What are the best games like Final Fantasy 16? It almost feels too damp to say that Final Fantasy 16 has been hotly-anticipated as the next installment in the franchise… let’s say instead it’s been an incandescent, burning, blazing want. Alas, it’s here, finally. And, whilst this PS5 exclusive brings countless hours of gameplay and a chance to finally relax and absorb all it has to offer, you wouldn’t be amiss if you found yourself searching for more.
The dark fantasy title has an abundance of impressive features from the incredible Final Fantasy 16 characters, to a vast and plentiful world, to a storyline rich with destiny, tragedy, and revenge. Navigating Valisthea as warrior Clive Rosfield is a long and treacherous mission and with seven important locations and kingdoms to explore in the Final Fantasy 16 map, such as the neutral territory of the Final Fantasy 16 Hideaway, it will take 35-40 hours to complete, according to the game’s director Hiroshi Takai. Playing whilst taking in every single component will, of course, take a lot longer.
So, if it’s the dungeon-crawling exploration of otherworldly places or perhaps the rising tensions of impending battle that excites you, then you’re in luck as we’ve compiled a guide full to the brim with alternative titles to play if you can’t get your hands on the game or don’t fancy enjoying sticking it out for the full Final Fantasy 16 length. You’ll notice the appearance of a lot of Square Enix alumni coursing through our list’s veins, with good reason.
The best games like Final Fantasy 16 are:
- The Last Remnant Remastered
- Kingdom Hearts 3
- Chrono Trigger
- Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Devil May Cry 5
1. The Last Remnant Remastered
The Last Remnant follows teenage warrior, Rush, across a fictional world filled with mysterious artifacts known as ‘Remnants’. In a bid to end the war of many lands and species, Rush battles to uncover the truth. Whilst that is already an excellent setup for a fantasy RPG, it should also be known that this title came from FF’s developer, Square Enix, back in 2008, and was in fact their first in-house next-gen title.
The Last Remnant also shares the same director as Final Fantasy 16, Hiroshi Takai. Alongside other long-standing members of Square Enix, Hiroshi, and the team crafted this epic story with many similarities to Final Fantasy (see the art design or character breadth), but notably significant differences. One such example is combat mechanics. The large-scale battle system seen in The Last Remnant controls groups, known as unions, rather than the single-player seen in Final Fantasy.
The Last Remnant received a remastering in 2018 that utilizes Unreal Engine 4, crafting a whole new look and feel for the game that’s definitely worth playing.
2. Kingdom Hearts 3
Next up, much like The Last Remnant, Kingdom Hearts 3 also has a solid connection with the Final Fantasy 16 team. Tetsuya Nomura has been the character designer on each Final Fantasy installment since Final Fantasy 6 and he’s also the co-creator of the Kingdom Heart series.
The Square Enix/Disney series focuses on the main protagonist, Sora, and his perilous journey across land and sea, which is only made possible by the friendships he forms. Collaboration is key, much like the Kingdom Hearts team demonstrates with one; teaming up with Disney and two; working closely with the Final Fantasy 16 team on combat mechanics. With such strong links between the two, it makes Kingdom Hearts 3 a perfect title to try, especially with the Kingdom Hearts 4 release date on the way.
3. Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger may be the oldest entry on our list, but by golly, it’s earned its place tenfold. Predating Square Enix when it was just Square, the Chrono series is one of the earliest standout franchises from the team. And what a team it was. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, Dragon Quest’s Yuji Horii, and author of the Dragon Ball manga series, Akira Toriyama, need we say more?
Okay, we will. Chrono Trigger, in true fantasy RPG fashion, follows a young boy on his adventure driven by destiny to save the world from impending doom. It’s all the beautiful elements of Final Fantasy from friendship, exploration, fighting, and fate bundled into this timeless classic.
4. Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
If you’re on the hunt for another RPG fantasy title with an abundance of individual character arcs then a Tales game is definitely worth considering. For this guide, we’ve opted for Vesperia, the tenth in the series, but it should be noted that each Tales title has its own story and characters worthy of exploration.
In Tales of Vesperia, players navigate the world of Terca Lumireis with protagonist, Yuri Lowell, on, you guessed it, an epic quest. A classic fantasy trope that fans of Final Fantasy 16 should enjoy. With real-time combat, pacey storytelling, and a vast opportunity to explore, Tales of Vesperia is an excellent option to open up your mind to a different look and feel RPG.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the game, 2019 saw the release of the Definitive Edition featuring updated graphics, new music, lots of unreleased costume DLC, and two more playable characters. Hence why we’re plotting the definitive edition on our chart as a must-play alternative to Final Fantasy 16.
5. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Next, our recommendation station tunes into Xenoblade Chronicles 3. We’ve chosen 3 as the newest of the franchise and, like Final Fantasy 16, focuses on envisioning a world split between two warring halves. In FF 16, it’s Valisthea and the continents of Ash and Storm. In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, it’s Aionios and the nations of Keves and Agnus.
Nintendo’s popular RPG series also uses a real-time battle system like The Last Remnant, if that’s your cup of tea. Unlike Final Fantasy 16, Xenoblade Chronicles is an open-world game with free-roam exploration at the forefront. So, whilst it’s not blazingly similar, if you’re after a fantasy JRPG that feels a little like FF 16 but has its own vibe then you won’t go far wrong with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, especially as we really enjoyed the game in our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review.
6. Devil May Cry 5
Finally, when it comes to comparing Devil May Cry 5 to Final Fantasy 16, the biggest similarity lies in the battle mechanics. There is a good reason for this though. Final Fantasy 16’s combat director is in fact former Campcom employee, Ryota Suzuki. Although Capcom’s 2019 title may not be an RPG, with fighting similar to Final Fantasy 16 at its forefront, you may well get a similar feeling when playing it. Especially if you’ve unlocked FF 16’s Arcade Mode through Clives’ story.
Okay, you’re not quite exploring vast lands, but you are most certainly exploring how many ways you can beat a demon up. Taking hours of technique-honing into any RPG battle will serve you well.
So, there you have it, our best games like Final Fantasy 16. Hopefully, you feel inspired to try some new titles or even revisit some old favorites. In the meantime, why not check out our guide to the best PS5 RPG games or check out our best Xbox RPG games, best Switch RPG games, or best RPG games overall across all of these platforms? Have fun!