5 Best Video Games Like Final Fantasy

When it comes to RPGs, there's just no beating Square Enix's "Final Fantasy" franchise, which is widely seen as the gold standard for the genre. Since starting in 1987, the "Final Fantasy" series has undergone a stunning transformation, evolving with every console generation to reflect changing sensibilities. Every mainline "Final Fantasy" game features its own standalone story, introducing a heroic party on an adventure to save their respective worlds. Starting out with turn-based combat gameplay, the series has evolved to include entries with real-time combat and even MMO experiences.

With "Final Fantasy" being such a staple, there have been countless games influenced by its ongoing legacy. From other titles produced by Square Enix to similar RPGs from other developers, fans have plenty of similar titles to choose from. And just as with most "Final Fantasy" games, each of the titles we're covering here introduce players to their own memorable worlds and characters for truly epic stories. These are the five best video games like "Final Fantasy," each bringing their own unique approach to the RPG space.

Just as "Final Fantasy" started hitting its stride on the Super Nintendo, another '90s RPG on the SNES that aged surprisingly well is 1995's "Chrono Trigger," which also came from Square. The game has fantasy hero Crono and his friends come across a time portal allowing them to visit the past and future. Through their travels, the party learns that the villainous Lavos is destined to destroy their world. Determined to avert this coming apocalypse, Crono recruits allies from across the timeline to combat Lavos.

"Chrono Trigger" feels like a beautiful extension of the mechanics and storytelling sensibilities Square introduced with 1994's "Final Fantasy VI." It's very much its own story, but the active time battle combat mechanics, memorable party members, and the game's time machine, the Epoch, feel thematically similar. It spawned a sequel, "Chrono Cross," and we're still holding out hope for a "Chrono Trigger 3" someday. In the meantime, "Chrono Trigger" stands as one of Square's last great games for the Super Nintendo and plays just as wonderfully now.

It may seem like a bit of a cheat to include "Kingdom Hearts" here, since it's tangentially connected to "Final Fantasy," but it's very much its own RPG series. Starting in 2002 on the PlayStation 2, the game takes place in an interconnected set of worlds, with many of them based directly on Disney movies and "Final Fantasy" games. The game's protagonist, Sora, teams up with Goofy and Donald Duck to stop the Heartless from consuming reality. Traveling to each of these disparate worlds, the trio enlists help from each reality, including from the likes of Hercules and Aladdin.

The original "Kingdom Hearts" and its 2005 direct sequel are among the best PS2 games of all time, blending RPG stakes with hack-and-slash action. Every familiar world that Sora and his friends travel to offer their own immersive experiences while organically tying into the overarching narrative. This is arguably Square Enix at its most whimsical, though the family-friendly premise does contain plenty of genuinely emotional moments in between its swashbuckling battles. "Kingdom Hearts" spawned an entire series, but it's best experienced from its opening installment to get the full breadth of its epic story.

Square Enix's other long-running RPG series, "Dragon Quest," actually predates "Final Fantasy" by over a year. While we could recommend any number of titles from this franchise for this list, 2017's "Dragon Quest XI" is a strong standout. The game opens with monsters destroying the medieval kingdom of Dundrasil, with the player character barely escaping as an infant. Upon growing up, the protagonist learns of their destiny to save the realm from darkness, forming a party to aid them in this goal.

"Dragon Quest XI" really perfects the franchise's formula, presenting players with a sweeping story filled with plenty of memorable characters. The turn-based action remains as timeless as ever, optimized in a way that it doesn't come off as dated in the face of numerous real-time combat RPGs. The game was remastered with a definitive edition for modern platforms in 2019, refining the gameplay and expanding the story. An excellent jumping-on point for the franchise, "Dragon Quest XI" captures so much of what's kept the series thriving for 40 years.

"Sea of Stars" is a love letter to the Super Nintendo era of RPGs. The 2023 game has protagonists Zale and Valere take on a cult serving a devious alchemist known as the Fleshmancer. Forming a small band, the warriors travel between islands in their kingdom as they learn about the origins of the Fleshmancer to defeat him. Similar to the SNES RPG "Secret of Mana," the game allows for cooperative multiplayer, with additional players controlling different members of the party.

"Sea of Stars" is a tasty mixture of old and new, creating a modern pixelated RPG adventure with a retro presentation. The game will appeal to fans of the SNES classics that influenced it, including "Final Fantasy VI." While it probably won't win over newcomers to the genre, long-time RPG fans will find a lot to love here. A celebration of the genre's 16-bit golden age, "Sea of Stars" is well worth checking out for any RPG enthusiast.

"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" was a breakout game for French studio Sandfall Interactive in 2025, winning Game of the Year and netting the highest number of nominations and wins for a single title at The Game Awards. It takes place in a world inspired by France's Belle Époque, with the story's titular expedition setting out to defeat the villainous Paintress who has been terrorizing their society for decades. A party initially led by the engineer Gustave is ambushed by a hunter named Renoir shortly after reaching the mainland, with the survivors making up the rest of the group. As the small band continues their quest, they learn the history of the Paintress while continually being hunted by Renoir.

"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" is an all-around masterpiece, with an immersive and sumptuously realized world playing out from a largely third-person perspective. There is a dreamy quality to the game that shifts to operatic intensity once the action kicks into place. With its mix of turn-based combat with real-time mechanics, the game also provides a more innovatively engaging approach to the genre. An emotionally stirring and unique twist on the usual RPG experience, there is nothing like "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" on the market, even as it evokes classic RPGs.