For anyone who’s finishedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and is looking for something to playbeforeFF7 Remake Part 3, there’s an obvious choice to ease the wait. The first two installments in theFF7 Remake trilogyhave been widely praised by both longtime fans of the franchise and first-timeFinal Fantasyplayers. It comes as no surprise: a pitch-perfect remake of one of the greatest and most influential RPGs of all time was always bound to be a hit, even if it can sometimes be a little long-winded.
But it could be a very longwait forFF7 Remake Part 3, and, for those who got their first exposure toFinal Fantasythrough it,it’s hard to know where to look next. Some may not want to play the originalFF7for fear of spoiling the remake. Others may have already played it, but now find themselves overwhelmed at the sheer number ofFFgames and how different each one is from the last. While it’s hard to go wrong with any game in the series, one in particular has a lot that’ll appeal to newerFF7fans.
FF10 Is The Perfect FF7 Rebirth Follow-Up
FF10’s Story Matches Up Well
Final Fantasy Xis the perfect follow-up toFF7 Rebirth, especially for newcomers to theFinal Fantasyfranchise. It has a similarly well-realized world, an equally epic story, and comparably unique gameplay. It’s set in a world called Spira, which visually resembles a futuristic South Pacific: people mainly travel by boat across its scattered archipelagos, live in domed, circular buildings, and watch a sport called blitzball on glass-paned screens. Spira is a beautiful place, rich with culture, but it’s haunted by Sin, an impossibly massive monster who keeps rising out of the ocean to swallow people whole.
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Other party members include the brotherly blitzball player Wakka, who lost his brother to Sin; the black mage Lulu, whose hard exterior conceals a soft heart; Kimahri, an outcast of the leonine Ronso tribe; Auron, a fellow resident of Zanarkand and friend to Tidus' abusive father Jecht; and Rikku, a spunky engineer and member of the Al Bhed ethnic minority, subject to discrimination by adherents of Yuna’s religion, Yevon. There’s nothing quite like them anywhere else in the series, buteach of them is as strongly written and memorable as anyFF7party member.
FF10is also the first fully voice actedFinal Fantasygame, which lends a lot to its storytelling.
Tidus and Yuna’s relationship rivals even the Cloud-Aerith-Tifa triangle in emotional heft - it’s eventually threatened by Yuna’s religion, Tidus' past, and the very nature of Sin itself. This is where the main themes ofFF10come in, and they’re big enough to matchFF7’s any day: life, death, grief, religion, tyranny, history, propaganda, language, love, hate, and blitzball are all carefully dissected byFF10’s intricate story. The player discovers the secrets of Spira through Tidus' eyes, which makes for excellent pacing;you never quite know what’s coming next, but whatever it is, it’s always exhilarating.
But despite all the drama,FF10isn’t afraid to get a little goofy at times, just likeFF7before it. Wakka is a pretty consistent comic relief character, even if he does have a tragic backstory. Lulu fights with the help of sentient stuffed animals; collecting new ones is always a joy. Laughter - forced or not - is a big part ofFF10, and it thoughtfully explores the ways in which people find joy and comfort, even in a time of tragedy.
23 Years Later, FF10 Is Still Fantastic
Even All These Years Later, FF10 Is Worth Playing
Now,the gameplay ofFF10is very different from that ofFF7 Rebirth, but it’s excellent in its own right, and fully holds up today.FF10leaves the Active Time Battle system of previousFinal Fantasygames behind in exchange for a totally new system, Conditional Turn-Based combat. So yes, it is still turn-based, but players can swap out any of their party members on demand for immense flexibility. Through its board game-inspired system of character development, called the Sphere Grid, some characters learn skills that can move their allies up and their enemies down in the upcoming turn order.
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Graphically,FF10is visibly a PS2 game, but it doesn’t look bad by any means. It’s the first game in the series to use complete 3D environments, not just 3D characters moving around on a 2D plane. However,FF10still makes use of pre-rendered backgrounds, which allows it to render lush, richly detailed environments beyond the PS2’s usual capabilities.
As always withFinal Fantasy, though, the star of the show is the music. Even among such storied soundtracks as the rest of the series,FF10’s music stands out. It makes use of bubbly, poppy synths to create calming, environmental music that washes over the player, fully immersing them in Spira’s beauty. The title theme, “To Zanarkand,” is a heart-rending piano piece; once you’ve beaten the game, you’ll never again be able to hear its opening notes without tearing up.
If playing theFF10remaster,make sure to choose the Original soundtrack in the game’s menu. The Arranged version is okay, but doesn’t capture the right feeling with certain songs.
FF10’s main mini-game is blitzball, a sort of strategic water polo played in a spherical water bubble. They can also recruit additional blitzball players throughout the game. Chocobo racing and butterfly hunting are also on offer. It’s not quite as expansive or varied asFF7 Rebirth’s mini-game collection, but each of these is a worthy distraction from the main story.
Final Fantasy 10is available on all modern platforms(PC, Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One/X/S) via its remastered version, often bundled with its (divisive, but also worthwhile) direct sequel,Final Fantasy X-2. The remaster has been criticized for its lackluster character models, but it is the easiest way to access the game without a PS2.
Final Fantasy 10is generally considered one of the best in the series, and it’s certainly a worthwhile new obsession during the wait forFF7 Remake Part 3. It’s admittedly very different, but that’s one of its strengths. There’s nothing quite likeFF7, so playerswill want to find something that balances familiarity and distinction.FF10fits the bill. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea - but thankfully,there are 14 other mainline Final Fantasy games that can stand on their own merits. And any one of them makes an excellent next game for anyone whose firstFFwasRebirth.
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For those who loveFinal Fantasy 7’s story, check outFinal Fantasy 6for its similarly delightful ensemble cast and dastardly villain. If it’s the characters,Final Fantasy 9has an equally memorable cast. Those who insist on real-time combat will find a lot to love inFF15and16. And those who lovedRebirth’s expansive world and mini-game variety will be staggered by the sheer amount of content inFFXIV- even just in its free trial. And that’s not to mention the many spinoffs.
The Final Fantasy series has lasted this long for a reason: no one game is perfect, but every single one of its mainline entries offers something excellent, and entirely different from whatever came before and after it. No otherFFgame will scratch theFF7itch exactly, but each of them will offer something unique in terms of characters, story, and gameplay - andFF10delivers on all those fronts. But truthfully, for anyone whose firstFFgame wasFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it’s impossible to go wrong anywhere else in the series.
