideas into the project—like the idea to include a scoring system to keep you coming back after you’ve “mastered” the game.
“More recently, I've been here with a bigger team [at Messhof],” Essen explained. “We’re gonna be working on big games [like Wheel World, most recently], which are ambitious. We do our best and it's hard work.”
But sometimes, Essen wants something to do that’s low-pressure. That kind of became his routine—work on a big game, then at night, chip away on a project for fun. In this case, sketching things out casually became Blood Dungeon, and eventually, a team came together to bring it to the finish line.
“Sometimes things grow into bigger projects, but this one stayed kind of the same size and stayed fun,” Essen said.
Blood Dungeon is releasing late this summer on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and I think I’ll have as much fun playing it as Essen had making it.
Casey DeFreitas is IGN's Deputy Editor of Guides. Catch her on socials@ShinyCaseyD.
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When you have a series that's consistently gotten new games for almost 40 years, you have to think about how younger generations will be able to play them. That, and, of course, thinking about your bottom line, has led every publisher to lean more and more into multiplatform releases. On top of PC ports, Square Enix has released a decent amount of remasters and special editions of the Final Fantasy series specifically for Nintendo's handheld.
The Final Fantasy games hitting Switch isn't entirely unprecedented. The connection between Final Fantasy and Nintendo dates back to the series’ infancy, when the first game debuted on Nintendo's Famicom system in 1987. In fact, the first six mainline Final Fantasy games debuted on Nintendo platforms before Square Enix jumped to PlayStation as the series’ primary platform with Final Fantasy 7.
Below, we’ve compiled a complete list of Final Fantasy games available on the Nintendo Switch and what to expect next.
How Many Final Fantasy Games Are Available on Switch?
There are 23 Final Fantasy games you can play on the Switch — 14 mainline games (including two remakes), one prequel, and eight spinoffs. These games have been split into two sections below: mainline games (ordered by original release date) and other games (ordered by Switch release date).
Every Mainline Final Fantasy Game on Switch and Switch 2
Final Fantasy 1–6 Pixel Remaster
The first six Final Fantasy games are all available on Switch as part of Square Enix’s Pixel Remaster collection. Each game has been overhauled with new graphics, rearranged soundtracks, updated UIs, and new galleries for players to explore the creatures, illustrations, and music from all six games. If you're interested in diving into the original Final Fantasy experience, this is the best way to do it.
The Pixel Remasters are available individually ($12–18 USD/each) or as part of the six-game Final Fantasy I–VI bundle ($75 USD). If you're looking at the games individually, I'd recommend FF6, as it has one of the more immersive storylines.
Final Fantasy 7
One of the series’ most beloved games, Final Fantasy VII, is also available on Switch. This is not a remastered version of the game but rather a port of the 1997 original with three extra features: a 3x speed mode, the ability to turn battle encounters off, and a battle enhancement mode to make encounters easier. While the newer remasters, Remake and Rebirth, introduce modern action RPG mechanics to Cloud Strife's battle against Sephiroth, the Switch edition of FFVII is one of the best opportunities to experience what made the original PlayStation game so impactful.
Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
The series’ next entry is also available on Switch as Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. This updated version was released in 2019, 20 years after FF8 originally debuted on PlayStation. Additions to the remastered version include a 3x speed mode, the ability to turn off random encounters, and battle assist options to lessen the difficulty of combat.
Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy IX on Switch, like FFVII before it, is a port of the original RPG, which, despite not being quite as "famous" as Final Fantasy VII, is considered to have one of the best storylines in the series. The Switch version includes a few extras compared to the 2000 original, including high-speed and no-encounter modes, an autosave feature, and HD cutscenes and character models.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is a bundle of Final Fantasy X and its sequel X-2 (the series’ first-ever direct sequel). The two games feature over 100 hours of RPG content, according to IGN sister site How Long to Beat, and include upgraded graphics and reworked audio (with the ability to switch back and forth between the new and original sounds).
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Skipping the now-shuttered MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, the series’ next mainline game available on Switch is Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age. The Zodiac Age, a remaster of the 2006 original, features HD graphics and a re-recorded soundtrack, as well as the Zodiac Job System, an increased battle tempo, an optional high-speed mode, and autosave functionality.
Final Fantasy 15 Pocket Edition HD
Final Fantasy XIII and XIV: Online are not available on Switch, which brings us to Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD. It’s the latest mainline game available on the platform, as FFXVI is still only available on PS5 and PC.
Final Fantasy 15 Pocket Edition HD is an abridged version of the original game with cartoonish character models, simplified combat, a reduced skill tree, and fewer side quests. Pocket Edition HD does, however, retain the full FFXV story, boys on the road and all.
Final Fantasy VII: Remake Intergrade (2026)*
We have officially entered the 'only on Switch 2' section of this list. In this case, that has nothing to do with the game being Switch 2-exclusive. Rather, the increased power of the Switch 2 console has allowed for some heftier ports, including Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. We specifically re-reviewed this game when it launched on the Nintendo console, acknowledging that while you're limited to 30fps, it "checks pretty much every box you could ask for from a portable version."
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2026)*
The second part of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy became available on Switch 2 several months after Remake itself. When it first launched on PS5, we called it a "best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenges and an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long" in our 9/10 review. Writer Michael Higham also said it took him over "82 hours to finish the main story and complete a decent chunk of sidequests and optional activities," and that there was still tons more to discover.
Unsurprisingly, the notoriously massive JRPG had to take a somewhat minimalist approach to optimization for the Nintendo console.
Other Final Fantasy Games on Switch
World of Final Fantasy Maxima (2018)
World of Final Fantasy Maxima, co-developed by Square Enix and prolific Japanese developer Tose, came to Switch with new content and the subtitle ‘Maxima’ two years after it was first released on PS4 and Vita. It’s an accessible RPG aimed at younger audiences that combines the series' Active Time Battle system with the ability to capture Mirages (i.e., creatures) to use in battle.
Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! (2019)
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! is a remastered version of the 2007 Wii game Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon. This Final Fantasy spinoff is a turn-based RPG with randomly generated dungeons and a buddy system that allows players to bring other creatures or characters along for the dungeon-crawling chaos.
Collection of Mana (2019)
This collection of three Mana games is on this list due to its inclusion of the 1991 Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure. Despite beginning as a Final Fantasy spinoff, the Mana series dropped those ties with the release of its second game, Secret of Mana, and has since remained an independent franchise.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition (2020)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is an enhanced version of the 2004 RPG/dungeon crawler originally released for GameCube. Crystal Chronicles for Switch features a cute aesthetic, online co-op, and the addition of English voiceover for the first time. It’s a graphical improvement upon the original that also added new areas, monsters, weapons, and a higher-difficulty option.
Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend (2020)
Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend compiles three Game Boy games: Final Fantasy Legend I–III. We’ve included these games in service to creating a comprehensive list, though these are only Final Fantasy games in name; the SaGa games belong to an independent franchise of RPGs inspired by but not necessarily connected to Final Fantasy. The first three SaGa games were given the Final Fantasy name to capitalize on the brand recognition with western audiences.
The collection adds a high-speed mode and Switch-specific enhancements like adjustable screen magnification and the ability to play with your Switch oriented vertically (when in handheld mode, with Joy-Cons detached).
Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion (2022)
A prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion is a remastered version of the 2007 PSP RPG. The game stars a young warrior named Zack Fair, whose connection to Cloud and FFVII is revealed throughout the story. Reunion features remastered graphics, new character and background models, fully voiced dialogue, a newly arranged soundtrack, and a refined battle system.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (2023)
A rhythm game that celebrates the music of Final Fantasy, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line launched with 385 tracks from across the Final Fantasy series, though that has since grown to include music from other Square franchises for a total of 505 tracks. The Final Fantasy music pulls from 46 games, according to Squre, including FFI–XV. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line features over 100 characters and online multiplayer support for up to 8 players.
Chocobo GP (2023)
Chocobo GP is a Final Fantasy-themed kart racer developed by Arika (Tetris 99). While there are better kart racers available on Switch, Chocobo GP is a fun respite from the more involved RPGs that make up the majority of the Final Fantasy franchise. Like other kart racers, it features time challenges, tournament-style races, and options for multiplayer racing.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (2025)
A remake of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles recently came to PS5 and Switch with enhanced graphics, voiced dialogue, and various quality of life improvements over the original PS1 game. Ronny Barrier's review for IGN says the remake of the tactical RPG removes "the cruft of Final Fantasy Tactics while surfacing what made it special through smart UI tweaks, convenience features, and excellent new voice acting."
Upcoming Final Fantasy Games on Nintendo Switch
Square Enix has confirmed that all of the Final Fantasy VII remakes will be making their way to the Nintendo Switch 2 over time. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Integrade released on the Switch on January 22, 2026, followed by the Switch 2 release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on June 3.
The third and final part of the remake is now confirmed to be Final Fantasy VII Revelation. Unlike the previous parts, Revelation will release simultaneously across all platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2. We don't have an exact release date, but Square Enix has confirmed they are targeting a launch in Spring 2027.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
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For over 35 years, the Final Fantasy franchise has captivated fans with its anthology storytelling, keeping things fresh in its magical fantasy world by continuously introducing new characters and stories. The Final Fantasy games are mostly standalone, meaning you can jump into them in any order because they each have a fresh story.
In general, Final Fantasy games tend to be set somewhere between the past and the future, staying connected with the same overarching, universal themes: a group of young heroes gathering to fight a great evil threatening their world while exploring their internal struggles and relationships with each other.
Looking at the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole can be overwhelming as most of them have hundreds of hours of content to play through. If you want to ease yourself into the franchise, we recommend starting with Final Fantasy VII. This game left an indelible mark on the game industry for having the easiest gameplay and combat systems to get the hang of, especially with the Limit Break system, and giving us the most memorable characters, like Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Sephiroth. If you want the OG experience, FFVII is available on Steam and has been re-released for most consoles, including Nintendo Switch.
Square Enix is in the process of remastering Final Fantasy VII in three separate parts: Final Fantasy VII Remake hit consoles back in 2020, while Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth just launched on PC following its console release in 2024. A third and final part of the remastered trilogy is slated for release in 2027.
How to Play Final Fantasy Games in Chronological Order
If you want to do a deep dive into the Final Fantasy franchise and play all of them in chronological order, here’s the full list. That said, there is no direct continuity between the Final Fantasy games, so I'd recommend trying out the game with the story that seems most interesting to you.
1. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin takes place in the kingdom of Cornelia, a dark fantasy world version of the setting of the original Final Fantasy game. Jack Garland and his companions and fellow Warriors of Light, Ash, Jed, Neon and Sophia — each carrying a darkened crystal representing earth, wind, fire and water — set out to find Chaos and destroy him, restoring light to the world. Despite what the prophecy foretold about the heroes, each Warrior grows skeptical about their role.
You can change characters’ jobs on the fly, but with Jack as the player character you can only switch between two positions. No matter his job title, Jack has a decisive finishing move that crystallizes enemies and shatters them to restore a portion of his magic meter once the enemy's break gauge is depleted.
Centuries after the events of Stranger of Paradise, Final Fantasy introduces four new young Warriors of Light, each of them carrying an orb representing the four elements that have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. At first, they’re tasked by the King of Cornelia to rescue Princess Sarah from the evil knight Garland, but their journey expands to defeating the fiends and restoring the orbs to their former glory, thus saving the world from eternal darkness.
Final Fantasy gets its name from series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s threat to leave the games industry and go back to university if it didn’t sell well, and Square Enix dealing with the notion of the game being its very last due to the threat of bankruptcy. Ultimately, the game sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide and grossed over $21 million, saving both the company and Sakaguchi’s career.
In Final Fantasy II, Firion, Guy, Maria, and Leon become orphans after the Palamecian Empire destroys their hometown and kills their parents, rendering them orphans. They join the Wild Rose Rebellion and, under the guidance of Princess Hilda, who initially deemed them too young to join the army, journey to stop Emperor Mateus’ plans to take over the world with his hellspawn.
Unlike the first Final Fantasy, the sequel had no character creation or job system because Square wanted the game to be more story-driven rather than filled with heavy gameplay mechanics. This game is notable for introducing a couple of staples that would forever define the series: chocobos and the recurring inventor character Cid.
Another group of four orphaned teens — Arc, Refia, Luneth, and Ingus — are drawn to a crystal of light in the Altar Cave after an earthquake hits the village of Ur. The crystals grants the youth a portion of its power, their first set of jobs, and instructs them to restore balance to the world.
Final Fantasy III is the first numbered game in the series to feature the job-change system, allowing players to change how the characters would battle monsters throughout the game. Instead of staying in one job or class, they could explore other job options and see which one suits each character. The 2006 Nintendo DS remake retained the elements of the original game, but gave the characters more well-rounded personalities.
Final Fantasy IV centers on Red Wings captain Cecil Harvey, who questions the King of Baron’s motives after he and his knights steal the Water Crystal in a raid on Mysidia. After the king strips him of his title as punishment for disloyalty, Cecil sets out on a quest with Kain Highwind and the allies they meet along the way to stop the sorcerer Golbez from seizing the other crystals in order to save the world.
This game introduced the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which allows characters to perform a move when their gauge is full. Whereas a party is limited to four people in the previous games, Final Fantasy IV allowed a party of five characters.
Adventurer Bartz Klauser comes across a fallen meteor and finds four strangers, including King Tycoon’s daughter Lenna, and set off on an adventure to save the Crystals from falling apart, a phenomenon caused by Exdeath, an entity trying to free himself from imprisonment and gain the power of the Void. The group becomes Warriors of Light and focuses their attention on defeating Exdeath and stopping the Void’s energies from plunging their world into darkness.
Final Fantasy V expanded on the job system, giving players more than 21 jobs to choose from. To make the job system even more interesting, you can combine a skill you learn from a certain job with a different skill from another job in order to defeat challenging dungeons and bosses.
Set in a steampunk-style world filled with technology resembling that of the Second Industrial Revolution, Final Fantasy VI centers on a rebel faction known as the Returners fighting the Gesthalian Empire, which gained the power to take over the world by experimenting on magical creatures known as Espers. The Returners, including amnesiac former imperial soldier Terra Branford, work to free the regions under Gesthalian control using the magic they seek out and put a stop to the empire’s reign.
Final Fantasy VI, which was released as Final Fantasy III in North America and heavily censored due to Nintendo of America’s policies at the time, has 14 playable characters to choose from throughout the story, making it the largest cast in the series’ history. It also deals with mature themes of immoral military dictatorship, use of chemical weapons in warfare, the pursuit of a magical arms race, personal redemption, and the renewal of hope and life. This is also the first Final Fantasy game to not be directed by Sakaguchi, who handed the reins over to Yoshinori Kitase.
Set in Midgar seven years before the events of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII centers on fresh-faced SOLDIER Zack Fair, who is assigned to look for missing SOLDIER and defector Genesis Rhapsodos, who went off on a rampage for reasons unknown. During his search, he discovers Genesis’ origin, Project G (or the Jenova project) and how it’s connected to the two aforementioned high-ranking SOLDIERs, and eventually battles him and other products of the project, which involves injecting Jenova DNA into them.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was notable for exploring the sensitive side of Sephiroth, the most successful SOLDIER beloved by everyone before he went insane after discovering the unnatural circumstances of his creation and quickly fell from grace, as well as some of Cloud Strife’s life as a SOLDIER before leaving Shinra Electric Power Company. It was originally a PSP-exclusive title, but managed to get remastered as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in honor of the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII.
In one of the most iconic games of the series, ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary Cloud Strife joins Avalance (led by Barett Wallace) in the fight to stop Shinra from lining the company’s pockets by mining all the mako from the planet to use as an energy source. Cloud initially fought for personal gain and to keep a promise he made to Tifa Lockhart when they were kids, but eventually developed friendships with other members of Avalanche, including Aerith Gainsborough, and works with them to save Midgar from both Shinra and Sephiroth, who was hellbent on destroying the planet in order to be reborn as a demigod.
Afters its original release in 1997, Final Fantasy VII grew so popular that most of its characters appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series and spawned the CGI sequel film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. It also spawned the full-blown and critically reclaimed remaster, Final Fantasy VII Remake, which will be released in three parts. The first Final Fantasy VII Remake was released in 2020, while Final Fantasy VII Rebirth came out on Leap Day 2024. Little is known about when we can expect the third and final game in the trilogy.
In this contentious follow-up to Final Fantasy VII, a group of young SeeD mercenaries led by Squall Leonhart (or Leon, as he’s known in the Kingdom Hearts series) help out a group known as the Forest Owls, an endeavor that escalates into a conflict by Sorceress Edea, who has seized control of a powerful military state and intend to destroy time itself. As they fight to stop Edea, Squall struggles with his role and falls in love with Forest Owls leader Rinoa Heartilly.
Final Fantasy VIII still incorporates ATB as part of its gameplay, but it overhauled the character leveling system. As far as spell-casting goes, the game threw out the Magic Points-based system, making characters collect, draw, and create magic from items to power themselves up using the junction system instead. This is also the first game to incorporate a vocal theme into its soundtrack with “Eyes On Me” by Hong Kong pop star Faye Wong.
In the first Final Fantasy game of the millennium, a thief named Zidane Tribal is tasked with kidnapping the Princess of Alexandria, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, as a part of a war wage against the neighboring nation of Lindblum. His thief troupe ends up becoming the princess’ guardians, and Zidane teams up with Garnet to defeat her mother, Queen Brahne, who started the war.
Despite Final Fantasy IX being released in 2000, when most game franchises transitioned from 2D to 3D graphics by then, Square Enix designed the game to look like a retro-style RPG. However, it still managed to render CGI graphics for the characters and everything else in the world of Gaia.
Final Fantasy X is one of the most beloved games in the series next to Final Fantasy VII — and we’re not just saying that because it’s the first Final Fantasy game for the PS2. The story revolves around star blitzball player named Tidus, who is taken to Spira — a world inspired by the South Pacific, Thailand, and Japan — by Auron after his hometown of Zanarkand is destroyed by a colossal monster named Sin. He joins summoner Yuna and her guardians on a quest to defeat Sin and bring about the Calm after learning its true identity is Tidus’ missing father Jecht.
This game replaced ATB with the Conditional Turned-Based Battle system that uses an Act List in which characters’ turns are determined by their stats. It also introduced a new leveling system called the Sphere Grid, which sets characters down a specific path with stats and abilities and allows them to unlock all their abilities once it opens up.
In the follow-up to Final Fantasy X, Yuna becomes a sphere hunter and a member of the Gullwings, comprising Rikku and Paine. She sets out to find Tidus — or at least, a mysterious man who looks like Tidus — but gets caught in a political conflict that the Gullwings must resolve before it escalates to a war involving a secret weapon that was built to destroy Spira.
In addition to being the first game in the series to be an official game sequel, Final Fantasy X is also the first to feature an all-female cast and have multiple possible endings. It brought back ATB, but enhanced it to allow characters to interrupt enemies while preparing to attack. It also introduced dresspheres and the Garment Grid, which allow characters to change their character class mid-battle to alter the course of the battle.
14. Final Fantasy XI
Square Enix took a page out of World of Warcraft and made Final Fantasy XI an MMORPG instead of a regular console game. Players could customize their characters and make it into one of many races of being roaming the land of Vana’diel — Humes, Elvaan, Tarutaru, Mithra, Galka, etc. The plot revolves around defeating a demonic leader called the Shadow Lord, who rose from the ashes of the Crystal War and sent his beastmen armies off to terrorize the land, albeit in a less organized fashion.
Support for the PS2 and Xbox 360 versions of Final Fantasy XI ended in 2016, but fans can still play it on PC. Rumors circulated last year that the game would shut down, given that it’s over 20 years old, but director Yuji Fujito stated that that was not the case. In other words, it’s still alive and well and beloved by many retro Final Fantasy fans.
Final Fantasy XII is set in the kingdom of Ivalice, where the Archadia and Rozarria empires are fighting an endless war with each other. When Dalmasca is annexed by the former nation, Princess Ashe forms a resistance movement and meets Vaan, who dreams of becoming a sky pirate, teaming up with him to rally against the tyranny of the Archadian Empire.
Final Fantasy XII took three years for Square Enix to develop after Final Fantasy X-2 was released, and it paid off. It won several Game of the Year awards and spawned the Nintendo DS sequel, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, in 2007. Over a decade later, the remastered version of the game, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, released on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows.
Lightning, the series’s first female protagonist aside from Yuna in Final Fantasy X-2, is a former soldier living in the floating world of Cocoon whose sister Serah goes missing after she’s branded an enemy of Cocoon by the government, Sanctum, for coming in contact with a god-like creature from Pulse. As Lightning searches for her sister, she’s joined by a band of allies to rally against Sanctum for authorizing a purge on citizens who also came into contact with Pulse, leaving the fate of the world at risk.
This game wasn’t received well not because it had a female lead, but rather because it had confusing battle systems — Command Synergy Battle and Paradigm Shift — and linear maps. Even so, it was well-received and spawned two more direct sequels.
Three years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, Serah takes the lead and teams up with Noel Kreiss, a young man from the distant future, to travel across time and space to find Lightning. Meanwhile, Lightning finds herself in Valhalla, a realm between death and chaos at the edge of time in the distant future, ruled by the goddess Etro, who she protects as a knight during a war with Caius.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 retained the Command Synergy Battle and Paradigm Shift systems, but they were improved upon to make battles flow better. Mog Clock was added to the mix, which prompts players to attack monsters on the field before time runs out to gain the upper hand in battle.
In the last installment of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, Lightning awakens from her 500-year hibernation to discover that the world is about to end in 13 days. She is chosen by the god Bhunivelze to save everyone, but along the way she learns the truth about the world’s fate and Bhunivelze’s real motives.
Players slammed this game because it featured a ticking clock that signifies how long you had until the game was over, putting a strict time limit on missions and side quests. Its saving grace was the heavily modified version of the Command Synergy Battle system, which employed real-time features, like freely taking control of Lightning’s movements and attacks.
Final Fantasy XIV has several storylines, but the main one involves the player character traveling five years into the future to escape the destruction of Eorzea at the hands of the primal dragon Bahamut. They enter Eorzea in the Age of Calm and work to rebuild the land, but must deal with the threat of invasion by the Garlean Empire.
The circumstances surrounding Final Fantasy XIV’s development were pretty complicated — especially since it’s the second MMORPG title in the series. The original 2010 game was embroiled in controversy because it was released in an unfinished state, although its servers remained active until November 2012. The next year, Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn with favorable acclaim.
Of course, Square Enix hasn't forgotten about its MMORPG. Dawntrail, the fifth expansion for Final Fantasy: XIV Online, launched this past July, and more expansions and updates are sure to come in the future.
The previous installment revolves around Noctis, a prince from the kingdom of Lucis is set to marry his childhood friend Lunafreya when he goes on a quest to rescue the Crystal from Niflheim, who stole it during an attack on the Lucian capital of Insomnia, killing his father in the process, on the eve of peace negotiations between the two empires. During his journey, he learns of his destiny to use the Crystal’s powers to save the realm of Eos from eternal darkness.
Final Fantasy XV received critical acclaim for its stunning visuals, gameplay — like driving around the world in the Regalia and the Active Cross Battle system — and its visceral soundtrack, including a rendition of “Stand By Me” by Florence + The Machine used as the game’s theme song as well as a few contributions from Afrojack. The game spawned a few spin-off games, the anime series called Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, and a feature film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.
The latest Final Fantasy game in the franchise has arrived, and it has essentially redefined the series. With a third-person action style and fast, reflexive combat, there are a lot of new things to love about Final Fantasy 16.
If you're wondering whether or not you can hop right into the series with this game, the answer is a definitive yes. While the gameplay may be quite different than previous titles, the characters and story fulfill that core Final Fantasy feeling.
While this longstanding saga isn't going anywhere anytime soon, we'll probably have to wait a couple more years for word on Final Fantasy 17. Square Enix has admitted that FFXVI and FFVII Rebirth both underperformed in terms of sales, but that doesn't seem to have affected the company's dedication to finishing the remake job.
Persona 4 Revival snuck into the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 to confirm it has a release date of February 18, 2027.
It’s a schedule update for Atlus’ yellow-tinted RPG that came with a nice, long look at gameplay. Considering it’s been nearly 18 years since the studio first launched the original game, fans are more than familiar with its characters and story, but today’s footage also revealed a fresh coat of paint with updated visuals.
Persona 4 Revival launches in February of next year for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. If you need to catch up on all of the biggest reveals, you can check out everything announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026.
Developing…
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
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Asked about what made Black Flag make such an impression, Ryan replied, "Who doesn’t love pirates!? And pirates and assassins? What can you say?"
Ryan is re-doing some of his mo-cap performance for the game, noting the technology has advanced considerably since he first played Edward Kenway 13 years ago. He explained that a lot of his original vocal performance will be retained, but additional material has been "added to the character to give him more depth."
Ryan promised Resynced "will feel like the original game but on steroids," saying he felt longtime fans will appreciate the added story elements. As for the brand new players who missed the original game, he added, "All of the people who are going to discover it for the first time, I’m envious of them!"
Part of a pirate's life is singing sea shanties, something Ryan revealed he actually had personal experience with going back to his childhood. "Growing up in Wales, they actually taught me a sea shanty in school," he explained. The panel ended in rousing fashion, with Ryan singing "Drunken Sailor," with plenty of crowd participation.
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is coming to PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on July 9, 2026.
Be sure to keep up with everything going on at IGN Live 2026. You can check the full schedule to see what else is coming up across games, movies, TV, streaming, and more.
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This year's IGN Live event kicks off this weekend, and to celebrate, Humble Bundle has dropped an excellent IGN Live game bundle that's full of some exciting picks, including Control, TOEM: A Photo Adventure, and seven more. If you pay at least $10, you can add all nine of the games in this bundle to your PC library.
Considering they have a total value of $261, that's a fantastic offer to take advantage of, and one that won't be around for long (only 19 days remaining at the time of this writing). If you like what you see, now is definitely the time to make a move on this bundle. Check out all of the games available in it below.
Now, if you decide to pay less than $10, you will lose out on some games. If you drop to $7, you'll get Paradise Killer: Perfect 25 Edition, Blair Witch, Fear the Spotlight, The Last Campfire, and TOEM: A Photo Adventure. And going down to $5 will just get you The Last Campfire and TOEM: A Photo Adventure.
However, if you decide to pay more than $10, your extra cash can go towards publishers, Humble, and to a charity. In terms of the latter, you'll be supporting Child's Play Charity through purchases of this bundle.
Personally, I think there are some really great picks in this bundle. Control is up there as one of my favorite games, and I definitely agree with our review that said it "creates a captivating, oddball world that never loses the thread of its supernatural tale."
Fear the Spotlight is another game I really enjoyed. Inspired by classic horror games from the PS1 era, it was a truly fun debut from Blumhouse Games and the mighty tiny dev team of Cozy Game Pals. I'd definitely recommend it if you want a spooky game to play this summer.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
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The Xbox Series S is taking some heat once again following comments made by the founder of Moon Studio, the team behind action RPG No Rest for the Wicked, which has been available on Steam Early Access since 2024.
During the PlayStation State of Play, it was confirmed the game was coming to PS5 this October in celebration of its 1.0 release, but Xbox users will have to wait. This isn't due to any kind of marketing deal with PlayStation. Rather, it has to do with limitations with the Xbox Series S. In response to a fan inquring about the lack of an Xbox release date, studio founder and game director Thomas Mahler pointed to the Series S.
"Series S is making that rough," said Mahler in a comment on Discord. "We'll ship it after in a good way once it's optimized like crazy for Switch 2 and Xbox."
Another user joked that a mobile version would follow the Xbox and Switch 2 versions, to which Mahler responded: "Series S and mobile specs aren't too far apart at this point."
This is hardly the first time something like this has happened. The Xbox version of Black Myth: Wukong was delayed by a year and it was heavily rumored that it may be due to difficulties developing for the consoles. Microsoft responded to these rumors noting that it had not been informed of such troubles, but developer Game Science later suggested those rumors may have had some truth to them. Game Science CEO Yongar Feng-Ji noted in January 2025 that the Xbox Series S' 10 GBs of shared memory was creating issues with optimization. When the game was eventually released on Xbox, the studio confirmed that the delay was a result of spending extra time trying to optimize the game specificially for Xbox.
Baldur's Gate 3 also suffered issues when it came to developing for the Xbox Series S. The game had a staggered release across platforms, arriving in August 2023 for PC, September for PS5, and December for Xbox. That wasn't by choice, necessarily. Larian had troubles getting split-screen co-op to work smoothly on Xbox Series S. The studio even enlisted the help of Microsoft's own engineers to help get it all functioning.
With all of this said, there has been a lot of discussion throughout the current console generation over whether or not the Xbox Series S is worth the hassles. Microsoft mandates that all Xbox Series X titles must also work on Series S with full feature parity, but it has led to some games being released later on the platform. It begs the question whether Project Helix, the next Xbox console, will have a cheaper and weaker variant – or if Microsoft will go all-in on one SKU. Given how aggressive Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma has been, it's hard to imagine the company doing two consoles again, but we'll just have to wait and see.
For now, No Rest for the Wicked will release on PS5 on an unspecified date in October. The Xbox release date is currently to be confirmed.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
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